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#i love pic with ethereal filter !!!

sunny-reis · 3 months

Note

Can I request headcannons with poly vbs reader who's like wonyoung from ive?

(Job and appearance wise)

hcs - vvbs w/a wonyoung-like reader

an: you bet your ass you can !! i saw wonyoung and did a little jump for joy (mentally)

tags: somewhat-feminine!reader, idol!reader, reader's a member of more more jump! or some adjacent j-pop group, ppl give idol!reader shit (much like wonyoung) but they handle it like the slayboss they are

🎀 okay first of all

🎧 bc you're wonyoung-like i have to clarify that yes, ppl on the internet criticize you for no fucking reason ! not cool but it izz what it izz

🍓 you don't let it bother you because you're just Better Than That (plus you're rich, loved, and confident, why should you?)

🎀 assume you're a very popular, well-liked member of mmj! and you've had a pretty large following from a past career as a soloist

🎧 i hc an and akito as big idol fans (akito would rather die than have you find out he used to be a die-hard fan of yours, posters and merch and all stashed in his closet), so they'd definitely support you at gigs and performances!! front row seats and banners babeyyyy

🍓 kohane doesn't really listen to idol music and toya... is toya. but they'd prefer to watch you dance/dance with you!! especially during the rare moments when your normally-PACKED schedule is empty for once !!

🎀 watch you three be stuck in the company practice rooms for hours on end (assuming akito and an join later/for less time since they're Busy doing Stuff . yeah)

🎧 now for specifics !!

🍓 akito defends you from antis online . user ynlover123? that's him [he has multiple side accounts on every social media you can think of]

🎀 every time a clip of you doing something random but Cutely (like wony's little happy dance and the video of her eating a strawberry) you get So Much shit for it. god forbid a girl (g/n) do anything

🎧 Haters be hating 😂

🍓 an is a full on fansite dude (idk why but she seems like a photographer to me. i haven't played through the vvbs story don't @ me)

🎀 fansign? concert in tokyo? popup event? coffee shop event? private performance? she's there with her big ahh camera and filters and light boxes

🎧 you think you look ridiculous in the pictures she takes but to Literally Everyone Else you look ethereal !! like that one relatively recent pic of wony at the airport - everyone (but you) goes wild bc. yeah

🍓 kohane and toya are there to comfort you and make sure you take care of yourself when things get rough

🎀 ik that sounds generic and bland as hell but HEAR ME OUT !!!

🎧 i hc kohane is like a walking heater!! she gives the best hugs that make you never wanna get up from bed (best lazy day partner fr)

🍓 toya isn't a good cook but he'd try to make snacks and your favorite food for you !! good thing you had to take acting classes bc ... he could've tried harder 🗿

🎀 thankfully he can at least cut fruit without losing a limb, so in classic asian mom fashion, he brings you plates of fruit when you're feeling down - he and kohane make sure you finish it all (and kohane sneaks some pieces while toya's not looking 😁)

🎧 (tbf she looks like a squirrel bc of how chubby her cheeks are - im not immune to the kohane rodent agenda)

🍓 all in all i feel like it'd be a really understanding relationship with poly!vvbs - they're dancers so they get how tiring it is, and especially with industry-induced worries, they'd be there to support you and make you feel loved no matter what!

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sweetlikehoneystingslikeabee · 11 months

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Hi I literally goshed over how cute the dog ask was! So I came up with an idea for part 2 how would the riddlers react to ether there hench men or another members of the rouges gallery making there dog an Instagram account and said dog becoming Instagram famous with over 1,000 followers ps I luv your writing

"Riddler's with Dogs Pt 2" Riddler Party Ask

I'm glad! This is definitely in my Arena so I'm happy to give more! After this one I have a cat ask for riddlers too, so look forward to that. And thank you for the praise <3 Part one is here!

TW: None

Gotham

It was Victor. Victor would have done it for Penguin's dog Edward but then his boss would have gotten all pissy and it wasn't worth it. What's Edward (the human) going to do when he takes pictures of Oswald (the dog) for Insta? Riddle him to death? Try to outshoot the shooter? Please.

Edward and Oswald (the human) hang out often enough for Victor to sneak video and pictures of the little guy. He documents care videos of things Edward does for "records" when Oswald (the dog) has to be taken care of by others. Really, he's posting them on Instagram.

Once Edward finds out, he's frustrated and demands for Victor to take it all down since it's not even his dog! That is, until Victor is showing off the numbers Oswald (the dog) is doing. One of his most popular photos is a candid pic of the dog in Oswald (the human's) lap snoring when Edward was away one weekend.

....He can't deny it makes him a little happy to see the positive comments and likes on all these small, innocuous moments that otherwise would have been taken for granted. Victor can keep it up. For now. But there's definitely going to be high end glamor shots added via Edward himself.

60s

one of the younglings had to introduce him to the concept. Always on her tiny phone snapping photos of everything including Pascal. Then one day she's trying to explain what Instagram is. So it's like a digital photobook. That sounds adorable, but really, is it relevant to anything?

She then points to the number of followers and says that's the amount of people who want updates about Pascal and his antics. Edward brightens at the thought. Wait, there are comments? Oh, would you look at that, they love him!

Edward is like that happy, dorky uncle who now wants to be included on the photo taking. What's the perfect cinematic shot? The Instagram game turns to short videos, which then turns to tiktok shorts once he's shown how to do that... Pascal ends up getting a fancy riddler suit jacket of his own with the proceeds.

Imagine you're a hostage in 1960s Gotham. The Riddler has overtaken the event with his goons. There is a corgi in a question mark themed suit. One of the goons is filming the corgi shaking his little hips as he walks. Riddler poses a question for the audience at home. This is going to take hours if Batman doesn't arrive quickly.

BTAS

Query and Echo did it. They aren't a constant presence like they were at one time, but they still appreciate the occasional team up with their favorite man in green. And they fall in love with little Curie.

They tease him for trying to retire and "settle down" with his dog... As they take pictures and video with filters of her in her little fashion coat. Echo jokingly makes the Instagram at first as they're all a little tipsy on wine. Then both of them post pictures and videos of her with Edward in the background.

Then... Oh, shit. This got bigger than they ever planned. Sure, cute animals are popular but- Edward isn't mad when he finds out. In fact, he's amused and downright smug. Of course she's popular, look at her!

He ends up making a small video game with her as the star. Hey, don't blame him for making profit off of a popularity hype. It's a good game, brings in honest money and puts his name back on the market. Win-win in his opinion.

Zero Year

Despite being notorious for not playing well with others, he has to have some goons later on to help with the heavy lifting. One of them ended up being good with Minerva so Edward thought, what the hell, they could clean up after her when he's busy. What he didn't realize is the guy ended up taking photos and posted a few of them online. That curly tail is to die for!

Edward caught the man on his phone looking at photos of Minerva and found the account with less than 100 followers. Photos that were fine but not great. So he took over the account immediately.

He immediately decided to up Minerva's aesthetic game. High quality photos, photo shoots, cosplay- Yes, cosplay. The amount of followers bumps up past 1,000 within a couple weeks. It doesn't help he messed with the website algorithm. Just a little. Everyone WILL appreciate his dorky beautiful dog.

Arkham

The one time he decided to actually hire people instead of just robots to do his bidding, and they do this. First, one of them decided to show off his doggie grooming background and freshened him up. Unnecessary! Asimov was fine! Then he's getting messages from Harley of all people telling him his dog is online and famous.

He corners his henchpeople who shrug saying it was a fluke. Passing the time when they wait around for orders! People love the one-eyed little creature. And they love seeing Edward show rare soft moments towards him.

People call his dog ugly-cute and he's offended on behalf of Asimov. Asimov is perfectly fine the way he is. He's not ugly! Someone has to explain that's a good thing and he scoffs them off.

At some point he gets tired of having henchmen around in his space and boots them to the streets. Then he hacks into the account and changes the password and authentication so the account can stay up. If he remembers he'll throw videos up, usually of Asimov doing tricks showing how smart he is.

Telltale

Funny enough it's his buddy Catwoman who does it. Selina KNOWS an Instagram worthy pet when she sees it. And this puppy is CUTE. Plus she's probably one of the few people he'd allow in his space besides Bane and actually trust. Bane is also in several pictures with Columbo. He knows the show, it was one of the few things that would ever play on the one shitty, shitty TV in the prison he grew up in.

She's delighted to tell him once the account gets popular. He scoffs and doesn't believe it until she shows him the numbers.

He supposes people have good taste about the pain in his ass. Then the memes start where they compare the riddler's dog to the TV show detective he's named after. He says how ridiculous they are and how people should use their time better, but Selina catches him giving a sensible chuckle at them often.

2022

Let's be real, he started the Instagram account. He figured his followers could go see pictures of her when he's not streaming and she's in the background. What he didn't expect was a flurry of other followers that have no idea who is is, but want to see more of wiggly Ava. It's enough to make him anxious.

The pictures aren't the best or the quality of videos but she's just so delightful and when he opens up about her story, it garners even more views. There's something so genuine about the presentation.

He tries to get some overlap into his Riddler persona but it doesn't work out. Batman follows the Ava account. Just to make sure there aren't any secret messages there. That's it. Absolutely not because the dog is adorable.

#gotham riddler #btas riddler #60s riddler #arkham riddler #telltale riddler #zero year riddler #2022 riddler #foxwriting

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littleblondesoprano · 1 year

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Please forgive me if this is untoward, but I'd love some advice, if you're willing? The selfies you take are absolutely breathtaking and I was wondering how you get them to look so soft and ethereal? I've been speaking with someone who I'd like to share photos with, but every time I attempt to take them I hate every single one and feel discouraged. I don't *hate* my body, but I always think I look hideous and it kills me to think someone else will see what I see. Yours always look so pretty and if you had any tips or advice I'd be forever grateful ❤️

This is not untoward at all, my friend! I am always here for y'all, this is a safe, welcoming place <3 I'm gonna put this under a read more, just because I talk a lot, lol! :D

Firstly, thank you so much! You're so sweet, and I completely understand that feeling. Know that you are gorgeous and anyone who receives your pictures is one damn lucky person! I'm not just sayin that either, it's true!

Well, and this applies for face or body (I've still not mastered the body bit, but i'm workin on it!) the biggest advice I can give is to get comfortable in front of the camera. What that means is, trying out your angles, turn and twist in weird ways that might feel odd at first, try out silly facial expressions to try and relax! When I do cosplay, or just selfie makeup, I always have to take a break in between pictures to be as silly as I possibly can. I'm talking making videos to whatever I'm listening to, headbanging (unless it messes up my hair), dancing around, crossing my eyes, and making the most hideous faces I can, just so I can get back into that happy, relaxed zone. Do the whole Sharpay trill but with your whole body! Limbo under nothing! Really commit to the bit and get yourself laughing! When you loosen up, or at least when I do, I find the pictures come out better, because I am genuinely having fun.

So, you're sending these to a special someone (👀) maybe thinking about them when you take the pictures will help, too! Think about how they make you feel - that warm, excited energy in your chest, and believe me, it translates to the photos. Try to imagine them in front of you, and how excited they'd react to seeing you, or how excited they'll be to be such a special recipient.

Another bit of 'technical' advice is try using your camera's timer! For body shots, I use the 10 second timer on my phone camera (usually in tandem with the 'Portrait Mode' preset under 'Contour Light' if you have an Apple - I'm not sure what Samsung or Android have, but there should be an equivalent) and start trying out poses. The timer helps because you can watch your pose and shift without having to fumble with the camera. This also works for like, face selfies too - but with that I, personally, use Snapchat's camera and 3 second timer function, just so my arms are free to wiggle.

There are also apps, if you want a variety of filters beyond Snapchat, that offer some good ones! I used to use BeautyPlus in highschool/early undergrad, because it gave me those images with sharp contrast. Just, beware the ads.

An issue I run into, especially with like, body shots, is running out of poses, or trying to think new ones up. I'm not sure if you run into this, but looking online always helps me! I'm a plus size person (also bi as hell so this is very fun for me) so going into the plus size tag on tumblr, or looking up plus size boudoir shoots/photographers helps to see people with my body type being sexy, and what poses they adopt. It becomes an issue trying to do all that by myself, but there are compromises.

Lighting is your best friend. In face or body pics! If you've got a soft light, maybe play around with how it looks on the planes of your face! That meaning, wave the light around your face and see how each angle looks in a mirror, or a camera. That's how I kinda started, besides messing with the blinds in the dining room when the sun hit the perfect spot. For me, full lighting on my face with shadow behind works best. As I learned from ANTM as a teenage bab, lighting can make a shoot.

But the biggest thing is just - try stuff! Try it even if you don't think it'll look good, and really take time afterwards to appreciate yourself. This is what I want you to do, this is my homework to you - I want you to try out taking pictures, body, face, whichever, and when you sit down to look through them (that's crucial, do not look through them until your energy for taking photos is gone - only do a cursory look as you take them, no in-depth look until after, that'll psych you out if you look too long while you take them) I want you to compliment yourself on each photo. You don't have to say it out loud, but I want you to appreciate how beautiful you are, because you are beautiful. I don't care if you think you're Quasimodo incarnate - you are fucking beautiful and I want you to realize that.

I also want you to know that I completely understand. For every 1 good picture I post, there's probably 50 that I don't. I've had times where I took pictures and bawled my eyes out because I hated how I looked. And I've gone back, a year or so after, and saw how banging the pictures actually were! So let me just say, doll, it's nothing wrong with you. Your mind might just be spinning you a horribly wrong yarn. And I say: snip, snip, motherfucker.

Besides, special person that's getting these photos? If worst comes to worst and they have such little taste as to not like you, then why ever would you want them around you? We want someone in your life who lives every inch of you as yourself and shows you that, early and often. But, you also owe that same energy to yourself, because you are amazing!

But just remember, a bad photo is just that - a bad photo. Everyone takes them, and it reflects nothing on you or how you look/appear as a person. If you start to feel yourself winding down, or psyching out, take a break, drink some water, and get sillay. Just play for a while! You've got this!! I have so much faith in you, and I am so proud of you!! <3

#woo I hope this made sense!!#You got this love!!!#I believe in youuuu!!#please come back and tell me how this goes!!#and I wanna know what you complimented yourself on (I won't answer it publicly tho unless you want me to)#YOU GOT THIS!!! WOOO #put on some fun music and viiiiiibe!#My go-to lately has been Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crue

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endlessmidnightparade · 2 years

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I feel like I’ve been on a mediocrity kick lately.

And I’m on it rn because I’ve been chronically online for a few months and I’ve gotten to talk to irl people and now coming back to tumblr, twitter and tiktok, it’s made me realize how ridiculously curated and “pretty” and put-together shit online is. It’s exhausting to see.

Take a tiktok artist for example. They’re filming a quick video with a pretty filter, they’re adding one or two lines of finishing touched, they have a manicure, the song is perfect and when they show the drawing it’s perfect. But I don’t care about the false perception it perpetuates about how much work it takes to get to that point in art (We can talk about that another time).

What I really care about is how good it looks. How beautiful it is. How ethereal and supple and curated EVERYTHING in that video is. Yeah ofc humans love beauty and we love creating beautiful shit. I get it. There’s nothing wrong with that. But ugh, what’s bugging me is that we just put too much emphasis on that. And yes part of that is because of capitalism (or whatever the US has got going on lmao). But we’re also letting that seep into our actual beliefs. Like, I got people telling me they don’t want to film themselves doing art, or start a Sims tumblr (posting pics of their sims), cus they don’t know how to use photoshop, or they don’t have manicured acrylics (these are extremely specific examples, I know, lmao).

Again, there’s nothing wrong with creating beautiful things and curating shit to your liking.

But what I don’t like is that algorithms written by small groups of people influence us to the point that some of us are afraid to try things and show them to people because they’re constantly being bombarded with perfect version of the things they try getting love, and the people they show them to are also bombarded with it. So it has left no room for beginners, mistakes, different tastes or freedom of expression.

But to bring this quasi-5-paragraph essay to a close, embrace mediocrity. Be ok with being ok with stuff you try and produce. Cus like, when you get to the real world, you realize that no one really gives that much of a shit about extreme details and perfection and, even if they notice it, they overlook it.

What’s that quote? “The people who care don’t matter, and the people who matter, don’t care”

#Bruh #writing my thoughts out sucks #cus it always sounds so good when i mull it over in my head #but then i type it out and welp #Whatever now that it's on paper i am finally free #also #i'm extra salty about everything today cus i'm running on a cup of coffee and 4 hrs of sleep #i want to write a fake blog post think piece about everything that irks me about people and society #this too shall pass ig #this was not spellchecked and only reviewed once btw lmao #embrace mediocrity

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mellowdinonuggets · 3 years

Text

the crows' preferred social medias

dear god this took a long time

pls don't let it flop... i won't cry but no promises

kaz - tumblr: shut up im not only saying this cuz tumblr is my preferred social media. maybe a little bit. but not entirely. its cuz kaz is a very poetic soul (as i mentioned here) and he needs to channel his art somewhere (not like inej is gonna hear most of it anytime soon anyway). he never tells anyone he has a blog tho, cuz he knows its not very characteristic of him. that’s another reason why he likes tumblr; it promises anonymity. here’s his blog, go show him some love and give him notes ;) https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lawabidingcitizen17 p.s.: you can now submit and ask stuff on kaz’s blog! he’ll try his best to answer it :]

inej - pinterest: inej is just… ethereal. she gives me like big sister vibes honestly even though a lot of the fandom says otherwise (mom vibes work too but big sister just fits more idk). she is absolutely very aesthetic and hold up what’s that? there’s a glimpse into one of her pinterest boards?? https://pin.it/2leHQor you’re welcome.

wylan - youtube: ok obviously i can’t show you a glimpse of his yt page but i can describe it you :) very much into doing covers on his flute. he also does vlogs sometimes because that helps with his social anxiety. there’s a lot of sea shanties on there (no i will never forget this) and classical music too. he’s a very chaotic fella but calm at the same time so i suppose his vlogs would be like emma chamberlain’s.

jesper - snapchat: loves the filters. uses them on everyone, especially kazzle dazzle. here are some pictures (lmk if you wanna see the kaz pics lmao):

nina - instagram: she loves it! although she tries her best to stay off of it cuz she doesn’t want any toxic vibes in her life. does polls and qna’s with her followers a lot!! her feed looks a lot like danielle’s :)

matthias - facebook: he has an account on there but doesn’t know how to use it. he really wants to learn how to, but everyone just ends up trolling poor matthias so he just gives up.

yes thank you for reading this you're a beautiful human being.

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icedthoma · 4 years

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Pspsspspspss you wanna write me a scenario / headcanons for The Boys (Shinsou and Todoroki lol) where he finds his s.o’s phone lock screen / wallpaper is a picture of him that he didn’t even realize was taken ?? 💜🔥❄️🤩

Pspspspsp I’d loVE TO. Also first time writing for Shinsou ahH

TODOROKI SHOUTO

How this dude manages to look like a perfect model in every picture taken of him you have no idea.

Teach me your secrets please I beg you

In an attempt to catch him off guard while the two of you were on a date, you pretended to take a selfie while really switching the camera on him from where he was seated in front of you.

And that was how you ended up with the prettiest picture of Todoroki Shouto to ever bless your eyes.

He was smiling warmly at you, his hair and skin graciously highlighted by the bright sunlight. One of his hands was rested on the side of his cheek as he leaned his elbow on the table, head slightly tilted. In his other hand he held his cup of boba tea, which he was lazily sipping out of as he watched you take what he thought was a picture of yourself.

You were in shock.

How??? Does someone?? Look that gorgeous without even trying?????

You instantly made that your new lockscreen.

Throughout the rest of your date, you couldn’t help but sneak peeks at your phone every so often, staring at the beautiful moment you had captured Todoroki in the middle of without him even knowing.

“Do you have somewhere else you need to be?”

You snapped your head up from where you were mooning over your phone wallpaper and stared guiltily at were Shouto was sitting, sliding your phone under the table. “Huh?”

Judging from the way his eyes narrowed at your small gesture, your phone hiding had not gone unnoticed. “You just seem to be looking at your phone a lot. Something wrong?”

Now, to the outside spectator, that would have just sounded like a normal question devoid of any other emotions. But you knew Shouto well enough to recognize that clipped tone at the end of his sentences that indicated he was starting to get frustrated with your lack of attention onto him--well-- the him right in front of you. Not on your phone.

...oh. You were such an idiot.

You hastily made to explain, rushing over yourself to quell his doubts.

“Can I see?” he said once you had finished talking.

Nodding, you handed your phone over and he examined your lock screen with a small grin. He turned your phone off and made to give it to you, but once you reached for it he put it on the table and held your hand with both of his instead.

Without breaking eye contact, he brushed his lips along the skin of your knuckles, his kisses as light as a feather. “I appreciate the picture,” Shouto said, letting go of your hand and handing you your phone for real this time, a growing smirk spreading across his face. “But I’d rather you look at the real version, hmm?”

SHINSOU HITOSHI

Nap dates.

That’s it, that’s the fic

You know he’s a night owl, and these are just a nice way to spend time together while recharging!

It’s always nice cuddling up against each other, his breathing gradually beginning to deepen and lulling you to sleep

One lazy afternoon you woke up first, and while you were kind of disappointed your dream has been interrupted, it only paled in comparison to what was right in front of you.

Light was filtering in through your window, falling over a portion of Shinsou’s face just right, giving his face the illusion that it was glowing from within.

His mouth was curved up into a small smile as he continued to sleep on, oblivious to your staring.

Honestly he reminded you of a cat napping under a spot of sunlight.

Not wanting to let this moment go to waste, you felt around behind you for your phone that had been hastily discarded hours earlier as carefully as you could to avoid waking him up.

Finally finding it, you quickly snapped a picture of his peaceful face that seemed ethereal in the soft lighting.

You were definitely making that your wallpaper.

Days later, you were grabbing some snacks from the kitchen, Shinsou stretched out along the couch in the common room when you heard your phone go off from where it was charging by the dorm’s TV.

“Hey, can you check my phone for me? I think I just got a text.”

“Yeah, sure.”

You came back, arms full with food, to see Shinsou staring at your phone.

“Something wrong?” you asked, though you had a sneaking suspicion as to what he had to be looking at.

“What is this?” He turned your phone around to reveal--you guessed it--your lockscreen of him asleep.

“My new lockscreen. Isn’t it adorable?”

“When was this even taken?”

“On our nap date a couple days ago,” you said, pulling him down to sit beside you on the couch. “You looked so pretty, I just had to capture the moment.”

“Mmm.”

That was not the reaction you were expecting. After some prodding, he revealed his own lockscreen to be a picture of you asleep as well.

“I woke up before you that day, but fell asleep again. Look at you. So cute.”

“My hair is a tangled mess and I think I’m drooling--deleTE THIS PLEASE--”

“If you change your lockscreen I’ll change mine.”

Sacrifices must be made for the greater good (aka your precious lockscreen pic of Shinsou), and you’re not about to change your wallpaper anytime soon.

“...I guess you can keep it, then.”

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melody-ofstars · 3 years

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hiii, congrats for 100 followersss!!!! I love your writing and I’d like to request a mha matchup please.

My gender’s female, 18 years old, my mbti is ISFJ (The Protector), I’m a scorpio ♏️, my love languages are words of affirmation and physical touch, I am attracted to any gender, I’m assexual and for my likes/deslikes:

❤️: cats, picnics, soft music, studying, playing the bass, fruits, meditating and mostly calm stuff like nature.

💔: anything rushed or rude, frogs (sorry atsui it’s a phobia), loud environments, poor mental health people and depending on others

My past relationships went on me trying to desperately going out of my way to help my partner grow and acting like a therapist/mother, I want someone who is already good, you know? Someone that doesn’t face constant problems for me to fix (not talking about mental illness, I’m ok with comforting if you can’t control it), just a calm and pure love like the song Sunkissed by Khai Dreams.

Okay, aaahhhh the person who I thought of as soon as I read this, turns out to be the perfect match for you because like your zodiacs are the most compatible with each other, and uh he is CUTE and very very SWEET and you deserve someone like him.

And omg the song that you gave is sooooooooo beautiful!! Like the lyricssss, it was really fun writing this and the song inspired me a lot.

Don't worry about it, I found the perfect character for you!!

And uh I just realized the pic of the match up is perfectly fit for the song's name... Like look at the pic, he is so beautiful in sunlight I stg...

Also you have to stay hydrated too!! Take care of yourself bb 💖

I match you with...

☽︎ Mirio Togata ☾︎

Broo this dude will do anything to protect you and I hope you know that.

You won't have to be his mom, he will never let you burden yourself with him.

He will always take you on picnics. At different places that he found while on his way to school or anywhere.

It's a personal hc of mine that he plays guitar, the acoustic one and he especially learns your favorite songs to play them for you.

He will never take you anywhere loud because he knows how much you hate that,

You both love to spend your afternoons together, conversation is less and you both are simply enjoying each other's presence.

He absolutely will bring Aizawa's cat for you to pet, because he knows you love cats, (ps don't tell him I told you, he is adopting a rescue pet for you, and it happens to be a cat)

This guy is already good and if anything, he will be the mother, he will always take care of you even when he knows that you are fully capable of taking care of yourself.

He will never rush you for.any decision, he will always tell you to take your time and however much you need.

You both sometimes wake up when the sun rises and take long walks in the green parts of the city, he always picks flowers for you along the way and gives them to you, you secretly keep them in books and now you have a collection of them which you cherish.

You both have joint study sessions, where he teaches you the stuff you don't know and you teach him the stuff he doesn't, it's a really nice way to study and it help you strengthen your knowledge.

He will never force you to do anything, you are an ace and he will respect that for him, the.love that you share is bigger than any other thing.

He will always make you feel loved and comfortable and never let any doubt take its place in your head and his.

The room glowed golden as the first ray of sunlight filtered through the blinds of the room.

The room was pleasantly cool and the blanket along with the soft rays of the sun were making it more and more comfortable.

Mirio stirred as the rays poked his eyes, waking him up. He stretched looking at the time and smiled softly as he felt an arm wrapped gently around him,

He turned around as slowly as he could to come face to face with your sleeping form,

Your face was glowing from the rays of the sun making you look ethereal, if he was asked what was the most beautiful moment in his life, it would be this. The simplicity of the moment was blissful and euphoric and he wished that he would just stay frozen in time.

He wanted nothing more than to stay in this quiet haven of his with nothing but you and the comfortable silence you shared and him giving you all of his time.

He wanted to be the constant in your life, the permanent that never goes away.

He wanted to be just like the sun in your life, illuminating and rejuvenating you, making you feel warm and softly cradling you.

He loved how just your presence was enough to comfort him, to just know that you are right there by his side, even in the darkest of times.

He wanted to tell you that you could leave it all to him, to unburden yourself onto him because he would be there, to carry it all as he knew that at any given time you would do the same thing for him.

Right now, looking at you, peacefully sleeping he knew he was in love, he had been since he had met you.

"Good Morning," you mumbled with a smile on your face as your eyes landed on his.

"Good Morning darling, sleep well?" He answered, fully aware of the fact that he bad yet again, fallen more in love.

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darkdevasofdestruction · 4 years

Text

Where they take you on vacation - 7 Brothers + Diavolo

Found out the edits are made by @devilgram who has such a beautiful blog and posts so many Obey Me! things that are so cool! You did a great job with all the edits! <3

LUCIFER

Lucifer would like to take you to Romania, mostly because of all the stories of the great Wallachian ruler Vlad Tepes/The Impaler and wants to find out more about his ruthless yet effective methods of insuring no crime happens in his country ( and hopes they will work on his brothers too ).

Apart from the gorgeous landscapes from the mountainside, the possibility to go to the seaside, or see the different types of regional architecture ( like the unique Black Church ) from different cities, he’d also like to get a full experience of the language, the music, the traditions ( customs, clothes, foo ) and feel for a day like a native from the old ages.

Even more, he’d find it very nice if you were to try out one of the traditional outfits, and would take a picture of you at the mountains, on a nice field, and put the developed picture in his coat, looking at it whenever he is working and misses you.

He can get pretty salty about the fact that there are still people who believe the Bran castle is Dracula’s true castle, instead of the Poienari fortress and wouldn’t hesitate to express his displeasure, but would appreciate the castle and everything displayed there nonetheless.

Also, would be the first to go to the Horror house, holding your hand if you get scared, and would feel incredibly proud that you trust him and feel safe around him, but would get such a kick out of using his demon form while at it, to scare the actors there.

His whole aesthetic draws people near as if they would actually approach a vampire royalty, which allows him to puff his chest out in pride, so hey, you’re dating a vampire now!

Would take you out at the fanciest restaurant, just to feel how the life at this place is.

Would love to take long walks on the beach at the sea, your feet in the water, holding hands, and just admiring the moon and stars while waves are your music.

You’d mostly stay silent and enjoy the atmosphere, but sometimes you talk a few words, and that’s when Lucifer is the most relaxed, calm and tender.

He would saying that he loves you with such ease for the first time in so long, and the kiss on your forehead would be so soft that it brings you more butterflies than any kiss ever could.

Lucifer looks so ethereal in the light of the moon, it’s almost like he’s glowing, and when you tell him, he’d actually blush softly, before chuckling and stroking your hair, not denying, nor agreeing with your statement.

---

Mammon

Mammon loves to spend money and grab it, so what better place than Las Vegas?

He’d love for the two of you to dress super fancy and flashy, in matching colours if possible, go gambling, scam people and experience the luxury night lifestyle, go to clubs, loud music and expensive alcohol and all that.

But Mammon isn’t all about the flashy and exciting night time, instead, he would mostly love to just see the world with you by his side, and his goals is to make you happy, to he does everything he can to go sightseeing with you and reads in advance about whatever places you could visit and tells you some fun trivia about the place, he’s treating you to the fanciest food and drink places, and would spoil you rotten when going shopping, loving to see you do a little catwalk for him every time you get out of the changing booth.

He’d definitely insist on buying super cute animal Pyjamas.

He’s a huuuuuge fan of the “His Queen/Her King” trope and loves showing you off as much as possible, so get matching Tshirts or jackets and he would be SOOO proud and would laugh confidently and proud all the time, his arm around you, saying how cool you two are together and all that.

He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he honestly doesn’t believe he’s good enough for you, but when he sees how your dazzling smile is always directed to him and you cling on his arm whenever you watch the Lights Show on the big buildings, see the beautiful fireworks or watch the impressive singing fountain...Well, he can’t help but blush and kiss your forehead, feeling butterflies in his stomach.

He’s the kind of guy who would spam his DevilGram with either couple pictures in different places you visit, or just cute pics of you or you two messing around, and his account is actually very popular for the #CoupleGoalz trend.

At night, he would like to either cuddle with you and watch a movie, or go drive through the city at night, watch the night lights, and go on a cliff, stargazing and chatting openly about everything, because honestly, this guy is always dismissed and insulted by his brothers, it’s always a relief and a fresh air when he can be himself and just...Talk with someone.

---

Leviathan

Levi is the biggest weeb in the world, so the first place you’d visit together is Japan.

Anime conventions, wearing cute kimonos while going to festivals or roaming the streets of Kyoto or Akihabara, couple cosplay (Henry and the Lord of Shadows), buying merch of your favourite anime/manga/game, going to Vocaloid concerts, buying the newest Ruri-chan figurines, trying out new video games that just came out and so on.

Actually wants to go to a Pokemon cafe and fangirls SO much about all the cute pokemon themes there.

He would get you all the cutest Pokemon plushies, especially if you’re not all that into Pokemon but want to share that interest with him, so expect a Skitty, Vulpix, Shaymin, Eevee and all its Eeveelutions, Milotic plushie, while he would already be collecting plushies for the rarest Pokemons, but he’s incredibly happy that you want to do this with him.

He also gets an Ekans just for the Lolz and let’s out his tail, mostly for troll purposes, but it makes you laugh and he could swear his heart stopped beating and his cheeks were redder than ever.

He secretly got you a maid outfit and would love to see you wearing it, but he’s too embarrassed to actually say.

He would blush SO much seeing you in a kimono with a nice hair pin and a fan, while going to see the Sakura trees blossoming and you look like the Sengoku type of heroines from the dating sims he plays so much (to get experience and not fuck up with you), but somehow, you’re so much beautiful than any CG he’s every seen, no matter how gorgeous the art is.

He would get lots of packs of Pocky and despite not saying it out loud, would put a pocky in his mouth and you’d get the hint and munch on the other end of the pocky, in the end kissing him softly.

Levi.exe stopped working.

He would love taking pics of you alone, because you’re so beautiful, and would edit them to look as ethereal as possible, if you want, to even have fantastic backgrounds, and would take pride in how popular your DevilGram/InstaGram is.

He also changed his Lockscreen to have you with your hand in a half-heart gesture, while yours has him with the other half, so whenever he looks at the clock, or sees a new notif, he sees you smiling, with a cute kitten filter.

His Wallpaper is the two of you kissing, edited with a few hearts, sparkles and a little “I love you” written in cursive in a corner (you edited the pic and suggested you both use it, but he denied, so you changed it yourself for him too, while he was busy gaming, and he liked it so much that he couldn’t change it back to Ruri-chan.)

---

Satan

Satan would choose England first for so many reasons!

He’s such a perfect gentleman and seeing everyone so polite and chivalrous there makes his heart bloom and would up his gentleman shills even more, wanting to impress you and make your heart skip with everything he does.

Loves to take you to different castles, see in real life everything he read in books and saw in movies or TV series, and he’s so mesmerised by the beauty of everything that he forgets he promised to be your guide, but his bright smile and the way his eyes sparkle in curiosity and glee make up for everything.

Besides, he’d definitely go back to you and explain in very precise detail the reason for his fangirling.

He’s a little nerd so bookstore dates are a huge YES, and more - CAT CAFES where you can read at your heart’s content. HUGE YES.

You’d both get our of there with tons of books that you will read together, cuddled up under the blankets while enjoying an aromatic tea that Satan prepared for you, together with some nice scones.

He’d want to go with you to Shakespeare’s grave, Dicken’s house, would like to see anything involving the Romantics and so on, since he’s in love with British literature.

Satan wants to go see the Harry Potter theme park so much, and would buy tons of merch for the two of you, and wants to go in full Hogwarts robes and wand with you.

Would take a gazillion pics of you together, that only you can see since it may ruin his reputation with his brothers for geeking out, but he’d love it if the universe was actually real.

He’d also take you to King’s Cross to take pic near the wall where you get to the 9 3/4 Platform.

And no trip to England could exist without a visit to Sherlock’s house, pretending to be detectives, and at Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum to admire all the figures and potentially take troll pics with them.

---

Asmodeus

Asmo wastes no time in taking you to Paris, of course!

And the first thing you do is have a coffee at the restaurant located on top of the Eiffel Tower.

He would, throughout all the trip, take tons of selfies EVERYWHERE, and aeshtetic pics of either you alone, him alone, or together.

He’s a Devilgram and Devilr celebrity, after all!

Loves going to all the little cafes and drink a hot beverage with you while looking and judging all the passer-bys, how they would never compare to how beautiful and fashionable you two are.

He takes you to the Versailles Palace while wearing the most glamorous outfits, and despite all the pics taken, he will tell you stories of when he visited the place long ago, and more, will tell you of the paintings displayed, since he’s rather knowledgeable.

Asmodeus will take you everywhere, but first, the Lafayette Galleries, all while streaming every second there, to shop everyone how amazing the place is.

Would pics the both of you sooo many pretty brand clothes, new skin care routine and make up products, that you almost wonder where he has all the money from, especially to pay someone to carry them back to your place.

Would take you to a lingerie shop where he’d make you try on all the cutest outfits and would buy them all, especially because he thinks they will make you more confident and wants to make sure you never thing bad of yourself, because if you’re dating him, then you’re obviously the most beautiful being he’s ever seen, inside and out. (he doesn’t count here, of course)

His wallpaper is a selfie of you two smiling and making a peace sign, from the top of the Eiffel Tower, seeing all Paris in the background, at evening, with the beautiful sky and the night lights all over.

Would take you on a cruise on Seine, serenading and drinking a glass of bubbly champagne, admiring all the buildings and the happy people sitting on the banks of the River, enjoying the scenery.

And of course, there’s no perfect trip to the City of Love without some very tender and sensual love-making, with so many compliments, praises, soft touches and gentle kisses from Asmodeus, followed by a relaxing bath with milk, honey and rose petals, scented candles, bubbles and ambiental music, and of course, a lot of cuddling all night long.

---

Beelzebub

Beelzebub would want to go to Italy, since it’s the country with the best human food, and what better place to eat it them its home country?

Would actually love to go sightseeing with you and seeing all the pretty stuff there is.

He appreciates the architecture, statues and paintings of every historical place, loves to find out more about the country’s history and traditions and would like to take scenic pictures of all the places you visit...

And make a couple album where he puts pics with either you alone or together.

It’s his most treasured possession and nobody except Belphie knows about it, and while he is happy that his brother is happy, he would say it’s so cheesy.

Would have fun when doing the classic “Pushing the Pisa Tower” picture, would like to sing when you go on a Gondola ride in Venice, and pretend to be a gladiator at the Colosseum, while you’re his Caesar.

If you get him a necklace or a keychain, he’d never take it off and has it as his lucky charm, kissing it whenever he misses you or wants the day to go good.

After he understands how the food is made, he’d want to make it himself, so you cooking together would be so cute and fun, and the way you see the love and tenderness in his eyes as he looks at you laughing, while your face is covered in flour...

He’s such a precious and soft baby, and he loves you so much.

Also, he’d love to carry you around just for fun and because he loves holding you close to him, so either bridal style on on his shoulder, you say it, and he’s gonna do it.

Will also like to take lots of short videos with you two, just fooling around, giggling, laughing, making jokes, kissing, pretending to be kittens, having flour fights and all that, since they’re beautiful memories and whenever he’s sad, he watches them and he forgets the reason he was sad in the first place.

---

Belphegor

Belphegor would take you to New Zealand, because he saw how beautiful and green the landscape were, thanks to the Lord of the Rings movies, so he wanted to see what would be like stargazing on such a flowery field, or sleeping in a Hobbit hole.

He’s pretty sleepy all the time, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t take you to see the big cities as well, eat out, shop for souvenirs and so on, but his heart is taken by the simplicity and peace the countryside and forests hold.

Belphie would actually like to have his head on your lap as you stay at the bottom of a tree and read, much like Froddo Baggings would, waiting for Gandalf.

It’s a guilty pleasure of his, but he wants to see ‘Gandalf’s’ fireworks, and when a festival like that happens, he’d hold your hand tight, having a soft smile on his face and a tender look in his eyes.

Despite not saying it very often, he will confess his love for you.

It’s barely above a whispers, but it’s genuine.

It’s simple, small, but meaningful and beautiful nonetheless.

As you stargaze on the field, he’d tell you the names of all stars and constellations that you can see, and would tell you some trivia he knows about them.

Would take a few pics here and there, but his favourite one is one where you two are on the ground outside, both your heads on his favourite pillow, while looking at each other, both of you having such genuine and pure love in your expressions.

If he ever wakes up earlier than you, and likes to troll a bit, he’d get his tail out and tickle your noes, smirking at how cute your half-asleep reactions were, but would play innocent when you ask about it, only kissing your nose to make you forget and reassure you that it was only a dream (it wasn’t).

---

Diavolo

Diavolo is so easily excitable, despite his age and title for the next Devil Lord, but honestly, he wants to take you to Iceland to see the Northern Lights that you spoke so fondly about.

There are so many pretty things to see in the Devildom alright, but none of them quite as fascinating to him as how the sky lights up with so many different and beautiful shades of green, blue and pink, it’s almost unreal!

Who would have thought that the Human world could hold such natural wonders?

He could have sword you were a witch or something, and just wanted to impress him with your magic, as if charming him wasn’t enough, but this beauty makes him behave even more like a child, leaving him speechless and breathless.

Diavolo would kiss and hug you, spinning your around so many times, if you allow him, you forgot to count, which is his way of thanking you for showing him this place and he’s honestly just so happy that he can share this precious moment together with you.

You tell him some old stories about how they say the ancestors’ souls watch over everyone from up there, and that even the animals who died have their souls there, living in peace and quiet.

Despite knowing it’s obviously not true, the tales humans come up with are so creative and make so much sense to their beliefs, he’s genuinely fascinated by all these old stories and would like for you to tell him more.

Iceland’s landscapes are also to be taken into account, and Diavolo will take thousands of pics of you literally everywhere, just because you’re so cute and he’s so damn happy and wants many memories together.

Would like for you to take a selfie with his phone, while at the Northern Lights, and would make Lucifer frame it so he can have it on his desk whenever he’s working, and whenever he gets bored, tired, or just misses you, he’d gaze fondly at the picture and would occasionally kiss it.

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the-unconquered-queen · 4 years

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What do you think the It lives gangs would do for halloween or what costumes they would wear? Also hope you have wonderful day

OKAY THIS IS AN AMAZING ASK SO LET’S GET INTO THIS

Well, realistically, if we’re discussing both ILitW and ILB at the same time, it’s worth mentioning that seeing as ILB takes place in 2020, the most they’d be able to do is a Zoom call in costumes, but let’s disregard the shitfest that is the real 2020 and pretend everything’s great in the IL universe and everyone’s alive and this is after the gangs have met and they hang out, maybe you can pretend it’s 2021 if you’d rather it happens with more distance from the series’ events. Either way, we’re looking at a weekend Halloween, so everyone gets their college assignments out of the way and/or makes sure they have the day off from work that day and they make the drive to meet up. Maybe they all pitch in to throw a party for themselves at someone’s place, or maybe even Imogen’s yacht if she still hasn’t sold it, but mainly they just want to make the most of one of the opportunities to hang out all together in person that are harder to come by with everyone leading busy lives. As for costumes:

Ava: I think something very on-brand, like a vampire, witch, or something morbid to freak the others out, but I also see her dressing up as Wednesday Addams and telling people she’s dressed as a homocidal maniac (they look just like everyone else)

Stacy: Something pretty basic, to be honest. Maybe she’d go as a VSCO girl or SC filter something, but everyone would jokingly pretend they didn’t realize she was wearing a costume

Lily: If she’s with Britney, then she’ll be whatever Britney decides for the both of them, but I really like the idea of Lily dressing up as one of her ocs that later makes it into her video games

Noah: We’re talking about a guy who went to homecoming in denim, so if anyone could get him to put even the slightest bit of effort into a look, he’d go for the plainest stuff ever, like one of those “Error 404: Costume not found” shirts. Alternatively, if you remember that episode of The Office in which Jim was too lazy to do a proper costume so he just wore a name tag that said “Dave”, that’s something Noah would also do

Lucas: He finally gives in after everyone pesters him to dress up as Clark Kent, and he absolutely rocks the look

Connor: Kurt Kobain. I don’t have an explanation for this one, I just feel it in my heart

Dan: I thought of him and ILitW MC redoing their matching Captain Incredible costumes and posting the pics with the ones their parents took when they were kids with some throwback or glow up caption and let me tell you that that thought now lives in my head rent-free

Andy: He’d do a pop culture costume if he’s doing it with another person or with a group, but solo, he’d go for a more classic approach, so looks like pirate or other traditional Halloween themes are something you might see him in

Tom: I feel like he’d be the type to be really into pop culture costumes, and I can see him doing a Transformers-themed one because he canonically loves those movies so much that they influenced his whole career path, so they can for sure influence a costume

Imogen: She does costumes with aesthetic vibes, so I can see her dressed as an angel in a pretty gown or a mermaid with colorful accessories and with some epic makeup skills she’s got the whole ethereal look down

Danni: Dresses up as Parker and proceeds to roast him all day by doing impressions of him… they’re weirdly accurate

Parker: A ghostbuster, solely because he’s never worn anything that wasn’t beige and he’s not about to start now. He mainly just dresses up to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, anyway

ILB MC: To a party, they’ll wear something that goes with their vibe, but to watch movies at home with Elliot, they’ll both do meme costumes because they’re easy to do and they have a lot of fun with them

So this was actually really fun to think about, and I hope you have a great day too! In fact, I hope you had a great day every day it took me to answer this ask and an especially awesome Halloween :)

#Fr tho my MC named Coraline after the movie character Coraline (esp since she also has a black cat) would 100% dress up as her namesake #also shoutout to the LPS for helping me think of some of em #some of these I felt in my gut but other had me stumped so long #ask #answered

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booklovingturtle · 4 years

Text

A Sweet Suli Spice (Kanej GVBB)

A/N: AH I can’t believe the time has finally come for me to share this with you all! I had so much fun working on this in the midst of the worst and most stressful semester of my life!

Shout out to my gang, Spice of Life, for making this so much fun bc they are all so talented and easy to work with! The Corporalki both understood my writing which made the revising/editing process really smooth. They made sure the fic you’re about to read is actually understandable. They read this more than once and in the midst of their own crazy lives which I will never not be thankfull for. The Materialki are ridiculously talented. You HAVE to click their links to check out their work. I know they all worked really hard on them and it totally paid off.

Also big thank you to @grishaversebigbang for hosting this and being a terrifying yet wonderful Master of Tides.

Please feel free to comment, reblog, or message me your reactions to this! It’s the first super long pic that I’ve ever written and I’m really proud of it. Okay enough rambling…ik y’all just want the fic!

Corporalki: @ninxszenik , @ethereal-magia

Materialki: @theartistwitch @wavesofinkdrops @xan-drei

Masterlist: Don’t have an Ao3 but I do have a master list of all my fics.

Summary: Inej Ghafa hasn’t seen her family in four years. Not since she’s been taken. Now that it’s been so long since she’s seen them, Inej is scared and nervous to go back. One night, while sitting on the rooftop, Kaz asks her to teach him Suli. That inspires Inej to fight her nerves and finally find her family. She asks Kaz to go home with her and he takes this opportunity to learn more about her and her people. Once home, Inej is faced with a guilt of her past, the fear of family’s reactions, and the hope of finally being ghar (home).

The heart of Suli culture flowed with spice-flavored blood and beat to the sound of performance drums. It hummed through Inej’s body every time she whispered her native language to herself under Tante Heleen’s ring-clad fist. She stored the precious words so deep inside of her that she feared the garbled sounds of Kerch would drown out their melodious syllables.

Once she was under the employment of the Dregs, she would practice Suli as often as she could. Some nights she would stare into the mirror, barely recognizing the woman in front of her as she spoke in Suli to herself. She would even write letters to her family in the beautiful script they had taught her. Those letters were always burned before the ink could dry. The content didn’t matter to her. She didn’t write them for the sake of filling a paper with impossible hopes and dreams. She wrote them because she feared losing her mother tongue. It was an irrational fear that she had never been able to vocalize to anyone before. Well, at least before Kaz came into the picture. He had asked her one night if she could teach him Suli and noticed, as he always did, the change in her face at the mention of it.

“I understand if you don’t feel comfortable teaching me. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Kaz reached out to place his hand on her leg.

Inej watched his pale, scarred knuckles rest on her knee. They had made their way up to the roof of the Crows Club, as they usually did when Inej was home. Whatever time wasn’t spent up there was used to carefully test the idea of being together.

“It’s not that I don’t feel comfortable. It’s that…” Inej’s words wandered away from her. She watched the way his thumb moved along the inside of her knee. It was such a small touch for someone else; for a different boy and a different girl that touch was meaningless. For them, it was everything.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

“No. I want to. I’ve spent so many years away from Ravka and most of my people. I only ever get to speak Suli when I’m working with the Dregs or helping people escape a sinking slave ship. For years, I was afraid that one day, I would wake up and forget the language entirely.”

“Is that possible?” His deep voice sounded raspy but soothing against the black night. “Not to lose it in one day, but for you to just forget Suli that easily?”

Inej nodded slowly. “I already have.” It broke her heart to admit it. “When I first arrived to Ketterdam, everything came to me in Suli. Dreams, thoughts, speech. I had to learn to filter my words into Kerch. Now I find that more and more of my thoughts and dreams come in Kerch than they do in Suli.”

Kaz was silent for a few heartbeats. Inej felt as if she had stripped herself bare in front of the entire Barrel. It was odd to feel that way around Kaz now. He had seen and touched parts of her that no one else was ever given permission to. Kaz knew her like no other person could, yet this was a part of her she hadn’t accepted about herself, let alone explained to him. There was an intimacy that came with talking about her culture that made her feel exposed.

“The language is not the only thing that ties you to the culture, Inej. You will always be Suli as long as you carry it in your heart.”

Tears surprised Inej by burning the back of her eyelids. “Come home with me,” she spoke through the lump in her throat.

He looked taken aback. “Home? You mean Ravka?”

She nodded. Inej had felt confident the first time she asked the question, but the way Kaz was looking at her now made her doubt her request.

“Yes. To Ravka. To my family. I-I’ve been thinking about going back for a while now. I even asked Nina for her help in tracking my family down.”

“I didn’t know that,” Kaz’s eyebrows came together in a way that meant he was already calculating things. She recognized that look: scheming face.

“You may be Dirtyhands on this island, Brekker, but that doesn’t mean you’re privy to everything east of Kerch.”

Kaz grinned wickedly. “Maybe not east, but we all know that I was able to conquer the North quite easily.” This was also a new side of Kaz that she had gotten to know over the last few months: one that was playful without an edge of cruelty attached to it. The air around them changed and Inej no longer felt the sadness that usually came with thinking about home.

“We conquered the Ice Court together. With the help of some friends, which you had to beg for help from, if I remember correctly.”

Kaz looked appalled. “I never begged.”

“So you admit that you did need our help.”

“Need is a strong word, Inej. The only things I need in this world are food, air, and you.”

It was her turn to look speechless. Kaz was rarely ever so direct with her about his feelings for her. She knew, of course, that he cared for her as she did for him. It was one thing, however, for her to know it and another for him to be so forward about it.

“And because I need you, Inej, my answer is yes. I want to go to Ravka with you. I want to go everywhere and anywhere with you. We’ll conquer the world together if that’s what you want. I want to be wherever you need me to be.”

Kaz’s words echoed in her head. She would hear them every time she thought of home. Her real home. Thanks to Nina’s help, Inej was sailing to Ravka within months with Kaz by her side.

The Wraith soared through the water and, in what felt like one night’s rest, Inej’s crew was docking The Wraith in Os Kervo’s main dock. From the stern of her ship, Inej could hear the sound of her crew talking and moving. The water lapped against the underside of her ship, gently rocking her reflection back and forth.

Inej prayed in Suli as she strapped Sankt Petyr and Sankta Alina to her forearms. She tried to quell the anxious shake of her hands while Sankta Marya and Anastasia were readjusted on her thighs. Sankt Vladimir fit snugly into her boot, making Inej wonder what her mother would say at the sight of her in Fabrikator-made boots, not Suli slippers. Sankta Lizabeta with her rose-engraved handle sat at her belt, hidden under the folds of her black Suli wrap.

When not in front of a roaring crowd, the Suli were a reserved people. Despite Tante Heleen’s disgusting portrayal of her culture, Inej still loved the vibrant colors of Suli dupattas and embroidered kurtas. When she felt the jerk of the anchor settling into place, Inej realized how long it had been since she dressed in chiffon and silk. She didn’t recognize the Suli woman staring in the mirror staring back at her. For one, the sleeves were tailored to be much longer than she would have normally needed during Ravkan summers. However, she didn’t want anyone to see the network of scars that decorated her skin from years of violence. The second thing that threw off her reflection was the way she’d styled her hair. Though she performed with her hair in a braided coil, Inej knew her mother loved it best when it was wild and loose. Finally, the last time she had seen herself like this was when she was still an innocent girl who yearned to grow into a talented acrobat.

Inej was now so fundamentally different from that child. If anything, the dupatta she was wearing felt like a costume.

Knocking forced her to turn away from her damned reflection.

“Adara aaen,” Inej called out, already knowing who it would be before he stepped into the room.

“I assume that means ‘come in,’” Kaz’s slim figure filled her doorway. He was dressed in an inmanulate suit as usual, gloved hands resting on top of his crow’s head cane and a smirk on his face.

“What?” Inej hadn’t realized the words had come out in Suli instead of Kerch. It was rare for her to mix the languages up like that. The fact that it had even happened spoke of her nerves. “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to translate everything into Suli to get some last minute practice.”

Kaz’s arrogant look slipped and he shook his head. “No need to apologize. I love hearing you speak Suli.”

Inej forced a smile to her face. “If the Saints allow it, soon that’s all you're going to hear.” She looked out the port window, watching the lazy rays of sun dance along the sky. Somehow the Ravkan sky seemed to shine brighter than the Kerch one.

“Don’t slip away from me,” Kaz prompted her gently. She realized that she had started to float off into her own thoughts, something she’d found herself doing more and more the closer they’d gotten to shore.

“Are you ready?”

“No. But I don’t think I ever will be.”

“We don’t have to do this, not if you don’t want us to. I’ll go and ask Getz to take The Wraith right back if you’ve changed your mind, or we can take a trip to Nina’s instead. Whatever you want to do, I'll be here for you.”

Inej shook her head. “I might be terrified, but I want to do this. I just feel out of place in a Suli outfit after not having worn one in so long.” Her fingers pulled at one of the tightly knitted seams.

Kaz leaned his cane against the wall, closing the door behind him. He went up to Inej and turned her to face the mirror. “I don’t think your parents will be any less happy to see you if you wore a dupatta or a kefta or a sack. They’ll be too excited to see you.” Kaz’s arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her body into his. Inej felt his warm, solid chest against her back. She inhaled his calming smell, grateful for his presence.

“In Suli, we have a saying for people who have betrayed their kind, who have disgraced them or turned their back on them. Kadema mehim. It’s the worst sort of punishment you could receive for your actions.” She shuddered at the thought of ever hearing those words said to her. Inej herself had only ever used them once.

“I am not the same little girl who was taken from them. They might realize that and see me as forsaken. As someone who has turned away from the Saints.”

Kaz brushed her hair off to one side to rest his head on her shoulder. Kaz’s reflection towered over Inej’s own in the mirror. His sable eyes looked stubborn and unwaveringly serious. “You are many things, Inej, but a traitor is not one of them. It’s true that you are not the same girl you were when they knew you. But they will see that you grew into a brave, strong woman who will stop at nothing to do what is right for the people she loves.

“They will see that you have fought against all the odds and have become an unstoppable force that they should feel blessed to have in their lives. They will love you, Inej. It is impossible for them to not love you.”

This time she didn’t stop the tears that slid down her cheeks. She took a shuddering breath and placed a hand against his jaw. The sharp line was lined with light stubble, but that didn’t stop her from running a finger against its curve. Her fingers traced the scar beneath the right edge of jaw, thinking about the other scars that peppered his skin. Many of those scars earned alongside her.

“They will love you, too, Kaz.” Inej knew that he was almost as nervous as she was to meet her family, though he would never voice it out loud.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” He kissed her cheek and pulled away. “They might think of me as the man who corrupted their daughter.”

She shook her head. “No, they will think of you as the man who has made their daughter too happy to put into words.”

Kaz stared at his gloves, refusing to make eye contact. “Will they? Have I?”

It was her turn to reach out to him. Inej wrapped her hands around his neck. “Yes and yes. You have made their daughter happier than she ever thought possible.”

Kaz’s hands tentatively grabbed her waist. His eyes were on her lips but he didn’t move. Not until she did. Inej leaned up, catching his mouth with hers. The sounds of the crew and the ocean were replaced by the sound of her heart in her chest. Kaz was always gentle with her. His kisses were soft like the petals of spring and sweet like caramel. He held her like there was nothing that could ever separate them.

Inej sighed, melting into his every touch. It was impossible to feel anxious or scared in his arms. His fingers pressed into her silk wrap and Inej released a gasp. Kaz took that opportunity to take everything she gave him. Her skin suddenly burned. The sweetness was still there, dancing with a fiery spice that surprised her. They had rarely ever held each other this long without the waters swallowing him up.

His hands buried themselves in her long hair. Inej reached into his jacket, feeling the muscles beneath his white shirt. Kaz then broke away, breathing hard and shuddering. His face was flushed and his lips looked deliciously swollen.

Inej, realizing what they had done, began to apologize for having been too forward.

“No. It wasn’t you. Believe me, it wasn’t that.” Kaz shook his head, gloved hands holding hers against his chest.

“But if it wasn’t...why did you stop?” Inej could feel a blush spreading across her cheeks.

“I really didn’t want to,” Kaz’s gaze made goosebumps dance across her skin. “But we need to leave soon if we want to make it to Ivets before dark. And to be quite honest with you, Wraith, I’m not sure how far we would have gone this time. I really didn’t want to stop.”

Inej laughed. “Neither did I. It’s okay. We’ll have time another day. We have the rest of our lives to do that and so much more.”

“Captain,” Getz called from outside her door. “The crew’s settled and waiting for your orders.”

“Duty calls, Wraith.” Kaz’s smile was as sharp as ever. He adjusted the tie she’d crinkled.

Inej pulled her shoulders back, stepped through the doorway and told her crew that they could do as they pleased for a few hours. Within the next hour, she and Kaz were on their way to Ivets, the city where Nina had informed Inej her family would be performing for the next week. Every road they passed brought her closer and closer to her family. Inej could hardly contain her excitement and nervousness. While passing a crowded marketplace, Inej almost barreled into a group of children running across the street.

“Whoa, Inej,” Kaz called as he held her back from stepping into the walkway. “Careful. I know you’re excited to see your family, but even I think it’s a little much to trample a few children along the way.”

“Could you imagine that after getting back to Ketterdam, the Wraith and Dirtyhands voyaged all the way to some unknown city in Ravka just to run over a few children?” she joked, though her voice wavered enough for Kaz to notice.

“When you put it like that...” Kaz’s eyes had the same spark in them that always appeared right before a job. “While that does sound tempting, I think my bloodthirsty reputation will survive despite having let them live.”

By sunset, Inej could hear the pounding of Suli drums. They had passed through the heart of Ivets’ main city before reaching the boundary of an open field. A golden tent heavily embroidered with thick swirls rose high over the clearing. Inej’s breath caught in her throat at the familiar sound of Suli folk music floating outside of its flowing entrance. Sweet curling smoke filled the air with the smell of fried dough, glazed fruits, and…

The smell of her family gatherings to celebrate the Saints. She envisioned her mother, kind and beautiful, carrying baskets full of fresh vegetables for dinner. Her father, strong and brave, chopping potatoes alongside his wife. Her cousins fighting over plates of food. Her aunts handing out sticky sweets. Her uncles setting up place settings.

The music reminded her of the first time she stood on a tightrope. The bottomless drop that yawned beneath her and the open sky that blanketed her. How it felt to be covered in performance glitter and to curl her hair to fall around her round cheeks. She remembered scrapping her hands on trees, trying to beat her cousins to the top. How it felt to look over the Ravkan landscape and see nothing but endless opportunities.

After years of darkness, years of bloodshed, years of the staccato sounds of Kerch, Inej Ghafa was finally home.

Home...and rooted to her spot at the edge of the circus grounds. Ravkans stood in line, waiting to be let into the performance tent; the same tent that she had spent countless days in during the early years of her life. A bronze-skinned man stepped out of the tent, dressed in loose fitted black pants and a thick, colorful coat. His voice was deep and stern as he hollered the rules of the performance out into the crowd of people.

Inej stared in wonder, unsure about who the man was. Chaacha Jilé was the one who used to tame the crowds before they entered the performance area. The man at the entrance was not her uncle.

“Hanzi,” the name came to her with a jolt.

Inej was suddenly flying. Or at least that’s what it felt like as the grass was crushed beneath her racing feet. One minute, she was standing beside Kaz and the next, she was running straight to her cousin, pushing through the crowd of guests until she stood at the very front.

“Hanzi,” she said again, this time facing the man whom she now recognized.

Her cousin’s words died on his lips and he froze, arms limp at his sides as looked at her. “Inej?”

A sob escaped her. She could hear the sound of the crowd’s confusion but she didn’t care.

“Hanzi,” was all that she could say.

His face broke into a smile. A roaring shout came from him as he yelled in Suli. “Inej! Inej is here! Masi Calla! Chaacha Baraz! Inej is home!”

Tears streamed down her face at the sound of her parents’ names: Calla and Baraz. Mama and Papa. Inej waited anxiously as the longest few seconds of her life passed. She could see from the sliver opening in the flaps a flurry of motion. She caught her name be repeated and questions thrown. Hanzi shouted again, tears in his own eyes.

Inej’s whole world froze as Mama and Papa came through the entrance. They stepped out, first looking at her cousin with an agonizing look of hope and confusion on their faces.

“Mama. Papa.”

They turned towards Inej as she called out to them. Her mother’s face was more wrinkled than it had been when she’d been taken. Her hair was still long and elegantly braided to the side. Her father’s beard was mixed with grays where it was once solid black. He was clutching his wife’s shoulder, eyes landing on his daughter for the first time in four years.

“Inej.” He didn’t say her name like Hanzi had. He said it with such certainty and conviction that it made Inej’s knees give out from under her.

Before her body could fully hit the ground, her parents’ arms were around her. She buried her face in her mother’s shoulder and wrapped an arm around her father’s waist.

“Esfir,” her mother whispered in her ear. Inej couldn’t describe the relief and joy that flooded through her at the word.

Esfir was Suli for ‘little star.’ Late at night, they used to tuck her under her covers with a kiss. Her mother used to say that Inej was her little star and her father would explain that she was their guiding light.

Inej didn’t know how long they sat in the damp grass, crying and hugging and whispering to each other.

“I’m home,” she would say.

“You’re home.” One of them would repeat.

“I prayed to all of the Saints that you would find your way home to us.” Her father said.

“They called us fools. Said that we would never see you again. They told us that you were taken too far for us to ever reach you again,” her mother cried.

“Never,” Inej promised. “I will never be too far to come back home. The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true. My heart is here.”

After some time, Inej realized that the rest of her family had come outside of the tent. Night had fallen and the crowd was now gone. Her older cousins looked as if Sankt Juris had come down to blow his blue flames. Disbelief filled their faces. Some of her younger cousins looked just as shocked, though less afraid of her. Inej also noticed the soft coos of the newest editions to her family. One toddler who must have born within the first year she was at the Menagerie. Two more who looked as though they came along while she was in service with the Dregs.

The Dregs. Kaz.

Inej pulled away from her parents, realizing who else she had forgotten about for the second time that night.

“Mama. Papa. I didn’t come here alone,” her words scratched against her throat. She hadn’t realized the tears had dried out her voice until that moment.

Inej turned around, knowing that Kaz would have waited as long as she needed him to. He still stood towards the edge of the trees. Inej called out to him in Kerch.

Kaz came forward, trying his best not to look like Dirtyhands under the cover of night with his crow’s head cane and thick gloves. Though he no longer needed them with her, Inej knew that he wasn’t ready to hug every member of her teary-eyed family.

Kaz stood beside her. Inej took his hand in hers and squeezed tightly.

“This is Kaz.” Inej had practiced this speech so many times in her head. She had carefully racked her brain for the proper words in Suli to say what she needed to say.

“Kaz and I...we have been through too many things together to explain in one night. Most of the last four years have been cruel and lonely. Kaz has been one of the few good things to come into my life since I was fourteen,” her words choked off. “I ask that you be kind to him and embrace him as a part of my life. He has saved it in many ways over the years. In some ways, it is thanks to him that I am here.”

Her father stood from where he was still crouched in the grass. He approached Kaz, looking more serious than Inej had ever seen him look in her life. He stood a few inches shorter than Kaz, but still managed to look down at him.

“Do you speak Suli?” Baraz asked him.

“No-” Inej was cut off by Kaz.

“Not fluently, but I am learning.” Kaz shocked her by responding in fluid Suli instead of Kerch. He gave her side-eyed look, clearly enjoying the shocked look on her face.

Her father nodded. “Then I can thank you properly. For helping my daughter return to us.”

Kaz bowed his head. “Inej is the wisest, most determined person I have ever met. She would have found her way back to you with or without me.”

Baraz laughed, “Esfir is just like her mother in that way. Nothing stands in the way of her and what she wants.”

Inej smiled in relief. “That is true. And right now, what I want is some stuffed peppers and goulash made the proper Suli way.”

Her mother laughed, standing to embrace Inej once again. “You can have whatever you would like, Inej.”

“My turn!” Hanzi called out from the cluster of cousins closest to her. Inej turned to find him now barreling towards her.

Inej froze for a second, not feeling entirely comfortable with the tight embrace. She tried her best to laugh through the rush of panic. It hadn’t even occurred to her until that moment how her homecoming would be full of physical touching that she wasn’t entirely ready for.

Her arms didn’t move from her sides, but at least she didn’t pull away until he did. Hanzi didn’t seem to register her tight shoulders.

“I can’t believe you’re really back, Inej! What took you so long? Adja has been driving me crazy. She thinks that she’s in charge now because she can do a handstand on the highwire, but now that you’re back, you can prove to her that you’re in charge. I even reminded her that you used to be able to do an entire double front routine on the high wire without a net.” While her older cousin may have gotten older, he still rambled half made up tales as though he hadn’t aged a day.

“I don’t even have the energy to explain how wrong that is,” Inej shook her head at her cousin’s infectious joy. Hanzi had always been one of her favorites because, no matter what, he could always tell some ridiculous story to make her laugh.

“First of all,” a female voice interjected, “I’ve been able to do a handstand on the high wire for years. Second, all I said was that you weren’t in charge, Hanzi.” Adja said from behind him. She was only two years younger than Inej, but she had been terrified of the high wire. While Inej had danced around it barefoot, Adja refused to step onto one.

“Come on, Nej. Remind Adja who the real master is!”

“No,” Calla stood in between her daughter and her nephew. “Inej has only been with us for a few minutes and already you are trying to get her in trouble,” her mother chided Hanzi.

Kaz chuckled from behind her. It was clear from his expression that, while he wasn’t able to understand all of their conversation, the sound of an upset mother seemed to be universally understood.

“Come, Esfir. We’re going to have a proper welcome dinner,” her mother nodded towards the rest of her family. “Disah and Remen, go to the Ivetan market…”

Inej allowed her mother to assign everyone their tasks while she looked back at Kaz. He was smiling, looking proud of her, but she couldn’t tell why.

“What?” she asked him in quiet Kerch.

“You didn’t pull away when he hugged you,” he truly looked proud of her. Inej looked towards Hanzi worriedly.

“No. I didn’t exactly hug him back.” It would have been a lie to act as though she wasn’t disappointed in her reaction to Hanzi’s embrace. It was an unexpected reality of what she had endured all those years ago. “Do you think they noticed?”

“He was too excited to have you back to notice,” Kaz shook his head. “That’s not the point. The point is that you didn’t pull away. It wasn’t easy, but you did it, Inej. You’re home and your family couldn’t be more happy to see you.”

She took a deep breath. She hadn’t even realized that her nervousness had started to creep up on her after Hanzi’s hug until now. For a while there, she had forgotten about all of her anxieties. Now that her family had split itself into their roles to prepare for her homecoming diner, she had a quiet moment to be reminded of them.

That was when Kaz, ever supportive and aware of how she was feeling, stepped in to ease her nerves. “Kaz, do you think I should tell them the truth?”

“You don’t owe anyone any explanations. You tell them as much as you want to. It’s your story to tell.”

Inej had known long before that night on the rooftop that she was in love with Kaz. She had known for quite some time. As she stared into his honest eyes, surrounded by the sounds of her family, Inej was reminded of how deep her love for Kaz Brekker went.

“What did I ever do for the Saints to bless me with you,” she wondered out loud.

It was hard to tell with the pale moonlight as her only source of light, but for a moment, Inej thought that she saw Kaz’s face blush. His gaze left her and landed on the starry Ravkan sky.

“I ask myself the same question about you every day that we are together, Inej.”

“Nej!” Adja yelled from the performance tent. “Masi Calla asked me to help you and your...friend...find new clothes.”

Inej looked down at her Suli dupatta. “What’s wrong with what we have on now?”

Adja eyed the Wraith and Dirtyhands with pursed lips. “You both look as though you’re going to a funeral. Tonight is a party, Nej. You need to be dressed in party clothes. Now let's go, Masi might cut the wire during our next performance if I don’t get you both dressed in time.”

Inej remembered how her mother used to fuss over her dirty silks when she came back inside from an afternoon spent playing outside. “You’re right. Mama would absolutely do something like that.”

“Where are we going?” Kaz asked her, keeping up with her hurried steps with his usual ease.

Inej glanced at him. “Oh, so you suddenly don’t speak Suli anymore?” They walked around the performance tent to the line of caravans far behind it.

Kaz smirked arrogantly. “I never said I did. Just that I was learning. You didn’t think that I was going to come and meet your entire family without at least attempting to familiarize myself with the language, did you? It’s not that difficult to memorize a few phrases here and there.”

She pushed him lightly with her shoulder. “How about on the boat? Were you faking then?”

Kaz shook his head. “Technically, I wasn’t faking. I know some words and phrases, but not everything. Not yet. Give me a few weeks with your family and I’ll be fluent.”

Inej rolled her eyes. “Not a chance, Brekker. My language is too poetic for a shevrati like you to con your way in that short amount of time. Memorizing a few parables is not the same thing as being able to use all the beautiful nuances we have.”

“It would be easier if I had some help from a beautiful and smart teacher.”

“You’re right. I think Hanzi would probably be willing to sign up.”

“It’s rude to speak in another language, you know,” Adja said from in front of them. The three of them finally stopped in front of Adja’s family caravan.

Kaz shot a glance at her cousin. Inej translated and he apologized in Suli.

“Not you,” Adja nodded towards Inej. “I meant Nej. She was always a quiet one, you know. At least you got her talking.”

Kaz nodded along pleasantly thought it was clear he didn’t understand. When Inej explained, his bitter coffee eyes looked amused.

“I wasn’t quiet, Adja. Hanzi was just usually screaming over me about nothing.”

Adja giggled and unlocked the door. “That is probably true. I was thinking, you should fit in my outfit from Sankta Day last year instead of just a normal dupatta. As for Ka-s,” she stumbled on his Kerch name, “He can borrow Papa’s performance kurta.”

Kaz looked somber, but didn’t argue. “Chaacha Micta used to make some interesting fashion choices,” Inej explained to him as her cousin went in search of the outfits.

“How so?”

Inej bit her lip, holding back laughter. “Let’s just say that he probably could take a few tips from Jesper.”

His eyes widened. “Inej-”

It was too late. Adja emerged from behind a curtain carrying multiple pieces of thick fabric. For Inej, she had a neatly folded Anarkali suit of rich burgundy. Sparkling gold embroidery lined the long, slightly flared skirt and traced the cuffs of the fitted sleeves. A light, white and gold wrap also came with the outfit. On top of it sat a pair of high heels that matched the wine-colored clothes. Inej took the clothes into her hands, feeling the soft yet firm fabrics that were saved for more festive clothing in her culture.

“It might be a little long for you,” Adja eyed Inej’s smaller frame. “But it will do.”

“Thank you, Adja.”

She shrugged off her cousin’s thanks. Her other hand still held Kaz’s outfit. He was standing dangerously still beside Inej. His face was blank of any reaction, but Inej could only imagine what was going through his head. While her outfit was designed with elegance and grace in mind, Kaz’s was made for a true showman. Or at least for a color blind one.

Chaacha Micta had a performance kurta that was radiant white with orange and green gems cascading down the sleeves. Sunset colored pants were folded to match the sparkling jewels. It was both bright and sparkly, two things Kaz hated in clothing.

“Dhanyavaad,” Kaz mimicked Inej’s Suli to thank Adja. Inej was reminded of how good of a liar he was because if she hadn’t known better, she would have thought Kaz looked almost excited to wear her uncle’s kurta.

Adja beamed, looking between the two. “I don’t think Chaacha Baraz or Masi Calla would be okay with me leaving you two in here alone to change but…” Her cousin broke off and shrugged. “If you brought, Ka-s all the way here, I have to assume that it is not the first time you’ve been left alone.”

Heat flooded Inej’s cheeks. She couldn’t meet Adja’s eyes when she nodded. “It’s okay. Mama and Papa won’t know if you don’t tell.”

Adja continued to look between them. It was the same look Nina had given them before Inej had actually opened up about her relationship with Kaz. A look that said that Adja could see something they couldn’t. She was used to getting that look from her friends or other Dregs, but it was a little unnerving to see that look in the eyes of someone she hadn’t seen in years.

“Just don’t take too long. Chaacha and Masi will seriously cut the rope if they find out about this,” she pointed between Kaz and Inej. She swiftly ran out of the caravan, giggling at Inej’s eye roll.

Once she was out the door, Inej’s focus was back on Kaz. His polite smile dropped with Adja out of sight.

Kaz spoke seriously, “Inej, you know that I care for you deeply. More than anything in this world, I care for you.”

Warmth filled her heart, but her eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

“Because I care for you, I want your family to like me.”

“I already told you-”

“Yes, I know. I’m wonderful. A trickster god amongst men. But that’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Then what is it?”

Kaz looked at her in disbelief. “Do you even have to ask me that question? This,” Kaz raised the clothes in his hands to meet her eye level. “I’ve never seen anything so…”

Laughter burst out from Inej. She quickly moved to cover her mouth with her hands, but there was no concealing the way her body shook from amusement.

“That is a traditional Suli kurta, Kaz. It’s an important part of my culture.”

He shook his head. “I have seen kurtas. This does not look like that. This looks like some nightmare Jesper and Nina would have designed.”

“Poor Dirtyhands is too insecure to wear something so dazzling,” Inej placed a hand on his cheek. She ran a finger down the sharp cut of his jawline. “I’m sure you’ll look great. Not as good as Chaacha would in it, but a close second.”

Kaz’s eyes held a playful fury. His ebony eyes only ever fixed on her that way. It was a look that promised both a punishment and sweet reward for her words.

“If the Dregs ever find out about this…”

A wicked smile broke onto her face. “I can’t imagine how they would. I keep all your secrets.”

“Don’t even think about telling them, Wraith.” One of Kaz’s arms found her waist.

“Jesper, on the other hand,” her fingers moved to run through his hair. “Jesper is a bit of a big mouth. If this somehow got to him, I don’t think there is any way of stopping him.”

“I can think of at least twelve different ways I could stop him with this kurta alone.” His face moved closer to hers.

Inej turned so his lips landed on her cheek. “No time for that, Brekker. We have to get dressed.”

He sighed and gave the bedazzled shirt a weary look. “If you ever doubt how I feel about you, Inej, just remember this moment.” Before she could respond, Kaz gestured towards the room Adja had gone into to find the clothes. “I’ll change in there.”

Time and time again, Kaz reminded her of why she fell for him in the first place. He had seen every part of her and touched almost all of her, yet Kaz never made assumptions about her limits. No matter how far they had or hadn’t gone, Kaz always asked for permission. On the nights when all she could do was hold his hand, he never pushed her to go further. Even now, after what had happened on the boat and having had met her family, Kaz gave Inej the privacy she needed without hesitation.

With Kaz gone from her sight, Inej was left to unstrap her daggers and quickly dressed into Adja’s Anarkali suit. After a few minutes, Inej stopped hearing Kaz’s quiet cursing.

“I’m almost ready.” She called to him through the curtain.

He shuffled around on his side of the caravan. “This looks even worse than I imagined.”

Inej ignored him, debating whether or not to strap on her beloved blades for the feast.

“Inej?”

“I’m almost ready, you can come out.”

Kaz had been right. The kurta had looked worse than she had imagined. The shirt hung at little too loose from his slight frame, but the pants were too short for his tall stature. They stopped just above his ankles, showing a peak of his white socks.

“Oh.” Inej cringed. “You were not joking.”

Kaz looked at her intently. “You look beautiful, Inej.”

Inej had yet to see herself in the mirror, but Kaz’s reaction was all she needed to confirm what she had already suspected. Adja was slim like Inej but stood a few inches over Inej . The rest of her outfit fit as it was tailored to. The top complimented her figure while the bottom flared out into an elegant skirt that pooled around Inej’s feet more than she would have normally allowed. It wasn’t perfect, but she loved it regardless.

“Traditionally, I would have special Sankta Day earrings that have some sort of token to represent a Saint.” Inej absentmindedly tugged at her ears. “Though, I haven’t worn any earrings since leaving the Menagerie.”

His look softened. Kaz forgot all about his unfortunate attire. “Would you like to? I’m sure Adja would let you borrow hers.”

“The holes have closed by now. It’s okay. I don’t need them. I have these.” She slid Sankt Petyr, the dagger he had given her so long ago, into place. She tried to ignore the fact that it took her far less time to strap all seven of her blades into place than it had to properly dress herself in the Sankta Day skirt.

“I’ll tell Adja we’re ready.”

“Wait,” Kaz’s fingers intertwined with hers. He reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a matingkia made of expensive gold and rich-colored stones. It was simple, as far as Suli headpieces went, with one clear diamond in the middle of a small ruby flower.

“Kaz,” Inej’s breath caught in her throat. “Where did you find this?” Her fingers curved delicately around the precious metal.

“A vendor in Ketterdam had a tent full of Suli jewelry. He has a Suli wife that makes all the items to sell.”

“Do you believe him?” It was more than possible that the vendor’s story was a ruse to get more money from gullible tourists visiting the island.

“I’ve met her.”

“You did?”

“Yes. When I asked her to make this one for you.”

The matingka felt heavier in her hand than it had moments ago. “You asked her to make this for me?” Inej tried to envision Dirtyhands entering a Kerch market to meet with an ederlly Suli woman. She thought of how long he must have spent picking the design, and then jewels to place in it.

“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered to him. “She’s clearly very talented.”

Kaz tried not to look too smug which was a change for him. “Only the best for my Wraith.”

“Sometimes we wear them for special holidays.” Inej debated whether or not to say the next part. She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable by making any assumptions. “These are traditionally given to Suli women by their father or husbands.”

She saw him nod nervously. “I know. The woman, Gintha, explained to me the tradition. She said fathers would give them to their daughters and pray that the Saints would give them wisdom as they grew into strong women.”

“Did she tell you why husbands give them to their brides?” She couldn’t deny the fear or eagerness that she felt waiting for his answer.

“To symbolize the love and respect he promises to show her every day after they are wed. The same love and respect that I have felt for you every day for too many years to count.”

Inej’s body was frozen with emotion. Love. Kaz loved her. He didn’t just love her. He respected her. Respected her boundaries and dreams and goals.

“Nej! Are you done yet?” Adja suddenly banged against the door of the caravan.

The reality of her situation flooded back to Inej. For a few moments, she had forgotten who she was. Where she was. Inej took the head piece, not bothering to hide her flustered look as she pushed Kaz back behind the curtain.

“Get out of those clothes. Hurry!” Kaz laughed and she realized how her words sounded. “No! That’s not what I meant. I mean change back into yours! My family will just have to deal with your Kerch suit during dinner.”

She rushed back to the door and let Adja in. “I’m almost ready.”

Adja looked her up and down. “It fits better than I thought. And Ka-s?”

“The clothes didn’t fit him so he’s changing back into his. Here,” she handed Adja the matingka. “Can you help me put this on?”

“Did he give this to you?” she pointed towards the curtain.

“Yes. Now help me put it on. I’ve never put one on myself. Papa only ever put it on me once.”

Adja waved her off. “It’s easy.” She spun Inej around and took a few hair pins from her own brown hair to fasten it into place. “There! Done! Just in time.”

Kaz walked into the room, looking much less miserable now that he was dressed in his own clothes.

“Tell her that her father’s wardrobe should be burned.”

“He says that he loved the kurta and is sorry that it didn’t fit,” Inej easily lied. “Also your tie is crooked again.”

He cursed under his breath and nervously put into place as her cousin spoke.

Adja beamed at her. “I don’t believe that’s true, but it doesn’t matter. Come on! Everyone is waiting for you.”

Inej’s stomach turned over nervously. She had been so overcome with emotions when she’d first greeted her family. Those emotions were starting to settle, but in their place grew the seeds of anxiety once again.

Inej and Kaz trailed behind Adja as they made their way back from the caravan section of their carnival to the performance area. Inej looked around the cool night air, keeping track of all the things that looked familiar and different at the same time.

She pointed to a smaller performance tent made of a thick white sheet. “What’s that?” she asked Adja.

“We started to tour with a second family about two years ago. Hanzi is engaged to the daughter of their paira vaala.” A breeze opened the flap of the white tent and Inej could see the bed of coals used for the paira vaala, or fire walker.

“Hanzi’s getting married?” Inej couldn’t imagine her cousin as she had last known him having a fiancé. He was always too loud and playful when around his family, but unearthly quiet around other girls their age.

“I know! We were all just as surprised as you were. Chaacha Jilē almost fainted.”

“He didn’t tell them that he was seeing her?” Inej’s surprise only grew. While she may not have gotten her parents’ permission before choosing to be with Kaz, her situation hadn’t given the option of choosing the favored Suli traditions.

“He didn’t even tell me! And I’m his favorite bhara. At least I have been since you…” Left? Were taken? Disappeared? Inej could hear the end of Adja’s sentence even if her cousin didn’t want to fill it in.

“I remember that,” Inej awkwardly filled the silence. She pointed to a section of tents reserved for carnival games. “Kila,” one of their older cousins, “once bet me thirteen kruge that I couldn’t win every game in the tent.”

“Kroog?” It wasn’t until the word left Adja’s mouth that Inej realized that she’d forgotten the Suli word for currency or money. It was such a small thing to forget, but it made her stop in her tracks.

“I-” she started to explain. “I’m sorry. I guess I just haven’t used that word in Suli in a few years. Uhm,” Inej racked her brain, digging deep into her memories to find the right word.

“What’s wrong?” Kaz, who had been silently listening to their conversation, spoke up. He couldn’t understand them, but he could see Inej’s face change. “I think I heard you say ‘kruge.’”

She shook her head, momentarily confused as Suli and Kerch collided with each other in her head. Rupe. The word finally came to her in a blunt memory. “I forgot the Suli word for money,” she said to him in Kerch and then explained it to her cousin again.

“Oh!” Adja didn’t seem fazed by her cousin’s slip up. “Kila was such a gambler. A terrible one too. Though I guess he doesn’t need to worry about that anymore. He married a wealthy Shu family. How he wiggled his way into that, I have no idea.”

Inej nodded along as Adja rambled. She was no longer listening to her cousin’s end of the conversation. Instead, she began filing through the mental dictionary in her brain. What other words had she forgotten?

Bread? Roti. Butterfly? Titali. Bowl? Katora. Horse? Ghora. Ocean? Samudara.

Random words were tossed and turned in her head. Adja continued to talk about their uncles and aunts. She went through family gossip as quickly as Nina went through maple-drizzled waffles. Inej didn’t hear any of it. All she could hear was the sound of her Suli-Kerch dictionary flipping page after page.

Torsion wrench? What was the Suli word for the little tool she had used numerous times to pick a lock? Had she ever known the word? Had she ever needed to use that word in her native language before? Would she even need to say torsion wrench during dinner tonight?

Ketterdam isn’t all that bad. At least I learned how to pick locks using a torsion wrench.

No, there was no way she could even imagine herself saying something like that to her family. Inej realized that she had let her nerves run a little too wild. Adja hadn’t even noticed when she said “kruge” instead of “rupe”. The odds of her family being upset with her for not remembering a word here and there were small.

Kaz tugged on the fabric of her skirt, drawing her attention to him once again. His dark eyes met hers, silently asking her once again if she was okay. This time she didn’t have to force a smile on her face to reassure him.

“How did Mama put together a dinner so quickly?” Inej said the moment the smell of paprika, garlic and bell peppers hit her. They had circled back around to the performance tent. Instead of it holding a crowd of entertained Ravkans, tonight, the tent would be used to spread out a Saints-worthy feast.

Adja beamed at her. “Masi Calla asked all of our masis and chaachas that were cooking dinner for after the show to add extra coals to the fires. Some of the food had to be bought from the markets so it won’t be exactly like you’re used to, but it’s all that we could get together so quickly.”

“It’s perfect. You could have fed me rocks and I would have been just as happy to be home.”

The heavy tent flaps were pulled wide open and she could see dark-haired figures moving frantically around the tent. The round seats used for audience members were stacked on top of each other. Inej remembered how long it took to carry the iron seats from the caravans to place them in their rows. She had been too small to carry them herself, so she would hold the bottom half of a stack while Hanzi carried the brunt of the weight.

The high ropes were still strung up from their looming poles. She itched to climb up and test her technique. The chaacha who had first taught her how to balance was strict about proper posture. Though she had no real use for it when sleuthing for the Dregs, she could still hear his sharp calls to straighten her spine or keep her gaze forward.

“Make room! Inej the Great has entered the tent!” Hanzi exclaimed. His voice cut through the flurry of her family’s movement. Inej realized why her uncle had stepped down to let Hanzi handle the crowds. His deep voice was effective when it came to getting a crowd’s attention.

Toffee and hazel eyes all met hers. All of her family, almost twice as many as earlier, froze where they were to stare at her and Kaz. His gloved fingers curved in hers, but no one seemed to care at that gesture as much as they cared about the dazzling headpiece sparkling in the candlelight. Her parents had tears in their eyes as if it was the first time they were seeing her again. Inej had to hold back tears of her own. She saw the circle of food splayed out around the lush carpets dragged from Saints know where to cushion the hard ground.

Sarma, stuffed peppers, bogacha, and xaimoko were still in their metallic cooking pots, steaming as if the fire had just been dosed from under them. Pirogo and xaritsa sat in porcelain crockery that Inej suspected came from the Ivetan market her cousin had mentioned. Silver kettles of chao filled the room with a lingering sweet smell. Dark cups of kafa were already served and in the hands of some to her cousins.

The meal flooded her with too many memories to catch at once. She was swimming in a stream of random memories. Her tongue burning from spicy stuffed peppers and then from chugging a fresh cup of chao in a vain attempt to ease the sting. Mama teaching her how to prepare the sarma properly. Papa stiring a pot of goulash.

“Why are you just standing there? Come! Sit!” Papa gestured to a spot right in front of Inej’s favorite platter.

She blinked back tears. No more tears. Tonight was for celebrating all that she had come back to, not for mourning the years she had lost.

“Some of it had to be bought so it won’t taste exactly like you remember but-” Her mother rushed to her side, holding her daughter’s hand and pulling her and Kaz towards her father.

“Mama, I don’t care how the food tastes. This is already so much more than I could ask for. Just being with you and Papa and everyone else is enough for me.”

Her mother’s dark brows furrowed. She took great pride in her cooking, as a Suli should. “Yes, yes, but still...If you had sent us some sort of message so we could have been prepared, the food would have all been ready. We would have canceled the show much sooner. But no, leave it to our little Esfir to show up as if the Saints had let her fall from their very sky at random.” The novelty of Inej’s arrival was definitely wearing off if her mother was already scolding her.

She laughed despite her mother’s pointed words. Inej settled in her seat comfortably. Kaz sat beside her, looking so out of place in this bright colored tent surrounded by equally colorful kurtas. She couldn’t believe the sight in front of her. Kaz Brekker being handed a steaming cup of chao in his crisp, black suit.

Her own hands were already clutching a plate overflowing with food. Her father had served her heaping spoonfuls of every dish that sat before her. He paused, looking at Kaz curiously.

“Eh...food?” Her father surprised her with the Kerch word. She hadn’t known he spoke any Kerch.

Kaz nodded, “Krpya.”

Her father looked excited by his answer. He piled almost as much food on his plate as he had on hers. Kaz was excellent at hiding his emotions, but there was no hiding the amusement in his eyes. He took the plate with open arms. Everyone, including Inej, watched as Kaz lifted a fork to take a scoop of the rice-stuffed green pepper. He didn’t even flinch at what she could assume to be the spiciest bite of food he’d ever had. He chewed slowly, ignoring the flush that creeped up his neck. Judging from the smell, her family hadn’t held back when it came to spices that night. Finally he smiled, thanking her father for the food.

That seemed to be the cue her family had been waiting for. Everyone unfroze and went for a plate.

Kaz waited until they were no longer staring at him to reach for the tea. She had to bite back a laugh as he gulped down the entire cup.

“Spicy?” She asked, already knowing the answer.

Kaz looked at her as if she had grown an extra ear. “Spicy? Inej, I thought I was going to die.”

This time she couldn’t hold back the laugh. Everything about the night filled her with so much joy and laughter that Inej had to put down her food for a second. Her stomach burned from the giggles that shook her body. Kaz was actually blushing as her cousins closests to her looked at them.

“Kaz said the food almost killed him.” She explained to them. “The Kerch prefer their food much less seasoned. Mostly a hint of salt and pepper. It’s actually very sad.”

All of them broke out into smiles.

Her mother who was still standing behind them said, “Tell Ka-s that he’ll have to get used to real food if he’s decided to stay with you.” She placed a hand on Kaz’s shoulder affectionately.

Kaz, clearly not expecting the sudden touch, went still. His body tensed beneath the touch and his jaw tightened. Her mother noticed the change in his posture and jerked her hand back. She looked at her daughter quickly, but Inej could see the hurt and confusion in her eyes even if it was just for a second.

“It’s not you, Mama.” She rushed to explain for Kaz. His eyes had dropped to the plate resting on his lap.

“I told you that our life in Ketterdam wasn’t easy.” She tried to find a way of explaining without revealing too much of Kaz’s past. “He isn’t used to people touching him unless they’re trying to hurt him. Give him time, Mama.” That part was at least true.

Her mother nodded, looking apologetic but no less confused. This time she was looking at the visible scars along Inej’s arms. Her cousin’s outfit didn’t hide them the way her earlier outfit had.

Hanzi, who was watching the whole exchange from across the tent, spoke out. “What was it like, Nej? In Ketterdam?”

His father, Chaacha Jilé, used a serving spoon to give him a hard tap on the head. “Hanzi!”

“What? We were all thinking it!”

His father shook his head. “You know better than to ask that kind of question.”

“It’s okay.” Inej cut in before her uncle could use the spoon again. “Hanzi is right. You all want to know what happened. I don’t blame you.”

“See!” Hanzi pointed a vindicated finger towards Inej.

“Hush!” His father waved the spoon in front of his son.

She bit back a smile and continued. Inej looked at Kaz. His rigid spine loosened a bit, but he still looked a bit on edge. “I’m going to tell them.”

A small smile tugged on his mouth. “You know I support whatever decision you make.”

It was all the encouragement she needed. “Mama, Papa, you may want to sit down. It’s a long story and most of it isn’t pleasant.”

Her mother worriedly sat beside her. Her father put an arm around her shoulders, physically supporting his wife in the same way Kaz had just supported her.

“I was taken by slavers. They broke in and took me just as the sun had started to rise. They brought me to Ketterdam, where I was sold to a heartless woman who made me do unspeakable things for terrible men. Kaz worked for a group of young men trying to build a new business and went to meet with the woman at the request of his boss. I realized I could escape with his help, so I offered him my skills as an acrobat. He agreed to employ me legally and without having to do any of the things that I was doing there. He taught me how to defend myself. I worked as his spy and I was good at it.

“Ketterdam… it can be an ugly place that brings the ugliness out of even the best people. I’ve done things I pray the Saints will one day forgive me for; but I’m not the same girl I was when I was taken. If I was, I don’t think I would have made it through the first night in that city. I will never be that girl again, no matter how hard I try. And I’m sorry if that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.

“I was able to eventually afford a ship and a crew to run it. Now, I'm the captain of a crew of people dedicated to keeping other people from having to go through what I went through. I hope that the work I do at sea can help weaken any shadows I have created during my years in Ketterdam.”

Inej had, of course, changed a few details in her story. There was no way she was going to tell her entire family that the “business” Kaz was running was actually a deadly street gang. She was also never going to explain to them exactly how good at her job she had gotten. They would never understand the things she had done. In fact, if they could see the crimson stains on her hands, they’d probably be so repulsed that they would kick her out on the spot.

Her mother was crying again. Her father looked heartbroken as if all of his worst fears had come true.

“Inej…” Adja spoke first. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

Inej was surprised to realize that she wasn’t in tears as she feared she would have been. “It’s not your fault.” She looked at her parents, realizing that they must have carried some guilt with her disappearance just as she carried the shame of the things she had done.

“Nor is it yours. We couldn’t have known those slavers were going to break into our home. You two did everything you were supposed to. When things were at their worst, I could hear your voices teaching me how to pray to the Saints. I was able to survive so long because I always carried the hope you taught me to hold on to. The hope that I would one day return to you.”

Her father looked furiously stubborn as he said, “And you have. You are home, Inej. That’s all that matters. We don’t care what you had to do to get here. As long as you are here with us again.”

“The Saints don’t punish actions done to survive.” Her mother agreed. “You don’t need to ask them or us for forgiveness. Forgiveness is earned, Inej, and you have been through more than enough to deserve it. We know you. We know you have a good heart. We love who you are now because it brought you back to us.”

“You will always be our esfir.” Her father held his daughter's trembling hands.

Those words were like the first bite of bread after a year long fast. Inej hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear them, or how much it would mean to hear them from her parents. Her father’s touch didn’t wipe away any of the blood on her hands nor did it take away the dark memories she would always carry. But it did make her feel hopeful for the future. For so long she feared that she could never return home; she feared her family would reject the woman she was sharpened into. Her parents didn’t look like they were ready to throw her out. In fact, they looked like they were ready to hold her tighter than ever.

“Wait a second,” Hanzi once again drew all the attention in the room back to him. “You said you were a spy and now a ship captain?”

Inej wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “Yes.”

“And that Ka-s...runs a business?”

“Yes, Hanzi.”

He looked suspiciously between Kaz and Inej. Then at the leather gloves and silver crow’s head of his cane. His jaw dropped. “Inej, you’re not saying what I think you’re saying, are you?”

She bit her lip, unsure of how to answer.

“He knows, doesn’t he?” Kaz’s gravelly voice was full of pride at being recognized.

“Don’t look so smug. I don’t think he recognized you until I said that I was a ship captain.”

“INEJ!”

She turned back to Hanzi. He was almost buzzing with excitement to hear her answer. “Are you who I think you are? Is he who I think he is?”

Her mother narrowed her eyes at her nephew.“Inej is whoever she wants to be. As for Ka-s, he’s Inej’s...”

Inej looked to Kaz for the answer. They had never felt the need to use a word to explain their relationship. Everyone on their tiny stretch of an island knew better than to question Dirtyhands or the Wraith. Their friends didn’t need an explanation. What she shared with Kaz went deeper than anything she could describe.

“What?”

“They want to know what you are to me.”

“Then tell them.”

“What do you want me to tell them?”

“What do you want to tell them?”

“That you’re the person I love most in this world.”

His smile was blinding. “I’m more than okay with that answer.”

“Kaz is my heart.”

Adja cooed, clutching her heart. Her mother looked approvingly at Kaz. Her father looked relieved by the answer. Hanzi still looked unsatisfied by it.

“Why are you all just staring at us? Let’s eat!” She mimicked her father’s earlier remark. The silence was once again filled with her family’s celebratory cheers.

“Thank you for coming with me. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Kaz looked smug. “I love you.”

Inej smiled, looking around the circle of happiness brought together by a bond that went deeper than blood. “I love you, too.”

A/N Pt 2: Hi hello! If you happened to have read this before January 2, 2020 then you might remember that there used to be a long paragraph at the end of this fic where I acknowledged all of the cultures that I read about as inspiration to flesh out the Suli culture in this fic. Welp, because Tumblr enjoys to make life difficult, it actually decided to erase the entirety of this fic, leaving only the title. Why? I have no idea!!!! But that means I had to do everything and luckily I had all of the fic saved except for this second A/N bc I added it in right before uploading. While I’m incredibly annoyed by Tumblr glitch and am not able to fully write the original acknowledgment, I still want to give add a smaller version of the previous one.

All of cultures I drew from for this fic can be found listed here. The Suli language was a modified mixture of Hindi and Punjabi. The foods are mostly Romani in origin. The names are a mixture of Turkish, Hindi, Romani, and Slavic names. The clothing have all been specifically named. The head piece Inej wore was directly inspired by a South Asian maang tikka however out of respect for this real cultural practice, I changed the name/origin for the fic. Any parables/customs/religious beliefs explained in the fic are completely fictional that were either pulled directly from the SOC series or made up for this fic. Any connection/similarities to real cultural practices are completely coincidental unless I specifically said so. I believe that was everything important that I had in the original acknowledgment. I’m so sorry if anything was left out. If you do feel that I forgot to mention anything in this rewritten version, please let me know and I’ll do my best to fix it immediately!

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soulofawander · 5 years

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Have a slightly (not so slightly, feeling self-conscious a lot lately) filtered pic as I was tagged by @scarsoftheshatteredsky @blacknorthernthunder @thedarkchimera And @aleksandroskaya and @lafemmedemon 5 amazing, lovely people❤️. Thank you very much!!

Still writing, still working, still planning to travel. Life goes on and it's quite a ride.

If you want to partake, I'll tag: @glimpseofsanity @darkestwonder @nvmendivinvm @beardowulf @orthar-the-tooth-collector @macabremusings @bridgesinthesky @opeths @ruxandravalkyrie @rustdustandguts @elixmia @ethereal-valky @misfit-on-a-journey @misshammett @waldeinsamkeit-x @miserive @blodbranddod @bloodofheroes @storm-and-flame @bitch-of-izalith @bitesize-butterflies @allllyyyyb @lord-worms-shakespeare-class @lovecraaaft @dysmorphixx @my-sxe-world @gory-mermaid @g0thbride @goddess-of-ghosts @gothicgallbladder @theashenone @atomic-soup @serenity-and-stardust @asweetapology @ashesofthepaleserpent @cryptic-void @chubbawubbadubdub @poisonivybelladonna @poisonspivey @hell--hammer @hera-salander @welcome-to-the-dark-circus @frozen-and-euphoric @fiat--lux @dabsquat

And all who see this

I hope you all thrive this week.

Je vous aimes ❤️

#tag games #tag post #tagged #thankful #merci #self portrait #photo

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holy-haunted · 4 years

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1) This technique - The Infinity breathing - is connected to the cleansing of the physical vessel from disharmonic energies and filling the cavities with the substance of the creator's light. It also evokes more thought forms of the new creation from the higher spheres and it fixates them to the physical reality as well the earth's core. You could try this one, if you want to get new functioning ideas. There are three things actually -- three tools. In the left hand we achieve the sword of the 7 virtues with the energies of the 5 high rays, which wait to be integrated in the precise moment (which could as well be now).

2) These are described here, the rays and their qualities. In the right hand we achieve the holy grail, which opens a portal to well being which unlocks the whole abundance of creation. You need to imagine how the cup gets filled until it starts pouring then you need to imagine how you take everything you need from it but also to share it generously with the other and then finally! ta raaa, the heart, the centre of the solar power consists of solar plexus, heart, thumys gland and throat. In the centre of the solar power we insert a crystal heart of pink quartz, a lotos flower is inside this heart and in the core of the heart there is a spark of the violet flame of transmutation, don't doubt that you are ready for these gifts and declare to yourself that you will use them for the greater good of everyone. Repeat three times "I am ready". Many etheric shields were positioned around the heart to protect one from the pain and the negative energy, the bombarding, but now that you place the quartz heart there you know that its safe and appropriate to open widely your heart centre which is the door to your inner divine self /essence.The violet flame is put there as a filter to harmonize every residual energy which is not synched with the divine song of your heart. This way you can also emit more love towards other people, so in a way this heart replaces the shields which protect but block the way to the divine self. Now the centre can both be open, so the flow can pass freely and in a protected way.

These two pics are a way to use the heart -- reaching balance in the world of opposites. The I am presence directs downwards a cell of light through the crown chakra, the cell goes to the solar plexus. Concenrate your conscousness on the essence of the heart, draw vibrating energies through the root chakra and your feet, the cell of light becomes representative of your whole phsysical vessel, all deformations go to the light cell, which gets enclosed in the heart an d you let them follow their pat, the breath of infinity spreads in the body -- you remember the medula oblungata thing, the cell bursts in the solar plexus and takes its path in the ether. Then you enter the point of peace in the centre of the pin heart and start the infinity breathing. A flow of crystal diamond pyramid infliltrates through the crown chakra and fills empty places with light Utter "it has been done" 3 times.

#thoughts #archangel michael #new age #spiritual #ronna herman

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littleprincehyun · 5 years

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😌💀🍯🍬

😌 something you would tell baekhyun if you met him

I’m probably going to be showering him with compliments because my brain to mouth filter will definitely fuck up. And then I’ll also show him my lightning bolt arm lmao. I’ll just tell him how proud we are of him and how we have his back no matter what. Also that he should eat lots of pizza and not worry about his weight because we love when he’s eating how he wants.

💀 baekhyuns eyes or hands?

Ommmg this is so hard because he has such pretty hands but then his eyyyes. They make him extra cute when he smiles and are just so gorgeous. Ughhh this is so hard. I think his hands because they’re just so pretty and I love when he’s just out there shoving them in his mouth(he’s got an oral fixation and you can’t tell me otherwise).

🍯 top 3 unbleached baekhyun pics

He’s so fucking gorgeous here. It’s sucks that fansites bleach his skin cause his natural skin tone is so beautiful. (peep chanyeol in the back)

Flawless melanin king

This pic took me forever to find but it’s not even the correct pic. I don’t know where it is but it’s from this day. Basically it is this but a different pic. He just looked so good here. Absolutely stunning and ethereal

🍬 lucky one baekhyun or monster baekhyun?

Oof. This one is so hard. They were both iconic looks. Even though I loved monster era Baekhyun, like the man knows how to do deep and dark looks, I think Lucky one won for me. Not even the look it was the vibe of the song and choreography and Baekhyun was just so happy when he was dancing to Lucky One and I just love seeing him smile. Plus the choreo for Lucky one is my top faves and so is the song. When I think of Lucky One Baekhyun, I think of this

#thank you for sending this in #ik the boys dont like the lucky one choreo cause its hard af #but its so nice to watch ans they all killed it #i have enough love for it for everyone agshaj #uwu ask

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etherealistme · 5 years

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Not really good with captions. I really loved this pic tho. I'm not really sure why, it's just so pleasant to me, the contrast of the red color with the grey ceiling plus that stunning yellowish light.

But I the thing I love the most from it, it's the quality, I took it with the front camera of my phone, a device that has been through a lot of falls, scratches, hits, water and other substances. I can't even use the back camera cause I broke it, so to fully rely on a front camera to take a decent picture is a lot of pressure for it. Yet, besides being almost fully ruined, and even tho there are hundreds of amazing, newly fresh phones with great lenses, mine can still shoot a picture that fills me up with emotions, that's a power only I can give.

#photo #art #camera #lens #feelings #aesthetic #pleasing #filters #ethereal #realist #me #social media

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