#this has such a great atmosphere and i think it captures her perfectly. and it's a great representation of

[commsroom]

... which oblivion has not yet swallowed up and buried. 🌊 (art by @hehearse, who is always wonderful.)

#wolf 359 #w359 #hera wolf 359 #hera w359 #i am so in love with this piece #the colors and composition and everything about it #the glassy techlike artificiality of the wave #with its lines and dots #her expression is so striking #the line of her reflections. the way that blue holographic look overlaps in the wave and her dress is cut off by the lines of the uniform #it's so good. it's so so good. thank you so much #this has such a great atmosphere and i think it captures her perfectly. and it's a great representation of #what i mean when i say she's not literally blue. it's what it represents. #art

[remtan]

New Romancer 2

Rim’s 2nd album, New Romancer 2 was released on December 5th 2023! This album really shows how greatly Rim and Mao Sasagawa combine, and what they can do when they experiment together. Rim’s new wolfcut looks great and perfectly matches her edgy vibe. I’ve also noticed the general shape of it looks quite similar to Kaf’s hairstyle. I can’t wait to see her new 3D model at her upcoming Sinka live! (edit: this was written before her sinka live) Here's some of my favorite songs from the album in no particular order:

おしえてかみさま

This song grabbed me right away as the intro track. The voice sample captured my attention immediately, and the chords that followed afterwards reeled me in. One of my favorite things about this song is the piano that sounds a lot like the signal when the train crossing gates close due to an incoming train. I love how eerie and psychedelic it feels, but it also makes you want to dance.

生きているより楽しそう

I love how gritty this song is! The guitars and bass are all up in your face, and Rim’s voice complements them in an edgy, angsty fashion. The layering of Rim’s voice in different sections makes this song interesting to listen to! To be honest, I love this kind of sound from Rim the most.

Inner Child

I listened to this song all throughout 2023. The beginning piano and melody are so catchy, I love how there’s a hint of Mao Sasagawa’s voice layered under Rim’s as well. One of my favorite parts is the drum breaks appear only for a few seconds in-between Rim’s voice and the piano. I like how the first half of the song has the piano as the main instrument but then in the second half, the guitar takes over. Then near the end of the song, the piano comes in again to create the last chorus. This song is definitely one of my favorites out of the entire album!

フロム天国

A playful, upbeat song for Rim that’s still full of Mao Sasagawa's guitars. Ema also features in this song! I’ve heard that Rim is a Dustcell fan so I’m sure she’s happy to have Ema featuring in her own album. For a moment, I couldn’t tell which voice was Ema and which was Rim’s. I’d love to hear them sing together more!

Pilgrim

Pilgrim! This song was released over a year ago and currently it’s Rim’s 2nd most viewed music video at 4 million views. I immediately felt nostalgic upon hearing this in the middle of her new songs. Mao Sasagawa creates such a floaty hypnotic feeling with both his instrumentals and Rim's voice. The most memorable part of this song was Mao Sasagawa’s use of choppy voice samples that contrasted greatly against the rest of the song.

Fanfare

For some reason, this song reminds me a little of R Sound Design. It has somewhat of a groovy Jpop vibe! The outro is my favorite part, the piano is so addicting. I think out of all of Rim's new songs on this album this one will be the one I have listened to the most.

Refrain

Unlike in Inner Child where Mao Sasagawa’s voice layered under Rim’s for only a few seconds, his voice is all throughout the song. The melody feels a little lazy and laid-back but as the song goes on the melody becomes increasingly redefined by the constantly changing instrumental. I'm amazed at how quickly Mao Sasagawa can change the atmosphere of a song just by adding a few instruments. As Refrain's lyrics becomes increasingly more pessimistic and frustrated the song does as well. The MV also illustrates the changes in the song really well!

デイネイ

It's edgy but I really feel like rim had fun singing it, it has a snarky, playful vibe. I really like the piano runs in this song, it really differentiates it from the rest of the songs in this album.

Eloim

Definitely Rim’s scariest song so far, I can’t get myself to watch the MV because its too scary. It also marks an experimental change for both Rim and Mao Sasagawa. Unlike Rim’s usual songs, this song’s instrumental is full of dubstep. Rim’s whisper in the back is also very haunting. My favorite parts has to be when the guitars come in and the song builds for the chorus. I also love how Mao Sasagawa eerily trickles the piano notes, its similar to what you would hear in a horror movie. This song is currently Rim’s 4th most viewed MV at 2.4 million views, 3 months after its release. It’s right above Tall Story that she made with Guiano, which has 2.1 million views and was released 2 years ago.

不的

I love Rim's and Joucho's voices together, really putting the haunting feel of their voices together. Out of all the vwp duets, this one really stands out! It's so beautiful and edgy and eerie at the same time. I always feel like both rim and joucho are capable of capturing this mysterious, otherworldly feeling that's outside of reality. They performed this on Music Verse months ago and during the performance they panned Rim's voice to the left ear and Joucho's voice to the right ear and wow did it give me goosebumps.

Rim and Mao Sasagawa also did an interview on the production of this album here, and its a good read of rim's worldview, why they chose to use certain words in Rim's songs and also rim's career. They also touched upon Rim's identity as a virtual singer and how she often doesn't use her 3d model in her music videos. It's nice to get confirmation that this was a deliberate choice by Rim's team and that they've considered how her identity as a vsinger affects how people interact with her music. It's also sad to hear Mao Sasagawa say he's frustrated that people might dismiss Rim's music just because she's a vtuber, wherein he emphasizes because in the past people used to dismiss him because he was a vocaloid producer. However things are different today and he's grateful that vocaloid has broken into the modern Jpop scene. It makes me remember how Kamitsubaki are a rarity in the vtuber scene in terms of how seriously they promote and perform their music. Like Mao Sasagawa, I also hope the attitude towards vtuber music can change.

And in terms of the vtuber scene, it's worth pointing out how different Rim's genre and aesthetics are compared to other vtubers/vsingers. As rim's music and worldview continues to develop, I'm sure she'll continue to stand out and be a unique presence whether its in the virtual or non-virtual music scene.

#ive had this sitting in my drafts for a month now #its hard to put how i feel about music into words #rim #vtuber #vsinger #virtual singer #kamitsubaki #Youtube

[justforbooks]

Lonely, as words go, is a bit of a loner. As the critic Christopher Ricks writes, it pleasingly has “only” one rhyme, and no real synonyms. After all, being alone and being lonely are quite different things. For all this, poets and writers, from Audre Lorde to Philip Larkin, have made much of loneliness, drawn to the challenge of bringing us close to an emotion whose very nature is to stay at a distance.

Some lonely renderings turn out to be a bit of a sham. Records show that when Wordsworth “wandered lonely as a cloud”, his sister Dorothy was strolling companionably beside him, and she liked the daffodils too. Thoreau’s standing as the poster-boy of solitude, living “alone” and “Spartan like” by Walden Pond, starts to unravel when one actually reads his book, which contains a hefty chapter on “Visitors”. (The fact that Thoreau’s mum probably helped out with his laundry has also – maybe unfairly – raised a few eyebrows.)

It is, of course, perfectly possible to feel lonely in the company of others. “Loneliness”, as Olivia Laing writes, “doesn’t necessarily require physical solitude, but rather an absence or paucity of connection”. Her Lonely City is a powerful account of the loneliness explored and expressed by writers ranging from Alfred Hitchcock to Billie Holiday, combined with Laing’s own experience as a “citizen of loneliness”: “I often wished”, she writes, “I could find a way of losing myself altogether until the intensity diminished”.

Loneliness may be a condition that’s tricky to categorise but it is also, in Laing’s words, “difficult to confess”. Indeed, loneliness’s favourite companion seems to be shame. One of the many beauties of Kent Haruf’s small-town love story, Our Souls At Night, is the way in which his heroine breaks this seeming taboo, surprising her neighbour with an unconventional proposal, not of marriage, but of a kind of lo-fi pyjama party. “I’m lonely”, Addie candidly states. “I think you might be too. I wonder if you would come and sleep in the night with me. And talk”.

For some, such as Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant, loneliness is a lived atmosphere, a kind of chronic condition. For others, it comes from a tectonic shift – a sudden loss or bereavement. As Juliet Rosenfeld writes in her memoir, The State of Disbelief, the painful force of her husband’s death made her feel as if she’d been captured by an unseen captor: “I learnt quickly that to protest would make no difference, and choice-less, I submitted to this saboteur with no prospect at all of release or freedom. I believed for a long time that I would never feel differently. I felt a painful absence and loneliness all of the time.”

“We read to know we are not alone”, as C S Lewis famously didn’t say (the line belongs to his on-screen persona in Shadowlands). So it is a sad irony that books which might best provide company nearly didn’t see the light of day. Radclyffe Hall’s Well of Loneliness was banned, after its first publication, for more than 30 years, accused of promoting “unnatural practices between women”. Because of that judgment, many readers missed an encounter with the beauty of the novel’s prose, its tender account of the heroine as she reflects on her childhood home. She dreams of “the scent of damp rushes growing by water; the kind, slightly milky odour of cattle; the smell of dried rose-leaves and orris-root and violets”, and knew “what it was to feel terribly lonely, like a soul that wakes up to find itself wandering, unwanted, between the spheres”.

This sense of loneliness as a kind of between-ness, an uncharted territory, is movingly captured in Sam Selvon’s 1956 novel, The Lonely Londoners. This Windrush chronicle charts the trials of those arriving at Waterloo from the West Indies, as they struggle to navigate the “unrealness” of London. Selvon’s hero, Moses Aloetta, becomes, over time, the reluctant guide to this latter-day Waste Land. Selvon leaves us with Moses’s lyrical and allusive understanding of the city’s “great aimlessness”. Standing on the banks of the Thames, he conjures a vision of a world in which we are all, in the end, alone together:

As if … on the surface, things don’t look so bad, but when you go down a little, you bounce up a kind of misery and pathos and a frightening – what? He don’t know the right word, but he have the right feeling in his heart. As if the boys laughing, but they only laughing because they ’fraid to cry.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

#just for books #lonelly #loneliness

[jouliejihan]

𝑳𝑶𝑽𝑬 𝑶𝑵 𝑨𝑰𝑹! - hueningkai × fem reader

𝑺𝒀𝑵𝑶𝑷𝑺𝑰𝑺: When Y/N and her eccentric friends decide to host the 'Love On Air' podcast, they think they can heal the heartaches of all HYBE Uni students.  But when love begins to bubble up behind the scenes, Y/N finds herself at the center of a messed up love triangle. While she tries to save broken hearts, a shy student, Hueningkai, does everything to win her heart. With clumsy dating advice, accidental encounters and a chaotic podcast, will love triumph or end up in a hilarious mess?

"Tune in with us guys, cause Love is On Air!"

TAGLIST (open, send ask or comment to be added) @full-sunnies ​ @unh0ly-dr3am3r ​@enhacolor ​ @mackjestic ​@beabeanice ​@beoms-sugar ​

previous • masterlist • next

9 - Chaos in the university jungle

The soft afternoon light filled Fearless's studio in Sector 17, creating a perfect environment for work.  Jisoo and Yunjin were focused on their task, taking precise measurements and photographing every detail of the clothes in the upcoming Spring-Summer collection. The environment was full of colorful fabrics, mannequins and clothes in various stages of production.

"Baby, can you hand me the tape measure? We need exact measurements to make sure each piece fits perfectly."

"Of course, angel. I'm at your disposal."

Yunjin, with his knack for detail and keen eye for fashion, was carefully adjusting the collar of a dress while Jisoo meticulously photographed every angle. The atmosphere was charged with the creativity and passion they both had for the fashion industry.

"What do you think of this dress, Jiji?"  asked Yujin, taking a black and gray patterned dress from the hanger "I think it will be a big highlight in the collection.

"It's amazing, Jinnie. The color, the cut, everything. I can't wait to see how it looks on the runway."

Yunjin noticed the faraway look in Joshua's eyes as he continued to photograph the dress. She cocked her head and arched her brow curiously.

"Honey, are you okay?"

"Oh yes. I was just wondering how wonderful Y/N would look in this piece."

Yunjin frowned, surprised by the unexpected mention of Y/N.

"Y/N? Why are you thinking about her right now?"

"Nothing. It's just that some of the clothes in your collection were perfectly designed for a style like hers: Youthful yet elegant, they perfectly match her radiant personality. Also, she's tall, but has a slimmer body type compared to the standards of your customers, so some of your jumpsuits would have fitted her perfectly.

"Oh really?" she asked with acidity in her tone.

"Plus, she has her podcast. What do you think about asking her to promote the launch party? That way you both gain from this partnership."

"That's a brilliant idea, angel! Anytime I can talk to her about it!"

She smiled again, but with a fake yellow smile plastered on her face, happy with the change of focus, but extremely uncomfortable with her boyfriend's sudden interest in the freshman. Together, they continued to work in the atelier, capturing the essence of the Spring-Summer collection's garments, while conversation about the launch party and their co-workers enveloped them in an apparent mood of anticipation and excitement, masked by a deep remorse at the stylist's heart, promising to put her in her place.

⊹⊱•••《 💗 》•••⊰⊹

The HYBE dorm was buzzing that afternoon as the students prepared for the Fearless Spring-Summer collection launch party. In Yunjin's room, Soonyoung was sitting on one of the chairs, looking with interest at the photos from the collection on her Ipad.

"Wow, Yunjin, you really did an amazing job with these clothes! Can I send them to Myungho?"

"Of course, oppa! I'm always open to constructive criticism from my peers!"

"I can't wait to see all of this at the party!"

Yunjin smiled, pleased with the compliment, but she had a plan in mind.

"Oppa, don't you want to take a walk with me? I want to show you the party venue and the ideas we have for decorations."

"Sure, that sounds great."

While she was distracting him, Eunchae was in action looking for Y/N's laptop and photocard. She quickly went to her colleague's room and found the door unlocked. With a quick glance, she saw the laptop and photocard on the table, right where she'd left them.

"Always organized to the extreme, how ridiculous." the maknae thought and rolled her eyes

Eunchae took the laptop and photocard carefully, remembering what they had planned. She knew she didn't have much time, so she acted quickly. As she left the room, she heard the sound of Yunjin and Soonyoung talking in the hallway.

She decided to split up with Yunjin in the hallways to avoid attracting attention. She whispered to herself, "I can do it, it will work."

Meanwhile, in the hallway, they continued their conversation.

"And you won't believe the surprises we're preparing! I'm sure everyone will love them."

"You and your parents really outdid yourselves. I'm looking forward to seeing it all."

"It's going to be an unforgettable night! Especially with you and your friends there."

Meanwhile, in Y/N's room, Eunchae successfully left the room with her laptop and photocard in hand. The operation was a success. Now, she just needed to find her unnie to deliver the laptop and then the two could leave with their stolen trophies, leaving the freshman unsuspecting of anyone but her roommate.

Y/N opened the door to her room, expecting a peaceful afternoon of study and relaxation after a busy day at the university. However, as soon as he walked in, her face contorted with confusion and concern. Her laptop and his rare SEVENTEEN member's photocard, some of his most cherished treasures, were gone.

She looked around the room, her heart racing as the reality of the situation unfolded before her. Quickly, she began to search her desk, her bookshelf, and even under her bed, but there was no sign of her belongings.

Y/N was panicking when Soonyoung entered the room, noticing her agitation.

"Girl! What's going on?"

"My laptop and my photocard are gone! They were here when I left earlier!"

"Oh, don't worry about it so much. It's just material things, you can buy another laptop and the photocard, well, it's just a photo, isn't it?" he said shrugging

Soonyoung's words hit her like a blow. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"How can you say that?! My laptop has all my work, notes and Linguistics study materials! And the photocard came as a gift in an album I received as a gift from a friend when it was still on pre-sale. It was autographed!" screamed furiously

"Hey, I was just trying…"

But she was already beyond reason. She continued to yell at him, accusing him of being insensitive and neglectful of her things. The fight became intense and heated, with sharp words being exchanged.

Meanwhile, Eunchae was hiding in a corner of the hallway, secretly filming the fight between the two. She knew it was risky, but she was fulfilling the mission entrusted to her. Done and done, she sent the video to Beomgyu and waited for him to post it to spice up the chaotic mood that sets in in the halls.

When she finally realized that the fight was going nowhere, she stormed out of the room, leaving her colleague alone and stunned.

Soonyoung, looking at her colleague's messy desk, sighed deeply. He regretted his callous words. As he looked at her mind maps, handwritten notes, and carefully organized simulations, he became aware of those things lost to her.

Determined to make things right, he left his room and began a tireless search across the campus, determined to find them and, hopefully, try to calm any conflicts between them.

Jisoo and Yunjin were sitting on a wide leather sofa in the student break room after a long day of work at Fearless.

The atmosphere was relaxed until Yunjin, with a mischievous smile, showed Jisoo his cell phone, displaying a video posted by Beomgyu.

"You won't believe it, love. Beomgyu posted a video you need to see."

Jisoo approached, looking at Yunjin's cell phone screen. The video showed Y/N and Soonyoung fighting intensely in their room. The harsh words and exaggerated gestures were hard to ignore.

"Looks like the pretty princess of your dreams is an ugly beast!"

Jisoo was visibly uncomfortable with the video. He didn't like the idea of ​​his colleague being involved in such an intense fight. However, he didn't like the way his girlfriend mocked the situation.

"Babe, this isn't funny. I need to know what's going on."

She raised an eyebrow, looking at him.

"Honey, are you really worried about her? Look at her, screaming and swearing at her colleague for no reason at all, like a real psychopathic bitch."

"That's none of your business, Yunjin! You can't judge her without knowing the facts first! I need to know what happened before I draw conclusions."

She showed no remorse for her past behavior. She crossed her arms, keeping a defiant look.

"Do what you want, love, but I won't change my mind anytime soon."

He sighed, knowing she wasn't going to make up her mind so easily. He knew the only way to understand the situation was to speak to Y/N directly.

"I'm going to talk to her and hear her side of the story, so if it's not too much to ask of you, please leave us alone when I find her."

She nodded, shrugging nonchalantly. She did not regret her action, and the tension between the two was clearly established. And so, with a promise to resolve the situation directly with the freshman, her boyfriend left the room, determined to discover the truth behind the scandal.

⊹⊱•••《 💗 》•••⊰⊹

Y/N was hiding in a secluded corner of the campus, tears sliding down her cheeks as she silently sobbed. At that moment she no longer cared about losing her membership because the fight with Soonyoung still echoed in her mind, and regret was eating her up inside. She knew she was wrong to yell and argue with him like that, but she was too scared to get up and talk to her roomate.

At this moment, a shadow appeared beside her, and Hueningkai gently knelt down beside her. He didn't say anything right away, just placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Noona, what happened?"

Y/N sniffled and tried to wipe away her tears, but they continued to flow, so even with her drunk voice, she told everything that had happened.

"...I did a terrible thing. I yelled at Soonyoung oppa, said horrible things, and now he must hate me."

“If this fight is the same one Beomgyu hyung posted, I can understand how upset you were, but why did you do it?”

"Because… my laptop and my photocard, Kai. They disappeared. I was so nervous, and when oppa said it wasn't important, I… lost control."

Hueningkai looked at her with understanding. He knew how much those belongings meant to her, especially the autographed SEVENTEEN photocard.

"I understand. You were upset, but on one hand you're right. You should have given him the chance to explain before you freak out."

She nodded, her tears began to subside. He continued to stroke her shoulder, offering silent comfort.

"Look, I'll help you solve this. I'll find either the photocard or the laptop, whichever comes first."

"Really?"

"I swear! I won't let you be sadder! You need to be okay to make up with hyung."

She looked at him with gratitude in her swollen eyes. She didn't expect so much kindness and his warm embrace after the fight that had occurred.

"Thanks, you're a true friend."

"Always, noona. Now, let's find a solution to this together, okay?"

And so, with his promise to find a solution to the situation, she began to feel a little relief through her tears. She knew she had made a mistake, but she was determined to correct it and was grateful to have such a supportive friend by her side.

⊹⊱•••《 💗 》•••⊰⊹

Jisoo was walking through the dormitory hallways, her expression serious and determined. He knew he needed to find Y/N and talk about the fight he saw in Beomgyu's tweet. As he walked, Soonyoung appeared, looking at him curiously.

“Hyung, where are you going?”

Jisoo stopped and looked at Soonyoung sincerely.

"I'm looking for Y/N. We need to talk about what happened."

Soonyoung nodded, appreciating Joshua's sincerity.

"I appreciate your sincerity, Shua hyung, but don't feel pressured to intervene, okay? This is something my colleague and I need to resolve on our own."

"I understand, but seeing her like that in the video made me worried, can I at least give her some emotional support?"

"No problem." the youngest nodded

Soonyoung agreed, thanking his hyung for his support. However, when they walked through the corridors for about 20 min, they found Y/N and Hueningkai hugging each other in a corner of the corridor. The boys' worried eyes met and they both sighed.

"Looks like we're too late." Soonyoung nodded, his expression regretful.

"Yes, it seems so."

His hyung looked at him with a low look of disappointment, but he let out an understanding sigh and left.

"Good luck searching for her laptop. I hope you guys can sort this out."

He thanked him, appreciating his understanding.

"Thank you, hyung. I'll do my best. And I hope that eventually we can start a healthier relationship."

Jisoo nodded with a reassuring smile, wishing her friend luck in her search and reconciling with her roommate. While the two parted ways to go their separate ways, he didn't let the situation shake his determination to support her and be there for her when she needed it.

⊹⊱•••《 💗 》•••⊰⊹

Hueningkai entered the room and found Eunchae talking to Carat, who was about to help Y/N renew her membership. Eunchae's expression was confident, but Hueningkai had no intention of letting this situation go unpunished.

"Hello, Eunchae! It's good to see you here, isn't it? Who is this friend of yours?"

"Sorry, sunbaenim. I'm Wang Yoona, from the Administration class." she bowed Is there a problem?"

"No problem Yoona-ssi, just that you're being tricked by one of Huh Jennifer's puppets."

"How absurd!" Eunchae exclaimed "Don't believe him, I'm the one you should see!"

"Really? And that photocard on the table? Is it yours?"

"Of course it's hers. She even came to make the trade with me, didn't she?" Yoona questioned with a confused expression

"That's interesting. But just now Y/N told me that she had lost her very rare photocard, so I figured it would be here, right?"

The maknae lost her guard for a while, but she did her best to stand her ground and counter his taunts.

"How are you so sure he's not mine, oppa?"

Hueningkai calmly pointed out the details that proved its authenticity.

"Let's see, the selca taken is from Hoshi, one of the few members she collects. The diamond moon and heart stickers are her trademarks and above all, the Cinnamoroll keychain binder! She carries it everywhere, you know Why? Because I was the one who gave it to her as a gift!"

Eunchae realized she was defeated and returned the photocard. She left the place, clearly frustrated.

However, Yoona was furious with her charade.

"Unbelievable! How can I stay true to the agreement when no one here seems to care about ethics these days?"

"Please understand that there has been a misunderstanding! Y/N should be on her way, and she will be able to confirm everything. I apologize for the confusion, but I need you to wait a little longer."

She was still upset but agreed to wait. He knew it was crucial to maintain this partnership, so he was determined to resolve the situation as best he could until his friend arrived to clarify everything.

"2 hours, sunbaenim. She has 2 hours to come to me, otherwise our deal will be canceled."

"Don't worry, Yoona, she'll be there in time." he nodded and then muttered "I hope."

⊹⊱•••《 💗 》•••⊰⊹

Yunjin was focused in her room, trying to figure out the password to Y/N's laptop. She typed different combinations, thinking of possible dates or significant words. However, she didn't notice Soonyoung silently approaching her from behind.

"Do you need help, Jennifer?" he arched his eyebrow

"Wh…oppa? What are you doing here?" she stuttered

"Stealing my colleague's most precious possessions so we can fight and thus entertain the idle asses of you and your 'friends?'"

"Yeah, I did! What are you going to do?"

The veins bulging on Soonyoung's neck showed how furious he was with the situation, however, his mind was still calm enough to deal with it without freaking out, so he took a deep breath and answered:

"Nothing. You're Myungho's colleague, so our coexistence is nothing more than mere convenience."

"There was a time when it wasn't like this, as I remember." Yunjin raised an eyebrow and gave a mischievous smile.

Yunjin watched as he walked away with the laptop, her mischievous face turning into a mix of frustration and disbelief.

"It doesn't matter. But from today onwards you are dead to me Huh Yunjin. Don't count on me for anything else."

With that, he turned his back and left the room, leaving her alone with her frustrations and her failed plan.

⊹⊱•••《 💗 》•••⊰⊹

Y/N walked down the hallway, her heart still heavy from the fight with Soonyoung, when she found him holding his laptop. Beside him, Hueningkai wore a triumphant smile, Y/N's photocard in his hands.

"Here's your laptop."

"And your photocard is saved like I promised, noona! Now you can thank me!"

Y/N hugged Hueningkai gratefully, feeling a mix of relief and joy.

"Thanks, Kai! You saved my day!"

Soonyoung, in turn, maintained a serious expression. Y/N couldn't help but notice the tension in the air.

"I don't understand, oppa, how did you manage to find my laptop?"

"That..." the older man scratched the back of his head, embarrassed "...doesn't matter. But now we need to have a serious talk.

"Hyung, can you wait a little? Noona needs to meet with Yoona from Administration in less than an hour, otherwise she will lose her membership renewal."

"Shit, it is!" She put both hands on her head, in complete panic. "But don't worry, oppa, we'll talk as soon as I get back."

Soonyoung nodded, softening his expression.

"Alright, good luck!"

With a grateful smile, she headed towards her meeting with Yoona, feeling grateful to have such loyal friends by her side. And she knew that when she returned, she would have an important conversation to have with her roommate about the future of living in the dorm.

⊹⊱•••《 💗 》•••⊰⊹

The sun was setting over the horizon, casting warm shades of orange and pink over the small park where Y/N eagerly awaited her classmates for her 17th birthday party. She had invited all her friends, but as time passed, she began to notice that no one was coming. Sitting on a bench, she looked at her phone, waiting for a message or call that never came.

Frustration and sadness began to take over her when a shadow approached. It was Hueningkai, his longtime friend and former neighbor. He sat down next to her, seeing the dejected expression on her face.

"Noona, are you okay? What happened?"

Y/N sighed, resting her hands on her cheeks as she looked down the floor.

"No one came Hyuka. I invited everyone, but it seems like no one cares."

Hueningkai knew how much the birthday meant to Y/N, and he couldn't just stand by and see her like this.

"Don't worry, noona. Let's have our own party!"

"YA, ARE YOU CRAZY?! How are we going to pull all this off?!"

He took her hand and lifted her off the bench, smiling. Together they went to his house, where his sisters Lea and Bahiyyih were waiting.

They transformed the room into a small makeshift party room, with balloons and lively music. He even helped prepare some snacks. It was a night of laughter and celebration, despite the absence of her colleagues.

After cutting the cake and singing "Happy Birthday," he gave her a lovingly wrapped gift.

“This isn't over yet. I have a little something special for you, noona.

Hueningkai smiled and held out a gift to Y/N. She opened the gift curiously and found a SEVENTEEN album. Her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Hyuka, how did you know that I like them so much?"

"I know you! Or do you think that 2 years of watching you dance and sing from the window to their songs late at night was for nothing?"

She gaped at the sudden revelation, but shook her head, letting it go.

"Wow, thank you so much!"

They started unboxing together, and when her friend discovered Hoshi's autographed photocard, she let out a hysterical scream of joy. She couldn't believe how lucky she was.

"It's Hoshi! It's Hoshi's signed photocard! I can't believe it!"

She was so happy that, in a moment of excitement, she gave her an innocent peck on the cheek. The two instantly became embarrassed, blushing brightly.

"Noona…"

"I…"

Bahiyyih, realizing the situation, did not miss the chance to tease his brother.

"Looks like someone spent a lot of money just to make their noona happy, right, oppa?"

He was even more embarrassed, but everyone laughed at the situation. The important thing was that Y/N was feeling loved and happy in that special moment, thanks to the loving gesture from his family. The impromptu party continued into the night, full of laughter, music and special memories. It was a birthday she would never forget, and her friend's kind gesture remained in her heart as a symbol of their deep and lasting friendship.

A/N: ik you're all sick of a WHOLEASS DAY filled with pointless drama, but don't worry, things will calm down in the next chapter... I HOPE!

A/N ²: btw, eyes on Hueningkai's strawberry cotton candy princess, she's still gonna play a huge role here!

#seventeen fanfic #seventeen fanfiction #seventeen imagines #seventeen x y/n #friends to lovers #love on air 💗 #txt imagines #txt au #txt social media au #seventeen social media au #txt smau #seventeen smau #txt x y/n #hueningkai angst #hueningkai fluff #hueningkai imagines #hueningkai x y/n #hueningkai fanfic #college au #kpop fanfiction #kpop fanfic #hueningkai smau #hueningkai social media au #hueningkai

[believerindaydreams]

@theoremproved I hope I'm not overstepping, I just. Couldn't resist writing a little post-canon AU snippet for your fic, on Gallifrey.

You've made the Doctor and the Master such partners...not just "need you in my life for snarking and hate sex" but like ...actual partners. Never ran across that before. It offers so many possibilities!

anyway here's some words

"I can still hear her," the Doctor says, resting on a hay pile with his eyes shut. "You know that, don't you?"

He would, the Master reflects, know it considerably better if they were using more than words. With the loss of his TARDIS, all the Doctor's telepathic shields had snapped on instinctively, and two days later he's yet to lower them even in exhausted sleep. They have not touched each other since escaping the Citadel, clenched hands giving way to the smooth silky freedom of nighttime winds.

The words are in the Master's mouth, that given the opportunity he could readily verify whether the Doctor is sensing a genuine psionic signal or succumbing to wishful thinking. Not so many lifetimes ago he would have already insisted on deciding the point, so that they could make further decisions based on the stern necessities of fact.

Age may not have taught either of them wisdom, but at least one of them has experimented with patience. "I'll make tea."

"In the ruins of the House?" The Doctor's unseeing gesture is grandiose and careless, his fingers coming perilously close to a rusted saw-toothed blade of some description. The Master removes it from harm's way, carefully hanging the rawhide loop over his own shoulder. Better to have even so minor a weapon as this than none at all. "And even in its glory days, the table never boasted triangular tea bags."

More properly this is the ruins of an outlying barn and not the house proper, but in his present mood the Doctor would call that quibbling. "It wouldn't now, either. Lapsang souchong is better brewed loose."

"Really? That's clever. However will you manage that?"

"Other persons in this cosmos also possess pockets." If the Doctor can't bring himself to anything closer, words are still a vast improvement on yesterday's tortured silence. Muteness has never become him, and especially not this incarnation with his deft way of employing words like perfectly honed knives.

Almost sufficient to talk them out of trouble in the Capitol. Almost.

The Master piles up fallen chunks of wood and wisps of hay, sets it alight by sparking the near-exhausted battery pack of a melted staser. There's little chance of the fire being seen- the taboo on leaving the Capitol is deep and profound- but he arranges it to give off as little smoke as possible. It isn't beyond possibility that the Shobogans will be offered some sort of reward for capturing them.

If that happens, he will have no qualms about self defense. Hunters should always be prepared to become the hunted.

It has taken the better part of the day, for a jury-rigged atmospheric condenser to provide sufficient water. Half an hour to get that water properly hot. Five and a half minutes to brew, in two cups fashioned from a shattered bucket.

"It's ready."

This would all have been a great deal of needless trouble, he thinks, if the Doctor refuses to get up.

"No, I don't want to-" and is that a mental response or a physical complaint? "But I'll try to muster up some cheer. You didn't cause anything like this fuss about your own ship."

It is perhaps because, the Master doesn't say, I know what happened and the coral heart beats quietly next to mine; whereas yours is being taken to pieces and plumbed for secrets as no time ship has ever been dishonored.

If they must be separate a while, he can be glad the Doctor won't have caught this particular underlying thought.

"Tea," he says simply.

The Doctor sits up suddenly, brushes hay out of his curls, and gulps down his share without a pause for breath.

"You know, that is rather better. I suppose we'll have to start making a plan and such this time, won't we? A pity. I always have more fun improvising on the spot."

"I'll finish my tea first," the Master says, unruffled. They are not going to take on the Citadel's rage without several good plans, and preferably better weapons than one ancient farming implement.

"There's something to do before that, even."

"Oh?"

The Doctor leans in and kisses him, his mouth hot and flavoured with smoke; and all the day's efforts are, in the Master's opinion, thoroughly repaid.

#fourth doctor

[asexy-phoenix]

More Fic Recs

Back at it again! I’ll keep posting these until I’ve recommended everything in my bookmarks plus more probably. List under the cut!

getting (back together) over her by Letterblade

so this one is rated explicit, read at your own risk. That being said, it’s excellent, a great Aang exploration and a pretty realistic look at how being 12 for a hundred years would make one feel

plus I have at least one quote from this story living rent-free at all times in my head, please read it, i can’t be the only one

The Family You Choose by TunaFishChris

another soulmark AU fic! This one is a platonic story about the Gaang finding out about Zuko’s past. It’s a cool soulmark system that I don’t think I’ve ever read before and is very awesome in execution!

Team Building Exercise ‘99 by regents

a story about the Parks and Rec crew and three different team building exercises over three different years as told through the eyes of Ron Swanson. It is an excellent characterization of Ron Swanson and you should read it for the comedy factor alone

A Study in Asexuality by ladyxdarcy

rated mature for a lot of potentially triggering subject matter, this Sherlock fic is excellent. It’s a character study of Sherlock and specifically his asexuality, his relationship with John and how those two things interact. It has enough assurance and comfort to make up for every bit of hurt in the hurt/comfort and ends SO happily

Stay by Valentined

never played Subnautica? doesn’t matter! This is such a good, sad, story that leaves you with a lump in your throat and a ridiculous feeling of nostalgia for an alien planet you’ve never been to. 

I should note though, there are huge spoiler warnings. This fic basically ruins the end of the game, so if you DO want to play Subnautica and haven’t yet, go play it and then come read this

And All of This, Exactly That by antistar_e

an old fic from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians franchise, released the year after the last book in the original series was published. This story is about a relationship between Percy, Annabeth, and Rachel and is atmospheric and beautiful. It’s also funny and has a dragon in it, so that makes it automatically great

This Is an Essay by Dee_Laundry

I wish Harry Potter was narrated by Margaret instead of Harry. This is a fic absolutely dripping with personality and humour that is about a Gryffindor student in Harry’s third year who is neat, methodical, and autistic. “Margaret would rather write the same thing a hundred times.” and I would let her. 

Dr. Stirling’s Purple Pill by Ashling

this is a short, funny story about one of L.M. Montgomery’s sadly underrated works. The characters are brilliant and their voices are captured perfectly.

between the shadow and the soul by deliarium

this fic feels like a missing chapter from The Blue Castle. The haunting prose of the original is reproduced beautifully here and it’s some of the most gorgeous, intimate prose I’ve ever read.

Jack Frost and the Shadows of Van der Bor by emanime5

an RotBTD Harry Potter AU. Full of friendship, magic, and adventure it’s continuing proof that literally anyone except Rowling should be hired to write her works. 

Like A Fist In The Eye by soulsolid

a funny and in-character soulmate AU that pairs Jack Frost and Merida. It’s also a college AU so that just adds the cute and fast-paced atmosphere.

Eternity in a Kiss by Snacky

a fun and evocative story of Mary and Bert’s relationship as told through Bert’s eyes. It involves Bert being magic (because of course he is) and a bunch of fun, stealth crossovers!

seriously though, if you want to guess the crossovers on your own, don’t read the comments until after you’re done the fic

#avatar the last airbender #parks and rec #Sherlock #subnautica #Percy Jackon and the Olympians #Harry Potter #the blue castle #RotBTD #mary poppins #fic recs #percy jackson #PJO

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Paper cranes and aster blossom wine

I’m back with Josie, Richard, and Maddie at Northpass for the Origami Festival. I’ve never been to a paper crafts art fair before so it was fascinating to see all the things you can create with paper!

I haven’t done origami in forever and now that I’ve been exposed to all kinds of paper crafts, I really wanna get back into it as well as pick up some new things. Aside from cranes and stars, I’ve never really delved too deep into origami. I’ll admit, part of it’s because it’s kinda daunting, especially since I’ve never been really the best at folding, which is pretty much what origami is. However I think bookbinding and collaging kinda helped me improve my folding skills so I hope that can be applicable.

The festival was a lot of fun! Along with learning all sorts of cool things like the history of origami and paper making and various craft techniques, there were also a lot of workshops where we could put all that new knowledge to good use. Along with making all those crafts, I also got a good haul from the various artists I met at the event.

I didn’t expect to run into Arabella and Isabelle so that was a nice surprise. That’s part of the reason why I went a little overboard with making origami decor. Not that I mind though, especially since Isabelle wanted to check out the festival to get some inspiration for future events. I can totally see them do an origami gyroid theme thing - I’d be down for that!

It’s not hard to be inspired when you’re surrounded by pretty paper crafts. I know that my collection of paper scraps has gotten out of control but at least I do use them for journaling. Stationery addicts and journaling enthusiasts be like you can never have too much. I mean I do go through pens fairly quickly and make an effort to use stickers and washi tape before going off to buy more so I try to be mindful when making purchases. That means even though I did go a bit overboard, I think it’s worth it since festivals are special occasions.

Meeting up with Josie, Richard, Maddie, and the kids was great. Josie, as usual, took a lot of nice pics that perfectly captured the atmosphere of the festival. Her snapshots are colorful, vibrant, and warm, the kind of vibe you’d expect from a craft fair. And as expected with those kinds of events I got to meet a bunch of cool artists that I’m following now. Josie and Maddie also introduced me to some of their artist friends, Junia being one of them.

After the festival, Daisy Jane and I stuck around for a few more days to meet up with Joe at Beauchamp Ranch. Junia and her partner Nina also tagged along as they’ve joined him up there in reviving the place. I’m glad that Joe decided to reopen the ranch, especially after how things went down in the past. Obviously it won’t be the same but he hopes to at least keep the family’s legacy alive. With Junia, Nina, and Maddie helping out, I know that they’ll succeed.

I’ve heard a lot about Junia and Nina before finally meeting them in person. Junia’s a bit of a newcomer as an artist who’s finally going after her dreams after years of uncertainty. She makes candles, stickers, and art prints, having launched her shop Flickering Dreams almost a year ago, exactly six months after starting HRT. She also runs a vlog series called Becoming Junia where she documents her journey since transitioning. It’s amazing to see how much more confident and self assured she’s grown. Now she and Nina are moving to Northpass to open a new chapter in their lives and I’m looking forward to seeing what lies ahead for them.

Nina’s story is one full of twists and turns, almost like it’s straight out of a romcom, except things weren’t as straightforward. She used to work for the infamous and controversial Love: Hacked as a content creator/writer before getting fired. Her job was to basically string along and mess around with hapless men who have been using the dating app with no success and writing about her experiences. Even though it eventually led her to Junia, it’s not something she’s happy about. A lot of the stuff they made her do was uncomfortable but she didn’t have much of a choice.

So one of Nina’s targets turned out to be Junia, who catfished her with pictures of his former childhood friend. She obviously wasn’t very happy about being duped but she agreed to pretend to be Junia’s date while setting her up with the other guy. Nina wrote about her experience in the article and it really is a fascinating read unlike anything Love: Hacked ever published, which explains the polarizing reception to it.

And like in the movies, Nina and Junia began falling for each other. Unlike the other guys she “dated”, Nina actually felt like she was a part of the family. Her parents told her how she was a positive influence on Junia, who seemed stuck and dissatisfied. Junia’s grandmother quickly took Nina under her wing, which made her feel even worse, especially since she grew attached to her too. The more the charade went on, the harder it was for Nina to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s for show.

Meanwhile there was Junia’s brother, an infamous writer/producer who’s experiencing a downfall at the moment, who was considered the golden child. Nina described him as the kind of guy who always has to be in the center of attention and in a way, that made her defensive over Junia. In light of recent events, I’ve heard a lot of not so good things about him. Junia mentioned in her vlogs that she’s been seeing a therapist and one of the things they talked about was how he treated her over the years. He was the one who exposed Nina and since then it seems like he has a personal vendetta against her.

Ultimately, things ended up working out for the better for Nina. She felt guilty and thought it was best to cut her ties out of fear of causing more problems for Junia and her family. To let out her pent up frustration she wrote her infamous article where she pretty much declared her love for Junia, much to everyone’s surprise. She later said that after realizing how she really felt about Junia, she knew that she could not keep going on doing what she was doing without feeling terrible. After reading her article, Junia managed to catch her at the airport and reciprocated her feelings.

However, the story doesn’t end there, or at least they didn’t get together right away. There was a whole bunch of other stuff they both had to work out before making it official. Junia came forward to her parents about wanting to be an artist and was surprised that they were supportive. Once she got over that hurdle, she came out to her parents about wanting to live her life as Junia and though that took a bit of an adjustment for her parents, they supported her on that too. She also mentioned suffering from gender dysphoria ever since she was little and being with Nina helped her confront these issues head on.

Nina also went through some soul searching and reevaluation, especially when it came to her old colleagues. She knew that after meeting Junia she couldn’t go back to how things were. After getting chewed out by her boss, Nina knew that it won’t be long until she was out and by then she didn’t care. By then, ten years of working for them was taking a toll on her mental and physical health. She later joked about it, saying how she should consider acting since she, a bisexual autistic nonbinary homebody spent over a decade posing as a straight neurotypical woman who goes through dates like napkins.

In the end, while her job took a bad toll on her, she never expected it to literally almost kill her. In came the infamous HoloCon, a content creator convention set up by, you guessed it, Hologram Viral. Nina was forced to make an appearance to represent Love: Hacked despite her reservations as the event has a bad history for reasons like drama and poor planning. They decided to do a foam pit event thing, except they violated a lot of safety guidelines so people ended up falling on fucking concrete. Several people got injured, some were serious and debilitating, like Nina, and for a while the companies tried to cover it up. Nina suffered from nerve damage due to her injuries and that led to a couple surgeries, which then exacerbated the health issues she’d been struggling with but forced to suffer in silence because the company said it made them look bad.

Of course, no one was gonna let Hologram and the other companies pretend nothing happened since people getting injured and/or disabled is pretty fucking serious. Nina and the other victims got together for a lawsuit against Hologram and the others who wouldn’t give compensation. Just recently in the news the victims won so that’s a huge win for them. Hologram, of course, won’t suffer from too much consequences sadly, though Love: Hacked and a few others have taken a huge hit. While it could have been a lot better, at least Nina has finally cut her ties with Love: Hacked for good.

Thankfully, they received a lot of support, though there were some who were less than compassionate. Junia’s brother, for example, co-wrote an insensitive sketch regarding the incident, making fun of some of the victims - Nina being one of them. That, along with his transphobia towards Junia has put him on thin ice with his family. Junia mentioned feeling conflicted as on one hand she feels vindicated that “Mr. Golden Child” really isn’t all that, but at the same time it’s hard to believe that someone you grew up with is capable of being a very shitty person. It kinda reminds me of another situation where a friend’s sibling whose seemingly perfect sibling him turned out to be a wife and child beater which is yikes. I’d feel conflicted too.

As it turns out, this happens to be the first time Junia and her family spent the holidays without him. His brother’s wife decided to take their son up to visit her parents while he was off doing whatever. Junia describes her sister in law as a bit ditzy and superficial but a decent person overall, and because she can be gullible, she sometimes worries about her - Nina says the same. Apparently, in light of recent events, she’s really considering divorce and getting sole custody, which her in laws agree on. Even though Nina and Junia find it a bit hard to get along with her, she has been supportive of both of them in her own way when they were going through tough times so they hope she’s doing okay.

Right now Junia and Nina are in the process of moving here. They have a place up there and hope to fully settle in by the end of the month. Since the fallout with Love: Hacked Nina moved back to her parents’s place and while she says it’s been good being with them, they have gotten a bit overprotective. She reassured them that she’ll take care of herself and keep up with her appointments and such, plus they like Junia so they’ve relaxed a bit. Her and Junia moving to a new place and living together is a big step, one they’ve been looking forward to for a long time.

As for the ranch, Joe’s taking it slow and focusing on one thing at a time. He’s interested in the winery as he feels that has the most potential. Even if the farm and bakery is no longer in business at least they have that. Junia also hopes to be able to set up a physical shop there, but that will depend on how the winery goes. In other words, the ranch’s future seems to hinge on the winery.

So far, it seems like things are promising and the others are pretty optimistic. Part of that has to do with aster blossom wine, which is apparently a rarity. Joe says the ranch has a lot of rare varieties of grapes, aster blossom being one of them. It has a sweet, almost honey like taste with a hint of earthiness and airiness. I can see why this wine is being sought after and why Joe has high hopes about the future.

After the colorful hustle and bustle of the Origami Festival it’s nice to kick back in the quiet of the woods. The crimson maple leaves are as vibrant and warm as ever, breaking through the winter chill. All of us hanging out here, with the open bottles of aster blossom wine and the light fragrance of Junia’s candles lighting up and bringing warmth to the room, the ranch has become livelier.

Read on AO3

#animal crossing #animal crossing pocket camp #Diary of a Junebug #headcanon ramble

[final-fantasy-fanatic]

MY personal taste in FINAL FANTASY games

1.FINAL FANTASY IX

Beautiful and Depressing. My favorite game of all time. ZIDANE is literally the only protagonist in FF history that actually changes people lives. The art syle of this game makes you think the whole story is going to be lighthearted when it really isn't. The music is As good as its art syle. It captures the aesthetics perfectly. Vivi character development is very well done (even if he has a short life span). My favorite part is Zidane depression. When the music starts playing and all his friends want to be there for him as he was for them, and when Steiner seeds you as a comrade/friend the feels start kicking in. The ending is bittersweet and Melodies of Life is a perfect song with beautiful lyrics. 10/10 😘👌

2. FINAL FANTASY VI

So many characters in this game. Kefka being the best villain in the series and the music is god tier. The opera scene is literally the best thing in the series. Terra being a cute and Adorable waifu material character as well as Celes. And the fact that they lose when Kefka blows the world to ruins is something that amazes me, because the party members lose, but their is still hope. My only problem is Shadow killing himself and not saying anything to his Daughter. 9/10

3. FINAL FANTASY VII

Ok but, seriously why wouldn't I put this on my list. Obviously its overrated. I remember playing this game for the 1st time and it still gets me in tears. The music is ominous and tear jerking. Cloud and Tifa relationship is the best in the series. (Yeah im a CLOTI shipper) And i know that there is a love triangle in this game, (which i hate a lot). Aerith dying is something that hits you when you first play it but imagine it in the remake when she dies🥺. The characters are amazing (especially Vincent and Tifa ☺). The only think i dislike about the remake was those stupid ghost things. It felt like KH shit. But overall its an amazing game. 9/10

4. FINAL FANTASY X

🤧 This one broke me. Yuna and Tidus romance together was so beautiful. It ls hard not to cry in this game, especially since Yuna sweet adorable is a sacrifice for a monster that comes around every 10 years to Spira. Riku being best character in the game. Her personality is basically Yuffie but a little bit shyer. The music is different than i expected. Its not a serious ost like others its a calm atmospheric ost. Captures the "By the Sea" vibes since its basically what the game is actually being. My only problem is its a linear game. 8/10

5. FINAL FANTASY V

I REALLY like this game.😗 Its underrated gem, Lenna,Faris,Bartz,Krile,Galuf, even EXDEATH was interesting. The job system is very fun to use. Favorite moment is when Galuf is fighting EXDEATH on his own, the music playing while fighting him 😩❤, and when he dies, my god it hits me harder than Aerith dying. There not much dialogue in this game but its overall its a mix of FFIX and FFVII in a way of funny and Heartbreaking. 8/10

6. FINAL FANTASY VIII

Squall is too RELATABLE even as an adult he still the most relatable FF character. His Inner monologue is hilarious and depressing. And for a game with angsty teen romance, its beautiful well done. I actually do like the DRAW system in this game, people complaining about that annoys me to no end. The opening is still great the graphics as well. Eyes on me is another song done well by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu. I just wish they focused more on the side characters as well because Selphie was adorable ASF in this game. 8/10

7. FINAL FANTASY XII

I think the only reason why i played this was because of Balthier and Fran. 🥰(AKA Balthier is the real protagonist). This game was kinda Star Wars which i kinda don't mind. The story was pretty good, I was always into the whole social class and poverty thing. (I don't remember much about this game i gotta reply it). If one thing i have to say is the battle system is very mmorpg. Which is something I'm not really into. Balthier and Fran are like the hottest couple in FF along side Cloud and Tifa. Vaan and Penelo kinda suck tbh i find them just a plot device. I would rather have Larsa as a whole party member.As for Ashe and Basch, there roles in the story was amazing. 7/10

8. FINAL FANTASY XIII

Lightning is hot😍. This game has problems but after playing it in Japanese i think it's 100 times better. VANILLE sounds 10× better in Japanese, in the US version she sounds like she's having an orgasm every time she speaks. The music at the end sounds nicer than the MY HANDS shit that plays at the end. The battle system is alright but its too linear more than FFX. Lightning character development is my favorite in the series. The second game and the third game sucked. I mean i like Noel is a good character better than Snow and Caius is my favorite villain in the series or in any game. He just wanted to protect Yuel.😢 The graphics are amazing specially for a game that came out in 2009 or so. 6/10

9. FINAL FANTASY IV

My First Final Fantasy game. It still wholes up as one of the greatest ones. Cecil being the first protagonist to have a tragic story. Kain being a good friend to Cecil even if he is jealous of him for having Rosa. Btw this love triangle is better than FFVII love triangle. I still think Kain should've gotten Rosa instead. The DS version is the best but hardest one out of which ever you play it on. Rydia being my favorite character in the game and her romance with Edge, even if i didnt play the trilogy story. 8/10

10. FINAL FANTASY XV

I didn't really like this game tbh. Nomura should've added at least one girl in the party. (I don't think Aranea counts). The entire road trip game is ok and all but it didn't fit the whole FINAL FANTASY feel. At least Noctis wasn't the entire being a dick thing. He was just a spoiled brat until he lost his father thats when he he changes. The romance in this game sucked ass so much. I didn't care if Luna died. Nomura can't really tell stories honestly. 5/10 🙄

#final fantasy #final fantasy x #final fantasy vi #final fantasy vii #final fantasy series #ff8 #ff9

[alexsfictionaddiction]

Review: The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair by Natasha Hastings and Alex T. Smith

I am delighted to be a part of The WriteReads blog tour for this heartbreaking, magical winter adventure that I know will capture so many of your hearts.

In 1683, the Great Frost swept through the streets of London, freezing the River Thames solid. Thomasina’s family have been selling sweets for generations while her friend Anne works at a new apothecary in town. Rumours of a magical Frost Fair appearing at night sweep through the city and strange, grey-skinned people seem to be showing up. Thomasina and her family are still mourning the death of Thomasina’s twin brother Arthur four years before and Thomasina would do anything to bring him back. Could the new wave of magic and wishes that the Great Frost has brought be the key to restoring happiness to the Burgess family or is serious danger afoot?

Thomasina still hears Arthur’s voice and talks to him all the time. She feels a huge amount of guilt about his death and it was heartbreaking to watch her really take the blame for it. However, Arthur’s presence is always there and it’s clear that he never really left her or her family’s home and hearts.

There are some delicious descriptions of sweets and food in the book that really bring the world to life. I loved entering the sweet shop and the apothecary as my nose was filled with the most wonderful scents. Even the cheese pie that Thomasina makes later on in the book seemed so delicious and made me incredibly hungry. This is certainly writing that touches all five of your senses!

I loved some of the physical descriptions that Thomasina gave, particularly of the shady Dr Silsworth. The fact that he resembles a ‘mouldy apple’ felt so authentic to how a child would describe an unsavoury character’s appearance and I couldn’t help but laugh because I somehow knew exactly what he looked like. It’s a little bit Roald Dahl-esque to describe someone as a mouldy fruit and I really enjoy that brand of dark, child-like humour.

There is some discussion of 17th century treatment of women who didn’t conform to societal norms. They were either considered mad or witches and sadly, Thomasina’s mother falls victim to vicious rumours like this, when she’s actually just overcome with grief for her son. The way that these women were taken from their homes and families, locked away in places like Bedlam and allowed to be spectacles for curious members of the public is such a horrendous thing from our past but it’s an important chapter that everyone should remember and learn from. So, I really appreciated seeing it visited in a historical fantasy story for children.

I can’t deny that there is a huge amount of deep sadness in this book. However, Thomasina is an incredibly kind soul who accepts people as they are and she is determined to rid other people of their judgements too. I loved the overriding theme of love and understanding that rang throughout the book within Thomasina’s character and that these things came out on top at the end.

I really loved all the Scottish folklore references that cropped up. Thomasina’s mother grew up in Scotland and loved to tell her daughter stories from her culture. Celtic mythology isn’t explored in children’s fiction very often but it is one of beautiful, winter imagery and ethereal, mystical magic. It fits the whole atmosphere of this book perfectly and I think I’d loved to see more of it. Hopefully in future instalments, I will!

The Frost Beasts are truly mesmerising and I really enjoyed watching them run and leap around the Other Frost Fair. There are some stunning visuals in this book that thoroughly transport you into the beautiful but dangerous world of Father Winter. Icy worlds are often both incredibly alluring yet deeply unsettling and the world-building definitely achieved that.

The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair is a thrilling, heart-rending, magical ride that is tinged with tragedy and threat. There are some really lovely characters and themes of friendship, courage and kindness are all championed. It’s a fantastic winter adventure for younger readers but everyone can appreciate the heartwarming yet bittersweet taste it leaves on turning the final page.

The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair by Natasha Hastings and illustrated by Alex T. Smith will be published by HarperCollins Children’s Books on 27th October 2022.

#the miraculous sweetmakers #natasha hastings #alex t smith #middle-grade #historical fiction #fantasy #blog tour #book review #review #books #bookworm

[declanowo]

31 Days of Horror - Day 19 - The Fog

19/10/23

As a child, I would be driven every Monday and Friday to my grandparents house, where we would either leave for my school a few hours later, or we would stay there for the whole day. On this drive, we would have to traverse across a hill. During the winter, I faintly remember crawling upwards, moving slowly in the flow of the traffic, and ascending into the harsh fog. As a child, fog can transport you to another world, it creates a hysterical sense about you, one that is fuelled by the fear of what is trapped inside the fog. 

The Fog captures the perfect atmosphere for this type of weather. I would consider this perfect both for autumn and winter; My boyfriend and I watched this film in the dark, my window open as the autumn breeze crept in and the streetlights softly lit the room, which aided this atmospheric movie immensely. 

Directed by John Carpenter, The Fog is set in a small coastal town, where one-hundred years after the town's creation, a thick fog rolls across the shores, shrouding the tiny town. Soon after, murders ensue. 

Before moving onto this film, which I loved, I did want to mention how much this reminds me of the Scooby-Doo Where Are You? episode, Go Away Ghost Ship. While I had originally thought that maybe the film inspired the film, this particular episode aired over a decade beforehand. If anything, it has left me wanting a definitive list of what films have influenced Scooby-Doo films and episodes, although I couldn’t find one anywhere. But the more I think about it, the third act is kind of reminiscent of Scooby-Doo!

Although I have already discussed the atmosphere a whole heap, I really can’t under state how much I adore it! Likely, it is my favourite element of this film, because ever since I have been thinking about this power blue nightmare, the colours are so very pretty, as is to be expected with Carpenters films, but more than that, the imagery itself of the figures staggering through the town, the small towns design itself as well as the ocean are all perfect. So many of the scariest sequences are only this way as a result of the atmosphere it can create - the sequence in the house as the old lady is killed, the opening boat kills, the creatures trudging through the fog towards the end. Perfect. 

Onto the villains themselves, i think they are a good amount of scary! We find out just enough about them, we understand their goals and intentions, but their powers are left a mystery, which keeps us fearful as we ponder what they may be able to do! Their designs blend super well with the fog, as most of the time we only see their peacock silhouettes, but when we are given a peek at their gnarly forms, it is amazing, great makeup here! Also their eyes! They are so piercing, deeply haunting as they stare out into us.

Maybe my biggest problem with this film is the characters! While I think everyone is acted well, I only really love one of our main characters, being Adrienne Barbeau’s Stevie Wayne, a local Radio Host. It is so easy to latch onto her, as we watch her state fall from relaxed to panicked - we get to see her cool personality untangle suddenly as her child is placed in danger of the fog. And sure, I didn't mind Elizabeth or Nick, and at times, I enjoyed them! Yet they never managed to entirely win me over. 

I am pretty torn on whether or not I love the pacing of carpenters films - this and Christine for sure, and I would say The Thing too. They build up a world first, making you care for these characters as you begin to understand the reality of this threat, before suddenly unleashing the threat in its entirety. I think I pretty much love it, although there are times it doesn’t work for me! I think his style of world building is great, and it pairs perfectly with all these stories! Especially, i enjoy this when we are spending time with the most interesting characters in the film. 

Once again, the score for this film is amazing. I find it is to be expected when Carpenter scores them himself, but this is another gorgeous score that perfectly compliments the way the film feels and looks. I remember when I started sixth form, I had to write about my favourite film scores, and wrote profusely about how great the Halloween score was, and I very much stand by that, of course, although maybe it isn’t my favourite. Regardless, I also distinctly remember my teacher calling out my repeated use of horror films in my homework, with her rolling her eyes at the mention of slasher movies. 

Although I wouldn’t consider The Fog to be my favourite of Carpenters films, that isn’t to say I don’t love it deeply. I know for sure I will be watching this one again in the future, and I also know I will end up watching the 2005 remake eventually too, which I am both nervous and excited for as a result of the scathing reviews I have heard. In any case, this film is exceptionally good, and I can’t help but want to live in this little nightmare a little bit. That is the power beauty has I guess. 

8/10

#halloween #horror #horror movies #creative writing #literature #reviews #review #horror film #horror movie #The Fog #john carpenter

[69fever]

hey guys! i finally got a chance to listen to Rob Grant's first album☺️ i decided to rate it whilst i listened to it, so here's my ratings!

_

🎵

-

Lost at Sea by Rob Grant

• Moon Rises Over The Ocean - Perfect

10/10, So calming, beautiful intro to the album, needed to be longer.

• Setting Sail On A Distant Horizon - Perfect

9/10, The piano is so gorgeous, such a magical and soulful feeling, sounds similar to the album title track and the next track 'Lost at Sea", this is me predicting that it will transition into it, (knocked a point off because it did not transition🙁).

• Lost At Sea - Perfect

🥈10/10, This is an obvious one, Lana's voice is so beautiful, she fits this genre so incredibly and i think it's so sweet that her and her dad are making music together. The violins are incredible.

• The Texture Of Dreams - Great

7/10, The build is lovely, all this music is so soothing, this song just didn't stand out to me as much as the previous ones but does that mean it is bad? Absolutely not.

• The Poetry Of Wind And Waves - Perfect

🥇10/10, I love the intro, this song truly radiates poetry and the atmosphere of a love poem, I feel like this song emits the feeling of realising that you love someone, omg it's so perfect. 1:15 is a delight for my ears. The waves in the outro?!?! Amazing.

• A Beautiful Delirium - Great

8/10, Ooo this song is a bit louder and more powerful sounding, I like. And then being beautiful contrasted by a soft piano?!?! I'm astounded.

• Deep Ocean Swells - Amazing

10/10, It's very clear that this album is telling a story. I love the sea theme, and the concept of being "lost at sea" opens so many doors for so much creativity and freedom. This song really captures the title well, the chime heard close to the ending reminds me of a navigation system in a submarine, I think that's a very cool detail!

• My Deep Blue Dream - Amazing

8/10, Felt a bit short and didn't build up much momentum, still a beautiful song nonetheless and I think the placement was smart, it's like a nice, calm song, separating one half of the album to the other.

• Reflections Of Light On Water - Perfect

🥉10/10, Feels like I'm on a little row boat, cruising down a peaceful river with my lover, watching the sunset on a warm, Summer's night. Love.

• In The Dying Light Of Day: Requiem For Mother Earth - Amazing

9/10, Instantly loved the beginning, love the song name, actually I love all the names to all these songs. They reflect the song itself and embodies the title. The talent to do such is amazing.

• A Delicate Mist Surrounds Me - Great

7/10, Very short one, the piano is gorgeous as expected, would be a lovely song to fall asleep to.

• The Mermaids Lullaby - Perfect

9/10 I love the intro, very ominous which I think perfectly reflects a mermaid. The whole song gives a very ominous feeling, it's almost unnerving, it's like being on a old and grand, wooden ship, in the middle of the sea and staring off into the foggy distance to see rocks and faint figures that you can't quite make out. Those figures being mermaids. It's very mysterious and magical.

• Song Of The Eternal Sea - Perfect

10/10, The violins are so beautiful in this. The piano transfers a calming atmosphere, representing that the sea can be just that. But then the violins resemble this state of panic and a omnipotent strength, reminding us that, as beautiful as the sea is, it is also hauntingly dangerous. Relating back to the song title. I love how music can take you to these places and make you think of these things, Rob Grant has perfectly nailed creating an atmosphere.

• Hollywood Bowl - Perfect

10/10, I am a sucker for Lana's voice. Anything that she is in, I love. This is the only song that doesn't have a something sea related in the title but, as it's the final track on the album, I think that's really nice because it's like we've reached a destination. Whoever was lost at sea in this album has made it out! They've got to where they needed to be, better than before. They've survived. And in this case, they made it to the Hollywood Bowl!

-

->🥇My 1st favourite

->🥈My 2nd favourite

->🥉My 3rd favourite

oh and i am so incredibly excited for mitski's new album!!!

#rob grant #the grants #lana del rey #music #album #album review #lost at sea #elizabeth grant #classical music #classical literature #classic album #classical composer #classical piano #review #lana stan #lana is god #lana del slay #lana is our queen #pop #literature #song lyrics #song #music songs #classical song #songwriting #composing #mitski #new album

[tarydarrington]

"Alright, everyone," Veth says with authority, and everyone else quiets down. "Tomorrow is the big day."

Caleb sighs and ducks behind his drink. There is a speech coming. This is exactly the sort of ceremony he had hoped to avoid by having this get-together at his home rather than the bar Veth had suggested. It's only five of them, tonight; Beauregard and Yasha are always in town, and Veth had insisted on coming. And Essek, of course. He's not sure when the elf's presence at his side became an of course, but in a careful way, he likes it.

“As the person in this world who cares the most about Caleb--”

Essek silently quirks an eyebrow at that, and it doesn’t get past Veth.

“Alright, come on, just because you got him into bed and I didn’t doesn’t mean--”

Caleb clears his throat loudly, and Veth’s smile snaps back into place.

“As Caleb’s oldest, dearest, truest friend,” she says, and Essek manages to look dignified even while rolling his eyes, “it is my humble duty to tell you all how amazing he is on this momentous occasion.”

“You know, I am starting a new job, not getting married,” Caleb murmurs in her direction.

“And we’re all very proud of you!” Veth replies.

Caleb takes a long drink as the others chime in with agreement. Yasha shoots him a sympathetic look, and he returns a tight smile.

“Come on, man,” Beau says from where she leans against the table, “aren’t you excited, at all?”

He takes a long breath. Excited is a word for it. Ready to vomit at a moment’s notice is perhaps more accurate. The Soltryce Academy is tricky. He’s been back there a few times in recent weeks, for interviews and preparation, and each time, it’s felt like walking through a dream of a place the mind could not quite capture properly.

For whatever purpose, Trent has always wanted Caleb - Bren - to follow in his footsteps. Those footsteps feel a touch too literal in those hallways.

“Caleb?” Beau’s voice brings him out of his thoughts. “You still with us?”

He shakes his head. "Ja. Entschuldigung. There is a lot to think about."

Veth lowers her glass, frowning. "Nobody threatened you, did they? Because I'll have words with them."

"No, nothing like that." Not lately, anyway. He sets his own drink down on the table. "Just a bit worried, perhaps."

"Worried about what?" Beau asks flatly.

Caleb lets out a long breath, looking down at the floor. Where to begin? He’s worried that everything will go wrong. Worried that he’ll turn up with his clothes on backwards, or spill coffee down the front of his shirt, or trip over his words before the lesson even starts. Worried, most of all, about what comes after.

“I hope that I will not…” He searches for the right words. “I hope that I will be able to serve my students well enough,” he settles on. “The examples I have had were, ah….” Trent Ikithon is not one he wishes to emulate.

Essek frowns. “Carve your own path,” he says. “Someone as brilliant as you are needs no one to emulate.”

“Ja, well, that is fine for throwing together a spell or two, but I imagine the students will need a little more structure.” These are young minds. Any mistakes he makes will stick with them. He, of all people, knows just how much.

“Maybe you could ask them what they want from you,” Yasha pipes up. “You know, make sure you’re doing alright.”

Caleb lets out a long sigh. “Ja, maybe. That is a good idea.” Of course, it also requires that the students in question trust him enough to give him a straight answer.

They sit in relative silence for a moment, working away at their drinks. He hopes Veth doesn’t resent him for stepping on the atmosphere.

“Seriously, man, you’re gonna be great.” Beau knocks back the rest of her drink. “You’re already the best professor I’ve ever known.”

“I do not think the owl counts as a point of comparison,” Caleb deadpans. “Regardless, I will settle for not making a fool of myself for a first impression. That will be difficult enough.”

Beau shrugs, and reaches over to refill her glass. There’s a devious look in her eye that makes him nervous. "So why don't you practice?" she asks.

Caleb looks at her warily. "Practice?"

"Yeah, man." She gestures at the others. "Here's your class. Teach us something."

Before he can object, she’s already begun to pull an armchair toward the coffee table in the center of the room. Soon enough, three more seats have joined it, all on the same side. She throws her arms wide with a challenging grin.

“First day,” she says. “Don’t be late.” With that, she flops down onto the rightmost chair.

Transfixed in bemusement, Caleb watches as Yasha and Veth rush to occupy the next two seats in the makeshift classroom. The Expositor commands a room, it seems.

“Are you comfortable with this?” Essek murmurs as he brushes past as well. “I am willing to be the, ah... wet blanket, if need be.”

Caleb sighs, briefly twining their fingers together and squeezing once before letting him go. “Not comfortable, no, but it’s not a bad idea.”

Someone wolf whistles from the peanut gallery, and Caleb turns a fond glare on them all. All three of them are, of course, the picture of innocence. He shakes his head as Essek settles down primly in the last remaining chair. It’s not exactly the picture of an academic setting, with their glasses of half-finished booze still on the table in front of them and the lot of them draped over armchairs and ottomans.

“Alright,” says Beau, who has not even bothered to put her drink down. She makes a trilling sound that he thinks is probably meant to emulate a school bell. “Hit us.”

"We will be brutally honest," Veth promises. "Which means we will tell you honestly how perfect you are."

"Or if there's anything you could do better," Yasha adds.

Caleb stares back at them. It’s nothing he hasn’t gone over in his own head a hundred times. Even once or twice, to a captive audience of cats. It’s a short class. It will be over before he knows it.

The others look up at him expectantly. Watching him. Waiting. Caleb clears his throat.

"I, ah... feel a bit silly,” he admits.

Without a word, Essek waves a hand, and the familiar faces before him shift to those of strangers.

It’s almost embarrassing how much it helps. Caleb takes a deep breath and lets it out, running through the lesson plan in his head.

"Guten Morgen, class, I am, ah… Professor Widogast." It's the first time he's said that particular pair of words out loud.

"Whoo!" the student who is not Veth shouts.

"Yeah!" the student who is not Beau chimes in.

Caleb gives them a look and straightens his coat. "This is Introductory Transmutation, in room 142, so if you are all in the correct place--"

"Professor?" The student who is not Yasha raises her hand.

"Ah, ja, Miss…"

"Lionett."

Not-Beau slaps a hand over her own mouth and mutters, “Holy shit,” into it.

“Was that too much?” not-Yasha whispers.

“Babe, it was so hot,” not-Beau hisses back.

Caleb clears his throat. "Miss Lionett, do you have a question?"

Not-Yasha seems to suddenly remember her role, and she folds her hands in her lap. "No," she says, "I have to use the bathroom."

Caleb pinches the bridge of his nose as not-Beau bites back a giggle. “Ja, okay, go.”

“Don’t let her go!” not-Veth interjects. “She knew it was almost time for class; she should have gone earlier.”

“Dude, if she has to pee then she has to pee,” not-Beau protests.

Pointedly, not-Essek raises his hand.

Caleb lets himself sigh with relief. “Ja, Master…?”

“Gross, Professor, we don’t need to know about your weird sex dynamics,” not-Beau says.

Not-Essek’s face blooms red, and Caleb presses a hand to his face to hide the same. “You know very well, Beauregard, that it is an honorific.”

Not-Beau shrugs, looking very pleased with herself as she takes another sip of her drink. Not-Essek glares very polite daggers at her before clearing his throat.

“Thelyss,” he answers.

Beau cups both hands around her mouth and boos.

“No, it’s better that he’s honest,” Veth says. “We already know he’s a terrible actor.”

“Herr Thelyss,” Caleb says, raising his voice above the heckling. “Do you have a question?”

Essek leans forward, resting his elbows on the table in a gesture that’s much too endearing. “I wondered what you will be teaching us today, Professor Widogast.”

Caleb tries not to dwell on the way the title hits differently on Essek’s voice, instead straightening up and waving one hand behind him. An illusory chalkboard appears in the air behind him to polite applause from Veth and Yasha. Back on track.

“Well, this is your first day,” he says. “So I know that - Beauregard, please remove your feet from the table - I know that most of your other teachers will be spending time going over the material that you will be covering this semester, but, ah…” What is he meant to be doing with his hands? They feel limp if they’re at his sides, but too formal behind his back and too awkward in front of him. Perhaps he should have a lectern? Somewhere to rest them, or shuffle with papers?

His gaze drifts back to his “students,” who all blink back at him expectantly. Essek inclines his head as though to prompt him on. He clasps his hands in front of his chest, hoping it will do for now.

“Right,” he continues. “Ja, so I thought we would take a look at something more practical to start. We will leave the reading for tomorrow; you have enough of that today.”

He waves his hands again, and behind him, a set of runes and diagrams appears on the chalkboard. Above it is written the word Prestidigitation.

“So, ah, partner up,” he orders. “Introduce yourselves. If there is someone on their own, a group of three is perfectly acceptable.”

“I call Miss Lionett,” Beau shouts, grabbing Yasha’s hand.

“Can I go to the bathroom, first?” Yasha asks.

Caleb gives her an incredulous look.

“I really do need to go,” she says.

He gestures towards the hallway, and she shuffles off. In the meantime, Veth and Essek scoot their chairs closer together. Caleb’s gaze lingers questioningly on Beau, who shakes her head.

“She’s not learning anything tonight, man. Go ahead.”

“Ja, okay,” he says distantly.

It feels silly, explaining the spell to this motley crew. Beau has leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, eyes glassy, clearly not paying an ounce of attention. Essek has produced a piece of paper upon which Veth occasionally scribbles, though the way he periodically nods approval at Caleb’s points betrays his own prior knowledge of the subject. After a few minutes, Yasha returns and attempts to take down notes of her own.

“Is everyone following along?” he asks after a while, knowing it’s a futile question.

“Yep,” Beau lies.

“Hmm.” Yasha hums.

“Perfectly,” Essek says.

“You’re doing amazing, sweetie,” Veth confirms with a wink.

He continues, running them through the various applications one by one. Beau gives him an occasional “uh huh” that he believes not one bit. At one point, he catches Essek take a passing glance at Veth’s paper, widen his eyes, and lean forward to murmur something to her. He isn’t sure he wants to know what that’s about.

“Let’s keep focused, please, everyone,” he reminds them.

Essek waves a hand to signal him to continue. Nothing too scandalous, then. He goes through the final few points, then comes to stop in front of the chalkboard, hands awkwardly clasped again.

“Okay, that is it,” he says. “You have as much time as you require to finish the spell, and when you are finished, I would like one person from each group to demonstrate.”

He gives the others a questioning look. It’s one of the points he’s most worried about. A way to take pressure off some of the slower students could just as easily be a way to unintentionally foster competition and resentment. But none of them objects, so he gives them another nod.

“I suppose we should skip the demonstration portion,” he mumbles.

“I can do it,” Yasha chirps. Without warning, she swings the massive greatsword from her back and sinks the tip into the table, making the others jump. “I made a small mark.”

Caleb covers his eyes with one hand. “Ja, will it go away in one hour?”

Yasha silently places her drink down over the indentation. Caleb sighs. It isn’t as though he has very many guests, anyway.

“I can probably swing producing an odor, for you,” Beau offers. “But I figure you probably don’t want that.”

He ignores her, and instead gives Essek a tight smile.

“Well, would my second group care to demonstrate?”

Beau jerks a thumb in Essek’s direction and fake-coughs to Yasha, “Teacher’s pet.”

Essek ignores her and sits back, fingers working in those little patterns he draws when something has piqued his curiosity. “I believe so,” he says, and nods to Veth.

Caleb raises his eyebrows as all eyes turn to Veth. Though Essek had the courtesy to leave her a halfling, her features and coloring are entirely different - but that wide smile as she stands and rubs both hands together would give her away, no matter the face it was set in. And as Beau swears under her breath, Yasha and Caleb look on wide-eyed, and Essek watches with a smirk, she pulls her hands apart to let loose a shower of sparks.

“You… learned the spell,” Caleb says numbly. He hadn’t imagined any of them were actually paying attention.

“It was an excellent lesson!” Veth replies.

As she takes her seat again, Beau and Yasha give her a smattering of stunned applause. Essek clears his throat pointedly.

“And I guess, maybe, Essek gave me one pointer,” Veth amends with an eye-roll.

“Hey, so your partner system worked,” Yasha points out.

It had. The lesson had worked, the procedure had worked - his teaching had worked. There’s still a little voice in his head reminding him that Veth is brilliant, and an adult, and perfectly capable of learning things like this without even so much as his help - but he can’t deny that it’s his guidance that taught her this particular spell. ‘An excellent lesson,’ Veth had said. In this moment, he’s inclined to believe it might be half true. Caleb realizes very suddenly that he’s beaming.

With a snap of his fingers, Essek dispels the disguises. The soft smile on his face - his real face, and Caleb always misses it dearly when it’s hidden - says he hasn’t failed to notice Caleb’s relief.

“Danke, all of you,” he says sheepishly, waving a hand to vanish the chalkboard.

“Thank you!” Veth says. “For the shiny new spell and for the masterclass in professoring.”

“You were really good,” Yasha agrees. “I’m, uh... I’m sorry about the table.”

He dips his head to hide the way his face is flushing. They exaggerate, the lot of them. But there is something to be said for having friends who will say such things. “Ja, well,” he says, “I am not convinced it will translate to an actual class, but I will hope.”

Beau takes another swig of her drink, wiping her mouth afterwards. “Dude, we were the worst and you still managed to teach somebody something,” she says. “Those kids have nothing on us. You got this.”

He offers her a smile, retrieving his glass from the table as Yasha, Veth, and Essek do the same. He hopes it’s true. He hopes that, separate entirely from his ability to teach them the how of magic, he will be able to keep them safe. That he will be able to keep from passing on any damage he received in his own time in those halls.

He catches Essek’s eye, and the knowing look there puts some of the anxious buzzing to rest. He will be better. He will struggle, most likely. He will stumble, inevitably. But he will give better than he got. He’s been practicing that part for years.

“To Professor Widogast!” Veth shouts, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“Professor Widogast,” the others echo, and Caleb smiles.

“To my very good friends,” he replies.

“To the hottest professor the Soltryce Academy has ever seen,” Veth shouts in response, and Caleb nearly chokes on his drink when Essek casually clinks his glass against hers with a nod.

They drink together. Caleb thinks, just a little bit, he might be excited.

-

thanks @peregrintook for reading this over and telling me it wasn't the worst thing i had ever written (in much more generous words than that), and @saturdaysky for catching me red-handed last time i deleted it and being so kind about it 💜

#okay here's the strategy. i posted a ficlet i'm happy with last week and i finished another one i'm happy with yesterday #so if i sandwich this in between the two surely i will not believe i am entirely worthless as a writer because of it #...probably #queueing it to post when i'm not home to physically wrench my hand away from the delete post button #shadowgast #background beauyasha #caleb widogast #mine #mine:fic #caleb #essek #veth #beau #yasha

[qyllenhaal]

Muse

Pairing: Artist!Steve x Reader

Summary: Steve’s an artist, and you’re secretly his muse. 3rd POV. WC: 3.5k

Warnings: smut (18+ only, MDNI), oral (f receiving), unprotected sex. Fluff. Friends to lover.

Steve knew it was a risk to quit his job and focus full-time on being an artist. His boss laughed in his face when he turned in his letter of resignation and asked Steve how much he thought his "little paintings" were going to make him. Steve didn't just face this scrutiny from his boss, but his friends too albeit not as harsh. Many of the people in his life didn't understand his passion for something that might leave him struggling, but Y/n was always there encouraging him.

"You may struggle for a little bit, but I think it's great Steve! Only one day into your new life as an artist and you already seem happier!"

Steve has known Y/n for almost a decade. They met under odd circumstances that some would consider a meet cute. She's still so sweet and bubbly just like she was the day he met her. It wasn't hard for him to fall head-over-heels for her. She always has a kind word and an open ear even during times of distress.

Sometimes he blushes when she gives him a compliment. She claims to not know anything about art, but every time he shows her something new she always has something stark to say that sticks with him. Maybe it's because it's coming from her.

His time spent alone in his studio is sacred. He converted a room in his apartment into a makeshift studio and he finds so much solace in those four walls. He has wanted to dabble in painting live subjects, maybe even a nude model or too, but he found himself getting real shy about it. He'd love to have someone to pose and to capture the way the light perfectly hits their face. That someone he imagined was often Y/n.

He was shocked when she allowed him to make her his subject. It started with him asking to paint a few photos of her she had lying around for "practice." Y/n was more than happy to help her friend Steve, only under the condition that he show her the final product. Steve found no problem in showing off the pastoral setting paintings he created, but it was much more harder to show off paintings of the person he thinks is the most beautiful person in the world.

Just like he couldn't muster up the confidence to ask anyone else to be his model, Steve could never ask Y/n to model for him in person. He found himself becoming too shy whenever the question was on the tip of his tongue. It would be much better if he were here in person with him, but he opted for photos of her clipped to his easel for reference. He'd finish a painting in one day and send her a photo via text of the finished product.

“I really look like that? It's amazing Steve!”

But eventually he ran out of photos. He tried to reuse some old ways and paint in a different style, or play with the colors, but it was beginning to become stale. Steve needed something new, but he didn't want to let go of Y/n as his subject.

"So you need new pictures?"

"Yeah — it's fine if you don't have any more," he tries to play it off as if he doesn't have 10 canvases in his studio of paintings of her that he hasn't shown her.

"We could take some more. Do you still have that digital camera you got a few Christmas' ago?"

"No. I think it got lost when I moved."

"Oh. Well I think Sam has a camera we can borrow. It's one of those fancy ones, right?"

Steve agreed to ask Sam to borrow his camera, but he honestly wishes that he had just bought his own. The amount of teasing he had to endure when he explained to Sam exactly why he needed the camera made his skin heat up. He couldn't stop his cheeks from becoming rosy when Sam asked when is he finally going to tell Y/n how he feels about her. Steve doesn't want to ruin what they have just in case Y/n rejects him. He'd much rather wallow in his school boy crush than put a strain on their friendship.

"How do you want me to pose?"

Y/n sat on the lone couch in Steve's studio room. It wasn't the best quality but it was still useful.

The curtains were drawn to shield the sun that was nearly set. The lighting in the room was dim save for the soft light coming from a small lamp pointed at her. It casted a warm, yellowish light onto her skin. She wore a white dress and kicked her shoes off at the front door.

"Whatever comes natural to you," his voice is weak as he responds. The atmosphere of the room is slightly romantic and he can't shake his nerves. Everything feels extremely intimate.

Y/n is almost as nervous as Steve. She's never modeled for someone and it feels a little bit awkward. She's always comfortable around Steve, but she can't help but get a little nervous when she sees Steve with the camera in his hands.

"You look perfect like that," he compliments the half-asses pose she's doing before snapping the first photo. He looks at the preview before the camera's screen could go dark.

"Let me see." He shows her and she just nods her head, "let me adjust myself," she whispers.

Y/n unbuttons the first two buttons of her dress, exposing more of her chest that only gives a glimpse of her breast. Steve pretended to not notice it as he took another picture of her. Once again Y/n asked to see the photo and looked a little more satisfied with it this time.

"Do you think that I could — nevermind."

"What is it Y/n?" He asks with a soft laugh that makes her want to melt.

"Do you think I could unbutton my dress all the way?" Her voice faltered as she asked. She watched Steve's reaction intently. She hopes the question doesn't make him uncomfortable. "It's just that I was looking up some ideas online so I could prepare and I saw this really pretty picture of this model and she was semi-nude but it was really pretty so I wanted to ask if we could try it," she explained; or perhaps over-explained.

Steve was completely dumbfounded. If Y/n couldn't see it in his dropped jaw, then she can see it in the way he just freezes.

"It's okay if that's too much."

"No! No, it's okay."

Y/n gave him a half smile before she began to unbutton the front of her dress. Steve tried to look away, but how could he not? The more she revealed herself, the easier it was for him to see the swell of her breast. Her skin looks so soft and he feels compelled to reach out and caress her bare skin. But he keeps his hands to himself.

"Is this too much?" The puffy sleeves of her dress were off of her shoulder and her dress was all the way open until the middle of her stomach. It's a lot for him to handle, but he feels blessed to see such a sight.

"No. It's perfect. You're perfect."

Y/n's skin heats up despite the room being cold. She was starting to get a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't a bad one or an uncomfortable feeling, but it was something she wasn't used to.

Now she's half-naked and posing on his couch. The first few photos he took of her like this were awkward as they both had to adjust to Y/n being half-naked.

Steve couldn't ignore the way the cold air made her nipples hard and breast tender. Steve was supposed to be on his best behavior, but he is seconds away from making a stupid mistake with his best friend.

Y/n arches her back which makes her breast jut out at him. Steve pauses to pray that he doesn't get a hard on. He feels a bit like a scumbag for even having this dilemma. It's just his best friend's half-naked body — that looks so soft and tender.

He forced himself to steel his resolve and hurry up and finish the task at hand. He began to treat her more like a model instead of the best friend he has a crush on.

"Try this," he suggests to her to move her body in a different way, which she does, but it's not quite what he wants. He was hesitant to get his hands on her, but he went for it anyway, "a little more like this."

In the process of moving her body, his hand brushed against her nipple. Y/n involuntarily let out a moan which made both of them pause. They looked at each other before Y/n let out a nervous laugh to try to play it off.

"Sorry," Steve apologizes.

"It's okay."

He glosses over what just happened and goes back to moving her body to her liking. He can't get over how good she feels underneath him. The truth is that he was taking his time to be able to have this experience for much longer. He may never have this kind of closeness with her again and he just can't quite let go.

Y/n watches his face as his hands touch her body. He looks so handsome under this lighting and Y/n wonders if she's always felt this way about Steve. For some reason she feels lust swirling inside of her. She hopes she isn't making a mistake when she leans forward and kisses him. Steve freezes under her kiss, stunned by reality, but he lets it happen. Her lips feel so soft against his, just like he always imagined.

She pulls away and places her forehead against his. Steve still has his eyes closed, lost in the dream that is Y/n's closeness.

"You can open your eyes now," she teases him. He obeys her and laughs along with her.

"I've wanted this for so long," he admits.

The revelation is shocking to her. She had no idea he felt this way about her, but now she wonders how much she's been oblivious to.

"Do you want this, Y/n? The last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable."

"No, no — I want this Steve. I wanna feel you touching me," her voice became somewhat whiny as desire fueled her.

With her blessing, Steve did not hold back. He kissed her hard, the way he imagined he would always kiss her. Imagine the way his heart nearly stopped when Y/n kissed him back with the same amount of fervor and want. Her hand came up and rested against the stubble on his cheek. They wish they could say their kiss was delicate, but it was not; it was sloppy and their tongues danced with each other.

When Steve pulls away, he's out of breath, but he's happy. The light touches he gave to her body earlier were not a bit rougher. He wants to explore every inch of her body in seconds, but he wants to be patient; he has all night to discover every inch of her.

"Touch me right here, Steve."

Y/n places his hands on her breast with his thumbs in reach of her nipples. Steve's thumb runs across her taut nipples which makes her sigh. "You like that?" He asks with a bit more confidence. She nods her head and her approval emboldens him. “Good.”

His lips ghost across the skin on her neck before he places a wet kiss against the skin on her throat. He can feel her breath hitch every time he places a tender kiss on her flesh. She smells like lavender and it makes him feel dizzy. He keeps playing with her nipples as he begins to suck on her neck. Y/n wants to just lay there and take in the feeling of him spoiling her, but she also wants to hear him moan. She strokes the bulge in his pants with her knee and she feels him groan against her skin. He lightly grinds himself against her knee to relieve all of the tension that built up inside of him. Neither of them are sure who wants who more, but it doesn’t matter to either of them. Knowing that this is an equal exchange of love and lust is enough for the two of them.

“Oh god Steve,” Y/n coos when he sucks on the most sensitive part of her neck. They’ve only just begun, but he makes her feel so good. A part of her is wishing that she had discovered Steve’s crush on her a long time ago, but she has him now and that’s all that matters.

“I wanna make you feel good,” he says against her skin, “I wanna make you cum.”

Y/n can’t help but moan at his confession. She can already imagine how it would feel to have him between her legs.

“Please Steve!”

Steve sits up just to push her dress up. The cotton panties she wears has a pink bow sewn onto it and he finds it adorable. He glances back up at her and he notices that she’s looking away from him. She’s now feeling bashful knowing that he’s going to see her completely naked even though she wants all of this and more. “It’s okay, pretty girl,” Steve pacifies her by slowly stroking her outer thigh. She finally looks at him, her pupils wide with lust. She almost sighs in content when he starts to slide her panties down. The cool air of the rooms only heats her up once it hits her hot sex.

“My god,” Steve whispers to himself. She looks so pretty, but she’s absolutely messy between her legs. She places her foot on the back of his couch to spread herself wider for him. “Good girl.”

Steve lowers himself between her legs and just stares at her for a moment. He wants to remember this for the rest of his life just in case this is the last time something like this happens between the two of them. He would be crushed if Y/n asked to just continue on as friend’s after this, but he would be eternally grateful that she granted him this opportunity. All he wants to do is make her feel good; his pleasure will follow suit, but it’s all about her.

One of his fingers runs along the edge of her folds. Y/n whimpers at the delicate way he treats her body. She feels so lucky to have someone so kind and sweet like Steve. He touches her with care, and love is in every stroke. “You’re so perfect,” he says before kissing her inner thigh. Every part of her body is sensitive but somehow she is able to withstand it all.

The first lick to her pussy overblows both of their senses. She’s sweet like honey and juicy like a peach. Steve’s first instinct is to groan against her pussy which sends vibration throughout her entire body. She feels like she’s on fire as all of the blood in her body goes straight to her sensitive nub. His tongue focuses on her clit and she’s in heaven. Steve’s tongue moves with so much skill and precision, but most importantly, passion. Steve treats her like he truly wants her, and Y/n can’t help but fall for him at this moment.

“You taste so good,” he coos against her slick.

The way he paws at her body while licking her pussy makes her feel like she’s being worshiped. Tears well in her eyes the harder he sucks at her clit. She hopes his neighbors’ aren’t home because they’d probably be annoyed at the loud sounds of her cries of pleasure. He has her on the edge and it just takes him rolling her nipples with his fingers that finally push her over.

“Don’t stop, don’t stop!”

Her cries are so angelic to him. And as much as he wants to keep licking her out, Steve needs to be inside of her so bad. He tames himself and pulls his mouth away from her to pull himself out of his pants. His incredibly hard, the head of his cock an angry red as it leaks pre-cum. “This is what you do to me,” his words are haunting. Y/n whines and wiggles her hips from being so impatient.

Steve lowers himself and presses the head of her cock at her opening. She’s so slippery that he pushes into her with ease. His cock is so big that she inhales sharply as she takes all of him inside of her. Her walls are like silk around him.

“So tight baby — oh god.”

Steve feels like he’s going to explode already. Her pussy is squeezing him and she looks up at him with wide eyes as she takes his cock like a good girl. It is the hardest task he’s ever faced in his life to not cum already. She just feels so good.

“Are you okay?” He asks sweetly before dipping his head to kiss her forehead.

She nods her head, “yes, Steve…feels so good,” she manages to speak coherently.

Her legs were thrown over his legs which allows him to fuck deeper into her. She looks so beautiful underneath him. Steve wants to feel her cum on his cock so bad. She flutters around him when he pulls out of her only to push back in seconds later.

Steve can only control himself for so long before he’s pounding into her. The cry of his name on her lips is so saccharine that it gives him a sweet tooth. He sucks on the skin of her neck to satisfy that need while Y/n places her hand on the back of his head as she moans for him.

“I’m gonna cum Steve! You’re going to make me cum!”

The ridges of his cock feels so good inside of her, but what really does it for her is how the head of his cock is kissing her cervix. The stretch of his cock is such a delicious burn that she wants him inside forever. With his face planted in her neck, lips kissing at her skin, Y/n is completely enamored with the way Steve consumes all of her. She is his just as much as he is her.

He feels her sex squeeze him one more time before she’s cumming all around him. She clings to him as her orgasm ravages through her. Steve fucks her through it before reluctantly pulling out of her. Her jerks himself off until he’s cumming all over her pretty tits, painting her body like she’s one of the world’s most precious masterpieces.

The two are completely spent as their limbs dangle off of his couch. Y/n’s heart is full feeling his cum cooling on her chest. She dips a finger in his spent and sucks it off, savoring his taste since she didn’t get a chance to go down on him. Steve almost passes out at the sight.

“You’re crushing my legs Steve,” she laughs warmly. He rolls off of her and off of the couch entirely.

Steve grabs a towel and starts t0 clean up her chest. He remembers what they were supposed to be accomplishing, but after what just happened between the two of them, Steve is certain he won’t be anxious about asking her to be his model again.

“So, where do we go from here?”

The question catches him off guard. He slowly wipes away his cum with the damp towel from her chest. As much as finding the answer to this question is hard, he is happy that she asked it because it means that she’s giving him a chance.

“I don’t want this to be the last time we do this,” Steve admits. He’s quickly become addicted to the way their foreheads pressed together; it just feels so intimate. “I love you too much for this to be the last time we ever spend like this together.”

As much as tonight has been shocking to her after the revelation of Steve proving to her that he loves her, she’s only overwhelmed with positive emotions.

“Then let’s not let this be the last time,” she whispers against his lips.

A wave of relief washes over Steve as he just lays there against, their bare bodies pressed against each other as if this is always how it should’ve been. His only hope is that they can stay like this forever.

#steve rogers #artist!steve #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers smut #fic #Chris Evans #chris evans characters #mcu #mcu fanfic #mcu smut #stever rogers fanfic #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n

[stargazer-balladeer]

Setting: Kingdom AU

[King! Zhongli x Female! Reader]

Notes: At first, I didn’t know what to write for the Valentine’s Gift in Discord. I was about to just write a Diluc fic when I came across the Cendrillon video. I rewatch it and loved the idea. Zhongli fits the prince (im making him a king here-) perfectly, this is going to follow the Vocaloid Cendrillon version (because the actual Cendrillon is basically the Cinderella movie-), but I’m gonna tweak it a bit. I hope I manage to capture Zhongli’s personality, atleast a little- 😅. Hope ya’ll like this!

Warning: small mentions of being blackmailed, abandonment and blood.

Word Count: 4.7k

» A valentine gift for @zhonglisemptywallet,, I hope you like this- hshshs

“Say, Zhongli, do you know the story of “Cendrillon”?” “Hm… it doesn’t ring a bell, I’m afraid. May I ask why you ask of that?” “I used to read it when I was young. Since you don’t know of it, would you like to read it together? Or are you currently busy?” “I was about to ask you if you want to have tea with me, but since you suggested that, of course I would read it together with you.” 

The warm hue of the light that illuminated the room and the chatter of the people within greeted you immediately when you stepped foot inside. Your eyes darted from person to person, not familiar with any of them. The target isn’t anywhere in the vicinity it seems, perhaps later. The warm atmosphere made you sigh in relief, it was a great contrast to the coldness of night outside. Not wanting to be of disturbance to those entering, you quickly went away from the entrance. You were overwhelmed by the grand interior of the room, walls decorated with golden brown and amber designs, one you usually find in an antique item, waves, vines, flowers, all sort of design. Golden-colored chandeliers hanging in the ceiling in a row, making the room brighter. The golden curtain being tied to the side, revealing the full moon in its finest glory. 

The palace king really likes golden-colored stuff, you noted. Everything looks so ancient, like there’s a history in every design and every item inside. Glancing around, you adjusted your dress, making sure your dagger isn’t visible underneath your skirt. An assassin tasked to kill the king of the Liyue nation. A joke, you thought at first, a child’s play. This task is usually seen in a fairytale, but you suppose it’s inevitable when you have 7 kingdoms, each with their respective king and queens. Breathing out a sigh, you take a glance at the moon. Your task is due at midnight, when the moon is high above the skies. Precise exact hour, no seconds shall pass. If failed, execution shall be your punishment. 

Then a ring rang through the room, gaining many’s attention including yours. You gaze at the balcony-like booths on the second floor, seeing familiar faces of the members of the Qixing. Them being here isn’t gonna make your mission any easier, well, it wasn’t easy to begin with. Quickly switching your attention to the butler, making sure your actions aren’t suspicious. “We thank you for attending this royal ball, hosted by our beloved King. I shall now introduce you to the special guests tonight.” The butler’s voice rang, sounding young yet stern. He nodded to the area of the Qixing members. “Please allow me to introduce Lady Ningguang of the Qixing, miss Keqing of the Qixing and Miss Ganyu of the Qixing.” 

Many people started clapping for them, you decided to join in them in order to not appear suspicious. Ningguang, in her fullest glory, stood up and waved elegantly to the people below her. Her eyes, which reminded you of Rubies, scanned the crowd before befalling on you. You stiffened at the coldness within, was her eyes always this harsh? You thought she was about to call you out but she simply turned around and sat on the throne-like chair. You breathe out a sigh of relief, closing your eyes when you feel the tension on your shoulder being released. But you knew that her gaze on you was a warning. She knew your intention, she could’ve called you out right there but she didn’t. Why? Was she amused that there was an assassin in the ball, wanting to kill the king? It doesn’t make sense.

You tuned out the butler, who was introducing the four Adepti, the counsel of the king. You couldn’t care less about them, but you were still on guard. Although they all respect their king and would kill anyone who dares to threaten his life, the young-looking guy is the one you’re watching out for. The young adepti, Xiao was his name, Conqueror of Demons, swift like the wind. “Now..” Your ears pick up as you look at the butler once more. “The moment you all have been waiting for. May I introduce the host of this evening, please applaud to the king of Liyue, Rex Lapis!” 

And just like that, an applaud of cheers erupted into the room when the king was announced. You joined in with the claps, feeling nervousness rising within you. Now’s not the time to get nervous. This is an important mission. You shall not fail this one. The light in your eyes darkened when the king made an appearance, there in his crowning light was Rex Lapis. With eyes like the Cor Lapis, hair like the soil of the land, and clothes fitting for a ruler. He has a small smile present on his face, as he nodded to the crowd. “Thank you for coming to my ball on this humble night. Please enjoy yourselves to the fullest with the prepared banquet and dance.” His voice is so soothing…

He reached out his hand, snapping his index and thumb. “Let the feast begin.” 

“What?” You breathed out, staring at the man before you with eyes wide and face in disbelief. Not knowing whether to laugh or what. The mission you’re given, to kill the king of Liyue, Rex Lapis. How absurd. “You expect me to kill that wanna-be king?” You scoffed, letting out a few chuckles. You thought it was a prank, a funny joke, and that your superior was made to do by one of his subordinates. You bet your money that it was that “Childe”. You tried searching his face, any sign of him lying or joking, but there wasn’t. He was serious. 

Coughing lightly, you straightened yourself up again, staring at the eyes of your superior. He sighed before placing a document on his desk, facing you, with a dagger on top. “You should be grateful that the Tsaritsa decided to give you this task, if I were to choose, I’d choose someone else. But alas, she chose you. How unfortunate.” He scoffed, shaking his head in disapproval. You paid his indirect insult no mind as you stared at the dagger, which you noticed was laced with poison. The dagger was silver in color, with the hilt decorated with light blue and white snowflakes. The end contains a Cor Lapis gem. 

Hesitantly, your hand rose to reach the dagger. You can feel the sharp eyes of your superior on you, taking note of your shaky hands and hesitated moves. When you finally grasp the well-designed dagger, your superior’s voice rang through the room once more.

“Do not fail this mission.”

How are you going to approach this exactly? You felt your sweat drop when you realized you didn’t prepare a plan on how to kill the king. Which is pretty dumb, now that your thinking about it. Like, what did you expect to happen? You going up to him and just stab him? Before your dagger could hit the king, your head is already on the ground. You groaned in frustration, leaning back on the white-colored pillar. Great, now you're stuck. You sighed, rubbing the nape of your neck, as you gaze at the scenery before you. 

Gazing at the people dancing, you couldn’t help but feel the green of envy rising within you. Unlike you, they have the best life. Once living in the slums of Snezhnaya, many times almost freezing to death. One of those times is when you met the queen of the frozen land, the Tsaritsa. Many wondered why she took you in, a girl abandoned in the streets. From her patience and pitied love for you, she took you in and made you a member of the organization known as the “Fatui”. Trained under a strict teacher, you grew up to be an assassin. An assassin whose hands are stained with the blood of the victims you killed for the Tsaritsa herself. 

“Excuse me.” A voice so silk, maturity evident in it, one that you heard earlier. You look up from your gaze at the ground to meet the eyes like the sun. From the distance, you didn’t notice how his white iris looks sharp, but now upon closer inspection, you can see it clearly. He gave you a soft smile, moving his hand from behind his back and extended it to you. You stared at it, confusion dancing in your eyes before gazing at the man you were destined to kill. “Would you care for a dance with me?” He said, amusement clear in his eyes. You felt your cheeks warmed up at your obliviousness. “Uhm… sure.” You said in a low voice, placing your hand on his. Despite the gloves you two are wearing, you can feel the warmth radiating from within. 

Feeling albeit awkward, obvious tension in the air, he guided you to the dance floor, hand firmly yet gently grasping yours. You weren’t sure if he noticed the air of tension surrounding you two or if he was simply ignoring it. Twirling you around a little bit, he stops your mini twirl by placing his large hand on your waist. You, knowing the dance steps ever since you had to undercover in a masquerade party, placed your hand on his shoulder and took a step back, him following suit by stepping forward. A dance with the king of Liyue, what a cliche moment. You can feel his eyes on you, feeling embarrassed about his obvious staring at you (and the stares you were getting around you), you continued staring at the amulet on his chest. 

“You know, when dancing, one must look at the eyes of their partner. Not at their chest.” The king said in a low voice, chuckling a little. How is he amused at this situation? The king is really a strange person. Flushing in embarrassment for getting called out, you look up to meet his expectant gaze. Seeing his lips quirking up as your gaze met his, he tilted his head slightly as he spun you around in tune with the others and held you close when you faced him once more. “Tell me, where do you hail from? I don’t think I’ve ever seen your face before.” You knew that this was coming, so you rehearsed your answer while going here. “I came from Inazuma, being sent here by my father, Chief Haruki. I came as a replacement for him, he humbly apologizes that he cannot be here at the ball tonight.” It wasn’t technically a lie, chief Haruki was indeed a real person living in Inazuma and was secretly working for the Fatui. 

You noticed how his eyes narrowed slightly, yet his entire face still remains unchanged. Closing his eyes while sighing softly. “I see.” You stared at him a couple of minutes before opening your mouth. “The people around us.. They’re not all nobles, are they?” Asking softly, only reserved to the two of you. His eyes scanning the people around you two before leaning in your ear, his hot breath near your ear made shivers run down your spine. “Quite an eye you have, my dear. But nevertheless, you are correct. Some of them are the orphans I’ve taken in under my wing.” You let out a chuckle. “How noble of you, your highness.” “Call me Morax instead.” Leaning back, he lets go of your waist as he clasps his gloved-hands on yours, dragging you gently. 

You raised a brow at this. “And where do you think you are taking me, Mr. Morax? I have no intention of doing any frisky rendezvous with you.” You can hear him laughing in front of you, turning his head to the side to glance at you. “Rest assured, my dear. I have no intention to take you to bed. I just thought a fresh air is what we need.” He explained, chuckling at the end before facing forward again. Flushing a bit at his laughter, you pouted while glaring at him. “You could’ve just told me that.” You mumbled angrily. He simply ignored your complaints, using his free hand to push open a door leading to a garden. 

You marveled at the sight of it, it was beautifully decorated with glaze lilies and silk flowers. Adding to the beauty were neon-orange-colored butterflies flying around. While you were in awe at your surroundings, you didn’t notice the fond look that the king was giving to you. He lets go of your hand as he steps forward into the enchanting garden. Missing already his large hand against yours, you followed suit, resisting the urge to hold his hand once more. “What a beautiful garden.” “Thank you for your kind words.” He slightly leaned forward to hold a glaze lily in his hand. “Did you know that glaze lilies only reveal their beauty at the sound of music? A pure song, one that used to belong to someone who loved this flower more than any other.” He said, on his face is a gentle smile, yet you noted how sad it seems. 

His eyes and smile so captivating and warm, yet hiding so many secrets. It made you want to know more about the man in front of you, not as the ruler Rex Lapis but as Morax. You stayed silent as you gaze at the flower in his hand. “They used to be everywhere in Liyue, but now… there are hardly any of them left. They are now rare and almost to the brink of being extinct.” He said, not hiding or masking the sadness in his voice as he lets go of the flower. Straightening his back again, turning to look at you, smiling apologetically at you. “Apologies. It seems like I went into my infamous rants.” Morax said, bowing his head slightly. 

You shake your head, smiling in return. “It’s fine. Your voice is oddly.. soothing.” He chuckles at your comment. “Indeed. I have gotten comments about my voice being soothing to hear.” “That’s why I shall suggest that you continue your rant. I can see it in your eyes that you have much more you want to share.” You chuckled. His eyes widened a bit, surprised that you manage to see through him before shaking his head slightly while huffing in amusement. “You are an interesting girl, my dear.”

“Why should I have a ball to begin with?” The question left Rex Lapis’ lips before he could stop them, making every head within the room turn their heads to the king. He doesn’t need to host a ball when there is no special occasion to celebrate as. “Rex Lapis, you must understand that the nation needs two rulers. A king and a queen. It would not only be beneficial for the people, but for you as well.” Ningguang explained, spinning her smoking pipe around her fingers, her gaze sharp as ever. Her red eyes staring at Rex Lapis’ face, curious at what his reaction would be. Rex Lapis only sighed. “I see..”

Closing his eyes as he stands up from his chair, opening his eyes to look at his fellow Adepti and the people in the Qixing. “I think this meeting is over. I shall take my leave now. Good day to you all.” Without any wait for a reply, he quickly left the room. When the door closed behind him, he sighed deeply as he started walking to his sanctuary, the garden. The garden that used to belong to his previous wife, the previous queen of Liyue. Opening the doors, he smiled at the beauty of the garden. It was as if she never left. 

He sat down on a nearby bench, gazing fondly at the geo-Crystalfly, only landing beside him. He gazes at it before sighing once more, running a hand through his hair, messing up his front hair slightly. “‘A new queen’ they said. ‘Beneficial for both the people of Liyue and me’ she said. I don’t understand mortals at all.” Rex Lapis tried to understand the minds of his people, but he still can’t grasp how extreme their minds can be sometimes. And this makes Rex Lapis more intrigued with them even more. The growing desire inside him continues to grow each passing day. Since when did this desire to be one of the mortals began? Was it when his late wife used to speak so fondly of them? He’s not sure but a thought kept lingering at the back of his mind, his attention shifting from the butterfly to the silhouette of Liyue Harbor in the distance. 

Should he leave the crown for good now?

He gazes at the blue-colored sky above, silver linings around the clouds as they form various shapes. “... not yet.” He whispers to himself. “It’s not yet the right time.”

Your laughter breaking the silence of the night as Rex Lapis finished telling a tale. It seemed like his knowledge about many things concerning Liyue is unending, you didn’t mind listening to him ranting about how the Guhua Plains came to be, how the rocks formed in various places in Liyue, and so on. A blush dust your cheeks as you stared at Rex Lapis who was about to tell a story yet again. Suddenly a sudden gush of cold wind blew your way, making you visibly shiver, cursing in your head for not wearing something suitable for the cold. You blink when you felt something placed on your shoulder, looking up, you noticed that Rex Lapis wasn’t anymore wearing his coat. Connecting the dots, and looking at your shoulders, you felt your face become more warm when you realized he noticed you shivering and gave you his fancy coat. “T-Thanks..” You mumbled, clutching his coat tightly while giving him a shy smile. “It is only right for me to share my coat when I was the one who dragged you out in this freezing evening, no?” He chuckles as he picks up where he left off in his tale. 

You stared at his back, now noticing how well-built he is from behind. You tried your hardest to not stare at his lower area, it is sacrilegious afterall. You let out a loving sigh, but that made your eyes widened in horror. Deep inside you, you felt something unknown yet so familiar. It was welcoming and warm. Heart thumping widely in your chest, the warm feeling spreading, the warm smile and that sigh just now. Realization struck you hard, making you even more scared than before. The horrifying truth you’ve concluded when adding all of your symptoms. You were falling in love with him. 

Rex Lapis noticed that you stopped walking judging from the lack of footsteps behind him, his words trailing off as he turned around to see what was wrong only to be surprised at tears falling from your wide eyes. “Are you alright, love? Why are you crying? Did I say something that made you cry? If I did so, I apologize sincerely.” He was panicking. It was evident in his voice that he’s panicking as he walks to you and wipe away the tears flowing with his thumb. Worry etched his face as he gazed at your [E/C] eyes. You continued to sob, not anymore needing to hide the tears. Why? Why did you have to fall in love with someone you were meant to kill?

What made you even more surprised, and made your poor heart jump, is when Rex Lapis leaned in and kissed your eyes. “Shh.. Don’t cry. Tears don't suit your beauty afterall.” You felt your face heat up at his action, wanting to shy away from him but at the same time, wanting more of his gentle touch and lips. You sniffed as his hands wiped away your leftover tears. Looking at him, you were met with his gentle and reassuring gaze. A smile that says everything would be alright. Lies. You inhaled sharply as your eyes travelled from his face to the clock, conveniently placed, behind him. It was almost midnight. His death is almost due. 

Please don’t let the bells sound for midnight. Please no. 

But you knew you needed to. Despite the limited time you two have, he was able to give you unforgettable memories that you’ll forever cherish with all your heart. Who knew you were into this kind of cheesiness? Childe would always tease you about being secretly cheesy, it seems like he’s right about this one. “... Are you alright, love? Is there something still wrong?” Your gaze shifted back to Morax, who was looking at you with great concern. You take a deep breath. It’s now or never.

You gave him a smile, a smile holding regret and love for the king. Even if your feelings were mutual, it would still remain unrequited as you take his life. “Thank you for this night, my king. This has been a wonderful evening indeed.” Rex Lapis stared at you with a blank face, his smile that you were used to seeing isn’t anymore visible in his face. It was replaced by a hard and stoic face. Deafening silence surrounds you both in this chilly evening, the silence making you shift slightly. After what seems like forever, he opens his mouth to speak. “You sound like you’re saying farewell. The ball hasn’t reached its conclusion yet.” You can feel tears starting to build in your eyes again as you forced them back. “I’m really sorry.”

Before he could make a comment about your apology, you grab your dagger and try to stab him through the chest but thanks to his fast reflexes, he was able to dodge at the last minute. Your dagger grazing at his clothes slightly. His eyes wide, maybe he was surprised at your betrayal? Was he furious? Would he call for the guards now? You cannot hesitate, not now. Not when you’re so close in fulfilling your mission. You went for the kill again, and without missing a beat, he dodge, catching your hand in the process. “Stop this, my love.” He whispered in your ear. You inhaled sharply, feeling your heart fluttering from the closeness, but you shouldn’t let this feeling of yours get in the way of finishing the king. 

Summoning a dagger made out of water, using your ‘delusion’, on your other hand, you strike him with it. Rex Lapis eyes widened as he tried to dodge your incoming second dagger by jumping back, but he wasn’t fast enough as it stabbed him in the side. He groans, placing his hand on the wound. The blood was staining his shirt as he clicked his tongue. You huffed, breathing in and out before opening your eyes, clouded with bloodlust and nothingness. It was glowing beneath your bangs. “Target spotted. Killing target now.” Your voice resembles a robot, a mindless slave. 

His eyes saddened at the thought of what you have been through to be like this. He knew you were after his life, Xiao and his fellow Adepti warned him about this. But he was intrigued by you the moment he laid his eyes on your lonesome figure. Even though you tried to hide it, he noticed how your eyes shone with awe as you gaze at the ornaments decorated the room. Cute, that was his thought. A childish girl behind the cold facade. Interesting. He knew you were part of the ‘Fatui’. He knew that you were ordered to kill him before midnight. He knew and yet he didn’t care. The possibility of dying in your hands still lingers at the back of his mind, yet he can’t help but get drawn to you. You were special in his eyes. A glaze lily, so rare and beautiful. 

You could even say he was falling in love with you with each passing second he spent with you.

Rex Lapis lets out a chuckle at the thought of his fellow Adepti reprimanding him for falling for you, but he can’t do anything about it. A heart wants what a heart wants, he knew that perfectly. And from his foolish love for you, he allowed you to strike him in the chest, piercing the amulet in the process. Your eyes widened at what you did, not believing what you had just seen. Why didn’t he move? He could perfectly dodge it like he did earlier so why? While your mind is in a frenzy, he allowed himself to hug you in his chest as he bled out. 

“W-Why-? Why didn’t.. you dodge?” You whispered in pure disbelief. He chuckles, running his hand through your hair, destroying its style earlier. “Who knows..? Even I am wondering that.” Feeling himself weakening, he pulls himself away from you as he gaze tenderly in your wide, frightened eyes. He smiles gently, moving closer to kiss your forehead. “You should probably get going, my love.. You wouldn’t want to get caught by the Millelith now.” He whispered. You didn’t say anything as you pulled away from his hold. Looking at his eyes as he nodded his head, urging you to go. Without saying anything, you run away. Stumbling a bit with your heels, you felt it slipping from your feet but you could care less about it as you continued to run, leaving the shoe behind. 

Watching as your figure disappeared from view, he placed a hand over his wound, feeling himself healing from his wounds. He knew he wouldn’t just die from a simple stab. What he didn’t account for is that the dagger you used is laced with poison, making him weak, to the point he has to sit on the ground. Huffing and puffing his eyes landed on the forgotten glass slipper, chuckling a bit. “Maybe.. It is truly time to depart.” 

“Eh? What do you mean Rex Lapis disappeared?!” 

“Calm yourself, Keqing. There must be an explanation for this, I presume?”

“We don’t know, lady Ningguang. We tried searching for his highness everywhere but he can’t be found. But there was blood in the garden along with a glass slipper.”

“Hm… I see.”

“What should we do then? We can’t just tell the people that Rex Lapis just mysteriously disappeared.”

“I speculate it was an attempt of assassination. But the question is, where is he? Where is his body?”

“An assassination for the king?! Who would dare to do such a thing?!”

“Hm… let us think this thoroughly with the Adepti. Now that Rex Lapis is gone, we must take over as the Qixing of Liyue.”

“... alright.”

“You. Call the Adepti. An important meeting is about to happen.”

“Yes, lady Ningguang.”

“.. Your highness?” Appearing before you like the wind was the king himself, but you noted his appearance changed. Despite still appearing all regal, he seems more lax than the last time you appeared before him. Guilt consumed you when memories of that night came rushing to you, but it made you wonder. Why was he here before you? Why was he still alive? Weeks passed since you ‘killed’ Rex Lapis. But it appears you failed your mission since his highness is before you, looking healthy and alive. Questions filled your mind, making you more confused than ever. The Qixing and the Adepti have already announced his passing, his Rite of Passing was due a few days from now. So what exactly happened-?

“It seems my appearance has confused you, my dear.” He chuckled, calm as ever with the same amused glint in his eyes. You tried searching for anger or resentment in them, for ‘killing’ him but you couldn’t find any. All you saw was amusement and affection. “Why are you still alive..? Did the Qixing and the Adepti lie about your death..?” You asked, your voice barely a whisper. “.. may I at least come inside? I’ll explain it to you once we’re out of the public eye.” He said. You numbly nodded, still couldn’t wrap your head around Rex Lapis still being alive. Did the poison not work? Did I fail my mission-?

“By the way… you mustn’t call me Rex Lapis or Morax anymore.” He said, entering your humble home. Staring at you with the eyes you fell in love with, the same one glinting beneath the moonlight and under the light of the dozen chandeliers. “Call me Zhongli.”

[x] Main Page || [x] Liyue Page

#hope ya’ll like this XP #valentines fic #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #zhongli #zhongli x reader #genshin impact zhongli #genshin impact zhongli x reader #zhongli fic

[simpingforsoftboys]

Not Everyone Gets A Happily Ever After

ft. Iwaoi, Atsumu Miya

!Gender Neutral Reader!

Pt 2 to this

*Male readers just pretend that you and Tsumu have a mix of female and male friends each who can be both groomsmen and bridesmaids 

Anon thank you for requesting- I live for angst and this was super fun to write- even if I cried while doing so. IwaOi is my comfort ship but they’re not perfect. People make mistakes- in life, love, and everything and anything in between. Sometimes they repeat those mistakes, other times they learn from them, either way everything happens for a reason and sometimes it’s for the better. Unfortunately, not everyone winds up happy with the results- and that’s okay. 

Also I kind of made it into a song fic (listen to Sign of the Times by Harry Styles while you read)!

Just stop your crying

Hajime and Toru were sitting in the second row on your side of the aisle, pretending that they couldn’t feel the sharp gazes from your family and friends. They had some nerve showing up to your wedding, despite being invited, especially after spending five or so years treating you like an outsider in your own relationship. The reception itself hadn’t yet started, Atsumu had just stepped onto stage- his twin right beside him as the best man.

It's a sign of the times

Atsumu was looking incredibly dapper in his midnight blue suit, his blonde hair combed perfectly to the side. He looked incredibly anxious, whispering to his brother if he looked alright. Hajime thought it was a stupid question- obviously he looked great- but then again he supposed he would have done the same, had he been in Atsumu’s shoes.

Welcome to the final show

Toru’s gaze flitted to the front row where your parents and close friends were sitting. Some were commenting on his and Hajime’s choice to attend the wedding still, but it was your mother’s words that surprised him.

“I’m glad it’s Atsumu (s)he’s marrying, he’ll treat them right.” That woman had been like his aunty since childhood, hearing her say that caused another crack in his heart.

Hope you're wearing your best clothes

His suit’s collar felt like it was strangling him, Hajime reached up to loosen it slightly. Despite doing so, he still found that he had trouble breathing.

You can't bribe the door on your way to the sky

The trainer wondered if he and Toru would go to hell for breaking your heart- only to mend it again with false promises, for telling you that they loved you when it had been lust the whole time.

You look pretty good down here

Maybe they were already damned to an eternity in hell. 

But you ain't really good 

They were good liars- him and Toru- maybe that’s why they were able to lie to you, to themselves, and to each other. Lied about their true feelings, convinced themselves it was lust and not love. 

If we never learned, we been here before

It felt familiar, Toru thought, being here, like when he got invited to weddings in the past and he’d only bring Hajime as his plus one. 

“You wouldn’t enjoy it Y/n- so I’ll just bring Haji okay? We’ll be back in no time- I promise!” The brunette had told you mournfully, as if they weren’t going to be staying in the Bahama’s for a week in order to attend a wedding. Now that he thinks about it, all the fees were covered- they totally could have brought you if they wanted.

Why are we always stuck and running from

He pretended he didn’t hear the hitch of your breath once his back was turned to you, not wanting to deal with your water works. 

‘It’s fine,’ he had told himself, ‘(s)he’s just being dramatic.’ It’s not like it was the first time they’ve gone without Y/n after all. 

The bullets

The bullets

We never learned, we’ve been here before

Yes, it was a familiar sight. Sitting together side by side in a wedding venue, awaiting the arrival of the bride/groom. Yet, there was a stark difference this time. This wedding wasn’t for just some coworker or old friend, this was your wedding. 

Why are we always stuck and running from

The bullets

The bullets

Just stop your crying

Someone squeezed his hand- it was Hajime- his normally piercing olive green eyes were cloudy with unshed tears. They hadn’t even laid eyes on you yet and the two of them were already ready to start sobbing. Semi Eita- who had been one of your close friends in high school- gave them a judgmental look.

It's a sign of the times

‘Why are you two crying? You had plenty of chances before now. Get over it.’ His fiery gaze told them, it was then directed elsewhere- since the music had started and the groomsmen and bridesmaids began streaming down the aisle. It was a little later than usual, apparently there had been an issue with the flower girl- so they had the wedding party wait a moment.

We gotta get away from here

We gotta get away from here

Just stop your crying

Others were tearing up all around them, but Hajime and Toru remained ignorant to them. The ring bearer- a little boy- they recognized him as your siblings youngest son, since they had accompanied you to see him be born. The kid was about six or seven now, and he was every bit as charming as you were.

It will be alright

He strode down the aisle proudly, chin raised in a way that reminded them of you. When you were feeling particularly stubborn or prideful, you would raise your chin just like that. 

They told me that the end is near

Next up was the flower girl- or flower girls. Hajime didn’t recognize them whatsoever, they must have been around your nephews age. It was likely that they were from Atsumu’s side of the family. The girls scattered white rose petals down the aisle, it was a magical sight- watching them flutter to the ground. 

We gotta get away from here

They had been expecting this moment, ever since they agreed to attend the wedding.

Just stop crying

To his right, he heard Toru stifle a sob. 

Have the time of your life

It was you. Hajime couldn’t remember when he last saw that smile on your face. You were donned in white, smiling from ear to ear- hair done perfectly, eyes tearing up- but for a different reason from them. You were happy. Excited. Today was the day, not sparing them a glance, the only person who mattered to you was at the end of the aisle, waiting for you to join him. 

Breaking through the atmosphere

Taking a step onto the raised platform, facing Atsumu, you let the tears fall. Unbeknownst to you, Toru and Hajime cried alongside you.

Things are pretty good from here

“Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Miya Atsumu and L/n Y/n in matrimony commended to be honorable among all; and therefore is not to be entered into lightly but reverently, passionately, lovingly and solemnly. Into this - these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together - let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

Remember everything will be alright

Toru’s entire body tensed up. Hajime placed a firm hand on the setter’s thigh, preventing him from even considering objecting. Semi cast the two of them a evil look, promising violence should they dare to object.

We can meet again somewhere

 "Miya Atsumu and L/n Y/n, if it is your desire to take the vows which will legally unite you at this time, please respond, 'It is,’.”

Somewhere far away from here

Atsumu and you continue staring lovingly at one another, not even hesitating a second before saying “It is.”

If we never learned, we been here before

“Do you, Miya Atsumu, take L/n Y/n to be your lawfully wedded wife/husband? From this day forward, to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?”

The entire audience held their breath in anticipation- as if there were any reason to doubt his love for Y/n. Even Toru and Hajime couldn’t find it within them to wish he declined. Y/n deserved a loving husband- even if it was just one person- so long as he would dedicate himself to her/him entirely.

Why are we always stuck and running from

“Course I do.”

The bullets

Everyone’s gazes fell upon you.

The bullets

“Do you, L/n Y/n , take Atsumu Miya, to be your lawfully wedded husband? From this day forward, to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?”

We never learned, we been here before

You’re wiping your tears away, that wide smile- Hajime realizes that in all his years of knowing you he has never seen you this happy- never slipping from your face. 

Why are we always stuck and running from

“I do.”

The bullets

The ring bearer comes up, shining rings placed a top the red, velvet pillow.

The bullets

Toru’s never hated red as much as he does now. Not even when he was playing desperately against Japan during the Olympics.

Just stop your crying

“Atsumu, please take the ring you have selected for Y/n. As you place it on her/his finger, repeat after me: 'With this ring, I thee wed.’”

It’s a sign of the times

Your groom picks up your shining gold and diamond wedding ring/band and delicately slips it on your ring finger. 

We gotta get away from here

“Y/n, I’ve been enraptured by yer beauty since the first time I saw ya. Even before I fell for ya I’ve always admired how kind hearted and understandin’ ya were. There’s not enough words t’ capture or explain my love for ya. So I want to spend the rest of my life tryin. Yer it for me Y/n... so I can say without a second thought. With this ring, I thee wed.” He murmurs, salty tears spill from his eyes. He’s finally going to get the s/o of his dreams, he realizes. 

We gotta get away from here

Hajime and Toru hold onto each other with vice like grips. They realize it too. There’s no do overs.

Just stop your crying

“Y/n, please take the ring you have selected for Atsumu. As you place it on his finger, repeat after me: 'With this ring, I thee wed.’”

It will be alright

Your hand reaches for the single wedding band still resting on the pillow. It shines brilliantly between your fingers. 

They told me that the end is near

“Atsumu, you’ve been there for me time and time again. You lifted me off the ground when I was broken, kissed my tears away from my eyes, and helped me learn how to love again. You’ve seen me at my best and my worst and loved me through it all. And it’s with complete faith and love that I say this. With this ring, I thee wed.” Atsumu’s wedding band matches yours, and slides on his finger perfectly.

We gotta get away from here

If we never learned, we been here before

The vows had been short but sweet. Toru would have been able to recite a whole paper- had he stood in Atsumu’s shoes. 

Why are we always stuck and running from

“Seeing as the two of you have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, by authority vested in me by the state, I now pronounce you husband and wife/husband. You may kiss your bride/groom!”

The bullets

But he’s not in Atsumu’s shoes.

The bullets

You yank Atsumu down and press a passionate kiss to his lips, throwing your arms around his neck to pull him closer. He reciprocates immediately- all tongue and open mouthed. Neither of you pay any mind to the fact that everyone is watching you make out. All you see is each other. 

We never learned, we’ve been here before

Neither is Hajime. 

Why are we always stuck and running from

The bullets

The bullets

There’s no second chances.

We don't talk enough

No talking it over.

We should open up

You weren’t L/n Y/n any longer.

Before it's all too much

You’re now Miya Y/n.

Will we ever learn?

Devoted to and utterly in love with Miya Atsumu.

We've been here before

Is this what it had been like for you?

It's just what we know

Watching the two of them be so in love- eyes locked on each other- with no care in the world about who was watching.

Stop your crying baby

About who they were hurting.

It's a sign of the times

They didn’t even get the chance to ask why you did it- why you stuck around for so long and loved them, despite them not feeling the same. 

Now they never would get that chance again.

We gotta get away

We got to get away

We got to get away

We got to get away

We got to get away

We got to, we got to

We got to, we got to

We got to, we got to

#iwaizumi x reader #oikawa x reader x iwaizumi #oikawa toru x reader #miya atsumu x reader #atsumu x reader #iwaizumi hajime x reader #oikawa x reader #oikawa angst #semi eita is a good friend

[ramblingguy54]

Echoes of the Past may honestly be my favorite episode so far in Season 2′s current run. While never hating King’s character, he wasn’t someone I loved much either. He had some very nice charming episodes with Luz in exploring their adorable dynamic, while deconstructing his attention seeking nature, but this character never clicked with me as a favorite. That honor went to characters like Amity Blight & Lilith Clawthorne in Season 1. Echoes of the Past though does a simply great job in getting me to genuinely care about King’s whole existence, by finally exploring his mysterious backstory of where he came from and addressing the title bestowed to him as “King Of Demons”. We get to see the consequences of Eda & Luz playing into King’s fantasies of being a supposed demonic ruler because they didn’t want to hurt his self-esteem. They cared too much for the little guy to say this was all an act to comfort his sense of worth. This recent episode, unless it gets topped by an even better story centered around him later, is easily the best in exploring what makes King who he is, overall.

When I saw him break down panicking, becoming emotionally distraught, and so very confused I felt every bit of his pain. That’s what I wanted in Season 1 was giving me a much bigger reason to care about King besides just “funny yet cute sidekick” character. King isn’t another comedic insert to fill in some kind of status quo for silly shenanigans. He’s a very real individual with an unknown point of origins who, despite the good intentions of others, was lied to about everything. This picture above is easily my favorite shot encapsulating King’s sadness. He doesn’t know what to feel, think, or believe in anymore upon Eda telling him the real events of how she came across him as a baby. I simply love the melancholy atmosphere in this wide shot from Luz’s point of view. She isn’t viewing him as an adorable friend needing protection, but someone Luz did dirty in playing into his fantasies of believing himself to be a ruler that backfired.

Echoes of the Past builds upon what Season 1 already did right in establishing how much Luz cares for King, like an older sister to their younger brother basically kind of dynamic. Their interaction on that log by the moonlight felt so downright organic in showing Luz’s compassion toward King with a lovely line, “You are somebody and I love that somebody very much.”, to comfort his sudden existential crisis. The fact there’s no music playing here, letting the voice acting speak for itself, really added to the whole moment of reconciliation between these two. King valued everyone’s perception of his whole personality and implied background, so to be told it’s all a white lie was deeply crushing. King can tolerate being teased, which is why he thought they were joking at first, whereas realizing this was the full truth made him re-contextualize everything. Was he being lied to outta some kind of pity? Did Luz ever believe him at all? Did anyone respect or love him enough to want bring themselves to clarify anything? Those thoughts were definitely running through his mind for sure.

What makes this all work as well it does is Luz’s bond with King being a central core of the entire episode. We get a very sweet backstory behind how Eda found King years ago and was also the one to give him the title he cherished sure, but it all circles back to Luz being the MVP to help ground him back to reality. If it wasn’t for Luz, then King would’ve been defiantly hiding from his issues. Not to say he wouldn’t have listened to Eda’s pleas for forgiveness, rather it could have been harder to accomplish without Luz there to help comfort him. King really cares about Eda of course, however there’s a special connection he’s formed with Luz where he seriously values about what she has to say. Literally one of the gags in Season 2′s first episode, Separate Tides, is King clinging to Luz’s leg shouting about how he never wants her to leave. Luz made him feel on top of the world when they hung around together in doing whatever kind of activity they’d partake in. Whether it’s writing a book together or hanging around at a carnival, King cherished every second he spent with Luz on their adventures.

Echoes of the Past perfectly captured this endearing dynamic beautifully.

#the owl house season 2 #the owl house spoilers #easily the best king focused episode so far #season 2 has been emotionally capitalizing on stuff with great execution #echoes of the past #the owl house king #luz noceda