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ivy-bluefire · 4 months ago

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It occurs to me that some people have a warped view of Shadow the Hedgehog.

There’s like two versions of him.

There’s the impression people (including some SEGA creators) have of Shadow the Hedgehog, which started somewhere on or after 2005, which I will be referring to as

1. Shadow’s shadow

He’s dark but it’s cringey because he’s trying so hard to be dark, and you get the impression that only 10 year old boys and 14 year old girls think he’s actually dark. He has a gun, just to prove to monkey-brain children used to fun Sonic ring-collecting that he’s bad. He cusses because cussing is edgy. He never does anything good unless it’s to prove he’s a better hero than Sonic. He’s over-the-top cruel or emo because that’s all he represents, and picks fights to defend his own pride like a bad version of Season 1 Zuko.

The problem with this version of the character is that somewhere down the line, even SEGA thought that Shadow’s shadow was all the Shadow the Hedgehog that everyone wanted to see. Or they just forgot that none of the above character traits have anything to do with the original character, at all. And so they started putting him in the new games like that. But that’s not the real Shadow. That’s just Shadow’s Shadow, a lame guess at who the character is based on his black and red design and snippets of things which people who never played SA2 heard about the character.

The real version of the character, which sparked the original popularity, is

2. Shadow the Hedgehog

The original Shadow the Hedgehog was popular because he was the new character in a game that brought emotional Lore to the Sonic games. He debuted in Sonic Adventure 2, and he wasn’t even the only new character in that game, which is kind of one of the things that was awesome about him: he wasn’t supposed to be The Cool One™ in the franchise.

He was supposed to be a one-off character. Think about that: not a character that just hit every out-of-proportion-fanservice trait, not a character that they kept bringing back over and over to entice weary fans.

He was just a new story element, presenting interesting themes that worked as a great foil for Sonic himself, then dying in an emotionally impactful way, making the SA2 game interesting and memorable for it’s story.

That is what was originally so popular about Shadow. Yes, he was really cool, and he did check all the “Dark Version of Your Beloved Main Character Trope” boxes, but he was ALSO a really well-rounded character that didn’t feel like he was just a hook to get fans interested. He had depth.

In fact, it could be argued that he brought depth of story to the series in a way that hadn’t been done since…well, Knuckles the Echidna. Sonic’s first-ever “rival” (who was not a robot.)

And Shadow brought depth of story MORE than Knuckles, because Shadow came around in the era of Cutscenes and Dialogue which provided a medium for this little thing called Flashbacks. Yeah, Knuckles’ first, pixel-y appearance brought in story elements like The Master Emerald and visuals that hinted at lore, like a Shrine.

But Shadow?

Shadow the Hedgehog appeared and was instantly the audience’s window to look through and see things that had never been seen before, which fleshed out Sonic’s whole canon and world. Things like:

The Government (woah, the Sonic world has a President and a unique military organization?)

Eggman’s family (woah, they’re actually going to tell us something about where Eggman came from?)

Chaos Powers (woah, the Chaos Emeralds actually do something besides just turning characters “super?”)

A story structure like this, where a new character also served as a way to examine deeper parts of Sonic Lore, had been used in the game’s predecessor, Sonic Adventure 1. But that new character, Chaos, was just presented as a mindless, silent villain with a blank face who turned out to have feelings right before he disappeared forever. Shadow is not like that at all in his first appearance.

He starts the game acting kind of like a genie who’s been let out of the bottle, offering to grant Eggman wishes. He offers Eggman a mysterious bargain. He seems totally evil and in possession of power over the Chaos Emeralds that allow him to rival Sonic. But during the story, there start to be hints at something underneath it all.

He keeps flashing back to a scary/sad combo of scenes involving a little girl. He mentions that he’s after revenge. He talks like a Shakespeare character when he villainously monologues, but he also ends most of his levels with “I’m the coolest!” and smugly talks smack with Sonic during their fight scenes. He seems totally focused on his mission one minute, then, any time he encounters Sonic, appears to get completely distracted and eager to compete, like a 18 year-old athlete.

All this contrast between a lofty, broody villain personality with a hidden fun, competitive showboating personality made the audience DESPERATE to know where this Shadow guy came from and what made him tick. It helped that other characters, like the government spy and Eggman himself, were teasing at a mystery in his past, too.

Then when you DO find out the why behind everything Shadow does, there’s been such a buildup that it’s satisfying.

I mean, it sounds really weird to hear that Shadow the Hedgehog is an artificial creature created by Eggman’s genius grandfather on a space station to bring hope to the Earth below, but was warped by a desire for revenge when the Government tried to kill him and wound up shooting the little girl who was his only friend and sealing him away for 50 years, instead. But it ONLY sounds that weird if you didn’t play the SA2 game and get to know Shadow as he was intended, bit by bit, reveal by reveal.

Because SA2 Shadow had reasons for being broody and angsty.

And he wasn’t ALWAYS broody and angsty. In fact, he was a master manipulator! When he was around Eggman, he was confident, smooth, and articulate, like a Shakespearean villain. When he was around Rouge, whom he did not trust, he was silent, firm, and to-the-point. Only by himself was he angsty–and it never lasted long.

And when he was around Sonic?

Oh boy. That is my FAVORITE thing about Shadow. Because when he was around Sonic, it’s like I said. He would stop being focused on his revenge-mission and stop being focused on whatever he was doing with Eggman and he would just turn into this competitive, flashy guy. I mean, yes, it would’ve been hard for him to stay focused on the mission because Sonic was actively trying to get in his way–but the thing is

Shadow starts to be his real SELF around Sonic. Even while they’re fighting. Because you get the sense, as the player/audience, that if this big trauma had not happened in Shadow’s past, he would have been Sonic. In personality. Sonic and Shadow are both highly competitive, love thrills, and love a challenge. They are also both heroic. Even while Shadow is a villain, he winds up saving Rouge the Bat from death by explosion, just because it seems like he can’t help himself. And remember, he was created to be a savior of the world anyway.

So combine Heroism with Competitiveness and you have someone who is very close to our fun-loving, cool blue hedgehog protagonist. But then the human race he was sworn to protect destroyed his home, murdered his best friend right in front of him, and locked him away as a dangerous weapon for 50 years.

Shadow is not what you get if you take Hot Topic and throw it on top of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Shadow is what you get if you took a bunch of Flickies murdering Tails the Fox right in front of Sonic while Green Hill Zone burned in the background.

And then, at the very end of Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow realizes that he didn’t promise Maria (his best friend who was murdered) revenge. He promised her that he would protect everyone on Earth. So very much like Ben Solo (RIP) you get a quick snippet of who Shadow the Hedgehog really is when he’s not burdened by all the Baggage.

In a handful of cutscenes and well-performed in-game dialogue, you hear that his voice is a little lighter. He physically transforms from black to white.

He’s focused on destroying the evil threatening the planet, but he also says kind little things like, “Sonic, you need rest! Let me give it a try!” and “How are you doing, Sonic?” and

AND

in one in-game clip of dialogue, he even says that he thinks SONIC might be the Ultimate Life Form.

Shadow’s Shadow, the lame ironic tropey interpretation of Shadow, would never say something like that. He’d cuss in a low-voiced rasp and dramatically try to blow the head off of anyone who even joked about it. But the thing is, at this point in the story, you are seeing Shadow as he is: a lab-created being who’s probably only lived around a year, consciously, and was still figuring out what he even is before going under. The only reason he was ever anything but a good-natured, gold-hearted hero was because of the trauma and revenge-induced worldview. When all of that is stripped away and he starts seeing his purpose and his whole history clearly, he is this slightly naive, open-hearted, mission-driven, contemplative foil to Sonic.

Then he sacrifices his life and dies. And the end of the game is all of the characters, good and bad, united for a scene where they each contemplate who they are and what is right and wrong.

And that’s the effect he had on players, too. He was such a deep, interesting character who was not edgy (even though his backstory was more violent and dark than any other character’s) that they loved him desperately. And SEGA brought him back.

Of course, they brought him back with amnesia, and that probably would’ve been fine, except it spiraled into the Shadow’s Shadow version of the character that got his own video game and worsened everything.

But that’s besides the point.

The original Shadow the Hedgehog, the true, real version of the character, was absolutely the best part of the franchise at the time. And basically, in conclusion, SA2 Shadow is the BEST Shadow.

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ivy-bluefire · 4 months ago

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♡ Yandere Alphabet ♡

Remastered with permission from the creator. Original alphabet found here.

Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get?

Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling?

Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Would they mock them?

Darling: Aside from abduction, would they do anything against their darling’s will?

Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling?

Fight: How would they feel if their darling fought back?

Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape?

Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them?

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?

Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

Mask: Are their true colors drastically different from the way they act around everyone else?

Naughty: How would they punish their darling?

Oppression: How many rights would they take away from their darling?

Patience: How patient are they with their darling?

Quit: If their darling dies, leaves, or successfully escapes, would they ever be able to move on?

Regret: Would they ever feel guilty about abducting their darling? Would they ever let their darling go?

Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)?

Tears: How do they feel about seeing their darling scream, cry, and/or isolate themselves?

Unique: Would they do anything different from the classic yandere?

Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape?

Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling?

Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over?

Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap?

Zenith: Would they ever break their darling?

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ivy-bluefire · 4 months ago

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A-Z Yandere Prompts w/ Dialogue Starters

A is for... Appetite

“I want to know how you’ll taste between my teeth.”

“I can never get enough of you. I’ll drink you down to the last sip.”

“You look delicious. I won't stop until I’ve eaten every bite.”

B is for... Brand

“I’m going to engrave myself into your very being.”

“We won’t stop until you’re so covered in my scent, no one will dare touch you again.”

“With this tattoo I’ve claimed you.”

C is for... Consequences

“Don’t play with fire if you don’t want to burn.”

“Don’t complain now – you did this to yourself.”

“You reap what you sow.”

D is for... Delusion

“This hurts me more than it hurts you.”

“Why are you acting like you don’t know me?”

“Why are you running? I did this for you!”

E is for... Eradicate

“You don’t need a job, baby. Your job is being mine.”

“You’re better off without them anyway.”

“I removed the problem. You should be thanking me.”

F is for... Forbidden

“You knew what you were getting into when you got involved with me.”

“They will never let us be together unless we make them.”

“It’s only taboo to those who’ve never loved like us.”

G is for... Game

“Here kitty, kitty.”

“I don’t know how to lose.”

“One, two, Daddy is coming for you. Three, four, knocking down your door.”

H is for... Harmless

“I would never hurt you. You know that, right?”

“Why are you scared?”

“You’re the only reason worth living for.”

I is for... Isolation

“Why would you want to leave? I’m keeping you here for your own good!”

“There’s nothing left for you but me. Everyone else is gone.”

“No one will ever find you here.”

J is for... Jealousy

“If his filthy hands touch you again I’ll kill him.”

“Shouldn’t you be spending more time with me?”

“I can’t control how I react when your eyes wander.”

K is for... Kidnap

“You say kidnap, I say date. Who’s really to know?”

“It’s not kidnapping when your soul yearns to be here.”

“There’s no use trying to run. This is your home now.”

L is for... Lies

“The truth would have just hurt you.”

“I’m not lying – I bent the truth a little to protect you.”

“Don’t you believe me?”

M is for... Manipulation

“I’ve done everything for you and this is how you repay me?”

“If you leave me now I’ll die. I can’t survive without you.”

“I told you they couldn’t be trusted.”

N is for... Neglect

“Stop ignoring me!”

“Look at you, you’re skin and bones.”

“If you won’t take care of yourself I will be forced to do it for you.”

O is for... Obsession

“It’s our anniversary! How could you forget? There isn’t a single thing I don’t remember about you.”

“So it's a little crush when you fawn over him but it's an obsession when I pay attention to you?”

“I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. You’re all I can think about.”

P is for... Persistence

“To my dying breath, I’ll never let you go.”

“I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth. No matter where you run, I’ll catch you.”

“Did you really think I wouldn’t find you?”

Q is for Quid Pro Quo

“If you do this for me I’ll think about helping you.”

“Well, I guess it pays to have friends in high places.”

“You owe me.”

R is for... Restraints

“I’ll let you go when you understand this is where you belong.”

“Your poor wrists… Maybe next time you’ll do what I say the first time I ask.”

“The cuffs will come off when you start acting like someone who doesn’t need them.”

S is for... Spoil

“I’d do anything for you, babe. Anything.”

“Is this okay? Did I do well?”

“Nothing is ever enough for you, is it?”

T is for... Training

“We can do this the hard way or the easy way. It’s up to you.”

“Haven’t we already moved past this? Do I have to train you again?”

“Patience is a virtue. We’ll keep going until you learn.”

U is for... Unending

“No matter how long you make me wait, our love will never die.”

“The only way out of this house is death.”

“There is no end. We are eternal.”

V is for... Voyeur

“Don’t act as if you don’t know me. I've been watching you watch me.”

“I like you best when you’re sleeping.”

“If I don’t keep an eye on you, who knows what will happen?”

W is for... Worship

“You’re my whole world, my Goddess. You're more than divine, you’re celestial.”

“Let me show you what adoration truly looks like.”

“No matter what you do to me, I’ll worship the very ground you walk on. That's what it means to love someone.”

X is for... XOXO

“I want to hold you but I can’t. Once I do, I know I’ll never stop.”

“I need to kiss every inch of your skin.”

“When we part, every caress becomes more agonizing than the last.”

Y is for... Yearn

“I’m aching for your touch.”

“You’re my oasis. Please don’t leave me thirsting.”

“You don’t know true pain. I’ll show you what it really means to crave something.”

Z is for... Zealot

“You are my religion.”

“Words like radical and extremist are just a pseudonym for enthusiastic.”

“No matter the world, we are fated. Through time and space we will always find each other.”

~Feel free to reblog and use~

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ivy-bluefire · 4 months ago

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Im crying, these are all so on brand

Genshin Men as Influencers

→ Masterlist || → Taglist

Pairing: Alhaitham, Ayato, Kaveh, Wriothesley, Neuvillette, Zhongli, Kazuha, Cyno, Kaeya, Thoma, Tighnari x (gn!) Reader

Summary: What type of influencer would they be. What do they post.

Tags: Fluff, modern AU, short headcanons

A/N: This was a random idea I got today that I needed to get out of my system. And it got longer than I anticipated, oopsie.

Alhaitham | Bookstagrammer

He is neither someone who wants to stand in front of a camera talking nor does he desire to interact with people much. Yet he has this desire to share his thoughts about the books he reads with someone. When you propose the idea of becoming a bookstagrammer to him he is at first very dismissive about the idea, but eventually caves and creates an account. As it turns out he enjoys it more than he originally thought he would. He writes book reviews, does book hauls, and critical literature commentary. Reels are not his thing and he only posts pictures. His account blew up when he posted a selfie of him while reading a book. To this day he has not the faintest idea why that is what made his account grow exponentially. He turns to you whenever he gets DMs or comments that annoy him. He will sometimes ramble for half an hour about a single comment and explain in-depth why what that person wrote is utterly stupid.

Ayato | Fashion Influencer

He is predominantly a fashion influencer and model. Frequently posting pictures and reels of outfits, hauls as well as model and runway jobs. He is often described as the influencer who "effortlessly combines casual and business chic and turns it into a fashion statement". Always the best-dressed man around, no matter where he goes. Both his enchanting looks as well as his enigmatic personality draw his fans in. He has his own clothing brand for his trademark "casual business chic" which is quite successful. Every new collection is immediately sold out a day after launch. Yet, despite his fame, you had never seen or heard of him before. You randomly met him at a local bar where he offered to buy you a drink. You talked to him all evening and had just exchanged numbers with him when his face suddenly popped up on the TV screen at the bar. You had to do a double-take and reconfirm that the man on TV was indeed the one sitting in front of you right now. He had seen your glance and was now smiling back at you smugly, visibly enamored by the confusion that was written all over your face. For once he was happy someone didn't outright recognize him and just genuinely interacted with him without any second thoughts. And he fell for you right then and there.

Kaveh | Lifestyle Blogger

This man has so many things he loves he can't just decide on one thing. So he does kind of everything and his followers love him for it. He is smart, good-looking, artistically gifted, enjoys food, drink, fashion, and is into the latest gossip. His feed is a bit of everything, art gallery visits, food posts, fashion photos including OOTD, motivational quotes and more. He has a loyal fanbase that would do anything for him. They lovingly refer to him as "babygirl" all the time. When you become a couple he incorporates you into his posts and videos as well which lands you a couple of very angry DMs of fans who have formed a parasocial relationship with your boyfriend. And while you just ignore them, Kaveh absolutely can't and won't tolerate this behavior towards you so he replies to them from your account with an angry picture and a long DM. In all honesty, he is more upset over the messages than you are.

Wriothesley | Fitness Blogger

He is your classic fitness blogger and personal trainer. He posts training videos, nutritional advice posts as well as gym pictures of himself and fitness modeling campaigns he gets invited to. And he is quite successful at what he does. When you start dating you're not at all surprised when you learn what he does for a living. A man with his physique? Of course, he would be successful. You mutually decide to keep your relationship out of the public eye. Both because he wouldn't want you to get exposed to potential negative press or hateful DMs. But of course, paparazzi are more watchful than anyone ever could be. So naturally a picture of him and you kissing soon adorns every gossip magazine front page including your name and Instagram profile (because of course they also found that out...). Not long after #WrioYN starts trending. The posts under the hashtag are a mixed bag of either excited fans and positive articles or angry fans and negative press, who say that you aren't good enough for him. Since your relationship is out of the bag now, Wriothesley decides to take you with him to the next red carpet event where he provocatively and fiercely kisses you in front of everyone to show the world what he thinks about their opinion. You're his and he is yours, and no one would ever be able to change that.

Neuvillette | Food Critic

He is one of the most famous food critics around and gets invited to various restaurants all around the world. He writes reviews for the things he eats and drinks and rates the restaurants without mercy. If your restaurant gets a bad review from him you might as well lock the door and close forever. He rose to fame through a video that went viral where he taste-tested a variety of different water brands, grading them on a scale from one to ten as if it was the finest wine. At first, people were amused by the videos and created memes about it until it eventually gave him so much publicity that he was invited to restaurants. So he organically rose to fame practically overnight without even realizing it. This already led to some less nice situations where some angry restaurant owners insulted him in public for ruining their reputation or hate comments under his posts. He didn't understand what he did wrong or why they were so upset with him and he always looked for the fault in himself, socially isolating himself as a consequence. You're always there to lend your ear and shoulder to cry on to him when situations like these arise. He may look tough but you know he has a soft and fragile heart and often takes negative comments about his person way too much to heart.

Zhongli | Food Blogger

He is a food blogger, mostly known for his expensive taste and aesthetic tea brewing videos and it even expands beyond that to clothing and his appearance in general. When watching him prepare all sorts of dishes one could be inclined to think he has all the time in the world. Doing live streams where he brews tea or cooks for six hours or more is not a rarity. His followers love his insight and knowledge about all the ingredients he uses. He always sprinkles in little fun facts, trivia and random bits of information. Being his partner therefore also means you always get the privilege to have the most delicious and fragrant food served to you. If you didn't know better you would think he is a renowned Michelin chef. Food is definitely his love language. Sometimes you and him would do couple cooking streams together and his community is all over you two. You're receiving fanart and people even write fanfics about you two. Generally Zhongli, much like himself, gathers a very level-headed, polite and loyal community around him.

Kazuha | Travel Blogger

He never stays in the same place for long, so much so that at this point his followers aren't even sure he owns a home at all. His feed and stories are filled with magnificent locations from all over the world. From sunsets over to stunning mountain views and sandy beaches. His life feels like a dream. And his followers live it vicariously through him. Always starts his day by posting an inspirational haiku in his story and with supportive words to his followers. The most sunshine and feel-good influencer around and most certainly a good role model. You accompany him on most of his travels but mostly play the role of the camera person and photographer for him since he wants to keep your relationship private. Until one day he pulls you in front of the camera during one of his livestreams and passionately kisses you on the lips before blushing and turning the stream off right after. When you ask him what made him change his mind he tells you that his heart ached due to the rumors of him and another influencer dating and he wanted to get them out of the world once and for all. Needless to say, your heart and the press are on fire the next day.

Cyno | Entertainer

Of course, Cyno is an entertainer. His intimidating looks paired with an impeccable sense of humor immediately resonated with people all over the place. He quickly garnered a large audience both on Tiktok and Youtube and uploads a new comedic skit at least once a week. He also occasionally does some pack-opening streams whenever new TCG card collections come out. You're always there to support him in his endeavors and he is extremely thankful for that. You're always the first to whom he tells his ideas and sometimes you even get cameos in his skits. Some evenings you sit together while playing cards and brainstorming about new video ideas for him.

Kaeya | Fashion Blogger

Fashionista and icon through and through. He loves the spotlight. And his smooth-talking and sly nature has people on their knees for him all over the internet. Unfortunately, that causes him to have the most obsessed and delusional fans around. He mostly posts OOTD posts, fashion inspo and clothing hauls as well as various photographs of modeling jobs. He often goes live on Instagram and Tiktok to interact with his fans. Sometimes you ask yourself how he even manages to hold a conversation with them, considering that most of the comments and chats he gets are simping. But he is just a natural-born influencer. Knowing his bold nature it doesn't surprise you when he pulls you in for a long and intense kiss on the red carpet one day. Until now you had publicly taken on the role of his manager to disguise yourself. It was an idea that came from his actual manager. The reason for that is to divert the attention away from you and spare you from the wrath of his crazy fans. Seems like he finally grew tired of the act. His smug smile, the flurry of flashing cameras around you, and the feeling of his lips pressed against yours were proof enough of that.

Thoma | Food Blogger

Another food blogger and a really good one at that. The handsome blonde mostly posts aesthetic cooking videos, cooking ASMR videos, quick meal-prep recipes for a busy day-to-day life, as well as comfort food recipes. His fans say his tasty creations aren't the only snack on screen though. Interviewers always ask him about his opinion on what his fans say about him, which always causes him to laugh with a shy smile and a blush across his soft cheeks. He also often posts stories and gives some tips for chores and various other activities like knitting, cleaning, and other useful lifehacks. Occasionally he also uploads pictures of new recipes he is working on behind the scenes in his story. All of this earned him the title of the "Malewife Blogger" quite early on in his career and he fully embraced the title. He even has merch designs referring to the nickname his fans gave him. You are always the first one who gets to hear about his new ideas or gets to review and taste-test his recipes. You often tinker around on recipes with him until late at night. You also help him with the launch of his first cookbook by typing out all the recipes and editing the cover image of him standing behind the kitchen with his signature red apron and smile. And you would agree with his fans, the biggest snack in that cookbook is right on the cover.

Tighnari | Garden & Wildlife Blogger

He blogs about all sorts of wildlife, survival tips, and environment protection and gives gardening tips. His sassy and incredibly sarcastic nature and reactions to some comments are what draw people to him. He makes people aware of how ecosystems work and how to live in harmony with them. He sometimes posts reaction videos and stitches in reply to people treating nature in a disrespectful manner and goes on entire tirades about it as well. He suggests environmentally friendly products and eventually even launches his own brand of environmentally friendly cleaning agents he produces himself. Needless to say, it's a complete hit among his fans. You are supportive of his videos and often help him with filming and editing them. You went on trips with him even before he started his social media career so seeing him become famous and successful with what he enjoys most fills you with joy.

Do not repost, copy, translate or edit - © dustofthedailylife || reblogs, comments, and asks about Genshin or my fics are always greatly appreciated and motivate me! Maple dividers are mine - do not copy.

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