#Afterwards I like a lot of characters...only background | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

pnutbutter-n-j-elyy · 8 months ago

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hii love! i just read your clingy so u distance yourself fic for the bazillion time and i cried again no surprise🥹 I just wanted to say i love your works so much and would live to request for an angst oneshot with brother bsf chan? basically reader has been pining for chan for a few years but she never got the courage to tell chan cause she thinks she isn’t good enough for chan. Then afterwards basically chan got a girlfriend who hated her and basically influenced chan to stop hanging out with her which he listened to and told the reader which the reader told him that his girlfriend wasn’t loyal but he thought she was sabotaging his relationship and so they ended off on bad terms but turns out a few weeks later he caught his girlfriend cheating and went back to the reader? sorry if it is kinda long but i rlly need a oneshot like this to read when i just need some angst i really live and admire your works so id be elated if you did my request. thank you and lots of love❤️

my first piece since I went on a mini little baby hiatus. and i had a lot of joy writing this. so i hope you enjoy <3!!!

Brothers Bsf Chan x Fem!Reader (angst/fluff)

6.8k words

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You didn’t know when it started. Was it a simple touch? A brush of a hand or an accidental graze of fingers? Or was it one of those lazy Friday nights where Chan would crack jokes to you and his best friend- your older brother Jisung- while you three were watching movies in the house you grew up in. Or did it stem back all the way to those days where you would chase after Chan and Jisung on the playground, down your neighborhood streets- crying out for them to wait for you. Those cries stopped when Chan would reach his hand out to bring you along.

Maybe it was a combination of all of those things, those things you had tried so hard to forget because it could only lead to heartbreak. Falling in love with your brother’s best friend was no easy feat for anyone. Let alone when you were falling for someone like Chan, who was so hard to fall out of love with. Maybe even more so for you since he would always be in your life. Him and Jisung were nearly joined at the hip, which made it even harder to hide your pining for him. You wouldn’t dare love out loud, but it was starting to whisper through the cracks of your resolve.

You were unconditionally in love with everything about Chan.

That's how it was for years, and how you intended it to be for as long as allowed. You spent countless nights staring at your ceiling, wondering if he could ever see you the way that you saw him. You were sure things were only platonic between the two of you, but you couldn’t help but linger on the memories of certain looks, certain gestures that you couldn’t delude yourself into believing happened between friends.

Things started to change when Chan began dating someone new.

Duri. Her name was Duri, and the first time you met her, you knew she was the type to turn heads. She had a smile that could light up a room and a confidence you could only dream of. Standing next to her, you felt small, like a background character in Chan’s life story. A girl who captured Chan’s attention so easily. A girl who wrapped him up in her life so easily that you knew you were to be forgotten. He was smitten and her words flowed like the river of the smoothest molasses. She could easily convince Chan, he didn’t need you. Because she didn’t like you.

You weren’t sure why, but it was obvious. And because she didn’t like you, her feelings towards Jisung weren’t all that different, it seemed. And slowly you felt like Chan was making his way out of your life.

“Ji, why isn’t Chris here?” You loved the way his name sounded when you said it. Not many people around you called him Chris, so it felt special to call him that. He seemed to enjoy it as well, not ever asking you to conform to societal norms.

“He’s probably just busy, Y/N-ie…I’m sure he’ll come back around.” Jisung said one day as you guys sat on the couch, scrolling through movies. It was the first Friday movie Chan had missed. And even if it was the first time he had missed it, you knew it would be a regular occurrence.

In all honesty, at first, you tried to like Duri. She was with Chan, after all, and you thought that maybe you could be friends. That maybe if you could convince yourself to like her then the pain of not being the one that Chan loved would ease.. But the more you saw her, the more you felt her sharp, indirect glances, the way she dismissed you with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She made you feel invisible, as if you were only tolerated because you were Jisung’s sister. Even if she just barely tolerated the latter.

Over time, you saw the changes in Chan too. He became distant, no longer the easygoing guy who’d spend hours with you and your brother. He was still polite, still kind, but he was pulling away, bit by bit. You told yourself it was just a phase, that he’d come around once things settled down with Duri.

But then, one night, things came to a head.

You, Jisung, and Chan had made plans to meet at your favorite café—just a casual hangout, like old times. But when Chan showed up with his girlfriend by his side, something was off. His smile was forced, his laughs hollow. He barely met your eyes, and when you spoke, and even then it was like he wasn’t really listening. To the point that Jisung even pointed it out. Every time you spoke, Duri happened to speak at the same time. Every time a question was directed at you, Duri somehow changed the conversation. You felt small and insignificant and made your way home early. You couldn’t stand to sit there and see the man you were so down bad for with his significant other. Duri had sat close to him, her hand always somewhere on his arm or shoulder, marking her territory in the subtlest way, in a way that caused an anger that wasn’t so subtle.

But even then after leaving you couldn’t shake the ache in your chest. You sat down on a bench outside of a convenience store by your home, trying to sort out your feelings.

You okay? I’ll be heading home soon. We went out to drink.

You quickly type out a reply to Jisung, your fingers shaking as you realized just how cold it was. Just as you were about to get up to leave a pale hand reached out to you with a warm drink.

You looked up to see a guy with dark and prominent eyebrows, and a little birthmark on his nose.

“You seemed cold. Its…” He looked at the can. “Mocha flavored.” He handed it back out to you and smiled softly.

“Thank you.” You said with a small bow of your head, and you couldn’t help but smile at the thoughtful gesture.

“You live in the neighborhood right? Your brother…looks like a squirrel?” The man’s voice was soft and shy, like he thought he was talking too much.

“Oh! You’re our new neighbor? I’m Han Y/N.” You said with a flourished bow.

“Park Sunghoon. Nice to meet you…” He shuffled awkwardly. “Would you like me to wait before I walk home…I don't want to make you uncomfortable.”

“No! No! It’s fine, I'm not uncomfortable. You can walk home with me.” You say quietly. “Maybe it’ll be nice to not feel lonely.”

As you made your way back home with Sunghoon you had a weird feeling in your chest. You thought maybe you were just trying to sort your feelings, but it was more of an intuitive sense.

Then you got a text from your brother.

I’m coming home. Duri tried to make a move on me and I’m not trying to get into it with Chan while she is here.

You blinked at the text, nodding when your voice registered Sunghoon asking if you were okay.

That was that odd feeling…

You didn’t know if it was selfish to feel happy that Duri was a tool, but you did. You didn’t want Chan to get hurt so you decided to go talk to him. Giving a message on behalf of Jisung, who thought maybe Chan would listen better if it was coming from a girl

“Hey, can I talk to you?” you asked, your voice soft but determined, as you walked up to him outside of his job a few days later.

“Yeah, of course,” he replied, looking a bit surprised. He followed you to a quieter part of the park, away from prying eyes. “Is everything okay? Jisung hasn’t texted me in a couple of days…"

You took a breath, feeling the words tangle on the tip of your tongue. “Chris…I just…I feel like you’re not around as much anymore. I get that you’re with Duri, but…it’s like you’re pulling away from me and Jisung. My brother is too scared to say anything, but he feels just as bad, if not worse than I do.”

He frowned, looking down at the ground. “I’m sorry if it feels that way,” he said finally, but not much emotion in his voice. “But…I need to be there for Duri. She’s… she doesn’t feel comfortable with me hanging out so much with, you know…” He trailed off, not meeting your eyes.

Your heart sank, a cold dread washing over you. “With me, you mean?”

He hesitated, but the silence was all the confirmation you needed. “She…doesn’t get why I’m so close with you. And I don’t want her to feel insecure, so I…I think it’s best if we… keep some distance. Just for now.”

You stared at him, feeling a surge of hurt and anger. “Chris, she’s manipulating you!” you said, the words slipping out before you could stop them. “She’s making you feel guilty for caring about people who were here long before she was. Because she knows those people will pinpoint, that she’s a manipulative cheater!”

He looked at you, a flash of anger in his eyes at the words. “You don’t know her like I do,” he snapped.

You flinched at the venom in his voice. He had never snapped at you and you could feel tears spring to your eyes.

“She tried to make a move on Ji…” You said quietly. “And don’t try and say my brother is a liar, Chris, because you know he’s not.”

Chan gave a sarcastic chuckle. “She already told me that Y/N. She was drunk. It was nothing more than that.”

“Drunk actions are sober thought Chris!” You shot back.

“Oh, so the first time you ever got drunk and confessed your feelings for me was a sober thought?”

You felt your body freeze and you blinked at Chan with wide eyes. You blacked out the first time you had ever drank and didn’t touch anything since. You never knew you had admitted to liking Chan.

“So it’s true then? You actually love me?” Chan let out a large sigh. “Frankly, it’s not fair for you to accuse her of things that aren’t true just because you put me on a pedestal. Your feelings for me aren’t my responsibility Y/N. This…this just feels like you’re trying to come between us because of some childish jealousy. She’s my girlfriend, and I trust her more than I trust someone who hasn’t been honest to me for years.”

You felt like you’d been slapped. The words cut deeper than anything you��d expected, leaving you struggling for air. “That’s not…that’s not what I’m doing, Chan. I just…I don’t want to see you get hurt.” You tried to say back. “My feelings have nothing to do with this I’m coming to you as a friend-”

“Friends don’t feel that way about each other Y/N! Once you cross that line friendship can’t be used as a label. Do you ever think that Duri might be acting this way because you absolutely suck at hiding your feelings?!” His voice was sharper than ever and you could feel a sad squeeze in your heart. “So deal with the fact that I’m going to put my girlfriend first- regardless of what I feel for you.” There was the slightest hesitation and falter in his face at his last words, but you were too upset to decipher what exactly that meant. “ I’m done with this conversation. I’ll see you later, Y/N.” He said in a soft yet defeated voice, leaving you standing there, heartbroken and speechless.

The next few weeks were met with silence. Jisung asked what had happened, but you couldn’t bring yourself to tell him. You kept your pain buried, letting it fester in the corners of your mind. Chan had felt terrible for yelling at you, and had come over to apologize with extra snacks for your guys Friday night movie, but to his surprise, it was only Jisung who was there.

“Where is Y/N?” Chan asked, setting down your favorite candy and chips on the reclining chair you always claimed. He looked around the corner to see if you were in your room. Your door was open and he walked in, looking at the little polaroids littered across your room on various walls and flat surfaces. He looked at your books and plushies with a soft smile.

“She’s working overtime tonight. Do you want to watch a Marvel or DC movie?” Jisung called from the living room. Chan’s brow furrowed. He knew the company you worked for closed early on Fridays, all employees getting off early. Something he had realized after observing you for so long.

“Marvel…” Chan called out, closing the door behind himself.

As suspected you weren’t working overtime.

Rather as time passed, you found comfort in unexpected places. One of those places was the attractive man that one night, your neighbor Sunghoon. Who, much to your surprise, shared your interests and understood your silence without question. He became your confidant, your quiet escape from the heartache Chan had left behind.

“He’s probably over at my house right now with Jisung.” You had mumbled as you cuddled up on his side. Also, much to your surprise, Sunghoon was a great cuddle buddy. What was even better is that he wanted nothing in return, nor were there any ill intentions letting you grow close to him in an emotional and physical way. He had confided in you that a deeper intimacy was something he couldn’t ever see himself liking, which was why he was set on settling down alone, and that he wasn’t much of a physical person to begin with, but with you he found himself not minding the soft physicality much at all.

“Like we’re twin flames right.” You had joked, that day, holding out your pinky. He had nodded, locking pinkies with yours.

“You’re right, but I am more than sure he won’t think to come over her-”

The doorbell rang and you sprung up from your position on the couch as Sunghoon made his way to the door.

“Well speak of the devil…” He mumbled.

Chan stood at the doorway of Jisung’s new neighbor, delivery food in his hand. He looked at the bag and considered the weight of the bag.

Maybe a couple having date night?

“Hello?” A tall and undeniably attractive man stood at the door.

Damn…wow uh-

“Oh, hey! I think your delivery was sent to my friend’s house. I just wanted to make sure you knew it was here...” The man looked at Chan with a blank look.

Are kids these days given supplements or something…why is he so majestic looking…

“Oh, thank you.” He said , bowing and grabbing the food.

Before the door was shut, Chan could’ve sworn he noticed a pair of familiar shoes, but disregarded it, making his way back to Jisung’s.

As more time passed, you found yourself missing Chan rather than getting over him.

“Is it strange, Sungie?” you asked while you were building a puzzle with him one evening- another Friday. “That I’m absolutely pissed, and heartbroken, but I want nothing more than to see him? And I can’t think of anything other than I miss him?”

Sunghoon thought for a moment and then spoke softly. “No, it’s not strange at all. Rather, it’d be strange if you didn’t. Sometimes, love clings to us hardest when we’re hurting the most. It's like every part of you is aching for the one person who can make it better—even if they’re the one who hurt you. Missing him doesn’t make you weak; it just means he’s still a part of your heart. Sometimes, loving someone means feeling everything all at once—the anger, the heartbreak, and that unstoppable longing. It’s okay to feel it all."

You were at your house, and Sunghoon was over since he had become a regular visitor, after Jisung befriended him and then finally pieced together where you were going every Friday and other odd days of the week when you first heard the news. At first he had assumed you and Sunghoon were a thing until you both quickly shot down that notion by informing Jisung that relationships and love were not Sunghoon’s cup of tea.

But since he now knew that wasn’t the case, and had long since known the truth since your first and last drunk outing he thought you might want to know.

“They broke up. Strange enough, Chan didn’t seem all that upset—I mean, he did seem upset, but you think you’d be more upset when you break up, you know?” Jisung rambled, barely pausing for breath. “Instead, he was, like, really calm, which made no sense to me. I feel like I’d be freaking out, or, like, super sad, or anxious, or angry. How can you just be indifferent to a breakup with someone you thought was going to be the love of your life? It’s like those characters in anime—”

You tuned out Jisung’s voice, the news sinking in like stones in your stomach as you laid your head against Sunghoon’s side as he read the ingredients on an air freshener bottle while he waited for Jisung to finish warming up food.

Chan and Duri had broken up. Your heart was a tangled mess of relief and pain, of memories you hadn’t let yourself fully process. After all those months, he was free—but what did it mean now? What did any of it mean when he’d already chosen her once?

As Jisung continued his rapid-fire monologue, you watched to the two people who had been a distraction these past few weeks: him and Sunghoon. Sunghoon, in a more practical way since he knew the depths of your doubts and worries, and easily fit into the spot of your platonic soulmate and best friend. It seemed he was more versed on the Chan-sized hole in your heart than even you were, and you were glad you now had him to walk these roads with you.

Eventually Jisung came back to the living room with dinner, and you were soon enough immersed into the activities of the evening.

You were unaware what was about to go down when the knock at the door came, Jisung springing up to answer it, his laughter echoing down the hall as he let someone in. The air around you shifted, growing thicker, familiar, and before you even turned around, you knew who was standing there.

You had known him long enough to sense when the man you loved was in the room. His presence filled it quickly enough, his gaze sweeping over the space, lingering a little too long on you and Sunghoon, who seemed to be molded together perfectly, Sunghoon’s arm lazily resting on your leg.

Jisung shot you an awkward glance before mumbling something about getting snacks from the store. He and Sunghoon exchanged a glance, and, with a silent nod Sunghoon got up, and they left, closing the door behind them. You were left alone with Chan in the thick silence that followed, the quiet pressing down around you.

Chan’s expression was tense, guarded, and yet, behind his eyes, you saw a trace of vulnerability. He took a hesitant step toward you, his voice soft. “Y/N…”

You met his gaze, pain simmering just beneath the surface. “What are you doing here?”

He took a deep breath, guilt etched into the lines of his face. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice cracking slightly. “I should have listened to you. I didn’t… I couldn’t see it. I was so focused on Duri that I didn’t see what was right in front of me. She wasn’t loyal. I caught her cheating, and I realized just how wrong I was and how right you and Jisung were.”

His words landed between you, each one a mix of relief and ache that clawed at your heart. But you couldn’t ignore the questions tumbling through your mind—the doubts that held you back from even entertaining the hope you’d once felt. You folded your arms, steadying yourself as you looked away.

“Chan, I don’t even know what to say to you. It’s not just about her or your breakup,” you said, voice low.

The older boy flinched at your words.

“Chan…” He mumbled. You had rarely ever spoken his name aloud like that before. So rarely he couldn’t even remember the last time you did, and he didn’t even recognize your voice when you said it. “I messed up horribly…didn’t I?”

“You didn’t just choose her.” You started. “You looked me in the eyes and didn’t believe me. You accused me of saying things because of personal feelings. Then went on to accuse me of lying to you because I never confessed my feelings- even though apparently I did and you just omitted the truth of what I said when I blacked out as if that's not also a form of dishonesty. You thought I was trying to ruin your happiness, like I’d sabotage your relationship out of jealousy. Are you serious, Chan?”

He winced again, his hand reaching toward you as if he wanted to touch you but was too afraid. “I know, Y/N, and I hate that I did that to you. I was wrong. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I just… I needed you to know that I truly am am sorry. I didn’t think I had hurt you that badly and it was foolish.”

The hurt that had sat quietly in your heart surged to the surface, and before you could stop yourself, you murmured, “So what? You’re here now because you need a rebound? You want someone to feel close to because she’s gone?”

Chan’s face fell, confusion and hurt flickering across his features. “What? No, Y/N, it’s not like that at all. You’re not some replacement or… or backup. You’ve never been that to me, ever.”

“Then what am I, Chan?” You shook your head, frustration and sorrow mingling together. “Because if I was the first one you come to- not even your best friend-” You said referring to your brother. “Than there has to be reason behind that. Let me guess, you feel something for me?”

Chan swallowed and you knew his answer when you saw the look in his brown eyes. You let out and exasperated sigh and tried to hold back your tears, but couldn’t so you looked at the ground instead.

“If you really felt this way—if you really cared about me or dare I even say loved me…then why did you pick her? Why now, after you’ve been with her all this time? Am I supposed to believe that just because she’s out of the picture, you’ve suddenly realized what you want?” Your voice was sad and defeated and you let your tears fall. “If so that's really really mean.” You whined sadly.

His eyes widened, and he shook his head emphatically. “No, it’s not because of that. Y/N, I was so stupid. I’ve spent these past few weeks… I didn’t even realize how much I missed you until I lost you. I can’t just go back to how things were, but I know I want you in my life. I don’t want to lose you.”

He paused until you looked up at him, his heart shattering even more at the glossiness behind your sad eyes. “It’s not that Y/N-ie not at all. Sometimes you really just don’t know what you’ve had until you lost it.

But something about his gaze shifted as he glanced back toward the door where Jisung and Sunghoon had left. His mouth pressed into a thin line, his brows drawn together in a dark, unreadable expression. “Guess I’ve already been replaced though, huh?” He said quietly.

You felt your stomach twist at his words, your tears drying almost immediately with the thought of where this was heading. “Replaced? What are you even talking about?”

“Your neighbor,” he said bitterly, albeit soft; the label sharp on his tongue. “You and him. I came here to tell you how much I’ve messed things up, only to see you with him. I guess it didn’t take long for you to move on.”

The accusation in his voice stung, leaving you feeling exposed. You bit back the urge to yell, to let out the anger that had simmered for so long. You knew it brought some validity to his earlier statement, him being jealous of Sunghoon, but God did you sometimes want to smack sense into him.

“You don’t get to come in here and make assumptions about me, Chan. Sunghoon is my friend. He’s been here because you weren’t. Because you pushed me away. I didn’t have a choice.”

“But you looked happy cuddled with him,” he said, a hint of defensiveness in his tone. “It didn’t seem like you missed me at all.”

You swallowed hard, feeling the tightness in your chest intensify. “Of course, I missed you. But you don’t get to accuse me of moving on. I waited. I wanted… I thought maybe one day you’d see me. But you chose her. You chose someone who didn’t even care about you, and I was the one left behind. So of course I needed comfort.”

He took a shaky breath, eyes softening as he stepped closer. “I chose wrong. I see that now, Y/N. I know I hurt you, and I don’t expect you to just forget that. But I can’t pretend now that I don’t feel something for you.”

You stared at him, searching his face for any hint of sincerity, but doubt gnawed at you. “We just went over this. How am I supposed to know it’s real? How am I supposed to believe that you actually want me, and not just because it’s convenient? If you loved me before than why not say something.”

“Why didn’t you say something!”

“Because unlike you I don’t go around dating people while I have a crush on someone Chan! If it was ‘oh so obvious’ than you should have said something. Or I don’t know, maybe when I blacked out and confessed you could have done something then-”

“I was petrified!” Chan shouted, causing you to take a step back. “How…how am I supposed to respond when my best friend’s little sister tells me she’s been in love with me since we were kids. And that’s its only growing?” He swallowed. “Am I supposed to take that risk and tell her its mutual, but that I don’t want to do anything in case things get messy? Because I don’t want to ruin things? Relationships are complicated Y/N! People fight and argue but romantic ones are so much heartier. Those arguments and fights hold more weight than friendships. I wasn’t…happy…only being your friend but I was content. Even if it meant I wouldn’t get to hold you or kiss you, or see your face in my children’s faces I was okay with that as long as it meant there was no risk in ruining things between us. And that saved me from the risk of getting on uneasy territory with Jisung. So I left it alone. I didn’t tell you. I asked Jisung to forget about it even if that meant he was upset at me for quote ‘rejecting my wonderful and perfect little sister’ unquote.”

You stood there, lips trembling, not knowing what to say as he lay his heart in front of you.

He reached out, brushing a thumb over your cheek in a tender, hesitant motion. “But now that I know what it’s like to live without you, Y/N, I can’t go back to that. I can’t. I don’t want anyone else. I just want a chance to make this right.”

The vulnerability in his eyes was almost too much, the raw honesty in his touch searing against your skin. But your heart still trembled with uncertainty, with a fear that ran deep.

“I’m petrified now.”

A tear slipped down his cheek as he nodded, a small chuckle leaving his lips, his thumb gently wiping away a tear that had fallen from your own eyes. “I’ll spend every day proving to you how much I love you, Y/N, so you won’t have a reason to be scared. I don’t want to lose you, not again. I was blind, but I see it now. And if you’ll let me, I’ll do whatever it takes to earn your trust back. To get you to a point where you won’t be able to deny the fact I only want you.”

You held his gaze, your heart wavering between the hope you’d never fully let go of and the fear that he’d break it all over again. And in that quiet moment, with the ache of the past between you, a fragile, cautious feeling began to bloom once more.

You took a steadying breath, bracing yourself as you met Chan’s eyes. “Chan, I don’t know what assumptions you’ve made about Sunghoon, but he’s just my friend. He’s been there because…” You hesitated, the words delicate on your tongue. “Because I needed someone. Not someone to date, or to replace you, but just…someone who understands. He’s helped me pick up the pieces after everything fell apart. And he’s not even interested in relationships like that. We’re just close in a different way.”

Chan blinked, his gaze softening as he listened, brows knitting in a mixture of relief and confusion. “So… you and Sunghoon… you’re really just friends?”

“Yes,” you replied, hoping he could hear the sincerity in your voice. “And he’s not going to change his mind about that. He doesn’t want anything more with anyone. It’s not in him. But he’s been a good friend—my best friend…my soulmate really.” Your voice trailed off quietly. “He’s someone I could talk to when I felt like I’d lost you.”

Chan let out a slow breath, some of the tension leaving his shoulders as he looked away, processing. “I…I feel so stupid. I was so ready to believe you’d moved on, that you’d replaced me. It was like this nightmare I’d imagined every night, that you’d found someone else who actually deserved you. And when I walked in and saw you both…”

His words faltered, and he rubbed a hand over his face, frustration and regret etched deep. “But I know I can’t blame you for being close to him. You had every right to find support after what I put you through. I just…”

“You just didn’t believe me,” you finished for him, the words raw but necessary. “And then you left, and I didn’t know how to fill that space you’d left behind but Sunghoon found a way. But that doesn’t mean he warrants any jealousy from you, Chris. I’m hoping you can learn to love him like you love Jisung. For me?”

He nodded, his eyes filled with regret.A part of you softened at the earnestness in his expression, the vulnerability that showed he understood, at least on some level, of what all of this meant. You sighed, feeling the weight of everything settling over you, but also immensely light.

But Chan seemed like he was struggling for a moment.

“Whats wrong?”

He bit his lip, his gaze darting away for a second before he finally asked, “Was there ever a point when…when you thought you could move on? That maybe you’d fall for someone else?”

The question struck deeper than you’d expected, and for a moment, you just looked at him, letting yourself process the vulnerability etched into his features. Did he truly think he could simply be replaced? That you’d spent years loving him, only to let him go?

“I thought about it,” you admitted, your voice soft but steady. “I thought maybe it would be easier if I could just let go. Even before all of this I thought about it. But no matter how much I tried, it was always you. It’s always been you.”

You felt the familiar sting of tears, and you blinked them away, not wanting him to see just how deeply his words affected you. “For the record, I don’t want to lose you either. But if we’re going to do this, we have to be honest. No more letting other people’s opinions get in the way. No more letting doubts fester between us.”

He nodded, a fierce determination filling his gaze. “No more doubts. I want us to be real, Y/N. Nothing standing in the way, just you and me.”

The weight of his words, the sincerity in his gaze, was almost overwhelming. You felt the warmth of his hand as he reached for yours, his fingers tentative, as if he wasn’t sure you’d accept him.

You took his hand, squeezing it gently, grounding yourself in the quiet assurance of his touch. It wasn’t the grand gesture you’d once dreamed of, but it was real. And somehow, that made it mean even more.

He looked down at your intertwined fingers, his thumb brushing softly over your knuckles. “Thank you for giving me this chance, Y/N. I’ll spend every day showing you that I mean it.”

You offered him a small, tentative smile, one that held a flicker of hope. “And I’ll do my best to believe it. But you have to understand—this is going to take time.”

He nodded, his own smile softening his face. “I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

For a moment, you both stood there, hands entwined, caught in the delicate balance between past hurt and the fragile possibility of something new. The wounds might still be raw, but you could feel them beginning to heal, slowly, with each beat of your hearts in sync.

As you looked into his eyes, you felt something you hadn’t felt in a long time—a cautious, budding belief that maybe, just maybe, this time, things would be different.

A few weeks later, things had settled into a comfortable, tentative new rhythm. The past wasn’t forgotten, but it had softened around the edges, allowing something new to bloom between you and Chan—no, Chris. You’d started calling him that again recently, just between the two of you, and every time he heard it, his eyes lit up, as though it was his own quiet assurance that he had your forgiveness, that he wasn’t just “Chan,” your brother’s best friend, but Chris, the man you were falling for all over again.

You weren’t rushing anything, taking each moment as it came. There were stolen glances, shared laughter, and late-night conversations that stretched until dawn, weaving a new kind of trust between you. He was patient and gentle, letting you set the pace, and every step you took forward felt right. It was healing, a slow rekindling that felt like rediscovering a part of yourself that had been missing.

One Saturday afternoon, you and Chris were sitting on the couch, a movie playing in the background as he leaned closer, his arm resting around your shoulders. Sunghoon and Jisung had left to get snacks- Chris listening to your request and giving Sunghoon a chance, finding out that he genuinely enjoyed the company of your best friend.

“Its like eternal best friend double dates.” Jisung had joked.

But since your brother and best friend had left, Chan had been looking at you with that soft, adoring expression you’d only dreamed of before, and it made you feel like you were the only person in his world.

“You’re staring,” you whispered, smiling as you felt a blush creep up your cheeks.

“Can you blame me?” he murmured back, his voice warm and low. “I’ve missed so much time, I don’t want to miss a single moment now.”

You felt your heart stutter, a nervous excitement bubbling up as you glanced down at his hand, your fingers lightly tracing patterns on the back of it. The space between you felt electric, and when he gently cupped your face, tilting it towards him, your breath caught. Slowly, as if asking permission, he leaned in.

Your eyes fluttered shut, and then his lips brushed softly against yours, a delicate kiss that felt like everything you’d waited for. His hand cradled your cheek, his thumb brushing gently as if he were afraid you might disappear. You kissed him back, your hand moving to rest against his chest, feeling his heartbeat under your fingertips, strong and steady.

“Chris,” you whispered softly as you pulled back just enough to meet his gaze, his name slipping out naturally, comfortably. The warmth in his eyes told you he’d heard everything you couldn’t put into words—how he was forgiven, how he was here, truly here, and that was all you’d ever wanted.

The tender moment, though, was cut short by a loud gasp and a stumbling sound near the doorway. You whipped around to see Jisung and Sunghoon standing there, both looking wide-eyed and more than a little surprised.

“Oh… I did not mean to see that,” Jisung said, covering his eyes dramatically, though you could see the smirk threatening to break through. “My best friend and my little sister? Wow, I was not prepared!”

Sunghoon, by contrast, grinned openly, the kind of grin that said he’d known this would happen all along. “Took you both long enough,” he teased, making his way over towards you to whack your head affectionately. “I was starting to think I’d have to do something drastic to get you two together.”

You laughed, face warm with embarrassment, but Chris only chuckled, unfazed even by Sunghoon’s physical touch with you, as he slid his arm around your shoulders again. “You two need to learn how to knock,” he said lightly, squeezing you a little closer.

Sunghoon just shrugged, shooting you a mischievous look. “I’m sure Jisung didn’t feel a need to consider having to knock on the door of his own home.”

Jisung laughed, giving Sunghoon a playful nudge. But then turning to Chan with a serious look. “I might still need to have ‘the talk’ with you, Hyung. I know we’ve known each other forever, but this is new territory.”

You rolled your eyes, pretending to scowl at your brother. “Oh, please, Ji. You never said anything before.”

“It’s because you weren’t actually together at the time! But now you are.”

Chris leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head, a look of peace and contentment in his eyes. “Yeah, and I’m not going anywhere this time,” he said, looking up at Jisung and Sunghoon, his tone serious yet gentle. “Not ever.”

Jisung nodded, his expression softening as he took in the scene. “Good. Just make sure you’re good to her, alright? Or else I’ll have to do the brotherly duty of fighting you or whatever older brothers are supposed to do…” He mumbled, turning towards Sunghoon for backup.

“Yeah…and I’ll do whatever a best friend does…” He said confused, shrugging as you laughed.

Chris’s grip tightened just slightly around your shoulders. “You don’t have to worry about that,” he said, his voice low and steady. “She’s the most important person in my life.”

Jisung scrunched up his nose, pretending to gag. “Ugh, okay, I was prepared for the brother talk, but I did not sign up for the mushy romance stuff. Can you two not be gross for five seconds?”

Chris laughed, glancing down at you with a sparkle in his eyes. “Fine, I’ll spare you… for now,” he said, giving you a playful nudge and a kiss to your nose

Sunghoon, ever the instigator, leaned back with a grin. “Hey, give them a break, Jisung. They’ve got years of this to catch up on. And honestly, I’m enjoying the show.”

Jisung threw a pillow in Sunghoon’s direction. “Well then maybe you should go find yourself someone if you think it’s cute seeing how my best friend and sister act.” He teased, rolling his eyes but unable to hide the small smile tugging at his lips. “Maybe they’ll have a sister and then you can join our family.”

Sunghoon shuddered and shook his head. “No thank you. But Y/N’s kids will have an Uncle who spoils them.” He said, grabbing the bottle of Soju from the coffee table.

“Hey! I get the title of favorite Uncle automatically.” Jisung whined. “No fair.”

Sunghoon shrugged. “The favorite Uncle has to be from the maternal side.”

“The hypothetical-” He shot a look at you. “Mom in question is my sister!”

“Logic, doesn’t always logic my dear friend.”

As Sunghoon and Jisung went back and forth you laughed, settling into Chris’s embrace, feeling the warmth of home around you. You felt his smile without even looking and it made your heart leap. This, right here, was everything you’d hoped for and more. And as the teasing and laughter filled the room, you knew that no matter what, you were exactly where you were meant to be. With who you were meant to be with.

<<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>>

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#skz imagines #skz x reader #skz stay #stray kids #stray kids reactions #skz reactions #skz angst #christopher bang #skz #skz fluff #skz bangchan angst #skz bang chan #skz bangchan #skz bangchan fluff #chan skz angst #stray kids x reader #stary kids angst

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crythartic · 10 days ago

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I have been staring and admiring your piece of the holiday/dreemurr kids at the piano, and it’s so beautiful. The rendering is honestly the nicest/ most appealing rendering that i’ve seen in my opinion, i was wondering if you would share your process or a tutorial of sorts? No pressure, your art is so lovely and i strive to achieve a similar look someday :)

oh my goodness thank you!! 😭😭😭😭 thats such high praise.. and of course i can share!

so basically how i went about this is, this drawing came second to the first one, it literally ocurred to me in the middle of rendering the dark world kris and a lot of the composition choices came from the contrast between them. the timelapse starts with an already-laid-out piano sketch cuz i had to correct the perspective on the first one so many times that i took this shortcut for more accuracy, afterwards i did a quick sketch of the poses i imagined and very loosely arranged the background... i shouldve honestly used perspective lines but im too stubborn about them. anyways speaking of perspective, in the first one not only did i want to give it depth but also incline it somewhat, you will see its not exactly on a horizontal axis but tilted slightly, this is because i wanted to evoke a sense of instability/of being pulled in. so with the second canvas you can see me tilting it as i go to be a proper mirror to the first one.

enough talk on perspective (esp considering u asked for rendering particularly)... lets talk colors! so particularly for this canvas ill say.... the holiday kitchen was a bit nightmareish in terms of color palette bro its SO WHITE. you will see i went back and forth a few times about what tone to make the piano, the background, etc, so as to not be too bright next to the characters. speaking of which, i colored them first under the sketch and immediately started shifting hues, values, trying to find the vibe i wanted, because of the way i render, which is by merging the lineart with the color layer, this is because i like rendering to feel like im "sculpting" out my drawing, its easier to control shapes and textures this way (for me), i do understand it's not the most efficient one tho! sometimes i do make separate layers for complicated details that i dont want compromising the whole layer. i primarily use lasso fill after merging the layers because it gives off a cleaner look, and its much faster to manipulate the shapes and silhouettes with it (this is a core thing in my recent art cuz,, i used to spend waaaaay too much time doing everything by brush and at some point it started not only limiting me but putting me off from rendering altogether). then i used some textured brushes here and there to blend some colors and to deliberately place lineart where i want.

this piece in particular had a looot of back and forth of switching the character's palettes and outfits so that they could bounce off of each other better and make the viewer's eye navigate through more than one focal point. i wasnt planning on anything more than a subtle shadow here and there but i felt like the characters lacked a bit of depth, so i added shadows and highlights appropriately (always playing off from the base color of the thing im rendering, be it skin, clothes, i work the colors individually so that it feels less predictable). afterwards you just have to adjust the lighting on the background, figure out which details you want to make stand out (as u can see im not too overly detailed on background elements, just enough to properly suggest the room), and .. you're done!!

#as per usual i ranted for too long #sorry LMFAO #id rather share too much than little!#asks

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ultred · 3 months ago

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my sp success story + how i’m maintaining our relationship.

a little bit about myself pre-sp.

before meeting my current sp, i went through a rough breakup and let’s just say— that individual was extremely abusive. i think i manifested the breakup because it was so sudden and it didn’t make “any sense.” it was extremely random and out of that person’s “character” and honestly, i know i could’ve manifested a completely new relationship with them but i didn’t want to. i felt way more free after the breakup and it’s actually the reason why i became a better manifestor and manifested my current sp.

i was stuck in the same cycle. always in toxic relationships. always surrounded by individuals who weren’t my type at all. always in shitty situations until the breakup. i DECIDED that i don’t want to be stuck in the same cycle anymore. and looking back at my previous relationships, i really did not stick to my standards at all which made me a bit resentful towards my partners. i think i lowkey wanted to put myself in painful situations because that’s what i was used to. (ego feeling safe in toxic dynamics) i knew i was worth more, way more, but i chose to always belittle myself and settle for less and what was “normal.” i chose continuously to experience the worst version of people too. i always chose to be with the worst person i can possibly see and think of in any room. i always chose to continue being with people who were inconsistent and overall just horrible. this even led to me experiencing signs of cheating or disloyalty over and over. it was a form of self sabotage until it ruined my life. it ruined my mental health. my “image.” my self worth. my confidence. it even ruined the way i view relationships and how i experience love. i thought that i was done for at some point. that i’ll never be able to experience love because my brain was “too fried” atp and mentally drained to ever genuinely feel or experience it. i never knew what true and pure love was. and if you’re anything like i was, i promise you, that can all completely change once you decide that enough is enough.

after the breakup.

i remember that i was so mad and felt a lot of anger towards that person and honestly, that anger helped me A LOT. it was the part of me that wanted better for myself. that’s why i don’t believe that anger is always a bad thing. i let myself feel my emotions. and to be completely honest, i was way too emotionally exhausted by that person that it was so easy to let go of them. i felt nothing towards them afterwards (i’m pretty sure i never did, it was just the attachment to a certain idea) and i completely let go of the idea of being in a relationship at that time. i became so detached from my 3d.

the moment everything shifted.

i remember lying in my bed and imagining my ideal relationship. i thought about marriage and the person i’ll spend the rest of my life with. i imagined everything about that person. their personality, appearance, age, education, voice, background, where they live, etc. literally everything. i had that knowing/feeling that they’re mine already. that one day i’ll meet them. i was satisfied enough with the thought of them. it “almost felt like” i was already experiencing this relationship and truly felt the love and every other emotion i wanted to experience and slept. at that time, i didn’t know that what i did was SATS. since then, i’ve always sworn by it because it completely transformed my life even until this moment. (you can manifest however you want, i’m just saying that this is what worked for me) i told myself that i’ll no longer settle for less. this person is already mine and they’re the only person i’ll accept.

a few days after the breakup, my friends kept telling me that i should reinstall IG and i usually refuse or not care that much but i felt inclined to do so. it felt so natural to me and i didn’t think much about it. (which can be considered inspired action) i started to work on my self concept, my mental health, and only focused on myself and my well being. i received so many dms from so many different people and i rejected all of them. i stuck to my end, to the person i wanted and this time, i did not settle for anything less. i also completely detached from the idea of being in a relationship. i was open to it, but i didn’t NEED it. i already knew that my next relationship would be exactly how i wanted with my exact ideal person so i didn’t care when it happened. i received so many friend requests and i was like “why not accept?” and accepted them. my ex came back too, begging me to be with them but i still stuck to my end. i was unfazed by everything in the 3d. i just did whatever i felt like at that moment.

how my sp and i met and how did it work out between us.

while accepting the friend requests, my sp caught my attention because usually people who follow me, we have a lot of mutuals in common. my sp and i only had one mutual and that mutual was someone who followed me by accident and thought i was another person. i accepted them and didn’t think much about it. my sp then started replying to my notes and let me tell you— i did not like that mf at all. i ignored them a lot. i didn’t really want to talk to them. i was even talking to other people. despite having some negative assumptions about my sp, i developed a strong self concept regarding relationships and people in general. i fully knew that any person who is interested in me will do anything to be with me, even if they have to change themselves to the better. one of the traits i am really attracted to in people is determination, which my sp FULLY embodied. that mf was so determined to be with me despite me being a complete ass to them. they even messaged me exactly what i visualized before going to sleep such as whether i’m interested in marriage or not. i was completely and authentically myself and i didn’t care whether anyone liked me or not. (i was raised to become a people pleaser, which i always tried my best to reject) and when i tell you they handled me so well, they really did, and that’s when i became attracted to them.

i viewed their profile and it really caught my attention. they didn’t seem to use IG at all and they admitted so. they told me that they’re barely on IG and don’t really use social media that much which is something i liked a lot. they barely followed anyone too. barely posted. it didn’t even feel suspicious, it felt normal. usually i’d be like nah, that’s dangerous but with them, it felt different and i even manifested constant proof that they’re harmless. we started talking a lot and they pissed me off a lot too but they didn’t give up and really respected my feelings. they’d always apologize and never repeat the same mistake again. when we got closer, i realized that they are exactly the person i visualized down to the tee. personality, appearance, voice, interests, lifestyle, beliefs about relationships, age, where they live, their family members, their university, etc. etc. even their first initial ! literally everything. i started to panic a bit and i self sabotaged and pushed them away. then i was like no, they are exactly the person i visualized, let me give them a chance and i manifested them messaging me again after mutually deciding to not talk. (p.s i was a complete mess and i still manifested that so your emotions really don’t matter and your self concept doesn’t have to be perfect 24/7. you’ll have your moments and it’s okay. you’ll eventually get there. you just have to persist in your desire, however you want) we then got way closer and there are so many things about that person that completely changed too. i manifested them becoming better and better everyday. from accepting everything about me to doing everything i wanted. then we met irl and since then, i’ve been in the best relationship ever.

how am i maintaining the relationship ?

i’ve developed a better self concept but sometimes traumas and fears can arise and i’ve been learning to deal with them. i did self sabotage a lot even after getting together. i’ve manifested them hurting me multiple times too and that’s when i started to really get into loa. i’ve always known about loa and even beyond the surface level, but i really wanted to have a healthy relationship and i was determined to do so.

my current sp made me realize that my beliefs about myself and relationships matter more than anything as well as my assumptions about certain people. but even if i assume the worst about someone, it still all comes down to my self concept because it’s the reason why i’m assuming the worst in the first place. it all starts with self and that’s true. so i did a little experiment. whenever i thought negatively about love, assumed the worst, and put my full awareness on negative things, they’d manifest in my relationship. whenever i thought positively about love and my sp, assumed the best, and put my full awareness on positive things, they’d also manifest in my relationship. i didn’t do anything in either. i just observed my sp. i even visualized and affirmed them doing and saying specific things to me, whether good or bad, and they both happened. it reached to the point where any song i’d listen to, even the most random ones, would literally be on their phone and they’d randomly play them when we’re together or mention them while texting. i let go of resentment. i let go of trying. i let go of all that and just decided. i asked myself do i really want this person and relationship ? and decided that i do. i decided that i’ll only focus on the version i want them to be, the love i want to experience, and who i am choosing to be. the more i focus on myself and what i deserve, the more they reflect that back to me so i’d be insane to still choose to experience negative things when i can simply experience the positive. and to help myself even more, i assume that even if i’m overthinking or feeling negative emotions, they always prove to me that they’re false and that everything is okay. every day i see how they’re my type and ideal for me more and more.

i know i rambled a lot but i wanted this to be proof that manifesting your ideal person is not out of reach and is completely possible. i am a perfect example of that because i manifested my sp although i am barely close to anyone irl, don’t really meet a lot of people, was completely isolated, went through horrible breakups, had the shittiest self concept when it came to love, was going through a lot mentally, and so much more. i barely even talked about all the “crazy” things i’ve manifested with them and trust me, the way we met and everything we’ve been through together until this second proves that imagination is the actual reality and the decider of how your 3d unfolds. everything i’ve been through previously in life was also “proof” that i couldn’t experience what i wanted but i refused to accept that. i was told that i’ll never find someone like them and i didn’t accept that. now i have someone, who i’ve manifested out of thin air, literally worship the ground i walk on and we’ve been together for a long time now.

your 3d is not evidence for anything. it doesn’t prove anything. if you want something, you can have it no matter what anyone tells you and no matter what you see. if you want it, it’s yours. if you can imagine it, it’s yours. you deserve to experience love and be with someone who fits you perfectly, treats you well, and gives you everything you want. yes, EVERYTHING. it all comes down to you.

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ecoustsaintmein · 10 months ago

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Poolverine thoughts

So I've just returned from watching Deadpool and Wolverine for like...the 8th? 9th time now? And I have thoughts about how the filmmakers chose to portray the evolution of their relationship -- some of them may already have been pointed out by others on this site, but this is my attempt to summarise them!

Also mostly I'm putting myself in Logan's shoes and writing this from his perspective?

Spoilers below cut:

We know that Wade has always made comments about Logan, even from the first film eg 'whose balls do I have to fondle to get this movie made?'. He might sound like he hates the guy, but obviously there's respect there, and he showed it in a Wade way. We know that by the third film, Wade wants to matter. He wants to be an Avenger, and almost regretted that even the X-Men didn't even want him. He prooobably almost nearly gagged when he spoke in earnest about how Logan has always been viewed as the X-Man in his world, but the respect is there. (And perhaps that's why he doesn't 'hit on' Logan as much as compared to Cable, Colossus et al? And all the 'shippy' comments were made by other characters in the film eg: bartender 'are you gonna fuck or fight?' or Cassandra's 'you two are cute'?)

The song choices when Logan and Wade interact, from AC/DC's Hell's Bells when they fight for the first time (fair, because Logan doesn't know Wade that well yet), to Avril Lavigne's I'm With You ('Take me by the hand, take me somewhere new/I don't know who you are but I, I'm with you') when they're driving in the Odyssey, which again, quite apt? And 'also the line 'take me home' in the Avril Lavigne song, which probably reflects Logan not really knowing who Wade is but just -- going along with the ride, as if asking Wade, just take me home, find me a place for me to belong. The theme of home recurs again and again, which leads one to wonder why it's not so surprising that Logan did end up following Wade home in the end???' Plus, 'You're the one that I want' when they're having that heavy makeout sesh intimate fight scene in the Honda? Let's not even talk about the 'Like a Prayer' scene, which again. 'When you call my name, and it feels like home.' Again. Home.

Which then leads to Logan, who confessed to Cassandra that he 'turned away' when 'they called for him', and he didn't make that mistake again when Wade called out his name at the end. While Aretha Franklin's 'You're All I Need to Get By' plays in the background. Yep.

Let's not forget the fact that Logan, after the fight in the Odyssey (despite all the boohooing and ongoing alcoholic misery afterwards), picked up the photograph of Wade's 'world', and returned it to Wade. Man doesn't want to show or say it during the second and third act but he CARES. A LOT!

Logan repeating Wade's words, verbatim, twice! ('You didn't lie, you made an educated wish'), and 'I'm an X-Men. I'm the X-Men')

Logan telling Wade that he wished Wade would die alone, then ending up making sure that Wade wouldn't have to die alone.

Logan keeping the suit on him at all times, only to have it get destroyed at the climax of the film - which, sad, because yes it's the only thing that reminds him of the X-Men of his world, but it could also be an analogy of -- he needs to move on. And he did! He wanted to be free, and he told this as much to Cassandra, and he did become free, in the end!

On the subject of Cassandra, she promised Logan that she could 'silence everything'. The joke's on her, because Logan found himself trading peace (as silence), for peace (as a chaotic, loud motormouth). He found his home, and it's with Wade.

On the subject of peace and home -- Logan is pretty much an immortal being, and a lot of his issues may have stemmed from the trauma of losing people he cares about, or people who got close to him, even for like 5 seconds (evidenced by ALL THE X-MEN MOVIES). He carried that with him throughout this movie, with all the references of saving the world, saving Wade's world, getting home, etc etc -- the point being, he did it for Wade, in the end (never mind Wade's educated wish that the TVA would restore Logan's past). And despite doing it for Wade, Logan was rewarded by having Wade AND Laura in his life now; both pretty much people who can't die, as part of his family. At least he will always have them -- and isn't that freeing and peaceful enough???

Last but not least -- as a circular thing, I'm going back to my first point. Wade spent the whole movie wanted to matter. In the end, he finds out that he does matter -- not just to his 'old world', but also to Logan. And be it just mutual respect, which then blooms into friendship, fondness, maybe more -- the point is: Wade does matter. To Logan. A character he spent the previous two films talking about despite not featuring at all in those movies. How do I know this you ask? Yes, Logan wanted to sacrifice himself for Wade. But more importantly, he followed Wade home. And at the end, after multiple groans, and frowns, and curses, he SMILED! AND LAUGHED! At Wade's stupid jokes!

I'm probably reading too much into their relationship and how they were written, and maybe it wasn't even Ryan's intention, but goddamn Hugh and Ryan made their chemistry/friendship bleed onto the screen, no matter how they were initially written in the script.

#poolverine #deadpool and wolverine #deadpool #wolverine #ryan reynolds #hugh jackman #i may have forgotten others but let me know if you have other tidbits

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anthurak · 9 months ago

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You know that "Mundane super power" aspect you mentioned?

Another thing I like about crossing over RWBY characters with other settings is how easily their nature as basically coming from an apocalyptic hell-world can bleed through.

This is hard to articulate, but like.

The casual way in which towns disappear, that ruins dot the landscape, that people like Ruby & Yang grew up immersed in a culture that trended towards violence and early graves.

There's a nifty Naruto/Stargate crossover, (Its complicated) where Himawari kind of subtly disturbs the Stargate crew cos she knows exactly how best to behave in a dangerous situation, doesn't really seem bothered when enemies die and has been taught stuff like "Reading the battlefield."

I think RWBY characters would be similarly off-putting in their own way unless they were incredibly sheltered like Jaune or rich enough to have not ever encountered a Grimm until the the Beacon Test like Weiss. & even then, the lived experience, training and cultural awareness means they'd likely still come off as a little off-putting.

This also plays into how Ruby and Yang are seemingly quite... Not comfortable, but functional about the prospect of causing death or grievous bodily harm in a way most Shounen/action protags aren't.

Ruby, as far as she knew, sent Neo hurtling to her death in V3 and was at most momentarily shocked when Roman died & forgot all about it. Yang processed killing Adam in a very straightforward manner, she's not cavalier about it, but she'd made peace with it being a them or us situation right quick.

There's plenty of other examples but I think we've discussed it before.

But yeah, I just think its fun, even in series that can have similar degrees of destruction or death, their relative youth and manner with it would likely still make many locals be like (oO) & I think that's fun.

Oh yeah, this has always been a great idea for RWBY crossovers.

And one of my favorite/most interesting parts about is, as you touched on, how subtle Team RWBY’s whole vibe is and how it can potentially sneak up on others.

Like Team RWBY and really most of the show’s characters generally DON’T give off any real obvious ‘I come from a fucked-up deathworld’ vibes like being real dark, broody or even just looking anything the part. For anyone from a much more mundane setting/background, Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang generally come off as a friendly, likeable, good natured bunch without really anything all that offputting.

For about… eighty to ninety percent of the time.

But then you’ve got those 10-20% moments where the dark, serious ‘fantasy war-veteran’ sides of Team RWBY slip out. Like they might not even have been trying to hide it, it just comes out when things get serious.

Like maybe there is some big disaster or some other terrible event perhaps caused by the villains that leaves the more ‘normal’ characters/heroes frozen in shock and horror, meanwhile RWBY are just immediately jumping into the fray to fight or help however they can. With perhaps one or more doing the whole ‘slap the shock’ out of the other characters with a ‘We got work to do!’. And it’s just kind of… unsettling how Team RWBY takes these events in stride.

Or to build off your point on Ruby and Yang, as well as Blake and Weiss, being ‘functionally alright’ with hurting/killing people*, there’s a LOT of juicy potential there for when Team RWBY goes up against more mundane villains.

Like just picture a situation where a villain is threatening innocents in a classic ‘you’ll have to KILL ME to stop me!’ standoff that has the heroes freezing up… only for Ruby to almost immediately just shoot said villain.

She certainly looks like she didn’t enjoy or even want to do it, but both how quickly she did it and how easily she seems to role with it afterwards are just REALLY unsettling.

And then there’s what I’d call the FLIPSIDE to all this in how Team RWBY deals with being in a world that might NOT actually be filled with monsters who are an ever-present existential threat to humanity.

Like even for someone who grew up more sheltered like Weiss that is almost certainly going to be a MASSIVE culture-shock. Not to mention that the only people with a frame of reference that Team RWBY would be able to talk to about this would likely be each other.

Even in settings that might have some kind of monsters threatening humanity such as most magical girl shows, the appearance and threat that these monsters pose are almost always a very RECENT occurrence that most people might not even know about. Generally in these settings, the ‘normal, mundane world’ IS the norm, with the dangerous and supernatural merely popping up on and off in isolated places.

It could really create this interesting contrast where Team RWBY finds the mundane world that their new friends consider ‘normal’ to be just a bit uncanny and unsettling. And even finding it a bit comforting when monsters or some other supernatural threat to fight shows up because that feels more NORMAL to them.

This is actually something I tried/am still trying to explore in my Kingdom Hearts crossover fic. Like Ruby musing on how to explain her whole huntress background to Sora, Kairi and Riku when to them, monsters are things that have existed in storybooks, while for Ruby monsters have always been REAL. Or Ruby even noting a comforting ‘return to normal’ when she starts fighting the Heartless.

I’ve even got ideas for Ruby, as well as Weiss, Blake and Yang further on, idly musing on whether the Grimm or Heartless are the worse to fight, with some of their new friends being just a BIT weirded out.

And that’s not even getting into the potential of Team RWBY interacting with various Disney movie settings. Like I’ll admit that I kinda REALLY want to have Ruby boom-headshot at least one Disney villain XD

*I will say, I’ve had a theory for a while that Ruby, even more so than her teammates, has particular ideological reasons to generally avoid killing people, specifically when we consider how Ruby specifically DOESN’T use her ‘walking grimm-blender’ style of fighting against human opponents. Personally I imagine Ruby seeing it as ‘I hunt MONSTERS, not people.’ That being said, I don’t see Ruby as having some strict ‘no-killing’ ‘one rule’, but rather that she views taking a life as a last resort.

#rwby #rwby ask #tumblingxelian ask #rwby crossover #Team RWBY #Ruby Rose #Weiss Schnee #Blake Belladonna #Yang Xiao Long #crossover concepts #kinda love the idea of ruby in 'consummate professional' mode XD #kingdom hearts #my writing #rwby fanfic

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flowerandblood · 1 year ago

Text

The Fall from the Heavens (16)

[ canon • Aemond x Strong • niece female ]

[ warnings: sex content, smut, angst, dirty talk, breeding kink, description of wounds and trauma, remorse ]

[ description: A cool distance turns into friendship and more when two children see that they can find refuge and understanding in each other. However, naïve dreams collide with the reality in which every event has consequences and what once could have been love becomes a dark, newly painful obsession. Angst, sexual tension, obsession, violence, madness, very dark Aemond. ]

The story in this series is an alternate reality from the oneshot Stay and love, leave and die, in which Aemond reads the letters his niece has sent to him over the years. They are the same characters and it shows what would have happened between them − I have changed the background story from their childhood slightly for the sake of the plot.

Characters & Series Moodboard Lady Strong Moodboard Aemond & Lady Strong Moodboard Aemond & Lady Strong Childhood

* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *

Next chapters: Masterlist

_____

He remembered little of their journey back to King's Landing; it seemed to him that his conversation with Daemon, and before that with Aegon, had been a dream, and that it had all not really happened. Throughout the journey, he kept his cheek pressed against his wife's temple, feeling great relief but also fear.

He was sure she would run away.

He was sure she would let him down again, and some part of him wished she would.

Why?

When they reappeared in the Red Keep there were only a few hours left until dawn; he instructed his guards to convey to his brother as soon as he woke up, that he should call a meeting of the Small Council where he would be able to give a brief report of what had happened.

Afterwards, he and his wife both retired to his chamber, stripping out of their riding attire, speechless and exhausted. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, feeling a tightness in his throat, wondering why he felt tense, why he was not rejoicing.

He swallowed loudly as he realised that he had expected a betrayal on her part, because it would make things a lot easier for him.

He could then turn his back on her and her family once and for all, shed his illusions, become who he had been for eight years again.

It frightened him that now, when it was obvious that she had proved her loyalty to him, that she had chosen him at last, so many things remained unsaid, silenced, repressed.

He felt her uncertain gaze on him as she stayed in just her nightgown, heard his bed creak quietly under the weight of her body.

"My love?" He heard her soft voice and grunted, staying in only his breeches and linen shirt.

She twisted towards him as he lay down beside her on his back, placing his hands on his stomach, sighing heavily with exhaustion.

He shuddered when he felt her warm, soft hand on his – their fingers began to trail and rub against each other in the air, just like when she had come to him that first night after many years of separation.

"Speak to me, Aemond. Don't lock yourself in your mind." She said calmly; something in her words, in the fact that she sensed his anxiety made him swallow loudly, opening and closing his mouth several times, unable to get anything out. He finally shook his head, closing his eyes, deciding there was no point.

"Say it. Say all the things you've always wanted to say to me. Even if those words will only cause me pain. I want to know."

He opened his eyes, feeling his heart begin to pound like mad, a shiver ran along his spine.

"I will never understand how could you leave me then." He finally said in a voice filled with regret and venom – he felt her twist next to him restlessly, drawing in air loudly.

He didn't look at her, but he felt her hand tighten on his.

"That was never my intention."

"Then why?"

"My mother then told me to let you rest and calm down. That the guards wouldn't let me visit you anyway by order of the Queen."

"What a nonsense."

"I am speaking the truth. When I wanted to pay you a visit a few days later, Criston Cole sent me away."

He felt his heart stop at those words; his whole body tensed, his breath stuck in his throat as he finally looked at her with wide-eyed expression.

"What?"

He felt her thumb stroke his palm, her eyes looking at him pleadingly.

"I swear, five days after what happened, I came to pay you a visit. I came every day after that, but he always sent me away. He said you didn't want to see me." She mumbled, and he snorted in disbelief and amusement, shaking his head. He looked at her in shock, wanting to see anything in her face that could confirm that she was lying.

He swallowed hard, embittered, leaning the back of his head against the back of the bed.

"It doesn't matter. I needed you when it happened."

"I needed you too. When Criston Cole held my cheeks as your mother's guards poured moon tea down my throat. I wondered at the time if that's how you felt." She said with weariness, sadness and indifference from which he felt an unpleasant squeeze in his stomach; he felt his lips part involuntarily, a hot, overpowering wave of shame surge through his body.

They stared at each other for a moment in silence, just breathing, not moving or saying anything, her hand still on his, warmth and reassurance in her touch.

For the first time in eight years, they spoke honestly about what had happened.

"Why didn't you ever write me back?" She asked at last, her voice trembling slightly, as if the very thought of it made tears of regret rise in the corners of her eyes.

He clamped his eyelids shut, sighing heavily, this time it was his fingers that stroked her hand.

"I've tried. I tried so many times. But I was unable to fill the parchment because no words seemed to describe what I was feeling. I couldn't put my thoughts into sentences. Everything that came out from under my hand was the ramblings of a madman and ended up burning in the fire. Then it was too late. I didn't see the point." He said, not believing that these words had left his mouth; he glanced at her uncertainly out of the corner of his eye, a single, solitary tear ran down the side of her face.

"You didn't even let me explain myself. You didn't give me a chance despite the fact that I've never let you down before." She muttered, and he swallowed loudly, feeling an unbearable tightness in his throat.

"I know."

He took his hand from her grasp and put his arm around her – her body immediately clung to his, entwining with his like a vine, her face sunk into the hollow of his neck, his hand roaming lazily down her back while his lips placed warm, lingering kisses on the top of her head.

They fell asleep for the few hours separating them from dawn in their tight embrace, not like lovers, but like they used to when they were children, holding hands, their foreheads touching.

He felt how, as she awoke, her fingers stroked his cheek gently, her lips placed a warm, soft kiss on his, which he reciprocated with a low murmur of satisfaction, without even opening his eyes.

For the first time in eight years, he felt at peace.

For the first time in eight years, he felt relief.

His closest friend was by his side again.

They were both just dreaming of sleeping on when Criston Cole walked into his chamber announcing that the King had called an immediate meeting of the Small Council in accordance with his wishes.

He sighed heavily, rising slowly from his bed, ordering his servants to prepare a suitable tunic for him. He turned, looking at her over his shoulder, his broad hand stroking her bare calf with a soft, lazy gesture.

"Accompany me. Be by my side."

The sight of her walking behind him as the door of the chamber in which all those gathered sat opened before them did not satisfy his grandfather or his mother.

He pretended not to see their warning glances, instead ordering one of the servants standing nearby to place a second chair right next to his, where he took his seat, placing his sapphire ball in a niche in the stone table.

"Speak, brother." Aegon began without undue politeness or introduction. His mother, his grandfather and Criston Cole were all opposed to their idea, however Lord Lannister and the other houses supporting them were far more accepting of the news that perhaps the whole matter of succession would be resolved without a bloody, kingdom-destroying war.

"Our uncle is as brazen as I remember him to be, however, despite his misgivings, he has not declined our offer. He will certainly pass on our words to our sister. We must wait." He replied truthfully; his mother sighed heavily, burying her face in her hands.

"What if no son is born to you, Aemond? If it is officially the sons of Rheanyra and Daemon who become heirs, they will kill us all for treason." She said with impatience, grief and horror – he opened his mouth to reply, however his wife forestalled him.

"You may have killed the child in my womb who could have been the heir we so need now. We will never know, will we?" She sneered, and he felt an unpleasant shiver run down his back.

His hand clenched into a fist at the mere memory of what had happened and what she had done next. He looked at his wife's face out of the corner of his eye and swallowed hard, seeing in her expression strenght, determination and confidence.

Just what he needed.

Complete silence fell, his mother lowered her head, pressing her lips into a thin line.

"As I said, we have to wait. We have done what we could."

The fact that Aegon had agreed to try to come to an agreement over the succession did not mean that either of them were going to give up preparing for a possible war, so they spent the rest of the meeting discussing what they would do if that plan failed. The King then asked his wife to leave; she rose and left without a word, touching his shoulder with her hand beforehand.

Something had changed between them, he could feel it.

As he watched the door close behind her, he realised that after she had decided to come back with him instead of running away with Daemon, after what he had confessed to her the wall that had been piling up between them since the night he had tamed Vhagar had finally collapsed.

When he returned to his quarters he did not find her there, so he headed for her chamber, informing the guards that no one was to disturb them. As he stepped inside he noticed her figure sitting by the window, bent over the embroidery of the Arryn family crest; the sun was beaming down on her face, he could feel a pleasant summer breeze all around her.

She lifted her gaze to him and smiled in a way he knew, one he remembered well from when they were children; what touched him in that look, in that smile, was the confirmation that she felt the same as he did, that she knew that something had finally changed between them, had set in on the right track.

He approached her slowly, involuntarily extending his hand towards her cheek; he watched as she pressed her face into his skin rough from holding the sword and sighed quietly as her lips placed a soft, warm kiss on his palm.

Gods, how he loved her.

He took the cloth from her hand and set it aside, grabbing her waist and lifting her, seating her in front of him on the top of the old wooden table. She stared at him with her eyes wide open, surprised, her lips parted slightly in an accelerated breath, betraying her uncertainty and excitement; he took a step towards her, so that their faces were almost touching, cupping her cheek in his palms, so soft, so warm.

She smelled of vanilla.

He looked at her, at her bright, warm gaze, at her gentle face, which had so much of that childishness of many years ago in it, while being more mature, more girlish, more tempting; her dark lashes shone in the sunlight as she closed her eyelids feeling his thumb run slowly over her fleshy, moist lower lip.

She was his wife.

What he wanted had truly come true.

She stood before him again, his childhood friend, his lover.

"Rhaenys." He whispered and she opened her eyes, looking at him in disbelief; he saw her cheeks flush, her body trembled all over with delight. She raised her hand and he moved away immediately, horrified when he realised she wanted to grab his black eye patch.

"No."

"You're my husband. That's enough." She said regretfully and tiredly, taking his face in her hands. He looked down at her, breathing heavily, his eyebrows arched in uncertainty, in shame, in fear.

"Don't spoil this beautiful day for me." He said at last in a low, hoarse voice. She pressed her lips together as if his words caused her pain, her fingers sliding down his jaw, dropping powerlessly.

"One step forward, two steps back." She said softly, and he swallowed hard, feeling a squeeze in his throat at her words. He sighed loudly through his nose, licking his lower lip with his tongue, fighting with himself.

He didn't know what had happened, what had changed, what had brought him to reach up to his face, to grab his eye patch and pull it off with a sudden, aggressive movement, throwing it impatiently to the ground.

He saw her raise her shoulders high, frightened by his sudden gesture, her lips parted in disbelief, her pupils narrowed as she looked straight at him. He expected her to turn her face away at this sight, to betray herself with a stare full of disgust or fear, but instead her eyes turned red from the tears that had gathered in their corners.

"Come." She whispered, grabbing the material of his tunic with her hand, pulling him closer; he involuntarily took a few steps forward, shocked by her reaction, by her expression, as if what she had seen had moved her greatly, but not in the way he had expected. "Come here."

Her hand lifted higher, to his cheek – he closed his eyes, feeling his whole body freeze as her fingers ran gently over the line along which his scar ran.

"Oh, my dearest, you must have suffered so much. It must have caused you so much pain. For so many, so many months, you must have died every day. Forgive me." She mumbled out in a trembling, breaking voice, from which he pressed his lips together, himself touched for some reason, embittered and grateful at the same time, because for so long he had been waiting for that very look, that very touch and those words from her, just from her.

She kissed him in a way she had never done before – it was neither a child's kiss nor a lover's kiss; it was a caress full of warmth, moisture and care, a tenderness from which he involuntarily closed her in his arms, leaning lower to press himself tighter to her swollen lips.

Their mouths brushed each other lazily, slowly, unhurriedly, as if they had all the time in the world, their hands stroking each other's faces with gentle, calm movements, birdsong all around them, the loud conversations in the courtyard coming from behind the open window and the quiet, sticky clicks of their saliva.

He felt himself shudder each time his lips pressed against hers again, their arms holding them close together, his lungs filling with her scent.

Vanilla.

His manhood slowly began to swell and throb from those wonderfully innocent caresses full of promise, something they hadn't done before but so desperately needed.

"Make love to me." He whispered into her mouth; she moaned softly, throwing her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, forcing them to join together again in a hot, lazy kiss, which he did eagerly.

Only after a moment did their tongues come out to meet each other, their tips beginning to lick teasingly making them both breathe louder; his hands slid lower to her gown, lifting its material higher, exposing her wonderfully soft, bare thighs.

He let her take care of him, undoing the buckles of his tunic and the tying of his breeches as he kissed with emotion her forehead, her eyebrows, her nose, her cheeks, her temple.

She was his.

It seemed to him that they had gone back in time, to that day when she had kissed him for the first time.

As if what they were doing now was an extension of that moment.

"Do you think we would have persevered until marriage? With staying in chastity." He gasped, sighing quietly in relief when her skilled fingers finally released his desire-sore manhood, his arm drawing her closer as her thighs spread eagerly before him.

He heard her giggle softly, when he lifted his gaze to her he saw pure joy, warmth and love in her eyes, exactly as they had been then, that day.

"If you want, you can believe it, uncle." She replied tauntingly, just as she always did, just as in his fantasies; he snorted at the thought, sinking his hand into her warm womanhood, already leaking with desire. She tilted her head back, sighing with pleasure as his fingertips ran over her throbbing, moist slit.

"What do you imagine would happen?" He continued on, teasing her with the movements of his finger, which slid a little between her tight, wet muscles, pushing them apart, rubbing her rough bud hidden just above her opening. A soft, sweet moan came from her lips as she swallowed loudly, looking up at him from under half-closed eyelids.

"One night, when I would visit you in your chamber, we would begin to touch. Innocently at first, but eventually you would understand what it feels like to clamp your fingers on the soft breast of your beloved woman. You would understand what pleasure lies deep between my thighs." She cooed sweetly; he gasped loudly, embarrassed by how hard his cock pulsed at her words, which did not escape her attention.

"You'd say you wish to feel me just for a moment −" She whispered, with a gentle flick of her hand directing his swollen, hard length between her thighs; they both moaned quietly as he began to push against her and opened her wide on the thick head of his cock with a soft, firm thrust of his hips. "− but we would both know it was a simple lie, spoken only to make us feel less guilty."

A throaty, low groan escaped his lips at that thought; his hands clamped down on her buttocks covered by the material of her gown, with a deep thrust of his hips forcing her to let him inside her. She whimpered, panting heavily along with him, looking at him with her mouth wide open, as if she didn't recognise him.

She put her hand around the back of his neck, the other resting on the table top, trying to catch her balance as he began to root into her with slow, lazy thrusts, sliding out of her almost all the way, only to sink back between her warm, moist muscles a moment later.

"− Aemond −" She mewled, closing her eyes, responding involuntarily with the rocking of her hips to his treatments – it seemed to him that they were both in a state of some kind of ecstasy that nevertheless had more to do with what they had shared when they were children than now, when they were united by fire and blood.

"− and what would you do? − hm? − what would you do if I put it inside you and told you I wouldn't stop until I filled you? −" He breathed out, involuntarily quickening his pace; she moaned pleadingly at his shameless question, her fleshy, hot core clenched tightly around his erection, sucking it inside her, their bodies slapping against each other with loud smacks of skin against skin.

"− I would beg for your seed −" She mumbled out; his hand tightened on her hair at her words, his lips clinging to hers in a greedy, hot kiss full of their tongues and saliva, in a caress not filled with hatred and aggression but pure, hot desire.

"− so fucking beg −" He growled into her mouth between their quick, loud kisses, their lips with a sticky click clinging and pulling away from each other as their bodies found their own pace to pleasure, his thick cock pulsing with desire slamming into her so deep and fast that he seemed to run out of breath, her cheeks and lips all pink with exertion.

"− please, uncle − put your heir inside me −" She whimpered helplessly and that was enough for him – he pressed his forehead against hers, panting loudly, holding her close in a strong embrace in his arms, with a few sloppy, sticky thrusts prolonging the inevitable to finally spill deep inside her. He feel a powerful orgasm shake her body, her head tilted back with a sweet cry of pleasure.

"− yes − yes, oh, gods, uncle, fill me −" She mumbled, her hands drawing him back to her mouth, their lips devouring each other in fierce, moist kisses as the last drops of his spend filled her womb. They both rocked their hips for a while longer with loud clicks of her wetness, panting quietly as they tried to calm their breathing, their hands roaming over their bodies, their eyes closed, focused only on the relief they both felt.

"− this is how I always imagined us − you and me when we were married −" She whispered, and he sighed, understanding what she meant.

Though united by passionate affection, regret, distrust and grief dominated their every approach.

"− my wife begging for my seed is indeed an important part of my vision of a perfect marriage −" He sneered, noticing the amusement in her eyes when she understood that he was teasing her.

That he had returned to her, that she had won him back, that she was looking at the boy she had lost that night.

Her lips parted in disbelief when she noticed that the corner of his mouth lifted upwards, gently, not mockingly, not maliciously.

He smiled.

For the first time in so many years.

He stroked her cheek with his hand as her eyebrows arched in pain, as her eyes glazed over from the tears that ran down her face one by one onto his warm palm.

They kissed again, then again and again, warmly, tenderly, innocently, devotedly, with the affection he had dreamed of for so many years and he thought, hiding this realisation deep in his heart, that this was the happiest day of his life.

The day he got his best friend back.

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genericpuff · 1 year ago

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Hello! I’m just here bc I’m a little confused on what you meant by Smythe drawing out “each individual asset” when she was making comics? Now, granted, I can see that it made her file ginormous, but me personally as someone who knows nothing about making online comics but is really wanting to get into it (and also as someone who has a ‘too many layers’ problem myself), is there a way to avoid using too many layers?

My current way of making comics has been to draw the panels individually and then format them (which I know is terrible management wise and also messes with the quality) but I honestly have no other idea of how to do it properly, and seeing how stunning Lore Rekindled looks, I don’t know how you would manage to put all that lighting effects and little details on the same layers. (But also I may be thinking of it wrong so I’ll let you talk qwq)

Ah I can actually give you a visual breakdown of what I meant by that!

So in this you can see there are a TON of layers, and not even all of them are visible because some of them are stuffed into FOLDERS that have been left closed. BUT if you look REEEEALLY carefully-

^^^ These layers right here? That's specifically Minthe from this panel in Episode 61:

(the unique pose here makes it real easy to tell that this is the corresponding panel, you can see the matching body shape with the dark shading that's clipped to the base layer below it!)

So what this means is that Rachel didn't draw all her characters on one base layer, she drew every single character in every single panel separately. Now of course, she could merge all these layers together as working on separate layers helps make it easier to work on elements that collide separately (like one character being 'underneath' another character like Hades is here) but because she has all of those clipping layers with the shading already added in, she likely didn't merge them afterwards because that would actually create MORE problems (because if she merged the Minthe layer in with Hades, then the shading for Minthe that she painted outside of the lines would show up on Hades and then she'd have to erase it which is just a bunch of extra work).

You can also tell all these characters are on their own layer because the layer thumbnail EXCLUSIVELY shows those characters. A layer will show as much canvas length as it needs to cover what's in that layer, so if the thumbnail is only showing one character, that means there's NOTHING ELSE on that layer. If there were more elements on this layer than just Minthe, the layer thumbnail would look more like this:

Now let's compare it to Rekindled's layers! I'll use a completed page to make it fair as we use a lot of extra layers in the post-production phase where we add the texture effects and glow and all that fun stuff, plus I'll even make it a more complicated page like that big nymph explanation spread from Episode 51:

So I'll break it down to make this make more sense:

BG 2 Copy (technically this is supposed to be BG 1) - Basically the panel shapes, what I'll do is mark out the panels with flat blocks and through that we'll add background elements in a clipping layer (usually done by Banshriek). Often times they'll do multiple layers to make the process easier and then merge them all together in the end. With these shapes operating as panels, it means I can just auto select the whole layer, invert the selection, and easily erase whatever's outside of it (such as the lineart and base colors that I put down afterwards). I could just use masking layers like I did in [AFTERBIRTH] but I find this way works better for the process of making Rekindled.

BG 2 - This is where we add objects / foreground elements. So stuff like furniture, interactables, anything that needs to be kept separate from the larger background to make it easier to work with. This can also include "floating" panels that need to be above other panels, such as this:

All of the backgrounds are then nested in a folder for organization purposes (we also sometimes use clipping layers on top of those folders to apply extra effects over anything contained within that folder without affecting other folders, that's a common technique that Banshriek applies)

Then we get into our Characters folder:

BASE - This is where I do the majority of my work, all the characters in every panel on a page are flatted into this layer. Sometimes I do have to create separate layers to, again, make it easier to work with overlapping characters, but usually those layers will be merged before I go into the shading process. I simply shade on a single layer by using the lasso / magic wand tool to select my area for painting, the flat colors make it really easy to do that. Sometimes I need to create a secondary shading layer if I've put down dark colors that start to bleed into the lighter colors, but again, I merge when I'm done into a single shading layer. We also sometimes employ an Add (Glow) layer into the clipping set if we need a glow effect that's exclusive to the characters and doesn't travel outside of their base colors.

There's a (leaves) layer here that I used for the dryad because I needed the leaves to be above the base layer, after that I selected the leaves elements so that I could erase the lineart in the layer above it where needed.

LINEART - It's lineart, enough said haha That said, I do think Rachel actually uses clipping layers for her lineart in places, it seems to be visible in some of her process videos where you can see the lineart present in a clipping layer, and that would explain why there are panels where the lineart suddenly 'cuts off' and doesn't travel outside of the base layer, like so:

GLOW - This is where we do an Add (Glow) layer that isn't restricted to the base layer, it's where we add all the fun lil' glow and sparkle effects over the characters !

The CLOUDS layer is, like the leaves, a background element that needs to be above the base layers rather than constricted to the background.

Above the Characters folder you can see what I mentioned earlier where Banshriek has added more post-production effects that are exclusively clipped to the contents of the Characters folder. This means the effects / blend modes do NOT affect the background layers or anything above it.

The BLUR (Overlay) layer is something we just started doing over the past several episodes, it's a technique I actually picked up from 66 of City of Blank where I merge all the layers into a new visible layer which I then apply a Gaussian Blur to at around 60% and then set to Overlay (and then I adjust the layer opacity until it looks right, usually around 25-35%), it gives it a bit of a softer "dreamier" vibe in the final colors and really helps unify everything!

CANVAS - This is an Overlay layer which is also set to an opacity of 25-35% where I go over the panels with the Add Canvas brush from the Kyle Webster set, unlike the Canvas overlay texture in CSP I can actually choose the colors I want to use which means I can match the canvas texture color to the mood and environment of the scene (ex. I'll use a very light blue for scenes in the Underworld). Not only does it give it that signature texture from S1 of LO, but it also helps balance out the effects of the BLUR layer.

The SKETCH layer sits on top of everything and gets turned off once all the base layers and lineart are down, and ofc the SPEECH folder is just where all the text is kept.

I know everything I just laid out is a LOT but ultimately it's how we operate, it works for us! But it also begs the question of why Rachel operates the way she does because a lot of it seems extremely unnecessary and more likely to bite her in the ass (the more layers there are, the bigger your file size gets, the risk of drawing on the wrong layer increases as well as the risk of posting a panel that's missing elements because the layer was left turned off by mistake, etc.) And it's more so concerning with how she operates with her assistants because if she's still using this many layers when collaborating with other people, hooo boy. Though based on what I've observed of what her assistants contribute, I get a lot more of the sense that she circumvents this by having the artists do the flats separately and then importing them in as separate assets that she then just imports into the page and places them where they need to be. Still not a great workflow IMO because it's what's led to a lot of the issues of characters "floating" rather than feeling like they're actually in the environment-

-but that's still an issue that could be solved by Rachel just taking more time to actually flesh out the backgrounds and lighting to give more of an impression of the characters actually existing in the space. Like that Hestia panel could easily be fixed by just giving the background a bit more detail and putting actual shading underneath her (and lighting from whatever direction it's coming from).

Either way, regardless of whether or not Rachel's process is productive or not, I hope that breakdown helps explain how we do it in Rekindled! Learning how to manage layers is definitely a skill that can be tricky to harness, but once it "clicks" there's a lot you can get away with. Ultimately how you do it is up to you, but my best piece of advice to offer is to just be open to other types of workflows because you don't know how much you might be shooting yourself in the foot doing things the hard way when there are often way easier and more efficient ways to get the same job done. That's basically the vibe I get from observing Rachel's workflow, it seems like she's still using methods that she thinks are working for her (and probably did work just fine for her when it was JUST her) but could be vastly improved for her and her team if she'd just get over the initial hump of stepping outside of her comfort zone. Would probably make for a better comic too LOL

I hope that helps! Good luck! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡

#ask me anything #ama #anon ama #anon ask me anything #lore olympus critical #anti lore olympus #lo critical #lore rekindled #webcomic advice

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alittlebitofloveliness · 1 year ago

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Could you do some modern day Soda headcanons please? I love him so much and I love your blog so much soooooo….

Ok so soda is tricky for me to write but I tried my best!!!

Modern Au Sodapop Headcanons

-Drinks every single energy drink imaginable. Rockstar? Like its water. Prime? For the plot. 5 hour energy? He’ll down it in five seconds. Darry is HORRIFIED.

-Is pretty enough he’s one of those people who becomes moderately famous on TikTok without having to really do much. His followers notice he’s always talking to someone off camera, and they’re desperate to find out who it is, but Soda only ever responds to comments with ‘oh that’s just Stevie, he doesn’t like TikTok’.

-Soda’s followers have a lot of theories about this ‘Stevie’. Soda is weirdly tight lipped about him, despite the fact he often breaks off mid rant in videos to talk to him. There’s also the fact that the rest of the gang is often around/in the background of videos, but the mysterious ‘Stevie’ never appears. (okok I’ll stop here before this becomes a Stevepop social media au)

-Regularly forgets to take his ADHD meds and Darry often has to remind him

-Would either have a hockey flow or a mullet (whatever y’all think, personally I think modern Soda with a hockey flow tracks with his character)

-One of those people who loves horror movies but is also completely terrified of even the dumbest ones and has to sleep with the lights on for weeks afterwards. Steve makes fun of him for it, but will also stay up on the phone with him if Soda watches one by himself and freaks himself out

-Has a million fidget spinners because they actually help him focus on stuff when he needs to

-Soda in modern AU wouldn’t call Ponyboy ‘kid brother’ as a nickname (don’t get me wrong, I love it but Ive never heard it used irl). Instead, I think him and Darry (and thus the rest of the gang) refer to Pony as ‘shrimp’ and Ponyboy absolutely hates it “where’s the shrimp” “he’s has track practice ‘till four, you of all people should know that Dar” (brought to you by me and my interactions with my own little brothers)

-The whole gang is super into video games, but Soda is kind of shit at them and lowkey grumpy about it

-Every teacher he’s ever had has done that thing where they expect him to be exactly like his older sibling, and therefore expect him to be a model student like Darry, and every time they are proven entirely wrong. By the time the same teachers see Ponyboy’s name on their class lists they’re terrified of what to expect

-He definitely had that horrible middle school boy stage where he just reeked of axe body spray and BO before he figured out proper hygiene

-Every two weeks him and Steve end up doing some sort of YouTube deep dive where they end up being convinced of some sort of wild conspiracy theory that Ponyboy and sometimes Darry have to spend three hours talking them out of

-Uses far too many emojis in texts

-He had a pet hamster once and you know that thing died in the most horrendous way imaginable. Two-bit probably farted into the cage at one point as a joke and the poor thing asphyxiated to death or some shit like that

-He’s that kid in group projects who does nothing and tanks the presentation for everyone by mispronouncing half the words on the slides some other group member made for him

-Him and Steve are so inseparable that when they’re not together people will be like ‘where’s your boyfriend’ and he just answers without thinking before flushing really hard and sputtering a bit.

-One of those people that casually catches snakes with his bare hands. Steve HATES it and Ponyboy is TERRIFIED of snakes so he gets in trouble with Darry if he does it too often or brings them near the house

#the outsiders #sodapop curtis #ponyboy curtis #steve randle #darry curtis #two bit mathews #headcanon #stevepop #sodapop x steve

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oni-gory · 1 year ago

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Heyo, I love your writing and was hoping to make a request seeing as how they're open. Could I request Chongyun and Ga Ming (separately) with a S/o that has the opposite vision of them. (Pyro, and cryo) If not then all's good, and I hope your day is going well.

Opposites Attract!

ᡣ𐭩 characters: Chongyun, GaMing

ᡣ𐭩 cw: Sfw, Fluff, a bit of angst (comfort)

ᡣ𐭩 notes: My first request post! I was kicking my feet and giggling when I got this request omg. Love this one sm and hope u like it <33 ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა

Chongyun

Your partner, Chongyun was such a sweetheart. He was reserved most of the time but he was still so loving, so gentle. The only problem was… when it came to the battlefield, the two of you clashed quite a bit. Chongyun had a Cyro vision, while you had a Pyro one. One morning, you went over to Chongyun’s house, hoping the two of you could just relax, maybe cuddle a bit. But once you got there, you noticed that your boyfriend was getting ready to leave. He had a fruit yogurt popsicle in his mouth as breakfast, fixing his baby blue hair as if rushing, which was unusual for Chongyun.

“Hii!” You said happily, rushing over to him and grinning from ear to ear. Chongyun paused what he was doing and looked at you, taking his popsicle out of his mouth. He then spoke quietly with his usual, soft voice. “Oh, love.. I wasn’t expecting you.” He stated, putting his popsicle back in his mouth. You giggled and curiously watched him grab his claymore. “I just wanted to hang out today~! But… you seem to be busy. Where are you headed?” You asked, tilting your head and approaching Chongyun.

“I’m just getting ready to go to an exorcism.. If you’d like, we can hang out afterwards.” He smiled softly and walked over to the door, you following him happily. “Could I come with you actually? I just wanna watch!” You exclaimed, hoping he’d say yes. You had actually never seen Chongyun do an exorcism. Your boyfriend seemed slightly hesitant, but after seeing how excited you were he just couldn’t say no… So the two of you went off, walking through the streets of Liyue to where Chongyun was assigned to work.

Once the two of you arrived, you stood in the background watching as your boyfriend did his job. He looked so cute just working… The way Chongyun’s soft, pastel blue hair flowed around when he ran and how he seemed so relaxed even in the face of danger. Well, it wasn’t surprising. But then… you noticed an Abyss Mage approaching Chongyun from behind. You quickly shot into action, using your Pyro abilities to hit the Abyss Mage. But you accidentally got too close to your boyfriend, your vision interrupting his energy. Chongyun flinched, turning back and looking at you. He suddenly felt quite faint, and once you had defeated the Mage you quickly realized what you did. “Oh- Chongyun! Are— are you okay? Oh my gosh… I’m so sorry!!” You cried, almost going to hold him but you didn’t want to do any more harm. Yet, to your surprise, Chongyun reacted very kindly.

“It’s alright… You didn’t mean to cause any harm..” He mumbled, sighing quietly and basically falling into your arms. You felt horrible for hurting Chongyun… But you just wanted to help him. The two of you went back to Chongyun’s house, hoping his parents wouldn’t notice how he was clearly feeling ill. Luckily they weren’t in the living room, and you snuck your boyfriend into his bedroom. He laid down and curled up in the bed, mumbling with a more gentle tone than usual. “M’ tired…” Him being around heat did this a lot. You sighed, staring down at him sympathetically. You would’ve laid beside him and cuddled, but that could just make Chongyun hotter, which you didn’t want. So you just sat on the floor beside his bed, holding your boyfriend’s hand until he fell asleep.

GaMing

You and GaMing were the perfect pair. Some people called you Ying and Yang, the moon and the ocean. But to you, the relationship was much more… Complex. For, the two of you had such different personalities, even different visions. GaMing was a very outgoing and friendly boy, while you on the other hand were more reserved. Your boyfriend could tend to push your boundaries, but he only wanted you to be happy, the way he was happy.

On a relaxing, dawn of Saturday, GaMing decided he’d come to give you a surprise visit. He wanted to see if you’d be free to go train together. Due to the difference in your visions, the two of you avoided fighting together. It tended to cause more problems than intended. You were inside of your house, reading a book silently. You planned on just relaxing today when you suddenly heard a knock on the front door. You sat the book down, standing up and going to check who it was.

Yet the moment you opened the door, GaMing pounced on you. You were caught off guard when he did so, but you didn’t say anything. He smiled broadly, happy to see you. “Hi love! What’re you doing?” He asked curiously, looking you up and down. You gave him a quick smile, bringing GaMing over to the couch where you were a moment ago. "I was just reading… But why are you here? I wasn’t expecting you.” You shrugged. GaMing grinned even more at the question, eager to tell you why he was here. He really hoped you’d agree to train with him, especially because the two of you hadn’t bonded in a while.

“Wellll… I was wondering if you’d want to come and train with me today?” He inquired with a hopeful tone in his eyes and a sweet tilt of his head, making you melt at the sight. Your boyfriend was just so cute… you couldn’t deny him. So without thought, you responded in a soft voice, “Sure..” GaMing happily hugged you again, excited to hang out with you. You hugged him back before disappearing in your bedroom to get dressed. You put on a simple protective outfit and grabbed your weapon. GaMing was patiently waiting on the couch, still smiling like a dog. He was glad that he could hang out with you, and that he could avoid his family for the whole day.

The two of you then left, heading out to the mountains. It was much more calming there, a relaxing place for you guys to train. GaMing was certainly excited, holding your hand and occasionally going a bit too fast. Once you both got there you started to train, attacking whatever small enemies were around. Then, GaMing accidentally used his Pyro while you were using your Cyro ability. The two of you ended up hurting each other at the same time. You winced first, your finger ending up slightly burnt while GaMing wasn’t as injured. He dropped his Claymore and quickly held you, his own body feeling quite cold now. “Oh my archons… I’m so sorry!” He exclaimed, filled with anxiety. You held your own wrist, biting your lip to hold back a whimper or sob.

GaMing watched you, his big brown eyes filling with tears. You noticed this and spoke quietly, “Don’t cry.. I’m okay.. It just stings a bit.” You held GaMing, nuzzling your head in his shoulder as he held you. He now felt desperate to make you feel better, bringing you over to his Claymore. GaMing picked it up and put it away on his back before picking you up. You were surprised when he did this, getting distracted from your pain. “GaMing… you don’t have to do this. I told you I’m fine..” You mumbled, but feeling comfortable in his arms already. Yet your boyfriend ignored your words. He carried you back home, sneaking you inside of your bedroom. GaMing sat you down, seeming very concerned still as he sat beside you. “Are you gonna be okay…?” He asked, holding your hand and gently kissing it repeatedly. You nodded, cupping his cheek lovingly. “I’ll be fine.. but go get me some ice, this really stings.”

#૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა #genshin impact #genshin x reader #chongyun x reader #chongyun genshin impact #gaming x reader #gaming genshin #genshin impact fluff

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saucydaemun · 26 days ago

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I think a lot about how fucked up Johnny was that an AI basically gaslit itself into making Johnny look like a big shot guy because that's totally what he would do. Like, okay, obviously the memory fragments that Johnny have are fragmented and stuff (Mike Pondsmith already confirmed this), but there's something to be said about the way the memory of the bombing gets altered. Johnny's engram fully believes that the Arasaka bombing was his operation, and his plan. He also thinks that he survived the bombing, survived an encounter with Smasher, and then had his "execution" personally overseen by Saburo Arasaka himself with the mushroom cloud looming in the background. It's so cliche, ripped straight out of the Bushido series he references, and yet when you watch it all go down there's no reason for the player to suspect anything. Even the characters that knew things about what happened the night Johnny died never actually contradicted anything Johnny was saying, the only thing being AI Alt saying that his memories of the night are "inaccurate at best". If you know Cyberpunk canon, then you know that Johnny Silverhand was hired by Militech alongside Morgan Blackhand to nuke Arasaka Tower, and Johnny was killed almost immediately when his team encountered Adam Smasher, cut in half by his shotgun. There was no like personal rivalry between Johnny and Smasher, that honor went to Morgan, who was actually the one who hired Johnny for the job that night. He also had a sort of duel of the fates moment with Smasher, where it was left unclear who actually won the fight since Morgan was never actually pronounced dead afterwards, simply disappearing. All this to say, it really says something about how fucked up Johnny was as a person that an advanced AI doing what it thinks Johnny would do ends up rewriting corrupted memories in line with what Johnny would probably say about that night.

#cyberpunk 2077 #johnny silverhand #cyberpunk v #cyberpunk red #too be fair to johnny he was also going psycho the entire time

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thenightshadowqueen · 2 months ago

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Sorry About my Nan—Watchthrough Thoughts

Okay so firstly: what the fuck was that? (very positive) Secondly: sorry that this is so late and that these have been so irregular; I’d love to be able to commit to doing them every time and more promptly, but I’m not in a place to do that at the moment, so for now, they’ll probably stay rather sporadic. Thirdly: what the fuck was that???? (still very positive)

I’m going to try to make this one a more reasonable length than the others, but no promises

Ooh, Luke’s hair looks great! (Obviously it always looks great, but it’s a bit longer in this one, and it’s wonderful)

Okay so this opening scene might be my favourite opening scene from anything ever (I adore these ones where they’re just waiting for someone else to establish the scene and no one is doing it)

“…just to sit with it… before you have a breakdown.” Very relatable, AJ

“Who invites their nan on their bachelor party?” Ah, scene established

“We… have just been… really close recently—” “Yeah, I could tell.” I’m getting the sense that this guy and Johnny from Oh No That’s a Door need to have a chat

“Go back into the toilet” I’m getting Aubergine flashbacks

“Just a little recap” I love AJ

Oh, I love that Sam’s the one who fucked up the name this time (AJ said his name slightly first, so I’m giving this one to him)

“You don’t want it” you know what, I’m going to take his word for it and ask no more questions

“I just feel shattered, you know?” With the way they all broke, I feel like that has to be an inside joke/reference to something (or else it was just unexpected, like a ‘be careful’ sort of situation)

Tom assigning himself as the insane nan… eldritch creatures and old women: his speciality

“I’m your best friend, okay?” Desperately reminding myself that I don’t need to ship every set of best friends in anything ever

“I’ve stood by you through a lot” stop making me ship them (also now I desperately want to know what this entails)

“I can’t get through the door” Jimmy??!!!????!!

“Are you my best friend? Are you my best friend?” “I’m your best friend!” I’m so fucking invested in this friendship already

Ooh, Tom’s pulling out the Mama Twilliger fingers! These fingers have seen many things!!! (Nan = Mama Twilliger headcanon?)

See, when I say that, on the rare occasion when Tom does choose chaos, he very well might be the most unhinged of all of them, this is the shit I mean

I thought that Oh No That’s a Door was the most distressed Sam could get, but this is already coming close and I’m six minutes in (also side note: what is up with the Tom-AJ grandmother-grandson incest-adjacent vibes recently???)

“🎶 Nananana nananana nananana nananana, Ethel! 🎶” I love her

AirTags in their drinks???? I… Why??????

“My big day” oh no

“Our big day” …are we doing this?

Okay, we’re not doing this; thank god

Tom in the background of this discussion being unhinged is giving me life

Tom (him lying on the chairs being adorable)

“It’s pre-used” ???????? Tom what the fuck

Tom you are putting your face so close to AJ’s— (I’m actually a little scared that Nana is going to try to kiss her grandson, because I really don’t need that to happen)

“Very enthused” you know, Tom is the only person I’ve ever heard use that word (oh, god damn it, now I’m going to start using it, too, aren’t I? This is always how my dialect/word choice gets updated—)

Tom’s silent frozen laugh face oh my god

Tom’s silent frozen laugh face transitioning to death/coma/sleep????

Tom is fucking on fire in this one oh my god (obviously he always is—they all always are—but you know what I mean)

“Thank god” I love Sam

“I mean… oh, god… thank you” Jamie, babe, that’s the same thing

“Adrenaline” … sure thing

“Why—Why?” Me too, Sam, me too

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY” Tom’s characters of questionably sound mind are the best (senile Sherlock, for example)

“You’ve got so many teeth” Tom what the fuck (and his placid little smile afterwards—I love him)

“So you know I’m marrying… Lucy” oh, god damn it, you were doing so well, AJ! (I love it when he messes up a name)

You know a play is chaotic when Sam’s the one being sensible (cue the flashbacks to the Lighthouse)

“What the fuck do you think?” Oh, Jamie is so fucking done (I don’t blame him at all)

…Jim adjusting his nan’s skirt while Jamie talks to the farmhand… why???

“What the—Was she always like this?” I adore Jamie, oh my god

“Very inspiring figure” in the context of… this… I’m not sure I want to know what that means

“On the farm, we have a statue to her” …why????

“If you’re not going to take Ethel, please just leave her alone” …take her where???

Jamie is so distressed already and I’m loving it

“She gives you life” okay, what the fuck is going on here???

“She tears you apart and rebuilds you” um… yikes?????

Oh I love Luke

“Keep going” Tom

Okay, what happened in Berghain???

Tom is so good at being creepy, holy shit

“Good boy” um

“What if we just leave her with this guy?” Jamie wants to get rid of her so badly

Ah, yeah, a cult makes sense. Like, of course she’s started a cult. Of course she has.

“Please stop looking at me” you know what, I stand by Jamie here; that is a totally fair request

“Take a seat, boys.” … “Not one seat each.” I love it when they just make things difficult for each other (and also, way to make me ship them even more, good god)

“Come on, be a good mate” you know what, Jim, you first (he’s not a bad friend, but he is really pressuring poor Jamie here)

“You’re really pushing that” he really is

This is so awkward oh my god (nope, yep, I’m decided; Jamie is absolutely in love with Jim)

“Constrained by our doubts, our fears, social morals” see, the thing is, I don’t disagree with her

Jamie is so viscerally uncomfortable around Ethel and it’s giving me life

“I’ve made them into something greater than they were before” …that doesn’t sound at all problematic

“Please don’t touch me” Jamie I love you

“I’m here for my best friend’s stag do. I will do what he wants to do for the rest of the weekend, and then we will move on” Jamie, darling, babe, love… you do realise you’re allowed to have, like… boundaries, right?

“Then let’s get started, boys” okay, no, that reaction was just Sam

“It’s like an A24 film” …please tell me I’m not the only one who doesn’t know what that is

“Crawl through here” …sure

“They really are” oh good god

Ah, so Ethel’s on meth… Yeah, that checks out (I would bet anything that Old Lady Marjorie is her dealer)

That’s one of the longest first scenes they’ve ever had; that’s really cool

…Luke???

“Can you turn a light on or something, please?” “NO!” Well that’s just great

“My name… is Wilhelm!” Hey, it’s not Hans!

“Great” that was the most unenthusiastic response I’ve ever heard in my life and I love it so much

“This is what we’re doing for your stag do. Your fucking nutter grandma’s scavenger hunt to find ourselves.” That is a brilliant description, oh my god

“Choose your weapon.” “WHAT?” Jamie is so. Goddamn. Done.

“Be careful of the credenza” ….. ?????

“Numchucks” I love the subtitles calling him out so much

“Why? Why do you go to that?” Oh Jamie I love you

“What the fuck’s a credenza?” I love Sam

“I just assumed we had to, like, kill each other or something.” “Why?” I’m actually so obsessed with Jamie; I think he might be up there with some of my favourite characters ever

“Sometimes I always drump to, like, you know, the worst conclusions” I love the subtitle callouts

“Probably being raised by that nut job” so Jim was raised by his nan? What happened to his parents? Is that why he’s like this? What was his childhood like? (I’m so invested)

“Draw your nunchucks” Jim no (also good on AJ for getting the name right!)

I love that AJ isn’t the confused one in this play

Jim NO

“You’re beginning to get it” ?????????

Love Sam bringing back the credenza—✨stagecraft✨

“This is how it ends?” Jamie is so fucking pissed off (very justifiably)

I’m genuinely so fucking invested in this relationship, oh my god

JIM NO

Wilhelm?????

Tom with both a table AND a microphone? Oh, this is about to be incredible

I’m sorry???? The way Tom is sitting on that table???? (He is killing me)

“I know; I checked the ticket sales” I love Tom

“You are going to witness two friends attempt improv comedy” I love Tom so much

This character is 1000% giving me Magnus O. Puss vibes (and also kind of the O’Hands brothers? Ooh, and Creepy Jim, actually, for my fellow Patreons)

Also: the “every German is camp” rule returns in full force (and I am, as always, completely here for it)

Okay but Tom’s physicality is fucking unparalleled

Look at the expressions! Look at the movement!

I have had the insane camp German cabaret improv host for five seconds and I would die for him

AJ remembering a name Sam forgot??? (Hell yeah; I love switching it up)

That “Jesus Christ” and step away felt so instinctual

The booping growing more ominous until Jamie obeys it is so fucking sinister and I love it

“That’s not my nan. It’s a different character.” I love it when they get confused and I don’t know why

Letter of Complaint—hell yeah!!!

I’m so. Fucking. Invested. In this goddamn friendship.

Tom is everything ever, actually, oh my god (the commentary? The posing? The expressions?????)

Oh, Sam and AJ did that in-character letter of complaint so well??? (Also I swear I’m not shipping Jamie and Jim or anything… 👀)

“…and flash their vajayjays at each other” Tom??? Why???

Tom sitting on Luke is everything to me (also, like, shoutout to Luke for just lying there. For several minutes straight.

“It’s good to take a load… off” oh my god

“She made a pass at me, okay?” Oh no

Tom I am begging you to stop breathing into the microphone

Fuck you to Sam and AJ (very lighthearted) for getting me so goddamn invested in this

Tom’s goddamn facial expressions oh my god

“He’s busy right now” ????

“I forgot the word for hole” Tom has never been more relatable (I too forget common words right when I need to use them)

“He’ll wake up again soon” …okay

This little reversal/Wilhelm coming back to life/Jamie running away/the host singing creepily bit is so fucking horrifying and I’m so intrigued by this world???

“Did you enjoy the show today? … Me neither.” This is so dark and I’m so fucking intrigued (and also if you haven’t watched the QnA for this play, definitely go do that, because Tom says something about this line (I can’t remember the exact phrasing) that really gives it this whole extra meaning)

“I hope my fiancé gets here soon” the audience’s lack of reaction and the look Luke gives them for it is brilliant

“Are we in Bristol?” …why Bristol??

That little look that Jim does between Julie/Lucy and Jamie???

Sam, stop it; I already care too much about these two!!!

“This is fucking Bristol” that is so irrelevant and it just makes me love Jamie even more

I do not trust this

Luke is so good at being subtly offputting????? Like? How???

“Life changing” well, yeah, sure, babes, but is that necessarily a good thing?

“I recently found out that my nana is, like, a cult leader for people in Germany. And that, um, is so weird.” Jim I love you so much

You see what I mean? So offputting!!!

AJ’s acting in this scene is incredible

“Of course I believe him. He’s my best friend.” Stop making me fall even more in love with these two characters and their friendship!!!!

Of fucking course it was another test. Of course it was. I’m not even surprised anymore.

Jim and Jamie are going to spend the rest of their entire lives wondering what’s real (and now I’ve made myself sad)

Luke’s clapping

“WE’RE NOT IN BRISTOL!” What the fuck happened to Jamie???

…Why are we joining in on the chant?

This does not seem good

Ooh, so we do get to see the real Julie/Lucy

Ah, so she prefers Lucy

Or she doesn’t? Is she just changing her name because that’s what Jim wants? Because that doesn’t sound healthy, babe—

“I’m pretty sure you got the message from the whole stag business, but, whatever you choose to do… Nana’s got your back” yeah, that’s what I took away from the stag do. Sure. (Also, another Tom character Ethel reminds me of: the George’s bra seller (promoted by the “got your back” quote))

Nana no

“I want to thank you for forgiving me” ah, okay, good to know

Also where’s Jamie?

Nana NO

“And also, I want to thank you for convincing me to bring your nan to my bachelorette party” okay woah wait hold on a goddamn second what the fuck happened at the bachelorette party??????

“It was life-changing” oh I need a sequel so badly

I’m getting so many CDIYW flashbacks with this wedding

And we’re ending on a grand Luke and AJ kiss, just like CDIYW

I’m so sorry, the way Luke always holds his arm out and sits so delicately and beautifully whenever the others take it upon themselves to carry him bridal style???? I adore it so fucking much

“To Berghain!” Oh, good god (I’m sure this is going to end so well)

So, final thoughts:

What the fuck was that? (extremely positive)

Okay so Jamie and the fucked-up improv host are two of my new favourite characters ever

I love this play so fucking much

…This is not a reasonable length, is it?

#as always #just to add my usual disclaimer #this is all very very positive #and if anything sounds like it’s not #then please know that’s not how I intended it #anyways #this was INSANE #like #dare I say #approaching BUS levels of unhinged #I ADORE it #I love this play #shoot from the hip #sfth #sorry about my nan #nightshadow’s watchthrough thoughts

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