#I'm going to keep trying and applying like nothing has changed

[vanity-complex]

.

[hanniescookie]

is it that hard? - jww

pairing - wonwoo x f! reader

genre - fluff, idol au

warnings - none

summary - you know wonwoo likes you, but for some reason, he doesn't say it. not until you're frustrated enough to play a game on him.

author's note - kekekeke @wonkierideul // this is for you my mochi cheek-ed baby!! i hope you like it 😭 i tried, okay? i just hope it makes you smile at least, you're so dear to me my oomf (pls remind me again what it means) may you fulfill your MUA dream one day and may you get to doll wonu up 🤍 love you sm :)

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Being a successful makeup artist had been your dream since you were a teenager. Your love for makeup only grew with your age, and you made yourself proud after finally landing your dream job.

Being Jeon Wonwoo's makeup artist, however, was certainly not your dream. It might be a privilege, never been a dream.

It isn't that you mind seeing his beautiful face every other day while you doll it up with makeup that suits his outfit of the day. Never that. It's just that you're always too distracted to focus on your job. And Wonwoo doesn't help.

It falls out of your realm of professionalism. You've never been someone who struggles with balancing your personal and professional life, but with this man? You're terrible. Miserable.

He is too good looking for his own good, and being so close to his face half the time serves you no good. It takes everything in you to not just kiss his lips everytime you swipe some lipstick across them.

Wonwoo is not very expressive — that's a known fact. But what people might not know is that Wonwoo is a tease, a little close to a flirt. At least towards you, he is.

You hate how he licks his lips right after you're done applying lipstick just to make your job harder. What's worse is that he does it with a straight face, muttering an aplogy within a second like he didn't realize what he just did.

But you have seen it far too much to know that he does these things deliberately. You don't know if he likes seeing the huff of annoyance you let out, or if he just genuinely hates you.

Either way, you've decided that your work ethics have been compromised enough. You don't like these feelings you've harbored for the idol overtime, and if nothing is down the drain, you'll take your shot today.

When Wonwoo arrives on set an hour before his schedule, you're glad that the whole group isn't here. It's his solo schedule for the day — a photoshoot for his brand deal.

The look for today has to be a little bold, and requires more time than usual. So you start slow, focused on work and trying your best to make him look exactly like the concept demands.

And you're also focused on another task today.

"I'm quitting." You say as nonchalantly as you can, dabbing some concealer to hide a tiny acne mark on his skin.

"Huh?" He raises his brows, unsure if you talked to him.

You meet his eyes for a few seconds before focusing back on his cheek, watching the acne mark slowly disappear. You hope your game plan can work, and if it doesn't, then you're really never seeing this place again. "I said I'm quitting this job."

He continues to look at your face while you turn back to the vanity, fumbling through some eyeshadow palettes. Your heart is throbbing at the weight of his gaze, but you keep going. "I'm telling you because I know you don't get used to changes easily. You'll be more prepared when you see another MUA starting tomorrow."

You turn back, meeting his surprised gaze and you smile a little. "Close your eyes."

He takes a little while to process what you said, and you gladly wait till he does. You can see the effect of your game, and you like it so far.

He closes his eyes slowly, exhaling through his nose. It's quiet for a while till you play with a combination of two dark shades on his eyelids.

"Must you leave?"

You almost don't catch it with how quietly he speaks. Keeping the palette away, you stare at his face with his eyes closed, his question echoing in your head. Your heart swells, and a smile forms on your face. "Did you say something?"

He mutters a quiet no without opening his eyes. You know he's doing it because you haven't asked him to open them yet, and involuntarily, you feel a flutter in your chest. Usually, he would open them before you're even done, but right now he's trying to not upset you. How cute.

"I heard you, though." You say again, leaning against the vanity with your arms folded. He slowly opens his eyes, looking at you with eyes full of uncertainty. "Do you have an answer then?"

"Must I leave?" You echo his question, humming thoughtfully. "Good question. The problem is—" you pause, grabbing an eyepencil and leaning down on him. He instinctively closes his eyes, and you smile. "—that my professionalism is threatened here. I can't properly focus on my work with you, Wonwoo."

His eyes snap open before you're even done lining the pencil on his eyelid, earning a sharp wince from you. "See! This is what I mean."

"Sorry," he breathes. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"I don't know," you say, folding your arms neatly once again. "You tell me."

He stares at you blankly for a while, unable to pinpoint exactly where you're coming from. Then his expression shifts, as if he's reminded of something. "Scratch that. Just don't quit?"

You arch an eyebrow despite the little victory dance your insides do at his statement. "Hm? Why?"

"Because—" he pauses, trying to find words. "Because like you said, I'm not good with accepting changes. I am used to you."

You sigh, shaking your head. "Is it that hard?"

"What?"

"Saying the truth."

"What truth?"

"That you like me."

Suddenly, there's pin drop silence in the makeup room. Even the humming of the aircon feels distant, as if coming from a faraway land. All you can hear is your own pulse beating wildly in your ears.

Then with calculated certainty, Wonwoo speaks. "It is."

You feel your throat running dry, and though you know you orchestrated this little game, you have no idea why you're nervous. Do you like him that much?

"But if I say it Y/N, will you stay?"

You can't help but smile. He's cute, and you'll do anything to make him happy. You nod. "I will."

He inhales a mouthful of air, and deeply exhales it all. Licking his dry lips, he looks up in your eyes, taking your hand in his large one hesitantly.

"I like you." He says, as quiet as the room. "I've liked you since the day you first put an insane amount of blush on my cheeks and I complained about looking cute. Please don't quit on me."

You've known that Wonwoo likes you, but nothing could've prepared you for the way he admits it in his low voice while holding your hand gently. You feel your pulse quickening even more if it's possible, and a blush dusts your cheeks.

"You did look cute, though."

"I didn't want to!" He groans, and you end up giggling. He sighs then, smiling along with you nevertheless. "Is that what you say to my confession?"

You shrug, grabbing a lipstick and turning to him. "If you don't mess your lipstick up this time, I'll think about going on a date with you."

He smiles, fingers hooking in yours to tug you closer. You lean closer to him as a result, eyes widening slightly. "Whatever happened to professionalism now?"

"I can compromise a little if I get a boyfriend as handsome as Jeon Wonwoo." You answer, poking his forehead so his head rests back before you begin applying lipstick on his lips.

He does mess his lipstick after your first attempt, and it leads to you kissing him, but you go on a date with him on the weekend anyway.

[libraincarnate]

astrology notes: 19 ☼𓂃𓃗𓂃

quick note: i'm absolutely not an astrologer. these are just a collection of some observations, thoughts, theories, and personal experiences based on astrology. with that being said, i'm still learning along the way & i may come back to edit this post to make corrections. above all this is just for fun. lastly, keep in mind that i’m not reading your birth chart and i know nothing about you. these are just some possibilities that may or may not apply to you. enjoy!

˚♡₊ pisces & them not knowing if something they remembered was from one of their day dreams or an actual dream they had.

˚♡₊ moon or chiron in the 2nd house can indicate an emotional eater. they can be someone who eats for comfort or just because they're bored.

˚♡₊ virgos are known to be judgmental towards other people & things but they’re judgmental towards themselves as well, being that they typically struggle with perfectionism. for this reason, they probably cringe at themselves and the things they’ve done quite often. they can be quite regretful and hard on themselves when they make a mistake. but virgo, you guys are imperfect just like everyone else who has lived and died. and although it may be easier said than done, breathe, live, and just be. try to view as your mistakes as an opportunity to learn & improve.

˚♡₊ asteroid juno (3) in 4th the house can make people think you’re the type to bring home to meet their mom/family. 

˚♡₊ uranus in the 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 11th house can cause the native to feel frustrated and experience disturbance in those areas of life that are represented by those aforementioned houses. that’s because uranus is a planet that represents constant change and unpredictability & those houses are fixed houses that represent exactly what the name suggests, it’s fixed, it desires stability and regularity.

˚♡₊ capricorns are known to be controlling/bossy but aquarius tends to have those characteristics too. i’ve often seen it happen with their friends, like they can be the leader of the group and tell people what to do or they make decisions for others. i guess it’s the saturn influence since we know that cap is ruled by saturn & aquarius is traditionally ruled by saturn too.

˚♡₊ those with gemini moon are the type to laugh at themselves while they’re crying. and if they’re not, then they’re definitely going through it because it’s often hard for them to take themselves seriously like gemini risings, but in this case it’s more focused on their emotions.

˚♡₊ those with their venus aspecting saturn could be the type that always has a loved one/former loved one, like an ex, coming back even if it’s 6 years later. the person that tries to come back may realize what they had a little too late, they may realize that the loyalty & love you gave them was one of a kind and it’s hard for them to find that same or similar level of stability and commitment elsewhere.

˚♡₊ scorpio risings are lowkey mad funny because of their gemini in the 8th house, but especially if they have planets like sun, mercury, or moon there. & because it’s in the 8th house, it’s not something that many people know about them except for those that are close to them or those they have 8th house synastry with.

^ but when it comes to those with a gem rising or gemini in the 10th house, everyone thinks/knows they’re funny. 

˚♡₊ uranus dominants or those with uranus in aspect to mercury/neptune may really enjoy reading/watching sci-fi & dystopian books/movies or tv shows.

˚♡₊ taurus moons are typically blessed with the ability to remain calm & grounded but their emotions can be a bit stubborn and linger for a while. it may take some time for them to get over a breakup or separation from someone they really love.

˚♡₊ those with chiron, pluto, or mercury retrograde in the 5th house or 10th house could have stage fright. they may dislike doing presentations in school or at work. if they have to do something in the presence of others they’d rather it be in a group. but even if they are in a group, like a small choir, they’d prefer to stand in the back or behind others.

˚♡₊ the house where aries or mars falls in your chart can show you the type of men you usually attract:

in the 1st house, if you’re a girl you may attract men who you’d describe as the male version of you, or men who are childish or younger than you.

in the 3rd house it could be your classmates, those in your neighborhood, or those that you see as more of a brother, even if they’re not related to you. for this reason, you may be quick to friend zone them.

in the 6th house it could be the men at your place of work who are always hitting on you or trying to flirt. or men that have an unexplainable desire to take care of you, they may see you as a damsel in distress.

in the 10th house it could be older men who are already established or successful. maybe you easily attract sugar daddies or men that just want to provide for you whether that be money, opportunities, or guidance.

in the 11th house your male friends may be the ones crushing on you or you attract men from all walks of life, meaning you might be "everyone's" type. even if you're not the type that some of these men may usually go for, they could be willing to ignore that when it comes to you.

in the 12th house you may have a lot of secret admirers and men that often day dream about you but won't tell you.

the attraction could be stronger or more noticeable with mars making aspects to planets/asteroids like venus or eros or with venus or eros also in aries. & due to the characteristics of mars, these men may find you intimidating and they could be a bit scared to approach you at first, or they could come on to you a bit aggressively, or they just try too hard to get your attention.

if you read this until the end i hope you enjoyed it & thank you so much for reading. ♥︎♥︎♥︎, those hearts are for you.

[thesilmarillionblog]

𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄

Series Masterlist is here.

Summary: You and Soldier Boy want to create a family and move on from everything, even the Vought, but you also know that he has to face Homelander one last time to keep his vow to Butcher. However, nothing turns out as you had hoped.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Reader

Warnings: +18! (MINORS DNI), Heavy angst, hurt, memory loss, forced abortion, implied pregnancy, obsession, Soldier Boy gets hurt, reader gets hurt, established relationship, manipulation

Word Count: 4842

A/N: English is not my first language.

This is inspired by the song 'Remembrance' by Memoria Futuri.༊

You were alone in the coach watching TV when you heard the door open. You instantly got up and stared at Ben when your ruminations started to take over. He shot you a little smile that made your heart race. 

Ben sent you a meaningful look, and you followed him to his room just as Butcher and the others were getting into a fight.

His broad, powerful arms wrapped snugly around your entire body as he left his shield behind and gave you an instant hug. It was unclear who rushed to get into the arms of the other one first. You planted a gentle kiss on his neck, your fingers trailing behind the ends of his messy hair. 

With his gloved fingertips gently brushing your cheek, he whispered, “I missed you so fucking much.”

Between his hard kisses, you laughed and said, “It's only been two days. But I missed you too.”

After giving you a gentle kiss on the forehead, he began to remove his suit and smirked at you, saying, “Yeah, I'd miss me too. So, what did you do when I was away?”

“Actually, nothing. Kimiko and I just played some video gaming all day. I was losing all the time.” You laughed, “Well, I wouldn't want to win against a supe anyway.”

“How dare she?” he asked, smirking, as you stood up and gave him a hard-back hug. You then planted a strong kiss on his bare back and rested your cheek against it. 

“You act like you didn't miss me as much as I missed you, but you can't just keep your hands away from me, right?” Ben laughed, turned around, and gave you a tight squeeze while firmly holding your ass and giving you a passionate kiss. 

Your hands on his beard went into his hair and pulled, trying to stop him, as he pressed his shaft to your body a little too roughly and eagerly. You were moaning softly into his mouth. 

“Fuck, baby, don't you even tell me-.”

“I'm sore, quite a lot,” you said as soon as you smiled into his mouth. 

“I hate this word. It's been two days already,” he grumbled while keeping touch your body and applying a light pressure, showing his need for you. 

Your fingertips trailed seductively across his tense chest to make him go a little bit wild. “Well, you shouldn't have fucked me all day until I couldn't move just because you would be staying away for only two days,” you said with a giggle. 

He whispered, “You're enjoying this, aren't you?” and planted long kisses on your neck, seemingly trying to convince you change your idea. 

“Of course not,” you muttered as you watched adjusting himself in his sweatpants while maintaining eye contact and then abruptly letting you go with a grunt after giving your ass a little slap. 

“I'll...give you something,” he said, as if he had suddenly remembered a certain thing. “I actually bought you something.” 

With an excited question, “What is it?” You tried to see what was hidden in his hands as he gave you an affectionate little smile. 

“You know those cocksucker CIA bitches pay me well nowadays, as they should, and I'm aware of the fact the fact that I didn't buy you a gift at all, though we have been together for almost a year,” he said. He threw the box aside, showed you a nice ring, and took your hand gently into his, placing it before you could even react. “Do you like it?”

You eventually said, “It's so beautiful,” as you gazed in awe at the ring on your finger. “Ben, this is the most beautiful gift I have ever received. Thank you.” 

Ben took a breath of relief and stilled his hand around your belly. When he was watching, you were looking admiringly at the ring. A proud smile appeared on his face. “You know, once I'm done with Butcher, his crew, and Homelander tomorrow, everything will be different, right?”

When he spoke of the following day, the atmosphere grew more dense. Since he was growing harder to handle every day, you had been under a lot of stress for the past few weeks, but you tried not to show it to him in order to keep him from becoming more concerned. 

You nodded to him and said, “I know.” 

“Hey, it's going to be easy, and I'll be finished with all of them. Like we planned earlier, we'll begin a new life somewhere else. Just you and me.”

Ben's hands lingered around your neck and bare shoulders, giving you the most genuine smile. 

To break the tense air, you teased, “Are you sure you want to share a life with me, away from the company?” as he gently pulled you up and laid you down on the bed in between your small laughs. 

“I shouldn't think about that for the second time,” he muttered, smirking at you as he noticed your face falling. 

You asked him, “What would happen if you thought about it for a second time, though?” and gently hit him, taking care not to injure yourself. 

“Well, I guess you'll never know, so I better not think about it at all,” Ben said, his smile widening as he saw your reaction to it. 

“Asshole,” you gave him a chest slap. 

He grumbled, “I just gave you a ring, and your ungrateful mouth has already started to bite me,” taking advantage of your weak spot to begin tickling you. 

You were so oversensitive that you cried while laughing and shouted in between when he kept tickling you mercilessly. 

“Try calling me names like that once more. Do you want to speak now? Did your tongue get caught by a cat?” As he was on top of you and you were attempting to shove his hands away as if you could ever manage it, he chuckled. 

You choked out, “Bear Dick. Idiot,” and he gave you even more tickling. “All right, please forgive me. I promise not to speak such vile words to you again, sir, Soldier Boy.”

He ended his game with you and said, “Oh, yeah?” He was obviously amused that you addressed him by his supe name. “Are you going to be a good girl?” 

You spoke softly, “I will,” in between gasps. “Aren't I always?” 

Ben pushed himself between your thighs and said, “I don't know; I need to be reminded,” making you feel his hardness. “I might have a weak memory.”

Although you both understood that you couldn't give him everything he desired at this time, that didn't mean you were unable to fulfill his needs. 

As you put your palm over his cock through his sweatpants and muttered, “It's clear,” It was insane that he hadn't softened at all. “I guess I might have to show you how good I am at this point.”

He groaned softly and watched as he removed his huge cock from his pants, placing his hands on both sides of your head. Considering how little your hand was in comparison to his hardness, it made you feel even more horny. 

You made him go a little bit crazy by asking him, in an innocent tone, “What do you need me to do?” Even though you knew you were going too far because you knew he was dying to get inside, you couldn't help but torture him. 

Your thumb pushed the sensitive tip of his redened cock before he could say anything, causing him to growl loudly and curse. “You like it, don't you? You like driving me insane by refusing to let me fuck your cunt.”

Whispering, “Maybe,” you gathered the pre-cum and placed it on your lips while staring directly into his eyes. 

“Fuck that,” he grumbled, quickly picking up your nightgown and ripping off your underwear before tossing it onto the bed. Perhaps you were pushing your luck a little too hard. 

“Ben, I really want it too, but I'm sore,” you muttered, your hands coming to a stop on his rough flesh. 

With a moan, he murmured, “Calm down; unfortunetely I won't fuck you,” and spread your legs. You both groaned as you felt his cock on your pussy. “But it doesn't mean that I can't enjoy feeling you.”

“Use both hands,” he said, and you promptly followed his instructions. When he took over, his body temperature was really high. “Tighter.” 

“Are you sure?” you questioned in a doubtful tone. “I don't want to hurt you.” 

“You think you can hurt me, baby?” he said, placing a possessive fingertips on your chin as the corner of his lips curled. “Now, use both hands to hold it tightly as much as you can.”

His moan was satisfied when you hesitantly followed his instructions, and his strong grasp on your chin caused your heart to speed up. He began to move his hips and slide into your hands between his groans, fucking into them since your palms were slippery with his pre-cum. 

The sound of his heavy balls hitting your clit filled the bedroom, making your cheeks flush. 

Ben moaned, “Come on, baby, do it tighter,” and in an effort to maintain control, he placed both of his hands firmly on both sides of your belly on the sheets. You were getting hornier seeing him try to be gentle with you when all he wanted to do was be rough. You sensed that your pussy was already wet. 

You were doing everything in your power to hold him as tightly as possible in compliance with his orders, but his power was unmatched and was quickly fucking into your hands, making it more difficult for you to grip his cock. 

He immediately groaned in protest when you withdrew one of your hands, but he waited for you to make another move. You both gasped as you began to give him a hard, forceful pump. His veins were clearly apparent, and you could tell he was getting close because he felt considerably heavier. 

He gently moved your hand away with hardness before you could ask him anything. Ben pressed himself on your pussy, moving himself up and down with forceful movements, both fisted hands on both sides of the sheet as he stroked his cock against your wetness. 

Your walls clenched, and you lifted your hips to match his motions. When he began kissing you, you tried to stop your moaning in his mouth by placing your hands on his biceps and holding on tightly.

Ben watched you with an intense glare as your walls began to tighten around nothingness and you started shaking from your climax.

He mumbled, “Yeah, just like that, baby,” as you continued to scream and orgasm.

As soon as your orgasmic effects subsided, Ben grabbed your torn underwear from the bed and began to spill himself over it in front of your startled eyes. Between his grunts, you kept your hands on his flexing biceps as he continued to spill his thick ropes on your torn underwear.

He gasped and beat his cock a little harder to totally spill himself. “I'll come inside you next time,” he said. 

You teased him, “You better,” as your fingers worked over his tense muscles. 

“You little tease,” he said as he finished throwing your ripped underwear on the ground and planting a forceful kiss on your forehead and neck. 

You yawned, and Ben embraced you in his warm arms and adjusted your nightie very gently, right after he'd shoved his dick back into his sweatpants. 

“You smell exceptionally nice these days,” he said, continuing to smell your neck and hair. 

“So you're telling me I smell bad normally?” 

“Of course, that wasn't what I meant, my dear. You're also a little more sensitive than normal, huh? And pretty  dizzy.” To calm you down, Ben planted a kiss on the corners of your mouth. 

You silently said, “Maybe it's because you're touching my nerves, old man,” and buried your head in his heated chest. You must have felt exhausted in such a short period of time due to the powerful orgasm. 

“Behave. You were so docile and obedient moments ago.” You gasped in surprise as Ben gave you a light slap on your bare ass and said, “Now your claws are back, I see.”

You moaned out, “Let me sleep,” resting one leg on his. 

He laughed as he saw you practically nod off in a matter of seconds. 

Ben immediately whispered, “I love you,” causing your lips to curl with happiness and your heart to melt. He was undoubtedly aware of how these three words would affect you. 

“I know, and I love you.”

You felt Ben's lips curve on your hair as his arms tightened around your entire body. 

You gave Ben a small smile, hoping that this day would end as soon as possible, while Butcher, Ben, and the others were talking about what to do in Vought Tower when they encountered Homelander.

“Now, you're all going inside, behind this door, and waiting for us, ladies.”

“What are you doing?” Annie answered immediately, and Hughie gave her support against Butcher and Maeve.

“We don't need any more issues than necessary. It's Vought Tower that we're going to go to, not some ordinary place. Now, get inside, dear one.”

Hughie, Frenchie, and Annie began to argue with Butcher, telling him they wouldn't divulge what they were commanded, but Ben threatened them all by simply touching his gun, so they all gave in.

Just as you were taking a step back, Ben slapped your ass and urged you gently into the vast space with a mischievous smirk on his face.

“You get inside, especially,” Ben muttered, disregarding all of your complaints. “Be a good girl.”

Ben gave you a wink before they closed the door. You wished you could have assisted him there; you wanted to be with him.

Annie and Kimiko finally succeeded in breaking through the thick, locked door after a great deal of effort.

You immediately said, “I'll come with you too,” in a serious manner. Before anyone else rejected you, you stated, “I'm not the only regular human here. As a member of the team, I will be coming.”

You sighed with relief as Frenchie and MM finally nodded at you after exchanging an odd look.

Thanks to Annie, you were able to enter Vought Tower despite its difficulty. Given how easily Ben was able to smell you, you intended to keep an eye on the issue from a distance so as not to burden or distract him. On the other hand, your eyes grew wide as you noticed Ben and Butcher fighting. Actually, Butcher was the one who attacked him nonstop. Annie looked on in disbelief as Frenchie and MM hurriedly fled the area with some things in their hands.

You cried out, “Butcher!” with fury as soon as you witnessed Butcher unleash his super lasering powers on Ben. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“And what the hell are you doing here?” Ben shoved Butcher to the ground, gave him a disgusted look, and roared back. “Get the fuck out of here.”

His shield was shattered.

When you went to Annie and Kimiko to tell them to take action and find a solution to this situation, they both attacked Ben as well, backing Butcher. Your heart was racing behind your chest as Butcher and Ben continued to fight and hit each other.

When her eyes began to shine with maximum intensity, you cried as loudly as you could, “Annie, stop this madness,” but no one was paying attention. You could have found and utilized one right now if you hadn't injected yourself with enough Temp-V.

Ben violently grabbed Kimiko by the neck and threw her. Before you even knew what was going on and attempted to break up Butcher and Ben's intense fight, Butcher threw you against the closest table with such force that your head was hurting so badly that you were unable to find the strength to get back up.

It felt like the back of your head was bleeding, as was your lower stomach. You continued to mumble Ben's name until you lost consciousness. You were quite concerned for Ben when you last saw them trying to put gas on his face in an attempt to get him to fall back asleep. He was betrayed by his team another time, and you couldn't even stop it.

It was unfair and cruel because, if you could only get it through today, you and Ben would have too many dreams come true.

Ben watched you lose consciousness as a result of Butcher throwing you away, acting as though it didn't matter that you were a frail human and that you would die there. His chest began to glow—it was actually burning—at that moment. He was completely out of control just by looking at you, even though you were still breathing.

He knew that you needed him, so he wanted to stop himself. If he had blown up right now, he wouldn't have cared if he killed everyone in his immediate vicinity, but he could have killed you in less than a second as well. Yet Ben's reasonable rage towards Butcher and everyone else persisted. He began to lose consciousness, but thankfully, Queen Maeve grabbed him and leaped out of the window before he exploded. You would be alright; at least your heartbeats were still strong.

As the gas put Soldier Boy to sleep once more, Butcher and the others inhaled deeply as they observed his hauntingly dozing body on the bed, prepared for his return to Russia. When Butcher first spoke with the CIA about it a year ago, it was already part of the plan. However, because Homelander was still alive and they all risked everything for nothing, Butcher just didn't know it would be carried out in this way, and the whole operation was a complete failure.

Kimiko began speaking hurriedly in sign language, concerned for you, as she carefully picked up your unconscious body and laid it on the table.

Frenchie exclaimed, “Kimiko is right. We have to take her to the hospital. She is bleeding from the head and everywhere.”

“Alright, you're right. Since I'm the one who did the job, I'll take care of this, right?” Butcher muttered in a rough tone. “Frenchie and Kimiko, follow me. It looks like cleaning up this mess is going to take some time. Right now, we can't go to the hospital.”

Butcher had contacted a long-time medical acquaintance of his who handled sensitive cases with undercover agents in order to maintain confidentiality when necessary. He knew two doctors to solve this mess, fortunately. Once they had a conversation and you had given them the information they required, they put you in the cold bed, and Kimiko did her best to wipe the blood off your head.

One of the doctors stated after an hour, “She seems fine, but I can't guarantee that her brain is functioning properly.”

“What the heck do you mean?” With a glance at your sleeping body, Butcher asked.

“Her brain injury appears to be rather severe. Memory loss is quite likely. Of course, we can't be certain of anything. She is, nevertheless, physically alright.”

“Well, as long as she's alive, it wouldn't be all that horrible.” Butcher smirked and put his hands in his pockets with a smug expression on his face. Kimiko gave him a hideous look and was clearly upset with him. “I'm sure there are many things she wants to forget anyway,” Butcher said.

“But it's going to be difficult for her to accept her pregnancy at this point,” the doctor said, looking at him perplexed.

“The fuck?” Butcher cried out, hands on his hips, gaze locked on your abdomen as he studied your unconscious body. “Are you fucking with me? Are you positive, for sure?”

“Mon Dieu,” the Frenchie muttered. “That's not good.”

The doctor added, “Of course we are sure,” as he held the files in his hands.

“However, she is still extremely early in her pregnancy. Perhaps not even she knows it herself.”

The doctor continued, even before Butcher reacted. “There's more. It does not appear to be a typical pregnancy.”

“For god’s sake, give me some slack. What do you mean at this point?” Butcher yelled out.

“I'm trying to say that it appears to be a fully developed fetus developing inside her. The fetus appears to be in excellent health based on what I can tell from her results. It's definitely a supe baby.”

Kimiko and Frenchie exchanged a look, and her eyes grew wide. For a minute, silence engulfed the room, and none of them could think of anything to say.

Butcher inhaled deeply and narrowed his gaze as he studied your figure, his mind racing with ideas. “So you're telling me she's pregnant with a supe baby, right?”

The doctor said, “That's exactly what I'm telling you. Who's the father, by the way?”

The doctor stared at Butcher, Frenchie, and Kimiko curiously while they looked at each other, troubled. They weren't entirely certain about the nature of your relationship with Soldier Boy, but they were aware that you two had a sexual interaction. They were aware that you only ever saw him and that you didn't know other super heroes than Soldier Boy.

“It's classified.” Butcher immediately cut it off. “All right, prepare her for the abortion. She must get rid of this thing right away to prevent the situation from getting out of hand.”

“What?” Frenchie yelled; he was horrified by Butcher's callousness and his discussion of killing your unborn child as if it were no big deal.

With a furious look on her face, Kimiko grabbed Butcher by the chest and began yelling in sign language.

“Kimiko is exactly right. You have no business deciding what to do with her body. It's between her and him. Fuck off, Butcher. You're being too much.”

“Are you two fucking out of minds?” Butcher screamed, his nerves already raw from what had transpired. “Obviously, I wouldn't make this choice if she was carrying a typical fetus rather than the most dangerous one. Are you even mindful of what happened to my Becca?”

Butcher had never considered talking about Becca and had disliked discussing his past, but with Kimiko and Frenchie staring at him with disapproval, he realized that he had to. He had to try, even though he knew they would never be able to understand fully.

“She was treated by the most skilled physicians in Vought when she became pregnant by—you know who. Do you know what happened? The monster that was growing inside her womb destroyed every organ and tore her stomach apart when her water broke in an attempt to go out. There, she fucking nearly died in her bloody bed. Almost.” Butcher spat forth his hatred, emphasizing every word in order to make clear the gravity of the situation. “Y/N will never survive this. She also took a great amount of Tempt-V in the past few months. Her body is already too fragile.”

“Don't give me that kind of look. I'm not enjoying this, but someone needs to make important decisions for the better,” Butcher angrily remarked to Kimiko, who remained expressionless and continued to gaze at him with hatred, as though he were her biggest enemy. “It appears that she will likely suffer from memory loss without realizing it. Since we already took care of the matter there, she can start fresh. That man will never enter her life again after all, okay?”

“No matter what,” Frenchie inhaled deeply. He didn't like what was happening and was concerned by it. “She'll be living a lie. This is wrong.”

Butcher interrupted him as he was getting close to your sleeping body on the white bed, saying, “Shut the fuck up. What she is unaware of is not going to hurt her. Here is where we are going to solve this situation. After all, we are in the business of killing supes. Stop complicating things and becoming overly sensitive.”

“Screw you.” Frenchie retreated a step. “You're discussing the murder of a baby. Whether or not it's a supe doesn't matter. I refuse to participate in this.”

“Are you truly aware of what will happen to her if she gives birth? First of all, she is not going to survive and will die in childbirth. Second, Vought will learn of the baby's existence and raise it to become their new puppet, capable of murdering others for amusement. Numerous people will be harmed by it. We cannot handle one more offspring of a bastard. Get your ass act straight and quit being so fucking emotional because she won't even know this.”

If Butcher hadn't been on Temp-V, Kimiko's hands could have crushed his chest from giving him such a severe shove by the chest. She kept the same expression on her face and kept on utilizing sign language.

“From now on, nothing can stop me, so you two go fuck out of here. She'll be alright when this nightmare is over. We are all fortunate to have discovered this crap earlier than she did, and her mental health will benefit even more from the assistance with her memory loss.”

“Come on Kimiko, let's go,” Frenchie mumbled while examining your body with sympathy. He understood that nothing would work out the way Butcher planned since it was now beyond disaster. This was not good.

Kimiko tried to talk to Frenchie, but he said, “It's not our job. This is bigger than us, Kimiko. Let's just get the fuck out of there.”

She had an expression of despair on her face, and despite her repeated attempts to speak with Frenchie, he begged her to get out of the chilly, desolate room as soon as possible. They unwillingly exited, leaving you in the room alone with three monsters.

A doctor said, “Butcher, we have known each other for years, and I know you are not a bad guy, but we cannot just kill her baby without her permission.”

Butcher inhaled deeply as he placed a finger on your covered abdomen and uttered, “That's not an innocent baby there; that's a monster, a natural Supe, and a potential killer. You already know that the CIA never approves such things. We will not permit the birth of any more Homelanders. Fucking do it already and keep your mouth shut; you'll be paid handsomely.”

The female doctor began to get ready to do the procedure. “We don't want to deal with an issue if she or the man she got pregnant by finds out this,” she stated.

“They won't; this will remain a secret, and nobody will ever discuss it, so let's be positive; she doesn't remember anything, am I right? How fortunate we are to live in a nation where medicine and technology are so advanced. That would be very helpful as well, my dear.” Butcher winked at the doctor, acting as though everything was normal.

Butcher scowled when he noticed the elegant green ring on your finger after they had both briefly left the room. He had no idea what this meant or even whether it was from Soldier Boy, but it was preferable to leave no trace and not take any more chances. He removed your ring from your finger and threw it into the closest tin in the room for this reason.

After what seemed like an hour of waiting, they eventually finished the procedure, and Butcher exhaled with relief when he was informed that it was finished. Where Butcher tossed your ring, they threw the dead fetus that was removed from your body in cold blood. Everything was in order.

Butcher spoke with the doctors about your condition once more, ensuring that you slept until you had fully recovered physically. He also paid them off and reminded them not to discuss what had happened with anyone else.

He knew you would soon be alright.

Next Chapter

Taglist: @smexydilflover @deebris @coolrobloxkid28 @endrfairy @libby99hb @raynamorono23 @cwutesygrl @ladysparkles78 @seokjinluvb0t   @deangirl96 @whendiditendalthoughenjoyment @mostlymarvelgirl

[harunayuuka2060]

Twst Unveil Event Part 4

Philomela: Go change with these. *tosses some clothes to Silver, Floyd, Yuurin, Rook, and Sebek*

Sebek, Silver, and Floyd: *ended falling on their backs*

Floyd: *laughing*

Philomela: Whoops. I forgot that you were just teeny-tiny creatures.

Rook: *has grabbed onto Yuurin so he wouldn't fall because of the impact*

Yuurin: ...

Yuurin: The clothes weren't heavy.

Rook: *chuckles* Non. But it was the way she tossed them to us.

Yuurin: Oh.

Philomela: After you're done, Rook, Silver, Sebek, and Floyd, you'll be coming with me to discuss your preferred setup for the wrestling match.

Silver: Huh?

Sebek: Preferred setup?

Floyd: I heard from Jade that you've got some cool tech here~. Is it one of them~?

Philomela: YOU BET IT IS! *laughs*

Yuurin: ...

Yuurin: I'll be chatting with the others while you do that.

Epel: Damn... We're seeing those abs again, Yuurin!

Yuurin: Hm.

Malleus: However, it appears ordinary in comparison to the others.

Yuurin: In ancient times, wrestlers from the Kingdom of Heroes used to fight naked.

Yuurin: With these clothes, this is the closest thing to that.

Malleus and Epel: O-Oh...

Yuurin: Oh. And it's also to ensure no cheating would happen.

Jade: Though, isn't it unfair to you?

Yuurin: ?

Jade: What I mean is, are you not afraid that others will cheat?

Yuurin: Would they?

Malleus: Sebek and Silver won't ever do that.

Epel: Yeah! Rook-senpai too! He's all about playing fair!

Jade: ...

Jade: *chuckles* I guess Floyd will try.

Jade: If he feels like it.

Malleus and Epel: ...

Ruggie: They sure taking their sweet time, huh?

Jack: Yuurin, why do they get to discuss their preferred setup while you're here, talking with us?

Yuurin: I'm guessing that I'll be fighting all of them.

Yuurin: That is, if I keep on winning.

Ruggie: Hmm. So in short, it's to make things difficult for you.

Yuurin: *nods*

Jack: ...

Jack: By the way, Ruggie-senpai, I noticed you were not answering Leona-senpai's calls.

Ruggie: I'll just video call him when the match starts.

Jack: ...

Ruggie: Don't worry. I know what I'm putting myself into.

Yuurin: What do you mean by that, Ruggie-senpai?

Ruggie: Oh, it's nothing.

Philomela: Here are the rules: You've got 30 minutes to beat your opponent! You win if you knock them out, they admit defeat, or time runs out!

Philomela: Do you understand?

Yuurin and the others: Yes.

Philomela: Great! Now let this match begin!

Philomela: Yuurin and Sebek! I'll be sending you now to the designated place!

Floyd: Good luck, damselfish~ Don't lose to Crocodile, okay~?

Silver: Do your best, Sebek. And you too, Yuurin.

Sebek: Hmph!

Rook: Monsieur Tranquille! Monsieur Crocodile! I'll be cheering on you two!

Yuurin: *gives them a nod*

Sebek: *smirks* I'll make this easy for you, Yuurin.

Epel, Malleus, Jack, Jade, and Ruggie: ...

Ruggie: THAT'S A FREAKING CLIFF!

Philomela: Haha! Yes!

Epel: O-Oh, I get it. It's for the scenery.

Philomela: No. It isn't.

Epel: *horrified expression*

Jade: There are spikes beneath the cliff, so if you fall...

Philomela: Those are just decorations, but if you did fall, you'd meet the pavement.

Jack: That feels reassuring...

Epel: Don't force yourself, Jack...

Sebek: If you choose to give up now, I won't hold it against you. *smirking*

Yuurin: ...

Yuurin: *tilts her head in a relaxed manner*

Yuurin: Sebek, it seems you didn't think this through.

Sebek: Huh? What are you trying to say, human?

Yuurin: ...

Yuurin: *feints a punch*

Sebek: !!!

Sebek: What the— What's wrong with you?!

Yuurin: *feints another punch*

Sebek: !!!

Yuurin: ...

Sebek: ...

Sebek: STOP TOYING WITH ME, HUMAN!

Yuurin: ...

Epel: I could feel Yuurin's urge to do a facepalm right now.

Jade: Honestly speaking, Sebek Zigvolt chose a great place.

Philomela: He could use it on his advantage.

Philomela: Only if he had understood its purpose.

Sebek: *has found the opportunity to apply a triangle choke on Yuurin*

Sebek: What can you say now, human?!

Yuurin: ...

Yuurin: Not bad.

Sebek: N-Not bad? NOT BAD?!!

Sebek: YOU ARE AT MY MERCY!

Yuurin: ...

Yuurin: *straightens her posture, pushing her shoulders back to create space, then begins to lift Sebek off the ground*

Sebek: Huh? HUH?

Yuurin: *once her trapped arm is free and she secures a stable position, she begins to transition into an armbar submission hold*

Sebek: This is... not enough... to defeat me...

Yuurin: Then escape. *tightens her grip*

Sebek: AHH!!! YOU BASTARD!!!

Malleus: *ended up laughing*

Epel: No— Malleus-senpai— *wheezes*

Ruggie: Shishishi... This is so good. *while recording the match*

Jack: ...

Jack: One question. Is this being broadcasted right now?

Philomela: Why, yes. The whole Kingdom of Heroes and the other schools who joined us are watching.

Jade: Oh, look, Yuurin has let go of Sebek.

Jack: But he hasn't tapped out—

*Yuurin started to carry Sebek and walked to the edge of the cliff*

Jack and Ruggie: ...

Epel: He's not going to do what I think he would... Is he?

*Yuurin jumped off the edge of the cliff with Sebek.*

Jade: He did.

Philomela: THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH! YUURIN!!!!

Sebek: *after he received treatment*

Yuurin: ...

Sebek: I will get back at you. Remember that.

Yuurin: ...

Yuurin: *starts tapping his back*

Sebek: DON'T CONSOLE ME!

Yuurin: You need it.

Sebek: YES! BUT NOT FROM YOU!

[jollyparaphernalia]

Hello. I was instantly hooked on this concept for Siffrin swaped with the King. So I wanted to ask, if possible:

What would other party members' "King" form loom like? For example, Isa's could be themed around seams and threads, Odile's could be either a massive chronicler (familytales), and Bonnie's would be a massive chef.

Thoughts?

First off, thank you! I'm rather giddy that people are resonating so much with this feral cat I made of Siffrin (and the wet dog that would have been King) I'm very proud of the design of The Stagemaster, and this little AU concept has been cooking in my brain for a while now. I don't have any concepts on hand for a swapped party. However, I can walk through the methodology of the Stagemaster's design which might inform how each of the party would look like? There's aspects to Kingswaps ~deep lore~ I haven't covered that I'll try not to talk about, but it might bleed through anyways.

This post will be mostly yapping, and there will be some Spoilers related stuff to In Stars and Time under the cut

I knew from the start I wanted StagmasterSif to be a ghost of some kind, with a bit of a flair for both misery and theatrics, building up off of the games existing themes of Siffrin feeling like he's not a person anymore, not real, their existing love for theatre and stage motifs, alongside the mean streak we see in Act 5. Leaning less into The Mania and more into the conversation Siffrin has with Isabeau - cold and calculating like a knife who knows where to cut to make it hurt.

The designs sort of fed into each other - I already knew I wanted to keep some of that Siffrin 'cuteness' in some form, even if it's scrungled beyond recognition, so leaning into influences from similar 'vibes' from adjacent media to pull inspiration from was a Boon. Villainous characters that have menace and presence, but are still a little silly and fun. Also it's a lot of my personal taste - I always did like 'goofy little guys in a robe and wizard hat'. og Final Fantasy Black Mage, Kirby's Smirror enemy, etc. Siffrins already got that idea paired with him by that one Wizard loving kid in Dormont, so it was a perfect match. (Wizard kid has conflicting feelings about the Stagemaster. One one hand, evil! On the other, Wizard!)

The design for The Stagemaster is informed by both the external factors (their interests, their looks) as well as the deep internal Complexities that have been picked at and made Far, Far Worse (Siffrins act 5 behavior, the self loathing, fear of being left behind, the fear of change and losing what little you have left, and everything that also applies via Loop's behavior and thought process. I also include Comic Siffrin here as well, as they too can be seen as a reflection on game Siffrin, if that makes sense?). Imagine taking a look at a version of yourself and going 'wow! You're pathetic, how could you not do xyz? Loser behavior, couldn't be me (Internalizes all that shit anyways but worse)' It's sort of a...Characters own response to seeing themselves? And hating it on principle but still stumbling into being that person?

So How Does This Apply To Swapping a Party Member?

Well, it's a bit harder since we're not privy to the inner workings of everyones mind, but lets try! Internal Hangups vs Visuals/interests

Lets examine Odile. What do we have to work with? A Researcher researching nothing (and only went along with the researching bit cause it was funny watching the group guess), she's interested in Vaugardian family tales because it's a topic of interest and complexity to her (mother was Vaugardian and left, and she feels robbed of an opportunity to know herself) She also likes Fairy Tales and learning about Vaugarde in general, taking genuine interest in other peoples opinions on the matter. Which is a fun contrast to her being Not Very Keen on the emotional touchy feely sappiness, instead expressing her affection through playful jokes, sarcasm, and dry humor. She's also quite attentive to detail, and is the first to know something is wrong. She's also capable, in her words, of doing terrible, terrible things to protect the party. Ka Bue is Fantasy Japan with a focus on Gemstones and the Expressions, so we get another layer to mess with. And the paper motif is there as well, with her chosen weapon being Heavy Ass Books. Design wise, we get a lot to work with - gem motifs, paper motifs, books, tales. I'd probably categorize her a Collector of Things and People. Something that is both an expression of love, that can be easily warped into something possessive, while still keeping Odile's sense of distance. (Now, how she actually, like, gets to that point? Lots of stuff would prolly need to change in her life, because dammit Odile is just so damn cool and put together it's hard to see her jumping off the deep end!!). Physicality wise, she probably still just looks like herself? Again, Kingswap Stagemaster looks the way they do because they're built off of existing hang-ups for the character of Siffrin - meanwhile, the King was just A Dude in Armor with Big Hair. He knows exactly what he is and what he wants. I feel Odile would be similar, and her gimmick is instead the funky ways she's collecting stuff. (As the kids say. Yoink).

Anyways, I have no art to share of this idea, but I hope maybe it is sufficient in answering your question? And I hope my rambling of my methodology was at least interesting to view! Thank you so much for the question and interest!

[darkfictionjude]

I wonder, will Imre actually fall in love with the Crowny at some point? Or will it be something like, "Yeah, I used you," and leave it at that? I really want to understand what the official relationship dynamics with him will be like. I know you can't have a 100% healthy relationship with any of them because they all seriously need therapy (and look, Crowny went through several), but I still want to have a relationship that is at least basic in concept.

I'm not naive enough to think that just because he's in a relationship, he's going to change all his attitudes and thoughts, because I know he won't. But I hope they at least genuinely like Crowny and don't see them as some kind of lab rat. Or, I don't know, decide to keep the relationship low-key or something. I just hate the whole secret relationship thing with all my heart.

Ultimately I'm just trying to ask if in a relationship with Imre, Will he genuinely act like our boyfriend or will I need to worry that out of nowhere he'll decide to stab me in the back to see what kind of reaction I'll get? You know, like the mad scientist and his guinea pig. Mainly because I'm playing the friendly romance route, so I didn't even get the chance to hit him at the party like in the antagonistic route.

I just want at least one cute moment with Imre 🥹🥹

So I’ll say what I said before. Imre honestly believed that he was doing something good for crowny because that’s how he was raised himself. That pain makes you stronger. Ofc just because you intended something doesn’t mean it’s received that way especially when your morality is so skewed as his is. Crowny has reason to come to the lab rat conclusion ofc but unless I give you insight into his head (patreon has that but I mean within the game) it’s all in doubt

The uncertainty is intentional. Imre is very good at pretending to feel things. I can’t really tell you exactly how it’ll go down but well that’s technically the point of trying to romance a liar and manipulator the very nature of it is hazy

Will he be your boyfriend? If you so desire. Can you have cute moments? Yes. But it’s also hard to grow out of the conditioning he was raised in. Even harder because well he likes himself, he feels he has nothing to change and his tendencies will never truly go away. They can be used for good though and he can grow to not apply them at least to his beloved

Say he truly does eventual love crowny with as much as his shrivelled heart can love someone, would he tell them or hold it over their head without answering to maintain them in his control, so that they can be his forever? That remains to be seen

[nihilnovisubsole]

hello! i'm asking on hehalf of a friend who wants to get into narrative design (specifically a position at IOI) but has no clue where to start, how to apply, what to include in his portfolio and CV (as he hasn't worked for someone before in that field) and i was wondering if you had any advice? pointers or what he could include to get potentially under their radar. thank you in advance!

hey! thanks for writing in!

it brings me no pleasure to say this, but if your friend has never had a gamedev job before, i'd tell him not to apply to that IOI opening. spare himself the heartache and save the effort for getting experience elsewhere. believe me, i used to hear the kind of advice i'm relaying now, and it made me furious. i hoped i'd never have to be the one giving it.

it may help to have context. any big-deal studio who posts a narrative job is going to get a minimum of several hundred applicants. if they have a reputation for being good at narrative, it could be as high as a thousand. larian (the bg3 people) probably did numbers like that with their recent opening. they tend to ask for three to five years of relevant gamedev experience, unless it's for a senior job. then it could be seven or more. wherever your friend applies, he'll be competing with hungry aspirants like him, veterans whose game got canceled, veterans who want a change of pace, devs who already live in that country and don't need a work visa, devs who are friends with the team because they worked together eight years ago, and, unfortunately, the way the industry's been these days, people who worked on Mega Unicorn All The Awards and got laid off. gross.

should studios take more chances on promising juniors? yeah, they should, but they often don't, and the reasons can be more complicated than "we're evil for the sake of it." sometimes they ask for a lot of experience because a project has hit the skids, so they need someone who can run in and put out fires with no training. sometimes they would love to promote someone internally, but some corporate who-knows-what is preventing them from doing it. (standard disclaimer that i'm not subtweeting anything. these are stories i've heard tons of times from many different devs.) the court intrigue matters, but it doesn't feel like it on the other side, where a rejection is a rejection and no job is no job. it's a shame.

i'm not saying any of that because i want your friend to give up. i'm saying it because i want him to succeed eventually. if he's really starting from nothing, punching in IOI's weight class could take a while, so i encourage him to dig in and get comfortable. he could start by looking into a narrative mentorship or groups that run workshops. i did a pixelles portfolio workshop, and it was great. it couldn't hurt to learn some tools. twine is the standard rec, though i've heard unreal looks great on a resume because many studios use it and writers who can wrestle with it are rare. but in the end, even if your friend snags a rec on the inside, it'll hinge on that portfolio. that means projects, projects, and more projects, and smaller gigs until something clicks.

i applied to obsidian in 2021, so i can't promise any of my portfolio advice is still relevant. the goalposts move from year to year and studio to studio. samples that are crucial for call of duty would be irrelevant to a dating sim. this is why i'm pointing your friend toward workshops and mentorship: they stay up-to-date on this stuff and can give more tailored help. in the meantime, a good friend of mine made a video about how to make a game writing portfolio if he'd like to check it out.

as a parting shot, i'll also link this bluesky thread where my other friend addresses a lot of the anxieties i've brought up here. she's not afraid to be frank, but remains optimistic that your friend should keep his options open and keep trying. i hope he smashes through that ceiling one day!

[itstokkii]

rating the new flower pop up outfits as a fashion major

what the title says

Spain

im ngl spains one is actually my favorite, and I think is the best out of all of these. this is because:

he has an established style/fashion sense throughout these pop-up events

the flared train at the back is a unique twist that's nice to look at

the color theme is consistent throughout, shades of similar dark red, and pink and white as accent colors

my only complaint is that the flowers aren't central to his outfit, but this is a complaint I have with all the outfits. if this is about the countries' national flowers, it should go with the design and not as an afterthought.

FINAL POINT: 9/10

China

I love the flower patterns on the inside of his cape! his design is rather nice

this is where the compliments end because now I have issues:

what is up with this color scheme? the white boots throw everything off, both design wise and color. the peach pink could be a little darker as well, like how spain has visibly different shades of red but they work well together because they look similar to each other.

balance in a design is incredibly important. the pieces need to look unified and not like a bunch of different pieces forced on as a single outfit. the color and pattern on the inside of the cape could be used on the blazer replacing the peach pink, whereas the notch collar and lapel could remain as peach pink. this way, the outfit is unified while the peach pink adds a pop of color as contrast. the cuffs could potentially be a different piece cut of the peach pink fabric and sewed onto the end of the sleeve.

his pants are very high waisted, it looks odd. either keep his pants high waisted and make the blazer longer, or lower the pants a little. short blazers can work in certain situations, but it's not doing anything here.

honestly I just wanna know what was the designing process behind this

FINAL POINT: 6/10

France

I love the light blue, white, and cream color scheme here! this is maybe, next to spain's, the best color scheme. the flower placement works and is still a noticeable detail in his design.

additionally, the colors are applied in a way that keeps the design balanced and unified. the bottom is cream, and the top has a cravat of the same color. the dress shoes is a good contrast that still works due to how light the brown is. the cape is blue, which is reflected in his cravat brooch. a small detail, but it works so well. we also have his belt/girdle that's a baby blue and it also works to unify the design, even though it's slightly lighter than the cape and brooch. the cape and pants are light and easy on the eyes, and help keep the design grounded and not washed out. the gold accents are subtle and are placed at the top and the belt.

design wise, I do wonder if there's something more that could have been done to his bottoms...the top gives the perfectly princely feel, the bottom feels so plain in comparison..

FINAL POINT: 9/10

America

since there's nothing good about his design, let's skip to the bullet points already:

the color scheme is atrocious. purple and green...works if you try hard enough. but the blue?? on his shoes?? what?? I assume it was an attempt at unification with the blue pinstripes...an attempt. I would change the color of his waistcoat to match his shoes, since it's much easier to work with purple and blue than purple and green

the pinstripes were certainly a choice. I would've gotten rid of them completely and replaced it with maybe some white or gold trim at the hem and sleeves.

the flowers are placed in such a lackluster way, when it could have maybe been a design detail of flowers spaced out at the top and then collecting at the bottom of his jacket, with a few flowers spaced out at the top of his pants to balance the outfit.

once again, there is no focus or an established sense/style for him. from what I'm seeing across many pop-up events, the idea or "vibe" is a childish, sleazy(??) vibe. but that's very vague, and they would need to further outline common elements/looks they could refer back to when designing anything for him.

FINAL POINT: 2/10 my goodness

Germany

I like his design a lot, it fits his personality well! the gold trim and buttons is a nice touch that helps balance the top and bottom. the color scheme is an unexpected surprise, since in my mind he's wearing green always..? but I guess in the hws anime, he wears a blue suit.

I do wish the suit was a different shade of blue, like a slightly lighter shade, since the stark blue and yellow feel very in-your-face like Ikea, and since the flowers feel like a blue plum, this really deep, dark shade of blue just feels like a bit too much.

my other only issue with this is honestly the flower placement. I see that they were trying to balance the placement on the left and right, but it covers up important design details like the gold trim on the shoulder and the viennese seam.

FINAL POINT: 7/10

Italy

it honestly feels so similar to the sweets parade pop up, so i really don't know how to feel. especially the train/cape detail that was in both. that doesn't immediately mean this is bad, though

I do like the train here because it's such a reflection of his personality!

it's nice how they try to balance the top and bottom through the same patterns on the waistcoat and train. the pants however...

the pants throw it off. they could have gotten rid of the stripe pattern and it would have been fine.

the jacket being white isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I have issues with the lapel and collar having a green stripe. it's very stark and isn't enough to balance the jacket with the pants and blouse. the white and green needs to be swapped, i can't see it working any other way. a white blouse would still work with a yellow waistcoat and orange bow, and the green unifies the top and bottom. the only problem with this is figuring out how well this works with the orange on the inside of the jacket train...

the flower is very tiny despite being in the middle, and would need to be placed in a way that is noticeable. my initial thought was one or two daisies as lapel pins(bigger than the daisy on the bow) connected by a gold chain...perhaps the bow-daisy design detail could be added at the top of his boots?

FINAL POINT: 6/10

Japan

*grits teeth in korean* he's pretty charming here i gotta give him that

the pink-green is ATROCIOUS. different shades of pink and green would have worked. they chose a colder pink with a colder green and it just clashes so hard. this cold pink also clashes with the warm magenta. the pink and green are extremely light, and would benefit from being more prominent and warmer shades.

there is no balance because below that is just white with gold details. the white just eats everything up, especially because the pink and green are extremely light shades. the cuffed hem at the bottom of the pants are fine, but the rest of the pants would work better in pink or green. or fine, keep the pants. but the shoes better be in green or pink.

the inside of the cape is way too light, and alongside the pants and shoes, eats the other colors up. I would make the pattern on the inside a gold trim, and the background a more prominent pink.

again, the flower here is really tiny. cherry blossoms aren't known for their size, but if the whole point of this is highlighting the nations' flowers, the flowers should be a bigger deal that the design works around, not an afterthought. I'd add cherry blossom petals onto the pants, spaced out so it looks like they're falling to the bottom.

FINAL POINT: 5/10 good lord the white

England

THIS DESIGN. i have the BIGGEST BEEF with it its a designers NIGHTMARE

where is the balance? i'm supposed to expect these dark plaid pants to work with the light red roses? why is this plaid? where is plaid anywhere else in this design? if the top is white what is unifying this design?

to fix this problem i'd burn the plaid pants. but if that's not an option, i'd give him a plaid waistcoat. but honestly, burn the plaid pants. NOW.

there has to be a better way to incorporate the roses into this design. i'm thinking a dark red coat with gold rose trim, and removing the lone rose at the bottom of his top. also the roses gotta be the same dark red as his pants.

the frills are also excessive. cmon man.

FINAL POINT: 2/10 something something like father like son

Russia

*grits teeth in uzbek* he really is a dapper lil man...

so first off this color scheme is wonderful. for a guy associated with winter constantly, the sunny yellow and green matches his sort of...enthusiastic attitude?? however there is one(1) issue I have with it. the yellow would look better as a warmer, slightly golden yellow. because right now it looks more like paint yellow than sunny yellow. some of the light green could benefit from being a similar shade as the forest green at the hem of his pants.

the balance is there in the brown and green pants and the brown waistcoat. the green details are well placed throughout the jacket and looks great. the hat is a nice accessory that ties everything together. I don't know if the yellow jacket is overwhelming the brown bottoms, or if it's just me having issues with the shade of yellow... because if the yellow was warmer, it could work with the warm brown pants?

Instead of the gems on the chain of his pants, it could be sunflowers? there's so many opportunities to incorporate the sunflowers, but it was missed...

FINAL POINT: 8/10

Prussia

i'm sorry to say but oh...oh my goodness this is actually terrible i actually don't know where to start

it's blue everywhere. the shoes are the only breath of fresh air. but then you look at the overall design and wonder why these colors were chosen.

these shades of blue don't unify this outfit. the waistcoat is a colder blue compared to the pants. also, the random flower pattern on the shoulders? nobody asked prussia pack up and go home. there's silver stripes on the side of his pants. that could have been the color of the flower chain instead of?? brown??

I love the flower chain though im ngl

there has to be some sort of secondary color that's prominent enough to balance the outfit properly. there is none here so I'm just very lost like i don't know how to save this outfit.

i'm wondering if a dark blue and red would work(thinking about his military fit from world twinkle).

FINAL POINT: 0/10 (why are you even here? you're just a province now)

Common issues

Color schemes

Balancing outfit

Minimal flower placement(I would personally design their outfits to resemble the silhouette of their national flower in some way, and perhaps use ouji fashion as a base for inspiration)

In fashion school you're taught that customer profiles are important when designing for someone, and to think of key elements in each design to keep it consistent to the profile. they need to start doing that

anyway that's it follow my soundcloud etc

[bekkathyst]

Let's Talk Tariffs

Hey everyone,

So these past few days I've been absorbing as much information as possible about these new tariffs and trying to figure out exactly how it's all going to affect my shop specifically. Just like everything else this administration does, it appears this has been hastily slapped together, and it's been extremely confusing trying to figure it all out. But I think I have a pretty good grasp now on the info I need to pass along to you all.

So first of all, this only applies to US customers, but again, that's about 98% of you.

However, most of you will not be affected by any fees and you should be receiving everything normally. For now, the de minimus exemption still applies to shipments from the EU, which means that any shipment under $800 will not be charged any tariffs or other fees.

Once in a while, there are orders exceeding this amount, but they're almost always split into separate shipments anyway for the safety of the crystals. So in theory, this should change basically nothing for now.

At first I kept reading that this exemption was removed entirely, and it sent me into a spiral, but it's only actually been removed for China as of now.

I came across one article that said they're going to be getting rid of the de minimus exemption for everyone else at some point in the future, but with how much flip flopping has been going on, there's really no way to know what's really going to happen.

In summary,

No changes as of now; it's impossible to know what will happen in the future, but I'll do my best to keep everyone updated.

I realize there are also much bigger issues at hand, and I absolutely care deeply about them too. However, this shop is my life's work and right now it's taking almost everything in me to keep this afloat and not go absolutely crazy from the stress and constant whiplash of conflicting information. All I can do right now is keep trying my best to keep up with it all and keep everyone as informed as possible.

If you have any questions or concerns, I'm here 🙏

I also appreciate all of you so much and I hope you know how much your support means to me and my family and so many different people who have worked with my business over the years.

I know right now my business is 10% the size that it used to be, but it just makes it that much more amazing that we're managing to survive for now. Especially after how many of my small business owning peers have gone out of business these last couple of years.

Thank you

🫂💗

[markrosewater]

Hey, Mark, I'm not to make another UB-related request. This isn't coming from an anti-UB place, and it's just one Goose's opinion, but I'm sure there are others who feel this way.

Can we get rid of flavor words, please? I haven't seen a single upside to them presented, just downsides:

For decades, one of MtG's biggest strengths was capturing the ludonarrative. Having to spell it out makes it seem like you all have lost confidence in your ability to make card design that makes sense with the captured flavor.

If a design is intended to be funny (the Street Fighter cards come to mind), it feels like you're pointing at the "joke" and saying "See? Please laugh." As a person who has a comedy background, I'm sure you understand why killing the frog is bad.

Death of the epithet: The most minor of the criticisms, but I really think "Ian Chester, Science Teacher" reads better than "Ian Chester" and then calling his ability "science teacher." (I may be mixing up the WHO teachers, but this applies to both, luckily.) Epithets also make it easier to depict multiple "moments" of a character without giving a card up as the "definitive" version of that character.

It feels like you don't trust players to get why the card text is what it is. Telling your audience you don't expect them to be smart (or rather, literate) enough to "get" it doesn't really help. I've seen people say they add flavor to the cards, but the flavor isn't diminished by removing the flavor words (flavor is when things are fleshed out and living, not when things are spelled out). If it's for fans of the IP, then they already get it (Oh, the activated ability that grants flying is referencing this character's rocket propulsion). Non-fans of the IP aren't benefited either, as they will sus out said character has rocket propulsion or be left completely in the dark (see Cult of Skaro: These words do nothing to tell me about the ability. If you were to leave them out, I'd still be able to sus out that each ability corresponds to one of the four Daleks depicted).

Lastly, they make cards harder to read. When trying to grok a card, there should be as few words as possible I'm supposed to ignore.

I understand some people will go "I recognize the thing" and a bulb in their brain will light up, but something being easy like this doesn't mean it's better or that we actually like it more.

I guess there's the potential upside that you could slot in numerals to power up my Baron von Count deck, but I don't see any real tangible upside to them. Obviously I'm missing something. Can you say what it is?

(Also, even if you don't answer it,thank you for taking the time to answer this book of an ask. These are feelings I've been sitting on since AFR and keeping an open mind on in case I changed how I felt from my initial reaction.)

Flavor words can do some things that we can't replicate elsewhere. I agree they can be overused, and are not always used optimally, but I don't think we want to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

[blueishspace]

Fated Life session 5

Bluishspace aka me (He/Him) - 16:00

@a-sociopath-do-your-research aka Oli (Xe/Void/It) - 17:00

@bendy8me aka Bendy (She/Her) - 13:00

@juno0n aka Juno (She/Her) - 16:00

@raeistrying aka Rae (She/Her) - 17:00

@silverorchideon aka Orchid (He/They) - 15:00

@communistcatboi aka Catboi (He/They) - 19:00

@theblackglitch aka Glitch (She/Her) - 16:00

@kazanfamily aka Kazan (He/They) - 17:00

@twisttea aka Twisttea (She/Her) - 18:00

@cowgirlginger aka Ginger (She/Her) - 17:00

@thatlonelygirl07 aka Manu (She/Her) - 20:00

@lizzlylou aka Liz (They/Them) - 16:00

@thatoneloudintrovert aka Floracica (She/Her) - 17:00

@not-ready-for-gaster aka Bee (She/They) - 16:00

@whats-she-gonna-post-next aka Starfall (She/They) - 16:00

@frostywisp aka Fros (They/Them) - 16:00

@the-local-pineapple aka Tessa (She/Her) - 17:00

@spectresharmony aka Ari (She/Her) - 17:00

@astoriagalaxy aka Astoria (All) - 13:30

@3-pots-of-soup aka Soup (Any) - 16:00

@hayunjin aka Hayunjin (She/Her) -17:30

@craftingelephant aka Elephant (He/Him) - 18:00

@thejade-empress aka Jade (She/Her) - 18:00

@rachiecrown aka Rachie (She/Her/Any) - 18:00

First, let's look at the changes in the wheel:

As there are yellow lives now the murder chance has increased, the same applies to trap chance.

It's now time for session 5:

Twisttea and Manu confront Oli about void's relationship with Blue, xe convince the two that there is nothing to worry about.

Blue fishes completely unaware of what's happening.

Hayunjin sets off a trap while walking on a path and goes boom. -1h to Hayunjin.

Kazan fights a group of pillagers.

Rachie finds a mineshaft but it's already been looted.

Bendy falls into a cave filled with mobs and is killed. -1h to Bendy.

Rae messes with Juno using codwebs.

Ginger joins the flower cult but does NOT join the Northlanders.

Orchid stalks Bee. But like. As a joke.

Catboi tries to scam Starfall out of an hour but fails.

Glitch and Jade talk about Floracica, they agree that she is dangerous and must be put down.

Fros and Floracica get into a fight after Fros mocks her. Fros wins and Floracica is forced to flee.

Liz goes to the Nether but comes back empty handed.

Tessa offers Astoria and Elephant an alliance saying that the bloom goddess and the mushroom are actually lesbian lovers and the two cults should be united...it doesn't work (Tessa what).

Soup messes with Ari for a while but gives up when Ari doesn't seem to notice.

The boogeyman is decided. It's ???.

Manu traps Bee's base. (Wth?????? Why do you hate Bee now???)

Kazan steals from the Northlanders.

Liz kills Floracica bringing her to yellow. -1h to Floracica. +0:30 to Liz. (First non-boogie kill that wasn't by accident)

Ari is exploded while trying to catch a creeper in a boat. -1h to Ari.

Oli speaks brainrot at Hayunjin until it becomes too much and she runs.

Glitch offers Twisstea an alliance but is turnt down (because some of us don't suddenly try to kill eachother Manu)

Fros tries to lure Blue into a trap but fails multiple times while Blue (or I??) keeps not noticing. ... (I can't believe I did a Tommy and Niki)

Bendy waterlogs Juno's base. Harmless but annoying. Juno sets fire to Bendy's base. (You can call that a tale of ice and fire...or water and fire I guess.)

Elephant attempts to also gain a wolf army. (Ours is still better)

Astoria falls into a trap and dies. -1h to Astoria.

Ginger starts creating more traps around the map, I'm sure Astoria will appreciate.

Tessa travels to the nether but falls into lava and dies. -1h to Tessa. (Tessa what are you doing?)

Jade tells Bee to be wary of Manu. Bee choses to trust in Manu over Jade. (A tragedy waiting to happen)

Rae offers Orchid a netherite ingot in exchange of 1h and then gives an iron ingot named netherite. She does give back the time though.

Starfall and Rachie make a super secret alliance that is kept secret from the Wall™ which is already in itself Starfall's secret alliance. Sure. Whatever. Not going to get confusing or anything.

Soup and Catboi discuss their alliance and give eachother 1h to prove they are still loyal. (But are they? Or is it just pretend?)

Bee kills Elephant by pushing him into lava. -1h to Elephant. +0:30 to Bee.

Catboi gives Soup an extra hour to bring them back to green. -1h to Catboi. +1h to Soup.

Blue blows up Kazan's base by accident.

Astoria begins trapping the Wall™, probably hiding lava inside.

Juno builds traps all across the map.

Rachie and Oli travel to the Nether together but are forced to go back into the overworld.

Rae and Ginger steal from Ari's base.

Fros attempts to kill Floracica but is unsuccesful.

Bendy stares an enderman in the eyes and is torn apart. -1h to Bendy.

Jade goes on a quest to collect all the wither skulls left on the server.

Liz builds a secret bunker/base.

Manu is stuck beneath ice and drowns. -1h to Manu.

Starfall falls...off a cliff. -1h to Starfall.

Tessa works on growing the wolf army to the point of FPS drop. (????)

Orchid, Twisstea and Glitch discuss a super secret alliance.

Hayunjin sets off a trap but survives.

And that's the first half of the session, to recap:

-2h to Bendy. -1h to Hayunjin. -1h to Floracica. -1h to Ari. -1h to Astoria. -1h to Tessa. -1h to Catboi. -1h to Elephant. -1h to Manu. -1h to Starfall. +0:30 to Liz. +0:30 to Bee. +1h to Soup.

Now, back to the session:

Ari is killed by a pillager. -1h to Ari.

Rachie and Starfall form an alliance.

Rae creates a series of tunnels underneath the ground.

Tessa begins creating traps around the Northlanders base.

Oli attempts to travel to the Nether alone and falls into lava. -1h to Oli.

Hayunjin plots to sow distrust in the enemy teams.

Glitch and Orchid work together to create a trapped enchanting table set in the middle of the server.

Soup tells Ginger that the Jade/Orchid/Ari/Liz team are planning to spawn another wither. This is a lie.

Blue sets up a secret base on the corner of the map.

Juno fortifies her base with a wall of obsidian.

Fros kills Astoria revealing themselves as the boogeyman. -2h to Astoria. +1h to Fros.

Elephant leaves ominous messages at Jade's base.

Catboy sets out to try and glitch out the border. It doesn't work.

Floracica falls into a ravine while escaping from mobs. -1h to Floracica.

Bendy makes more traps around the server.

Manu and Liz discuss a possible alliance between their respectives teams.

Kazan falls off while trying to build a look out tower and dies. -1h to Kazan.

Twisttea and Bee discuss exiling Blue (Excuse me??? Why me????) but decide not to. (Good)

Tessa sets off a trap and causes the destruction of a good portion of the Northlanders base.

Glitch discovers the tunnels and stays quiet.

Catboi begins trapping the nether portals.

Twisttea builds in the sky for possibly dropping tnt in the future.

Starfall and Liz get into an heated argument.

Manu and Floracica discuss past events with the Wall. Floracica thinks finally someone cares while Manu is just there for the information.

Kazan shoots Elephant and kills him. -1h to Elephant.

Bee and Orchid travel to the Nether and get caught in the lava traps. -1h to Bee. -1h to Orchid.

Jade steals an horse...from somewhere.

Blue, Oli and Rae share information.

Ari and Bendy commit arson together. (Great bonding moment)

Fros completely rigs their base with tnt.

Astoria travels to the nether and is caught in a lava trap. -1h to Astoria.

Hayunjin tries and fail to scam Rachie and Juno. It doesn't work.

Soup and Ginger share gossip That's like 50% made up stuff.

So uh. That's session 5.

[twistedwonderlandshenanigans]

Long Term Effects Of Blot

I'm not writing this out the same way as last time. Anyways

I've always loved the idea of overblots having long-lasting effects on the body- like the immune system, when the body begins to sense an 'enemy', it'll take precautions to ensure it doesn't affect you as badly as last time. However the difference lies in things like viruses - COVID, for example, had way too many spike proteins to just give the SARS vaccine out. Sometimes there are mutations our body can't account for right away.

Applying this to blot accumulation - I think there needs to be a physiological response, and seeing as we know that once someone overblots, they are more likely to OB again, the symptoms are a little scary, especially since the topic is not very heavily researched.

General Symptoms

Darkening of blood vessels, specifically in the extremities

Exhaustion and fatigue (this is the body trying to shut down before any extreme emotions can be felt)

Loss of appetite

Lower magic throughput and output

Metallic taste in the mouth

Dizziness

Migraines (specifically only aura phase seems to be strong)

Severe dehydration

PTSD symptoms are exacerbated - more on this next

Those are all mostly physical reactions to the accumulation of blot - I also think that memories that are related to the reason someone overblots will worsen the symptoms.

I.e. When Riddle hyperfocuses on his work to the point of exhaustion, the tips of his fingers start to turn black and he begins hearing his mom's disembodied voice. Usually that Alone makes him go to bed.

When Leona and Falena get into disagreements, he has to keep a cool head otherwise a band of blot will form under his skin in the form of an upside down crown on his forehead.

When the tweels poke fun or tease Azul about his old eating habits, their voices imitate the sound of laughter from school children

Sometimes when Jamil is getting close to his limit with Kalim, his UM activates without him noticing as a stress response to make Kalim do as he says - nothing major usually, but it scares Jamil that his magic can do that.

If Vil has been stressed out and starts looking in the mirror too long, his reflection starts to change into something horrific.

Sometimes Idia wonders what would happen if he opened the gates again, if he did go find his brother. The soundtrack to the videogame they played before Ortho died starts playing in his head on loop, his tears black and burning until he can find something to distract himself.

Mal I'll wait on bc. not done the book but yknow

For my OC Viz, ((minor) spoilers if you haven't finished her lore fic - TW for gore/horror elements, demons, Child abuse, death, etc. Please read at your own discretion)

She overblots when she's a kid/fights her mom, but doesn't remember. Her symptoms are pretty persistent - even though SHE's not using magic directly, her gauntlets are using her magic in order to function + the intake of magic from other people/her surroundings is a contributing factor to her hallucinations and physical reactions to the other overblotters.

Anyways, Taglist: @nemisisnemi @theleechyskrunkly @lumdays @distant-velleity @elenauaurs @fluffle-writes @my-cursed-brain @starry-night-rose

DM to be added/removed

[redheadsramblings]

Ship Sleep Dynamics

I was tagged by the lovely @aetherflowers for this 🥰

I need more screenshots of the two of them. All the ones I have, someone has their eyes closed or is pulling a weird face 🤣

So I have to keep reusing the few good ones 😅

💚Emmrich Volkarin 💀 Rowan "Rook" Ingellvar💜

How often do they sleep together?

Once the relationship is a go every night, but not in a sexual sense as Rowan is not ready (also I haven't quite decided if their first time is the coffin or not) and he would never ever think of rushing her. Emmrich is horrified when he sees Rowan's sleeping situation at the Lighthouse. And will not hear of leaving his darling to sleep in a cold, damp room on that abominable sofa with nary a pillow or blanket that isn't her pack and cloak (his exact words).

It starts with them just in the same bed, he being a gentleman offers to go sleep elsewhere, but Rowan asks him to stay. So he puts a bolster pillow down the centre of the bed so she feels safe and as a barrier. Which lasts all of her first nightmare. He knew she sleepwalked because of bad dreams, what he didn't know was how it all started before she started walking. Lots of whimpering, talking in her sleep (he didn't know his heart could break over such innocuous phrases like No, Don't, or It hurts) so how can he not hold her and try to soothe her and the rest is history (OK the rest is kind of written but not really, and I want to keep some things a mystery for later fic chapters)

Where do they sleep?

Once the relationship is a go they're both in Emmrich's bed in his room at the Lighthouse (I am an Emmrich has a secret bedroom behind a bookcase truther) and again in Emmrich's bed in his flat/house in Nevarra once they go home. Before, Rowan didn't have a bed either in the Lighthouse or Nevarra. She barely had a room in the Necropolis before she had to leave after the War of the Banners.

How do they prepare to sleep?

Emmrich I see as have a very structured routine. A bath followed by applying his various lotions and potions to his hair and skin, I'm not saying the man has the Thedas equivalent to a Korean skincare regime, but I'm also not not saying it. Puts oh his fancy pyjamas (he strikes me as a silk pjs kind of man) then a calming cup of tea before brushing his teeth, getting his clothes ready for the next day, putting the ones from that day in the laundry basket. Then finally gets in to bed to read for a while before going to sleep.

Rowan in comparison is a lot simpler, not because she doesn't want to, but because she couldn't afford the lotions etc and never had the time or space. A wash if she can, then braids her hair, puts on her old worn shift and heavily darned socks (she's always cold), brushes her teeth, and then crashes out on the nearest flat surface. If she even bothers going to bed in the first place. She, Lucanis and Neve are giving each other a run for the worst insomniac in the Veilguard. Bellara is disqualified because she actually falls asleep while she's working.

Once they're sharing a bed, suddenly Rowan has a multitude of lotions, potions, and oils that Emmrich gifts her. She also has beautiful nightwear and warm slippers, stockings, and wraps to wear if she gets cold. Her old shift may have "accidentally" got burnt after a mysterious, very localised fire.

What do they wear to sleep?

Emmrich is an absolute silk pyjamas man and nothing will make me change my mind. In sumptuous jewel colours and no doubt embroidered with gold wherever it won't be itchy.

Rowan had a simple linen shift that is very old, faded, much mended and while it used to be black it is now a dingy grey shapeless thing that she has slept in for years. It's also the shift she wears under her "formal" dress when needed, or is her other dress that she wears when she's not on an expedition or patrol. It's ugly, shapeless, but it's all she has.

After Emmrich sees it, he makes it his mission to a) make sure she has beautiful things to sleep in and b) remove that shift from existence entirely. It's not that he doesn't think she's beautiful in it, she is stunning in his eyes no matter what she wears or looks like. It's the sheer magnitude of neglect and a life bare of anything like kindness or affection, it encompasses.

Do they cuddle?

Yes. Rowan is always cold and Emmrich is warm, so she always ends up draped over him and snuggled in, no matter her intention when she goes to sleep. Add in her nightmares and Emmrich noting that if he holds her, they are less frequent, then he sees no reason why they should deny themselves the pleasure of sleeping in each other's arms.

What are their preferred sleep positions?

Emmrich is a side sleeper preferably and Rowan is a curl up as small as I can to keep warm and maybe no one will find me if I'm small sleeper by necessity/upbringing to start. Once they're in the sharing a bed stage, then Emmrich is still a side sleeper with Rowan cuddled to his chest with her legs draped over his hips and her arm over her chest.

They do also often end up with Emmrich on his back and Rowan draped over his chest more often than not. She's unconsciously trying to get as much of her on his warmth, and even in his sleep he could never refuse her anything.

How easy do they fall asleep?

Emmrich falls asleep relatively easily, as long as he's not deep in his research or too deep in his own head.

Rowan just doesn't sleep unless she is just about ready to pass out, and even then it depends on how much caffeine she can get in her system before she crashes. Until she's sharing a bed with Emmrich. It's the first time she feels absolutely safe and secure, add in how warm she is, and she's out like a light.

It's not always effective as she's very good at ignoring her body's needs, but Emmrich knows if he can get her horizontal and next to him, then she'll sleep. That's the easy part. Catching her and getting her to listen is the hard part.

Do they toss and turn a lot?

Emmrich no unless he's in his own head.

Rowan to start, yes. She has nightmares, or a Dread Wolf in her head, or just bad headspace. Again, it gets better once they're sharing.

Do they snore?

Emmrich has been known to on occasion snore, but it's not all the time. And it's more gentle wuffles than full on snoring.

Rowan doesn't.

Who hogs the blanket?

Emmrich. Mostly only at the start and because he's used to having blankets to hog. Rowan doesn't fight for herself, even in her sleep. But as they're usually cuddles together, the blanket hogging quickly becomes a non entity.

What do they dream about?

Emmrich has mostly innocuous dreams, lots of whimsy and fade walking. He does have nightmares occasionally of losing his parents, losing Manfred after Blackthorn and after Tearstone losing Rowan and his fear of death.

Rowan has nightmares more than dreams. It's part of why she doesn't like to sleep. Not going to go into her nightmare subjects because a) Spoilers and b) dark subject maters.

How easily do they wake up?

Emmrich wakes up easily, but he typically sleeps deeply, so he doesn't wake up to every noise or movement once he's asleep.

Rowan sleeps like a 9-tailed cat in a rocking chair factory. She sleeps poorly if she even sleeps at all and every little noise or movement wakes her. It's from all her years of solo expeditions deep in the Necropolis, where sleeping too deeply was the fastest way to die quickly.

Once they're sharing a bed, she sleeps a bit better because she feels safe, but she still wakes up at the drop of a pin.

How awake they are afterwards?

Emmrich is fairly awake and chipper after waking, even if he had a late night.

Rowan is wide awake as soon as she opens her eyes and is usually on the move before then. She's not happy about it, but her survival hinged on it for too many years to easily unlearn it.

She gets more relaxed as they continue to share a bed and feel safe to grumble and take her time as she wakes up. But it's rare.

OK, this was so much fun, so I need to more people to do it so I can read about your ships and their sleep habits 😍

No pressure tagging:

@the-font-bandit @officialnostradamus @serbarris @emmg @themontess

@mosoderbergh @randomnonsensedragonage @galacticsparkles @sunny374940 @tinygameralec

@mistressandry @draco-illius-noctis @jukkaricity @holdingontojupiter @crimsen-khalessi

@pseudospaceship @notyourmamasdeerbat @curiouswisp @guacamolleee  @thequeenofthewinter

@queenmuzz @andthekitchensinkao3 @lavenderprose @caughtnyact @hedwigoprah

@sofiemystique @omabell-illustriert @soeasilyswayed @paramortality @theyearningghoul

@novaobscurity @ermagerdperpehs @kirain @razildor @mojo-bro-tho

@theshotsheardacrossworlds @dymme @mercars-musings @ar-ghilas-vir-banal @silshinobii

@serstolas @woundedsoul12 @dragonracer @starfleetteddybear @blightedcrow

@ferocious-notes @avoskorm @basic-x-witch

And anyone who sees this and fancies a go tag, you're it 😁

Dividers are by flowersforthemachines and can be found here

If you would like to go on my tag list, I have a post here where you can sign up

[karmacharmeleon18]

"Jean got brother-zoned by Kevin haha"

Tell me you don't understand Jean Moreau without telling me

Jean doesn't care about being "brother-zoned"

He doesn't care about being "friend-zoned"

He doesn't care.

He doesn't care because in his mind, Kevin was never a real possibility

Kevin was just a silly teenage crush, a pretty face he was attracted to

Kevin was a short, stupid dream while he was trapped in a nightmare

And then that dream got him in trouble

Stood silent and looked away while he was being tortured

Betrayed him

Run away

Abandoned him to be killed

"Jean only had a moment to seethe."

JEAN WAS SEETHING

Because how fucking dare Kevin call him his brother after all that happened between them?

How dare he put Jean on the same level as his abuser?

But above all, how dare Kevin be such a hypocrite and pretend to care so much for Jean?

Jean cannot stand hypocrisy. That's why he tears into Exy-obsessed, health-freak Kevin for drinking alcohol. Because after years and years, nothing has really changed, has it? The rules only apply to Jean, to property. Kevin gets to nag and boss people around like he's always done, preaching virtue but practicing vice. And if you call him out, you are the bad guy.

Jean literally wishes Kevin was dead. And yes, part of it is because of his own suicidal thoughts. But another part of it is because he hates Kevin.

He hates what Kevin represents. He hates what Kevin reminds him of. He hates the physical attraction he felt for him, because that was the weakness that almost got him killed several times.

People hate Thea but honestly? I think she's the only type of person Kevin can be with. Exy obsessed, Raven-worshipping, uncaring of people's feelings in general, but especially if Exy is involved.

Years ago I read Nora's extra content and was hoping this new trilogy would make me change my mind about Kevin. But honestly? If before I felt pity for him, now I actually dislike him. Years ago I disliked Thea and I still do, but now I think they belong together 🤷🏾‍♀️

I'm begging people to please try to look at this from Jean's point of view:

Kevin is a hypocrite, he doesn't practice what he preaches, he gives everyone a hard time but gods forbid if you criticize him for behaving in even worse ways.

Yes, Kevin was a victim as well. But he was never property. He was family. As fucked up as that it when the Moriyamas are involved.

If Riko never shattered his hand, Kevin would still be a Raven. He would get to play Exy, have a glorious if short career, charm journalists in front of a camera, maybe train new generations of Ravens in the future. He would get everything he wants.

And he would keep turning a blind eye to the abuse in the Nest. Because denouncing abuse doesn't serve him. Doesn't serve his goal to become an Exy legend. As long as that abuse is not directed at him, no foul.

The torture, waterboarding, beatings, rapes, injuries that he saw other Ravens (but especially Jean as property) endure didn't touch him.

Only when his Exy career was put at risk he snapped out of it. And what did he do? He abandoned Jean to get killed by Riko's wrath.

This is what Jean sees.

That is not a brother.

Especially when Jean, as an older brother, would do anything, give anything, to get Elodie back, to go back in time and protect her.

"Jean got brother-zoned" Take your Kevin-colored glasses off and get a grip

[howtofightwrite]

If someone was shot through the thigh (Nothing major hit, clean entry/exit wounds if logistically possible, how long would it take before they could walk without an aid of some kind? I'm counting hobbling and limping as walking.

Follow Up Question: Any idea what kind of med care that would need without getting a hospital involved with it?

So, this is one of those times where the answer really is, “it depends.” While you can't walk off a gunshot wound, getting shot in the leg might not actually stop you from walking or running, though this comes with a caveat that you're not going to make it especially far. Though the answer to, “how far?” could easily be, “as far as adrenaline will carry you.” This includes cases where the bullet fractures the bone, but doesn't completely shatter it. Though, those cases are going to be extremely unpleasant (for obvious reasons.)

Actual recovery times will vary wildly depending on far too many factors, and you can end up with chronic pain that never heals. Best case, you're looking at a couple weeks before the wound heals, most of the time you're looking at a few months, and lingering pain could last for over a year (if it ever does go away.)

While this is an unusual example, the warning about not aggravating a wound still applies, and trying to hobble around after getting shot is a fantastic way to inflict more harm on yourself. Figure it will take roughly ten weeks for the meat to properly heal up, and while you might be somewhat mobile before that time, it's probably a good idea not to overly stress it before it has fully recovered.

As for medical treatment, most of that is going to be packing it with gauze and (ideally) getting dosed out of your gourd on antibiotics. Gauze is easy, and the only real concern there is keeping you from leaking blood all over the place (while also providing some protection against future infection. The gauze needs to be changed, at least, daily, and the wound will need to be packed with gauze (so, not just wrapping it around the leg.) Getting the latter without a hospital is going to be a lot harder these days. The rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria strains means that these kinds of antibiotics are kept on a much shorter leash today. Unfortunately, it's also kinda critical for the whole, “not dying,” thing.

It turns out that the whole part about a bullet being hot enough to sterilize itself is a myth, so any bacteria on the bullet, and of course, any bacteria that gets into the wound itself after the fact, will have a very easy path to infection. Deep tissue wounds like this are a hugeinfection risk, and these are the kinds of infections that can easily turn lethal.

Of course, a doctor will be better able to assess whether the injury was actually a clean through'n'through, or if something was nicked. A bullet can easily graze an artery, leading to persistent bleeding that will kill the victim without surgical assistance, but won't be fast enough to look worrying. It's just when it doesn't stop after several days of bleeding, that they might realize this is very bad.

So, again, they could potentially be on their feet immediately after being shot. How long it would take them to recover is a lot harder to assess, and if they did insist in walking around, that could make things much worse.

-Starke

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