#because when you pour your heart and soul into creating something for someone else

[constellation-skirmishes]

luke finds a MSE-6 one day and decides to repair her for padme. he names the droid 'emmy'

l: emmy's almost done! i just need to finish tweaking a few things, but soon she'll be up and running like a kryat in her nest!

then you won't have to be alone when i'm not here!

[4linos]

he confesses to you.

maknae line x fem!reader

warnings: hurt/comfort, fluff, tiny mentions of an ex boyfriend

wc: 4870

a/n: my gift to you after all that angst 😙🫶

HAN

It was a quiet afternoon, the kind that seemed to stretch on forever in the best possible way. You and Jisung were sitting side by side in his cozy studio, a room filled with equipment, soft lighting, and the kind of peaceful energy that only his music could create. The air was thick with the gentle hum of his latest tracks, each one a piece of his soul poured into the beats, melodies, and lyrics that spoke so much louder than any words ever could.

You had been friends since high school, and over the years, your bond had only grown stronger. But after your breakup with your ex boyfriend a few months ago, you found yourself retreating, unsure of what you wanted or needed. Jisung had been there for you, though. He never once pushed you, just patiently waited until you were ready to spend time together again, like old times. You started hanging out more, laughing and joking like you always had, and it felt like you were finally coming back to yourself.

Today, you were in his studio, just like old days, but this time, there was something different. Jisung was showing you his music, something he’d never done before. He was always so private about his work, but today, he seemed eager to share it with you. He clicked through various tracks, his hands moving quickly over the controls as you listened, genuinely impressed. There were songs that you could tell had come from deep within him, songs that carried emotions he’d never been able to express out loud. The vulnerability in his voice as he spoke about each track made you admire him even more.

“You’re really good, Jisung,” you said, grinning as he hit play on another song. “These are amazing.”

He smiled sheepishly, clearly proud, but still a little shy. “Thanks. I’m glad you like them. I’ve been working on some new ones, too.”

Your eyes wandered over to the screen as he scrolled through his list of tracks. That’s when you saw it.

A song titled “Y/N.”

You froze, your heart skipping a beat. You had no idea what to expect, but you didn’t want to seem too eager. You leaned in slightly, looking up at him. “Wait, stop. What’s this one?”

“Wait, Jisung, stop.” You reached out and lightly tapped the screen, causing him to freeze, his fingers hovering over the laptop.

He paused, his face going slightly pale as he realized what you’d seen. The song title was simple, just your name, and as soon as you recognized it, you felt your heart skip a beat. Jisung looked uncomfortable, his eyes wide with panic.

“Uh… it’s nothing, really. Just ignore it,” he stammered, clearly flustered.

You weren’t about to let it go, though. Curiosity and something else, something deep in your chest pulled you to take control of the laptop. “No, I want to hear it,” you said, your voice soft but insistent.

Jisung’s face turned bright red, and he made a move to grab the laptop, but you held it out of his reach. “Jisung, come on. You’ve been showing me everything else. Let me hear this one.”

He hesitated, glancing between you and the screen, and then let out a deep sigh, knowing he couldn’t stop you. “I never meant for you to hear that,” he muttered under his breath. But it was too late. You clicked the folder, and the song began to play.

As the first notes filled the room, a soft melody played, calming and gentle, like something that had been buried in Jisung’s heart for a long time. The lyrics began, and your heart stopped. You recognized the words, each one resonating deep inside you. They were words you’d never heard him say out loud, words filled with emotions he had never shared before.

The lyrics spoke of longing, of wanting to be with someone but holding back because of circumstances. They were filled with the kind of raw emotion you hadn’t realized he carried. You could feel the weight of the song, the unspoken confession that had been hidden in his music all this time.

Jisung’s face was buried in his hands, clearly mortified. You could hear his quiet apologies, but you were too focused on the song to respond right away. The lyrics continued, and with each line, it became clearer and clearer, this was his confession. A confession he’d never been able to say aloud when you were with your ex-boyfriend.

Your eyes welled up with tears as you listened, each word feeling like it was meant for you. You never expected this, never thought Jisung had carried such deep feelings for you, especially not after everything that had happened with your ex. The music swirled around you, pulling you in, and you realized that your feelings for him, which you’d buried for so long, were coming to the surface with the song.

Before you even realized it, a few tears had escaped, running down your cheeks. Jisung had been your friend for so long, and yet, in this moment, you saw him in a way you never had before. He had loved you for so long, and you had been too blind to see it.

Jisung finally gathered the courage to look at you, and when he saw the tears in your eyes, he froze. His heart dropped in his chest. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, his voice shaking. “I never should’ve… I didn’t mean to make you cry. I—”

But you cut him off gently, your voice shaky but steady. “No, Jisung. It’s not that. It’s just… I never knew. I never knew you felt like this.”

Jisung’s eyes widened, his expression a mix of relief and worry. “You… You’re not mad? I didn’t mean to make things weird between us. I just… I was too scared to tell you before. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. And when I found out you were with him, I couldn’t—”

You took a deep breath, wiping away your tears, and looked him in the eyes. “Jisung, I never knew you felt this way. I always thought… I always thought I was the only one who had these feelings for you.”

Jisung blinked, his mouth slightly agape, unsure if he’d heard you right. “Wait, you—?”

You nodded, the weight of your own confession settling in. “Yes. I’ve always liked you too, sung. Before he and I broke up, he gave me an ultimatum. He said I had to choose between him or you. And I chose you, Jisung. Even if I never said it before, I’ve always cared about you. More than I should’ve, maybe.”

Jisung stared at you, his eyes wide with disbelief. The world seemed to stop around you both as you took in each other’s words. The silence between you felt heavy, but it was also filled with something else something hopeful, something new.

Finally, Jisung’s lips curled into a soft smile, his eyes shining with relief and happiness. “You… you chose me?” His voice cracked slightly, as if he couldn’t quite believe it.

You nodded, a gentle smile on your face as you took a step closer to him. “I did. And I’m so sorry for not saying it sooner. I was afraid, too. Afraid of ruining what we had. But now I… I just don’t want to hide it anymore.”

Jisung’s expression softened, and before you knew it, he was pulling you into a tight hug. You let yourself relax against him, feeling the warmth of his embrace, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, and the overwhelming sense of relief that flooded over both of you.

“Thank you,” he whispered, his voice full of emotion. “Thank you for choosing me.”

You smiled into his shoulder, your heart feeling fuller than it had in a long time. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m just glad I finally got the chance to say it.”

And in that moment, surrounded by the music and the quiet of his studio, it felt like everything had finally fallen into place.

felix

The kitchen smelled warm, rich with the scent of chocolate and sugar as you stood beside Felix, his easy presence making the cozy space feel even cozier. He had insisted on teaching you how to make his famous brownies, a recipe he'd perfected. You weren’t a baker, but with him guiding you, it felt like an adventure.

You watched Felix carefully, admiring how effortlessly he moved around the kitchen. His arms brushed against yours as he handed you the mixing spoon, and each touch made your heart race in a way you weren’t sure how to handle. Felix had always had that effect on you.

Over the months of friendship, you’d gotten close, laughed together, shared your thoughts, and spent countless hours talking. But no matter how much time you spent together, you couldn’t bring yourself to confess the feelings that had been growing quietly in your chest. Felix, as always, was the charming, flirtatious one occasionally brushing his hand against yours, giving you teasing smiles, making flirty comments. It left you both in an unspoken tension, one that neither of you had dared to address, but both of you felt it.

Today, though, as Felix stood close behind you, his arms wrapping around your waist to guide your hands through the brownie batter, the air felt charged with something different. His warmth radiated through you, and you couldn’t help but blush as his chin rested briefly on your shoulder, his breath warm against your skin.

"You’re doing great," Felix murmured, his voice so close to your ear it made your heart skip. You could feel the muscles in his arms flex as he helped mix the batter, the familiar scent of his cologne lingering in the air around you.

"Thanks," you whispered, your cheeks burning, not just from the heat of the oven but from his closeness. Felix’s presence always had that effect on you. His occasional lingering touches, the way his gaze would soften when he looked at you, it made it harder to ignore the feelings that fluttered inside you.

As the batter began to thicken, Felix’s hand slid down to the bowl’s edge, brushing against your fingers in a way that felt deliberate. You couldn’t stop your breath from catching in your throat. You turned to him, your voice stumbling out, "Felix—"

Before you could finish your sentence, a small dab of brownie batter landed on the tip of your nose. You blinked, surprised, then looked up at him. Felix grinned mischievously, his eyes sparkling with playful energy. He had the same carefree, teasing smile that always left you both charmed and nervous at the same time.

Without thinking, you scooped up a bit of batter with your finger and smirked. "You’re going to regret that," you said quietly before gently pressing the batter onto the tip of Felix’s nose.

The moment your finger made contact, he let out a surprised laugh. The kitchen filled with the sound of it, the warm, carefree laughter of two friends caught up in a simple, fun moment. Felix, however, was quick to retaliate, and before you knew it, the both of you were in a full-blown batter fight. You each scooped handfuls of the gooey chocolate mixture and playfully splattered each other with it. The room was filled with laughter that came from the heart, the kind that felt so easy and light between the two of you.

But soon, the chaos quieted. Felix caught you by the waist, pulling you against him, his hands firm but gentle. You looked up at him, breathless from the laughter, but as his gaze softened, you felt the shift between you both. His fingers lingered on your waist as he pulled you even closer, his lips just inches from yours. The playful air from moments before seemed to vanish, replaced by something deeper, something unspoken but undeniable. You could feel his heart beating against yours, fast, just like yours, and in that fleeting moment, the world around you seemed to disappear.

Without any further hesitation, Felix leaned in, his lips gently pressing against yours. The kiss was soft at first, tentative as if he was unsure if it was the right thing to do, but when you didn’t pull away, when you melted into him, the kiss deepened, becoming more urgent, more filled with the intensity of everything left unsaid. It was like the kiss itself was a confession, a moment where all the emotions between you both could finally be released.

When he pulled away, his breath shaky, Felix’s eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, neither of you spoke. His heart hammered in his chest, and you could see the hesitation on his face, as though he feared he had just ruined everything. The fear in his eyes made your own heart ache, but you couldn’t hold back any longer.

“I’m sorry,” Felix muttered, his voice almost too quiet, “I didn’t mean to make things weird. I just… I didn’t know if you felt the same, and I… I thought maybe I’d ruined our friendship.”

His words hit you like a wave, and your heart stuttered in your chest. You took a step back, your hands shaking slightly, but you couldn’t let him doubt what you’d both just shared. You smiled softly, trying to calm the butterflies in your stomach. "Felix…" you whispered, your voice steady even though your heart was racing. "You didn’t ruin anything."

Felix blinked at you, his expression full of confusion, and he opened his mouth to say something, but you shook your head, taking a step closer to him.

"I’ve liked you for so long, Felix," you admitted, your voice a little breathless. "I’ve been too shy to say it, and… and I didn’t want to risk our friendship either. But I’ve always felt it, and now I can’t hide it anymore."

You could see the relief wash over his face, and before you knew it, his hands were cupping your face gently, his eyes filled with warmth and tenderness. "I like you too," he said, his voice soft but full of emotion. "I didn’t want to scare you, but I’ve been feeling this way for so long. I’m so glad you feel the same."

His words were like a weight lifting from both of your shoulders. Felix leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on your forehead before pulling you back into his arms. You rested your head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart, knowing that this was only the beginning of something new. You had been afraid to confess your feelings, but now that they were out in the open, everything felt right, like the next chapter of your story was unfolding right in front of you.

The two of you stood there, laughing, covered in brownie batter, but with hearts full of happiness and new beginnings. The kitchen felt warmer than ever, filled with the sweet scent of chocolate and the knowledge that this friendship, this bond you’d shared for months was now something even more beautiful, something you both cherished.

seungmin

The car's headlights cast a soft glow on the quiet road, the gentle hum of the engine filling the silence between you and Seungmin. The radio plays a quiet tune in the background, but it feels distant now, as if it’s part of a world that doesn’t quite matter at this moment. You're sitting in the passenger seat, the soft leather beneath you a small comfort against the rising tension in the air. You glance over at Seungmin, noting how his grip tightens on the steering wheel, his jaw set in a way that feels different, like he's holding something back.

He keeps stealing glances at you, his eyes flickering over to your face before quickly turning back to the road, as if he’s afraid to let you catch him looking. You don’t say anything sometimes silence is easier, and right now, it feels natural between you both. But something in the air is shifting, and you can feel it. Seungmin is tense, his thoughts racing, and the longer the silence stretches on, the more you begin to wonder what’s going on inside his head.

The miles seem to pass slowly, each second stretching as Seungmin’s nerves build. Then, without warning, he pulls the car over to the side of the road, the engine softly ticking as it cools. The headlights illuminate the empty street ahead, but inside the car, the world feels still, as if even time has decided to hold its breath. He turns to face you, his gaze uncertain, vulnerable in a way you’ve never seen before. The weight of something unspoken fills the space between you both, heavy and tangible.

“Y/N,” Seungmin says your name, his voice quiet, almost hesitant. His words are slower than usual, carefully chosen, as if he’s weighing each one before he lets it slip past his lips. He pauses, the tension so thick you can feel it in your bones, before he takes a deep breath. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to say, and I… I’ve been wanting to say it for a while now.”

You stay silent, watching him closely, waiting for him to continue. Your heart beats a little faster, wondering what he’s thinking, what he’s about to share.

“I don’t know when it happened,” Seungmin goes on, his voice lower now, almost a whisper. “But I like you, Y/N. More than just a friend. I’ve liked you for a long time, and I’ve been too scared to tell you. I didn’t want to mess things up between us, but I… I can’t keep pretending like it’s not there anymore.”

He looks down at his hands for a moment, his fingers tight around the steering wheel as if trying to steady himself. The vulnerability in his words hangs in the air, and you realize just how much courage it must have taken for him to admit this.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is,” he continues, glancing at you again, his eyes a little brighter now, though still filled with uncertainty, “I like you. And I want you to know. I don’t want to keep it to myself anymore.”

There’s a long silence after that. You can hear the soft hum of the car, the world outside seemingly frozen in time. Seungmin shifts nervously in his seat, his gaze flickering back to the road, but there’s no escaping the tension in the air now. His words hang between you, raw and honest, and you can feel how deeply he means them.

Your heart is pounding in your chest. The confession isn’t a complete surprise, you’ve felt it in the way he’s looked at you, the small gestures that spoke more than words ever could but hearing it out loud, hearing the vulnerability in his voice, makes everything feel different. The weight of it settles into your own chest, and you realize that you’ve been waiting for this moment too.

Seungmin is still watching you, his eyes wide, full of hope and fear all at once. He’s waiting for something from you an answer, a response, anything. His hand moves slightly on the gearshift, like he’s about to turn the engine back on, retreating into the safety of action. But before he does, you speak.

“Seungmin,” you say, your voice a little softer than you expect, but steady. “I like you too.”

His head snaps toward you, and for a moment, his face is a picture of disbelief. He blinks, his eyes wide, as if he can’t quite process what he’s just heard. His hands tighten on the wheel again, but this time it’s not from tension it’s from a rush of emotions that have suddenly flooded him. He looks at you like he’s not sure if he’s dreaming, if this is real.

“You do?” he whispers, the words almost a question, full of surprise and hope. The disbelief in his voice makes your heart ache with tenderness for him.

You nod, a small smile tugging at your lips, though there’s a nervous flutter in your chest. “Yeah. I’ve liked you for a while too. I just… I didn’t know how to say it.”

A breath escapes his lips, and the smile that spreads across his face is so genuine, so relieved, that it feels like the world itself has shifted into something brighter. He lets out a small laugh, still in disbelief, but it’s full of joy this time, not fear.

“I can’t believe this,” Seungmin mutters, his voice shaky with emotion. He shakes his head in amazement, as if processing your words is too much to handle all at once. His eyes flicker from your face to the road, then back to you, searching for some sign that this is real.

You smile again, a little more confidently now. “It’s real. I really like you.”

Seungmin takes a deep breath, a soft chuckle escaping him as he looks down at his hands for a moment, trying to compose himself. The tension that had been in him just moments ago starts to melt away, replaced by something lighter, something happier. His eyes soften, his lips turning up into the warmest smile you’ve ever seen. It’s the smile of someone who’s been holding onto something for so long, and finally, they’re able to breathe.

“I’m so glad,” he says, his voice full of relief and warmth. “I was so nervous.”

“I was too,” you admit with a laugh, the tension between you both completely gone now. It feels like the air has cleared, like a storm has passed, leaving nothing but the calm in its wake.

Seungmin glances at you again, his smile not fading, and before you know it, his hand reaches toward the center console, resting gently on the armrest between you two. His fingers hover for a moment before brushing against yours, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world. His touch is soft, warm, and reassuring, as though he’s saying everything without saying a word.

You don’t pull away. Instead, you give him a small, encouraging smile, and his hand slowly intertwines with yours, the warmth of his touch grounding you both.

The road stretches out ahead of you, the night still and peaceful, and for the first time, everything feels exactly as it should be. This is a new beginning, one that’s just as exciting and uncertain as it is comforting. And as Seungmin squeezes your hand gently, you both know that whatever comes next, you’re no longer walking this road alone.

I.N

It was one of those easy, lazy afternoons that had become a regular part of your and Jeongin's friendship. You both had spent countless hours together, playing video games, binge-watching shows, and talking about everything and nothing. But today was different. The sun was setting, casting a soft glow through the windows as you sat across from each other, a playful grin spreading across your face.

“I’m gonna put makeup on you,” you declared suddenly, the excitement in your voice obvious.

Jeongin looked at you, eyes widening slightly as if he was about to protest. “Wait, what?” he stammered, a hint of panic creeping into his voice.

You laughed at his expression, raising an eyebrow. “Come on, it'll be fun.”

He hesitated for a moment, then sighed in mock defeat. “Alright, fine, I’m gonna look ridiculous, aren’t I?”

You grinned, already excited. “Yes, but you’ll be cute.”

Jeongin laughed softly, though there was a slight blush on his cheeks, and he sat down in front of you, giving you full access to his face. He was always this way, he couldn’t say no to you, especially when you were smiling at him with that particular mischievous glint in your eyes. Even when he felt ridiculous, he’d indulge you.

You carefully applied the blush, enjoying the soft brush strokes as you tried not to giggle at how funny he looked. His usual boyish charm was still there, but now it was… well, a little more colorful.

“I look like I’m about to perform in a circus,” Jeongin muttered, rubbing his chin in mock despair, though his eyes betrayed his amusement.

“Not true,” you teased, smirking as you added a little more blush to his cheeks. “You look... fabulous.”

You were so focused on making him look even more ridiculous that you barely noticed how close you’d gotten, your faces mere inches apart as you carefully applied the makeup. You were lost in the moment, smiling softly at him, when you both shared a look.

Something in the air shifted. Jeongin’s breath seemed to catch, and you felt a flutter in your chest. You suddenly realized that the playful energy between you had changed, that soft, unspoken tension hanging in the air. His gaze dropped to your lips for a second, and the world seemed to pause.

Neither of you moved, but for the first time, you both felt it, something more than friendship. You leaned in a little, and before you could even fully comprehend what was happening, the space between you two felt impossibly small.

That was when the door creaked open, the sound cutting through the moment like a cold splash of water.

“Ah, sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

Both you and Jeongin jerked back like you’d been shocked, your faces red with embarrassment. You whipped around to see Chan standing in the doorway, his hands up as if trying to signal that he hadn’t meant to interrupt.

“Oh, uh... my bad. I’ll just��” He quickly averted his gaze, his cheeks flushed, and awkwardly mumbled, “Sorry again,” before turning around and heading back to his room, the door clicking shut behind him.

The tension in the room was almost unbearable. You couldn’t help but laugh nervously, the awkwardness of the moment too much to ignore. “Well, that was... perfect timing,” you said, trying to ease the discomfort.

Jeongin didn’t laugh, though. His face had become serious, his gaze fixed on the floor, and for a moment, you wondered if the whole thing had been forgotten. But then, his voice, soft and full of emotion, broke through the silence.

“I almost let you go,” he said quietly, his voice trembling slightly as if the words were just now rushing to the surface. “But now I know I can’t hide how I feel about you any longer.”

You blinked, the weight of his words catching you off guard. For a split second, you froze, unsure of what to say. Was he... was Jeongin saying what you thought he was saying?

“I—what?” You blinked again, your heart starting to race, trying to process his confession.

Jeongin’s face flushed even deeper, his hands fumbling awkwardly. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, a sheepish smile playing on his lips. “Yeah, I know, I probably sound dumb right now. I’ve been trying to keep it in for so long, but... now that we almost—” He cleared his throat, realizing how much more he’d just blurted out. “I can’t hide it anymore. I like you. More than a friend.”

You stared at him in silence, the full weight of his confession slowly sinking in. Your mind went blank for a moment as you tried to process the words. The Jeongin you’d known for so long the shy, quiet, kindhearted Jeongin, was telling you he liked you? More than a friend?

And before you even knew it, you burst into laughter. It was soft, warm, and filled with relief and amusement. You couldn’t stop it, especially not when you saw the confusion on his face.

“Wait, what?” Jeongin asked, completely thrown off by your reaction. He reached up to touch his face, now realizing that he still had a full face of makeup on. “Am I stupid for confessing? or Is it the makeup?”

You giggled harder, shaking your head. “No, no just Jeongin, you’re so cute.” You wiped your eyes, still laughing, but your heart was fluttering. "I didn’t think you’d ever admit it. I thought I was the only one feeling this way."

Jeongin blinked in disbelief, his gaze softening as he processed what you said. “Wait… you feel the same?”

You nodded, taking a deep breath as you composed yourself. “Yeah, I do. I’ve liked you for a while now,”

His eyes lit up, and before he could say anything more, you leaned in close, closing the distance that had always kept you two apart. You didn’t hesitate this time, your lips gently brushing against his in a kiss that felt like the start of something new. It was soft, tender, full of the warmth you both had been longing for.

When you pulled away, you smiled up at him, and his cheeks were flushed with a mix of joy and embarrassment. “Now, this... this is perfect timing,” you whispered.

Jeongin chuckled, his heart racing. “Yeah, I guess so.”

And just like that, everything changed. What had once been a quiet, unspoken affection had finally bloomed into something real.

//

masterlist.

🚫 proofread

[shadow-ravin]

Through a (different) looking glass

You can also read or listen to this post on AO3. A couple of weeks ago, I came across a comment on Reddit from a person who refused to listen to podfics that the author wasn’t involved in creating because they aren’t how the author intended the story. That was not the first time I’ve encountered this attitude. There are many out there with the same opinion and many authors who refuse to allow podfics of their works for that same reason.

I want to take a second to acknowledge that if you don’t want people making podfics of your works, that’s your choice, and while I don’t understand it, you are more than welcome to make it. I also want to acknowledge that if podfics aren’t your thing, then you have no obligation to listen to them, even if they are of your own works. That said, this reason, not wanting to consume or allow podfics made because of some desire to preserve the author’s intent, is one that makes absolutely no sense to me.

Now, I could point out how fanfiction in itself is inherently transformative. The fanfic author has already taken someone else’s work and changed it, changed the meaning and purpose of it. Altered it in ways that are beyond the original author’s intent. And thus, disliking podfic on the basis of author’s intent is incredibly hypocritical, but that isn’t what I’d like to talk about today.

I’d like to talk about reading and writing. An author can pour their heart and soul out onto a page and intend many things, but once they put their work out into the world and allow others to read it, the original intent and meaning of it matters very little. To explain why, I’d like to take a second to describe how reading works outside of letters representing sounds and sounds making words.

If you talk to anyone who is involved with teaching kids to read and actually knows what they are doing, you’d find out that there are a number of factors that contribute to a person’s ability to comprehend what they are reading and one of those factors is background knowledge. Children with more varied lived experiences and greater knowledge of the world have a much easier time reading than those who don’t. For example, a child that has never seen a lion or a zebra before would have a hard time understanding what one was. 

In a classroom setting, a teacher would guide the children and help them interpret the text. They might show pictures or videos so that the child understood what a lion was or they might teach them how to use context clues to use the text itself to determine that a zebra is kind of like a horse but wild and with stripes. Now lions and zebras are concrete objects with easy definitions. So what happens when the thing your brain is trying to interpret and comprehend happens to be an abstract idea or complex problem?

It comes back to the same thing. Our background knowledge and lived experiences become the lens through which we interpret the story, but there are no pictures or videos to give us an easy concrete answer to what something is. Add to this that people are unique. No two people have the same life story and no two people are going to interpret the same story in precisely the same way. I had an experience with this in college. 

For a YA fiction class, I was supposed to read a YA novel and create a book trailer for it. The book I chose was Green Angel by Alice Hoffman. For those of you who haven’t read it, it is about a teenage girl who loses her whole family in some kind of tragedy that affects the whole community. The novel never directly states what exactly happened, only that a lot of people died. As an American 90’s baby who’s first real awareness of the greater world came with the terrorist attacks on the twin towers, I interpreted this book as a post-9/11 novel. The unnamed tragedy sounded exactly like a terrorist attack. The mysterious, unnamed, unknown perpetrators sounded like terrorists. The confusion and fear and grief in the aftermath of the event sounded exactly like what the US experienced. This interpretation of the text heavily influenced the way I approached the assignment, and initially, I got a bad grade on it because of that. 

My professor, 30-plus years older than me, didn’t appreciate the way I interpreted the text because it was different from her own interpretation. Instead of a post-9/11 novel, she saw it as a reactionary text about the Cold War. My terrorists were her communist spies. The fear and suspicion of the community, too similar to the red scare. The unnamed tragedy seemed to her to be exactly what the culture of the time convinced her would happen to the US.

In the end, we had a very productive talk about our different interpretations and decided we were both equally right. Neither one of us was the author and neither one of us could possibly know what the author originally intended. Maybe the author intended something else entirely, but we’ll never know and that’s okay.

Every person brings their own self into a story and walks away with something different. What the author intended has very little relevance to the reader when compared to how the reader interprets the story. A man is never going to interpret a story the same way as a woman. A trans person will never see a conflict the same way as a cis person. A LGBTQIA+ person will never look at a relationship the same as a straight person. A child will never grasp the same subtext as an adult. And a reader will never take away the exact message as an author intended.

Restricting or refusing to interact with podfic on the basis of “preserving the author’s original intent” seems not only backwards and pointless, but a way of needlessly restricting fandom and creativity. 

People re-interpret older works and translate them to different mediums all the time. Most often, we see this when books become movies. I’m not going to argue which is better, but instead would like to offer a different point of view: more cake. 

In most fandom circles, it is highly encouraged to write whatever you want even if it has been done before. And if your fandom circle does not encourage this, I suggest you go find a less toxic one. This is because everyone loves more cake. Just because many people have already written a fix-it fic or a everybody-lives-and-nobody-dies fic or a meet the family fic or whatever it is for your fandom, does not mean that you shouldn’t write one too because it will be equally loved and it does not take away from the others just by existing.

Movies are more cake. They don’t take anything away from the book just because they exist. Instead they give fans a new way of interacting with their favorite story or characters. Podfics, like movies, are more cake. They give something new without taking anything away.

In their most basic form, a podfic is just an audio recording of someone reading a fanfic. No different than an audiobook and great for accessibility, but most podficcers don't create podfic for accessibility reasons. Accessibility is an awesome bonus but, as blackglass put it, we create because it is our way of interacting with fandom, our way of putting ourselves into the content we enjoy and sharing our own interpretations of the stories we love.

And podfic is different from the original. In an audiobook, a reader is paid to read a story into a microphone in a way that conveys the original content to the reader in a format as similar to the original as possible. Audiobook narrators not only have less freedom for creativity in what they do, but also they are doing their job not recording the story because they love the story.

Podficcers use tone, inflection, pacing, sound effects, music, and more to share the story the way they read the story. And, just like with reading a fanfic, a podfic is just as open to interpretation. What the podficcer intends is probably not what the author intends and, just like the reader, what the listener takes away from the podfic is probably not what the podficcer intended, but that's the way fandom and creativity and the human mind work. We take an idea and we make it a part of ourselves, we change it, transform it to reflect our own lived experiences and then we share it with others so that they can do the same.

[blackmagiciangirlworld]

On Art Integrity and the Tracing Epidemic

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the state of the art community and how we, as creators, sometimes lose sight of what really matters. Art isn’t just about the followers or the fame—at least, it shouldn’t be. But there’s this growing trend that’s becoming impossible to ignore: Tracing, stealing, and essentially leeching off the hard work of others.

This person (revheadarts on Deviantart and revhead_fanarts on Instagram) is out here tracing over original art just to make it look more “popular” and likeable.

Honestly, love, tracing isn’t art. You’re literally stealing someone else’s hard work and slapping your name on it to get likes. That’s not talent, that’s manipulation. 🙃

And don’t even get me started on how they’re only drawing ideas from free bases they find online. There’s absolutely no originality here. They can’t even be bothered to come up with something fresh or unique—it’s all just recycled rubbish! I find it funny they call themselves „scrap junkie“. Sooo relatable.

We’ve all been inspired by something or someone, but there’s a big difference between drawing inspiration and copying. Artists build on ideas, sure, but we also need to respect the originality of others and be mindful of copyrights and creative ownership. ✨

What’s worse? Their characters are literally blends of already existing canon characters. Like, we’re talking about direct rip-offs, people. This isn't "inspiration," this is straight-up copyright infringement. You can’t just mash up a bunch of well-known characters and call it your own. That’s not how art works.

This person’s all about the likes, the fame, and the attention—just look at their social media. It’s all about the numbers; no heart, no soul. If they don’t care enough to put in the effort to be original or even respect other creators, why should we support them?

If you need more proof to believe me, just check the difference in their style. The change happened so fast, my brain just sent out a ‘404 Error: Unable to Process’ message.

Not to mention how their "fame" changed overnight once they started tracing the original artwork:

Revhead_fanarts has been known for tracing ever since their existence and this community is not the only one he has been deceiving. This is just one example among many (traced art on the left and a movie scene on the right):

It’s unfair to real artists when tracing is seen as equally valid or praised because it undermines the dedication and time they pour into their craft. While Revhead can produce content in minutes by tracing (noticeable in how frequent they post, which is every day); true artists face hours of practice, learning, and refining their technique, often without the immediate recognition they deserve.

Tracing might create fast results, but it skips the growth process that shapes an artist's unique voice. It’s disheartening when the effort and skill required for original work are overshadowed by shortcuts that don’t reflect the real work that goes into creating art from scratch.

Final takeout: Let’s keep the art community a space where authenticity shines. Whether it’s coming up with your own character designs, experimenting with different techniques, or simply learning new things, there’s no shortcut to becoming a true creator. It’s all about passion and effort, not the quick thrill of chasing likes. 💪

[momentsbeforemass]

Intrusive thoughts

“What do you do about intrusive thoughts during prayer?”

This is the heart of a beautiful question I received from someone who’s thinking about becoming Christan. Specifically, a Catholic Christian. And they’re starting to pray the Rosary.

They’ve already figured out that the Rosary is meant to help you be present with God. It’s Christian meditation. To make a quiet place inside us to just be with God.

Something a lot of cradle Catholics don’t know.

They’re having problems with intrusive thoughts. It’s frustrating. It feels like the opposite of a quiet place to just be with God.

Something everyone of us who prays the Rosary knows all too well.

So what do you do about intrusive thoughts during prayer?

I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I can tell you what I do. And it depends on the thought.

If it’s small potatoes. Something I just remembered. Or something I need to do. Or an email I need to return.

I just jot it down on my phone. Then I can let go of it. Because I know it won’t get lost.

What if it’s not small potatoes? What if it keeps coming back? What if it’s something I’m really wrestling with?

Maybe it’s a relationship that’s struggling or a health issue that’s getting worse. Maybe it’s a job search that’s gone cold or financial problems that keep growing. Or anything else that’s weighing on your heart.

Whatever it is, that’s what you need to be talking with God about.

If this time when you pray the Rosary, it creates a place for you to be with God – about what’s weighing on your heart?

Then that is how you need to pray.

Be with God, about what’s weighing on your heart.

If this time when you pray the Rosary, you never even finish the first decade – and the Lord’s Prayer trails off into pouring your heart out to God about the stone on your soul?

Then that is how you need to pray.

Pour your heart out to God about the stone on your soul.

If that is the Rosary that you need to pray in this moment, then that is how you should pray.

Whatever it is, share it with God. Let God be there for you.

Don’t waste your time trying to sort things out so you can have quiet time with God. Do it with God.

Pray as you are, not how you think you should be.

“We must lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us.” - C.S. Lewis

Today’s Readings

[spicypepperflakesss]

૮꒰ “ . . ꒱ა

{Referencing this post: https://www.tumblr.com/muriels-brainrot/755439602787139584/how-do-you-cope-with-the-fandom-being-so?source=share }

Forgive me if I'm intruding but I recently came across some very helpful advice which I think is quite insightful.

To set the scene, before I found this advice, I myself was struggling with staying consistent with art. This time however, I had decided that no I won't keep procrastinating. SO, in my attempt to find resources, I stumbled onto this video. Now suddenly it all began to make sense. The reason I was struggling was not because i'm lazy and horrible and lacking motivation. Rather it was because I had outcome related goals. TLDR: I was focused on the outcome (wow rlly iri we didn't know that's what outcome related goals meant pfft-)

Anyways so, instead of focusing on the process, I was instead focusing on the end product aka the finished drawing. Ofc I'm a beginner so I wouldn't look like I wanted to. Not bad but it wouldn't be what I wanted so i'd get frustrated and eventually give up on drawing . . . before inevitably returning with my tail between my legs cause I still rlly want to get better.

Honestly, it's natural and normal for these feeling to occur, because like you said we pour so much time and dedication. Not to mention heart and soul to make these creative projects that it feels almost personal when it doesn't get engagement. But if there is something i'd like for you to know, it's that it rlly helps if you take enjoyment in the process. Draw inspiration from odd places and craft scenarios.

Don't write for others, or the cliche of writing for yourself but rather think of it as you sharing your brainrot with ur future self haha. Write stuff that you'd wanna read yourself! (then come back to read it like a crazy person at the dead of night . . . wait, don't tell me that just me-)

Just . . . let your brain do its thing! Let your brain create instead of letting the ideas and projects fester in your head. Keep growing your skill because you never know, these might be the very thing that comes in handy later on in life. Think of singers like Sabrina carpenter who was niche (I mean to say not worldwide popular yknow, but u get my point) for a long time. However, if you look at her now that she's gone viral, it's the hard work during the years she spent creating with most of the world with their backs to her that is the sole reason she continues to be so well known for her . . . well, everything! (For example: She is extremely comfortable on stage while performing and looks like she's in her element even with thousands of eyes on her . . . it's cause she's been performing for almost 10 years I think.)

So, to both anon and anyone else reading this, pls keep creating stuff. Especially passion projects. Even if you feel like you're screaming into a void. You'll only get better IF you continue. Also, you never know maybe there is someone out there that really enjoys your work. Even if it's one person, that still someone out there that keeps coming back just for your work. This silly tangent I went on, won't completely get rid of all the thoughts and feelings . . . but it's a start. Hope this helps . . .

(Example: I always find myself coming back to this artwork by @cinsilly cause Asra's expression here is so funny. No not once a week but every few days oops- )

Oh my god thank you!! I'll post my thoughts in the comments. But it was honestly v cool of you to share this, the only thing that keeps me together in any fandom is knowing we're not alone in feeling this way :'> !!!

[winterrrnight]

my love, congrats on 100 followers 🥰💖. you deserve this so freaking much and i can’t wait to see what other stuff you create.

i would like to request out of the before the coffee gets cold event: number 13 and drew

thank you sooo much anna <3 you've given such a continuous support to all my stuff, it means the whole world to me 🫶🏻 I hope you like this and it's up to your expectations <3

moonlight on the beach

PAIRING: drew starkey x gn!reader

SUMMARY: you and drew sit next to each other on the beach as you pour your hearts out.

WARNINGS: smoking, toxic ex, heartbreaks, lmk if I have missed something! Ignore any little grammatical/spelling errors please :)

EDITH SPEAKS: first blurb for my celebration! I have already have so many asks for blurbs, I'm so excited to write tham all 🫶🏻🫶🏻 I really don't have any words on how to thank you all the constant support I've been receiving 🥹

PROMPT REQUESTED: "this sounds like you're flirting with me." ". . . I've been doing that for three years now."

100 followers celebration || navigation

You and Drew are sitting next to each other on the beach, sharing a joint. He passes it to you and you take in a long drag before exhaling the smoke. Your eyes close as you feel the smoke roll off your tongue, a satisfied sigh escaping your lips.

Drew looks at you, the moonlight gleaming on your cheekbones and in your eyes, making them shine brighter. The only sound in the background is of the waves crashing on the ocean. The waves occasionally reach up to your feet, leaving them wet as they retract back.

"I wish I could always feel this free," you say, leaning back on your forearms and tilting your head back. The cool breeze causes goosebumps to rise on your bare arms. You're right; your mind has never felt this relaxed before. It was under a constant stress for the past two years, also the years you spent with the most shitty person one can.

Your previous partner made you feel like they love you, but left you so horribly broken inside. You forgot what it felt like to be carefree, or to have an actual smile on your face instead of the fake ones you had been plastering for way too long.

You finally got the courage to leave them, to spit right in their face that they never actually gave two fucks about you. It definitely wasn't pretty, but all the pain you went through at that moment was worth it, because now they're long gone from your life. You're now on the beach with your best friend Drew, sharing a joint, as the waves make soft ripples and the wind blows in your hair.

What else could you want?

Drew saw you get with them, when all he wanted to be was with you. He's been so in love with you for three years, and the heartbreak he felt is indescribable when you told him you have a new partner.

"Drew, I think, I think I've fallen in love." Is what you told him that day when you both were sitting on the hood of his car at the edge of a cliff and were watching the sunset. For a second, he thought you meant him. His heart could've jumped out of his chest at that moment, but when someone else's name left your lips, an unknown name belonging to an unknown face, his heart shattered in a million pieces.

But now that you aren't with them anymore, Drew knows he needs to take the chance of telling you how he actually feels about you before it's too late.

"You look so beautiful," he murmurs, his eyes which aren't able to get enough of you looking at you. You look like the embodiment of tranquility, as peace graces your thoughts and your soul.

You turn your head to look at Drew, his hair ruffling due to the breeze. You give him a little smile and sit up straighter in the sand.

"So, so beautiful," he continues. "I don't think I've ever known someone who's as pretty as you." He says, his voice reduced to mere whispers.

"This sounds like you're flirting with me," You say, giggles escaping your lips as you softly smack his arm. He looks at you with a deadpanned look on his face.

"I've been doing that for three years now," he says, "you're just noticing?" He has always dropped little compliments to you every single day. It doesn't necessarily have to be a day when you've dressed up for some event. Even when you're in your regular pyjamas, he thinks he's never seen you look more gorgeous, because he fell in love with the real you. Your personality, your soul, the way you speak to him so nicely, the way you're always there for him.

You only laugh harder at him. You've always loved him too, but the idea of you being with him never sat right with you, because you were worried you may never work things out. You've never missed a single compliment of his, there's a part of your brain specially dedicated to remembering the compliments he gives you.

You scoot closer to Drew and let your head rest on his shoulder. He wraps his arms around you and pulls you in closer to him, his touch relaxing you immediately. You intertwine one of your hands with his, and softly trace circles on the back of his hand.

"Yes, I've noticed Drew, I've always noticed," you whisper.

His eyes shut close as he leans his head on top of yours, and both of you sit next to each other, watching the moonlight reflect on the water.

↶ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊˎ-

TAGLIST: @runningfrom2am @ragingsammie @maybankslover @totalswag @madelynie @chenslucy @ietss @elle-mp3

[hogwarts-legacy-confessions]

Anybody who thinks it's easy to be seen in any fandom should receive a reality check. I'm going to give those people a bit of tough love. Yes, it is discouraging to try so hard without getting much interaction in return. Yes, it is mostly based on luck and timing whether you get your foot in. No, a gigantic yield of likes and comments isn't going to pour at you with one or even a handful of works just because you think you deserve it. And no, you're not going to be making friends overnight if ever. Most fandom experiences are actually quite lonely. People who do make fandom friends often sacrifice a ton of their free time and in-real-life relationships to hang out with them. It's hard work, it's rotten work and it can eat at you mentally since getting friends and also sticking with them, no matter what your or they do, is hard. Making people read or look at your things is even harder because you feel like you are imposing on them (most of the time you are by the way). This is why you are not creating for others. You are creating for yourself! Out of self-indulgence! Because you are obsessed over these little fictional characters playing out scenarios in your head! I am so sick of hearing people complain about lack of kudos, likes, reposts and comments, and I can't believe a fandom this small suffers from it as well. Why do you care so much for a made up internet currency that will just make you miserable? Create something out of love for the creation. Why give a flying fvck about what others think about your work because chances are, they aren't real critics with real knowledge and feedback that you need. I've noticed that the "icons" of fandoms often don't even interact much in other's creations' comment sections. So why don't you concentrate on perfecting your craft instead, like they do? You can mope about it all day or you could go outside, work on your poetry, do a study of an impressionist painting or read a classic. Consume art, watch movies, go to the theater, experience. Make a roadmap for your goals, take notes, watch tutorials. That's what's gonna give you skills, inspiration and ultimately, visibility for your work, both fan- and/or original. Just do something useful, you! Right. Now.

👀

Sorry, I'm gonna have to tackle this little pep talk head on.

It's horseshit to say "write for yourself" and act like it's shameful for people to express their frustration with the perception of having their work ignored. Yes, one should ultimately create fanworks that are true to themselves as much as possible, and do so because they enjoy it first and foremost, but I have a feeling that anon here doesn't know what it's like to pour your heart and soul into something and get crickets. When you know people are seeing it, that feels like a judgment of your work - a negative one. I say that as a quasi-popular creator in the fandom.

I'm not saying people are obligated to like or engage with works they don't find appealing, I'm simply arguing why it's valid to feel sad about that situation.

If fandom creations are all "for ourselves" then why bother posting on Tumblr or ao3 in the first place? It's because there's a community here that we want to engage with. Every single one of us.

This posturing about "I write for myself so I don't need or want any validation for my work" might put you in a special category of emotionally different people but it's not true for the majority.

In fact, most of the idea of asking for prompts on Tumblr is to entertain an audience of people supportive of your work, so I hope you've never answered a creative ask, anon. That would make you a hypocrite.

Everyone should absolutely be writing what pleases them first and foremost, but that doesn't detract from the sense of community and pride you get when someone else openly enjoys your work.

I also feel like there's a definite subtext in this confession that reads "you're not popular because you're not good enough. You need to work harder and you'll succeed." Studies have shown that popularity is not necessarily based on merit, and it's almost random what gets popular based on who latches onto something and shares it.

In short, anon, please get off your high horse. There are plenty of amazing writers and artists in this fandom who get little to no traction. Maybe if you stopped getting comments, kudos, and likes on your work for a day we'd see how you feel about this issue then.

This is certainly not a dynamic unique to HL, although in a fandom with only a few hundred active members at most (at least on Tumblr), it feels more personal when your work is ignored. Since our tags are small, it's harder to just accept that you're being overlooked and not take it personally.

You can find countless posts decrying the overall decrease in engagement in the past few years on Tumblr and begging people to leave kudos and comments! Maybe people should try to keep in perspective that they're not alone, maybe we all should complain less, but the idea that we should be better than wanting others to enjoy our work (and show that) does not sit well with me, especially while we're constantly watching others in the fandom sniff each other's farts.

[my-dark-lord]

This is really self indulgent on my end... I would love to hear your thoughts about the time(s) in the show that Sir Pentious may have had sex

First of all: remember at the sex club when he was like, "because I'm having sex with everyone here!"and then a few people kinda drag him away? Do you think Sir Pentious ended up actually having sex with them? I just wanna know if the snake man got railed.

Another thing is when they are all having their celebration right before the extermination, I sooo thought he and Cherri were gonna hook up. I know canonically they didn't, but do you have any thoughts about last night alive sex between the two of them?

On a non-sexual note, how do you think he created his egg bois? or did he find them somewhere? I love how affectionate he is to them.

Thanks for reading this!

Hazbin Hotel Headcanon Requests - Accepting!

Oh, Nonny, I love self-indulgent things. So much. Let's see here!

I would like to preface this by saying I don't think that Pentious was a virgin in Hell. I think that his few forrays in the bedroom when he was alive were inexperienced and overall not good. He didn't have a lot of interest in sex in Hell because he was used to thinking that sex just wasn't that fantastic. He didn't understand the hype for meaningless sex and instead viewed it as something you do to prove your love and loyalty to someone.

During the scene at Consent, I do think that he had sex with those demons specifically! It started with him being cornered and unable to really deny them because he'd already promised. His pocketbook was lighter, and he was about to have his first orgy. It ended up being an eye-opening experience for him and further fueled his desire to have sex with Cherri. He got home way later than everyone else that night.

Not only did it open his eyes to sex being enjoyable, but it also made him realize that maybe there was a little bit of bisexuality kicking around in there. He was still very focused on Cherri Bomb, but he did have a scrap of paper in his room with hastily scribbled phone numbers on it that he considered calling before the big day.

Oooh, I do!

So, I think that Cherri was mostly interested because of his twin-dick situation, at first. She had it in her head that he was going to be bad at it, and she would have been right if it hadn't been for that night at Consent.

While it started with him wanting to have something soft and passionate, she encouraged him to let loose and get wild on his potential last night alive. They had a lot of sex that Cherri didn't anticipate enjoying as much as she did. The pair of them had a long night, and in the morning Sir Pentious woke up first. He watched her sleep for a while, knowing that this was worth it if this would be the last thing he'd remember.

As for the Egg Bois, I also love how affectionate he is with them! I really like a headcanon that I saw where Pentious was intersex and he birthed the Egg Bois, and that is why they are so important to him. Those are his babies! This is the one I usually stick to when I write him personally.

Aside from this, I think Pentious is capable of very intricate magic if he puts his mind to it, and his sorcery created the eggies we know and love. He still poured his heart and soul into them and they are very important to him as minions, friends, and family.

[uplifted-vibes]

Chasing After Love: Advice for Women and Young Girls

Hey, lovely souls! Let’s chat about something super important today: knowing your worth in this wild world of dating. Seriously, you are not just a catch; you are the entire freaking ocean! Your value doesn’t hinge on whether some guy notices you or gives you likes on social media. You are a dazzling star, and any guy who’s lucky enough to be in your orbit should feel like he just hit the cosmic jackpot!

I know how easy it is to get caught up in chasing after someone. You start changing little things about yourself—maybe your hair, your style, or even pretending to like things you don’t—just to get his attention. I’ve been there! I remember going out of my way to fit into someone else’s idea of “cool,” thinking that was the way to win their heart. But let’s get real: the right guy is going to love you for who you are, not who you think you should be! Your quirks, your passions, your humor—own it all because that’s what makes you absolutely fabulous!

Picture this: you’re hanging out with your friends, and there’s that cute guy you’ve had your eye on. Instead of stressing about how to impress him, you just let loose and be yourself. You laugh, you share your latest obsession (hello, new favorite show or that meme that made you LOL), and if he can’t keep up? Bye, Felicia! You’re not here to dim your sparkle for anyone!

Let’s also talk about how to pour your energy into what really excites you. What lights up your world? Is it dancing, creating art, writing your heart out, or binge-watching your favorite series? When I started to focus on my passions instead of chasing after guys, I felt a shift. I was having so much fun that the right people started to show up. It’s like when you start living for yourself, suddenly people want to be a part of that journey!

Now, let’s keep it 100 about boundaries, because they are a game changer. If a guy isn’t treating you like the queen you are, don’t hesitate to step back. Imagine putting in all the effort—texting first, planning cute dates, and being there whenever he needs you. Then one day, he flakes on plans. Instead of feeling hurt, see it as your cue to refocus on you. You deserve someone who’s going to treat you like the amazing person you are! You’re not just an option; you are the whole menu!

And here’s the deal with rejection—it stings, I get it! I’ve been there, feeling all kinds of crushed when someone didn’t feel the same way. But here’s the secret: rejection doesn’t define you! It’s just life saying, “Not this one, keep moving!” Each rejection is a lesson that gets you closer to the right match. Think of it like finding the perfect outfit; sometimes, you have to try on a few that just don’t fit before you find the one that makes you feel like a million bucks.

Remember, you are enough—just as you are! You are worthy of love, respect, and all the happiness in the world. The right guy will come along when you least expect it, and trust me, he’ll know he hit the jackpot by being with you!

So, as you navigate the crazy world of love and dating, hold your head high and shine like the star you are. Love should make your life even more awesome, not define it. Focus on being the incredible person you already are, and watch as the right people are drawn to your light.

Let’s lift each other up! What’s your best piece of advice for loving yourself and knowing your worth? Drop it in the comments, and let’s inspire one another! Remember, queens: you are enough, you are worthy, and you are fabulous just as you are! Shine on, beautiful!

[kagesdumpsterfire]

I DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO THE COFFEE THEORY! I can't. I HATE IT!

SPOILERS AHEAD, obviously.

Listen, I get it. I understand those of you that do. You need there to be a reason. Some explanation why Aziraphale would abandon Crowley for Heaven. Some reason that he would listen to Metatron. Why he would still (after everything they've been through and everything they've seen) believe Heaven is good. You need to have a reason to believe that Aziraphale wouldn't do that to the demon he is so obviously in love with.

You have made excellent arguments. You have used evidence to explain your point. You have done a great job making sure that your argument makes sense. And I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. You want so badly for there to be a reason that Aziraphale broke Crowley as he did. And there is, but coffee just isn't it. At least not in my opinion.

The reason is right there, in front of us all. It has been since the very beginning.

Let's take a look at Crowley. When he was an angel he was a very powerful one. (which is another bundle of theories entirely) He helped design the plans for the universe. Presumably, he spent the vast majority of his time doing so. He poured his heart and soul into creating something he believed was worth something. Look how excited he was to finally roll his project out. He was an artist admiring his work, watching it come to life, filled with glee at the thought of watching it grow and expand over millions of years, only to be told it was all for nothing. The thing he had spent his entire existence working on was going to be wiped out in less than a fraction of the time it was supposed to last. The thing he had put so much love into, was only created for someone else to destroy.

Imagine Dali being comissioned for a master peice and putting his all into it only for the buyer to paint over it because they didn't like that the clocks were melted. Imagine someone taking a Van Gogh and painting it to look more realistic because they weren't a fan of the colors. It was like that for him. So he asked questions. He wanted to know why and was rewarded by being tossed out of the only home he had ever known, doomed to dwell in a place that was the complete opposite. All because he didn't want to see his hard work, this thing of magnificent beauty, destroyed.

Crowley never belonged in Hell. That much is obvious. He was such a beautiful and joyful creature and now, he is a demon. And he's bitter. He has every right to be. And he's lonely. He doesn't like the demons anymore than he liked the thought of his work being wasted, but he is forced to dwell among them so he does what he can to make it as easy for him as possible, as long as it doesn't conflict with his morals. And he is so very lonely. He has no one. Except...

Except for the angel that helped him prime the engines for his creation. The angel that experienced the birth of his work. The angel that tried to advise him to keep himself safe. He found that angel again at the Eastern Gate of Eden. He learned that angel had committed a tiny act of rebellion of his own. Because he felt something wasn't right. And suddenly, Crowley was less lonely. He had found someone, still in Heaven, who also seemed to realize that not everthing the Almighty chose to do seemed to be right. Someone whose morals seemed to match his own.

He never wanted to make that angel fall as he had. He would never force someone to suffer the same fate he had suffered. He just wanted someone who understood him. Because he was lonely, and having Azriraphale understand him made him less so. He tried his best to show the Angel that not everything was black and white, and the angel seemed to understand that as well, no matter how much he denied it. How couldn't Crowley fall in love with him?

Crowley said it himself so many times. Aziraphale was his best friend. His only friend. The only being in existence that understood him. That really knew who he was. He had found someone to be at his side; on his side. So it became a balancing act. Keeping the angel happy and on his side and keeping Hell happy to keep himself alive. And he managed. For over 6000 years. Until the apocalypse threatened to destroy that balance. See for Crowley, I dont really think it was about saving humanity. Not entirely. He had obviously learned to love humanity over the years, but it was more than that. If the apocalypse happened, if humanity was wiped out, if he managed to survive the war between Heaven and Hell, then he would be well and truly alone. There would be no more reason for him to meet with the angel. The only thing that made his exile bearable. He would no longer have his best friend. His only friend. He would just be alone. Forever. And after that, what would be the point?

We saw evidence of him feeling this way when he thought Aziraphale had died in the bookshop. He didn't try to keep looking for Adam. He didn't try to keep fighting the end of the world. He didn't even try taking off to another planet. He just sat in a pub and got drunk, lamenting his fall. It wasn't until Azriraphale showed back up that he sprung back into action. He was ready to give up again until Aziraphale threatened to never talk to him again. Not kill him, but leave him alone. And he does what he can to fix it. He helps save the world to save his friendship with Aziraphale. He goes back to Heaven to save Aziraphale.

And when they win he finds happiness. He doesn't have to perform the balancing act anymore. Sure, he's obviously bored, but he's content. He has no home; no Hell. All he has is his car, a few plants, and his angel. And he is content. Until Gabriel shows up.

Gabriel upsets his balance. His presence threatens his perfect little world where it is just Crowley and Aziraphale, alone, together. Gabriel told Aziraphale to shut up and die. He wants him as far away from them as possible, lest his world be upended again. And he's mad at Aziraphale for not realizing that. So he storms out. He wants to let the angel deal with it himself, until he learns that could mean Aziraphale being erased from existence entirely. That means not only would Crowley be alone from that point on, but he would have been alone forever. So he goes back. He agrees to help. He does whatever the angel says to get rid of Gabriel. He can't stand the thought of losing Aziraphale forever; of Aziraphale never existing at all. And he learns it's because he's in love. The lady at the coffee shop is right.

And he returns to Heaven again to save Aziraphale. He does everything he can to restore their balance. He helps the supreme archangel of heaven run off with the archduke of Hell. He wins. They win. He resolves to finally tell Aziraphale how he really feels. And in walks the metatron. A minor bump in the road he thinks. Until Aziraphale returns.

Then, there is his angel, the being he fought for, the being he loves more than anything in all of existence, telling him everything he had worked for, was for nothing. The angel wants him to return to the beings who made his life hell; literally. There is his angel, telling him he's a bad guy, but he can be better. There is his angel, proving that he never actually understood Crowley at all. There is his angel, destroying everything he spent his existence working for.

Still, Crowley begs the angel to stay, at the bookshop; with him. He tells the angel how he feels and Azriraphale tells him that nothing lasts forever. From his point of view, Aziraphale is asking him to change who he is. To change what he belives. He makes a desperate effort to show the angel how much the little world he's worked so hard to make for them really means to him, and he's told, with three little words ("I forgive you"), that that world isn't good enough for Aziraphale. Everything he thought he knew, was wrong. Everything he had worked for, was once again, for nothing

The demon Crowley is broken.

Now let's look at Aziraphale:

He's an angel who watched the birth of a nebula. He got to witness the Joy it brought to Crowley to watch something he made come to life. He got to witness the other's excitement. He got to see Crowley in his purest form. And it was beautiful, but the angel he knew was dangerous. The angel he knew was asking questions. Something about that seemed wrong, but also not. And then, the angel he knew was gone. In that angel's place was a serpent; a demon. A foul creature who tried to thwart the will of God. Aziraphale knows he should despise him, but he can't, because despite being a demon, he is still kind. When Azriraphale was worried that he had done the wrong thing giving the first humans his sword, it was Crowley that alleviated that fear. When the flood was upon them, it was Crowley who lamented the death of all the worlds children. There were still glimpses of the angel he once was underneath. That creative, joyful, dangerous angel. But he was a demon now. And he was even more dangerous as a demon. More dangerous, because his questions about the way things were, still made sense.

The trials of Job, is when Azriraphale began questioning everything. There was Heaven, determined to let Hell destroy the life of a truly good man and the only being trying to save what little Job had left was the creature that Hell had sent to do their bidding. Crowley. There was Crowley showing more compassion for animals and children than actual angels. There was Crowley, showing him the wonders of humanity (through food) and all they had to offer. And he tempted Aziraphale. And he won. And when Aziraphale was sure that his lie to save Job's children would land him in Hell, there was Crowley, promising he would never tell anyone what he had done.

It was confusing for him. They stood side by side for millennia and he watched, time and time again, as Crowley the demon went out of his way, putting his very existence on the line to help others. To save them. He listened for centuries as the demon pointed out flaws in Heaven's plans. He knew every point to be correct and that was terrifying. Because that way of thinking was exactly how Crowley became a demon in the first place. That's how Crowley ended up being so lonely.

Unlike Crowley, Aziraphale was never truly alone. He may not have always agreed with the other angels, but he always had them. He always had someone to report to, someone to give orders and some place to call home. Even though he chose to stay on Earth, he never knew what it was like to be seperated from heaven. He also never knew what it would be like to be seperated from Crowley, the devil on his shoulder. No matter how much he hated to admit it, they had become friends. As long as Heaven never found out, Azriphale got to spend his existence having his cake and eating it too.

Until the apocalypse came. He was faced with a moral dilemma. He had grown to love the world and all that it offered, Crowley included. He knew it was wrong to go against Heaven, but he had the whispers of a demon in his ear for centuries; a demon who made a frightening amount of sense. He wasn't prepared to lose everything the world had to offer and he certainly didn't want to live a life where he only got to have a third of what he had his entire existence. So he fought against it. He fought against the apocalypse and won. And was rewarded with being exiled from Heaven.

For the first time in his whole life, Aziraphale got to experience a small portion of what Crowley had lived with forever. And it was sad. It was a little bit lonely. He had saved humanity and got to preserve his relationship with Crowley, but he was cut off from something he had had even before he had either of those things. That obviously stung. He was still an angel, but what is an angel without heaven? There were no assignments, no miracles to perform. Just existence. He was without purpose.

And then Gabriel came along, lost, confused, and in need of help. He had a purpose again. Even better if he could get Crowley on his side, because he knew the demon must be feeling listless as well. Not only that, but because through all of time and everything else, Crowley had been his anchor. His ground. He knew the demon wouldn't like helping another angel, but the demon loved to help him. And so he did. He knew Crowley would, because if he had learned anything from their time together, it's that Crowley is good.

He gets to spend time with his demon and help a fellow Angel. Who is in love with a demon. And isn't afraid to admit it. And that's new. He wasn't aware that was allowed. It wasn't, but there was Gabriel and Beelzebub turning against Heaven and Hell for each other. There was The Supreme Archangel andthe Grand Duke of Hell running away together as Crowley had offered for them to do so many times before; because they were in love. Heaven and Hell be damnd. It was possible.

And then there was the Metatron, offering him a place in Heaven again. Not only that, but offering him a High ranking position. Offering him Crowley at his side, in Heaven, where he knew the demon had always belonged. Because Crowley was good. And Heaven could be good. He could make changes. He could take Crowley's thoughts about how things should run and make them reality. They could fix things for Humanity and rebuild Heaven's opperations to how THEY belived it should be. He could have back everything he lost and MORE.

And there is Crowley spitting in his face. There is Crowley telling him he doesn't want Heaven back. There is Crowley not wanting to do what he has always done anyway (fighting for good) this time on the right side. There is Crowley begging him to stay and give up a peice of himself that he never truly let go of. But also...

Crowley is saying that he wants to be with him. Crowley is comparing their relationship to Gabriel and Beelzebub. Crowley is telling the Aziraphale that they don't need anything but each other. He agrees that they need each other. He needs Crowley, but he wants Heaven and humanity too. And he begs to have it all. And there is Crowley, tempting him again with something that humanity has offered. A kiss.

("I forgive you" ) he forgives Crowley for all of it. For the anger and anguish he has caused with his temptation. He forgives Crowley for walking away. He always forgives Crowley.

But he is still angry. He is angry enough to leave, but it is not without doubt. He wants to stay more than ever before, but he is as he has always been; an angel of duty. He second guesses himself when he hears that Heaven has the second coming planned, and he glances across the street to see Crowley, waiting for him to change his mind, but what Crowley wants is unfair. What Crowley did was unfair. But Crowley deserves to live in a world where Heaven does the right thing for once. And so he gets on the elevator.

Whether it is to help or hinder Heaven's plan is left unclear.

See, for the coffee theory to work, you have to ignore something about Aziraphale that neither he nor Crowley will admit. Aziraphale is downright sinful.

Aziraphale is greedy.

Aziraphale is gluttonous.

Aziraphale is envious.

Aziraphale is wrathful.

And Aziraphale is prideful.

But he is also full of slef doubt. And that is Crowley's fault.

Because Crowley is a voice of reason from the unlikeliest source.

Crowley is temptation for answers that no one knows the question to.

Crowely is selflessness wrapped in a snake's skin.

Crowley is goodness in the form of evil

Crowley is kind, against his very nature

Crowley is the only reason he ever began to question what was wrong and what was right.

For the coffee theory to work, you have to take away the fact that both Crowley and Aziraphale are complicated characters.

Of course Crowley wouldn't choose to go back to Hell. He hates Hell. Hell is cluttered and full of hateful creatures that want to end Humanity.

Of course Crowley wouldn't choose to go back to Heaven. He hates Heaven. Its bureaucratic and boring and full of self-righteous creatures that want to destroy humanity.

Crowley has seen both sides of the coin and that's why he chooses to stand on the edge.

But Aziraphale hasn't. He's seen what hell has done to Crowley. He's seen what they did to that once Joyous and Creative angel he knew. He sees that Heaven made a mistake. Several mistakes. And he is offered a chance to fix it.

Of course Aziraphale would jump at the chance to fix the type of mistakes that caused Crowley such suffering. Even if it means losing him. Because Crowley deserves, at the very least, that. He deserves better. And Aziraphale has the chance to give it to him.

For the coffee theory to work, you have to ignore the fact that Aziraphale would risk everything for Crowley, including the demon himself, just as the demon has done for him.

Anyway, that got a lot longer than intended, but that's why I hate the coffee theory. It takes away too much from the characters. It's too simple and uninteresting. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong but I would be super disappointed if they went that route. It takes away from who Crowley and Aziraphale are as characters.

Sorry for the rant and thanks for reading.

[thatordinaryoddity]

Hello anon! Thank you very much for reaching out to me and bringing this to my attention. While I already contacted this person to clarify things, I still want to throw in my two cents about this issue because I feel like that some people might simply be unaware of the fact that you always should get permission and give proper credits when you use other artists‘ works. I think that more often than not people don‘t mean any harm and are just amazed by something and want to reproduce it because they like it. So let‘s talk a bit about it.

As an artist, no matter if you're a professional, self-taught, or just starting and doing it for fun, you pour your heart and soul into your work. You strive to connect with your art, grow and improve, and find your own unique style. We all draw inspiration from other artists, whether they're big world-famous personalities or “just“ fangirlies (gender neutral) sharing fanart online. But it's crucial to remember that it should be exactly that - an inspiration, something that should lead you to create something original, not a carbon copy. It is very common for artists to use references images, stock photos, etc. for their pieces and this is totally fine imo. However, when it comes to existing artworks, it's a bit different. You should avoid recreating something identical to someone else's art. If, however, you really really want to create something that is undoubtedly very similar, always remember to ask the artist for permission to use their works and give credit where it‘s due.

I won't dive into the whole debate about tracing and its pros and cons right now, but all I can tell you is that if you’re really interested in improving your art skills, try to draw as free as possible and study your reference closely. You‘ll benefit from it, even if it‘s kinda hard in the beginning, I promise.

Lastly, I want to make clear I‘m not intending to be the bad cop or anything (that’s why I blocked out the full link, I really don’t want to call anybody out) but I reckon it‘s important to raise awareness and remind ourselves that art has got its own sense of sportsmanship too.

Thanks for reading and have a nice daaaay! 🩵

[baekgguwangja]

After all this time, we begin again.

Matthew makes a mistake after a string of unresolved conflicts; it could be an emotional betrayal or leaving Shane when he most needs him. There is deep-seated hurt. Shane refrains from snapping. He instead keeps a journal in which he records everything, including the late-night silences, the messages that were missed, and the way Matthew used to smile when his name was called.

Shane uses his journal as a coping mechanism for the split. Through pages smeared with tears, he considers what went wrong and how much he loved. He writes not to incite hatred. His writing is a form of healing.

After several months, Matthew reappears, this time vulnerable rather than with an excuse. It hurts him when he reads passages from Shane's journal, which he reluctantly shares. Matthew understands how much he wounded the one person who truly loved him.

September 26th, 2022 ✨💫

Dear Mas Darian, That was the day everything began. I didn’t know it yet, but the moment you smiled at me, something in my soul stirred. You didn’t save me—but you made me want to save myself. I remember thinking, “This might be it. This might be the one who makes the noise in my heart feel like music.” You made life lighter. And in the chaos of everything else, you were my calm.

March 15th, 2023 💍✨

You got down on one knee, and I forgot how to breathe. Not because I was surprised, but because everything finally made sense. We were young, sure, and maybe a little reckless—but my love for you was never a maybe. I said yes because you made me believe in always. Because you were the first person I could picture forever with, even when the world scared me. That day, I wasn’t just proposed to—I was chosen.

October 21st, 2023 📸🌟

We spent that day with no phones, no distractions—just us. And I swear, Mas Darian, it felt like we created a bubble outside of time. Your laugh, your presence, your little glances—those things filled my soul in ways I never told you. It was the kind of love people write about but rarely feel. And I got to feel it with you.

July 21st, 2024 💔🌧️

That was the day we lost everything. Or at least, it felt like it. I watched you walk away, and my world just… stopped. I didn’t know how to exist without your voice. Every room felt louder, but I was quieter. I was angry at the love that left, but more than anything, I missed you. I missed us. But I also knew, somehow, we needed this space to break and rebuild.

November 14th, 2024 🕊️❄️

Healing started in a city that didn’t know either of us. Chicago gave me room to breathe, space to mourn, and silence to scream in. I journaled like my life depended on it. I whispered your name less, cried more, and started to remember what it meant to be me—without you. And slowly, I got better. I began choosing peace over pain.

January 1st, 2025 ☕📚

A new year, a new me. I became a student again, filling notebooks with hopes instead of regrets. I opened a café and poured my pain into espresso shots and sugar syrups. Customers didn’t know it, but every coffee I served had a piece of my healing. I learned how to laugh without feeling guilty. I learned how to be mine before I could ever be yours again.

February 2025 🛫🌸

I moved back to Korea. The air smelled familiar; the streets remembered us. But I was not the same boy who once held your hand in the cold. I was becoming a man who could finally hold himself. I stopped trying to erase you from my life. Instead, I made peace with your absence and let the silence become sacred.

March 28th, 2025 🌿🌼

I saw myself differently. I was no longer someone healing—I was someone growing. The anger, the grief, the loneliness—they became tools, not wounds. I looked in the mirror and didn’t flinch. I prayed not to forget the love but to remember how to carry it gently. That’s when I knew I could love again. Even if it wasn’t you.

April 21st, 2025 📞🕊️

But then… Mas Matthew called. And hearing your voice again felt like rain after drought. I didn’t cry out of pain. I cried out of memory. You said sorry and vice versa. I said thank you. We talked like old friends (brothers)—like people who remembered each other without the sharp edges. I forgave myself. I forgave you. Maybe love was coming back. Maybe it never left.

April 30th, 2025 🌸🕰️

We began again. Slowly. Carefully. You didn’t ask for anything. You just shared your day. Your thoughts. I responded. I laughed. I smiled. And something quiet bloomed again. Not in our hearts, but between them. Like the air between us had changed.

May 12th, 2025 🎶🤍

We listened to music together. Sent each other playlists. You knew exactly what songs to send—songs that held hands with my soul. I sang along. You told me I was off-key. We laughed. And it felt like home.

May 14th, 2025 😊🌤️

You smiled at me, and I didn’t feel the urge to look away. You made a joke. I teased you back. We were older now. Gentler. The kind of love we used to dream about—one with less fire, more warmth. More understanding. I didn’t just love you again. I respected you.

May 15th to 16th, 2025 💞🌹

We chose each other again. Not out of desperation. But because we’d seen life without each other and still found our way back. We made new promises—ones not built on fantasy, but on foundation. This was our second chance. And it felt sacred. (From that, we started with a new identity.) You as Mas Darian and I as Shane (but with the same growth of love), and we still use our old identity but in our other universe.

May 29th, 2025 🛏️🌙

You lay next to me, head on my chest. We talked about work, about silly things, about life. You told me my café smelled like home. I told you your voice still did. I never felt more loved than in that stillness.

[colouredbyd]

Dalia... where do I even begin? Okay—let’s make a list, just so I don’t forget anything, because this needs to be said properly.

1) What you wrote… it’s beyond anything anyone could have expected. And let’s be honest, with you, the expectations are always sky-high, and somehow you keep going higher. I swear, soon enough I won’t even be able to see where the bar is anymore, and you’ll still be surpassing it. You outdo yourself with every single post. It doesn’t matter what it’s about—you leave me speechless every single time.

2) The way everything is written… it shows. No—scratch that—it doesn’t just show. It feels like I’m standing in a silent room, and from a crack in the ceiling, something starts to drip slowly—drop by drop—and it’s not water, it’s blood. Because that’s how deep it runs. That’s how much pain and heart you’ve poured into every sentence. It’s like you didn’t just write words—you gave us a piece of yourself, wrapped in honey-coated phrasing, even though what’s underneath is so much deeper… and yes, more painful. And listen—putting your name in the fic?? I screamed. But even if you hadn’t done that, I still would’ve seen you in it. Because you shine through your writing, through the story itself. And that made me feel something that wasn’t pity—it was resonance. It was connection. You made me feel you through your words.

3) The criticism about the character dynamic not being canon? It doesn’t matter. This story wasn’t made to be lifted out of a book and slapped onto a canon page to “fit in.” This story exists so that you could use your imagination and talent and sensitivity to create something that you once needed—and that now, someone else will find when they need it too. And that is so much more beautiful than any canon ever could be.

4) The way you phrase things—it feels like a balm for the soul. Every scar, every wound, feels like it stings just a little less after reading what you write. Even for people who haven’t lived the exact same thing, but something close. Because feelings repeat. Pain echoes. Someone, somewhere, has felt that ache before. And what you write… it soothes. It’s powerful, and comforting, and needed.

5) (finally) I just want you to know that you are seen. Every one of us who reads your words sees that sparkle in them—the same sparkle we see when you interact with us. There’s a kind of quiet magic that your imagination leaves behind, and I hope to see it for a long, long time to come.

-✨ is sending you all her love, always. thank you for existing, for staying true to yourself, and for never letting anything stop you from bringing so much joy to all of us

omg okay first of all… i don't even know how to start except to say this actually made me tear up a little?? like, you get it. you got what i was trying to say, and that means everything to me

the way you worded this whole message was so thoughtful, so intentional. i reread it like 3 times just to let it sink in <33 you really saw the layers in it, the heart and the ache and the softness underneath all the mess, and i just !!!!!! thank you 💗🩷

and you're so right—stories like these aren’t made to be neat little canon boxes. they’re messy and personal and sometimes painfully vulnerable and i needed to write this one. like you said… someone else might need it too. and if it reached you the way you say it did, then honestly that’s all i could ask for <3

you’re such a lovely soul for sending this. i’m hugging it close forever. thank you thank you thank you !!! :’)

sending so much love back your way, star <33

[truelovez2]

Romantic Things to Say on Valentine’s Day

Its only WORDS… and word that all you have to take her HEART away! This V-Day pour out each and every emotion or feeling of love while writing or saying the most Romantic Things to Say on Valentine’s Day. Make some serious wooing and say exactly what is there in the heart of hearts. Create your own moments of love and awe in the world of romanticism with our World’s Best Romantic Quotes and Those Sweet Things to Say to Your Girlfriend or Boyfriend on the Valentine’s Day.

Whatsoever may be the age, every loving soul love to feel special and wanted. Say it to her, write her a letter or text a message to her – do make use of these brilliant quotes and romantic things to say to him or her before the time passes by. Words are the seeds that germinate every feeling and emotion. Every single word of love is mounting stair towards your beloved heart. And we know that the deepest desires and expressions are there in your heart but it’s hard to put into the right words and phrases.  So make use of the utmost romantic lyrics with our fantastic quotes and saying, because a Romantic Thing You Say to your spouse or partner is an effective way to toughen shared bonds and relationships.

Romantic Things to Say on Valentine’s Day

There are many ways to express the deepest feelings to your love. All you need is a little inspiration and we are here to help you realize what you want to say with our most romantic things to say on the Valentine’s Day.

I’ve fallen in love many times… always with you.

“Sometimes I can’t see myself when I’m with you. I can only just see you.”

 “No matter where I went, I always knew my way back to you. You are my compass star.”

The first time my eyes fell on you … my heart leapt .. And I fell .. In love with you!

You make the nights less dark … you bring sunshine into the darkest corners of my heart.

The tone of your voice is like music to my ears, The vision of you is like candy to my eyes, Your very essence moves me to say .. I swear … I love you.

 “It’s one thing to fall in love. It’s another to feel someone else fall in love with you, and to feel a responsibility toward that love.”

 “No matter what has happened. No matter what you’ve done. No matter what you will do. I will always love you. I swear it.”

“I wanted to tell you that wherever I am, whatever happens, I’ll always think of you, and the time we spent together, as my happiest time. I’d do it all over again, if I had the choice. No regrets.”

 “I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out it wasn’t something about you at all. It was just you.”

I sent an angel to look over you at night. The angel came back a minute later and I asked it why. It told me Angels don’t watch other angels.

 This is the true measure of love: When we believe that we alone can love, that no one could ever have loved so before us, and that no one will ever love in the same way after us.

 “You have made my world wonderful, beautiful and good beyond my wildest dreams. Never, ever, did I imagine how great life could be, until I met you and discovered love.”

 “I’m in love with you, and I’m not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I’m in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you.”

 “If my love were an ocean, there would be no more land. If my love were a desert, you would see only sand. If my love were a star- late at night, only light. And if my love could grow wings, I’d be soaring in flight.”

[lovenotesxcitygirls]

Romancing Myself Is an Act of Self-Love

Self-love gets a lot of buzz these days, but let’s talk about the art of romancing yourself. It’s more than bubble baths and indulgent nights (though those are great, too). For me, romancing myself is an intentional celebration—a chance to honor my body, mind, and spirit.

Some people wait for a partner to bring the romance, but I’ve found there’s magic in creating it for myself. There’s power in showing yourself the kind of love and attention you’d want from someone else—and realizing you don’t need to wait for anyone to make you feel that way.

Here’s the best part: romancing yourself isn’t just for women or a certain type of person. It’s for anyone—regardless of gender—who wants to deepen their connection with themselves. Whether it’s soaking in a candlelit bath, sipping whiskey in a plush robe, or dancing to your favorite song, romancing yourself is all about creating space to feel seen, loved, and whole.

What Romancing Myself Looks Like

For me, it’s a whole vibe—a night where I treat myself like the main character:

• I cook a special meal: Something sexy and intentional, like a perfectly seared steak or a decadent pasta dish. I pour a glass of wine, dim the lights, and enjoy it at a table set just for me.

• I wear lingerie—for myself: Silky, lacy, whatever makes me feel amazing. Then I dance in the mirror, just because I can.

• I create an ambience: Candles lit, lights dimmed, and my favorite music playing softly in the background (Janet Jackson’s “Would You Mind” hits every time). Sometimes, I take a shower in the dark while listening to a playlist that makes me feel sultry and alive.

• I write love notes—to me: Affirmations, compliments, or reminders of my worth. There’s something magical about putting love into your own words.

• I turn everything off: No phone, no distractions—just me, fully present in the moment.

Some nights, I’ll follow this with a spa day or a little buzz to end the night. Other times, it’s just a quiet evening of journaling and reflection. Every time, it leaves me feeling renewed, connected, and deeply loved—by me.

What Romancing Yourself Might Look Like for You

Romancing yourself doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. If lingerie isn’t your thing, maybe it’s slipping into a luxurious robe or your favorite pair of cozy loungewear. If you don’t love wine, maybe it’s a favorite whiskey or a perfectly brewed cup of tea.

For men, romancing yourself might include:

• A high-quality shaving routine with a rich, fragrant cream.

• Relaxing with jazz or soul music and a candle that sets the mood.

• Writing reflections in a leather-bound journal that feels indulgent and grounding.

The point is to honor yourself in a way that feels authentic to you.

Why Romancing Yourself Matters

1. You Set the Standard

Treating yourself well shows others how you want to be treated. You don’t accept half-hearted love when you know what it feels like to be adored—by yourself.

2. It Builds Intimacy with Yourself

How can you love someone else deeply if you’re not deeply connected to yourself? Romancing yourself strengthens your relationship with you, which makes every other connection more meaningful.

3. It’s Empowering

Realizing you don’t need anyone else to make you feel special is one of the most freeing truths. When you romance yourself, you remind yourself that you are whole, all on your own.

How to Start Romancing Yourself

If you’re new to this, start small:

1. Set the Scene: Light candles, dim the lights, and put on a playlist that makes you feel incredible.

2. Dress for Yourself: Whether it’s lingerie, a cozy robe, or your favorite hoodie, wear something that makes you feel good.

3. Create Rituals: Cook a special meal, take a long bath, or pour your favorite drink.

4. Reflect: Write love notes, journal, or simply look in the mirror and appreciate yourself.

5. Disconnect: Turn off your phone and make the night all about you.

Let’s Talk About It

What does romancing yourself look like for you?

• Do you cook special meals?

• Take long, indulgent baths?

• Write affirmations or love notes to yourself?

• Create a mood with music and candles?

Poll:

Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear your rituals and inspirations!

A Song for the Moment

Put on Janet Jackson’s “Would You Mind” for the ultimate vibes. Sultry, slow, and unapologetically sensual, it’s the perfect soundtrack for an evening of self-love.

For Your Self-Romance Toolkit

Here are some tools to elevate your self-romance game:

• Lingerie or Loungewear That Feels Divine: This set makes you feel like royalty.

• A Luxurious Candle: This one creates the perfect mood.

• A Journal for Love Notes: This journal is perfect for writing affirmations or reflections.

• A High-End Shaving Kit: This one turns grooming into a ritual.

• A Body Oil That Feels Like Heaven: This oil leaves your skin glowing and hydrated.

Romancing yourself isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. It’s about honoring your body, nurturing your spirit, and creating space for love in your life, starting with you.

So light that candle, pour that drink, and show yourself the kind of love you’d give to someone else. Because if you can learn to romance yourself, you’ve already mastered the most important relationship you’ll ever have.