#high-converting pins

[primexon]

Learn How Pinterest Drive Targeted Traffic That Converts

[lilliaespi]

I'm going to put this as nicely as possible.

You're fifteen, according to your bio/pinned post. I'm 30. I have been alive literally twice the time you've been alive in this world. You are a baby queer. I don't mean that demeaningly. I mean this as to say this - you don't know smack about the LGBTQ world beyond the walls of the internet, maybe a queer club at your local school (high school if you're in the USA).

The online and club spaces for the LGBTQ world are so incredibly sanitized, period.

No, bi lesbians and their sister labels (pan lesbians, omni lesbians, polysexual lesbians, straightbians, fagdykes, lesboys, asexual lesbians, aromantic lesbians, etc.) ARE NOT putting their lesbian/dyke sisters in danger, period.

Pushing that the idea of "m spec lesbian" is somehow damaging...

victim blaming for ladies attempted to be 'forced converted' by straight men

Xenophobic towards MANY global gender IDs that are specific to certain cultures (2-spirit for indigenous USA tribes, Hijra in India, etc.)

Shifts the blame from the rapist to the victim, regardless of circumstances

Also minimizes the fact that asshole men are going to be asshole men, regardless of whoever they're being a jerk to. A jerk is going to be an asshole, regardless.

The idea of a "m spec lesbian" has been around FOR YEARS. Documented since at LEAST the 1950s.

I strongly recommend reading "Stone Butch Blues" and "The Stonewall Generation" as well as "PoMoSexuals: Challenging Assumptions About Gender and Sexuality"

You might get lucky and find them at your local library. There's a free PDF floating around of Stone Butch Blues. I got Stonewall Generation by going to a LIVE PRIDE event that was local. You should be able to find them on Google Shopping, Amazon, Ebay, and/or Mercari.

Human sexuality is complicated, period. Many women who were exclusively (or almost exclusively) attracted to other women often paired up with men for the sake of affection, protection, and companionship rather than genuine attraction (Elenor Roosevelt and Virginia Woolf are the first two famous people who come to mind). Also, Kristen Stewart recently came out as a bi lesbian in a recent interview.

We exist, period. NO ONE is helping by LGBTQ identity policing. Y'all are only hurting yourself. PLEASE talk to real life queer people face to face, beyond the safety net of social media and school clubs. You will learn so much.

[stonesense]

summary: viago finds out something terrible has happened to sol de riva. lucanis has a horrible day in a horrible week. emmrich and teia are once again somehow the normal ones by comparison. viago/teia and strongly implied non-binary crow rook/lucanis. mentions of crow-typical upbringing. i cannot be held responsible for viago’s inner narration being mean. 2.5kish words

*

The news lands like a bad joke.

One of the Diamond’s private booths has been converted piecemeal into something like a study. Viago had needed to work, and a table was a table, so he defiles Teia’s temple to indulgence with paperwork. Maps and notes are pinned to the ebony panelling on the walls. Among his stacks of notes and contract dossiers, Viago sits on luxurious black velvet as he waits, expectantly, for the punchline.

Lucanis Dellamorte just stares at the ash stains on the table, the low lighting putting the Void itself in his hollow dark eyes. Next to him, the necromancer, Volkarin, has the nerve to look sympathetic.

‘What exactly do you mean,’ says Teia, beside him, ‘by trapped?’

‘We gather that Solas planned this from the beginning,’ says Volkarin. He is quick to abandon fact for theory. ‘He exchanged places with Rook. Capitalising on the weakness of the Veil after Ghilan’nain’s demise, and perhaps even more so, the emotional duress that Rook—’ He catches sight of Viago’s expression, and whatever he sees there brings that sentence to a merciful death. ‘Suffice it to say that Solas walks free, and in his place, Rook has been imprisoned in the Fade.’

Lucanis says, ‘They’re gone.’

‘So why,’ asks Viago, ‘are you here?’

The question startles Lucanis, enough so that he looks him in the face for the first time since he stepped out of the eluvian today. Volkarin looks politely baffled. Viago wants to pour acid over something and watch it bubble into nothingness.

‘You have lost Rook,’ he says, and the words are a poison that threatens to close his throat. He forces past, makes no allowance for the weakness. ‘And now you are at my door. You have your pack of experts. Your contacts. Your gateways across the north. Surely there is nothing more that the Crows can give you. Go and get them back.’

Lucanis covers his face with his hands.

Viago does not know what to make of the Demon he sees before him. In the months since his rescue from the Ossuary, he had looked every bit the part of a man returning, piece by piece, from death into life. Viago had marked his improvement as he would mark the progress of any antidote. Each time Sol’s people visited Treviso, they had returned Lucanis a little stronger. More wholeness to his body, more colour to his skin. The shadows under his eyes had never vanished but they had softened, and Viago had seen him smile more easily at Teia’s teasing or Sol’s jokes than he had thought the heir to House Dellamorte would ever be capable.

Today it was all undone. After nearly a week of silence from the Crossroads, no way to know what at Tearstone had gone awry, Lucanis had come through the eluvian as unkempt and ragged as the near-corpse that Sol had first pulled from the sea.

Viago’s first thought had been that the man was ill, even blighted. Then he had asked for a quiet word in a private room in the same broken tone that others have asked Viago for a final poisoned cup. As he explained what had happened on the island, words had often failed him, sentences withering into choked silence, leaving Volkarin to conclude them. He flinched and startled at nothing as Volkarin spoke, turning to face interruptions only he could hear. Now he hides his face.

Volkarin casts him a worried look and once again attempts to intervene. ‘Please understand, we are pursuing every avenue. I am not without hope.’

Viago had considered the necromancer a tolerable acquaintance, with indisputable knowledge and the ability to hold a worthwhile conversation on Blessed Age sculpture. The standards Viago has come to expect from friends of Sol’s are not high; Volkarin exceeds them all. Still: his intrusion in this room now is as unbearable as an intrusion under the skin. He is an interloper here among their business. He cannot understand what is at stake, or he would not be sat there on Teia’s velvet in his ridiculous coat, posture perfect and prim.

Teia puts a hand on Viago’s arm, probably because his lack of answer is uncivil. He can’t decide whether reproach or sympathy would be worse to see in her eyes, so he doesn’t look at her.

To Volkarin, she replies pleasantly, ‘That’s good to hear.’

‘Incidentally,’ says Volkarin, encouraged, ‘may I ask after Rook’s surviving blood relations?’

Viago nearly chokes on more disbelief than fury. As soon as he can get out the words, he snaps, ‘Already planning the funeral, Watcher?’ His tone is not under his own control, but Teia’s fingers tightening on his arm give him an idea what he sounds like.

‘Oh!’ says Volkarin, surprised. ‘Oh, no, dear me. It could not be further from my thoughts, I assure you. I was considering… avenues.’

He glances sidelong at Lucanis. Lucanis does not look up.

‘My colleagues and I,’ he continues, ‘have been pursuing what it would take to locate Rook within the Fade. It seems the natural first step. And if you’ll forgive the notion, it may be a matter of, ah, blood. Blood matching theirs would be ideal, truly. If anything could speed our progress…’

Teia leans forward into Viago’s field of vision. Her face is perfectly calm, taking as well as ever to the role of mediator, but forcing him to wonder what she’s thinking. She and Sol are friendly, but not close. Teia arrived in his life just as they were beginning to spiral out of it. ‘Please, speak freely,’ she says to Volkarin. ‘You’ll find the Crows very open-minded.’

The line of Lucanis’ shoulders tenses like he disagrees, but at least he stops hiding, if only to turn and speak to Volkarin. ‘Rook was not born into the Crows as I was,’ he says. ‘Their family exchanged them for safe passage into Antiva. Refugees, from the Fifth Blight. They will be long out of reach.’

The words are a cold sting of unwelcome surprise. Sol has trusted this man even with that.

‘Ah,’ says Volkarin, sounding disappointed and a little saddened, as though he knows what family is to Sol, or what ranks first among the hardships they have faced. ‘Well. No matter, merely a thought. There are other approaches.’

‘You have tried them,’ says Lucanis. ‘Tried them, and failed.’

It sounds very final.

For the first time, Volkarin’s professional veneer slips, and he is the one to look tired. How many attempts has he made? How desperate did they become before turning to Treviso? ‘My dear man,’ he says. ‘Please don’t give up hope. There is so much we don’t know.’

‘Which is why we are failing. Why we cannot get them back. Isn’t it?’

Volkarin has no answer. His mouth thins into a grim line.

Lucanis drags his fingers through his hair, the style more of a mess than ever. His hand trembles like an addict’s. It’s impossible to tell what state his demon is in. Sol’s quiet updates had petered into silence, which Viago had taken to mean the thing was dormant. Is it what’s dragging him into this stubborn despair?

‘Rook is—’ Lucanis permits himself to choke on the words where Viago had not. ‘Rook is gone. Rook has been gone for days. And all the while, everything they have fought for, everything we lost them and Harding and Bellara for… We have sat and watched as it slipped between our fingers. Solas is free. The Venatori triumph. Elgar’nan has taken the heart of the Imperium while we hide and pretend there is hope. That is why I am here.’

‘You want us to fight,’ surmises Teia.

Lucanis spreads his empty hands, gesturing helplessness. ‘I have no magic. I cannot waste time playing at rituals and guesswork; I cannot even try. I only have the Crows. The least I can do—all that I can do—’

Save the world, even if Sol is no longer in it. Give them up for dead, and finish their work.

‘House de Riva refuses,’ says Viago.

Lucanis stares at him.

Teia’s fingers tighten once again on his arm. He doesn’t have to look at her to know that this time, it is a wordless warning. This is the First Talon, she reminds him. You are speaking to the First Talon’s face.

Viago cannot bring himself to care. He ought to think this through, to weigh the pros and cons, but in his head there is only one cold answer. ‘Your contract,’ he says, ‘is with Sol. Your business is with Sol. If you want my knives in Minrathous, you will find Sol and bring them here to tell me so. Until then, whistle for another dog. Our house is not at your beck and call.’

Lucanis shakes his head like he cannot believe it. Viago has feared and respected the man by turns. Recently he has even had occasion to like him. Now he would pity him if he were not so disgusted.

Viago is not being sentimental. He does not work from wishes. When he slips poison into a drink, he doesn’t hope it will stop a heart; he knows it will. Evidence and experiment has already proved the unassailable truth. He does not hope that wherever Sol is, they are alive, and fighting to win. He knows it. He has been the one to send them into impossible odds, time and time again. They always come back with laughter still in their throat. They always think of something.

If Lucanis lacks faith, he does not know Sol at all, and he certainly does not deserve them.

The man turns to Teia next, with nothing more than pleading eyes. That is his trouble, Viago thinks. Lucanis is not his grandmother; he is not even his cousin. He does not terrify or flatter or cajole. He is First Talon, and he still looks to them for help, as if they are his friends.

Admittedly, it is an approach that may work on Teia. Even her immaculate mask has fallen away; the slightest of furrows has formed between her brows, and her nails tap, distracted and discordant, on the table. She’s fond of Lucanis. Fonder still of Caterina, the spectre looming behind him. To dismiss Lucanis at his first command will be costly in every imaginable way. He would not ask her to do it.

‘Ay,’ she mutters. ‘What a mess.’

‘Teia, please,’ says Lucanis.

She grimaces. ‘House Cantori,’ she says, both sorry and unflinching, ‘stands with House de Riva, in this matter.’

The conversation is over very quickly after that.

The First Talon says little more. He recoils into himself like a wounded thing into its den, dead-eyed and quiet. Volkarin fills the silence. They are planning another attempt later today, he says. They are consulting Dalish allies for whom crossing the Veil is a regular professional hazard. They are reaching out to Kal-Sharok about pure lyrium. He is not without hope.

Viago waits until Lucanis is gone—a shadow crossing the rooftops, headed to the Dellamortes’ lair—and stops Volkarin before he can go for the eluvian. The necromancer looks at him, curious, politely bemused.

This is a terrible idea. ‘Rook was exposed to countless toxins, for immunisation,’ he says. ‘All through their training. I cannot get you their family, but I can get you blood that runs with all the same poison. Exactly the same. Would that be useful?’

Volkarin tilts his head thoughtfully, as if to look at the idea at a better angle. Viago is almost certain he is not just humouring him. ‘A fascinating proposition,’ he says. ‘It is rather pushing the bounds of the theory, but on occasion, the Fade quite takes to such bending of the rules… How many Crows would have been treated with precisely the same combination?’

Treated is a kind word. There is no place in it for coaxing Sol, a child then, to drink even when they were sobbing. There is no place in it for the long nights when he thought they might die before dawn. What Viago did to them was not medicine. It was necessary. Before he was Talon, he was a threat to a Talon, liable at any moment to be struck down. Sol had thrown their lot in with him from the start, and he had safeguarded them both by all the methods he knew.

He smiles, humourless, and admits, ‘Only one.’

‘Only—? Ah.’ It passes over Volkarin’s face clearly: the realisation, then the understanding, then the concern. ‘It shouldn’t be a life-threatening exchange, merely to locate them. It would, however, be arduous.’

‘We Crows tend towards arduous pursuits.’

Volkarin shakes his head, though it’s thoughtful, not a refusal. ‘I would commend you for it,’ he says. ‘I would ask you to come with us to the Lighthouse, to begin as soon as possible.’ His mouth twists with rueful humour. ‘And I would request that you explain the matter of my spilling your blood to our friend, upon their return.’

He agrees to those terms.

Whether it is optimism or pessimism, Viago decides that Sol’s mages at the Lighthouse will spend enough time mired in indecision about method for him to get some work done while he waits. He returns to the private booth to gather the most urgent papers. A few contract reports, too. They’re predictable—failures don’t come back to make reports—but he could stand to see some good news.

Teia’s still in the room. She’s sprawled inelegantly along the seating, one leg drawn up, a hand over her eyes as if to shade them from the dim, sultry casino lights. She lifts the hand a little to look at what he’s doing, then sits up, brows raised, and says, ‘Going somewhere?’

He explains about the blood.

When he’s finished, she reaches for his splayed collar and pulls him down to bring his lips to hers. He has to bend nearly double. After the kiss ends, she does not let him go. She presses her forehead to his and they breathe together.

‘I wish I could at least go with you, Vi,’ she says, sounding miserable.

A year ago, faced with such earnestness from her, he would not have had the heart to believe it. Five years ago, he would have been too busy flushing and stammering just to have her beneath him like this. Her tight-fitting combat leathers would have driven him to distraction. Now they only fail to hide how thin she’s become, and remind him how long it’s been since her last chance to drop the armour. He still remembers the delight on her face when she showed off new dresses, a transformation every day, each more unbelievable than the last. Will that come back, when these days are over? He wants to see her wear colours again.

Uselessly, he says, ‘Someone has to hold the fort.’

‘I know,’ she grumbles. With a sigh, she lets him go.

He stands straight, feeling bereft.

‘Gods in Minrathous,’ she mutters. The idea of the gods never sits easy with Teia. She says she has settled it in her mind, and then picks at it, like a scab. ‘Well, it would have been a sight to see.’

‘We’ll see it,’ he tells her. ‘Keep both our houses ready to move.’

Teia smiles. ‘Of course. We’ll go to war once our Sol is safe and sound, and you’ve finished shouting at them for all this trouble.’

Viago smiles back, just a little. He’s sure.

He has to be.

[just-a-sketchbook]

First Quilt!

It has been a lot of fun and a lot of trial and error but it's done!!!

It's roughly 1.20 x 1.20m (which is a number of feet I can't be bothered to look up but let's say it's about child sized and it'll be great to chill on the couch).

I want to thank @langdon813 who I've never talked to (sorry if you hate being tagged) but whose gorgeous Drunkard path quilts made me wanna do it too :)

I had never done any quilting before (but I did sew), so here's what I've learned, if any beginner is interested in jumping off the deep end the way I did and wants advice from someone who has freshly acquired experience but will also not use any confusing technical terms (with pictures!) :

Fabric picking : so most advice I read was to go for pre-selected bundles of fabric that already go together, but I'm contrary and like to do my own thing so I used wax fabric (the blue ones on top the pile) I had laying around, which I strongly recommend: it's very easy to cut due to it being waxed, and I added a few fat squares from the shop, plus I also had the orange and blue floral and I based the coulour scheme on it. One thing that's true is it would have been easier to work with fabric of the same thickness, and the floral was givne to me by my ma who got in on trip to Thailand and it was alot thinner than the rest which didn't help.

Cutting: I got a rotary cutter for the occasion and it's great! Do not maybe push too hard on it and give yourself nerve damage the way I did (temporary but still), it's actually ery sharp and easy to use, so long as your template doesn't slip you're fine

Piecing :Yes you can do curved piecing even if you have zero experience, you just gotta make a template and

pin it a lot.

1/4 inch margins is the standard so I rolled with it because I don't like converting, but when you're strictly metric it is kind of annoying but doable because my machine does have a 1/4 inch mark and if you stick a length of tape along it it's pretty easy to follow, even for curved piecing.

Layout: At some point you've got to decide the layout is done, because I've re-arranged the blocks at least 6 times and it's a very good way to go insane. (For rough reference, my plan was to have no repeat fabrics in any of the circle-in-a-square blocks, and I only made one mistake which I clocked too late to change)

Chain piecing!! Meaning you pile your blocks together in a specific order (that I personnaly wrote straight up on each piece with a very sophisticated letter/numbers down/across system) and then just sew them together in a line without having to cut the thread between each pair. Looks a little like a fanion banner and at some point it feels like you'll be forever tangled into it but then it's magic :) It's not that hard actually and will save you a lot of time + there's a lot of online tutorials you can use.

Basting! (which it took me while to understand is the part where you attach the backing, the fluff and the quilt top together) : you need more safety pins. Safety pins will save you from the wrinkles and the unfortunate oopsies of realising you've caught your backing double folded into your quilting stitch, which I did a good three times and was not fun to undo. Also, I forgot to tape the backing to the floor and it probably would have helped with the wrinkling...

Backing : I used an old linen table cloth I got for 10€ at a charity shop, and I've still got about 2/3 of it left, so I recommend that, it's sturdy but soft enough, doesn't thread easily and can be washed at very high temps, if that's a thing you do.

Quilting! Well, my machine came with a quilting foot for free motion quilting (which means you're the one moving the fabric along in whichever direction and you can sort of draw with your stitches) and it seemed fun so I did that, and here's what I learned : curves are hard but doable, also my machine doesn't like to go back (kept skipping sitiches for some reason) so it involves a lot of shifting the quilt around, which isn't easy considering the bulk. And also, drawing the quilting pattern you want so you can follow it while quilting actually does help, I used an iron/heat-erasable pen and it worked just fine. Check your stitch tension, mine was too loose and I realised too late so there's spots where I could pull on the thread and it looped, had to stitch back over that.

Quilitng pattern : I wasn't sure what to do, supposedly your batting (aka: the fluff) comes with instructions on how tight you should quilt to avoid it coming apart through use but I got mine cut at the fabric shop and forgot to ask so I just rolled with a rough 10cm maximum distance in between stitching lines but tried to do less in most places. According to many blogs : the tighter your lines the stiffer your quilt, so I kept it loose for comfort. (Picture is halfway done, I added a smaller square/circle inside each square/circle and if you look at it you'll see it's actually diagonal lines form one end of the fabric to the other.)

Binding is boring, and there's nothing to it. I got a length of pre-cut bias binding, machine-sewed it front to front to the quilt top side of the quilt and the folded it back and secured it by hand to the back with a ladder stitch. Took me roughly and entire rewatch of the Last Of Us. There's a trick to doing the corners that's fairly simple but I've lost the tutorial...

Overall : I got myself a quilting book with techinques and such and it helped, but there's a ton of stuff online, and once you get over the very Christian American mum vibe of most of the blogs, it's all very helpful (and gorgeous!) (no offense meant to Christian American mums, it's just a bit of a culture shock from where I'm standing).

[streamafterlaughter]

Soundtrack to Disaster

Chapter XXIII: Bitter Tears and Broken Hearts

masterlist | playlist | prev. | pin | read on ao3 | read bee's diary

songs for this chapter: supercut by lorde, my oldest friend by have mercy, teenagers by hayley williams

chapter tags: dialogue heavy lore drop, you’re welcome!, angst, hurt/comfort (kinda?), mutual pining | fic tags: Angst, hurt/(eventual) comfort, (eventual) smut, slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers, Eddie Munson x Fem!OC!Reader, Modern AU | REMINDER: THIS FIC IS RATED EXPLICIT. 18+ mdni.

a/n: i know it’s cruel to drop a flashback chapter after the events of the previous one… and yet im doing it anyway! ty wife for beta reading these last two chapters i love u

taglist @children-of-the-grave @five-bi-five @kellsck @faggotinie @xplrnowornever @taccobelle @micheledawn1975 @mewchiili @dreamerjj @losingmygrasponreality @munsonburn3r @justalotoffanfiction @bl0ssomanddie @eddiesgirl1944 @longlivedelusion @aliensfeltmyjoy @kissmyacdc

DISCLAIMER: I do not consent to having my work fed to AI engines, or reposted in any way, shape, or form on other websites. Unless otherwise stated, my tumblr and ao3 are the only account that feature and contain this work, and any replication was done without my consent. Please let me know if you see my work elsewhere Reblog to support the author!

—

May, Six Years Ago (four months before the arrest)

Bee:

“Tweety!” Eddie calls you from the end of the hallway, and you wave letting him know you’ve heard him. You take your English notebook from your locker, tossing it into your stuffed backpack. It’s the Friday before finals, the last of your high school career. Unfortunately, you don’t have that same hope for Eddie, who hasn’t once shown the motivation to even try at all in his classes this year.

“Hey,” He leans against the lockers next to yours. Much to your dismay, he’s not even carrying a textbook, let alone his backpack. “You ready?” It’s the end of the day, technically, but the bell has yet to ring signaling the official end of the day. 

“Yeah. Where’s your stuff?” 

“Ah, probably left it in Hellfire. Dustin can grab it for me.” Like it’s nothing. “You got plans tonight?”

“I’m hitting the library later with Robin, our English final is Monday.” You hoist your backpack onto your shoulder and follow Eddie out to his van. “You could come with us. I know for a fact you haven’t even looked at the book since it was assigned a month ago.” 

“Aw, Tweety. It’s like you know me or somethin’.” Eddie jests, nudging your shoulder with his. “I already got stuff planned, though. Chris and I are gonna hit up the shop, see what we can see. You should come.” 

“I have no desire to follow you both down the road of misdemeanors, believe it or not. Have fun, though. Don’t let Chris get you in more trouble than he’s worth.” You tug on the passenger door of his van while Eddie loops around to the driver’s side. 

“Not sure I can make any promises.” Eddie throws the car into drive, and peels out of the Hawkins High student lot.

—

Eddie:

He watches as you hop out of his van, and up the walkway to her house. Once you’re safely inside, he skirts off the curb, tires screeching as he makes his way to the body shop. 

“Ed!” Chris approaches him, wiping the motor oil from his hands with a goofy grin slapped on his face. “You’re never gonna believe what came in, man.” He motions Eddie into the shop, presenting him with the most beautiful machine ever to grace his presence. 

“No fuckin’ way.” He has to resist the urge to slide his hands across the hood. “Whose beauty is this?”

“That’s the best part. It’s Carver’s.”

Though Chris’s eyes are gleaming with a mad sort of eagerness, Eddie feels his heart skip. “Oh, dude, I don’t think I can go in on that with you.”

“C’mon, Ed. It is a ‘64 cherry red convertible. How’re you gonna pass this up?” 

“It’s the chief of police’s car, Chris.” 

“That’s just a bonus.”

Eddie pinches the bridge of his nose. “Let me sit on it, man. I gotta go, though. You comin’?”

“Yeah, gotta clock out. What’s the rush?”

“Got invited to a study date, it’s rude to show up late.” He wrings his hands, fidgeting with the metal on his fingers. 

“A date, huh? Who’s the lucky lady? Or man, I don’t judge.”

“I’m not answering that.”

“So I know them, then. Guess I’m comin’ with ya.”

“Chris. Please, just. Let me have this.”

“Lemme think…. Nope!” He tosses the oil stained rag onto the workbench and grabs his duffel. “Cmon, Munson, you’ve got studying to do.”

–

Bee:

You and Robin have been studying the symbolism of every single book you’d read in class this year for three hours.

“I’m tired of this, Robin!” You groan, head in your notebook.

“Well, that’s too damn bad!” Robin slaps your arm with her deck of flashcards. “Now, why is it important to note the lack of authority in Lord of the Flies?”

Before you can muster up the strength to answer, there’s a cacophony of laughter bursting in through the door, followed by a fed up Mrs. Beasly shushing them to no avail.

“There she is!” Eddie and Chris stroll through the tables full of miserable high school seniors, over to where you and Robin sit in the corner, surrounded by books, note paper, and highlighters of every color. 

“Shh!” You and Robin both spit at the boys as they drag empty seats out from the table, Eddie flopping down next to you while Chris sits across from Robin. 

“Sorry!” Eddie whispers, holding his hands up in surrender. “Figured you’d been here long enough, we came to rescue you.”

“We’ll have you know, dingus, that neither Bee nor I need rescuing from you.” Robin bites, flipping a notebook page so hard it rips. “Shit.”

“Of course, you don’t need it, but we figure you might want it anyway.” Chris refutes, snatching her notebook out of her reach.

“Come on, some of us actually care about graduating!” 

“Ouch, Rob.” Eddie clutches his chest in mock offense. “Didn’t know you were so elitist about grades.”

“She’s not elitist, she’s just a nerd.” Chris teases, and Robin’s face goes red with frustration.

“Can you both just leave? Please?” You shove Eddie away from you for emphasis. “We’ll be out in an hour. Just give us that, okay?”

“Ugh, fine! But we’ll be coming for you in exactly sixty minutes. Be ready.” Chris gets up, and looks to Eddie. “C’mon, man.”

“Right, one sec.” Eddie looks back to you. “You promise you’ll come out?”

You nod. “If you leave right now, I will come out with you tonight.”

He holds out his pinky, and you hook it with your own. Finally, he gets up, and follows Chris out of the library.

“Such a pain in the fuckin’ ass.” Robin mumbles, and you snicker.

—

Eddie:

Before he can think better of it, Eddie shoves Chris harder than necessary. “What the fuck, man?”

“What? That obviously wasn’t a date, that was my sister and her weird friend. I saved you from hours of unnecessary boredom! And, they’re gonna come out tonight.”

“Y’know, I am more than capable of making my own decisions about my own free time.”

“Clearly, that’s not true. Now, c’mon, we gotta go get the keg for tonight.”

“How are you gonna get the keg if you’re with me? I’m not twenty-one, remember?”

“Maybe not, but you’ve got two extra arms I could use. Stay in the car, I’ll get it. You’re just gonna have to help me put it in the trunk.” 

“Fuck you, dude. You’re gonna be the reason she never talks to me again one of these days.”

“Nah, I’m pretty sure you can fuck that up all on your own.”

–

Bee:

You wish, desperately, that you hadn’t agreed to come out. The party is out at Lover’s Lake, and seems to be populated with every single delinquent in Hawkins. Unfortunately for you, this means your brother and Eddie are the center of attention. 

“Hey! You made it!” Chris approaches, red solo cup in hand with Eddie in tow. “You guys wanna drink?”

“Absolutely!” Robin snatches the empty cup from Chris. Before he can argue, he’s being pulled in another direction by one of his cronies, leaving you alone with Eddie.

“How’d you get stuck as the designated driver?” He matches your stride, falling into step as you follow Robin to the keg. 

“Didn’t really feel like waking up with a hangover tomorrow.” You shrug, taking a sip from the water bottle you’d brought with you. Eddie rolls his eyes. “What?”

“It’s senior year, Tweet. You gotta live a little bit.” He takes a swig of his drink and belches. You wrinkle your nose at the display. 

“I can live all I want when I get out of this Hellhole. So can you, Ed. You’re not like my brother, you don’t have to be stuck here forever.” You hadn’t meant to sound so distraught, but the crack in your voice makes you wince. 

“Chris isn’t stuck, Bee. He’s here because he wants to be. There’s nothing wrong with that, either.”

 It’s unbelievable how naive he is. “Why are you defending him? My brother’s a loser, Ed. You know it, too. I don’t get why you like him so much.”

“Can we stop talking about this for a second, please?” Eddie has raised his walls up, not willing to talk about anything that matters. “Just, try to have some fun, okay? For once?”

“Fine.” You snatch his drink from him, and gulp the rest of the lukewarm beer down your throat. “Fun enough for ya?” And before he can respond, you’re stomping off, into the woods, alone, only to stop to refill the cup.

–

“Tweety?!” You hear him before you see him, footsteps getting louder as Eddie ultimately finds you at the picnic table, about a mile away from the party. You’ve downed your second drink, and the trees around you seem to wiggle in the settling sun. You giggle to yourself, shaking with them.

 “Christ, Bee. You’re lucky it’s just me, you could be killed out here alone.” Eddie hikes up the incline, and sits across from you at the splintering table, now a home for the spiders and ants more than a place to sit. “You okay?”

“I’m great!” You say, definitely not great, but excessively intoxicated. You’re not used to drinking, so clearly you haven’t discovered your tolerance. Apparently, it’s pretty low. 

“Right, and I’m definitely buying that. What’s wrong?” He sounds like he cares, but you and Eddie haven’t been close in a long time, so you’re not sure you can trust your judgment of him right now. 

“Well, I’m wasted.” You avert his gaze, talking to your hands. “So don’t expect me to be gentle with you.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other day, sweets.”

“My brother sucks. He sucks so badly. And I love him, seriously.” Words are falling out of your mouth before you can think. “His heart is so big and he is so kind, but he is such a reckless person, Ed.” Eddie only stares at you, unblinking while you ramble on. “He’s careless when it comes to his safety. He looks for trouble. I don’t want you going down that path.” You have to press your lips together between sentences to keep from bursting into tears. “I can’t watch you throw your life away.”

“I can take care of myself.” He defends, crossing his arms over his chest, brow furrowed. 

“I didn’t say you couldn’t. You know I’m right, Ed. If you feel like hanging out with my moronic brother is the right thing for you, then that’s your choice. But you can’t blame me when all of it finally catches up to you. You can’t expect me to throw my life away, too.”

“Is this because of the library? Look, I wanted to come alone, but–”

“No,” You interrupt, shaking your head. “This isn’t about anything you did. I just know my brother. I know he loves you more than me, and it hurts like hell but I can’t do anything about it.” You’re not even sure you’re making sense, and Eddie isn’t giving you anything to work with. “I know he took my best friend from me, and he doesn’t see any issues with that. So now I’m here in the middle of the woods too drunk to tell that best friend that I am terrified of losing him.” Your voice cracks, and your resolve breaks. You catch your head in your hands as the tears begin to fall.

“Oh, Bee,” Eddie stands from his seat across from you, rushing to your side and wrapping his arms around you. “I’m not goin’ anywhere. You are still my best friend. The most important person in my whole entire universe, okay?” He kisses the crown of your head and pulls you closer, rubbing soothing circles as you cry into his chest while the crickets chirp in the trees.

–

Eddie:

“Go to prom with me.” It’s Monday, and you’ve just finished your first final of the week. You close your locker to see Eddie standing on the other side of it, a small bouquet of white daisies clutched in his shaking hand. He’s wearing a button down black shirt, and his hair is far tamer than usual. “Will ya?”

“What the hell are you doing?” You lean against the lockers, arms crossed with distrust. “Weren’t you the one that said prom was a scam? Built by ‘the man’ to trick kids into thinking we’re destined to have a perfect, fairytale night?”

Eddie only shrugs. “Maybe I am not immune to propaganda.”

“Why are you asking me? After all that shit I said on Friday, I figured I wouldn’t hear from you until you needed me to bail you out of jail.” It’s a mean joke, but you’re too upset to take it back. 

“You wound me.” Eddie pouts, offering the flowers to you. “But if there’s anyone I’d want to spend a miserable night making fun of everyone’s attire and the choice of music with, it’s you.” He gives you a half smile that never fails to make your stomach flutter. 

“Fine. I will go to prom with you. On one condition.”

“Anything you want.” His smile widens.

“You have to participate. No moping, no pranks, no bullshit. You have to lean into the fairytale. Just for one night.”

He groans dramatically, but ultimately decides against arguing with you. “Okay, fine. Deal.” Once again, he offers out his pinky, and you take it with yours. 

“Deal.”

–

Bee:

You’re staring at yourself in the mirror like it’s your job. You’ve been dressed for two hours, with your hair and makeup done as you pace around your bedroom, riddled with anxiety. 

“Can’t believe you convinced Munson to take you to prom.” Chris sits on your bed next to Robin, arms crossed as he watches you pace. “You must’ve hexed him or something.”

“Eddie used to like fun, believe it or not.” Robin spits, getting up to stop you from creating a literal rut in your floor. If anyone’s more sick of Chris than you, it’s Rob.

“He likes fun! Just, a different kind of fun.” Chris chuckles, swinging his legs up onto your bed in Robin’s spot. “You might like it, Bee. You too, Rob.” You roll your eyes, ignoring your brother’s instigation when the doorbell rings. 

“I’ll get it!” Robin scurries out of the room, leaving you alone with your brother. 

“You need to leave Eddie the fuck alone.” You look at Chris behind you in the mirror, and his eyes widen. “You’re gonna get him in fucking trouble, more than you already have.” You adjust the strap of your dress for the seventh time.  

“He’s a man, Bee. He can make his own decisions.” 

“And he’ll keep choosing you.” You turn abruptly to face him, to look him in the eye as you release your anger. “Because he looks up to you, for some reason completely unbeknownst to me. You’ve got him by the balls, and I need you to give my my fucking friend back.” You put as much venom behind your words as you can muster without ruining your lipstick. 

“I have absolutely no control over Eddie. He just likes me more than you. That’s why he hasn’t fuckin’ shown up yet.” You glance at your phone, and the time reads 7:45. He’s late, and you haven’t gotten a single text from him. 

“He’ll be here.” You mumble. “You, however, can get the fuck out.”

“Right, sure.” With that, Chris exits your room, and slams the door to his own. Robin returns with Steve, decked out in a slick black tux, next to her. 

“Sorry, I know I’m not the one you were hoping for.” Steve says sheepishly, but you wave it off. 

“No, but it’s just as nice to see you, Stevie.” You wrap your arms around him, and he hugs you close. “You look really good.”

“And you both look stunning. Can’t believe I’m taking the coolest girls to prom!” 

“Hey, you’re taking me. Bee has her own date.”

“Right, I forgot. Where is Prince Charming, by the way?”

You shake your head. “Pretty sure he stood me up.”

“No he fuckin’ didn’t.” Steve frowns at you. “He’d be the biggest imbecile in the world.”

You shrug. “Stranger things have happened.”

—

Eddie:

He’s been staring at himself in the mirror for the last hour. His navy blue suit is too small, jacket tight around his arms, cuffs not reaching his wrists. He feels stupid, and he’s certain he’ll look just as such standing next to you in a pretty dress. Everything feels wrong, he’s sweating, and he can’t convince himself to leave the house. The corsage he’d bought for you taunts him from his desk top.

He’d also gotten the news today that he wouldn’t be graduating this year. He failed three of his six finals, and had to repeat his senior year. Needless to say, he was not in the mood to party.

“Ed?” Wayne calls from the kitchen. “You almost ready? It’s impolite to keep your date waiting!”

“Wayne, I don’t think I can go.” Eddie mumbles, but Wayne still hears it because his footsteps are already approaching.

“What the hell do you mean?” He stands there, arms crossed in the doorway to Eddie’s room. “You said you had a date and everything!”

“Maybe I lied.”

“Why would you lie?”

“To not seem like such a goddamn loser! This suit is not helping with that, though.” He stretches his arms out in front of him, causing the sleeves to ride up higher on his arms. “I’ll just disappoint her anyway.”

“Then that’s her loss, son. Whoever this girl is, she’d be lucky to go to prom with you.” 

“I don’t think you’d be saying that if you knew who I’m supposed to be taking. Which is why I will not be sharing that information.”

Wayne frowns. “Are you sure you don’t wanna go?”

Eddie sighs, flopping down on his bed. “I can’t. She’s gonna be so mad at me, but I can’t do it.”

“You’re gonna have to make it up to her, then.” Wayne motions for Eddie to get up, and he does. Wrapping his arms around his nephew, he says, “I’m sure she’ll understand, but you should call her.”

—

Bee:

“Bee, please!” The knocking has become insistent. “I’m so sorry, please let me explain!” You’d gone to prom alone. Well, with Rob and Steve. You’d been lucky enough to have fun, despite the ache in your heart every single time a slower song would play. You’d had no one to laugh at the jocks with, no one to pretend to be miserable with. No slow dance partner. Eddie has now been standing outside your house for three hours, wearing a suit a size too small, wilted flowers in his fist. 

“Go away!” You shout from your bedroom window. You’re still in pajamas, the makeup from last night smeared on your cheeks from crying yourself to sleep. “You promised me, Eddie! I have nothing to fucking say to you.” 

“I’ll stand out here ’til you run away to school, baby. You can’t get rid of me.”

“I will literally call the fuckin’ cops.” You practically spit out your window. “Go home.” 

“Call ‘em! I’m not goin’ anywhere until you talk to me!”

You groan, slamming your window closed before rolling back into bed, face shoved in your pillow.

—

Eddie:

He’s about to give up when your front door opens. It’s not you he’s met with though, just your brother with a sour look on his face.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Trying to apologize to your sister.” Eddie fiddles with his hands. “How mad is she?”

“She’s pretty pissed, man. Probably for the better, though. Not like you’d wanna be there anyway.”

Eddie sighs, climbing into the van and slamming his door. “That’s the thing, Chris. I did want to be there. With her. And I fucked it all up.” He cranks the radio down as he speaks, the sappy love ballad fading into background noise. 

“She’ll forgive you, man. You guys are best friends, there’s no way she’d hold that grudge.”

Eddie shrugs sadly. “I don’t think I can take your word for it.”

Chris walks around the van, hopping into the passenger seat before Eddie can object. “Okay, so don’t. Let’s go blow off some of this steam. But first, maybe change you out of this ridiculous attire?”

Despite himself, Eddie chuckles, throwing his van into drive and peeling out of your driveway, taking one last look at your closed bedroom window. 

–

It’s been a week, and Eddie hasn’t made another move to contact you. He’s stared at his messages between you, wondering what he could even say to fix all of this. 

He types and deletes:

> can we talk?

“Ed?” Robin approaches him in the hallway on the last day of school. “Good to know you’re alive. You doin’ alright?” Her kindness is unexpected.

“No, not really. I have to repeat my senior year.” He hands her the slip with the news on it, after finding it in the back of his notebook. 

“Shit, Eddie. That blows, I’m so sorry.” She takes the sheet from him to skim it. “They couldn’t even offer you summer classes?”

He shakes his head. “Apparently they are ‘not confident a retest would make a difference.’” He snatches the paper back, crumpling it before tossing it into his mess of a locker. “On the bright side, though, I have no reason to clean this out.” He slams the locker door before turning back to Robin. “Don’t tell Bee, okay?”

“She’s gonna find out when you’re not walking at graduation. Or Chris will be the one to tell her, and I don’t see how that’s a better option.” 

“I’ll tell her, I just need some time. She hasn’t even looked at me since prom.”

Robin stops walking.“What happened there, by the way? She was really excited to go with you.”

He sighs, staring at his shoes. “I’m a coward. I freaked out, and I couldn’t bring myself to even explain it to her. It’s probably for the best, though. She deserves way more than I can give her.”

“Are you in love with her?”

The question startles him. “What?”

“Are you in love with Bee, Eddie?”

“I– where did that come from?”

“Well, you asked her to prom for one thing.”

“As a friend!” 

“Right, totally. You two are the most platonic people I’ve ever met. That was proven by the way she acted when you stood her up.”

“How did she… what do you mean?”

She sighs. “You can’t tell her I told you, but she was distraught. She hid it really well, but I could tell she missed you. Every time there was a slow song, and especially when they announced the court. It broke my heart to watch her mope.” 

“She’s never gonna forgive me, is she?”

She shrugs. “You won’t know until you try.” 

Eddie shakes his head, confused. “Why would she?”

“Because, dingus, she loves you. You’re her best friend. As much as I’ve been fighting for the title these last four years, you’ve earned it, until recently. She feels like she’s losing you. I shouldn’t be telling you any of this, but I’m getting tired of you two tiptoeing around each other.”

It stops him, cold. He’s been distant, he knows that. Mostly because he’d been trying to suffocate the less-than-platonic feelings he’d developed for you since high school started, but also because of your own brother. He’d been swept up in Chris’s chaos, leaving no room for the relief, the calm, you’d brought to him. His eyes stung, the more he thought about it. “Now go fix it, dummy!” Robin shoves him playfully, but still hard enough to make him stumble. “You gotta go tell her something. Clean up this mess you’ve made, yeah?”

Eddie nods, backing away from her, down the hall. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Tell her to call me when she gets home!”

Eddie scoffs before turning heel and jogging down the hall, off to find you.

–

Bee:

“Can we talk?” Eddie’s voice makes you jump. 

“I have nothing to say to you, Eddie.” You’re about to leave Hawkins High for the last time, but you don’t have that sense of excitement you thought you would. You feel empty, and a little lonely.

“Okay, fine. I’ll talk, I just need you to listen to me.” If not for the break in his voice, maybe you could have resisted his begging. “Just let me explain.”

“Fine.” You turn to face him, immediately wishing you hadn’t. His eyes are wet and puffy, like he’d spent the last day of school hiding in the janitor’s closet crying. He leads you to his van, parked in the back of the senior lot, away from everyone else. He opens the back doors, making room for you to sit next to him amongst the old blankets in his trunk. 

“First, I wanna apologize. I am so goddamn sorry about prom, I know nothing I say will be enough of a reason to earn your forgiveness.” You don’t say anything, just twiddle your thumbs in your lap, waiting for him to continue. “I got told that day that I failed senior year. I’m being held back.”

That makes you look at him, your heart sinking. “What?”

“Yeah. Looks like I really am gonna get stuck in Hawkins.”

You shake your head. “No, you won’t. You’ll be okay, Eddie.”

“Not without you, I won’t be. You’re goin’ to New York, right? So I’ve got, like, three months left before you forget about my existence?” He sounds so broken when he speaks, each word a stab to your heart. “And I guess maybe that’s another reason, subconsciously, that I bailed. That was supposed to be our last night as Hawkins High students and instead it was a reminder that I’m getting left behind.”

You twist your body towards him. “Just because I’m leaving the state doesn’t mean I’m leaving you. You are always gonna be a part of my life.”

“Even after I stood you up?” He looks at you with big, hopeful eyes. “Because I’d understand if that was a deal breaker.”

You shake your head. “It’ll take a lot more than standing me up to get rid of me. I just wish you’d called or something.”

“I know. I’m so sorry, I should have.”

You scoot closer to him, wrapping your arms around his midsection, causing him to stiffen slightly before relaxing into your touch. “You are my best friend, regardless. You’re gonna be okay. I’ll be home during the holidays, and I’ll call you to help you study. You can come out to visit me on weekends, if you want. Tons of pretty college girls and boys to make you swoon.”

Eddie chuckles sadly, wrapping his arms around you. “I love you, Bee.”

“I love you too, Ed. Let’s go home.”

—

Eddie: 

He’d meant it. In every sense of the term, he loves you. He’s not sure you’ll interpret it that way, but for now saying it feels like enough. You’re sitting next to him on the couch of his trailer, shoulder to shoulder as the TV flashes with some movie on cable. The window AC unit hums to little avail, the trailer still stuffy from the heat outside. 

He’s focused on your profile, the way your smile twitches when something funny happens on screen. You toss popcorn into your mouth absentmindedly, eyes glued to the television.

“What are you staring at, Munson?” You aren’t even looking at him. “I can feel you staring.”

“What? No I’m not!” He slaps his hands over his eyes. “Can’t see a thing!”

Your giggling makes his heart slam against his ribs. “You’re such an idiot.”

“But I’m your idiot, right?”

“Obviously. My own personal, limited edition idiot.”

“One of one sold.” He moves his hands to find you looking at him now, eyes big and sparkly, he could drop dead if he looks too long. “Extremely rare.”

You blush bright red, and Eddie’s sure his own cheeks match. The next words you say are barely audible, but he’ll never forget them. “Guess I just got super lucky.” Before he can react, you plant a kiss on his cheek, and turn back to the movie like nothing happened.

Meanwhile, the feeling of your lips on his skin will be seared into his memory for the foreseeable future. 

[gallifreyanhotfive]

Random Doctor Who Facts You Might Not Know, Part 72: More Academy and Pre-Leaving Gallifrey Stuff Because Why Not

Sorry I'm in too my pain to come up with a better title right now lmaooo. Mostly about the Doctor because they occupy the mind.

As a small child, Theta Sigma had an imaginary friend named Binker. (Audio: The Abandoned)

Later, the Sixth Doctor claimed that while most people had imaginary friends, he had had an imaginary enemy in Mandrake the Lizard King, which was really a dead lizard pinned to old engine parts that he would battle with his deadly stick. This phrasing suggests that the Sixth Doctor does not acknowledge any imaginary friends his childhood self might have had. (Audio: The Widow's Assassin)

The Rani claimed that sentimentality was the reason the Doctor graduated with "just a Double Gamma." (Audio: The Rani Elite)

According to Sardon, the Doctor is no common criminal because by the latter years of his first incarnation was a distinguished member of the High Council and was widely regarded as a potential President. He was difficult and rebellious, however, and went too far when he quarreled with his colleagues over something obscure over principle. He then stole an old Type 40 TARDIS and fled. (Novel: World Game)

The Seventh Doctor claimed that he had always believed evil to be a genuine force. This had given his young self quite a name on Gallifrey as most of his contemporaries considered the ideas of "good" and "evil" to be archaic and out-dated. They thought his preoccupation with that morality was incomprehensible. (Novel: Strange England)

Before leaving Gallifrey, the Doctor had successfully campaigned for the ban of a special chemical. This chemical was a weapon sometimes called a disruptor agent that acts as a catalyst to convert vertebrate blood into acid. The formula for the chemical stuck in his brain well enough that the Second Doctor was able to later recreate it. (Short story: The Ages of Ambition)

The Doctor had made powerful enemies on Gallifrey on account of his controversial views on the non-interference policy. (Audio: The Beginning)

The Doctor was told stories about the Kin when he was a small boy on Gallifrey. The Time Lords imprisoned the Kin in a complex of small rooms out of temporal phase with the rest of the universe. So long as the Time Lords existed, the Kin would be in their prison. When the Kin got out, there was still a Time Lord left in the universe - the Eleventh Doctor. (Short story: Nothing O'Clock)

In his youth, the Doctor feared that Grandfather Paradox was hiding under his bed or underneath the table in the refectory or making noises he could hear outside at night. (Novel: The Gallifrey Chronicles)

As a young man, the Doctor read about an infection on Gallifrey that had happened over one thousand years before his birth. The Spore - which was actually the von Neumann seeding probe - killed several hundred thousand Time Lords before it was dealt with. The Time Lords engineered an inherited immunity into their genes, so they would never be vulnerable again. Everything organic seemed to be necrotic and decaying to a black gunk. (Please skip to next bullet point if you are squeamish about descriptions of bodies.) When the Eighth Doctor investigated an outbreak, he found a body wearing boots, jeans, and a checkered shirt. Inside the clothes was a mess of bones barely held together by a few pieces of remaining flesh. The skull had a few pieces of white hair, but the scalp and other pieces of soft organic matter were gone as black slime ran out of the cuffs. (Short story: Spore)

The Doctor used to sit by the sea a lot in their childhood, watching and listening to it. He used to think that that was where the dead went, that they were all out there in the sea, and that you could hear them whispering in the waves. (Novel: Matrix)

Three students at the Academy who often conducted rebellious and anti-hierarchical activities include: the Master, whose title was earned from his constant bullying of others, a good cosmic theoretician but but not very good in practice; the Doctor, who often carried out silly chemical experiments with a friend called Drax; and the Rani, who "was brilliant at everything, and chemistry in particular." (Short story: The Legacy of Gallifrey)

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[mtchee]

Bubbles Along the Surface - [Zhongli] GN

blurb:

A minor god awakened years after the Archon War, and with your brother, Osial, pinned to the depths below, you've made your own way in the world. In the most recent year, sailing with a merchant crew, you've forever decided to conceal your identity as a god, keeping to the life of a mortal with an intense fascination with the land of Geo. In all your years, its only now you have the chance to finally step foot in Liyue, meeting a tall and handsome man who eventually comes to be your beloved--but not without a few misunderstandings.

cw: not edited, fluff, minor angst, second-person-pov, spoilers for liyue playthrough but nothing major, osial is [name]'s older brother, archon siblings fr, zhongli loving on you, a reassuring zhongli, feat. childe but really he only gets like four lines

| masterlist | genshin impact collection |

[8.2k]

Eons ago, after the Archon war, arose a young archon hidden in a dreamless sleep beneath oceanic depths, protecting them from the catastrophe above. Awoken by the change in currents, they rose to the water's surface whilst their elder brother was pinned to the crust below—for they was the beloved sibling of the God of Vortex, Osial.

Their own title, God of Bubbles, and it was they whom were responsible for the health of marine life and the ocean oxidation.

While their followers had either converted or were wiped out in the war, they retreated from their title as an Archon, knowing it would only get them into trouble with the rising seven who battled for their rightful seats in ruling Teyvat.

Though their stories never died.

Sheltered due to the war and then lost without their big brother, they began a new life as a merchant, sailing the high seas and traversing from nation to nation. Although the world had changed from what they had originally thought, they were open minded and of a bright spirit—and couldn't wait to explore.

"To Liyue we sail!" The captain called, a rugged but sweet man who practically adopted you, "they've new silks due for Inazuma on the second moon, if we get there early enough we can rest on some solid ground for a while. Lets give ourselves a holiday, ay?"

The rest of the crew cheered back ecstatically, having been docked in Schneznaya for more than long enough. They could use a change of scenery; most weren't built for this kind of cold.

You laughed at their eagerness, quickly aiding your mates in loading on the last few crates of supplies before the ship was to set off once more.

You made sure your route was clear of storm—well, as much as you could. Your power's influence was better equipped for the water's depths, not its surface.

But you made do.

"Excited, love?" Darla, a Fontaine merchant about ten years your senior (physically at least) approached, a wide and knowing grin on her face, "you've always wanted to go to Liyue, haven't you?"

You grin back, eyes closed as you giggle sheepishly, "You've heard all my rambles, haven't you? Of course I am! And we get to stay there for... how long? Oh! Almost two moons! Two moons! Darla, that's two months of exploring! I've always wanted to visit the adepti shrines..."

"Of course you have," The older woman rolls her eyes playfully, gently bumping into your hip, "calm yourself, dear. We don't want you to combust."

You laugh at her in good nature.

"How come we're staying so long anyway? Not that I'm complaining."

"Why do you think?" Darla gives you an incredulous look, "because you're the captain's pearl, that's why. He's always had a soft spot for you," she nods her head towards the old man by the wheel, "not that the rest of us mind. Gives us a break too."

They watch as while the evening prevails, the ship's leader bounds below deck despite his age and practically hauls up a barrel of drinks for the mates to share, letting out a bellowing laugh all the whilst.

You snort, "Mm, I see what you mean."

After a week or so of smooth sailing, you finally port in Liyue Harbour and settle yourselves at the available inns, unloading any personal cargo and clearing the ship for its future stocks.

The Portside is bustling with life, fishermen promoting their fresh produce and other sailors maintaining their boats. Your eyes are wide in awe at the architecture and vivacity, excitement only continuing to build within you.

"Oh, pa!" You eagerly turn to your father figure with pleading eyes, "the city's just past the docks, may I please—?"

"Just be back before dark, alright?" The captain huffs out with feigned exasperation, "some of the crew and I will be hangin' around the plaza for a bit. Some place called Third around Knockout? I dunno..."

He scratches the back of his head before letting out a puff of air as you launch yourself at him, arms latched tightly around his torso in a hug.

His once narrowed eyes widen while the colour pink tints his sun kissed cheeks, "O-Oi!"

"Thank you, pa!" You pull back with a gleeful smile, "I'll be back soon, I promise!"

You lean up and places a chaste kiss on his frizzy cheek before rushing off past the docks.

The male stammers as some of the crew snicker at him from behind, teasing him for putting up his so called 'cold exterior'.

"Yeah yeah... uh, b-be safe!" He calls out at last. He quickly whips around to those laughing, "who're you chucklin' at, huh? hUh?!"

Eager to explore, you find yourself in the middle of the plaza ahead of your crew and are immediately overwhelmed by the smell of food and a rush of people.

You can't help but grin at the sight.

You wander past the open shops and stalls, simply admiring the sights and everything the locals of Liyue had to offer. You feel your heart swell at the kindness of a sweet granny who ran a toy stall, the elder woman giving you a colourful paper windmill with the only explanation being that you had a beautiful smile.

You express your gratitude and wish for her good health before continuing onwards with more of a skip in her step, gift clutched to you closely.

In the midst of your exploration, you bump into a tall man, profusely apologising as you stumble for your balance, toy falling to the floor.

"Ah, no sweat!" The male replies, and you look up to meet deep blue orbs and a boyish grin. The ginger haired stranger leans down to pick up your fallen gift, handing it back to you whilst introducing himself as Childe.

"[name]," You reply politely, shaking his hand with a bright smile, "it's a pleasure! Uh, a-apologies for the collision..."

At your sheepish expression, the male only chuckles and waves it off, a certain glint appearing in his eyes at the mention of your name.

"You're not from around here, are you?" He tilts his head curiously.

"Oh, no, heh, I'm a—" You stop yourself momentarily, clearing your throat, "I'm a foreigner. I work as a merchant across the waters."

"I see, I see," His gaze grows half lidded, flickering to the glowless hydro vision by your waist, "you like the ocean?" His curiosity peaks as he notices you perk up immediately.

"Yes! Indeed, aha, it's practically my life."

He gives you a nod of understanding, and you indulge yourself in idle chatter before parting ways, the male heading towards the crimson stairs leading to the balconies above. It's then that you realise where you are.

Not in the plaza, that's for sure.

Finding yourself lost, you take note of the increasingly darkening sky, "Oh dear..." your stomach drops.

Your eyes dart around hurriedly in hopes of landing on something familiar, spinning around in a circle and only managing to loose hope.

Your chest tightens as the sun finally dips past the horizon, and you cuss quietly under your breath. Your knuckles grip the stem of the paper windmill closely, the toy being your only sense of comfort.

"Excuse me," A deep voice adresses you from behind and you jump.

You whirl around, wide eyes meeting the chest of the individual talking to you.

Wary gaze trailing upwards, you come into contact with almost luminescent amber isises, and a concerned frown.

"Are you alright? You seem rather... distressed."

You take in a sharp breath, eyes flickering—the man is breathtaking.

He is tall and of a strong physique, with wide shoulders and a toned, but slimmed waist. His clothes are dark, although intricate and rich with black and brown to gold features.

His hair is long at the back, tied neatly in a low tail whilst the front frames his eyes in curt strands.

You blink, "Oh, yes. I—uh, ahem. I-I'm not from here, you see? And, um, I appear to have found myself a bit lost..." you can't help but feel small under his stony gaze, hearing him hum lowly in response.

"I see. From where do you hail?"

"Oh, I'm a travelling merchant. I docked today with my crew and told pa—uh, m-my captain that I would be back before dark, but..."

"Ah, I understand," The male's stern features seem to melt ever so slightly at your stammer, and he gives you a small smile to ease your nerves, "do you recall where you are suppose to be?"

"Somewhere called Third Round Knockout, I believe."

You give him a sheepish grin in return, toy clutched close. The stranger's eyes lighten in recognition of the name.

"A place I frequent in my days of rest. If you would like, may I escort you to your destination?"

"Really?" You brighten hopefully as he offers you his arm, "you wouldn't mind? Thank you, sir!"

"Zhongli," He states as you link your arm with his, "you may refer to me as Zhongli."

He smiles at you softly, causing you to flush, and begins leading you back towards the plaza.

"Mister Zhongli! Mister Zhongli!" You wave him down excitedly, the male breathing out a chuckle at the notion.

Throughout the following months, the two of you had bumped into each other once more and became well acquainted, soon becoming friends as you met up frequently.

The geo user became acutely aware of his new found friend's fascination with Liyue and was more than happy to show you around and tell you the many tales of said nation.

You got to know each other well within your first visit, you having been rather disheartened when the time came for you and your crew to leave--though the man had assured you that when you next returned, he would still be waiting.

"[name]," He greets with a gentle smile, opening his arms as you gleefully jumps into them, "how have you been fairing?"

"Good," You reply curtly, smiling up at him, "but better now that I'm here."

You laugh when he shake his head at you, "What about you? Are you okay?"

Zhongli tilts his head slightly with a confused hum, "I heard about the Archon's passing, news of it has already reached Fontaine although it was a few days ago. Are you alright?"

"Oh, that, yes," Zhongli clears his throat and composes himself, "indeed, it is tragic. However, I believe the Qixing has everything under control."

"I suppose. Something doesn't... feel right though..."

He leans forwards in interest, a certain glint in his eyes at your words.

"Oh? How so?"

"I'm not sure, I just feel as though Morax—uh," You glance at him momentarily, catching yourself before you blurt out something controversial.

As an Archon yourself, you swore you could still sense the presence of Liyue's God; though you doubt herself, chalking it up to the fact that you were an inexperienced Archon, simply sensing the ramenants of his power.

"N-nothing. It just feels, odd? Someone having the ability to murder a God, and the Geo Archon no less... Um, anyway..."

Zhongli hums, the glint in his eyes ever so prominent, "I understand what you are inferring. In any case, it will be a long time before any such revelations come to fruition."

He takes note of your nerves, watching as you squeeze your left hand nervously and swiftly changes the subject to ease your discomfort.

You traverse towards Yujing Terrace, where Zhongli breaks any silence by running his mouth on about the flowers maintained in the gardens.

"A dear friend of mine, Madame Ping maintains the flora."

"Really?" You hum, "what kind of silk flowers does she grow?"

"All three variations I believe," The man goes on to continue but is interrupted by a high pitched and child-like voice from afar.

"Mister Zhongliiiiiii!"

The duo pause and turn towards the sound, you tilting your head at the sight of a frantically waving, floating mushroom fairy child and a boy.

The unknown blond makes no attempts to hush his companion, simply shaking his head at her loudness before approaching.

Glancing to the side, you notice Zhongli's ease in their presence and calm yourself.

"Ah, Aether, Paimon, hello," He greets with a nod, "what brings you two here?"

"Oh, we were just about to meet Ms. Ningguang! We've got a special invitation to head up to the Jade Chamber!" The mushroom fairy child—Paimon—explains proudly.

"Oh? Impressive, indeed." Zhongli humours her kindly.

"Sorry, did Paimon disturb you?" The blond—Aether—asks, ignoring his companion's offended 'hey!'.

"Not at all," You give the two a smile, "don't worry about it. Zhongli was just going to show me around Yujing Terrace."

Your companion nods, "Aether, Paimon, this is [name]. A dear friend of mine."

"[name]?" Paimon blinks, "you mean like the—"

Zhongli clears his throat, "Anyhow, I suppose the Qixing won't be too fond of waiting. I take it you are prepared?"

Sharing a peculiar look with Aether, the two communicate silently.

"Right!" The blond scratches the back of his head, "we've just picked up a gift for Lady Ningguang. Hopefully it's good enough."

"I'm sure she'll enjoy it." The taller assures.

Paimon huffs and stomps in the air, "Hey! Why are you interrupting—"

"Anyway, we'll see you later then! It was nice meeting you, Mx. [name]!" Aether grins at you and waves before bolting off, leaving his companion dazed.

"I—uh, whaaa? Heyyy! Wait for me!" The floating mushroom fairy is quick to fly after him, the two fading from sight.

You laugh, mildly confusde, "Well, they're an interesting pair."

The male beside you releases the breath he was quietly holding, chuckling softly, "Yes, indeed they are. Now, where were we? Ah, yes, about the silk flowers..."

"[name]?"

You perk up at the sound of your name, peering up from behind the stock of open crates you had been counting.

"Oh, Zhongli!" You brighten immediately, hopping over the boxes to reach him.

"Hi! What are you doing here? I thought you had work today?"

Despite your concern, you give him a grateful smile, a familiar warmth creeping up your neck.

The man smiles at you contently.

"I took a small break earlier than usual, though my boss doesn't mind."

He internally winces and fights back a flush of embarrassment when recalling Hu Tao's thorough interrogation for the sudden departure.

He wasn't in any trouble for doing so, no—but once Hu Tao found out it was to see someone outside of work, oh boy...

"Ah, anyhow," he clears his throat, "I... wanted to ask you something, and I suppose I just couldn't wait any longer."

Your interest peaks. Unfortunately, so too does some of your crew mates--a few of them slowing in their work to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Zhongli takes in a breath, "I was hoping to be able to treat you to dinner tonight, if you would be interested?"

His amber eyes meet yours with a hopeful glaze. Despite his outward composure, he could feel his nerves skyrocketing once he took note of their minor audience.

Your eyes widen and you bite back a squeak.

Is this even real? Or are you just assuming things? Oh, you could feel the excitement bursting within you—wait, but you're an Archon... oh gods you forgot about that. Ugh, but he's so—

"[name]?"

You snap out of your thoughts, embarrassment flooding you.

You quickly blurt out, "Yes! I-I mean, uh," you straighten yourself up as to not seem so flustered, "sure, ahem. Um... a-are you...?"

Zhongli let's out a subtle sigh of relief, closing his eyes as he allows a ginger smile to grace his lips.

"Yes, [name]. If you would, may I take your hand in courting?"

Oh.

Oh.

OH SHI-

You tense and fight to push down an unholy squeal, mind racing. You could feel your mouth go dry the moment he reopened his eyes and made contact with yours.

You only manage to give him another giddy smile, nodding shyly with sore cheeks. Zhongli chuckles at you, taking a step closer and gently grasping your dominant hand in both of his.

"Then, I will see you tonight by the stairs of Yujin Terrace. Do not fret, my dear, you are perfect as always."

He brings your hand up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss upon its skin whilst maintaining eye contact.

He gives you one last charming smile before stepping away and leaving the harbour, ignoring the light blush coating his cheeks.

Later that day, as the sun kisses the horizon, you make your way from the inn and towards Yujing Terrace.

The night life in the plaza is bustling, the noise and chatter growing faint as you move farther from the docks.

Well into the city and past Luili Pavilion, the moonlight glinting across the shallow water catches your eye.

You slow and stop for a moment to peer into the pool, smiling softly as the golden bass and koi curl towards you. You glimpse a shadow passes from behind.

You giggle softly and, with a wave of your hand, summon gentle currents beneath the water's surface to play with the fish.

While the bass laze and let the gentle currents drag them along, the koi play along with the hidden tides, weaving in and out of the streams.

"Ah, there you are."

With a gasp and a jolt, you drop your hand to your side and step away from the waters edge.

"My apologies, [name]," Zhongli chuckles light heartedly, "I did not mean to frighten you."

"No! Not at all, aha," You quickly smooth any secret crinkles in your clothing and give your suitor a sheepish smile, heart racing in mild panic, "j-just nervous, I guess."

"Nervous?" The male quirks up a brow, "do I make you nervous, my dear?" Though his eyes--sharp as always--watch you attentively, the cheeky glint and subtle smile gives him away.

Stumbling over your tongue, you simply sigh and give him a pleading look, warmth creeping up behind your ears. Zhongli just smiles at you before offering you his arm; henceforth, commencing your date.

As evening turns into night, the moon rises higher and higher into the darkening sky with the two of you remaining arm in arm.

You find yourselves at the very top of the Terrace, where the annual Rite of Descension would have taken place.

Overlooking the sea of clouds*, you lean yourself against the railing, sighing softly as you gaze down at the waters fondly. Zhongli remains behind for a moment, watching you and getting lost in his thoughts before finally approaching.

He leans down beside you, facing the ocean although his attention is drawn to your being.

"[name]?"

You hum in response.

"May I... tell you something?"

Your attention peaks at his hesitancy, and you turn towards him curiously.

Zhongli keeps his glowing eyes out on the ocean.

"What I am about to say must remain secret between us. It is something that only a select few know," His gaze never wavers, "and I hope it changes very little, if it changes anything at all, between us."

Your brows furrow slightly, and you give his profil a soft smile, tilting your head to the side.

"What do you mean?"

Zhongli takes in a breath, "You know my name, correct?"

Your frown deepends, "Zhongli?"

The male nods slowly, "Indeed. Although, prior to this name, I used to go by many others—the most famous of which is one, revered, throughout all of Liyue."

You lean towards him in your puzzlement, and it is only then that he looks at you.

"My name, is Rex Lapis."

He doesn't blink, and your heart stops.

You can't breathe.

Disbelieving of your own ears, you search his gaze for any sign of deceit.

Alas, he remains firm.

His sharp amber irises seem to glow in the low light, glinting beneath the moon.

You swallow nervously and take in an uneven breath, a single word passing through your lips.

"...Morax."

Dread fills your entire being, and fear overturns your heart.

Why would he tell you this?

Why would he tell you now?

Why should he have ever told you? You don't just say that you're a dead archon to your friends—

You feel deathly cold all of a sudden.

He knows.

All tension in your being drops into the weight of lead as the entirety of Teyvat comes to a halt.

He knows. 

He knows who you are, he knows you're a God, he knows all about you.

And for how long?

You feel sick to your stomach, and so you take a step back.

Seeing you fumble and your dreadful silence, Zhongli's firm gaze softens. He sighs quietly through his nose and moves towards you as he speaks.

"[name]—"

"Please."

He stops, face falling at the amount of fear in your eyes. He sees the unwavering fright in your very being.

The horrors of the war echo in your memories--whereby from stories or the experience of its aftermath.

Unadultered terror regarding your ultimate death as an archon sits like cement in your bone and tissue.

Zhongli watches, and you don't dare to breathe.

This wasn't how it was suppose to go.

He steps towards you again, but you fear to step back.

"Please don't."

Your voice wavers, almost a whisper.

It takes every fibre of your being not to retreat in immediate terror. But you know the power of a God, even if they no longer claim the title.

Zhongli's heart clenches, eyes widening as his mind begin to race once he notices your form trembling.

Though your hands were tense and nearly hidden by your sides, he could see their tight tremors. Barely glancing off to the side, he could see ripples surfacing from beneath the shallow pools of water decorating the Terrace.

They slowly grew bigger, and began to bubble.

"[name]... My dear, please. Calm yourself—"

"D-Don't!" Your voice barely raises, though your fear and desperation are apparent.

"Please... I...I don't have any followers. I don't have any land. I-I don't plan on taking anything, I swear I've basically only just woke up—"

His brows furrow, "[name]—"

"—I'll leave! I promise!" Your legs give out, and you collapse to your knees.

Your terror filled eyes no longer dare to look upon him, "I...I'm not a part of the seven but... I-I didn't..! I'd never..!"

A pitched cry forces itself passed your lips, "if I had a choice I wouldn't be here in the first place so p-please! Please... Banish me to the seas! I just--I... I don't want to die..."

Zhongli's stomach drops, "Oh, my dear—no..."

Sickness fills him to the brim and despair overwhelms him in waves.

He slowly lowers himself to your level, gaze soft as he does so.

"[name], please, look at me," Your lack of response causes him to sigh, but his patience is ever present, "here, how about you take my hand?"

Sniffling quietly, you tense when he draws closer.

"...I couldn't... M-Morax—"

"Whilst I retain the name of a former archon, the name you have come to know bares no such burden."

He keeps his hand outstretched, "So please, won't you look at me?"

It takes a moment of tension before you feel you foolishly dare attempt to make contact.

Your head lifts ever so slowly, and though you refuse to meet his eyes, you gradually reach out a trembling hand to meet his.

Zhongli breathes out a silent sigh of relief, gently tracing his thumb across your tense knuckles to soothe your nerves.

He whispers small praises of strength and gratitude, smiling gingerly when you look at him in alarm and embarrassment when he presses a kiss to your stiff fingers.

"There you go," He hums softly, "nothing is going to harm you, lest of all me, my dear..."

Slowly, slowly, the tremors stop and terror fades from your body. Exhaustion clouds you once you you're conscious of your senses.

Your embarrassment only grows at the awareness of your state: settled on your knees and with tear stained cheeks—not just in front of another archon but your (once upon a time) date no less.

Uh oh, you forgot about that.

You take in a sharp breath and look away to hide your face, clearing your throat as you attempt to pull away your hand.

Zhongli refuses to let go.

Instead, he stands, and gently pulls you up with him. Your voice wavers, feeling the dryness of your tongue, but Zhongli is patient.

He waits for you to gather your bearings.

"How," You sniffle quietly, "ah... how long have you known..?"

You refuse to meet his gaze.

Zhongli smiles gently, "From the very moment you mentioned your name."

"What?" You blink.

He chuckles lightheartedly, "No mortal would dare name a child after a God, my dear. Besides, your youth as an archon means you have yet to master how to conceal your presence."

"Oh."

While mortals may not be able to detect a God among the people, there is always a connection from archon to archon unless they wish to mask it.

As you are a young archon (though two thousand years old, you've been asleep for the past five hundred) with your elder brother trapped beneath the ocean depths, you lacked the guidance he would have provided.

You've managed to figure out a few things on your own, but your isolation from others of your being have left you clueless.

Zhongli smiles at you softly, "Not to worry, my dear. While I may have officially, well, unofficially, really—retired from being an archon, you are no longer alone. Do not carry this burden by yourself, hm?"

You take in a bashful breath, "R-Right. Thank you, uh, Zhongli."

He offers his arm to you once more, keeping a soft look upon his features as to keep you assured.

You glance between him and the ground, hesitation clouding your mind before you rationalise your thoughts—he had known about you from the moment you met. If he really wanted you gone, you would be.

But you weren't.

And so you give him a shy smile before accepting his arm, and you continue your night at a slower pace.

Though you both remain oblivious to the soulless blue eyes that observe you from within the shadowed darkness of the night.

A sly smirk traces his lips—a that plan would soon come to fruition.

Nearly two weeks since that night, you help load up at the docks on a bright sunny day.

The ramp creaks slightly with every heavy weight carried over from land and on board, the workers chattering about as they go on with their business.

Zhongli and you had continued to meet up, occasionally for lunch, but more so in the evenings so you had more time to spend together. Your crew mates teased you relentlessly, but they were nice about it—thanks to your pa, that is.

He was in near tears when he first heard about it, sniffling about how his little one was all grown up, even when you've never been a child in the time he'd known you, but it was funny (and sweet) nonetheless.

Darla was ready for all the gossip, and gave you all the romance talk you could ever need.

Needless to say, you were incredibly embarrassed that day.

Particularly when Zhongli came to pick you up at the docks after seeing you were late. Never again will you let Darla speak to him.

Zhongli was amused though.

It was around midday when things began to get weird.

It was only you who noticed at first, though you brushed it off seeing as you would be the only one to notice.

You'd noticed the currents beneath the water's surface began to quicken, gradually turning into a swirl. Then the sky darkened, and the swirling currents moved further out to sea before breaching the surface—a vortex.

Thunder clouds rolled in and lightning struck the ground. At the sudden change in weather, the people of Liyue slowed in their works.

Panic came to fruition as the vortexes rose into the air, connecting with the storm clouds above.

Harsh rain pelted down on Liyue Harbour, the ocean waves rising and crashing down like a dominoes on the docks; the water became so rough it began to damage the boats and ships, fiercely pulling the wooden stakes of the docks.

"Run! Run!" People screamed, "move inland!"

"Away from the waters!"

"Move! Quickly!"

The harbour was in hysterics.

You felt pain grip your heart at the fearful screams of the people you had come to love, worry flooding you as the wooden stakes began to rock.

"[name]!" Your pa comes barrelling towards you with heavy footsteps, his rain drenched clothes weighing him down, "stay away from the boats! Get inside the buildings!"

He hurriedly nudges you away from the docking point, eyes rapidly blinking to get rid of the water.

"What about you?!"

You have to yell over the sound of the thunder and heavy rainfall.

"I'm getting the rest of the crew!" He calls back, "stay put!"

You can do nothing but nod, dumbfounded at the sudden turn of events.

As you turn to leave the harbour, a deep voice calls for you.

It's quiet, yet it rings throughout your head and echoes in your ears, and your eyes widen.

You recognise the voice, though it had been many centuries.

"Big brother..." You mutter under your breath.

You move your gaze towards the violent waters, seeing a small, snake like tendril beckoning you forwards. You feel a sting in your eyes--and not just for the pelting rain.

Nervous butterflies flurry in your chest as the rain falling around you grows lighter.

"[name]..."

The voice beckons you, and you move closer.

It repeats your name again, "little one... follow..." the tendril falls back into the water, and you gasp.

"W-Wait! No!"

You rush towards the rough waters edge and collapse to your knees, peering into the depths.

Desperation clings to you and you loose all rationale, a cotton haze in your mind forcing you to no longer pay heed to the life you had built since your awakening.

"Brother! Brother, where are you!?" Your eyes dart around before spotting the tendril once again, and relief floods your system. It motions for you to follow before disappearing once more.

You follow.

Chasing it across Liyue Harbour and spying it from the ocean border, it popped up each time before dropping down and appearing someplace else.

Before you knew it, you found yourself by the cliffs of Wuwang Hill.

You struggle to see through the veil of rain, the thunder grumbling louder and louder. Through the thick of it, you spot the faint outline of a man, his back turned to you.

Shock almost paralyses your body. You find yourself slowly moving towards the man nonetheless.

The closer you gets, the better you can determine some of his features.

While tall, he maintains a lean build, ocean hued locks cascading down his pale back. His body is adorned in a loose hanfu, colours corresponding with the oceanic depths.

Your eyes widen when he turns his head toward you, lapis blue irises meeting with the [colour] of your own.

The smallest of smiles tugs at his thinned, pale lips, fondness softening his gaze.

"Hello," He greets, voice—though with a slight rasp—is rich and otherwise smooth, "little one."

Your heart races, a heavy breath leaving you before you bolt towards the man, tears streaking down from your eyes and mixing with the rain.

"Big brother!" You cry out, embracing his form from behind.

Despite your affection, the male keeps himself facing the cliffs edge. He places his hands upon yours, tracing your knuckles softly.

He hums softly, "My dear, sweet sibling," a sad look overcomes his features, and he gazes out towards the harbour.

At his lackluster, you sniffle before looking up confusedly.

"Osial..?" You question, eyes glistening.

He does not ordain you with a response.

Your attention slowly draws towards the city of Liyue, absolute horror filling you to the brim at the sight of it—vortexes reaching from between the sea and the sky threaten to swallow the buildings and wreck the stone mountains, whirlpools drawing closer to the bayside.

You spot giant tendrils of a hydra composed of water thrashing amidst the chaos, roaring and hissing as the rain pours heavy.

"Osial!" You cry out in terror.

"Brother—what's going on?! What are you doing?!" You remove your arms from the figure of the God, pushing yourself in front of him in a panic, "brother, please!"

The male's firm eyes do not falter, and he merely glances at you.

"It is for the best, dear one," A frown makes itself known on his once passive features.

You feel a swirl of emotions well up inside you, "What? No, no! Please—brother, Liyue is my home!"

Osial's gaze hardens, and anger clouds his view.

"Liyue," He spits the name, "has corrupted you, dear one," his fists clench by his side, and the large tendrils of water grow even more fierce, "he has corrupted you."

Your stature falters, "W-What..?"

The man only huffs, crossing his arms across his chest as he holds his chin high, "Do not act so naïve. I know who you confide with. You have betrayed me, little one."

"Betrayed you..? Betrayed? Brother, what are yo—"

"You have made treason with the one whom trapped me under our depths for millennia. You have taken side with Rex Lapis, the Geo Archon—he has taken you from me!"

The God's hair rises in opposition to the heavy downpour, locks twisting into the form of snakes that hiss, "and so I too, will take something precious from him."

His voice booms across the hills and across the waters.

From the edge of the Jade Chamber, Aether and his comrades divert their attention towards the sound of the yell, and their eyes widen.

You feel your heart break in your chest, "What..? No.. no! Osial! Brother—" you begin to scream, tears, like a waterfall, steaming down your face, "brother, please! Think for a moment! Brother!"

The elder ignores your cries of anguish.

Staring you down sternly despite the ache in his chest. He says nothing as he pushes you to the side, walking towards the cliffs edge once more.

He turns to you one last time, a sharp bite present in his tone.

"Once this is over, I will be back for you, dear one. And him," His eyes glint dangerously, "I will kill."

And then he leaps, vanishing into the furious, crashing depths below.

Your stomach drops, and the amount of panic coursing through you makes you dizzy.

You can't lose your brother.

But you can't lose him either.

And you surely wouldn't be able to cope without your beloved city.

So you run.

You race through the forest on foot, terror coursing through your veins.

While it would be faster to traverse through the waters in your bubbled form, it's current condition would render you immobile, and it would only be easier for your brother to hunt you down.

You hiss at the rain hitting your eyes, pushing through the irritation and the pain as you continues to run.

Not to the harbour, no.

It would be much to easy for him to find you there.

You must get away, far away.

Away from the waters, away from your brother, and away from him—your beloved, Morax.

Zhongli.

Your body aches and your heart shatters, but you persist--never once sparing a glance over your shoulder at the chaos that ensues.

You didn't know where you were, but even if you were far, the distance between you and the harbour still could not disguise the explosion from afar.

Your eyes widen at the light booming from whence you had gone, hands covering your gaping mouth as you fall to your knees with a stifled cry.

That was it.

It was done.

The fight was over, but you could feel it, in your heart, that it was not your brother who had won.

The breath in you chest is forcefully taken from you, and you can't find it within yourself to fight for it back.

You stumble into the nook of a mountain base you had hidden in, falling onto the cobbled and cold ground with tears. Your shoulders heave with your heavy and silent cries, before a loud scream escapes you, rocking the land and rippling the waters.

A searing pain grips your heart.

Despite their victory and with their feet on solid ground, the traveller and the rest cannot help but feel unease.

After their win is assured, a shrill shriek of pain ruptures the air, having echoed from afar. The people of the harbour shudder and almost collapse, looking around in fear, worry, and wonder.

But the group know better, and Aether shares a look of alarm with Paimon—their attention is yet to be caught by the figure slowly and weakly rising through the bubbling of the ocean water.

Through your tears and anguished cries, your exhausted mind forces you into a deep slumber—your body rested in the cave.

You remain undisturbed for days.

Panic and worry consumes those who know you, unknowing of your whereabouts and your condition.

Zhongli, putting aside his contract, feared for you the moment of the attack.

News reached him quickly of Osial's anger towards Rex Lapis for having 'stolen' his beloved sibling, though information of Morax's mortality remain only with the adepti and the Qixing.

By request of the former archon, the traveller sought the help of the fellow adepti to track down the missing god, the Qixing keeping an eye out, though having to prioritise the chaos of the people.

Within the time of their search, you awaken in a daze. Though still heartbroken, your mind is in more ease.

You peek outside of your little cave, stepping out and glancing around. It seems that you made it to the border between Cuijue Slope and Tianqiu Valley, near the adeptus mountains.

About to leave your enclosure, a cold fear consumes you as a shadow obscures you overhead. You look up, spotting the retreating form of Cloud Retainer from above.

Panic grips you again, and you immediately return to your stone cold haven.

They've discovered your existence—they're after you.

After the defeat of your brother, they've come to deal with you next. Since the destruction your brother had caused, surely only death would befall you as punishment in suit.

Tears gather in your eyes again and you muffle a weep. Your body stiffens at the sound of a shuffle from the cave's mouth, and your throat tightens.

Slowly, you stand, keeping silent as the intruder grows closer. You take in one last breath, deciding to play defense as there was no where for you to go.

You summon your catalyst which rotates with your elemental, encased in a bubble with strands of water circling around it. In your spare hand you generates the first burst of hydro, ready to attack.

Anticipation and anxiety flood you as a head pops around the corner, followed by a body with a sword in their hand.

Without hesitation, you clench your eyes shut and let out a battle cry, throwing down your elemental and attacking at a rapid pace.

While your original attack is not powerful, it's continuous onslaught is fast and taxing.

Yells of alarm and pain are heard from the intruder, voices reverberating around the cave.

"Wait! W-Wait!"

"[name]—Wait! It's me! Aether—t-the traveller!"

"A-Aether..?" You slowly cease your attack and peek your eye open, gasping at the sight of the familiar blond male and his floating mushroom fairy companion, "oh! Archons..! Aether, Paimon—I'm so sorry!"

The traveller gives you a sheepish grin whilst Paimon shakes the remaining bubbles off her head, smiling at you.

"Don't sweat it!" The little fairy dismisses.

"So this is where you've been hiding, huh?" Aether comments, "are you okay?"

You shrug, weapon dissapating, "I..I don't know. I've been too afraid to leave, and had fallen asleep in my grief... I don't know how to feel."

The male hums, "Liyue has been looking for you, you know," his voice is gentle, "come on. Everyone is worried."

With a bit more coaxing, the traveller and his companion manage to lead you out of the cave.

You freeze at the sight of someone waiting outside.

Xiao had been standing guard the mouth of the cave, waiting for Aether's return. His hardened eyes meet yours, and you cower in fear, re-summoning your catalyst on a whim.

Your hands bubble with hydro.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Take it easy!" Paimon flies in front of you, waving her arms about frantically, "it's just Xiao! Paimon knows he looks scary, but Paimon promises he's really nice! Deep, deep down!"

You glance between Paimon and the adeptus, who eyes you back wearily.

"He...he's not here to kill me..?"

"Kill you?" Everyone is taken aback by the statement, "why would he kill you?" Aether furrows his brows worriedly, "we've been searching for you for days."

"And Zhongli's been worried sick!" Paimon chips in.

"Z-Zhongli..?" Your eyes flutter, and your guard lowers, "oh no... please—take me to him..!" And so they do.

A weary but rushed trip back to Liyue Harbour consisted of Paimon fretting over you and lowkey (okay, highkey) freaking out over the fact that you were indeed another archon, you fearing for your life whenever Xiao so much as glanced at you, and Aether reassuring you that no one wanted you dead. 

Reaching the harbour was like a slap in the face for you, of both uncertainty and relief--relief at the fact that most were safe, and casualties were little, but uncertain of how those who knew you would react to you returning, especially the Qixing and Zhongli.

You wondered if the Qixing will let you roam or imprison you for your brother's acts, or if Zhongli will shadow you in favour for his city--though that would be fair, you conclude.

They are his people after all. 

"Baby pearl!" Your head perks up at the name, head darting around in search for the source of the watery call, "oh, thank the archons!"

Your papa comes barreling towards you, unshed tears glistening in his dark brown eyes as he wraps his arms around your frazzled form, "you're safe..! You're safe..." 

"P-Papa..." Tears, once again, well up in your pretty [colour] orbs, and you sniffle at the tightness of his hold, "...papa..!"

You let out a cry, sobbing into his shoulder, "I-I'm so sorry..!" 

"You're okay, pearl, you're oka-y!" The usually stoic captain's voice cracks, and he sniffles with you. As your tears die down, he straightens himself and clears his throat, turning towards your onlookers, "thank you, for bringing [name] back safe." 

Paimon tiltes her head slightly, "Hm? Doesn't he know that they're...?" She eyes you shaking your head rapidly and a lightbulb goes off in Paimon's head, "Ooh! Paimon gets it. Yes! We kept them very safe indeed! Hehe." 

"Of course, sir," Aether nods respectfully, Xiao simply dozing off into his thoughts. 

"Papa," You gently call his attention, "have you seen Zhongli anywhere?"

The man scoffs, "Where haven't I seen him? He's been frantic since you left. He's either by the pavillion or the terrace. You've given the young man quite the fright."

You sweatdrop.

"Ah, y-yes..." You give your papa one more shaky smile, planting a grateful kiss on his scruffy cheek, "I'll be back soon okay? I promise I won't be going anywhere again."

"Hmph, you better... now, come on you lot! We could use a few more hands down by the docks!"

Xiao promptly disappears at that, with Paimon groaning and Aether simply smiling and giving a polite nod before heading off to help. 

With that, the young archon begins making their way towards the destinated areas, checking the pavillion first before heading up to the terrace.

Anxiety pulses in your heart momentarily, but you quickly dismisses it--like papa said, Zhongli had been frantic, so you have nothing to worry about. 

Making your way up the stairs, you ignore the eyes of a certain ginger who walks opposite to you, watching as you pass him by.

Reaching the top, disbelief takes over your very being.

Your jaw drops and your shoulders sag at the amount of shock coursing through you. 

There, atop the end of the terrace, was Zhongli talking to a man only a few blue hairs taller than him.

His clothes are slightly tattered, and still loose, reflecting colours of the ocean depths. His skin, though pale, is slightly bruised. And although his brows are furrowed ever so slightly, the smallest of smiles rests confortably on his thin lips. 

It was Osial. 

Your brother.

Your brother. 

Talking to Zhongli. 

The geo archon. 

Civilly. 

How in the abyss were you suppose to react to this?

How the hell are you suppose to approach them?

Do you say hi to your brother first? Would Zhongli be offended? Or do you greet your lover? But wouldn't Osial be mad then? You couldn't really just waltz over either, you'd just been recovered from hiding. What does someone even say after that?

Your mind races with these conflicted thoughts, eyes dazed and mouth still agape in shock. 

You blink.

"Ah, [name]," Your brother addresses you first, the two men turning their attention to your figure, "dear one..."

His gaze is soft, a regretful look on his features. His shoulders are no longer held back and squared, and his chin is no longer held up so high. Sadness overwhelms him at your lack of response.

You continue to stare, only taking small, slow steps towards them. 

"I..." He sighs, "my dearest kin... I am so... sorry. Truly. It was I, who was corrupt, not you. Never you." His throat tightens, but he continues.

"So many years under trapped under the surface made my mind weary, and I was easily influenced by those you call the Fatui. I had not meant to hurt you, or cause you great fear... My mind was overwhelmed by anger when I was told that the very God who entrapped me had stolen you, forcefully entrapturing you," Osial closes his eyes in remorse, "it is only now that I learn it was all a ploy, and for that, I deeply apologi--"

He stops mid sentence, eyes snapping open in surprise with a silent breath. 

Once within arms length, you had thrown your arms around his waist, nuzzling into his chest with watery eyes. Osial looks down at you in bewilderment, Zhongli quietly chuckling at his expression off to the side.

You sniffle. 

"I'm just glad you're still here, big brother..." 

Blood rushes to the male's cheeks at the sentiment, and his own eyes begin to gloss over with unshed tears. He takes in a sharp breath, holding you close and tight. He rests his chin atop your head.

"As am I, dear one... I had taken you for granted..." Osial is the first to pull away, smiling down at you gently.

He cups your cheek in his hand, caressing it gently, "My, how you've grown... so beautiful and mature now. I've missed you, little one." 

"And I, you, dear brother..." You smile tearfully back up at him, leaning into his familial touch. He places a loving kiss on your forehead before releasing you, stepping away and looking towards the former geo archon.

Your eyes draw towards the dark haired man, stomach fluttering while your heart does flips. 

Zhongli smiles down at you fondly, gaze soft. He steps towards you, outstretching his arms before pulling you into a secure embrace. He nestles his nose unto your head, breathing in your familiar scent.

"You had me so incredibly worried..." You flush at his bold affection, nuzzling him back. 

"I know... I'm sorry." 

He pulls back to look at you, cupping your face in his hands, "It's alright, my love. You're here now, and we're safe. Everyone is."

Your breath hitches in your throat, heart thumping from his endearment. He leans closer to you, nose brushing against your as his eyes grow half lidded.

"...I'm overjoyed that you're safe--"

"Ahem," Osial clears his throat, interrupting you.

Your face blossoms in heat with embarrassment, and you turn away in shame from your brother. Osial's arms cross with a deadpan look on his face.

"Not in front of me, you overgrown reptile," Osial hisses.

Zhongli rolls his eyes. 

"Blink, then, you water-born cretin." 

With that, Zhongli leans down and captures your lips in a long overdue kiss.

A squeak escapes you at his uncharacteristic vigor, though you figure he's doing so to get on your brother's nerves. Despite that, you can't help but indulge, eyes fluttering shut and humming into the kiss.

Your mind goes haywire at the feeling of his tongue gently running over the plump flesh of your lips. You can feel his breath through his nose caressing you, the air breaking upon contact with your skin, and he moans lowly against your mouth. 

Osial gags at the sight, "Alright--alright! That's enough! Get your filthy hands off of my family, you decrepit fossil!" 

It's safe to say that his protests went on unheard. 

[big-ooof]

More Than A Dance

Jay x f!reader

One dance was all he asked for. Now you’re tangled in Jay’s sheets, breathless, bruised from kisses, wondering how a party turned into this. Morning comes with lazy touches, soft grins… and Jake banging on the door with iced coffee not knowing he'll regret knocking on his door.

note: sexual content 18+

The party is already alive when you arrive. A disco ball turns slow above a coffee table in a room someone converted into a dance floor. Drinks spill. Laughter melts into lyrics.

You weren’t going to come. But then Jay texted. Just a location pin drop and a simple: "Come out. You owe me a dance."

You don’t even remember why. But you showed up anyway. Now, you’re leaning against the kitchen island, sipping something spiked and tropical, the beat of Calvin Harris bleeding into Post Malone, when you feel it… someone watching you.

You glance up, and there he is. Jay. Dressed in all black, as if the color’s never betrayed him. Leaning against the door frame like it was made to frame him. There’s a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, as if he knows you’ve been searching the room for him since you walked in.

You arch a brow. He raises his glass in a lazy toast. You don’t even hesitate, you cross the room, winding through warm bodies until you're close enough to smell the whiskey on his breath.

“I was promised a dance,” he says.

You tilt your head. “You know I was already comfortable on my couch when you texted me to come out.”

He grins, and it’s trouble. “So punish me for it.”

You roll your eyes and tug him into the crowd.

The second he’s close, hand on your lower back, eyes locked on yours, the rest of the room disappears. Your bodies start to move, like you’ve been doing this forever. His fingers splay at your waist. Your back presses into his chest as your hips grind slow with the rhythm. There's no rush. Just heat building with every beat.

The tempo shifts. The music swells into something darker, slicker— a Tove Lo remix pulsing like static through your veins.

Jay leans down, lips at your ear. “You always dance like this, or just when you know I’m watching?”

Your breath catches. You glance over your shoulder. “Maybe I like the way you look at me.”

His hand tightens. “Then don’t stop,” he murmurs, and kisses you right there on the dance floor.

It’s slow at first, but when your fingers tangle in the back of his head and he groans into your mouth, it changes. The kiss turns urgent. Hungry. Possessive.

Someone bumps into you. You break apart, gasping. His eyes are dark now, unreadable.

“Come home with me,” he says.

You don’t blink. “Lead the way.”

The door slams shut. You don’t make it far. Your back hits the wall just inside his apartment, Jay’s hands already under your shirt. His mouth is everywhere— your jaw, your throat, your collarbone.

“You taste so good,” he mutters, voice low, rough.

You laugh, breathless. “You haven’t even tasted the best part yet.”

He growls. Actually growls.

He leads you to his bedroom, clothes lost in the hallway, skin on skin under city light bleeding through the blinds. His touch is hot, but calculated. Purposeful. Like he wants to know what makes you squirm, and plans to earn every sound you make.

“Fuck, you feel amazing,” you pant as he kisses down your stomach, teasing.

He looks up from between your thighs, lip caught between his teeth, eyes glowing. “Good. I want you to remember it.”

You’re tangled in sheets, your leg thrown across his waist, still catching your breath. Jay traces lazy circles on your thigh, quiet for a moment. “That dance,” he murmurs. “Might’ve been the best one of my life.”

You glance at him, lips curling. “You say that to all the girls you bring home?”

“Only the ones who leave me speechless after,” he says, all honesty and ruin.

You kiss him again. This one’s slower. Less drunk on the high, more tethered to reality. A little dangerous. Your body’s still humming. Skin sticky with sweat, thighs aching in a good way.

Jay’s lying half on his side, half on top of you, his fingers dragging lazy circles along your bare stomach. He hasn’t said anything in a while. Just watching you.

You finally break the quiet. “You staring for a reason, or just admiring your work?”

Jay’s lips twitch into a smirk. “Both.”

You nudge his shoulder with your knee. “Cocky.”

He turns suddenly, pinning you beneath him again. “Not cocky if it’s true.”

The smirk fades into something heavier. Hungrier.

“I’m not done with you,” he says quietly, brushing his thumb along your bottom lip. You bite it. Just lightly. Just enough.

He groans, low and wrecked, then drags your wrists above your head, pressing them into the mattress with one hand. "Keep those there,” he says. “Can you do that for me?”

You nod, breath caught. “Yeah.”

“Good girl.”

The words go straight to your core.

Jay kisses you deep and slow, the kind of kiss that makes your chest ache. But then he trails down your neck, your chest, over the curve of your stomach until he’s between your thighs again. This time slower, meaner, like he wants to make you beg.

You writhe. He holds your hips down. “Didn’t say move.”

“You’re evil,” you gasp, already dizzy from the buildup.

He chuckles against your skin, dark and low. “No. Just thorough.”

And he is.

He takes his time, teasing with his mouth, then his fingers. Always pulling back just when you're on the edge, drawing it out until your legs are trembling and your head’s thrown back, moaning his name like a mantra.

“Jay—fuck—please, I’m gonna—”

“Now,” he whispers, voice rough. “Let go.”

You cum hard, jaw slack, breath stolen, his name tangled in the sheets with you. But he doesn’t stop. Doesn’t let up.

By the time he finally slides back up and pushes inside you again, you’re overstimulated and greedy all at once, pulling him closer, clawing at his shoulders. He rocks into you slow. Deep. Like he’s savoring it.

“Still think I’m cocky?” he pants, forehead pressed to yours.

You meet his eyes, glassy and wrecked, and smile, voice a whisper. “Honestly, I don't know what to think anymore. I just want whatever you're doing to me.”

And he gives it to you. Again. And again.

You’re curled into him, finally still, chest rising and falling with exhaustion. Jay kisses your shoulder, soft now, almost too gentle for the filth that just happened.

“Do you invite girls to parties often?” you tease, voice hoarse.

“I don’t,” he murmurs. “But I might have to invite you more often if it means you end up in my bed.”

You roll over, grinning. “Careful. I might not leave.”

He leans in, nips your lip. “Not asking you to.”

Morning filters in through the half-closed blinds, a soft haze of pink and gold dusting across rumpled sheets and bare skin.

You’re wrapped around Jay, his hand resting just under the curve of your ass like it never belonged anywhere else. The room smells like sweat, heat, and citrus from the candle you forgot to blow out. His chest rises and falls under your cheek, steady. Safe.

He’s not fully asleep, not anymore. You feel the subtle shift in his fingers, the way he presses a kiss into your hair like it’s instinct. His voice is gravel when he finally speaks. “I should’ve taken you home sooner.”

You hum, smiling against his skin. “You’re calling this late?”

He grins. “Not late. Just…delayed destiny.”

You roll your eyes at his cheesiness, but you don’t argue. You just tilt your head back and kiss him, slow and sleepy and soft.

And then— BANG BANG BANG.

Three loud knocks. Aggressive. You both freeze. Another knock. More frantic.

“Jay?” someone calls through the door. Jake’s voice.

Your eyes widen. Jay groans.

“Jay, what the hell, man. I’ve been calling you since 10. Are you alive? Did you die at the party?!”

Jay flops back dramatically into the pillows. “Fucking hell.”

You muffle your laugh with a pillow. “Did you tell anyone where you were going?”

“I might’ve said, ‘If I go missing, blame Heeseung’s party.’ I didn’t think I’d need a bodyguard.”

You hiss, “He’s going to break down the door.”

More pounding. “Okay, you’re either dead, or you got laid. If you’re decent, open the goddamn door, I brought iced coffee.”

Jay looks at you. You’re already rolling out of bed, grabbing one of his hoodies. He’s halfway to the door in just his boxers before you grab his arm.

“Wait—don’t—!”

Too late. He yanks the door open.

Jake stands there, wide-eyed, with two coffees and a bag of tteokbokki. He takes one look at Jay’s messed-up hair, red marks on his neck, and the unmistakable sound of a girl behind him laughing under her breath.

Jake blinks. “Oh.”

Jay doesn’t flinch. Just reaches out his hand. “I’ll take mine. Thanks.”

Jake gapes, then slowly turns toward the living room. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or traumatized.”

“I vote both,” you call, stepping out in Jay’s hoodie and nothing else.

Jake chokes. “Okay. Cool. I’m leaving. Enjoy your post-sex meal.”

Jay shuts the door behind him, turns to you, and shakes his head. “You owe me,” you say, hands on your hips.

He smiles. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“You’d better,” you murmur, already pulling him back toward the bedroom. “But not until after coffee.”

[the-way-astray]

keefe would not like me and i don't like him: masterpost

hey everyone . . . there are too many freaking strieefe things now. sigh. so naturally it's time for a masterpost . . . but before that i should clear up some misconceptions probably

this is a bit. i am not actually mad. if i was i would make a more serious-toned post telling strieefe anons and non-anons to knock it off

having said that i am vehemently and utterly anti strieefe. awful, awful ship. horrendous. will fight the people that ship it until the day i die

this post explains the origins of strieefe

yes, i am okay with strieefe fics being posted to ao3 (i've had a couple of anons ask me this). if you happen to do this, tag me as stria sixteen. also send me the fic. i want to read it

i am not okay with smut (nobody has done this yet, but just to be clear) . . . but anything up until that point is fine. the makeout fic was fine. the only-one-bed trope was fine. the shirtless keefe was fine

please please please please if you are going to send me fics, name them. name them!!!! it doesn't have to be a profound, thoughtful name (this is strieefe, after all, cringe is expected). but all fics are tagged by their names, and it helps keep things organized, so please!!!! i also tag all asks i receive with the asker's url, so fics are also tagged by the writer's url (or anon)

the general strieefe tag (for me) is #keefe would not like me and i don't like him. it is blockable. do with this information what you will. other people may use different tags. if you don't want to see strieefe-related stuff at all, i also recommend blocking off #strieefe and #to strieefe or not to strieefe

alayda is a menace but i don't hate her. stop sending me weird asks about her. they will be deleted

katie is a traitor to the sokeefe nation

always forever by alayda (@alaydabug2) and @ishipstrieefe (pro)

chapter one

chapter two

chapter three

chapter four

never change by lisa (@lisalovesapplesauce) (pro)

chapter one

chapter two

chapter three

chapter four

hate your lover, love your hater, and be studied by her friend by doe (@worldsunlikemyown) (anti)

context

chapter one

chapter two

chapter three

chapter four

treehouse by treehouse anon (pro)

chapter one

pride pin by pride pin anon (anti)

chapter one

chapter two

sometimes grief is acceptance by alayda (pro)

chapter one

chapter two

hold me like a grudge by emelin (@thishumanformislimiting) (pro)

chapter one

miscellaneous alayda fics (pro)

high on your love

the way to my heart is an a+

love in the air

chapter forty-two au (actually this one might be anti)

only your warmth

crossover (converted to anti by by me)

miscellaneous non-alayda fics (disclaimer: some of these could barely even be considered fics)

unnamed fic by anon one (anti)

unnamed fic by cricket (@gay-witches-are-the-best) (anti)

unnamed fix-it fic of alayda's makeout fic by anon two (anti)

unnamed fic by a.j. (@lgbtqforeverything) (anti)

unnamed fic by @kotlcpuppetshow (anti)

unnamed fic by anon three (anti)

atlantis blows the fuck up by anon four (????)

unnamed fic by @oopsies-maeve-did-a-thing (pro)

fanart (will it never end)

by alex (@the-soul-detectives) (pro)

fanart of alayda's chapter forty-two au by aspen (@aspenaspenaspenaspenaspen) (pro)

fix-it fanart of high on your love (alayda's makeout fic) by aspen (anti)

by connie (@absolutely-existing) (anti)

by alayda (pro)

by emelin (pro)

by emelin part two (pro)

by fin (@fintan-pyren) (pro)

fucking. songs. (and song-adjacent things like poems.) what world do i live in

unlikely couple by katie (@myfairkatiecat) (pro)

a ballad of keefe and stria by emelin (pro)

[gemglyph]

I’ll give you all some advice, but first let’s take a walk together through some of my life.

I have some family that was killed in the Holocaust. I did not learn this until recently, but in retrospect I probably should have known.

What I had learned (when I was “old enough” and it was therefore deemed okay to talk about) was that my ashkenazi family narrowly avoided being slaughtered in the Holocaust by escaping to the US before the US closed its borders to jewish refugees.

I have always known since I was little that some of my family are jews from Sicily. They avoided pogroms (jew hunts) by hiding that they’re jewish. This part of my family immigrated (probably actually fled) to the US prior to WWII (or WWI, my family bickers about this. We don’t have records, I guess).

In both instances, they have to hide who they are to protect themselves.

Life happens, jews persist, I’m born.

Elementary school, I’m told by my family I can’t talk about my home life at school. I’m singled out by my peers and bullied for being different. I move states. Go to an entirely different elementary school. I’m singled out and bullied for being different. Jewish. Kids know this word, I know this word, it’s the 2000s, people use jew as a slur. You know that they mean it that way. Because they say it like it’s wrong.

Middle school, I only fit in with the “weird kids”. I have maybe 5 friends.

One of my friends mom is obsessed with taking me to church if I were to attend a sleepover. When I stop spending time over there because she made me uncomfortable, two of my friends confess they’re only around me because they’re trying to convert me to catholicism.

I have 3 friends.

One of my friends say they can’t be around me because it gets them bullied for associating with a jew.

I have 2 friends.

One of my friends moves away.

I have 1 friend.

It takes me being in high school for two years before I actually make any new friends. Some online, some in person. I find a couple more people I connect with and call my friends. I don’t fit in with the rest of my classmates. I’m aggressively bullied by two different groups of classmates. Jew is still used as a slur. People yell “Heil Hitler” at me in the hallway. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve actually seen the Nazi salute in person.

Because “I look jewish enough, people can just tell. It’s a joke”.

Is it? Is it a joke?

2016. I just graduated highschool and I’m in my first week of my first semester of community college. I’m stalked to my car after night class and basically pinned between my car and a big truck. He grabbed my hair and hit my head against my car. This extremely tall man tells me he should beat me to death right now because I’m a disgusting jew. I believe he will.

I’m saved by a stranger who pulls up and makes the man uncomfortable enough that he leaves. In the large truck that had been parked next to me.

I had nothing on me that is “visibly jewish”. He followed me because I look jewish enough to torment. Because I am.

I hate myself for months because I froze. I start paranoia carrying concealed knives and pray I don’t have to use them. I obsess over learning self defense. I’m disabled and not sure I’d actually be able to protect myself. I learn anyway.

2017. I drop out of community college for a few different reasons. I’m stalked on social media. I delete a lot of my accounts.

I find a job. I’m harassed every shift for six months by a supervisor who said he was happy his family was Nazis in Germany. Among many, many other things. Such as gas chamber “jokes”. My manager tells me it was a joke and to not take it too seriously.

I was working at Starbucks.

2018. I’m told that my grandma dying is a good thing because there’s “one less jew in this world”. My grandma was buried in a grave at a local christian church that she attended most her life because that was the only community she had. We never said anything to anyone (it wasn’t safe). This was supposed to be a family friend. This is my grandma’s funeral.

Later I find out that someone stole the things we left at her grave.

2020. I’m working as a pharmacy technician. My coworkers find out I’m jewish and tell me “not to wear anything that could show that because the area isn’t safe” for me. Because I’m jewish.

I stay at this job for a year before returning to school.

2021. I don’t tell anyone, people guess because I “look jewish” and ask me based on appearance. I have found a more accepting community, but I don’t share much. I’ve learned better.

2022. I make it to University. I don’t talk much to classmates, but I make friends.

2023. I talk about religion with a friend at school, they find out I’m jewish. Some people start avoiding me after October. I have said nothing other than mentioning I’m jewish.

2024. I am told, to my face, by a college student, that jews control the United States government, the media, and Hollywood. Citing a major conspiracy theorist. When prompted to consider his sources, he tells me I’m only saying that because I’m jewish.

This list is not exhaustive, but it is exhausting. I’ve faced this shit my entire life and I’m not alone. My story isn’t unique.

It’s nearing the end of 2024. There has been a huge rise in antisemitism/bigotry over the past year. People are doing the same things they have always done. Tormenting jewish people, calling us slurs, telling us to kill ourselves. The list goes on.

The Nazis came for the jews first. Our neighbors turned on us. Other marginalized people we hoped we could rely on threw us out hoping to save themselves. Only for the Nazis to come for them.

First they came for us jews.

They will come for you.

Do something about it.

[oblivionbladetd]

Learning from Lorch: CRITICAL RESEARCH FAILURE!

As the list of the smartest person in any room fails to do 5 minutes of googling, I thought it would be a fantastic time to do it for her.

While I usually preface these talks in that she asks to be rated higher than her actual level of expertise, this one is exceptionally irritating because I will reiterate as many times as I can... SHE IS UPLOADING THESE FICS FROM A DEVICE THAT CAN HAND DELIVER AS MUCH KNOWLEDGE AS SHE COULD EVER NEED IN ACTUAL LITERAL SECONDS! You don't need to have a scientific understanding of the concepts you are using. That's blatantly not a realistic thing everyone can just do. Getting a reasonable approximation, however, is doable and only takes a few minutes. To prove it, I shall now explain a bunch of stuff she donks up that are fairly easy to look up. Follow me below the cut for nerd shit.

To start, let's go with her newest blunder. Avatar Niva averts Chernobyl! This one is a doozy, but there are a few key things that stand out.

1. Airbending radiation. This is simply not possible. She could airbend the fallout maybe, but the ionizing radiation itself has already done plenty of damage for miles before the word go. So... Yeah....

2. Now, if Niva is radioactive, she is either covered inside and out with radioactive particles or has had bits of her converted into radioactive material. We'll just put a pin in that atomic rearranging because she just wouldn't survive it, period. From my brief research, being both at ground zero of the meltdown and covered in radioactive isotopes would basically destroy her DNA if she somehow bends her way out of being microwaved alive. So basically, if not burned alive, she'd certainly be rotting from the inside out. The Avatar is built different, but not that different. Lasting a week is beyond miraculous, lasting three years is simply out of the question.

From here, we move on to Niva's super moves, though since I've covered this before, I'll yadda yadda in saying that the energy needed for these attacks is far greater than the end product. Heating and sand into glass in less than a second would take temperatures hotter than most of the sun using the same energy you could do far more damage than throwing glass. Or evaporating, superheating, and condensing a few 100 million gallons of water for bowling rains.

Now we move to her space epic where I have three things.

1. Space rust. Ignoring that rust is an iron and iron alloy specific problem, corrosion is all but a non-issue in deep space. There's very little to cause the chemical reaction. You'd be more worried about radiation degradation and micrometeors eating away at it. Even if they did have a hull of steel or iron. As bone headed as that would be.

2. Cooling Alignment. Basically, nothing would use that terminology. The alignment of pressure maybe.... using the terminology only serves to confuse and make the engineer extra strange. Either that or the cooling is Feng Shui powered.

3. Palladium Coils. Not unheard of, but not what you'd use in a reactor. Palladium is very wear and corrosion resistant, but it's painfully rare, and the reactor wouldn't need to be prepared for external factors that Palladium is used to resist. Using it as a high yield coil is inefficient.

I know there's surely more, but this is running as long as is, but all of the information I gave was minutes on Google at most. It's not hard to obtain. As a woman who protests as much as she does, you'd think she could be assed, but it seems not.

[icejinlov3r]

Frieza/Frost Fanfic Recommendations

Are you a Frieza/Frost lover my like, and struggle to find good fanfics that feature these two? Do you like to read cute, or angsty, or spicy space lizard love? Then I will leave a list of the fics I've found and thoroughly enjoyed - some of which I've written myself. But I'll be sure to mention other great authors and fics too.

Plucked (by coldphoenix) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/12856500/chapters/29360832

Rating: Explicit

The summary reads "Frieza takes Frost's virginity". And yeah, that's pretty much all it is. A simple steamy oneshot. It captures their intimacy very well, and I love the dyanmic of their relationship in this fic (it's actually the fic that got me into this ship). But I do warn the sex is rougher, and the romantic feelings are one-sided.

Complicated Feelings (by Anonymous_H) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/47622157/chapters/120027562

Rating - M

Frieza is forced to train Frost to be stronger after the Tournament of Power. Confliction and drama develop between them as a result. A good fic that creates good chemistry between these two. Although currently it is still unfinished, I still highly recommend it. (In fact I pretty much suggest anything and everything from this author)

As The Stars Unite Us (by regularcryptid) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/56367982

Rating - Explicit

Another short, steamy oneshot. One that's pretty cute and deserves proper praise. Not any warnings other than explicit sexual content.

Needlepoint (by ftmfrozen) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/35986693/chapters/143267665

Rating - Explicit

Frost attempts to assassinate Frieza - but things take a drastic turn around. Yes, another steamy oneshot. Captures a more realistic dynamic and relationship between these two, and also just has great spice.

Mezurashii High (by AveChameleon) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/33481000/chapters/83340121

Rating - T/M

This is technically one selected chapter from a collection of oneshots that feature DB characters in a high school setting. But anyway, Frieza and Frost are dating, but King Cold and Cooler learn about Frieza's relationship - and test Frost's character. A hilarious encounter of family drama. Highly suggest it.

This Is Why We Fight (by SecretWeaponSeven) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/46730971/chapters/117695593

Rating - Explicit

Now, this one technically focuses on a poly ship of Frieza/Yamcha/Frost. But I'm mentioning it cause it's that good. Frieza is sentenced by the gods to stay banished on Earth for ten years. And while he's there, he's keeping a secret from his friend/love interest Yamcha, who is also in the closet. Meanwhile, Frost is also scheming his own plans in the process. This fic has a nice mix of everything; drama, comedy, spice, action, etc. Plus the relationship between these three is wonderful! And it tackles trans issues and acceptance very well too. It's technically still got one chapter left, but I still highly recommend it.

Physical Stimulation (by MadamBiscuit) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/60995680

Another steamy oneshot where Frieza is bored and asks Frost to cure it in a "special" way. A spicy oneshot that's equally sweet and tender as well as sexy.

Okay, now we'll get to the recommendations that were written by me. Now technically, a LOT of my fics hold some element of Frieza/Frost. But I'm going to limit it to just the fics that 100% focus on this ship. If you wanna see more, check out my AO3 or my pinned message here on Tumblr. Anyway, as for the recs....

The Emperor's New Reign (by IcejinLov3r) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/49072780/chapters/123805774

Rating: M

A year after the events of the Tournament of Power, Frieza and Frost accidentally meet once again. Somehow, a relationship develops between them, causing them both to experience new things together. Just where will this relationship take them? This originally was a oneshot book, but I converted it into a linking story. It's a giant mix of fluff, angst, and spice. It's very long though lol.

Frieza/Frost Oneshots (by IcejinLov3r) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/49704691/chapters/125459857

Rating: M

Just a collection of oneshots that feature these two. Ranging from comedy, fluff, angst, and spice. Lots and lots of spice. Feel free to enjoy.

Ice Cold Love (by IcejinLov3r) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/48007351/chapters/121045111

Rating: M

Frieza is forced to spend the rest of his days confined to Earth, to prevent any further plans against Beerus. At the same time, Champa is fed up with Frost being in his universe and causing trouble - so he throws him at Beerus to deal with. And Beerus throws Frost at Frieza to deal with. This is a short story, with drama and angst mixed in, as well as a little spice.

Melted Passion (by IcejinLov3r) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/48570022/chapters/122514796

Rating: Explicit

Desperate for a job, Frost's seeks employment at a pornography studio. And despite the stigma this sort of occupation holds, he finds the staff are very kind and understanding - and he forms a fierce attraction with their star actor, Frieza. If you can't tell, this is a very rated R fic. But it's also got a genuine romance story, sprinkled with some drama and light angst. More on the light hearted side.

Enemies with Benefits (by IcejinLov3r) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/53044561/chapters/134202073

Rating: Explicit

Universes 6 and 7 have merged into one, and as a result both teams from both universes are forced to live on Earth and form a "task force" to protect this new universe. Needless to say, Frieza and Frost are not pleased - but they form an agreement to make this arrangement a little more tolerable. Another fic that's very sexual, but is also more serious. This is basically Ice Cold Love, but written way better. Lots of angst, drama, and of course good spice.

Taboo Feelings (by IcejinLov3r) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/57146818/chapters/145350325

Rating: Explicit

After almost (accidentally) killing the son of Satan, Frieza, Frost fears severe punishment. But Frieza is lenient, and offers for him to serve as his servant in Hell for six months. As a result, unexpected and "taboo" feelings emerge. A very fun fic that involves supernatural elements, drama, romance, and some spice. It also has other things, like violence and gambling, but otherwise isn't too extreme.

YOTP Oneshots 2025 Frieza/Frost (by IcejinLov3r) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/62352019/chapters/159544048

Rating: M/Explicit

This is based off an event I found here on Tumblr, called the "Year of the OTP". Basically, it's a challenge where every month, you pic a prompt from a list they have, and write a fic for it. Eventually, you'd have 12 fics featuring your OTP. A whole year dedicated just to that ship. So that's what I did. There will be twelve oneshots (currently 6) one for each month. Some are explicit, some are not. Each oneshot is very long and in depth though. And there are proper warnings for each one. Feel free to check out if your interested.

OKAY!! I think that's all of them, but I'll add more should anymore come up. I hope you guys liked this! And if you have a fic you wanna recommend, feel free to reblog with it, or comment it below. Anyway, thanks for looking this over!

[laniusbignaturals]

Can we have more Joshua/Edward headcanons please?

Joshua had a fixation on religious martyrdom throughout their entire friendship, and well before. Edward, coming from the middle class equivalent of lapsed aristocracy himself, related to the sense of perpetual danger which defined Joshua's upbringing in a high control religious group. Many of their earliest talks were about Christian persecution in Rome, which often dovetailed into express lamenting of their circumstances.

Like every awful guy from LA, Edward has tattoos. He used to have the Followers' cross inked on his chest, but he had Joshua flay it from his skin a few years after founding the Legion. It was right after they lost a skirmish, so Edward needed to be reassured of his masculinity and Joshua needed to be reminded that Edward trusted him. (They took a bath together to loosen him up first, it was very romantic.)

Joshua can beat Edward in a fight. Edward's technique is to wear people down with so much pain that they have to focus on defending themself. Joshua's nothing if not resilient, so when they wrestle, he always wins. Edward does not accept this graciously. He once bit him so hard his mouth filled with blood while pinned to the floor. Their marriage was consummated this way.

The key difference between them is that Edward would be content with having Joshua killed. Joshua would not be satisfied with that. Murdering Edward once would not be worth losing him, the “him” that exists in Joshua’s mind - this tantalizingly distant figure of guilt and venom that can be punished over and over again until all of Joshua’s rage is extinguished. Which it never will be, so Joshua would end up contriving for it to go on and on and on. It is better that they never see each other again.

Joshua taught Edward to shoot! It was largely just an excuse to feel him up before they started screwing, but Edward didn’t care.

Edward is as open minded in bed as your average vicious chauvinist, meaning he struggles to ask for what he wants and gets touchy about perceived feminization. Joshua, on the other hand, grew up insulated from healthy sexuality and was taught to resist and downplay any extramarital urges. So as they became involved sexually, Joshua usually took the lead. That doesn’t mean he topped, just that he had a lot of the ideas.

Make no mistake, Joshua had Edward slotted into the role of Wicked Secular Temptress from day one. Those suspicions just got louder after they started fucking and Joshua learned Edward’s actual sexual history, and they reached a fever pitch after the burning. Ed’s own, equally misogynistic interpretation of Joshua had him as a weak, deceptive influence who he allowed to stay close to him as part of a continuous lapse in judgment, some last bit of softness left over from his profligate youth which he finally extinguished with his execution. They think this in spite of the facts that 1. Joshua was actively trying to convert Edward to Mormonism as soon as they met and 2. Edward failed to kill Joshua, and made the troops more scared of him in the process.

Joshua can cook, Edward can clean, and both of them would rather get shot in the teeth than do that for the other.

Edward’s mom was dead by the time the Legion was founded, it was part of why he left the Boneyard in the first place. He didn’t dwell much on Bill, since their relationship ended with Edward feeling like he was still in control of the dynamic, and the rest of his social circle were always disposable to him. Joshua, on the other hand, really struggled with the (seemingly) permanent absence of his expansive family, inner conflict which he vented onto the people Edward put him in command of. This harsh, paternalistic behavior delighted Edward, reminding him of the type of man he always wanted to imagine was his father. Their relationship thrived on feedback loops of release and comfort such as this.

On that note: Edward’s mother would hate Joshua, and Joshua's parents & grandparents & aunts & uncles would all hate Edward. This is why they were drawn to each other in the first place.

[guzhufuren]

love love LOVE your The Sign gifsets. im still a newbie in giffing lmao and your gifs are like reaaally pretty so i was wondering how you do your gifs? i really like how it's sharp and the colors pop up beautifully (only if you don't mind sharing ofcc <333)

bun this is the kindest thing you could have said to me, thank you so much <3 i wanted to write down my giffing process for a while in case anyone would find anything in it helpful, so thanks for giving me a push!

guzhu-furen's photoshop gifmaking process (kinda oriented on saving up time)

from

to

1. Downloading a video. i prefer to download video files instead of making screen recordings because the latter usually leaves watermarks/captions and makes image quality lower. i will not be linking the downloading websites themselves directly, but they are all easy to find through search engines if you know what to search for! i download ql dramas from:

youtube:

if the video you need is above 1080p quality, search for youtube4kdownloader

if the video is age restricted, search for 9xbuddy

both these websites work for normal videos too!

mkvdrama usually has 1080p episodes of most asian dramas.

dramacool also has downloading options in case the show is not available on other websites!

2. Screencapping (i learned it through this tutorial)

i screencap using KMPlayer. here is the installer i used, but you can find versions of this program on various websites and torrents too! install the program and proceed.

screencapping steps: open KMPlayer > press "CTRL + G" to summon the Frame Extraction window > set identical settings to these:

note which computer folder the screencaps will go to (it has a label "Extract to") > go to that folder on your computer and create a bunch of numbered folders there, for example ten folders named from 1 to 10, these would be our separate folders for ten gifs > write "1" or a name of another numbered folder after the backslash in "Extract to" bar in kmplayer > go the timestamp that will be the beginning of your gif in KMPlayer > press "Start" in the Frame Extraction window and press play on the video > when the moment you need to gif is over, press pause on the video and press "Stop" in the Frame Extraction window. great, you now have your folder of screencaps!

3. Importing screencaps to Photoshop

i use Adobe Photoshop 2023, but had used Adobe Photoshop CS5 for a long time before that, so you can use any version you have or find! it's available on various websites and torrents.

open Photoshop > Scripts > Load Files into Stack > press Browse in the "Load Layers" window that was opened

open your screencaps folder (and pin the KMPlayer Capture folder for faster future access) > pick the screencaps you want for your gif by clicking on the first one, and then clicking on the finishing one while pressing Shift on the keyboard > click OK and let them load for some time! i have 65 screencaps loading at the moment

when the screencaps finish loading go to Window > press Timeline > press Create Video Timeline in the opened sidebar > press three dots that will say "Convert to frame animation"

4. Sizing & making the base of a gif

next part will be automatic. i use actions for almost everything from this moment. download the basic action pack here and my additional action pack that we will need here. load them in your photoshop actions window (Actions > Load Actions).

play the Script action to create frames.

now onto sizing your gif. these are tumblr's width dimensions for 3 types of gifs

my gifs are usually 540 px in width and 640, 400 or 345 px in height. i added a 400 px action (Sizing 400) in the action pack, you can use it! or you can follow the steps by hand:

Image > Image Size > put in the height you want and add 4-6 pixels there (mine will be 406 for a 400 px high gif) > OK

now we need to crop the gif for it to fit tumblr's dimensions:

Image > Canvas Size > change Width to 540 (or 268 or 177) and take away the 4-6 pixels that we left in the previous step in Height

when you figure out which gif dimensions work best for you, record an action and use it to save up time!

after sizing use the action Smart Object. now we have the base of our gif!

you can move your gif left or right if you want! i will be doing this because i would like to show more hips in the gif.

press Ctrl + T > move the layer however you need (not in height though) > press Enter to save

i moved it to the right and my gif looks like this now:

5. Sharpening (i use Tan's sharpening settings explained here)

i added two sharpening actions in the pack, they are called Sharpen Spicy and Sharpen Spicy 12. you can use one of them or you can sharpen your gif by hand, i will explain how to do it below.

Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen > 500% amount, 0,2 px radius > OK

Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen > 17% amount, 10,0 px radius > OK (you can change 17% to lesser or bigger, depending how intense you want your sharpening to look. i use 17% for 4k footage and 12% for 1080 px or less videos)

to smooth the sharpening a bit i use Gaussian Blur (this is optional, you can leave the sharpening as it is if you want your gif to be sharper).

Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur > Radius 1,0 pixels > OK

now change blending intensity to let only a bit of the blurring effect stay (you need to change this by hand if you used the sharpening action also).

press Blending Options (the highlighted place) twice > change Opacity to 10%

this is what my gifs looks like with sharpening now!

6. Colouring (i learned how to colour the way i do through this tutorial)

to make it easier for you to learn i will share my blank colouring file. i created it to save as much time while giffing as possible, so whenever i need to colour a gif i simply duplicate all the blank adjustment layers to the base of my every gif and start colouring! once you figure out which adjustment layers work for you best, i recommend creating a blank colouring file too to save time.

if you want to go the easy way, open my colouring file and duplicate selected layers to your gif file by Layer > Duplicate Layer > insert gif's document name

if you want to learn by hand, create the adjustment layers that i will be naming in the process on your own, you can find them all in Layer > New Adjustment Layer

now we will use adjustment layers for our colouring from the bottom to the top! first, Exposure layer to add a bit of light to the gif. i don't always use Exposure because sometimes shots are bright enough on their own. i will, however, use it here. don't use it on your gif too much, because in the next few steps we will also be brightening the gif with other adjustment layers. i added +0,49:

next, Hue/Saturation layer. i use it in gifs with neon lighting to color correct overly bright colours. for example if your characters are standing in neon pink, you might want to lessen Saturation in Magentas and Reds to make the final gif less pixelated, and etc. i will not use Hue/Saturation on this gif, cause it doesn't need it.

proceed to the layer Levels. this layer usually does most of my colouring. click on the lowest white dropper in your Levels window:

now choose a light place on your gif and click on it with the white dropper. it works especially well if you use the white dropper on the lightened parts of face skin. you can play around by choosing different bright spots and seeing what works best. here is the spot i chose and the resulting colouring:

this is too light, so now we need to balance it out with the black dropper:

choose one of the darkest places this time and click it with black dropper! once again, you can play around and click different spot to see what works best. i will be clicking the highlighted spot and you can see what my gif will look like with this Levels settings

as you can see, darkest places became darker and other colours were corrected a bit! now, this is still too bright, so i will be decreasing the opacity of Levels layer from 100% to a smaller number:

i will have to continue in another post because tumblr only allows 30 pictures per one post in the new editor now and i'd like to explain everything in visuals. click to continue

[adobe-outdesign]

can you review acara? i JUST learned they’re supposed to be aquatic, i don’t see it at all

Maybe I'm biased because I have one, but I've always really enjoyed Acaras. They're a completely abstract creature, to the point where it's hard to pin down what they even resemble the most.

The head is the most distinctive feature, as they sport two doubled-up ears and a pair of fur-covered horns (which are actually flexible). They also have no tails, which is something you don't see a lot when it comes to fantasy quadrupeds. Both their furless paws and ears match in color, making them pop and balancing the palette. (Pink's not my favorite accent color, but it at least makes sense here given that it's their skin.) Finally, their underbellies further break up the design, making for a nice-looking Neopet all around.

And as for the aquatic thing: those split ears used to a pair of fins, back when the Acara was still called the Tigren:

Even though you can't tell they're aquatic just by looking at them nowdays, I'd argue that they do still give off a diving mammal vibe. I think it's the furless paws combined with the the short fur—they're like the otters of the Neopet world (except not literally, because the Lutari is the otter of the Neopet world, but you get the idea). I also seem to recall that they use their horns to help them steer when diving, furthering their swimming capabilities.

And as for customization, the Acara came out on top, basically remaining unaltered except for a raised paw and a slightly less joyful expression. A lot of things got cleaned up, such as the horn structure and the feet being less weirdly shiny. The only downside is that I swear the heads got bigger, but otherwise I feel like the converted version is slightly better.

Favorite Colours:

Grey: I already spotlighted this one in my grey color review so I won't get into too much detail here, but the grey Acara is super pretty. The converted version is pretty standard (though the tears and eyebags at least make it extra sad), but the UC/styled version is perfect. I love the horns being flopped forward and how it's looking up while leaning forward, giving it a particularly pitiful look. The shading is also pretty nice as well.

Chocolate: I think what makes this one work is the amount of detail. I love the little white chocolate drizzle that accents the head, collar, back, and paws, with whipped cream on top and extra chocolate fudge on the back. What really makes it though are the waffle paws/ears and the horns, which are white chocolate with milk chocolate striping. The mostly brown palette is also lovely and high-contrast.

Plushie: You know what, I just think I like Acaras with stripes on their horns. I've always liked plushie Acaras for reasons similar to chocolate; the ears/paws have a nice pattern to them, and the striped patterns really pop due the use of aquamarine and yellow against the duller blue base. Both versions are fine; the converted version looks a bit less creepy, but it looses major points for having normal eyes instead of button eyes (especially because the button eyes accented the orange patch on the foreleg) and also loosing the stitching on its chest. Still, it's a nice-looking color all around.

BONUS: I have to give the pastel Acara a shout-out because it's the color of my Acara. :) They're not particularly fancy compared to the above colors, but the light green and yellow palette combined with the subtle pinkish shading really makes this one nice to look at.

[mostlyghostlyy]

hear me out on a hannibal situation with cobble ........ youre a rookie special agent investigating the longlegs murders right before Carter took over the case, whos actually doing pretty well! youre in fact doing so well that youve worked your way into his mind, driving him mad and hes convinced you will either follow him to salvation or he'll drag you down into hell ..... i am #normal about freaks

This!!!

I think he would be so proud of you for finding all his perfectly placed clues. Or if you even partially decipher his code, he would be head over heels. Nobody has put this much consideration into him before, never this much effort. From pure labor alone, he's already half crazy for you.

Kobble really wasn't expecting to become this attached to you. He always enjoyed keeping tabs on his open cases, but something about you wormed its way into his brain, and now he's thinking about you nonstop. He'll be walking down the street, catching a glance at the newspaper. "Longlegs killer approaches imminent capture with new evidence!" He scoffs at the title. Then he sees the accompanied photo. His breath catches in his throat. It was a picture of you. Well, with you on the right side of the case leader, somewhat obscured. but you were there nonetheless. You're absolutely stunning. He buys the paper and cuts out the article, the photo of you pinned to his wall next to his posters. An honorary position above his bed.

He knows you're trying to make a name for yourself, and this is a hugely high profile case. So he would probably throw you a bone or two, every note he leaves you especially has a special doodle etched next to the "Longlegs" name. For Lee, it was the triangle, I think for you, he'd do a heart.

His letters to you would be about nothing more than his raging infatuation and about the devil. He would claim that he wants to save you, and the only way he can do that is if you bow. "Crimson or Clover, Angel" is always spelled out in perfect English at the end of every letter, before his signature and heart. He needs you to understand that it was Mr. Downstairs who brought you into his life (obviously as a gift for being a faithful servent.). And he is the same entity that can give you all that you desire. He only asks that you make the correct decision to join his ranks.

If you deny Kobble's pleading to join his religion, he would be furious. Spitting false promises of afterlife tortures. Doesn't change the fact that he is enamored with you, he will just have to try a little harder to convert you.