#sol get a life challenge

[christronomy]

thinking about chan with a fleshlight ??! you got it for him as a gag gift, cause he'd always come to you to tell you about how every time he tried to muster up the courage to hook up, it never worked out. he just couldn't bring himself to do it, never really understood what all the hype was about. "just get a fleshlight, then," you'd say mindlessly, and he'd always just laugh it off. but now you'd actually bought him one as a prank, ordered it online and had it shipped to his house, all wrapped up like a christmas present. it was all jokes at first, and he had it stored in his closet somewhere, completely forgetting about it for a long time. but he had to admit, the thought of actually using it had crossed his mind a few times. there was no harm in just trying it, right? sure, it might not feel like the real deal, but still ... he was curious. and stressed. and there was only one thing that he knew would really help him relieve said stress. so here he is, currently rolling his hips into the toy, just the tip for now. he moves slowly, tentatively, not wanting to bottom out all at once. it's a pretty tight squeeze around his already rock hard cock as he sinks it down a little more, since it's brand new, and he knows that if he moves too fast, he'll cum too soon. it takes a few more slow thrusts to get it to fit around him perfectly, and that first real thrust into it is like heaven. he was wrong about it not feeling like the real thing—in fact, it kinda feels better. but his only concern at this moment is: why is he thinking about you, his best friend, while fucking into this toy? the toy that you'd gotten for him as a joke? what would you think if you knew that it wasn't really much of a joke anymore? and what if you knew he's already cum inside of it several times in a row at the thought of you?

[druidberries]

petal had to call out of work to take poor blossom to the vet :( good news is she's all better now! afterward, petal decided to take the dogs to the park for the day so they could get some proper running around time and so she could teach them some tricks!

previous // next

[mydearestbeloved]

Chapter 27 [Draft]

Sung Jinwoo/Trial Player!Reader

Content Warnings: This chapter contains Implied Yandere and slight gore—this is a work of fiction, I do not condone or glorify toxic relationships and violence in real life; experimental writings—a.k.a. me trying out a different style of being more descriptive and new p.o.v.s shifts.

See < End Note > for Bonus Contents, since I feel unhinged after writing this chapter. Might delete those bonus later? Depends.

[Masterlist🦋✨️]

Beru landed beside Igris with a faint thud, his wings folding neatly behind him. His antennae twitched; his gaze fixed on the peculiar scene unfolding ahead of them.

“Even my brethren do not deign to partake,” Beru intoned, his clawed hand sweeping toward the shadow ants. “Most unusual, for they oft descend upon such spoils without delay.”

Igris followed the direction of Beru’s gesture and noted the truth of it. The shadow ants, notorious for their ravenous appetites, remained in tight clusters, seemingly hesitant to approach the carnage. Other shadows, like the bears, also hovered at the periphery. Except for Tank, who was otherwise preoccupied with a particular albino young lady. He was making himself comfortable under a canopy, as to not disturb Blanche’s dozing off on his back, drowning herself in the thickness of his coat.

How exceedingly ironic, Beru mused, his multifaceted gaze fixed upon a ravenette as she wrenched a limb asunder with ease, offering half to her pale-haired kin—who, it seemed, struggled to sever her own share from the particularly stubborn carcass. They both then proceed to take a bite simultaneously with an audible crunch.

Is this, perchance, the sentiment humans harbor when they behold us feasting upon their brethren?

Beru’s mandibles clicked.

A most curious sensation, indeed.

“Who would have foreseen that the composed one harbored such… ferocity?”

Igris couldn’t help but agree, though he refrained from speaking it aloud, as they continued to watch Red skinned off and, subsequently, mutilated another carcass.

"Mhm,"

"KIEEEK—!"

By My Liege's—!

{“By My Liege’s will!”

—is what the full oath would’ve been, had Igris spoken aloud.}

"She's scary." Trick hugged herself, visibly shuddering.

“…When did you get here?" Igris hoped what was perceived on the butterfly’s end of the communication line wasn’t as clipped as he had realized his own voice would’ve sounded. Though outwardly composed, it was quite a bit shameful for a knight such as he to admit the slight tightening of his reflexes—the instinctive reach for his sword.

He had almost drawn his weapon at Lady (Name)'s beloved summon.

Though, to be fair, Trick did just… appeared out of thin air.

At the very least, Beru had fared no better. The ant had all but leapt away, wings flared, claws at the ready.

That fact alone granted Igris a measure of solace.

The mentioned silver-haired humanoid tilted her head innocently, “I’ve been here the whole time, though?"

Ah, yes, an illusionist.

Igris recalled Lady (Name)'s words—masters of deception, skilled in the art of trickery. He had merely not expected their craft to be potent enough to slip past his senses. Nor Beru’s.

Granted, the shadows soldiers had never before been the victims of the butterflies’ targeted hallucinations.

…Fortunate that we stand as allies.

No matter how battle-hungry one could be, Igris could not deny the headache these beings would pose as adversaries. And their mistress—even without My Liege’s evident fondness—would have proven a challenge herself alone.

“Speaking of...” Trick’s voice drew his attention as she turned her head and called over her shoulder. “Bestie!”

A blonde figure perked up from her crouched position a short distance away. Sol held a stick in one hand, its tip drawing crude lines in the damp earth. Around her, a small gathering of shadows and butterflies watched intently.

Igris squinted, realizing what Sol had been sketching. Iron, in particular, seemed pleased as he admired the drawing of himself. It wasn’t particularly skillful given the medium, but the exaggerated proportions made him appear larger and stand out more than the other shadow knights drawn into the mud.

"Lady of woe,” A single rose materialized on Trick’s outstretched hand, she brought it closer to plant a kiss. “Bids her halls,” The flower was then thrown, where it burst into a rain of red petals above. “A rosy banquet.” She bowed in curtsy, the extended fabric from behind her blown in the air from the exaggerated movement, momentarily showing the pattern of fluttering silver.

As she rose from the position, she gave a wink, “How's that for your next painting?”

Sol rolled her eyes in jest, giving a mock salute, but her smile bright. Trick bring a hand to her chest and made an expression as if she was hurt, but the subtle lift of her lips, if one would look just a little bit closer, would’ve told another story.

"Anyway," Trick turned back to Igris and Beru—who now had petals stuck all over their armor and exoskeleton respectively—yellow irises alight with something almost dreamy. “Isn’t my sister just the prettiest?!”

It was a well-known fact that the butterflies were far more...vibrant than the shadows—literally and figuratively. Yet even with that knowledge, Igris still found himself unprepared for the sheer whiplash of Trick’s one-eighty.

The stars in her eyes, clasping her hands together, and the swooning sigh were a stark contrast to mere moments ago, when he could practically hear the chills that ran down her spine.

“Did you not just claim she was frightening?” Beru asked, incredulous, every little movement he made causing petals to fly off.

“That’s exactly what makes her more beautiful!” Trick retorted, as if he just offended her.

Igris sighed internally.

Then again, ‘internally’ was the only thing he could achieve in regards to his current level-locked speech—

{Do we really need to remind him?

<<Yes>>}

Back to the situation at hand—

At that point, Igris had already begun tuning them out, letting their bickering fade as background white-noises as he plucked the petals off his armor, letting the reds fell down to the muddy purple-ish ground. His gaze had returned to the ballerina on stage.

The more he observed her, the more she reminded him of a particular kind of women he had only ever exchanged curt words with in his time as a human knight.

Sharp intellects, veiled beneath layers of practiced poise and intricately folded fans. Women who, in an era that condemned outbursts and demanded submission, wielded their wits often more so any man.

The way Red’s delicate fingers plucked a shard of flesh from the centaur-like corpse was not unlike the refined precision of slicing through a Mont Blanc at an olden tea party—silver knife and fork in hand, but otherwise the picture of grace.

And Igris could not help the thought that emerged then—those very same women could be as vicious as a knife to the back upon society’s stage. Ripping one another to shreds with honeyed words and carefully calculated maneuvers that would ruin rather than kill.

Whether one was complacent or bold, none were spared in the brutal games of favor, wealth, and power.

Igris knew that better than anyone.

“F-Father—"

Thump.

“…”

His gaze lingered, distant at times.

"She reminds me of the noblewomen of old..."

As he recalled how Red often followed Lady (Name) without fail—always at her beck and call.

With a contemplative hum, Igris continued his musing.

"Court ladies?"

Trick made a grand gesture with both hands of Igris for Beru to see—

Ding. Ding. Ding!

. . .

…Where did that sound even came from—

"See? He gets it!"

Ignoring one annoyed shadow ant, she turned toward Igris beaming, her voice brimming with pride. “You’re not far off the mark, Sir Knight! My sister was a duchess!”

… ‘was’?

“You should’ve seen her, Sir Knight!” Trick continued, practically vibrating with excitement. “She was such a riot! Even now—”

"Child. Fetch."

In an instant, Trick straightened, catching a tiny chunk of flesh casually thrown her way directly with her mouth. She bit into it immediately, her silver hair swaying lightly as her expression contorted into a disgruntled one a few chews in.

Igris could only stare, his judgment hidden behind his armored helm. Beside him, Beru clicked his mandibles in what Igris assumed was shared disbelief.

How... peculiar, this court of butterflies is.

——oOo——

Red approached the trio, uniform somehow remained as immaculate as ever. The white clean, the black and red mayhap hid any mess that might’ve been. Gracefully unhurried—as if she hadn't partaken in anything as taxing as a butchery in a rainy, muddy jungle.

"Well?" One brow was arched in pointed inquiry as her gaze settled on Trick.

"…Bitter." Trick swallowed with apparent difficulty before sticking her tongue out, as though the act would’ve contributed on getting rid of the horrid taste on her tastebud.

Red’s lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, Igris thought he heard her mutter under her breath, “At least she didn’t throw up.” Then, with a quiet sigh, she continued, “Didn’t you beg Mother to invest points into some < Devourer >’s skills for you?”

A picnic basket materialized in Red’s hand. She handed it to Trick.

"A < Devourer > can't afford to be picky." Red added, watching as Trick hesitantly took the basket.

When Trick lifted the lid, the scent of iron hit both Igris and Beru. The neatly packed cubes of raw meat inside were unmistakably from the magic beasts they had slain. Each piece was cut with surgical precision, their edges clean and uniform.

Trick wrinkled her nose, initially recoiling at the sight. But, as if she had a sudden light-bulb moment, her expression shifted. She turned around, scanning the area with renewed determination until her eyes landed on the sleeping duo under canopy.

“B—”

“Are you expecting her to cook for you right now?” Red interjected; her tone flat. “No.”

"Then–"

“Freeze it for later?” Red crossed her arms. “Sure, she could. Except the fact that it'll just be ordinary meat by then. The sooner you eat it, the more points you’ll gain. That’s the whole point of this exercise, isn’t it?”

"B-But—"

"Eat."

Trick’s shoulders slumped in defeat, and she complied, reluctantly picking up one of the cubes and placing it in her mouth. Her expression was dejected as she chewed, each bite taken with the exaggerated misery of someone enduring a punishment.

Chew.

“…”

Swallow.

“…hic.”

Red let out another sigh watching Trick’s display.

“…Have the garments been handed out?”

When Trick nodded pitifully in affirmative, Red plucked a cube of meat from the basket herself. The smell of burning wafted as the raw meat darkened and sizzled between her fingertips. Then, she brought it to the younger’s lips, and Trick took it gratefully.

"Better?"

Trick nodded vigorously as she chewed, her mood visibly improving. Red patted her head gently.

"Beru."

The shadow ant stiffened, mandibles clicking in surprise. He had not expected to be called. And yet, as her crimson gaze settled upon him, he swore—for reasons beyond his comprehension—that her eyes softened.

"Here."

Red snapped her fingers, and near Beru’s feet materialized several large stacks of... tupperware???

“We noticed the soldiers weren’t eating, so we took the liberty of saving some up for you all,” Red explained, gesturing toward the containers as she fed another carefully prepared morsel to Trick. “It’s only fair, considering most of the kills were yours.”

“We do not require—”

“I am well aware that shadows don’t require such sustenance,” Red cut in smoothly. “That eating is more habit than necessity. But we wanted to express our gratitude for the meal. It was also—technically—the first time some of us handled prep work. So please, it would make us very happy if you would accept our thanks.”

Beru hesitated before peering inside one of the containers. His antennae twitched as the scent of fresh meat drifted upward. True to her words, each was filled to the brim with neatly portioned flesh—cut into cubes, spheres, hearts, stars… even bunny-shaped pieces.

Igris, though remained silent, could not help but marvel too. When had the butterflies managed to harvest, prepare, and store all this without anyone noticing? A feat that bordered on the miraculous—or the terrifying, depending on one’s perspective.

Beru glanced from the containers to Red, then to Trick—who, upon feeling his stare, conspicuously turned away, still chewing.

After a pause, he straightened. “…On behalf of the shadows, I thank you, Madame.”

Red tilted her head but did not seem displeased. A faint smile ghosted her lips.

“Please send our regards to the others.”

She nodded once in acknowledgment.

Beru then turned his gaze toward Trick. “And you as well. Thank you.”

“…Hmph.”

Red shoved feed another cooked piece into Trick’s mouth with the same gentle care—ensuring that Trick didn’t start sulking again.

And so, Igris continued to observe. The way Red treated Trick and Beru—like children under her care.

It is… oddly endearing.

——oOo——

As the last vestiges of flesh disappeared into eager mouths, loose fabrics flowed like waterfalls. When the dark warriors merged back with their master of shadows, white tunics danced like packs of swans with the reemergence of kaleidoscope flights from behind. Thus, your newborns, ready to be greeted in your gardens—their home, joined their origins in kind and disappeared from the skies in dust of gold. Left in their wake, stark and gleaming, alabaster-white under the relentless rain—terrain of eerie beauty stripped bare of chaos.

"So..." Jinwoo cleared his throat, brushing rain-slicked hair from his forehead as the bags of essence stones disappeared into his inventory. "Is this something I should expect after every raid?”

He meant to say it in jest, an attempt to break the ice fell short when the beat of silence stretched, before you turned to him, your expression soft but distant, as though part of you was somewhere else.

“Sorry,” A fleeting gold, like light rippling through water. “Could you repeat that?”

Jinwoo’s gaze flickered briefly to the battlefield before back to meeting yours.

"...That," He jabbed his thumb toward the clearing behind—or rather, to what had taken place there just moments ago—with a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Do I need to get used to that?”

“You don’t have to,” You replied softly, gaze drifting to the desolate expanse. But then, in a blink, as if only just now waking from a dream, your brows knitted, a look more concerned for him than the situation. Meeting gazes again, a thread of worry weaved your voice. “Does it bother you? I can—”

“Wait, slow down.” Jinwoo interjected quickly, raising a hand before you could go down the rabbit hole of drastic measures—only you could come up with—if you thought he was truly disturbed. Measures you would follow to a T, no matter the inconvenience. He knew you well enough by now to guess, and the last thing he wanted was for you to overthink this.  “It’s just… new. Need a little time to adjust, sure—”

He'd long been desensitized to the horrors of this world. Keeping up with you had kept him on his toes more often of course, but who wouldn’t be at least a little shocked when those pretty little things displayed a primal side so openly that might’ve rivaled his shadows?

Systematic, elegant, and utterly ruthless.

Struggling to reconcile it with the image one had grown accustomed to—

You studied him for a moment, a quiet hum leaving your lips. “If it makes you uncomfortable, they don’t have to do it. They don’t need blood or flesh to function as usual, but… it’s more beneficial now.”

“How so?”

—and curiosity just won over in the end.

Your tone shifted to something more matter-of-fact. “For the younger ones, besides the extra exp to level them up, the bonus energy gained can make them more effective, stay active longer. As supports, you know the drill, but in terms of gathering information? They can further interact with people directly without being as quickly exhausted independent of me.”

Huh.

That’s useful.

Very useful.

As unsettling as the image of butterflies devouring raw flesh was, and the sight of human body made from the inside, the utility might be worth the goosebumps.

Other inappropriate uses aside—as far as his own shadows went, they were invaluable for protection and surveillance. But they weren’t equipped for subtle interactions. They couldn’t question people or coax out information—not in the way your butterflies apparently capable of at least.

As much as Beru’s value went, Jinwoo doubted anyone would open up willingly to a towering, insectoid figure interrogating them unless stated otherwise, or to any shadow soldiers for that matter, whether they could speak or not. Informed targets might not be ideal at times.

Fear was still a viable option, but he would rather not have his kids terrorize innocents.

Your butterflies, on the other hand, would definitely be more practical in extracting information if they could disguise themselves and blend seamlessly into society.

As for acting with autonomy—Jinwoo thought back to that time in the snow-land red gate and let a smirk tugged at his lips.

They’re persuasive alright.

They seemed freer also in the sense that they weren’t bound to other objects to move, with few exceptions but definitely still less than shadows were to his soldiers.

Imagine the possibilities.

Jinwoo was almost jealous.

All in all, his shadows were the perfect battle weapons, warriors, and guards. Yours? The perfect supports, spies, even informants.

How much more of a perfect complement could this be?

Speaking of...

Jinwoo’s gaze drift to you. His lips pressed into a thin line.

Should he ask you?

Should he attach a soldier to you?

Ah, so you don’t trust her after all.

The voice was insidious and sharp—like his daggers.

The pang in his chest was immediate and heavy—guilt?

I do, the heart argued, vehement.

It’s for her—

For her or for you?

Mocking.

Does she really need you to keep her safe?

Taunting.

You barely know who she is.

Then I’ll keep learning, to get to know her, properly.

Is that not just another excuse to keep her close then?

Ah.

All this time, still just scratching the surface—

He went through this before.

I want to know her (everything).

Silence.

"That's... convenient."

Really?

Jinwoo winced internally.                                 

Was that all he can say? Couldn’t he come up with a proper compliment? Even saying something along the lines of the lame-old “cool” would be better at this point!

Why was he such a mess in front of the one person he wanted to—

“Thank you.”

Oh.

Damnit.

Damn you, for how tender you looked at that moment, standing just within his reach.

Damn you, for those knowing and fond eyes, staring back at him.

Damn you, for how soft your lips looked in that smile, directed at him.

Fingers twitched on his sides.

Damn him, for craving you to look at him (always).

“Take the < Illusionists > for example.”

You lifted your hand to his view, fingers curled, holding something out of sight, “Not only do they gain more knowledge to reach perfect mimicry…”

A single cherry blossom unfurled in your palm.

“…the duration of their skills also lasts much longer.”

Before Jinwoo could process, you exhaled softly.

He was then bombarded with multiple blossoms, straight to his face.

“Pfft.” You stifled a laugh behind your hand at his widened eyes and slightly parted lips. What made the sight sillier in your eyes was the silver butterfly perched on his cheek, chiming—

“Good day, Sir. Goodbye, Sir. Have a pleasant day!”

—before going poof!

Jinwoo didn’t move.

On instinct, his mana flared—to sense, to analyze—but there was nothing. He couldn’t detect the signature presence illusions carried, the usual flicker of magic that would have clued him in under normal circumstances.

No.

For a second there, he absolutely couldn’t sense you, even though his gaze never left yours.

And that—that was definitely not < Stealth >.

“The < Devourers > and < Conversion-ists> are more straightforward.”

You continued, as if you hadn’t just—

“To sum it up, the < Devourers > gain more physical bonuses—strength, durability, and such. While the < Conversion-ists > receive more ‘recipes,’ essentially.”

Jinwoo swallowed. His hand twitched.

“Jinwoo?”

You reached out, fingers hovering near his cheek but hesitated at the very last second, merely a hair’s breadth away before your fingertips could graze his damp skin, when you saw how empty his gaze had become behind dripping raven bangs.

“I can’t…”

His grip caught your wrist before you could retreat.

You neither flinched nor pulled away.

“You just—!”

Vanished.

Like a g̴l̷i̶t̴c̸h̴.̵

Jinwoo’s jaw tightened.

His eyes—

They reminded you of the last few chapters of the manhwa. Building up his decision to bear the fate of the whole world on his shoulders, alone. The way Normal Selner had looked at him, realizing he had already succeeded. How the illustration depicted his irises as pitch black, swallowing all light with naught a trace.

Oh, please don’t make that face.

"Jinwoo…" You gently brought his hand—the one gripping yours so tightly you felt the joints shifting under—and his other hand to your cheeks.

"See?" You closed your eyes, pressing your face against his touch.

Yeah.

Jinwoo exhaled, slow, unsteady.

Then—he leaned in.

Your presence—you—against his palms.

Right here. You’re right here.

Until his forehead could touch yours.

And so, so warm.

——oOo——

{In illustrations, we could take creative liberties to depict our reality.}

{Whether it’s creating multiple aspects out of proportions openly or changing just a single, subtle enough detail, one reason is to clue us in on the meaning behind it.}

{So, I’m curious…}

{If I described the moment Jinwoo leaned in, the moment light returned to his eyes at your touch, your warmth—

The black in his eyes rippled.

Like ink washing away, the pitch dark gave way to stormy grey. Then lighter. Until—

Against the glowing hue of blue, at the very center of it all—

(you)

If you simply knew, if you simply saw how that light reflected, unmistakable in its shape.

A heart…}

{How would you react, ‘Trial Player’? ~}

——oOo——

“What were you thinking about earlier?”

“Hm?” You blinked at him.”

“When I first asked about the < Feast >,” Jinwoo clarified. “You seemed… distracted.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” You paused, gaze dropping. “Just…”

“Just?” He pressed gently.

“I can feel it,” Your voice was barely a whisper as your hand rose to your chest, resting over your heart.

“How happy they are.”

“‘They’?” Jinwoo asked, though he already suspected the answer.

"My children,” Your gaze met his then, and something in your expression shifted. The edges of your eyes softened, your expression so tender, so genuine, it took his breath away again. “Eating makes them happy."

“I’m happy for them,” you added simply, smiling so radiantly—

—so disarmingly, it almost made him forget the reality of your words.

Jinwoo found himself staring, wondering how someone could look so utterly beautiful in such unsettling context. Spoken of something so—objectively—disturbing with the way of tone so warmth, so truthful, so serene, that made it feel natural, made it feel... right.

And yet, he couldn’t look away.

And yet, he didn’t feel repulsed.

And yet… he was the one who felt strangely electrified—

No.

—Jinwoo was thrilled.

The hum of the gate beckoned, a low, resonant vibration that pulled you both back to the present.

It was time to leave.

End Note:

Unedited Draft of [28/02/2025]

Double update? Double update. 😉

Thank you @eternadreeblissa for providing this chapter's surprise illustration! The version I put here is cropped a bit to bring out more focus on the eyes. I'll provide the full-version + the alternate versions ('cause all of them are too good to pass up) in this chapter's reblog here! 🙏🥹❤️

How do we feel about breaking-the-4th-wall segments, Everyone? Yea or Nay? 🤔

Beru, I love you, but your pattern of speech is killing me. 😭

Igris, you're a good boy. I'm sorry I'm making you that-one-tired-roommate-of-Beru's-before-Bellion-arrived. I'm also sorry if me bringing up your past—which I also took some creative liberties on in writing—dug up any past trauma for you. 🙏🥹

Trick is dramatic, theatrical, and fangirl all-in- one. Low-key female & human-but-also-not-so version of Beru? Hmm, maybe. Hopefully, I can make her distinct enough from Beru so their kinda love-hate dynamic that I'm aiming for won't be boring. 🫡

Guess which < Children of 'Trial Player' > took after (Name)'s motherly nature the most? That's right, Red. I guess not much surprise there? She's that-one-older-sister-who-mothered but is still her mother's daughter. 🥹❤️

On crack, JinwooxReader in this chapter is basically these:

{ —1—

Jinwoo: *Making up his mind about something-something deep related to (Name)*

(Name): *Making Jinwoo question absolutely everthing about his decision just a few seconds later*

(And this won't be the last time this happen.) }

{ —2—

(Name): *Starting to openly show her dark side, still just the tip of the iceberg*

Jinwoo: "I feel scared, but that's hot."

These two are going to get more and more fucked up the further we go down this AU. Jinwoo is still in the process of falling, while (Name) is already further ahead than him in that void, she just hid it very well. Funny thing about this is part of their dynamics in the future that I'm aiming for (for now, future subject to change) being like this:

Wife!(Name): "This Jinwoo is my eldritch yandere husband and I LOVE him. I won't change him for any version of him and I'm the only who can handle this him in the multiverse." (and she can, this is not a drill, the Rulers and the World Tree bear witness, she's saying this matter-of-fact and with well-hidden yandere-ish.)

Husband!(Jinwoo): "(Name) is my wife, my only one in the multiverse, and I will tear everything apart if she's taken as much as a step away from me. Don't even try. Can she still scare me? Yes. But she's the only one who can while also makes me horny 'cause it's her, my goddess, and I'm her first and only."

TP AU!Suho: "I love them, won't exchange them for any multiverse version of 'my' parents. But mine are definitely too fucked up."

(Wait until it's your turn, boy. You might be the same or worse than them)

TP AU!Suho: "...Heh?"

(Somewhere in the abyss of my very very ancient drafts, forgotten until I feel like digging them up:

Guide!Reader: *Safe and sound until—* "Achoo!")

TP AU!Suho's younger sister (placeholder name for now): "Hmm? I love my family🦋💀."

TP AU!Cha Hae-in: "Yup, this is my reality alright. As long as my bestie is here, everything will be fine. Kudos to my other versions that married their versions of my second dearest friend Jin and have their versions of my dear nephew as their child tho. Still won't change mine for anything, my number one ship have sailed and I'm not going anywhere as long as they're here."

The ¿System?: *Chilling with the butterflies🦋 and shadows💀 somewhere* 😎🍹 }

That's all, folks!

Feedbacks are very much appreciated. Thank you for reading. 🙏💕

[josefiendelphine]

✨🌿 The Sims 4 Lepacy Challenge is Here! 🌿✨

Calling all Simmers and legacy lovers! 🧬 This one is for you if you're craving a long-term, generation-spanning challenge that lets you dive deep into every expansion pack. Created by the incredible @sublimesims for the rules 📜 and myself for the visuals 🎨, we bring you the Sims 4 Lepacy Challenge! 🌈 Each generation is inspired by the packs and lets you explore new features, worlds, and ways to play—perfect for anyone who loves the storytelling possibilities of The Sims 4! 📚

Inspired by the classic Sims 3 Lepacy, this challenge gives us a chance to evolve gameplay each gen with new expansion packs 🌎, and only those packs (plus any optional add-ons, if you're feeling it!). It's not about cramming every feature in—it's about growing, evolving, and diving into each expansion with intention 🌱. Special shoutout to annaliesembsims, whose Sims 4 lepacy challenge inspired us too! 💖✨

Quick Start for Gen 1 💼🌆

Start off in one of the base game towns (Willow Creek, Oasis Springs, or Newcrest) 🌿🏡. Your founder sim arrives here, ready to build a life and career from scratch. They’ll make friends, fall in love with a townie 💑, and set the foundation for generations to come! Each gen has its own story and flavor, making it all about your unique sims’ adventures, dreams, and quirks. 🎉

From Get to Work 🏢👩‍⚕️ in Gen 2 to Horse Ranch 🐴🍇 in Gen 15, every expansion offers new goals and gameplay twists. Plus, each generation lists all the packs released the same year, so you can go all out if you want to keep it era-authentic. 🎞️🌌

Generations Overview 🌸

Without giving away too much, here’s a sneak peek of the vibes:

Gen 3: Move to Windenburg for those nightlife vibes with Get Together 🕺

Gen 5: Escape to Brindleton Bay for pet-friendly adventures in Cats & Dogs 🐾🐱

Gen 8: Relax in Sulani and embrace island life with Island Living 🌴🏖️

Gen 12: Settle in the countryside of Henford-on-Bagley in Cottage Living 🐔🏡

Gen 17: Find romance and adventure in Ciudad Enamorada with Lovestruck 💘🌆

With every new generation, you'll explore new worlds, max unique skills, fulfill exciting aspirations, and grow an unforgettable family story. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Each generation has its quirks, like maxing the DJ skill in Gen 3 🎧 or becoming a famous celeb in Del Sol Valley in Gen 7 🌟. And of course, in Gen 14, Growing Together has all the wholesome family moments and milestones 🍼🌻.

Ready to Begin? 🏁

Check out the full rules on my Patreon and Tumblr! Or go check it out by @sublimesims 📝💌 This challenge is packed with variety, fun, and a fresh take on legacy gameplay. Let’s see how far your family can go, from humble beginnings to worldwide fame, and everything in between! 🕰️👑 So, are you in? Let’s get le-gacy-ing! 🎮💥

Happy Simming! 🥂

[chingyu1023vick]

New Mods For Seasons

🎀 Two early accesses and one free mod to celebrate this seasonal time in your Sims game!  I'm grateful to share my happy moments with you guys this year.

~

⭐NEW: Weather Lot Challenges

⏩ A bundle of 42 Lot Challenges to cheat the weather of the current Lot, regardless of the natural weather forecast, worlds, or seasons.

This mod does not override any game tunings, and it works with my other weather mods!

🆗 Compatible with all my other mods and traits.

🧩 Requires EP05 Seasons Expansion Pack

👉 Gameplay Effects of Weather Lot Challenges

These Lot Challenges affect the weather immediately as soon as the Lot is loaded with your Sim on it, and the effects will stay even when the Sim is off the lot until you remove the Lot Challenges. 

They are supposed to be used as cheats for storytelling, easier gameplay, taking screenshots, etc. You are recommended to remove the Lot Challenges from the Lot when you no longer need them so that it won't interfere with your normal gameplay.

Since a Sims world shares the same climate, giving multiple Weather Lot Challenges to different Lots of the same worlds and loading those Lots will cause the weather to switch rapidly.

👑 Mod Info HERE

🧡 Download HERE NOW!!!

Public Access: Jan 16

~

⭐NEW: Snowy Worlds

⏩ This mod disrespects geography and makes all worlds (except Batuu and secret locations) snowy in winter. 

🤗You can pick what worlds to snow!🤗

This overrides the region tuning and weatherForcastList tuning of those worlds to make the snow fall and accumulate. Please ensure you have no conflicted mods that are editing these game tunings.

🆗 Compatible with all my other mods. Works well with my Nice Climate Mod!!!

🧩 Requires EP05 Seasons and the packs tagged on each package!!!

💘 List of Worlds now have Snowy Winter:

Pick and install only the worlds you have!!!

Ciudad Enamorada_EP16: Lovestruck

Del Sol Valley_EP06: Get Famous

Oasis Springs_BG

Ravenwood_EP17: Life & Death

San Sequoia_EP13: Growing Together

Selvadorada_GP06: Jungle Adventure

Stranger Ville_GP07: StrangerVille

Sulani_EP07: Island Living

Tartosa_GP11: My Wedding Stories

Tomarang_EP15: For Rent

👑 Mod Info HERE

🧡 Download HERE NOW!!!

Public Access: Jan 16

~

⭐NEW: Nice Climate Mod

⏩ This mod lowers the chance of bad weather like blizzards, heat waves, and thunderstorms.

🆗 Compatible with all my other mods. Works well with my Snowy Worlds!!!

🧩 Requires EP05 Seasons Expansion Pack

👑 Mod Info HERE

🎁 Download HERE (Free)

Have a nice and warm holiday season!

🔆 Changelog in December 2024 HERE

🔹 Links to ALL My Traits, Game Mods, and CCs

🔹List of IDs for creators who want to refer my traits to their own mods 

🔹 List of Chingyu’s CC Traits Name and Descriptions for mod users

🔹 Check Mod Status after a patch & Compatibilities

👁‍🗨 Learn how to install a mod & FAQs

👁‍🗨 Terms of Use

👁‍🗨 Ask Questions/ Suggestions/ Bug Reports on Discord

▶ I need to see a screenshot or LE report to help you figure out what’s wrong!

👁‍🗨 Download on my Patreon

👁‍🗨 Follow me on Twitter

[nagaytoe]

Cor Meum

(Latin) [noun] my Heart

Ć̷͚̇ŗ̷̧̨̡͍̺̤̠͎̱̬͙̥̝̤̆̈́̈͌́́̀̀̐̓̈́̉̈́̽͂́͐͋̓͛̔̈́̓̋͆̔̀͗̄̆̌́͂̕̚͘͠͝o̴̧̜̭͇̣̘̫̜͍͚͈̰̣͚͈͉͉̝͔͇̾̿̏͛͗̑̚͜͝͝ͅw̶̧̛͖̭͚͈̙̬̯̼̬̻͇̹͊̓̈́̔̋͆̊̆͛͜͠ͅ-̷̢̧̘̜͈̞̻̳̫̠̟̘̳̜̬̗̪͗̈́S̸̨̡̢̼̺̤̮̰͍̺̞̃̏̀̓̇͌͐̉̑͒̈́̃͂̈́̌͆̍̓͗͌̽͐͌̚͝͠͝ͅǫ̵̺̜̝̫͇̼͉̫̪̫͈̹͕̱̱̳̝̱͔̫͚̟̭͍̫̖̭̲̞̩̱͔͓̘̪̝̦̜͓̟͉̐̐́̊͂́̐̀̿͂͘̕͠l̷̡̧̨̧̰͔̪̳̪̼͉̥̹̩̞͎̘̣̱̦̞̳̙̲̤̣̹͔̦̣͚̞͉̗͉̝̰̝̟͉̼͓͖̝̈̈͂͆͋̑͒̈͑́̈́̇͆͂̈́̃̂̏̿̐̽̀̊̃̏̉͘̕͘͘͜͜͜͝ͅX Reader

Word count: 2.8k

Requests: Open

TWs, Tags: Multilation, Murder, Guts, Vomiting, Delusion, Manipulation, Crowe and Reader are in an established relationship, Sol and Reader don't formally know each other

Pink heart garlands decorated the hallways, the faint scent of roses permeating the air, despite the amount of people here. Some students' lockers, once again including Geo’s, were filled to the brim with love letters. You couldn’t fathom why people made such a big deal of this day, treating it equally to far more important holidays.

Nonetheless, this year, you were not as unaffected by the Day of Love as you usually were but who was to blame for that? None other than Jericho Ichabod.

The two of you were together for almost half a year and it was by far the best time period of your life. You could not wish for a sweeter, more attentive boyfriend than him and you would be lying if you said you hadn’t imagined a future with him every now and then - like moving in together, getting married, adopting some animals.

“Are you even listening to me?” A feminine, smokey voice snapped you out of your thoughts and you looked over to the blonde girl next to you with wide eyes. Brtittney sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with bright pink acrylic nails.

“Seriously? I’m trying to help you here, you know?”

It was true, you had asked Brittney to help you pick out a Valentine’s day present for your beloved Crowe, since you couldn’t settle for one single thing.

The presents were either too dull, too basic for someone like him, other ideas were way too personal and expensive for Valentine’s day and were better suited for his birthday.

Brittney and you pushed through the crowd of students as you were on your way to the cafeteria.

“Sorry, Brit, I just… I feel like such a bad partner for not immediately coming up with something fitting for him…” Your eyes were cast down to the floor as you sighed heavily. The girl next to you rolled her eyes and smiled at you, nudging your side with her elbow. “You are not a bad partner, seriously, I don’t think I have ever seen Crowe this happy. You could probably give him a random stone you picked up from the street and he’d treasure it like a diamond necklace.”

She wasn’t wrong, Crowe wasn’t the materialistic type by any means, but you still wanted to give him something meaningful.

“I was thinking about getting us a sun and moon necklace, but I’m not sure whether he will like it or not .”

The blonde woman sent a deadpan expression your way, as if to ask you if you were being serious.

Averting your gaze, you were left to admit that he would most likely like it a lot. He liked jewelry, he liked celestial bodies, there was no chance he wouldn’t love it, if you were being frank.

“The only challenge is how you’re gonna get that, though. I doubt any local shop has this exact piece of jewelry in store right now.”

Fiddling with your fingers, you thought about ways you could possibly obtain this present for him.

“I’m sure some shop has the charms I need, I can just make the necklace myself.”

Brittney nodded at you in agreement, before pushing open the door to the cafeteria.

-

After almost an hour of looking for the charms you needed, you finally managed to find the perfect ones. A simple, golden sun with a small, round gemstone right in the center of the charm for you and a silver crescent moon, an oval gemstone adorning the middle for Crowe. Getting them was a hassle, especially since the mall was filled to the brim with people frantically searching for Valentine’s day presents. However, getting something sweet for Crowe was worth enduring the suffocating crowd.

Once you arrived at your apartment, you immediately beelined towards your bedroom to get to work, shopping bag in tow. Sitting down on your soft bed, you carefully unpacked the pendants, along with two black leather cords to attach the charms to.

It reminded you of when you were younger, when times were easier. Back then, you made necklaces like these for fun, to give to your parents or friends as presents. To you, it always felt far more personal than store bought jewelry. Of course, now that you were grown-up people expect you to give them presents other than hand-made ones, but you knew Crowe would never judge you, especially not for pouring time and effort into making something for him.

Taking a look towards the clock attached to the wall right over your bedroom door, you noticed you had two hours left until Crowe would come over.

The two of you had decided to meet up at your place in the evening and spend the night together, especially since Valentine’s day was on a friday this year. Perhaps tonight you could take things to the next level in your relationship. It was not like neither of you wanted to have sex, but he was your first boyfriend and you did not want to rush things, a decision he was perfectly fine with. A rush of warmth spread through your body at the thought, causing you to feel giddy as you got to work.

Time ticked by, soft music played in the background which you put on right before you started creating the necklaces. Looking at the time, you noticed not even half an hour had passed and you were already finished, the sun necklace already hanging around your neck. You pondered for a moment and decided to watch your favorite show in the meantime, during your wait for Crowe. While you turned on your TV, your mind wandered back to the walk towards the mall. You couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, constantly looking over your shoulder as you made your way towards your destination. It was a feeling that had accompanied you for quite some time now and since you’ve been with Crowe it has only gotten worse. You shook your head, trying to disperse the thought. Due to the lack of another explanation, you decided your imagination must be playing tricks on you. Eventually, you put on the show and decided to relax a little, longing to get rid of the familiar tickling feeling right behind your ribcage, the feeling of dread. Losing yourself in your favourite show seemed like a good way to escape your thoughts right now.

-

Your gaze wandered towards the clock and you noticed Crowe was running half an hour late already. Usually he was never late to anything, but whenever that was the case he informed the person waiting for him. Grabbing your phone, you opened his contact and called him.

It rang once.

Twice.

Three times and a few more after that until you were sent to his mailbox.

Worry started to settle deep in your stomach. What if something happened to him? You knew that this town wasn't the safest, danger lurked in every dark corner and especially with how dark it was outside during this time of the day, your fear was not unjustified.

Just as you went to try for another call, the doorbell rang. Heaving a sigh of relief, you sprang off the bed and rushed towards the door, not bothering to turn off the show.

“Hey, I was starting to-”

It was not Crowe standing in front of your door.

Red eyes locked with yours as you gazed up at the man in front of you in confusion.

“Can I help you?”

The man looked vaguely familiar, if you remember correctly you shared a class with him.

He nodded and smiled, although it looked strained, like he was forcing himself to keep his composure.

“May I come in?”

Just then you noticed the box in his hands, causing you to cock your head to the side as you eyed him up and down for a moment. Black dress shoes, dark green pants with a chain in a lighter shade attached to the waistband and a black shirt. Underneath, a green-black striped long sleeve peeked out, effectively covering his arms. Straight, shoulder-length black hair, some green streaks scattered across the strands, framed his pale face but the most intriguing feature were his piercing vermillion eyes.

“I’m expecting a visitor…” You rubbed your arm awkwardly, trying to ease the tension coursing through your body. What was it about this man that made you feel so on edge?

His eye twitched ever so slightly and the corner of his mouth quirked downwards a little. “Don’t worry, I’ll be gone before he is here.”

Shaking your head, you stood your ground. You didn’t know this man, nor did you know what his intentions were.

His smile dropped and his eyes narrowed as he stretched out his arms, offering the present for you to take.

“Will you at least take a look at what I brought you?”

You eyed the box suspiciously, taking it from his hands with hesitance evident in your movements.

“Come on,” he nudged you, an unsettling smile on his face once more. “Open it.”

The man almost seemed excited as you began to take the lid off the box. Your blood froze as you gazed upon the contents.

A heart.

Blood smeared all over and a note to top it off:

With this I ask your Love

Give into me, let yourself fall.

For when push comes to shove

You will be all mine, after all.

You dropped the box in shock, your hands coming up to clutch over your mouth as you looked at the man in horror, a crooked grin spread over his features.

“Do you like it? Did you notice the initials I carved into it? It was quite troublesome, muscle is a tough material for engraving.”

Taking a step back you went to slam the door shut, launching the box outside in the process. However, just before it could fully close, the man stuck his shoe in between the door and the frame.

“What’s the matter, Pumpkin? I thought you wanted his heart so bad?" The man spat out the words as he pushed the door open, overpowering you with barely any effort.

He stepped over the doorstep, kicking the box further into the apartment and closing the door behind him.

"I would have given you my own heart, but I still need it to love you.” Gazing upon you, a sinister smile graced his features.

You felt bile rise in your throat.

“Do you not recognize it? The heart, I mean. Seems like you didn’t hold it as dear as you were supposed to, huh?”

His chuckle caused you to throw up all over the floor in front of you.

“Oh, Pumpkin, don’t worry. I am glad, actually. That means you never truly loved him, did you?”

He took a step closer.

“Perhaps… he was just a distraction until you found your true soulmate?”

Another step.

“Is that it, Pumpkin? I am here now, you need not longer endure his presence.”

Just then it hit you.

You never mentioned that the visitor was male.

This was not some elaborate sick joke, this man in front of you killed someone, your Lover's blood was on his hands.

Your gaze snapped up to meet his, eyes wide in shock and brows furrowed in fury.

“What…what did you do?” It took far too much effort to speak as you choked out each word.

The man stepped over the contents of your stomach strewn across the floor and stretched out his hand in a comforting gesture, though it felt more looming than anything else.

“I just took care of the trash.” He said it in such a nonchalant fashion that it made you sick.

Slapping his hand away, you quickly backed away, your mind racing as you contemplated your next move.

His gaze darkened, the red eyes staring at you grew into slim slits.

“Pumpkin, are you not happy I have freed you of him?”

This guy was nuts, just what on earth was he talking about?

“We can finally be together, just you and me with no one else in the way.”

His eyes locked onto your necklace and the corners of his mouth tugged upwards.

“What the hell are you talking about, I don't even know you!”

Taken aback by your statement, the man momentarily stopped in his tracks, hurt lacing his facial features now.

“I'm Sol, you… you know me.” He said it like it's the most obvious thing in the world, as if he couldn't wrap his head around the fact, the mere possibility of you not knowing him.

“We've been in the same art class for three years…three years which I spent desperately trying to get your attention.”

Slowly but surely he grew irritated.

“Look, Sol,” You tried your best to diffuse the situation for that is your only option as of now. “I'm sure I have seen you around, but you have never talked to me, have you?”

Sol's brows furrowed in irritation now.

“I have talked to you before, I have tried to befriend you and gain your affection, but you?”

The man scoffed as he stepped closer, his pace not slow and careful anymore but fast and purposeful. Before you knew it, he had your upper arm in a bruising, vice-like grip.

“You cut the conversation short. Every. Time. You disregarded me over and over again.”

He leaned in closer to your face and you felt a heavy weight settle in your stomach.

“I didn’t get why…and I have tried with all my might to prevent blood-shed, but you forced my hand, Pumpkin. The moment you officially started dating that slug, I knew I had to get active… I couldn't idly stand by and watch someone take the love of my life from me.”

He cupped your cheek with his free, ice cold hand and you started breathing faster.

“I tried to win you over, even as you were dating him but you acted like you weren't interested in me in the slightest… Do you have any idea how much that hurt me?”

Sighing, he lowered his head momentarily.

“And now seeing this necklace on you… you always knew you were mine, didn't you? Even if it was some part hidden in the depths of your heart…”

The sun necklace.

Sol meant sun.

You unintentionally marked yourself as his property, further playing into his delusions.

“Were you just stringing me along, wanting to see how far I would go for you? You were aware of my presence all this time, weren't you?”

Sol leaned in closer, shuddering in delight as he took a deep breath, inhaling your scent.

”All those years I've spent longing for you, watching your every move…”

Your breathing grew ragged, the panic in your stomach increased tenfold at the realisation and coursed through your entire body.

“It was all worth it. And to know you love me too… it's better than anything I could ever imagine.”

With every word he spoke you took more eager breaths, trying to calm yourself but ultimately ending in hyperventilation. Tears streamed down your face, which he wiped away with his thumb, the touch feather-light and filled with adoration. Had anyone else done it, had Crowe done it, it would have been comforting, but coming from him, especially in the current situation it disgusted you more than anything.

“Shh, Pumpkin, calm down, I'm here…it's alright…”

Sol pulled you closer to him, wrapping his strong arms around you.

You failed to recognize the words he muttered, too occupied with your own thoughts.

You could have prevented this.

You are the reason Crowe is dead.

If only you had been less ignorant.

The world around you started swaying a little, the lack of proper oxygen due to hyperventilation getting to you.

Sol carefully picked you up and as much as you wanted to thrash in his grasp, you couldn't, far too disoriented and weak to do so. Your arms were aimlessly flaying around, only earning a few grunts from him whenever you managed to hit him.

“Let's relax a little… I see you left your favourite show on, perfect to relax to, isn't it?”

He laid you down on the bed, climbing in right after and wrapping his arms around you in a tight embrace once more.

You could feel your consciousness slipping away and no matter how desperately you tried to hold onto it, it was no use, you couldn't will your body to breathe more calmly and evenly.

He kissed the top of your head and tried to comfort you, although it did nothing but unsettle you further.

“Don't worry, Pumpkin…I'm here now and I won't leave until your visitor arrives.”

Your visitor won't ever arrive.

Sol won't leave you anymore, will he?

A sinister chuckle with an edge of playfulness to it, echoed from his direction as he spoke the last words you heard before passing out.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Pumpkin.”

[blacktabbygames]

Cant remember if you answered this already but do you guys have any personal favorite video games in 2024?

We've finished surprisingly few games this year, and I don't love weighing in on games I haven't finished, but here's some favorites we played (not all of them came out this year though!):

The demo for Perfect Tides Station to Station - I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the full first season in the sequel. The first Perfect Tides is one of my favorite interactive narratives of all time it really says something that the sequel so far blows the first game out of the water. Aspirationally good. Criminally underrated. League of its own. Thronefall - Great mix of tower defense hack and slash, and resource management.

South Scrimshaw, Part One - Phenomenal and imaginative visual novel styled as a documentary about the life cycle of a whale species on an alien planet.

1000xResist - Wildly complicated narrative that beautifully weaves together an astounding number of themes. What does it mean to yearn for a place that no longer exists? I would recommend going into it blind.

In Stars and Time - We're bad friends and didn't have the chance to finish it until this year. Really thoughtful time loop narrative. Made us cry.

Nine Sols - I'm breaking my "I haven't finished it" rule because I really like what I've played so far. It's also pretty hard so not something I want to pick up when I get tired. Brilliant metroidvania by Red Candle Games, who are one of our favorite developers. Quite a different direction than their previous titles though (Devotion and Detention.)

Thank Goodness You're Here - really funny slapstick adventure :)

Path of Exile 2 - Finally an ARPG with challenging gameplay that's deeper than spamming 4 buttons really fast.

Alan Wake II Welcome to Nightsprings DLC - SO clever and creative. Really loved the text-based adventure in the last one.

On my ever growing backlog: Animal Well, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (I've heard people have needed physical notebooks for this one though so it might not be my speed), finish Indika, which is so stylish, finish Rise of the Golden Idol (loved the first game!) We've done so many things this year — Pristine Cut, move into a new place, get married, etc, so I've been too tired to engage with a lot of more difficult games.

[talon-dragonbeast]

Anglocentrism in alterhuman communities: ramblings of a Spanish-speaking dragon and a cat

[original in spanish here, though i have no doubt that this version will be disseminated more widely] • [original en español aquí, aunque tengo la certeza de que esta versión se difundirá más ampliamente]

this post was originally written as part of The Sol System's Alterhuman Writing Challenge. written by @talon-dragonbeast, with the help of my sibling @watcherwingedcat. we hope you like it!

word count: 2422

This writing, which is more of a rant with myself than a proper essay, is one I've been meaning to write for a long time; ever since I first joined an online community, to be more precise. Anglocentrism, according to Wikipedia (and yes, the irony of the article not being available in Spanish is not lost to me), is "the practice of viewing the world primarily through the lens of English or Anglo-American culture, language, and values, often marginalizing or disparaging non-English-speaking or non-Anglo perspectives."

If you are monolingual and your native language is English, chances are you have never stopped to think about the advantage this gives you over those of us who are not so fortunate as to be born with the lingua franca on our lips. Yes, you may have had to study some Spanish in school, but let's be honest, very few people remember what they learn in elementary school. As an English speaker, the whole world is built for you, and it's the rest of us who have to fit your mold. Culture, scientific articles, movies, books, video games, the internet, online communities, technical language, educational videos: even in the most international spaces, everything revolves around English. Which brings me to the subject of this writing: The Alterhuman community.

My name (as I am known on the internet, at least) is Talon. I've been a member of the alterhuman community, and more specifically, the otherkin community, for a little over a year now. Otherkin (a word that comes from other, in Spanish otros; and kin, shortened form of kind, in Spanish tipo) are people who identify as nonhuman in some way. For example, I identify as a dragon (among other things), and that's what I am, even if I look human on the outside and am perceived as such. There are many reasons why someone might believe they are not human, but I'm not here to discuss that, so let's get back to the topic at hand.

Since I've been in this community, I haven't written a single post in Spanish. And not for lack of desire, nor because I am intimidated to share something as personal as my mother tongue. No, the reason is simple: The community does not exist in any language other than English. By this I don't mean that there are no non-humans outside of England or the United States, because of course there are (even if they are on other platforms like TikTok or Instagram), and I'll talk about those later. But simply put, the reason you don't see many alterhuman communities in other languages is because all the resources, the introductions, the chronologies of the (English) alterhuman community, the definitions of the terms, the terms themselves, everything is in English.

I have always been bilingual. Well, trilingual actually, although my third language is not too relevant in my day to day life and I only use it in classes or when someone starts a conversation in the language. It's hard to explain how your brain works when you speak multiple languages fluently, but basically it's like running two parallel systems at the same time, but with thoughts. I don't usually think with words, but when I do it usually happens that some of my thoughts are in Spanish, and others in English, roughly in a 50/50 ratio. Or it can also happen that I start the thought in one language, but finish it in another. Or I may try to use a specific word in English that does not have an exact translation into Spanish, so that when translated literally the sentence does not make sense. Basically, everything I write or say out loud I have to run it through several filters first, one to remove the words from the other language, one to find the words to replace them with, and one to make the sentence make sense. Sounds exhausting, doesn't it? It is. Now imagine if in order to express yourself as you really are, in order to participate in a community with beings who understand and accept you like no other, you had to basically suppress half of who you are, all the time.

The problem is not only not being able to use my native language to express myself. As I have demonstrated in the last year and a half that I have been in this community, I am fluent enough in English not only to be understood when I speak, but also to express such complicated concepts as the self, human nature, the psychology of being, and all that comes with existing as nonhuman. The real problem comes when I try to express relatively common alterhuman concepts in my native language. I'm not just talking about labels like otherkin or therianthrope, which can be adapted to Spanish with relative ease. It's the little things, the simplest things.

For example, the term shift. The word itself is already difficult to translate; during my searches, I found a glossary of terms on the Otherkin Hispano website in which they call them "desplazamientos", which... is an accurate translation, I guess, but impossible to use comfortably in everyday life. There are also terms whose definitions use expressions that simply cannot be translated into other languages. For example, otherkin and otherhearted. In English, the difference between these two terms is that otherkin means "[to] identify as" while otherhearted is "[to] identify with". But this is a purely English expression. In other languages, the distinction does not exist, or it makes no sense to use it; therefore, these terms are totally inaccessible to any international user. Or compound words like "catkin", which are difficult to express in other languages. According to Otherkin Hispano, in Spanish it would be said as is without translation, Soy catkin. But that... is not grammatically correct, since it would be mixing two languages in the same sentence. The most appropriate would be to say Soy gatokin, which sounds wrong and doesn't make sense anyway, because kin is still an English word. Or "hearttype", which in Spanish could be roughly translated as "tipo del corazón" (kind of [the] heart). When saying that you have a specific hearttype, for example "corvidhearted", one way of expressing it could be a simple Soy corvidhearted, which carries the same problems as catkin. Or you could, as Wikipedia advises, say Soy corazón de córvido ("I am heart of corvid"). I don't dislike it, to be honest, but some might find it too metaphorical or poetic.

Finally, and before reaching the conclusion, I want to dedicate a few paragraphs to talk about the alterhuman community that exists in other languages. I mentioned before these communities; that although they do exist, they are very scattered through platforms such as TikTok or Instagram, with which I am not so familiar. But since I can't talk about Anglocentrism without at least talking about the Spanish-speaking alterhuman community, I asked my sibling Watcher @watcherwingedcat what it thought about the topic. This is what they wrote:

Hi guys, I'm Watcher, and I'm here to talk a bit about the Spanish-speaking therian community, which I think is the pristine example of the hate we receive both from people outside the community and from those inside, both Spanish and South American. While this post focused more on the language barriers, I want to focus on the real consequences of this barrier, how it divides us in the way we interact with each other: The social part of this whole thing (as I already said some other time or another and some of my followers know, I am studying Social Education, so from my point of view the social part is very relevant for everything we do). As my sister already said (hi Talon!), the English community is the majority in alterhuman spaces, but, what is the Spanish-speaking community really like?

Not very large, is the answer. The term itself is not very widespread, and the community is quite small. However, after a while of searching, I found it in a little corner of the internet. When I found a community in my own language, I was excited, but my curiosity and joy were soon extinguished... When I saw the reactions to their videos and posts on tiktok mainly. They were packed with hate messages. Packed. If you think hate in the English community is bad, you are not prepared for the hate received in other communities, especially the Spanish one. This is more a matter of culture, a little bit also due to the closed mindedness in countries like Spain, Argentina, or Colombia.

In general, the non-humans of the Spanish-speaking community mostly post about quadrobics and masks. At least, I haven't seen much beyond that, and the community is mostly in tiktok. And the reception of their expression of way of being? Disgusting. To give an example of how bad the hate is, in one of the videos I found (I think it was a therian making a mask or something), humans and non-humans were insulting the therian posting the video, discussions about how we are crazy and sick in the head and should be in mental institutions... It was horrible. The worst were the death threats, even, wishing the therian to die, or hang themselves, or worse (I've even seen rape threats). Comments that said things like, "If my sister told me she was a dog I would take her clothes off and force her to sleep outside and eat animal food, if she wants to be a dog I will treat her like one." Threats of abuse, both physical and sexual... Absolutely disgusting. And the worst thing is that the tiktok platform did not remove these hate accounts, the copy and paste messages of insults, the threats....

I am proud of the Hispanic community for being so open about their identity, don't get me wrong, but there are times when it is safer to just not share that part of who we are with others, especially if you are a minor and vulnerable. That's another issue that concerns me, as I've seen people coming out to parents, siblings, friends, and them just belittling them. That, coupled with misinformation, is a recipe for disaster.

I couldn't help but notice the deep root of misinformation in the non-human community itself. They confuse definitions, the different terms, which leads them to spread even more misinformation. This I don't think is entirely their fault, or that they are so young for the most part, as I have not seen Hispanic therians over the age of 18. I think this is largely due (as Talon already mentioned) to the language difference, and the lack of translation of certain terms. In general, when talking to friends with whom I am open about my non-humanity, I use English terms. It is a little weird to use those words in English while speaking in Spanish, but I am bilingual and for now there is no solution to that. I think the Spanish community would benefit from spreading correct information, and having a platform to express themselves with their own, like tumblr is for the English community. Something my sister expands on in dreir post. As for me here I finish my little comment, I'll leave you with Talon now. Watcher out.

As a conclusion, I would like to talk about the consequences that Anglocentrism might have on non-English speaking alterhumans, and then propose some ideas on how we might begin to address (or at least mitigate) it as a community.

First of all it is the obvious; the vast majority of non-English speaking alterhumans simply never realize that they are alterhumans in the first place, on account of the language barrier. All of the resources for beings who are questioning their humanity or lack thereof are in English, so they are not accessible to people who don't understand the language; therefore, a non-English speaker would have a much harder time accessing them. Another consequence is not being able to express your alterhumanity fully, both internally and externally. Remember when I mentioned that my thoughts are evenly distributed between English and Spanish, always keeping a 50/50 ratio? Well, recently, I have noticed that when reflecting on my identity as a dragon, all my thoughts are automatically generated in English. I find this deeply shocking, as I feel that a fundamental part of my identity is being eroded. It is devastating to feel that you can only express half of who you are, suppressing what could otherwise be a complex and multifaceted identity. Not being able to express myself in my other language limits my ability to explore that part of myself.

Anglocentrism is a cycle that never ends; since all the resources are in English, no members in other languages can join, and since there are no members in other languages, all the resources that are created are in English. And while I wish I could say that I have a solution to end this Anglocentrism once and for all, unfortunately, I do not. I am only one person (dragon), and this is a problem that I alone cannot solve. True, there have been some commendable attempts by the international community (translations of writings, alterhuman blogs in languages other than English, the Eurokin server on Discord are some examples); however, these initiatives often don't often get very far because of the very nature of the community. As I have already said, most of the alterhumans are North American or English, therefore any attempt to globalize the community would be restricted by the fact that there are not many members who would be interested in this in the first place. So what can we do to change this? The answer lies in you, reader. If you have a second language, encourage yourself to create writings in it from time to time. If you come from a culture other than the mainstream, talk about how that affects your identity. If you have traditions specific to your country that you believe are alterhuman in nature, share them. And if you are part of the English-speaking majority, I invite you to contribute in a positive way through simple actions, such as listening to us when we express ourselves in other languages, recognizing that we do not all share the same culture, and keeping an open mind when discussing topics that may be unfamiliar to you. Our strength as a community lies in the diversity of our members; let's embrace it.

[anneliesembsims]

The Sims 4 Theme LEPacy challenge

Google doc version here

The idea behind the LEPacy challenge (originally created for Sims 3 by @simpishly was that each generation focused on a different expansion pack of the game. 

When I adapted it for The Sims 4 in 2019, I did not know that this game would continue on for so long, with no end in sight. It makes for an incredibly long challenge. I’ve decided that I will no longer update that, but create a new legacy challenge with a similar idea. 

With the Theme LEPacy, I have divided various Expansion, Game, and even some Stuff packs into 12 different gameplay themes. Some of these packs will show up in multiple generations because they have multiple themes in them. Each generation has options for various packs, so you do not need to have all of the packs to play them, but instead just the ones you want. 

You can also adapt it to your gameplay preferences, such as skipping the Occult generation entirely if that’s not gameplay you enjoy. 

I will update this challenge as needed, because future packs will no doubt fit into at least one of the themes. 

Not all Stuff Packs are represented, and I also didn’t fit Spa Day in. 

In the original LEPacy rules, and my Sims 4 LEPacy rules, it was suggested to wait to ‘unlock’ packs until you reached that generation. That is not necessary for this challenge. Have all the packs you want active. 

Notes: If there’s no mention of a particular career/way to make money, then do what you want. Same for number of children

Optional Rules over multiple generations: 

The “Family Home”

The lot you move to with your first generation becomes the “family home”. The traditional legacy rules has the family stay on one lot the whole time. Every generation has the choice to move to a new neighborhood, and all but two have the option of living in the “family home”. 

Heirlooms

The Family theme generation has a rule about having an heirloom if you have Life and Death. If you want to, and you have Life and Death, have an heirloom that carries with the main family line from the first generation through to the end. 

Family Cemetery

Create a family cemetery that all family members remains go to. You can do this with Base Game with a Generic lot type, or make one using Life and Death

Generation 1 - Career Theme

Packs: Get to Work, Get Famous, Dream Home Decorator

Starting in a new town, you know you need a good foundation for you and your future family to succeed, so you decide to focus heavily on your career, and to earn money to begin your legacy. 

Live in Willow Creek, Oasis Springs, Newcrest, or Del Sol Valley, or choose a lot in any neighborhood to be the family home

Have one of the following Active careers: Doctor, Scientist, Detective (Get to Work), Actor (Get Famous), or Interior Decorator (Dream Home Decorator)

Have a romance with one of your coworkers (Doctor, Scientist, Detective) or clients (Interior Decorator)

Have either the Mansion Baron or Fabulously Wealthy aspirations

Generation 2 - Love and Friendship Theme

Packs: Lovestruck, My Wedding Stories, Get Together

Your parent was always focused on their career, in an attempt to ensure the family had the best. It made for a very lonely childhood, so now you seek companionship in love and friendship

Stay in your family home or move to Ciudad Enamorada, Tartosa or Windenburg

(If you play with Get Together) Join or create a club based on your interests

Have a Popularity or Love aspiration (or Villainous Valentine)

Have at least 3 silver dates

Have at least 5 best friends

Date 3 separate people, either at the same time or different times. 

Have a successful wedding with either a Base Game or MWS wedding. 

Generation 3 - Farming and Animals Theme

Packs: Seasons, Cottage Living, Horse Ranch, Cats and Dogs

Your parent found love and affection in the people around them. You found love and affection in animals, and taking care of your plants.

Stay in your family home or move to Henford-on-Bagley, Brindleton Bay, or Chestnut Ridge

Have one of the following aspirations: Freelance Botanist, Friend of the Animals (Cats and Dogs), Championship Rider, Expert Nectar Maker (Horse Ranch) or Country Caretaker (Cottage Living

(With Cats and Dogs) Have at least one cat or one dog

(With Horse Ranch) Have at least one horse, one mini sheep, and one mini goat

(With Cottage Living) Have at least one cow, one llama, one chicken

Have a garden/greenhouse

Do not have a job and instead earn money through one or more of the following: Gardening, Flower Arranging, Wool, Milk, Eggs, Nectar, Horse Competitions

Generation 4 - Adventure and Travelling Theme

Packs: Jungle Adventures, Journey to Batuu, Snowy Escape, Outdoor Retreat

Your parent was always content staying at home with the animals and plants. You want more. You want adventure in the great wide somewhere

Stay in the family home, the previous generation home (if not playing the “family home” optional rule) or move to Mt Komorebi

Have one of the following aspirations: Jungle Explorer, Archaeology Scholar (Jungle Adventure), Extreme Sports Enthusiast (Snowy Escape), Hope Vs Order (into either Paragon of Hope or Enforcer of Order), Galactic Privateer (Journey to Batuu), or Outdoor Enthusiast (Outdoor Retreat)

Go to each vacation world available to you at least once

(With Snowy Escape) Reach the peak of Mt Komorebi

(With Jungle Adventures) Fully explore at least two temples

(With Outdoor Retreat) Find the Hermit

Complete at least one collection

Generation 5 - Occult Theme

Packs: Realm of Magic, Vampires, Werewolves, Life and Death, Strangerville, Island Living, Paranormal

Your parent found adventure in the world. You want to find adventure in things otherworldly.

Move to a Haunted House, Moonwood Mill, Glimmerbrook, Ravenwood, Strangerville, or Forgotten Hollow

Become an Occult (Vampire, Werewolf, Spellcaster, Mermaid, Ghost)

Romance an occult type that is NOT your own (alien included)

(With Paranormal) Go through a whole week living in a Haunted House Residential

Join the Reaper career (Life and Death), or the Paranormal Investigator freelance career (Paranormal stuff) (If you have neither pack, then there are no career limitations)

Reach the top level of the occult you are (unless you’re a mermaid, which doesn’t have a skill tree and levels)

(Strangerville) If you choose to move to Strangerville, complete the Strangerville mystery

Generation 6 - Family Theme

Packs: Parenthood, Growing Together, Life and Death, High School Years

Your parent was always involved in the supernatural, but you just want a normal life, with a normal, loving family. 

Move back to the family home, or move to San Sequoia or Copperdale

(Optional) Remove any occult status

Have a family aspiration

(With Life and Death) Ensure you have an heirloom to hand down the family line (this could be from the very first generation, or a new one) and create a will

Have 4 children, at least one being adopted

(With Growing Together) Each infant has two milestones in each category (social, first, gross motor, fine motor)

(With Parenthood) All children get at least one one Character Value trait

(With Life and Death) Hold a funeral for each close family member who passes away

(With Growing Together) Throw a family reunion

The next gen heir must have an A at school. Preferably all children do. 

(HSY) The next gen heir must have joined an after school activity and reached the top level of it. Preferably all children have joined an after school activity.

(HSY) Go on an active school day at least once

(HSY) All children go to prom at least once

Generation 7 - Education and Knowledge Theme

Packs: High School Years, Discover University

You have a thirst for knowledge and know the importance of a good education. You put all of your effort into being the best student, to ensure you have the best future

Have a knowledge aspiration

Stay in family home, or move to Britechester or Copperdale

(As part of previous generation) Must have received an A at high school

(High School Years, part of previous generation) Must have joined an after school activity and reached the highest level

(Discover University) Get accepted for a Distinguished Degree

(Discover University) Complete at least one degree

(Discover University) Join one student organisation

Reach level 10 in at least 5 skills

(Discover University) Get a job based on your completed degree

Generation 8 - Creative Theme

Packs: Nifty Knitting, Crystal Creations, Businesses and Hobbies, Eco Lifestyle

Your parents loved to learn and passed that down to you. You’re just a lot more hands on with your learning, and enjoy more creative skills.

Have a creativity aspiration

Stay in family home, or move to Nordhaven or Evergreen Harbor

Make money through selling your creations through Plopsy or market stall tables, the freelance careers of painting or fabrication, publishing your written books, or tips from playing music.

Reach level 10 of at least one of the following skills: Painting, Handiness (Woodworking), Writing, Piano, Guitar, Violin, Knitting (Nifty Knitting), Gemology (Crystal Creations), Pottery (Businesses and Hobbies), Fabrication (Eco Lifestyle)

(Optional with Cottage Living) Reach level 5 Cross Stitch skill

Generation 9 - Business Ownership Theme

Packs: Get to Work, Dine Out, For Rent, Cats and Dogs, Businesses and Hobbies

Your parents made some money through their creative pursuits, but you always thought they could make more. You want to be an entrepreneur, your own boss, a successful business owner.

Have the Fabulously Wealthy, Esteemed Entrepreneur (Businesses or Hobbies), or Five-Star Property Owner (For Rent) aspirations

Stay in the family home, or move to Brindleton Bay, Tomarang, or Nordhaven

Start your own business; Retail (Get to Work), Restaurant (Dine Out), Vet Clinic (Cats and Dogs), or Small Business (Businesses and Hobbies), or buy a Residential Rental lot (For Rent). 

Reach the top level of your business or rental, and unlock to the top level of perks (for those that have perks)

Generation 10 - Mischief Theme

Packs: Base Game, For Rent, Businesses and Hobbies

Your parent was a respected business person who never had much time for you, so you began to act out in response. 

Have one of the Deviance aspirations

Stay in the family home, or move to Tomarang, Nordhaven, Willow Creek, Oasis Springs, or Newcrest

Have at least one of the following traits: Klepotmaniac, Nosy (For Rent), Shady (Businesses and Hobbies)

Join the Criminal Career, Secret Agent career (and go down the villain path), the Astronaut career (and go down the smuggler path), or make money by selling your ill-gotten goods, blackmailing people with their secrets (For Rent), or heists (Businesses and Hobbies)p

Generation 11 - Location, Location, Location Theme

Packs: City Living, Snowy Escape, Island Living, For Rent

You need to get away from the reputation of your criminal parent, so you’ve set out to find your place in the world. Now you’ve found it, you want to make the most of it.

Move to San Myshuno, Mt Komorebi, Sulani, or Tomarang

Have one of the Location aspirations

Romance a local of the neighbourhood you live in

Never go on vacation, and try to never visit another town (except to visit family) - why go anywhere else when the place you live is so wonderful?

(With City Living, and you live in San Myshuno) Go to all city festivals at least once.

(With Snowy Escape, and you live in Mt Komorebi) Go to all Mt Komorebi festivals at least once.

Generation 12 - Environment Theme

Packs: Eco Lifestyle, Island Living

The world has provided so much for your family throughout the generations. Now it’s time to give back to the world.

Return to the family home, or move to Evergreen Harbor or Sulani

Join the Conservationist career (Island Living) or Civil Designer career (Evergreen Harbour)

(Island Living) Clean up Mua Pel’am

(Eco Lifestyle) Get your neighborhood into a green eco footprint (If it isn’t currently bugged)

[changingplumbob]

Second Round - Day Four (R2) 3 of 3

@paracosmic-sims, @perolesims, @eljeebee, @jonquilyst, @riverofjazzsims, @matchalovertrait

Isabella: I just knew I'd win this time

Quetzalli: Could there have been any other outcome?

Isabella: We're singers. This was basically our challenge to lose

Quetzalli: Now I just have to hope I don't trip up too much

Isabella: Same. It's a bit scary being the first time but we can do it

Quetzalli: Lucky it's sunny today

Quetzalli has chosen the beach for her solo date this round.

Deanna: Do you think you're mostly lucky or unlucky?

Quetzalli: I would consider myself fortunate

Deanna: What's the luckiest/unluckiest thing that has ever happened to you?

Quetzalli: The luckiest thing that has happened to me is gaining a small following. In the music industry, talent doesn't always guarantee success. For a lot of artists, making it big is based on pure luck.

Deanna: Can we get deep for a bit? My family believe in the watcher but I know not everyone does. Do you believe in fate, you know, destiny? Or do you think we're all at the mercy of some watcher?

Quetzalli: I don't believe in fate or destiny

Deanna: No?

Quetzalli: As a matter of fact, I don't believe we have a purpose in life that has been predetermined. However, to me that idea is incredibly freeing. We choose our own paths. Everyone here can live life how they'd like to.

Deanna: Say you can live anywhere. Where would you live?

Quetzalli: Tartosa forever! I can't imagine living anywhere else... well, maybe Del Sol Valley if it'll help my career. Or San Myshuno? All the lights at night must look stunning.

Deanna: I have to say I like being in Tartosa because it's close to my family

Quetzalli: I am completely fine with that because I love living in Tartosa. My moms are from Ciudad Enamorada but I’ve lived here my whole life. Ideally, I want to be close to my parents as well

Deanna: I like that. Of course vacations in Del Sol would be great if you need because I can just see Devin and her family when we're there

Isabella decided to pick the beach as her solo date venue.

Deanna: Do you think you're mostly lucky or unlucky?

Belle: I always just leave things to the Watcher...

Deanna: What's the luckiest/unluckiest thing that has ever happened to you?

Belle: I'm not really sure... what about you?

Deanna: I think getting to do this show is pretty lucky for me

Deanna: Can we get deep for a bit? My family believe in the watcher but I know not everyone does. Do you believe in fate, you know, destiny? Or do you think we're all at the mercy of some watcher?

Belle: I believe in the mercy of the Watcher. 

Deanna: Can I ask what makes you believe that? Family?

Belle: My Nana had me believe that whatever the Watcher writes in your fate, it is what you are destined for

Deanna: Say you can live anywhere. Where would you live?

Belle: I'd love to live in another city...like San Myshuno. I'd love to experience the city life. If it's not for me, well, I could always go back to Del Sol

Deanna: I have to say I like being in Tartosa because it's close to my family

Belle: The only places I frequent to is Tartosa and Del Sol Valley

Deanna: I could be persuaded to move if it was to somewhere stable

Belle: I'm based in Del Sol, so rest assured we could stay there most of the time, theoretically, of course. That also means that we could come back to Tartosa during the holidays

Deanna: That would be nice

With the dates concluded it's skill time back at the villa. The contestants get four hours today to focus on a skill of their choice. Former group mates Hana and Apolline both choose to work on their charisma. Isla's dream is still bothering her but she does her best to focus on rock climbing, while Nyami and Isabella also focus on the same skill in their own rooms. Quetzalli is our first contestant to sharpen her nectar making skill. Little did I know that the skill didn't come with a book so the singer has to get stuck in to practical work.

While Deanna is prepping food for everyone I catch up with her about the dates.

Devin: How did you find the dates today? Two more firsts

Deanna: Honestly? Best of the round so far

Devin: Really?

Deanna: Yes. It was great talking to Quetzalli one on one. Like... a silver level date

Devin: And Isabella?

Deanna: She's so enchanting! Gold level for sure. And I feel like opposites have attracted which I reckon is basically a smitten sentiment

Devin: How did you find it?

Isabella: I mean I'm hot headed and she's cheerful, or maybe it's that I'm ambitious while she's family oriented? But I think the opposites aren't putting us off. Well, it hasn't put me off

Deanna fixed everyone dinner. At this point autonomy is set to full again. Deanna will not start conversations, it's up to contestants. Deanna is locked out of all bedrooms but the rest will have access to beds for sleeping and computer distractions.

Hana: What is... this?

Deanna: It was in the cookbook as "Foraged Feast"

Quetzalli: It tastes pretty good

Apolline: I love the berries

Nyami: I haven't seen mushrooms this big for ages

Isla: You've said you get great food in the jungle though

Isabella: Tartosa gets lots of delicious imports

Isla and Quetzalli deal with the dishes for the night.

Quetzalli: Anyone want to have another go on the karaoke machines

Apolline: Those broken things? I think not

Hana: Relax Line, no one is going to force you to sing again

Deanna: Sorry if you didn't enjoy it, Devin picked the challenge

Isabella: Smart to see how we do in front of an audience

Hana and Apolline head upstairs for some table tennis.

Apolline: Thanks for sticking up for me

Hana: I don't think Quetzalli meant anything bad. She likes singing is all

The pair hug as they become good friends. Downstairs Nyami is having a brief erratic moment...

Isla: Your hair is really nice Deanna

Deanna: Thanks! Wasn't sure about the purple at the start but it's grown on me

It seems the early start is impacting a lot of the group. While Isabella sensibly heads to bed Quetzalli and Apolline find couches to nap on. Hana returns downstairs and joins in talking with Nyami, Isla and Deanna until the day is over.

Beach venue found on the gallery by Chellsdi Villa renovation by @paracosmic-sims

[arcadianmoonshadowjedi]

Season 7 Conflict between Ezran, Callum, and Rayla: Who’s Right and who’s wrong?

Or perhaps...

I feel like this has been a topic of heavy debate across the fandom and I guess I wanted to share my own perspective on this as well. I wanted to try to dive in and explore each of these characters’ stances on things, since in my opinion, each of them had valid points. Long post ahead!

Starting with Ezran, we’re all mostly used to him being an innocent, kind and sweet cinnamon roll that’s so quick to forgive others who have wronged him. And it’s not just us, but even the characters in the show too, which in some cases can be used against him (which I won’t get to here since this isn’t the point of this post). But I’m mentioning this here because this is major trait of his that we saw being challenged this season.

Well, I would argue maybe even since season 6:

Which not gonna lie, that was both surprising but also very satisfying, especially after all Viren has done in arc 1, especially in season 3, you could argue it was well deserved, and even Viren himself saw that. But getting back on topic, I feel like we start to see a more vengeful side of Ezran this season, especially after the trauma of having his whole kingdom that he’s ruling, his own home, be completely destroyed.

This itself was traumatic enough to change Ezran completely, especially after finding out that it was Sol Regem that destroyed it in a matter of minutes. And not only that, but also seeing Runaan, the very assassin who ‘killed’ his father that same day, lead him to push all the blame onto him. That everything changed since the night Harrow was ‘killed’ by him and Ezran was eventually forced to pick up the burden of being king and live through all of this.

Now I get that there’s alot of people in the fandom pointing out the hypocrisy of “how come he forgave Zubeia, who was the one that sent Runaan to kill Harrow, but he couldn’t forgive Runaan?” Which I would argue narratively, that is the point and it was something called out by Callum. I do personally think that perhaps, if Ezran may have crossed paths with Runaan at some point before the destruction of Katolis, he could have had a different response? Not necessarily saying it would be positive but perhaps, not as vengeful or angry?

I also wanted to point to something interesting in the short story Deep Below, which is set right before season 5 in the storm spire when he went to get the siren stone:

The screenshots above are on Ezran’s reaction to seeing the shadowhawk with the red blood ribbon that confirmed Harrow’s ‘death’ and the emotions he felt. But not only that, it also felt like he chose not to let himself properly deal with that anger and instead bottled it up for the sake of keeping the peace that he fought so hard to keep. But of course all of that came tumbling down after the destruction of Katolis leading up to the immense change in Ezran’s behavior. We see him letting out all of bottled up anger once he saw the assassin who was involved in the direct killing of his father that lead to the complete change of his life.

Now moving onto Rayla, I think it’s important to remember that for over two years, she had no idea what happened to her birth parents or Runaan but only that Viren had something to do with their disappearances. Then by the end of season 4, she received the coins that contained their spirits and since then, it’s become one of her primary goals to free them, even if she had to set that goal aside for the sake of saving the world. Then getting to the end of season 6, she was forced to let go of her birth parents after she finally reunited with them after many years, just so that she would let them be together in the afterlife, while choosing to bring back Runaan so that she can finally reunite him with Ethari.

Now I know that ideally, she shouldn’t have brought Runaan with her to Katolis, but because she made a promise to Callum that she wouldn’t leave without him again and Runaan was still recovering and more desperate than ever to reunite with Ethari, she couldn’t leave him on his own. I also think it wasn’t the best idea to let Runaan walk around freely in Katolis but I’m guessing none of the characters were expecting Ezran react in anger since they were mostly used to him being so forgiving.

Now we get to the next episode where Rayla, who was finally able to bring back one of her parents, has had that parent taken away from her once again. We see Callum trying hard to convince her to be patient and give Ezran some time to process everything that’s happened and that he would eventually forgive Runaan. But then we get to the council meeting where things get especially heated.

While I do think that Rayla didn’t bring it up or address this in the best way, I do think she made some really valid points:

And I know many people in the fandom have been arguing that Rayla was 'unsympathetic' towards Ezran but honestly, I think an argument can also be made that no one was sympathetic towards Rayla wanting to bring her family back together except for Callum, and I will talk more about him in detail later.

I also think another important detail we need to remember is that when it comes to this conflict, there’s a major power imbalance here. While yes, Ezran is a traumatized 12 year old kid dealing with the destruction of his kingdom and seeing the face of his father’s killer, he’s also the king who has the final say in everything. It’s his words and his orders against anyone else’s objections that get followed. He also has the backing and loyalty of the council, crownguard and all of the Katolis guards too, while Rayla only had the support of Callum in this situation.

And because of how things went at the meeting and seeing how Ezran wouldn’t listen to her and forgive Runaan right away, she decided to break Runaan out, despite Callum trying to convince her to be patient and give Ezran more time, to which then she responds:

Which then Callum fully accepts her decision and even offered to help (which again, I’ll talk more about later). But while the ideal thing for Rayla to do was to be more patient give Ezran time to do the right thing, which he eventually did at the end of the season, it’s also understandable why she couldn’t stay patient. Because after years, she finally has the opportunity to reunite what remains of her own family again.

Now I get to my last point, Callum. Despite seeing a lot of hate being directed towards Rayla and Ezran for their different stances, from what I’ve seen, I feel like Callum has been getting savaged a whole lot by different parts of the fandom, despite being caught in between both sides and torn between two people he loves. I feel like more people are willing to look at the complexity of the situation when it comes to Ezran or Rayla, but when it comes to Callum, his stance is more often reduced to: “he’s a terrible brother who betrayed Ezran because he doesn’t sympathize with him” or “he’s a doormat for Rayla who unconditionally worships her even at the expense of others or the greater good” while leaving out so many details, events and aspects of his overall character. Now I’m not saying that Callum handled things perfectly with Ezran and nor am I saying that he wouldn’t do reckless and crazy things for Rayla, but I feel like there’s so much more to him that just gets heavily ignored.

So as I’ve said before, Callum was caught in between rising tensions between Ezran and Rayla. While he did support Rayla and wanted to help her reunite her family, I just think it’s wrong to say he was “unsympathetic” towards Ezran because:

And that to me isn’t what unsympathetic looks like. Not to mention he kept trying to convince Rayla to be patient and give Ezran time, and even when Rayla went to break out Runaan, Callum still went and made an attempt to talk to Ezran. And like I don’t think it was right of him to call his traumatized brother a jerk face when he went to talk to him lol, but we know how Callum can be when he gets frustrated, and he even apologized immediately and changed his tone afterwards. We then see Ezran open up to Callum about how his life completely changed after Harrow was ‘killed’ and he was forced to take up a heavy burden at a young age. While ideally I do think that Callum could’ve verbally expressed more understanding towards what Ezran was feeling and dealing with, I do think he made a valid point when he brought up that Ezran forgave Zubeia despite her being the one who sent Runaan after Harrow. Now getting to my next point, this scene in particular:

What he said here made me think back a lot to arc 1, particularly, some of the stuff Harrow said in his last conversation with Callum:

And some things he told Rayla when she told him about her mission to avenge Avizandum and the dragon egg that was initially believed to be destroyed:

I also thought of some of the things Harrow told Callum in his letter:

And lastly something he said to Rayla in season 3 in their conversation after looking at Avizandum's stoned body:

I think it’s important to remember that yes, even Callum himself is aware of the violent cycle between the humans and Xadia and actually wants to end it. And while yes, Ezran grieving Harrow’s death and feeling so much anger towards Runaan was completely valid, I truly believe that Callum was also motivated in trying to convince Ezran to not take part in this cycle of vengeance. The very cycle that killed their mother, that lead Harrow to kill Avizandum in vengeance, which he himself even regretted and recognized was a mistake that lead to Zubeia sending the moonshadow assassins to kill him. And this was something that he brought up to Callum in both his last conversation and his letter, hoping that Callum and Ezran would break this cycle and not repeat his mistakes. And this was what Callum was attempting to do with Ezran, having even reminded him that this was the cycle of violence he was fighting so hard to end. And it did seem that Callum was getting through to him, and I do think that if their conversation didn’t get interrupted by Soren calling out and maybe in a short amount of time, Callum would’ve succeeded.

Of course next thing we see after Rayla and Soren’s duel along with Corvus’s intervention, was Ezran approaching them with a bunch of guards and he had no hesitation in ordering them to attack an outnumbered Rayla and Runaan. It was only in this situation, when literal violence was about to escalate, that we see Callum fully take Rayla’s side and go against Ezran. Not having succeeded in getting through to his brother and seeing that he was still set on getting his revenge, was when Callum decided to step down as high mage and leave with Rayla and Runaan.

Now I’ve seen a lot of people criticizing Callum for leaving his traumatized brother in this situation, which like, yes it was a betrayal at a bad time and it hurt Ezran a great deal. But I also think it’s important to keep in mind that if Callum were to have stayed behind, he would’ve been arrested and have not been able to do anything or even help Ezran in any way, especially with Ezran later becoming hellbent on building weapons of mass destruction, even with Zym becoming increasingly uncomfortable, and hardly listening to anyone aside from Aanya. In fact, I think this would’ve lead to a far bigger strain on their relationship and less of a likelihood to reconcile and repair the rift created between them.

But anyways, this is my opinion on this whole topic. I personally think there wasn’t one person in this that was entirely right or wrong in this situation, each of them had valid stances that just all came clashing together and lead to this massive fallout. But I’m glad that in the end, they were all able to work it out and be able to reconcile things between them. And I know I made this super long but I guess I just wanted to dump out all my thought here.

Anyways, what do you think? Anything you wanted to add on to this?

[wooataes]

Real Eyes, Fake Lies (Part Ten)

Pairing: soulmate!Lee Jihoon x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 4.2k

Warnings: Hanahaki!AU, angst, alcohol consumption, green-eyed monster named jealousy, tears, lots of crying, heartbreak, mentions of death, suggestive thoughts? guilt, swearing

Summary: What do you do when you find out the one person that was created by the universe to be yours doesn’t want you back?

A/N: It has been a long time coming! Oh my goodness guys, thank you so much for your incredible patience with me as I have been navigating my life into the new year and getting my life together essentially. I finally (with the support of my friendos) managed to get this up and out for you all! Thank you all as always for your love and support of refl! 🥰

- Tae 💜🌸✨

Previous | Next | Masterlist

Ask to be added to my taglist!

Jihoon was so fucked.

To his credit, he is trying. Trying to ignore the fact that his body feels some sort of attraction towards his soulmate, situated only a few feet away from him on a beach chair. Trying to ignore the ink embedded into your skin along your collarbone that he can see out of his peripheral vision. 

Trying to ignore temptation. 

Your sunglasses are pushed up your nose to keep the sun out of your eyes, having opted to let the sun warm your body up instead of making your way into the water. It’s unusual for Jihoon to see you so still and so silent, simply basking in the sunlight as a hand belonging to Jisoo reaches up to pat your calf. Jihoon immediately scowls to himself when he sees the older man glance up at you from his towel, asking quietly if you’re good to which you respond with a little nod and smile before leaning your head back again and relaxing into the beach chair.

Your soulmate heaves a soft sigh as he checks his phone for the fourth time in the last two hours. Ji-ah was due to arrive back in Seoul soon and he has been growing increasingly more worried the longer it takes for her to not answer. 

“Y/N!” A loud voice rouses you from your hungover slumber, causing you to whine and look at the shadow that is now blocking the sun from you that comes in the form of a 6’2 man named Kim Mingyu.

“Mm?” You grumble.

“Why won’t you come swimming with us?” he pouts at you, hands on his hips.

“I’m having my enrichment time out of my enclosure.” You deadpan, eyes closing again, a little grin forming on your face as you hear Mingyu let out a loud whine.

“Please can you come in the water?”

“Why does it have to be me?” You groan.

“Because Wonwoo can’t do swimming because of an accident when he was younger, Kwan and Sol are in their own little honeymoon phase world over there,” he points to said couple who are making an intricate sand castle, “Minnie is hanging off Soonie-hyung like a rash, Hannie-hyung will just attempt to use us all as a floatation device-”

“What makes you think I won’t do the same?” You raise your eyebrow.

“AND,” he glares at you, ignoring your comment. “Your brother is sulking that it’s only me who is playing with him. Please?”

“Do I have to?” You throw your head back with a dramatic sigh.

“If you don’t come in the water willingly, I will have to take you by force, Y/Nie.”

“Ha ha ha.” You roll your eyes. “I’d like to see you try.”

Jihoon has kept his back to you both for the entirety of your interaction with Mingyu, deciding on his own that he needs to actually follow Jeonghan’s advice and actively make an effort to at least attempt to ignore you and help you move on. He is finding it extremely difficult, however, due to the bikini you’re currently in looking too inviting for you to wriggle your way into his thoughts like a catchy song that can’t seem to escape his brain.

Mingyu seems to take your words as a challenge though, as not even two seconds later, Jihoon is alerted by a shriek coming from you.

“KIM MINGYU!” You try and scold, the large man having now scooped you up into his arms, marching his way towards the water. Jeonghan and Wonwoo both begin to laugh at the way you flail and kick to no avail.

“Yes, Y/Nie?” Mingyu grins at you, and you thrash more.

“Kim Mingyu, I swear if you don’t put me the fuck down right now…”

“Oh, put you down?” He smirks. “Okay!”

“YAH!” You let out another squeal as he moves to drop you, but you’re faster. You immediately wrap your arms and legs around his torso, squeezing onto him for dear life. Seungcheol bursts out laughing at the sight of you, a big smile on his face as he watches on.

“I meant out of the water, you BRAT!” You smack at Mingyu’s back, who only trudges deeper into the water. You whine loudly and cling tighter to him. 

“Are you sure you want to call me a brat when I could sink both of us into the water right now?” He raises his eyebrows at you, arms down by his sides as you hold onto him like a backpack..

“Yah!” You whimper, burying your face into his shoulder. Jihoon bristles at the feeling in his stomach. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry! I’ll hang out!”

“Told you it would work.” Mingyu smirks to your brother, who only grins back triumphantly.

“I hate that you know me too well.” You groan, carefully untangling yourself from the overgrown puppy’s broad back, shivering at the feeling of the cold water as you sink your feet into the salty beach water. “I swear to god though, if you try to push me under the water, I will end you.” 

Soonyoung only giggles at the glare on your face, glancing back to the shore at Jeonghan. “Hyung, isn’t she cute when she’s angry?”

“The cutest!” Jeonghan calls back, an amused smirk forming on his face as you shoot your brother’s soulmate a glare.

“I hate you all.” You grumble, crossing your arms with a pout, only making the boys around you giggle more.

“Oh come here, you big baby.” Seokmin turns around, offering his back to you.

Jihoon feels the immediate change in your mood lift to excitement, glancing over to see you happily perched up on Seokmin’s back, who wades slowly through the water with you comfortably resting against him. 

“Thank you Minnie~” You sing sweetly, hugging around his shoulders.

“Hey!” Mingyu points accusingly at you. “That isn’t fair! I went through all that work to bring you out here only to have you be coddled in the water too?”

“Be grateful I’m even here, Mingyu.” You playfully glare at him, Seokmin turning you away from him as Soonyoung starts cooing and patting your head, making you grin.

“Aish, what are we going to do with you…”

For the next hour, Jihoon knows he is torturing himself by listening to the others around him (aka you) have fun. Him, alongside Jeonghan, Wonwoo, Seungkwan and Hansol watches as you with the others play happily around in the water. For the better part of twenty minutes, the game of choice, chosen by the birthday boy, has been Marco Polo. You have opted out of this game, your soulmate keeping an eye on your head currently nestled against Seokmin’s warm shoulder, eyes fluttering closed as the heat from the sun covers you like a blanket and makes your sleepiness return at full force. You look peaceful, he thinks. 

His calm thoughts soon turn to discomfort as he feels his phone vibrate against his pocket, hurriedly reaching down to check the text, only to feel himself deflate at the message from his girlfriend.

Made it safe. x

No nickname, no warmth, no nothing. This is seriously unlike Ji-ah at all, and it has Jihoon nervous. Should he reply like normal? Or should he give his girlfriend the space she needs to handle her emergency?

“Jihoon-ah?” Wonwoo’s voice cuts his thoughts short, startling his housemate as he turns to stare at him with wide eyes. “You okay over there?”

“Uh, y-yeah.” He hums slightly. “Ji-ah just let me know she made it home safely.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

Is it?

“Yeah, I suppose.” Jihoon replies after a short pause, sighing quietly. 

“It’s okay to be worried about her.” Wonwoo smiles at him, patting his shoulder gently. “After all, she is your-”

“YAH!” Your voice squeals out, alarming the others as they turn to look at the ocean. You’re swatting at your brother, who is loudly cackling and snatching you from Seokmin’s arms. “Get away from me, you big buffoon!”

The others upon the shore begin to laugh and smile at Seungcheol as he spins you around bridal style. “You dare be rude to your big brother on his birthday, hmm?”

“HANNIE OPPA!” You shriek as Jihoon glances at your brother’s soulmate, who simply smirks back. “DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR SOULMATE!”

“And ruin my hair if I fall into the water? You’re on your own, Ladybug.”

“You bast-AAAAAH!” You yelp as Seungcheol tosses you to Mingyu, who catches you effortlessly. “I hate you all!”

“What did I do?!” Seungkwan fires back immediately, wagging his finger dramatically at you as the others laugh at the joyful mood surrounding them all.

Jihoon breathes a sigh of relief at the change of subject from Wonwoo’s questioning, letting his head lean back to briefly glance at the sky as he delves back into his own thoughts.

“Aw, come on guys, leave the girl alone!” Jisoo chuckles as he rises from his towel, tucking a surfboard under his arm. He jogs into the sea, sitting up on his board as he paddles his way over to the group. “Come here, Goober. I’ll save you from these punks.” He laughs as Mingyu turns away from him, holding you tight to his chest.

“Nuh-uh! She stays with us!”

“She’s not going to stray far, promise.” He pats the board gently, making the tall man sigh and plonk you down in front of your childhood friend.

“Thank you, Shua’ppa.” You smile sweetly at him before poking your tongue out at Mingyu, who huffs and splashes you playfully, making you yelp.

“Do you know how to surf, Goob?” Jisoo asks gently, giving you a cheeky grin.

“Hong Jisoo.” You deadpan, raising an eyebrow. “I am a homebody girl from Daegu. What do you think?”

“Well,” he ignores your sass, crossing his arms across his chest as you mimic him. “Would you like to learn?”

“When I feel like throwing up from how the ocean is rocking me right now?” You laugh. “I think that’s a recipe for disaster.”

“Hmm.. you make a compelling argument.” He hums sagely, reaching up and stroking his chin, trying not to grin at the sound of your giggles. “How about then I teach you how to keep your balance on the board? No wave riding.”

“Can you guarantee that I won’t fall in?” Jisoo simply raises his hand up, his pinky extended to link with yours, flashing you an angelic smile. You narrow your eyes for a moment before reaching out to link your pinky with his. “I swear, if I fall in…”

“Trust me, Goober!”

Jihoon blinks and raises his head as he feels your amusement filling his veins, eyes coming into focus as he curiously gazes out to the sea to see why you’re feeling this way.

Your legs are shaking as you attempt to stand on the idle surfboard, your nervous laughs reaching down to where your soulmate sits. Jisoo is standing behind you with his large hands settled delicately on your bare waist, keeping you steady as he talks quietly into your ear on how to stand correctly that Jihoon can’t hear.

Jihoon feels his hair stand on end as his eyes zero in on the older man’s hands resting on your bare skin, bristling in his chair slightly.

“You can do it, Ladybug!” Jeonghan is cheering from the shore, an amused grin on his face as you flip him off.

“Focus, Goober.” Jisoo’s voice is steady as he keeps his hands on you.

You take a deep breath, standing with your legs apart as he directs you, biting down on your lip and holding your arms out to keep your balance, your eyes squeezing shut.

“That’s it!” Seungcheol cheers you on from the water, keeping a hold on the surfboard so it doesn’t toss and tip as much.

“Look at her go, babe!” Seungkwan coos excitedly to Hansol from their spot in the sand, as his soulmate watches on with an amused smile.

“Bug, open your eyes!” Soonyoung laughs at your scrunched up face.

“Goober,” Jisoo laughs, both hands now in the air. “You’re doing it. Open your eyes.”

You slowly open your eyes, looking down to see your legs balancing on the board. Your eyes widen as you look around at Soonyoung, Seokmin, Seungcheol and Mingyu in the water, all cheering excitedly at you and Jisoo standing behind you with a proud grin.

“Holy fuck.” You laugh nervously. “I’m doing it.”

“WOOHOO!” Seungkwan cheers from ashore, waving excitedly with Hansol as Wonwoo simply gives you a thumbs up from beside your soulmate, who just stares with a bewildered look on his face, not knowing how to comprehend the feelings that are in his stomach.

“See?” Jisoo smiles charmingly at you, leaning in to press his lips to your temple. “I told you that you could do it.”

Jihoon grimaces at the shy smile that graces your face.

“Jihoon-ssi?”

“Hmm?” Jihoon’s brain switches into focus at the sound of your brother's voice calling out for him.

They had been back at the campsite now for roughly two hours after a long birthday dinner in the city for Seungcheol, full of fried chicken and even more alcohol. Everyone now has settled down around the campfire, ready for a final night of alcohol and drinking games for the last hurrah of the trip.

“Soonyoungie said that you are studying music production.” He smiles warmly at him. Jihoon bristles. “What made you want to pursue that?”

“O-oh.” He stutters. “Umm..”

It’s not that he was afraid of his soulmate’s brother and the fact that if he knew that he rejected his precious sister, he’d rip his head off, no, it was the fact that Jihoon isn’t a very sociable person. He has never been one to hold any type of conversation for very long with anyone unless it was something he was passionate about. Luckily for him, music is one of his specialties that he could go on for hours about. So, he does.

”My older cousin is an amateur producer and songwriter.” Jihoon quietly smiles. “He has a few albums that he’s made at the moment. His soulmate does choreography for some of his tracks. I always thought he was really cool and wanted to follow his footsteps and do what he does. I guess I’m kind of his protege now?” He shrugs his shoulders nervously with a chuckle. “There’s just something I find really interesting about breaking down a song into different segments and sections, and creating completely new beats and melodies from the source material.”

“Wow,” Seungcheol replies with curious eyes. “That’s actually really interesting.”

”I suppose so,” your soulmate nods his head as he smiles shyly to himself.

“Do you plan on releasing things in the future?”

“Oh! Um.. Maybe?” He blinks. “I write a few things here and there, but they’re not very good, I don’t think.”

“Don’t downplay your skills and hobbies, Jihoon-ssi.” Seungcheol pats his shoulder once as he rises from his spot by the campfire. “If you enjoy it, that’s all that matters.” He makes his way to grab himself a second serving of the birthday cake you had brought from your work for the final night of Seungcheol’s birthday celebrations.

Jihoon smiles to himself.

He is so kind. No wonder you turned out so well. After all, he did help raise you for most of your teen years.

“It’s not tap, tap, kick,” Soonyoung instructs loudly. “It’s tap, kick, tap! Yah, don’t you remember anything from this routine, Kwan-ah?”

“We made this dance four years ago, Hyung.” Seungkwan glares, hand on his hip. “Please spare me for not remembering a dance that is nearly HALF A DECADE old.”

“NO EXCUSES!” He shouts back, pointing dramatically as he begins to get back into position. “Five, six, seven, eight!” Seungkwan groans and begrudgingly begins to move in time to Soonyoung’s movements, much to your amusement as you weave your way through the camping chairs, bundles of bracelets in hand.

“One for you,” You chirp, two bottles of soju deep as you slide a bracelet onto Seungkwan’s wrist as you pass without skipping a beat. “And a specially made tiger one for you,” You coo, squeaking and giggling as Soonyoung takes your hand, twirling you in his arms and dipping you dramatically as the bracelet slides with ease onto his wrist, your loud laugh echoing through the empty forest and right into your soulmate’s ears, sending goosebumps down his arms.

”Thank you, Buggie Wuggie Boo,” Soonyoung coos, making you groan and shove him away.

“ICK!” You yell as you continue to pass bracelets through the group, Jihoon eyeing you out of the corner of his eye as you draw closer towards where he sits. “Here you go, Hannie-Oppa!”

”Thank you, sweetheart.” your brother’s soulmate smiles, ruffling your hair as he admires the colourful beads on his wrist.

Jihoon takes a deep breath as he feels your presence draw closer, eyes downcast as you fiddle with one of two bracelets in your hand. “Jihoon-ssi,” your voice is once again timid and shy, and he dislikes it. “I didn’t know what colour you liked, and I noticed your wardrobe is pretty void of colour, so…” You quietly place a simple black and grey beaded bracelet with his name written in lettered beads in the middle on his lap. “I thought it matches your look.”

Jihoon stares at the bracelet, picking it up and examining it between his fingers. He can feel your nerves running through your stomach, fiddling with the remaining bracelet in your hands. After a soft sigh, Jihoon slips the bracelet onto his wrist, cheeks warming at the kind gesture of you still including him.

“It’s perfect.” Jihoon smiles softly to you. “Thank you, Y/N.”

Your cheeks flush as you give him a small smile, turning and making your way towards Chan, who said quietly beside Wonwoo as he ate.

“I saved the best bracelet for last,” you smile to the youngest, sliding the final bracelet onto his wrist delicately.

“What colour is it, Noona?” Chan asks quietly, staring at the beads intently.

“Well,” you begin, sitting down beside him. “I made this with every coloured bead I could think of. It’s a rainbow.”

“Huh?” Chan balked, tilting his head. “Why would you do that? I can’t even see them…”

”I made it this way because then, the day that you meet your soulmate,” you nudge the bracelet, “you will be able to see all the colours of the rainbow straight away.” Your eyes light up with a little smile.

Jihoon’s stomach drops at the sound of hope and joy in your voice that is almost infectious, and he scowls to himself.

“Hannie-Oppa did the same for me, see?” You chirp, holding your hand out and showing Chan your nails, now chipped and slightly overgrown. “He gave me all the colours I could have on my hand, and I wanted to do the same to you.”

“B-but…” Chan takes a quiet breath. “Noona.. wh-what if… what if I meet my soulmate and it doesn’t work out? What if… what if I’m left behind and look like a complete fool?” He stares at his lap, knee bouncing nervously.

Your soulmate feels a twist of discomfort in his gut at the maknae’s question, turning his head to see the same discomfort evident on your face.

“Chan-ah,” you smile softly, reaching up to ruffle his hair. “Don’t be silly.”

“B-but you-”

“Uh-uh-uh,” you wiggle your finger at him. “Things like that only happen to people like me, who are just simply unlucky in life.” Jihoon feels the dagger pressing against his chest. “You, little one, are lucky, and I know your soulmate will be absolutely smitten with you when you meet. And, in that impossible scenario,” You bump your shoulder against his, “you’ll always have all of these guys here to spend time with. And even Noona too.” You add on for good measure, smiling sweetly at him. Jihoon feels the dagger twist inside him. Chan shyly smiles back, leaning his head against your shoulder, signaling for you to give him a big side hug, cheek resting against the top of his head.

“Promise I’ll always have you, Noona?”

“Silly boy,” You giggle. “I couldn’t leave you alone, even if I tried.” You ruffle his hair once more, causing him to whine and swat your arm, your giggle growing once more as Jihoon feels his stomach twist and tighten, a million thoughts once again flooding his mind.

“Okay,” Seokmin settles comfortably in his chair, looking around at the circle. “Here’s a question.” He hums quietly at the small group that has formed around him of you, Wonwoo, Jisoo, Jeonghan and Jihoon. “If you could have one wish that could be granted, what would you wish for?” Before anyone can open their mouths, he points aggressively towards Jeonghan. “NO WISHING FOR MORE WISHES!”

“Yah, you’re no fun.” Jeonghan whines, slumping in his chair and crossing his arms.

“I would wish for…” Wonwoo mumbles. “Being able to have enough money in my pocket at all times to be able to afford what I need at that time.”

”That is… oddly specific.” Jisoo chuckles.

“But practical.” Seokmin grins.

“I would wish for Seokminnie to let me answer questions the way I want to.” Jeonghan huffs, shooting him a playful glare as Seokmin gasps loudly, pressing his hand to his chest in shock,

“How dare you!”

”What about you, Goob?” Jisoo nudges your side with a little smile.

“I’d wish soulmates didn’t exist.”

The group falls silent, the air filling with awkward tension as they balk, trying to think of an answer.

“Bug, I…”

“Not for the reason you think.” You mutter, staring into the fire with a dull look on your face. “If soulmate’s didn’t exist, I’d only have divorced parents, not a dead mother and an absent father. If soulmate’s didn’t exist, I’d still be able to go home and see my mother and tell her about how my day went. If soulmate’s didn’t exist, I’d actually be wanted.”

Jihoon feels his heart twist, teeth digging into his bottom lip as he eyes your face. You look empty. Jihoon can’t feel a thing, and that frightens him.

“C’mere.” Jisoo takes your hand delicately, leading you to a small clearing; the same clearing that Jihoon went to the night before.

The little conversations start up again, Jihoon’s ears zeroing in on Jeonghan’s light scolding to Seokmin as to why he’d ask such a ridiculous question. His ears are ringing as your emotionless words echo through his head, making him feel worse than he ever has before.

“Goober…” Jisoo encourages you quietly to speak.

“Remember how you asked me yesterday if I was okay?” Your voice shakes. “If I was broken?”

Jisoo nods slowly, hand resting on your shoulder.

“A-and I said to you I was fine?”

“Mhm…”

“I-I.. I’m not. I’m not okay.” You whimper, bottom lip trembling. “I’m living a good life, I have a job I love, friends and family who care about me, I can-” you hiccup. “I-I can see colour… and I’m fucking broken.”

You let out a loud sob, a heartbroken wail, letting yourself fall into Jisoo’s arms, your face burying into the warmth of his sweater as your arms wrap tightly around him. Jisoo feels his own tears filling his eyes at the sound of your broken cries, your hands gripping the back of his sweater for dear life, as if afraid he would disappear.

”I know, Goob… Don’t worry, I got you. Let it out.”

“Are you sure it’s been resolved?” Jihoon smiles at Ji-ah as they stroll through the street, making their way to Love Letter cafe.

It has been a week since he has returned from Busan with you and the others; the group having been mostly quiet as they recovered from the long weekend of partying and merging back into their daily lives. This is the first time Jihoon has seen his girlfriend, having given her space to get through her emergency. He’s finally happy he is able to have a date with her after being at university all week and catching up on the projects he wasn’t able to do while on the road trip.

“Yes, babe, I’m sure.” Ji-ah smiles back at him. For some reason, though, Jihoon finds the smile uneasy and almost hollow, and he can’t figure out why until a quiet voice cuts his thoughts short.

“Ji-ah?”

He pauses as he sees a tall man in front of him with a single rose in his left hand, right hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck.

“Hajoon.” Ji-ah whispers out with a nervous breath, almost like she’s been caught.

Jihoon freezes at the sight in front of him - his not-soulmate with red tinged cheeks and shy smile on her face, and a stranger looking just as shy and sheepish smiling back at her. He feels his stomach drop as his mind flashes with realization at the scene unfolding in front of him.

He knows the look on her face. He has seen that look before with Wonwoo and Mingyu, Junhui and Minghao, and especially with Seungcheol and Jeonghan.

His heart breaks a little, as Jihoon knows in his heart that he’s already lost his girlfriend to her real love, her soulmate.

Real Eyes, Fake Lies Taglist

@vixensss @hemmingsness @lizzymizzy-blogg @kawennote09 @breakfastburritosattiffanys @im-gemmy @friendlywraith @devinkelsey19 @kameko-ko @mar-627 @woozieeeee @milopenne @stellauniverse @addicsvt @changbinisms @phenomenalgirl9 @lanatheawesome @maidachi @jeanjacketjesus @sunnynapp @jihanniee @reallyshypost @jaeminsbuckethat @sweetchelly @iarayara @opheliaas-stuff @claireleem @hotricewoozi @beardedartgamingbakery @sumzysworld @lavayeon @unusuallyshy @woozixo @mirxzii @mhlsymlysn @seventeenthingsblr @kwanniesboo @loomsuhcats @markleehee @scuzmunkie @tumblerluvver @wooanghae @xxpr3ttyk173rxx @comingupwithacoolnameishard @whorecore-world @sana-is-ms-rmty @bitterbluemorningstar

(48/50)

[druidberries]

club night was almost a bust until akira had caught petal's eye...

previous // next

bonus under the cut

👀

[yoonia]

updates & progress

© Yoonia, 2016-2025. All rights reserved — Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these works, including reposting, translating and modification in any form, is strictly prohibited.

Note: I don't accept fic requests unless stated otherwise. My fic commission is open and each received order will be added in the list below.

⇝ Updated: June 6th, 2025

𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐱 | 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐛𝐨𝐱 | 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐤𝐨-𝐟𝐢 | 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 | 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬

⇝ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬

✎ Dia's Tumblr wrapped 2024

✎ foreword: 2025

✎ work in progress game

✎ February blog update: work in progress

✎ Audio commentary: The (Im)perfect Ending

✎ blog poll: masterlist update

✎ official taglist post release

✎ fic talk: About Time (unofficial announcement)

✎ 𝖘𝖕𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖇𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖘𝖔𝖒 𝖑𝖚𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖇𝖞: 2025 blog anniversary event

✎ Fic poll: Carousel - rewritten posting plan

✎ WIP Wednesday: Carousel & Ever A Never After spoilers

⇝ 𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬

✎ Nefarious: In Motion - a side story | Jimin x reader | 39,246 words ⟶ Welcome to Club La Rouge, where your sexual fantasies come to life.  Accepting his offer might cause inconveniences for both of you, but do you really have it in you to say no? ⟶ Updated: Jan 10th, 2025

✎ Love Is Banned | Jaebum x reader | 10,901 words ⟶ Heartbroken beyond repair, you escape to your brother’s place hours away from home, desperate to avoid the Valentine’s Day soiree happening around you—only to find yourself trapped in the middle of his love-filled house party. Seeking solitude, you are surprised to find the perfect source of comfort from the last person you had ever expected to meet tonight. ⟶ Updated: Mar 18th, 2025

✎ Red Vibe | Yoongi x reader | 11,510 words ⟶ A lover who enjoys driving you crazy with his wicked plans, a feral need of pleasure that is uneasy to be tamed, and a lavish wedding that your man always finds himself getting bored in. When Yoongi says it’s playtime, you have no choice but to have him play with you the way he pleases. ⟶ Updated: Mar 29th, 2025

✎ Sunset Glow (M) | Hoseok x reader | 13,678 words ⟶ As you accidentally stumble upon a reminder of the past that you have been slowly walking away from, you finally get to see Hoseok losing his resolve for the first time. It is now your turn to become his rock, and help remind him the reason why he has always been yours. ⟶ Updated: May 24th, 2025

⇝ 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

✎ lost boys: threadbare hearts — masterlist | Got7 series ⟶ A collection of short stories about seven boys who are unfortunate in love, and how they walk down the path of redemption in search of healing, finding new meanings in life and love.  ⟶ Updated: Mar 18th, 2025

✎ Bedroom Hymns | Yoongi x reader ⟶ Haunted by the questions about your father’s past and the dark tales that seem to follow him, the thousand mysterious doors and the secrets waiting for you to reveal, and the mysterious Prince that has been following your shadows between realms, you are off to a new adventure in the Land Far Far Away.

✎ Ever a Never After | Jungkook x female reader; Seokjin x female reader ⟶ Thrust into a new challenge and shown a new side of life, you find yourself standing in a crossroad. When the moment arises, would you find your way back home to your true love, or is the universe trying to show you that sometimes happy endings don’t have to be written so perfectly?

✎ Hot Mess | Taehyung x female reader ⟶ He might be one of the most desired man in the world, but the same cannot be said when it come to your own feelings for him. Being forced to work with him again would be the last thing that you had ever expected after the initial adversity you had with him when you first met.

✎ Bed & Boyfriend(s) 2: Kiss It Better (M)  | Taehyung x female reader; Jungkook x Yoongi; Jungkook x female reader x Yoongi ⟶ An emotional turmoil led you running from your lover, before finding solitude in your new friends-turned-lovers. Yet mistakes were made, and you are bound to take all the punishments that you deserved. And you’ll take it all, trusting that your lovers will be there to kiss it better. 

✎ 28 Days (M) | Taehyung x reader; Jungkook x reader ⟶ For years, you've lived as if drifting aimlessly with the current, slowly losing sight of what your heart truly desires. But life’s currents are never predictable, and when the tides shift, you're unprepared for the ripple effect taking you along with it. Now, as you're pulled downstream, you're forced to confront the secrets you've buried deep below the surface. 

➛ 𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥: ✎ [patreon masterpost] WIP Graveyard

➛ 𝕞𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕙𝕝𝕪 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥: ✎ Monthly Writing Journal & Tracker

➛ 𝕛𝕒𝕟𝕦𝕒𝕣𝕪: ✎ [poll] patreon membership gift ✎ [announcement] patreon shop release ✎ [special content] cover reveal: Round The Carousel ✎ [patreon short] Swim; an original short story

➛ 𝕗𝕖𝕓𝕣𝕦𝕒𝕣𝕪: ✎ [patreon freebies] 28 days writing challenge ✎ [shop] Digital Novel Writing Preparation Workbook ✎ [patreon freebies] February patreon membership gift ✎ [patreon short] Fear; an original short story ✎ [audio commentary] The idea and writing process behind The (Im)perfect Ending

➛ 𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕙: ✎ [patreon freebies] March patreon membership gift ✎ [fic teaser] Crash Into Me; Bambam (GOT7) x female reader ✎ [writing class] Writing 101 – #02 How to Give Your Novel A Strong Story Premise

➛ 𝕒𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕝: ✎ [patreon freebies] 30 days writing challenge ✎ [patreon freebies] April patreon membership gift

➛ 𝕞𝕒𝕪: ✎ [patreon freebies] May patreon membership gift ✎ [fic teaser] We Go Down Together; Jackson (GOT7) x female reader

➛ 𝕛𝕦𝕟𝕖: ✎ [patreon freebies] June patreon membership gift

¸¸.·¯⍣✩ 𝔤𝔬 𝔱𝔬 𝖓𝖆𝖛𝖎𝖌𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖕𝖆𝖌𝖊 ¸¸.·¯⍣✩

[taxonomicon-idiot-edition]

Taxon Genesis Evangelion 1: Angels and Evas, Oh My

Below the cut: The morphological taxonomicon of Angels and Evangelions; Lilim; and maybe a little something extra for you. All this and more on Taxon Genesis Evangelion!

(If you want to get right to the taxonomizin', skip ahead to the big bold ANGELS header.) The beings known as the Angels present a remarkable challenge to the taxonomist. They are comparatively straightforward to actually categorize on morphological grounds - several families being readily discernible - but are metaphysically provocative. Where the Messenger's Earths present an extremely close divergence from the Mainline Anthropic Cluster of worlds in most respects, they differ strongly on two key points:

The origins of human life;

The function and purpose of the human soul.

The Angels sit at the nexus of these two divergences. The Angel, if local accounts are correct, is essentially a human being that has undergone extreme morphological divergence based on the expression of a distinct pattern in its soul. This divergence is made all the more stark by the existence of multiple overlapping-but-distinct Messenger's Earths, constituting their own parallel Anthropic Cluster of universes tentatively designated as the 'Anno Cluster'.

This is well and good, but where does it leave us taxonomically? The Temple is divided, but tentatively advances the following schema from a strictly morphological perspective:

FIGURE 1: An initial sketch towards a morphological taxa of Seed-derived Life.

All members of this phylum constitute what is locally called a 'Human', though the Temple does not endorse this usage. We instead suggest the use of 'Person', which appears to us to clarify the issue significantly - the Human being referred to the local equivalent of Homo sapiens, while the Person constituting both this species and its many cousins. However, even this convenience can take us only so far, as the persons referred to as Angels are reportedly '99.89%' similar to humans on a genetic level, rendering them no different genetically from a given human than a given homo sapiens is to another homo sapiens.

This, however, is further complicated by the origins of human life within the Anno Cluster's Messenger's Earths - that is, they are panspermic products with an ambiguous relationship to the rest of their biospheres. It is not, at the time of writing, clear whether all Earthly life in the Anno Cluster shares descent from the being known as Lilith, and the Temple tentatively endorses the position that they do not, and that only humans do.

This being the case, it is clear that the local equivalent of Homo sapiens is not quite a conventional example of Homo sapiens. From this specimen we will begin our taxonomy.

LILIM HUMANS

FIGURE 2: Three typical Lilim Humans, the anthropoform inhabitants of the Messenger's Earths of the Anno Cluster. Observe the identical appearance to mainline Homo sapiens, which conceals a radically different evolutionary history.

The Lilim Human is, phenotypically and morphologically, identical to Homo sapiens. This is a case of the common convergent meta-clade of beings called, across universes, 'Humans'. It is a well known principle of universe exploration that along the anthropophilic curve, humans of some variety are a near certainty in every universe, though their precise origins varies. Most, but not all, are Sol-Terranidae - that is, the locational miridomain of [Carbonae] specific to the world(s) of Earth - and have little, if anything, to distinguish them on a purely biological basis from one another.

Given this, we now introduce the mythotaxon utilized for the base, mainline, prolific human: metanthropos generica humanitas. We have previously introduced this elsewhere, in the Taxonomy of the Homeworlds, but find it still a useful category. The corresponding niche taxa is Homo sapiens protagonum.

These two taxa are shared with the vast majority of humans across the Anthropic Cluster worlds. The specific taxa of the Lilim Human, however, is distinct. We observe that they are the direct product of panspermic interference in Earthly life, introduced by Lilith and gifted the Fruit of Knowledge. This origin bears certain cognates in traditional Earthling mythologies and their reflections in other Universes, but it will in turn bear consideration on this first of the 'two fruits' of the Anno Cluster before we formally taxonomize the Lilim Human.

The first fruit, the Fruit of Knowledge, conveys upon the human being the ability to produce itself ad infinitum and, consequently, to know oneself through the eyes of others. This knowledge-of-the-self produces a fixed phenotypical expression and self-awareness along the norms of the reflected metanthropos generica humanitas, including normal cognition - barring a certain innate suicidal tendency in the inevitability of Lilim Humans seeking species-level extinction as part of its drive towards the future, though this has also been suggested as a standard feature of all human kinds (see Spielrein, 'Die Destruktion als Ursache des Werdens', 1912) - and tool use.

We also observe that the existence of the Human Soul is uncontroversial within the Messenger's Earth as a physical reality. This, then, presents a second divergence point from common mainline m.g. humanitas, for whom the existence of the soul is rarely a physical reality even where it is possessed as a spiritual self. The soul is, allegedly, the source of that which produces the barrier between selves and enables the creation of the self's form. No non-Person has been observed to possess a soul in these universes, and they are, to a degree, transferrable and controllable.

This suggests that the Lilim Human is sufficiently differentiated from the mainline to warrant a distinct mythotaxon, as: metanthropos generica sapiens anima-carnogenesis That is, they are generic humans marked out by their possession of a soul that produces the flesh.

Hierarchically, we consider there to be insufficient evidence to warrant a distinct taxa for the Lilim Human, though we acknowledge that the Lilim Human shares no genetic ancestry with other members of the genus Homo. To the extent such a taxa is desirable, it is best recorded as phylogenetic rather than strictly hierarchical - the key difference being that the Temple endorses the hierarchical taxa as clade-ambivalent.

ANGELS

FIGURE 3: A selection of Angels.

The persons known as the Angels are, according to local reports, Human beings who exhibit the many 'alternative' forms that a Human being might possess. We reiterate that the Temple prefers the language of Person to Human for this purpose, as it prevents confusion, though we acknowledge that in the context of the Messenger's Earths the close genetic make up, shared presence of not-incompatible souls, and shared cladistic origins do suggest that 'Human' is not an entirely inappropriate designation for the Angels. However, for the purposes of the Universal Taxonomy, we decline to nominate the Angels as members of the genus Homo.

We do so for two reasons. First, it the morphology of the Angels is wildly divergent from that of their human cousins. While they are nearly identical to any given human genome, the phenotypical expression produced by the nature of their souls - shaped in due turn by the Fruit of Life - is clearly non-human. It is also unclear whether the Angels are capable of reproduction as Lilim Humans are, though the Temple's various factions have largely agreed to waive reproductive viability for the present taxonomization due to the clear morphological patterns within the Angels.

Second, the Angels possess an entirely distinct biology from the Human on a more fundamental level. While they are genetically near identical, they are composed of an alternative form of matter. This, as we understand it, is the product of their receipt of the 'Fruit of Life', which grants the recipient utter self reliance in the form of a removal from the laws of thermodynamics and a source of free energy embedded within what is known as the 'core' of the Angel. They thus bear little functional resemblance to the Lilim Humans with which they are so closely related on a genetic level.

This, then, is the basis for proceeding with treating the Human as distinct from the other Peoples, and taxonomizing the Angels seperately. To that end, we now consider these entities collectively, with specific studies to follow. The Angels are:

Material entities, even where this materiality is comprised of pure energy.

Despite seemingly god-like stature and powers, not of divine nature, but mundane nature.

Alive.

This suggests that all the People, including both Angels and Human, are properly considered to be members of the Vitus and Corporae - that is, they are alive and are corporeal. It is clear that the majority of the Peoples, including most Angels, belong to the Eukaryota and, presumably, the Animalia as complex, multi-cellular life. For convenience's sake, we will nominate the Angels (but not Lilim Humans) as members of a Phase-Wave Phylum, Undamaterialida, though it may equally be suggested that this is best positioned at a higher level below the Corporae but above the Eukarya. But beyond these initial assumptions, a morphological taxonomy appears to be the best approach.

(We might also take the easier approach of assigning a wholly novel superdomain to all Peoples and Angels, but this - though taxonomically simple and not displeasing in its elegance - is something of a lazy tack. If the Angels bore more resemblance to cognate species of demon, angel, and magical being, we would not face this challenge as suitable phyla are already prepared for such specimens.)

Within this morphological study, we can observe certain patterns. First, there is a high order distinction among Peoples between those with clear, discrete and identifiable Cores and those that either lack clear cores or appear to have no core whatsoever.

FIGURE 4: The 'Core' of an Evangelion.

In the former we may group most of the Angels, and in the latter, Lilim Humans and the pseudo-bacterial Angels. These we will treat as our classes for the Peoples, and we will tentatively nominate the former Koukyuuvasiae and the latter Akoukyuuvasiae.

THE KOUKYUUVASIAE

Within the former, we are confronted with a dizzying array of datapoints. This is the class of Shamshel and Ramiel and Arael - it is highly diverse in morphology, and identifying the most relevant is difficult. Nonetheless, the Pedant nominates bodily plan as being the next stage. Those Koukyuuvasiae that manifest a hominid-esque bodily plan (and thus, most closely resemble their precursor Seeds of Life, on which we will touch soon) constitute an Order, as do those with a pseudo-arthropodic form and those with what we nominate as 'weird' forms. These three orders we thus nominate as, in the same order previously mentioned: Adamiformes - 'Shaped like Adam'; Thyreoformes - 'Shaped like Shields'; Abstractoformes - 'Shaped like Abstractions'.

The Adamiformes

Within the Adamiformes, we find two families. The first is capable of moderate morphological transformation, comprising Sachiel, Israfel, and controversially, the Eighth Angel. (It is the Pedant's position that the manifestation of an essentially humanoid body at the heart of the Angel's mass is indicative of membership within the Adamiformes.) The latter is incapable, and consists of two members - Zereul, and one outlier we will return to later.

FIGURE 5: The Angel known as Zereul.

Zereul should be distinguished from the similar Tenth Angel, which in its version of the Messenger's Earth takes the same mythological niche as Zereul but which is morphologically distinct, as it lacks the legs of Zereul and manifests certain features from the Thyreoformes instead. No such distinction is present between Sachiel and its counterpart, which we take as indicative of a point discussed in the assessment of the Adams and the Seeds.

We nominate these two families thus: Proteadamiformidae - those capable of changing shape; Fixusadamiformidae - those not capable.

The latter consists of a pair of genera, one of which we will revisit. Zereul is the sole species of the genus Annotokuhostilis as A. sardonicabrutalis, presenting our first complete taxa. We further nominate Zereul with the following niche and mythotaxa, which it shares with its counterpart, the Tenth Angel: Gargantua aforitoanankus flagellator Gargantuahostilis pseudotokuvillainus catharsisogenitor

The Proteadamiformidae consists of two genera. The first is another single-species genus, Stellahostilis, with the Eighth Angel as the sole member, S. evangelocadens. S. evangelocadens is given the following niche and mythotaxa, which it again shares with its counterpart, Sahaquiel: Gargantua astrumamoeba oculariforme Gargantuahostilis astrainvadans eschatogenitor

FIGURE 6: The angel known as Sachiel, L. monohastatus.

The second may be distinguished by its ability - common, but not universal, among Angels - to project energy blasts. An alternative taxonomy might consider this in place of the body plan morphology as the Class-level characteristic, but we believe it may spontaneously re-emerge among Peoples as part of their shared heritage and so constitutes a homoplasious characteristic. This genus consists of Sachiel and Israfel, neither of which require much special analysis. We nominate the genus as Luxohastati and their species, respectively, as L. monohastatus and L. geminohastatus. Both share mythotaxa as Gargantuahostilis pseudotokuvillainus generica, but their niche taxa differ, with Sachiel placed as Gargantua megahominidae autocidus, and Israfel as Gargantua metahominidae synchronita.

FIGURE 7: A character map of the Adamiformes, with appended species taxa.

The Thyreoformes

The next major grouping are the Thyreoformes - the Shield Angels. This Order is comparatively stable morphologically and consists of four species split across three genera, distinguished into two families, all of which resemble arthropods. The first of these is the Paleothyreoformidae and the second is the Neothyreoformidae. Unlike most of the Angels, the distinction here appears to be reality-based - we observe the Paleothyreformidae in one reality, and the Neothyreoformidae in a new one, with one cross-over taxa that appears in a morphologically distinct subspecies in both.

Within the Paleothyreformidae, there are two monospecies genera.

The first of these hosts Matarael, a four-legged pseudo-arachnid marked by its ability to spit acid from its ventral eye tearducts and its extremely weak AT field. Curiously, Matarael is adorned with many ornamental eyes that closely resemble Sahaqiuel, and while it is currently understood to possess a core, it is possible that this is not the case. We consider this possibility further elsewhere, in the discussion of Seeds. Matarael is nominated as: Acolytaphalangidus vitriolainfirmus With the niche and mythotaxa of: Gargantua opilionis demipoda Gargantuahostilis monstrumaseptimana oblituses

The second is the equally forgettable Sandalphon, characterized by a curious embryonic cycle that feature an early, Adam-resembling state that recedes into a curious arthropodal arrangement on hatching. When we recollect that the Adams appear to maintain an essentially humanoid bodily plan and that it is the nature of an Angel's soul that shapes their appearance, this seems suggestive that all Angels begin as essentially humanoid and then choose their shape - a property that, taken to its logical extent, suggests there is no actual speciation involved. In such a case, all Angels might simply be taxonomized as Annoangelus annoacolytus, but we will continue our morphological taxonomy because it pleases us to do so. We nominate the following taxa for Sandalphon: Infernatolerans anthroapobolus Gargantua pyromagmataincola paleogreebly Gargantuahostilis monstrumaseptimana oblituses, shared with Matarael.

The third genera, and the sole genus of the Neothyreformidae hosts two species, both characterized by a hardened shell-like carapace, weaponized flagella, and a prominent internal rib structure. This genera, the Costanovis, hosts the Tenth Angel, an analogue of Zereul, and the paired subspecies of the Fifth Angel and Shamshel.

FIGURE 8: The Fifth Angel, C. phallovermis costaexposita.

Shamsel is one of the stranger Angels. This distinctly phallic - and phallic anxiety provoking - entity is characterized by a prominent shelled cephalic segment and an unarmoured body containing the characteristically unusual internal rib structure of the genus. In both cases, these ribs are present - in the Fifth Angel, the ribs are motile and exposed, while in Shamshel they are covered in flesh and static. Both angels utilize energized flagella. They are nominated together as: C. phallovermis, with subspecies costaexposita and costainternus Gargantua phallocorpus Gargantuahostilis monstrumaseptimana castratiometis

The Tenth Angel is easily confused with Zereul, its cognate expression. Both are skull-faced, seemingly intelligent (and malicious) beings that share razor-sharp flagella and a general bodily shape. However, they differ in the absence of legs from the Tenth Angel, distinct colouration, and a highly divergent internal arrangement of the Tenth Angel, which unlike Zereul, is capable of 'unfolding' itself to expose an internal rib cage and an extendible digestive system and jaw structure. The Tenth Angel is a more robust and, in many respects, considerably more horrific counterpart speciment to Zereul. We nominate it as: C. evangelophagus With niche and mythotaxa shared with Zereul as: Gargantua aforitoanankus flagellator Gargantuahostilis pseudotokuvillainus catharsisogenitor

FIGURE 9: Character mapping of the Thyreoformes.

The Abstractoformes

Moving back from the Thyreoformes, two categories remain among the Core-bearing Peoples. The largest are the Abstractoformes, or those Angels with forms best considered abstract in nature. The smaller is a single species order - though we suspect that the 'Third Angel' most likely shared an original morphology with it - of pseudo-Cetacean, and we will briefly dispense with it.

This single species order, the Acolytacetaceaformes, consists also of a single known family, the Acolytacetaceaformidae, and its type species, Gaghiel, is nominated as: Nataramawus dentata Gargantua pesudocetacea anno Gargantuahostilis monstrumaseptimana dentatacetus

Perhaps the most interesting feature of N. dentata is the presence of the ubiquitous 'skull face' on its dorsal surface. This feature is shared with Sachiel, the Ninth Angel, Zereul and the Tenth Angel, the Seventh Angel, and in highly modified form, the first form of Israfel, but is otherwise absent among the Angels. If this feature is not homoplasious - like the energy weapons common to Angels and present among all but one of the skull-bearers - it may indicate that these Angels constitute a distinct morphological family within the Koukyuuvasiae, and as we will explore in the section on Seeds, potentially a distinct Adamic lineage.

The last remaining category of Koukyuuvasiae are the Abstractoformes. Within this Order, we may identify two families, each consisting of a pair of so-far singular genera a single species each. They are the Astroincolidae, or star-dwellers, and the Energetoiactidae, or energy-throwers. The former consists of the Angels known as Arael and Sahaquiel, and the latter, Ramiel and the Seventh Angel.

The core of Arael is somewhat ambiguous, and it has been suggested they should instead be placed among the coreless Angels. Such a reorganization would suggest a closer association with the Angels Leliel and Armisael, as all three are known to possess a level of intelligent interest in human minds. However, there is evidence of a strongly organized core within Arael and so at the present time we decline to do so. It is the sole specimen of the genus Psycheraptor, and is nominated as: P. pravidoaviluxa Gargantua astrumaves lumenoaves Gargantuahostilis astrainvadans traumataregenarares Arael may also be better classified as belonging to the Energy Beings superdomain, but this is so far unproven.

FIGURE 10: The Angel Sahaquiel, or O. autoprecipitaro.

Its sibling, Sahaquiel, is quite unlike Arael. It possesses a body of definite matter rather than of light, and lacks the intelligent interest in human minds known of Arael and co. It instead seems to be a rather curious 'giant eye' that seeks death, sharing in its patterning with Matarael and the Eighth Angel. We nominate it as: Oculudeioanno autoprecipitaro And its niche and mythotaxa, shared with the Eighth Angel, as: Gargantua astrumamoeba oculariforme Gargantuahostilis astrainvadans eschatogenitor

The second family, the Energetoiactidae, is most synonymous with Ramiel, whose counterpart Sixth Angel is not meaningfully distinguishable, suggesting a point of common morphological priority between Adams. Ramiel is best understood as a form of hyper-energetic polyhedral life, characterized by an extremely high intensity AT field. It has been suggested, though it remains unproven, that the sheer force of this AT field is responsible for the Angel's primary octahedral form, creating it as a sort of physical incarnation of the platonic solid of the same shape. Such a model would identify Ramiel with Mercury, and in its secondary forms and their rapid transformation, this appears satisfactory. We nominate the following taxa accordingly: Apostoloplatoniformum mercurohedron Abstractiformes platoniforms octohedrones laserus Gargantuahostilis octusalea empathogenitrix

FIGURE 11: The Seventh Angel, commonly known as 'Clockiel'. Observe the absence of anything resembling a conventional body plan and the curiously industrial appearance of this Angel. The Core is concealed in the large pendulum.

The other member, the Seventh Angel, is rather more difficult to parse morphologically. The closest analogue seems to us to be the stick insects, but even this is a far cry. All that we may say confidently of the Seventh Angel is that it possesses a core, energetic weaponry, and the characteristic 'skull face' of certain Angel lines. It appears to consist of loosely assembled skeletal tetrahedral segments, and but for the strongly demarcated core, might otherwise be better placed among the communal morphologies. Faced with such a bizarre entity, we nonetheless offer a tentative taxonomy as: Horaeacolytus mendaxocephalus Gargantua mekanikavitus fauxclockusfacus Gargantuahostilis monstrumaseptimana horaemookus

The Abstractoformes clade is, perhaps, best recognized as a convenience. We are entirely prepared to accept that it ought to be split further, but have refrained from doing so due to the risk of taxonomic inflation.

FIGURE 12: The Abstractoformes clade of Angel morphology, with special guest Gaghiel. Note the absence of unifying characteristics.

Two more specimens bear consideration before we move on to the Coreless Class of Angels - the Third and Twelfth Angels. Very little is known of these Angels, save that they bear a core. The Third bore a skeleton at one point and retains energetic weaponry, while the Twelfth may be a collective entity or may simply have been altered by an aborted Instrumentality. In both cases, lacking in sufficient information, we can offer no taxa.

THE AKOUKYUUVASIAE

We turn now to the other major category of Angel, the Akoukyuuvasiae, or the Angels that do not host cores. This subgroup of Angels presents certain analytical challenges not present among the other Angels. First, lacking in a Core, can they be meaningfuly said to be of the same category of life as their counterparts? Second, do they stem from the same source?

We can offer only a partial answer to these questions. On the first, they are treated as the same by the local People, which we defer to as a matter of informational privilege of local traditions in the face of ambiguity. On the second, we conjecture that they do, but not necessarily in the manner usually assumed. See the discussion later of the Seeds for more detail.

These caveats aside, we may divide the coreless into two Orders - the Lilithiformes, comprising Lilim Humans and two special specimens, and the Acolytanoviformes, or 'Acolytes of Novel Form'. We have previously discussed the Lilim and will not repeat ourselves here, and so turn immediately to the Acolytanoviformes. Within this Order, we find two Families:

The pseudo-prokaryotes, consisting of Bardiel and sister species, the Ninth Angel, and Ireul, which we nominate as Acolytanovaprokaryotidae;

The amorphous and energy-based Angels Leliel and Armisael, whose Family we nominate as Evangeloamorphidae.

Among the Acolytanovaprokaryotidae, we may distinguish between two genera. The first is that of Bardiel and the Ninth Angel, which appear to be subspecies of the same morphological 'species' expression. Both are microscopic entities capable of forming into colonies with no apparent core that, given access to an Evangelion or presumably Angel, are capable of seizing control over the body. In this sense, they appear to be a parasitic colonial organism. We nominate them with the following taxa: Evangeloraptis anthropocontaminans Funga macrocolonialis mentalocomprimisor Microscopa hostilis friendkiller

Ireul, the other member of the Family, is perhaps the strangest Angel. It, with Israfel, constitutes the only known case of a 'plural' Angel - one that inhabits many forms - other than the Lilim, the Human-analogue of the Anno Cluster. Unlike Israfel, it demonstrated a clear capacity for tool use and complex planning.

This suggests the possibility that Ireul, unlike the majority of other Angels, may not in fact have been the recipient of the Fruit of Life rather than the Fruit of Knowledge. When we compare it to the sole other known example of such a recipient, we find in both cases: A distributed existence with no clear, singular core; Tool use and apparent complex planning abilities; Relatively rapid adaptation to complex environments based on cognition; An AT field that is physically distinct from that of the other Angels in either shape or colour; Suicidal tendencies as a result of its own cognition.

That other exemplar is, of course, the Lilim. The last point bears a brief explanatory note. The known end state of the Human being in most worlds of the Anno Cluster is 'Human Instrumentality', in which a portion of the species rejects individuality in the pursuit of self-annihilation and reunion with the whole as a gestalt entity. This produces an omnicidal event that may or may not include non-human life under its ambit (c.f. Ikuto's divergent 'Anima Universe', in which non-human life is explicitly preserved as part of the broader program of Instrumentality) but which results in temporary human extinction. The ability to conceive of, and pursue, Instrumentality is born of human cognition and emotional capacity, and so we may reasonably speak of a suicidal cognitive bias within the Lilim variant of the broad Human cluster - one shared by Ireul.

These peculiarities aside, we tentatively nominate Ireul as: Metalloincolacolyta ireula With the niche and mythotaxa: Teknovirales hyperintelligentsia anno Macrobacteria fauxandromeda ireul

FIGURE 12: The Angel Leliel, or D. dysthymica.

The Evangeloamorphidae consist of two genera, each with a single known species that share a curiousity around Human minds. The first, the Diracidae, harbours the curious Angel 'Leliel', who exists in an extradimensional pocket realm capable of projecting shadows into its mainline physical reality. Leliel's core is not known to physically exist, though it may exist in this extraplanar dimension - in which case, it should be considered Koukyuuvasiae. We nominate Leliel as: D. dysthymica Hostilotenebra portalotenebra dysthymia Mentallometaphorus depressiocatharsogenitor

The other, Heliconoapostolus, consists of Armisael alone, an Angel that consists of a glowing strand of light that, when not engaged in hunting or contact behaviour, hovers in the form of a double helix. Armisael has no apparent core, attempts to rebirth other Angels, and behaves in a most unorthodox manner. The three Angels known to pursue Human mental contact appear to create a curious triad of sexual imagery - Leliel functioning as Egg and Womb, Armisael as physically penetrative Phallus and Sperm, and Arael as a metaphorical act of rape through forcible mental connection - that may be indicative of a shared lineage of the Soul predicated on attempting to fuse with others. This speculation aside, we nominate Armisael as: H. phalloplasmida Abstractiformes plasmidium sexualis Mentallometaphorus libidometaphora anno

FIGURE 13: The Akoukyuuvasiae clade of Angel morphology.

This, then, is the scope of known Angel morphology, though it is possible that additional Messenger's Earths exist that may require taxonomization. [Read: If you want me to tackle the other, weirder angels - Diemay's angel and so on - ask. This was already too long.] But the Angels and Lilim Humans are not the end of the matter.

Special Subjects: Rei and Kaworu

Having previously spoken of the impact of souls on determining morphology of the Angel, we now turn to two curious specimens: the children known as 'Ayanami Rei' and 'Nagisa Kaworu', who are phenotypically relatively normal (pseudo-albinism excepted) clone-body Lilim Humans possessed of the 'salvaged souls' of two Seeds of Life. Neither subject possesses a known Angel-like Core, though they are capable of manifesting AT fields considerably stronger than those of ordinary humans.

FIGURE 14: Ayanami Rei and Kaworu Nagisa.

It has been suggested that the reason Rei and Kaworu maintain an essentially human morphology - barring certain highly specific events that produce a rapid fusion of them with an extant Seed's body - is that they are 'bound' into Lilim Human form. This idea is not without merit, but we consider it to perhaps be overlooking an equally likely explanation. The basic genetic material of the Angels, and by extension, the Seeds, is human. The bodily plan of all known Seeds is essentially hominid. It follows that the range of morphological expressions of the souls attached to these Seeds is already inclined towards human or human-adjacent forms, and that these forms are perhaps less 'imposed' than 'suggested' to the Soul regardless of the morphological limitations of Lilim Human genetic expression.

This being the case, we find no basis to speciate Rei and Kaworu as non-Lilim Human beings on either the morphological or phylogenetic level. A tentative mythotaxa is provided, however: Metanthropos avatarika annospermae

However, Rei and Kaworu are not the only beings that are the products of Lilim Human cloning and soul experimentation. We now turn to the elephants in the room - the Evangelions.

EVANGELIONS

FIGURE 15: A selection of Evangelions.

An Evangelion, from our study of the Messenger's Earths, is one of three things:

A clone of an Adam - the case in the older Messenger's Earth for most Evangelions - containing a transplanted human Soul;

A clone of Lilith, though we submit that Lilith is not meaningfully distinct from an Adam;

An Adam itself, reshaped.

In all three cases, an Evangelion appears to be a replica Seed that reproduces the genetics of that Seed and an essentially human, but greatly enlarged, morphology (barring minor abnormalities in facial arrangement.) As the products of Seed cloning, it is notable that all known Evangelions possess cores, including Unit-01, which in the earlier Messenger's Earth is the product of cloning Lilith rather than an Adam. We will return to that point shortly when discussing the Seeds, but for now, we note it as a morphological constant.

The Evangelions, we suggest, represent the 'default state' of Seed-derived life. It is clear that their morphology is not produced by a resident Soul, as they retain this morphology prior to the introduction of one to their Core. However, it is also clear that they are altered by human engineering towards a specific bodily plan, and accordingly, we offer them the following taxa as members of the Koukyuuvasiae and Adamiformes. They are the sole species within the family Homoadamofabricidae, and are: Homoadamofabricus evangelion With niche and mythotaxa of: Megacyborgae humaniformida humanobot Metanthropos avatarika gigantarobota evangelos

FIGURE 16: The place of the Evangelions within the Angelic Taxonomy.

A second installment will follow shortly on the Seeds, the First Ancestral Race, and the implications of panspermia on Angelic cladistics.

[berryispunk]

Under The Surface

pairing: Javi Gutierrez x gn! reader

summary: Javi wanted to have fun by the lake, but your struggling more than you thought you would.

tags: insecure reader, established relationship, sweetest boyfriend ever Javi, some small inner turmoil, all the fluff and love, skinny dipping (kind of), no smut, no physical description of reader

notes: third entry for @fanfictionoverload seasons of life challenge summer week. (yes, we’re a day behind) can I get a round of applause for writing someone other than Frankie ? 🤪 unbeta’d

word count: 516

“You’re not chickening out, do you mi sol ?” Javi asks with big brown eyes on you, a bright teasing smile on his face.

His naked body already in the water, only his head above the surface.

“N-no….” you stutter.

How can you tell him that you’re suddenly incredibly insecure about yourself ?

The sun is barely setting on the horizon and even if Javi saw you plenty of times naked by now, somehow this feels different. It’s still almost a bright day and you somehow feel so exposed.

Your brain is not hazed by desire which makes this all the more terrifying.

So you’re standing at the outskirts of the lake, the water already dancing around your bare feet but you don’t dare to move.

Almost paralyzed by your irrational troubled mind.

Javi knows. He knows you so well, his brows furrowed in worry.

“Mi sol… are you okay?” his voice is soft and caring.

You shake your head as you feel hot tears blurring your vision.

“I know this is dumb…” you finally mumble.

“Hey…” he says and next thing you know you hear the splash of the water as he gets out of it.

You don’t look up, you fix a point on the ground hoping the earth will just swallow you whole in an instant.

“Look at me”, he says softly but there’s a hint of command in it so you obey.

“What’s wrong ?” he asks, his usual soft approach to coax something out of you.

“I… I don’t know…”

“Did I do something wrong ?”

“No!” you quickly protest and the crease between his brows only deepens.

“How can I make you feel better?”

You’re getting frustrated, mostly with yourself.

Your shoulders slump in defeat.

“Get a new partner maybe…” you mutter quietly.

“Not happening”, he says firmly and lifts your chin so you look at him.

He wraps his still bare and mostly wet form around you in a tight embrace, his big hand gently caressing your back.

“If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, we don’t have to. I thought it was a fun idea, that’s all”

“It was. It’s just…” you pause for emphasis

“I don’t even know”, you sigh.

“It’s okay”, he assures you and kisses your head.

“Your comfort is top priority, always.”

You nod and take a small step back.

“You can continue to swim if you want to, I just need a minute, okay ?”

Javi answers with a nod and slowly wades back into the lake.

As soon as his back is turned to you you take a deep steadying breath.

Immediately peeling off your clothes and before you can even change your mind again you run into the cold water with a loud squeak and splash.

You swim a few meters until Javi catches up with you and you wrap your limbs around him as he holds you tight, the water rippling around you both.

“Hey there”, he grins widely before he starts pulling you even closer to him.

“Hey there yourself” you smile back and just like that it doesn’t feel as big as before.

my masterlist