#Anyways bears in trees go listen to them now it will make your day

[fallen-goldfishcracker]

not to be sappy on main but like

I wanna sit with you and have healthy conversations/ our wants, our wills, our trials and tribulations/ sort through faults and fears, the happier years/ let the smiles be the tears replacement

[yuri-is-online]

Jade would be VERY pleased about finally having another club member. I would be happy to listen to him info dump while we look at mushrooms and neat nature stuff.

I let this sit in my ask box for too long but I've had this idea kicking around in my head for a while and then harveston had to go and drop that one line validating my delusions and you've given me an excuse to post it ha

notes: they/them used for Yuu, violence against animals (a bear), swearing at animals (the same bear), Yuu is unnaturally strong (enough to fight a bear), Yuu is implied to have grown up in a forest/woodsy environment, Jade typical blackmail. Other more serious fic can be found on my masterlist here.

Once upon a time, back when you first arrived in this world, you had been unsure how to feel about NRC. Castles existed back home, sure, but ones like this belonged firmly in illustrations or video games; it felt a but nauseating to walk through your wildest dreams brought to life, even if it was exciting sometimes. It was little wonder to you then that the idea of a Mountain Lover's Club was so appealing.

"Did you hike a lot back home?" Trey has that strange smile on his face that suggests you have made him tense somehow.

"Yes. I practically grew up in the woods." The flow of wind through the branches, the smell of fresh rain on the decomposing earth below, all of it wrapped you in a familiar sense of serenity even if the tree line was completely foreign to you. What are men to rocks and mountains after all? You could make yourself right at home here-

"I still don't think you should join." Trey says with all the air of a man who is certainly not telling you something, but the surprising harsh nod of agreement Riddle gives before injecting himself into the conversation convinces you more than whatever Trey had in mind likely could.

"I'm not entirely certain what they do," Riddle has never forbid you from participating in things since you and his dorm-mates brought him back to his senses," but if you want to hike it might be safer if you did it by yourself, assuming you let one of us know when you are going and when you expect to be back. It wouldn't do to have something that brings you so much joy used against you prefect, none of us want that." But he has always expressed concern when he thinks things to be unsafe, and in this case his argument was something you found yourself agreeing with. Hiking is best done at your own pace anyway, why get a club full of self-centered assholes involved in your me time? Though you did wish now they had been a bit more... specific with their concerns. Maybe outlined some of the club's scheduling, but then they would have needed to ask him and in so doing betrayed your interest.

Which would have been much less embarrassing than how Jade actually found out. Because of course he did, was there ever any doubt he would? ~~~~ There is a creek not far up the mountain path behind your dorm you like to rest at when coming back from your adventures. It's a good place to check over the photos on your camera and enjoy the last few rays of sunlight before returning to whatever mess Grim had made in Ramshackle searching for where you had moved all the tuna cans. Sometimes he joined you, and the two of you would have a little picnic up the path a bit further, but that day had not been one of those days. Nor had the day you met this particular nemesis who is staring you down from just across the creek with such a judgmental glance you would think this was a Sunday brunch and not an afternoon meander through the forest.

"The fuck do you want bitch?" You snarl and the bear indignantly sniffs as if to imply she's better than you. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't realize it was my fault your face is so fucking crooked, thought you were just born that way." She huffs again, making a big show of turning her back on you as you rush to get your equipment off and tucked safely out of reach before the skankiest grizzly you've ever met whips around and charges you shrieking something about "how dare you steal her man!!!!" and blah blah blah "I'll show you, you good for nothing hussy!!!!" as if you could actually understand her and this wasn't a three act play you insisted on writing yourself. You weren't even sure this bear was a girl if you stopped to think about it in between punches, not that you really cared. She huffs and makes a valiant attempt to pin you as you snarl and flash your teeth and beat her right back into the creek laughing at what sounds like pathetic winging about "kids these days!!!" and how rude you are for-

A startled noise pauses your match, as you both turn, harsh glares towards a break in the thicket where a very out of place, very surprised looking man stands, hand infuriatingly poised casually at his chin. His infuriating smirk doesn't unfurl until you growl, deep and low reverberating through your opponent just enough that she decides to leave for the day while you are preoccupied.

"Oya, this is a surprise." Jade doesn't move and you stay firm in the creek, body shaking with unspent adrenaline as he decides to move just a bit closer. "If you were that desperate for a sparring partner, I'm sure Floyd would have obliged, animal abuse is not exactly legal you know?"

"What the fuck are you doing here." You spit before you exit the creek, a flash of something darting through Jade's eyes as his gaze darts between you and your pack on the ground.

"Me? I should be asking that of you. The Mountain Lover's Club had to go through quite an ordeal to get permission to leave the school grounds unsupervised..." His teeth begin to show as you crash down from your high, you hadn't actually thought of whether or not you would need to talk to someone other than a friend about where you were going... surely Riddle would have mentioned something if you did? Or did he not think to ask since he wasn't the adventurous sort? "I can't imagine how the Headmage would react to know his ward had been sneaking out to terrorize the local wildlife."

"Hey Brenda started it!" You snap and Jade looks briefly towards the treeline where a very indignant bear is pursing her lips and inspecting her claws, the very picture of innocence if he does say so himself. "She stole my sandwich while I was taking pictures of the sunset!"

"Maybe you should have had someone there to hold it for you." He laughs, finally moving from his spot towards you and your pack, eyes gleaming with familiarity as he looks over your things. "Perhaps, someone who would be willing to... forget about what he just saw if they accompanied him next time?" It's a threat using what gives you joy against you certainly, and you huff indignantly at it but don't deny his request. Jade is an eel of his word, and his joy at doubling the Mountain Lover's Club membership cannot be contained as he ushers you the rest of the way down the mountain, eager to plan your first expedition together.

Not that he intends to ever delete the pictures he took. Your angry face is just too cute.

[glazedsnail]

Fanfic Ends

Finallyyyyyy (I started an epilogue ya'll I can't let them go)

For now, at least, at LAST, the last part of my ShanexOC Stardew Valley Fanfic

Misery Loved Company

ShanexOCFarmer (♀️) 18+ -

Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • Part 6 • Part 7 • Part 8 • Part 9 • Part 10

Look at my farmer and her husband at his favourite festival what a goober omg who likes eggs that much - she says holding her oversize novelty boiled egg dressed in her gudetama pyjama

I'll show you my oversized novelty boiled egg once.

I was listening to this the whole time.

Especially: love letters - teatime at the cottage - lonely waltz x passacaglia - the fairy - picnic in the meadows - spring - a white dress - butterflies and dandelions

With spring mostly on repeat I must admit.

Anyway that's not why you clicked the cut:

‘Shane, what’s taking you so long? We’re going to be late!’

Barely awake, last sip of coffee lingering on his tongue, Shane forces himself into his clothes. He could certainly benefit from buying a new suit, but this one still fits. Why bother. He wins the fight against his trousers and turns to the mirror. His only white shirt has a stain of sauce. A short lament. He will have to wear the tie after all and pray it will hide the stain at least a little. Now to remember the damn knot.

‘Shane!’

‘In a minute!’

Shane promised his aunt he would make an appearance today after she stated, nicely, how fed up she was by “everyone” asking how her nephew was doing. He had a hard time imagining a single person caring, so “everyone” felt like a bit of a stretch. Nevertheless, there he was, already regretting his promise, while Marnie, who was done with clearing and cleaning the breakfast table, was slowly losing patience. He had managed to find excuses to avoid participating in big town events, sometimes at the last minute. This time she was not going to let him win.

Finally, the tie is on, crooked, and hides the sauce stain. With a smile, he figures it might have happened at his birthday dinner just a few days ago. Jas and Marnie had laid out his favourite food, and even put a bow on Charlie who had the best seat at the table. Shane’s grin deepens. He was grateful, even if showing it poorly. 

‘Uncle Shane!’

‘You tell him, Jas.’

A laugh. Things are not so bad.

He tries to fix his hair. Quickly gives up. A long exhale as he puts on his jacket, ready to go.

‘There he is!’ Sings Marnie. ‘You could have done something about your stubble.’

‘Marnie.’

‘It’s fine, it’s fine. You look great. Let’s go!’

To Jas’ delight, they are about to finally cross the doorway.

‘Oh just a minute.’

The little girl grumbles at her uncle who’s already making them late. At this rate all the honey and hot cross buns will be gone. Shane makes sure to acknowledge her frustration by ruffling her hair, and walks to the kitchen window. The valley is slowly heading towards summer. The tepid timid sun shining in the sky right now will start warming and burning in just a couple of hours. The trees are plump and full with leaves and lives. Butterflies are twirling in the mating ballet of their short existence. One of Marnie’s cow is happily chewing cud under the window, ringing her bell at whoever wants to hear it.  Shane sighs, content. It’s a beautiful day. He reaches for the single plant pot sitting on the window ledge, turns it around, inspect the leaves, the branches, sprays some misty water around.

When Shane found the hot pepper plant in Fern’s farm he couldn’t bear to leave it amongst everything else, and was pleasantly surprised to discover he actually had a green thumb, and that it was enough to revive the browning leaves. And then he saw she had slapped a stupid handmade label reading “Shane” crudely stuck onto the terracotta. He knew he had to take care of it, cursing that damn corny ass farmer with every fibre of his body.

Perhaps because he was taking too long, or because she felt he needed it, Jas grabs her godfather’s hand. Her smiling eyes looking up to him, not uttering a word. He smiles, and squeezes her little hand back.

‘Thank you’ he whispers. ‘Let’s go now.’

The clearing had been prepared like every year. Colourful bunting stretched around the field and the tables. Cut flowers decorating every corner of meadows where wildflowers are not already growing. The air is sickly sweet with the scent of bloom and anticipation, mixed with the recently cut grass to prepare for the upcoming stomping. Jas leaves Marnie’s hand the moment she sees Vincent and Penny, who nods politely at them.

‘How are you doing?’ Marnie asks her nephew now alone.

‘I’ll be fine.’ He says, uncomfortable in his ill-fitting suit. ‘I think Gus brought his hot chilli sauce.’

She laughs tenderly before grabbing him, and starts dusting his shoulders, puts some order in his hair, straightens his tie.

‘Shane, this shirt has a stain.’

‘Before you moved the tie, it was perfectly hidden.’ He moves the tie back. ‘Why all the fuss anyway. I’m just gonna hang by the buffet.’

‘What if someone asks you to dance? Be a bit more presentable.’

‘I said I’d come, aunt Marnie, not that I’d dance.’

She sighs in desperation.

‘I want you to enjoy yourself.’

‘I’ll be fine, go and mingle.’ He replies, gently stopping his aunt from trying anything with his messy hair.

Marnie smiles, swiftly caressing his cheek, with pride, and concern. He watches her sauntering over to the mayor, and exhales. He can finally stop smiling. Around him, the other townspeople are loudly talking, laughing, excited, impatient. Some glance at him, others are even gratifying him with a sympathetic smile. With a groan, he makes his way to a tree casting its shadow on the array of food available and leans against it. Colourful bugs are dancing around the uncovered plates, the flowers, then fly high up to the sun.

‘You got a lighter?’

Shane jumps. Transfixed as he was by the insects he didn’t see Pam approaching him to his shadowing corner.

‘Sorry Pam, no, tryin' to stop.’

‘Good for you!’ She says, putting her cigarette behind her ear. ‘So, out of your hole at last?’

‘We spoke yesterday at Jojamart, what are you on about?’

She scoffs.

‘I meant in the social department. Ain’t seen you ‘round lately. Saloon sure feels empty.’ She chuckles and adds. ‘Not that I was seeing much of you since that farmer got your eye.’

‘Yeah.’

‘Shame she didn’t stick around. Do we know why she didn’t come back?’ Shane lifts his head to the trunk, and hopes a bit too late it’s not covered in sap. Since Fern had left it was like she’d never existed. They would always make sure to never mention her when he was around. He didn’t care if they did. All of them being so careful not to talk about her enraged him more than if they did.

Today for some reasons, his head was not in the mood.

‘Family stuff. I think.’

‘You think?’

Fern had written with no return address to the mayor. Nothing in the letter mentioned Shane. But she was sorry. 

‘Pam.’

‘I get ya, I get ya! Don’t worry. Just sayin’ it’s nice to see you here is all.’

‘Marnie made me. Said I couldn’t miss the Flower Dance. Something ‘bout tradition and shit.’

The older blond shrugs.

‘Well, even the doc’s not here so, tradition or not, I don’t think anyone would’ve said anything anyway.’

Shane laughs bitterly. Of course no one would have noticed or cared. 

‘Anyway, nice talking to ya!’ She bolts as she sees Gus in the distance, ready to ask the saloon’s owner for a lighter, and leaves Shane to his trunk

Been a while since he actually craved a cigarette.

He looks around him. It’s true that Harvey isn’t there. Everybody else is. Shane is heavily debating crawling back in his bed. He made his appearance, it should please Marnie.

‘Everyone, gather ‘round! We’ll soon start the dance.’

Lewis shouts, trying to get everyone’s attention. Shane lets out a scornful sigh. The appeal of his bed just increased tenfold. He watches, from his tree, as his peers grab their partners’ hand, and quickly looks down, dejected. He doesn’t have proper dress shoes on, and his sneakers need a serious wash. He most likely walked in the mud on his way here. At least he hopes it’s mud.

The music gently starts. A ghastly recording of an ill fitted 3 / 4 waltz they probably played when Mayor Lewis was in his baby britches. Shane lifts his head back up, thinking of grabbing something to eat while they dance.

To his surprise, no one is dancing. He scans the thin crowd. Most of the heads are turned to the passageway to the forest. Marnie bolts towards it with what looks like a smile on her face from afar, quickly followed by Jas’ little legs. Soon, a small group forms around them. Shane leaves the shadow of his tree, tempted to join them all, slightly tip-toeing, lifting himself up to see above their heads.

They part the way. Shane’s heart skips a beat. 

There, in the springtime light, softly caressed by the slow wind, wearing a white light cotton dress, Fern walks alongside Harvey. She’s smiling, holding Jas’ hand, talking to Marnie. To add to his disbelief, they hug, a timid but warm embrace. 

With a dry mouth, Shane curses his legs. He really thought he was walking towards her but they’re unresponsive. Fern finally sees him and her smile disappears. Both refuse to blink, too scared the other would simply vanish. She slowly walks to him, her dress gently flowing against her bare ankles. She should have known he would be away from everybody else. Shane fights the urge to rub his eyes. Finally, his legs let him move to her. To the farmer he saw covered in mud, barely knowing how to hold a chick, cutting herself with a pair of shears and blaming the sheep, spewing nonsense after nonsense for days just to befriend him, and was as pretty now as she was then. Her hazel eyes look brighter. Her hair, longer, is up in a ponytail, softly swinging in her steps. He saw her everything, in the bareness of their carnal exchange, and yet, the light cloth kissing her curves is the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. With his trembling hand, he grabs a pink gerbera sitting on the table, and finally reaches her. They both clear their throat.

‘Shane.’ she starts.

He looks straight at her, flower in hand. Without a word, he lifts his arm to her hair and tucks the pink flower behind her ear. She smiles, her golden eyes slowly getting wet.

The music had stopped, and no one in the whole valley is breathing.

‘Fern’ he replies.

They don’t even realise everyone is looking at them. Shane painfully swallows, and takes Fern’s hand in his.

‘Do..Do you, maybe, want to dance?’ he asks with all his strength. She nods, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. On the other side of the meadow, Marnie tugs at Harvey’s coat, holding a please squeal.

‘Lewis’ she says to the mayor ‘put the music back on.’

He recognises her non negotiable tone and the music starts again. They all slowly join Shane and Fern, keeping their distance, and start the dance. Shane puts his shaking hand on her waist, lets her grab his shoulder, and starts slowly twirling. His blushing cheeks are met with his new smile as he realises he is holding Fern. Their dance starts slow, uncertain, like two newborn fawns. Certainly looking clumsy to the outside eye. She looks at his smiling green eyes, grateful to see them again.

‘You’re back’ Shane exhales.

‘I’m sorry’

‘No, no. Not now’ he whispers as they twirl.

‘You’re very handsome in that suit.’ Fern says, remembering how striking she already found him in his everyday attire.

He timidly scoffs, obviously not believing her one bit, barely able to hide his increasingly blushing face.

‘Your hair is longer.’ He remarks.

‘Yeah it’s… It’s been a while.’

‘It looks nice. N-not that I didn’t like your short hair. That it didn’t look nice. It looked nice then too. I like you. Your longer hair. Just now.’

A tear runs down Fern’s cheek that she quickly wipes. How she missed this endearing clumsiness.

‘I missed you.’ She whispers, as a new twirl pulls her closer to Shane.

‘I missed you too.’ He replies in one breath, her smile striking his fast beating heart.

‘I’m happy you’re here.’ She adds.

‘Marnie made me come.’

‘Wasn’t the prospect of all the dipping sauce good enough?’

He laughs, making her twirl again in his arms.

‘Why’d I go through the pain of wearing a suit and head out when I can eat alone at home in my pants?’

‘Still trying to charm me, I see.’

Shane bites his lip, hearing her laugh, seeing her smile, all while in his arms. He had almost convinced himself he’d never see her face again, never feel her body in his hands. She was certain she would have to forget Shane, forget his smile, his voice. But there he was, slowly making her dance and laugh, his soft kind eyes falling into hers.

‘Did Harvey bring you here?’

‘Fetched me at the station. We’ve been planning for weeks, surprisingly not a lot of train stops at Pelican Town.’

‘We?’

‘Well, Harvey, me, and your aunt.’

Shane’s steps nearly stop, stunned. He blinks repeatedly.

‘Marnie?’

She knew Fern would be here, today, after months of absence and still let him come with a sauce stained shirt.

Fern nods, and twirls.

‘She came to the city. Multiple times.’

‘I had no idea.’

‘That was her plan.’

Shane quickly tries to find Marnie. Standing in the corner of the meadow, she looks at them with a warm smile. 

‘We had…Long talks.’ Fern continues.

He nods in understanding, swirling with her.

‘Are you leaving after today?’ He asks, tightening his grip over her hand and waist, afraid that she would disappear should she answer yes.

‘No. The farm is mine.’

Shane grabs Fern back after fumbling a step, helping her back on her feet.

‘You’re staying? For good? With me? I mean, with us? I mean, in Pelican Town?’

She giggles, closing in on the already decreasing gap between them. 

‘Marnie said you’ve been taking good care of my chickens. Especially Cranky.’

‘I have. Cranky will not want to leave me ever, now.’

‘She’s not the only one.’

The music stops, much too soon. They refuse to leave each other’s arms. Their chest move up and down in unison, out of breath, heart against the other.

‘Shane I’m sorry I didn’t come back.’ Fern starts in one exhale.

‘Fern.’

‘I should have at least wrote or’

‘Fern, you’re back’ he cuts ‘You’re here now.’ He caresses her cheek. ‘And for some insane reasons you’re dancing with me.’ 

‘I’m sorry I hurt you, Shane. I was scared to come back.’ She adds in a shaking tone, cradling herself in his open hand. 

She looks down, but Shane swiftly lifts her chin back up with a smile. Fern takes it all in. His gorgeous smile creasing the corner of his soft eyes. She passes her hand in his hair and takes a deep breath. 

‘I love you.’

She sees the weight of her words fall in Shane’s eyes, the shock making his smile slowly disappear. As tears start falling, Shane pulls Fern to him in a kiss. Applauses erupt from the surrounding, suddenly remembering they’re in the middle of a town gathering, startled by the townspeople who have all been holding their breath for so long, for that one kiss.

Hesitant to let the other go, they blush, looking like two stranded poppies in the middle of the clearing. 

‘I’m sorry.’ Fern whispers ‘I know how you are with public display.’ she laughs, starting to release his hand.

He pulls her back in another kiss. A soft, slow caress on her lips, feeling like they kiss for the very first time in an intentional passionate embrace while the world disappears around them. Then Fern’s feet touch the ground again, her forehead pressed on Shane’s holding his shallow breathing to whisper back.

‘I love you.’ 

[possessingtheproperspirit]

It's @mppmaraudergirl's birthday! In celebration, have this random load of nonsense: sixth year Jily flirting by the lake.

“Ah, June.”

She doesn’t lift her gaze from the book in her lap, although she can’t seem to stop the smile already tugging at her lips. 

He is not discouraged by her lack of response. “To be young and in love in June,” he sighs, and flops down next to her. He smells like mint and pine and sweat. Not that she notices that sort of thing. “How can you bear it, Evans?”

“What, June?” she asks, still not looking up. Over the course of their sixth year at Hogwarts, she’s become used to his meandering threads of conversation: his mind works in mysterious and, yes, amazing ways. Now that they’re friends, she’s more attuned to it than ever. “One day at a time, Potter. Just me and my will to survive.”

He snorts and her smile strengthens; finally, she allows herself to look up, squinting in the sunshine as she takes him in. His tie has long since been abandoned, his hair its usual dishevelled mess. His legs are stretched out in front of him, and he rests back on his elbows, a louche sort of insouciance that, again, she wishes she didn’t find as charming as she does. 

“Not June,” he corrects her, and nods towards the lake. From their vantagepoint, under the shade of an ancient willow tree, they have the perfect view of two fourth years, flirting for Britain in the shallows. “Love’s young dream over there. It’s a bit much, isn’t it?”

“Is it?” she wonders. She recognises the boy—he’s a Hufflepuff prefect. Seems nice enough. “All they’re doing is standing there.”

“Standing there,” he repeats dryly. She can tell that he’s enjoying himself, that he’s committing to this train of thought even if he doesn’t really care. Sometimes he says things and he means them; sometimes he says things and he’s looking to have some fun. She likes both versions equally. “Flaunting their happiness in front of us!”

She turns to look at James, biting her lip as her smile threatens to overwhelm. “Oh, I’m sorry, Potter,” she says, and he meets her gaze, his own grin blooming. “I didn’t realise you were suffering so.”

“Being single,” he shrugs, waving an airy hand in the direction of the lake. “The secret sadness, even on a sunny day.” He glances down at her book. “Even in your fine company. Even though you’d rather be reading—what is that?”

“Pride and Prejudice,” she replies, showing him the cover. “It’s a classic.”

“That’s what girls want, is it?” he smirks. “Regency romance, contained desire and declarations of love at a polite distance?”

“Well,” she considers. “That, and paddling about in a lake.”

James’ laugh warms her, and she follows his gaze back out to the flirting pair nearby. “Maybe that’s where I’m going wrong.”

“Or maybe,” she says, and she’s not sure why, because it makes her stomach feel like it’s turning inside out, “you’re not going as wrong as you think you are.”

He looks round again, an intrigued eyebrow raised. For a moment, no comment, and she thinks she’s messed this up. They were having a rambling joking conversation, and she made it into something real.

But then he smiles again, and says, “We’re often our own harshest critic, aren’t we?” A pause, then, “Most of us, anyway. Sirius thinks he’s the bee’s knees.”

“But that’s only because he is,” Lily replies. Her heartbeat is returning to a normal rate. “Ignore the lake lovebirds. Lie back and I’ll read you some of my book.”

He chuckles, but does as he is asked, settling comfortably back against the grass. “Can I try to guess the ending?” he asks. “Who dies first, pride or prejudice? My money’s on prejudice.”

“James,” she says patiently, opening her book up again. “Shut up and listen.”

“Harsh,” he murmurs, and grins up at her. “But fair.”

And that was where they stayed, until the sun started to set over the lake.

[kindofsortofmaybe]

maybe gustho stargazing for the prompts <3

(also hiiiiii)

HIIII ESME!!!! thank you for the prompt!!! i'll be honest, this is super sappy and self-indulgent, but... oh well. it's also unedited so read at your own risk

Constellations

“Did you know that constellations are different in the human realm?” Gus said, breaking the comfortable silence between him and Matt.

“No, I didn’t, cause I’m not a nerd,” Matt shot back, never one to pass up an opportunity to tease his friend. He leaned back onto the blanket they had laid out in the looking glass graveyard, shifting from sitting to laying down for a better view of the stars through the trees. He glanced sideways at Gus. “Tell me about them, though. So I can use your facts to impress everyone, obviously.” An absolute lie. He wanted Gus to tell him about human realm constellations because he could listen to Gus talk for hours. Gus shot Matt a crooked grin as he laid down beside him. 

“Whatever you say, Matty. For starters, their sky isn’t as purple as ours at night. It’s more like a navy blue. And it’s absolutely bright blue during the day, which is weird. And you can’t really see the stars from most places anymore, because of all the lights in their cities.”

Matt frowned. “But we have lights in our cities, and I can see the stars just fine.”

“Yeah, but their lights work different than ours. It’s a whole thing. But that’s not the point! Anyway, we went camping while we were there, and out in the woods, you can see a crazy amount of stars. Luz taught me some of the constellations.

“The famous ones are the big dipper and the little dipper, which are called that cause they both look like spoons. And they’re also both part of bigger bear constellations, I think. And a lot of their constellations have stories, like this one called Gemini. It’s also called the twins, because it’s of two brothers that were put in the sky because one died and the other one was so sad that he asked their—well, this guy who was kind of like their Titan—anyway, he asked him to make him and his brother immortal, so the Titan made them a constellation. There’s lots of interesting stories like that, and I think I want to go back sometime so I can find a book at the human library about them. I want to know every story of every star.”

Matt soaked in every word of Gus’s rambling. He had long ago stopped gazing at the stars, opting instead to gaze at the boy beside him as he spoke animatedly. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware that he must look stupidly lovestruck, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. It was true, anyway. Suddenly, Gus turned to look at him, and Matt felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“You should come with me.”

“What?” 

“Back to the human realm,” Gus clarified. “You should come with me sometime. I can show you the constellations.”

“Oh,” Matt said dumbly. He could feel heat rushing to his cheeks. “Alright, loser, it’s a plan. Me and you. The human realm will never recover.” 

Gus laughed, turning his eyes back towards the sky. “Yeah. Me and you. It’s a plan.”

Matt continued to watch him, unable to look away. He couldn’t help it; Augustus was magnetic, electrifying in an addictive way, and to be honest, he was downright gorgeous. Matt couldn’t get enough of him.

But what if Gus could get enough of Matt? Matt wasn’t stupid; he knew the chances of Gus feeling the same way about him were slim. What if Gus got tired of him, or found something—or someone—better in the human realm? Was Matt worth coming back to?

Matt chewed the inside of his cheek nervously, struggling to ask what he wanted to ask. Eventually, he bit the bullet, and softly said, “Will you come back?”

“What do you mean?” Gus replied. He again met Matt’s eyes, his brow furrowed. Matt cleared his throat.

“From the human realm. I know it’s full of all your favorite nerd stuff and you have friends there now, and their constellations are probably way cooler than ours, but… When you go to the human realm, are you gonna come back?” Will you come back to me? 

“Oh.” Gus’s face softened. “Well…” He took Matt’s hand, and the older boy felt his heart beat wildly against his ribcage at the feeling of Gus’s palm pressed flush against his own. “There’s kinda this guy on the Boiling Isles… He’s annoying and rude and waaaaay dramatic, but I kinda…” Gus hesitated. “I kinda like him. So, y’know, even if I found everything I ever wanted in the human realm, I’d at least come back to see him.”

Matt didn’t know what to say. He was rendered speechless, his face bright red. Finally, he cleared his throat and looked back up at the purple sky, breaking their prolonged eye contact.

“Well, that’s super embarrassing.” His voice was too loud. “But… I bet he likes you too. And I bet he’d be glad to see you, if you did decide to visit.” Matt gave Gus’s hand a gentle squeeze. Gus squeezed back.

“Good. Cause I think I’d always come back for him.” He paused. “But I wouldn’t have to, if he came with me.”

“I think he’d go anywhere with you,” Matt said, almost too quickly. He didn’t mean to; it was just true, and the words practically fell out of his mouth. 

“I’ll hold him to that.”

[breakerwhiskey]

173 - ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY THREE

Please visit breakerwhiskey.com for more information or to send a message to Whiskey's radio. Breaker Whiskey is an Atypical Artists production created by Lauren Shippen. If you'd like to support the show, please visit patreon.com/breakerwhiskey.

Transcript under the cut. For more episodes, click here.

[click, static]

Okay, I am officially concerned. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before, but the truck was’t in the drive like usual so I just assumed…

I should have checked the whole house. But I’m so used to never coming into the garage because I know how much you hate your studio being disturbed but when I woke up this morning and you still weren’t home, well, I went in anyway and the truck is still here. In the garage.

It’s running fine—that’s where I’m broadcasting from right now, though obviously I turned the engine off. And I have to say, I’m impressed that you were actually listening when I told you to bring it inside for the winter if you weren’t going to be driving it much. But if you’re not out there driving this truck on a supply run, where are you?

I—I took the other car. Which, I’m sorry to say, is now somewhere in California, having been put out to pasture. But unless you finally decided to take an interest in car mechanics after all this time, I don’t know how else you’d be getting around. I know you love your walks—or, you did, eventually, once you got past the worst of the paranoia, but…you never went on a walk this long.

If you’re—if you’re dead in a ditch somewhere, I’m going to be fucking furious, Harry.

[click, static]

It’s…weird. Being in here. It feels like being inside your head somehow. It’s a goddamn mess, which I didn’t really expect. I’m sure you’ve got your own system—though who the hell knows—but I definitely can’t make sense of it. I’m glad to see you pulled the radio in here though. Maybe you did hear some of my transmissions after all.

Is that why you’re not here? Because you heard me say I was coming and you didn’t want to see me? You’ve enjoyed your life without me so much that you couldn’t bear to have your peace shattered.

Except…you’ve been thinking about me. I know you have. And maybe this is why you never wanted me to be in your studio in the first place.

There’s…a lot of me in here. Paintings, sketches…not all of my face always but you must have known that I’d recognize the curve of my own ear, the shape of my hands.

Have—have you been doing this all along? Or just since I left? Were you always coming in here and spending hours perfecting the color of my hair when some days you wouldn’t even speak to me—

[click, static]

Is this why you asked for the stories behind all my scars? So you could render them in perfect detail, knowing exactly what made them and when? I thought you wanted to know more about me, but maybe it was just an avenue for your art, one of the few subjects that you had access to, too tired of painting birds or trees or images from your own mind.

Or did you ask because you wanted to know? You talked once, about how painting helped you understand the world, or yourself; how that was one of the things you loved about it, one of the reasons you started painting in the first place. Because when nothing else made sense, charcoal and oil and your own hands were able to bring shape to the world.

Were you trying to understand me? Or were you trying to understand what you felt about me? Or was guilt swallowing it all up that you couldn’t uncover anything else.

I just…I need you to come back and explain what this is all about. Because in a room full of canvases and color and stray sketch pages, I keep turning and seeing my own face. I’m everywhere.

[click, static]

There’s a lot of other art too, of course. And it’s all…it’s fucking beautiful. Your art has always been so beautiful.

I…I’ve added to your collection. I picked up a painting when I was in Santa Fe, something that I thought was pretty and that I thought you might—

Well, I’ve left it in here. In case you want to do anything with it. It’s yours.

There are also—well. I wrote you some postcards. But I obviously had no way of sending them to you so I just…held onto them. But you might as well have them now.

I don’t know why I’m saying all of this on the radio like I can’t say it to you face to face. You’ll be back and you’ll probably be annoyed that I left stuff in your studio without asking. There’s no need for me to leave anything for you, not when I can just hand it to you.

But I just have this feeling…

I’m going to look for you tomorrow. Drive to the usual spots, take a walk in the woods behind the house. And because I’m fucking considerate, I’m going to leave a note.

[click, static]

[newkatzkafe2023]

Genderbend Villainous Disney Princesses x Yandere reader

Chapter 4 uh...Hi

It was another day, another gloomy Autumn morning now normally (y/n) would sleep in on days like this but she had to get some work done in her treehouse. Some wood was molding and the ceiling was falling apart. 'That part will fall apart if I'm not careful' you thought to yourself while you get you tools. Your home is big beautiful treehouse you've been taking care of it for years it's your only home and the only place you know. Grabbing your chainsaw you step out to cut the nearest log until you notice something strange their was a shadows in a distance. They were slowly getting closer you quickly put on your goggles and moved the chainsaw in defense position you then moved behind the log you were going to cut.

(???) OK I should be close I can feel it

Close? You thought to yourself

(???) Oh man they haven't sang in a while i hope I didn't stray of the path.

The figure was tall Man with long black hair in a ponytail He had some bags with him a he wore a puffy white suit. He didn't seem like a threat but a Stranger is a Stranger you Quietly moved closer and continue to listen...

(???) The voice came from this Broken down tree house. Alright Jasmir just put up with it for awhile the second you find the girl the second you can go back to Arabah.

So this guy is Jasmir you thought. you finally decided to make yourself known grunting to get his attention. Jasmir felt a Presents behind him and turn to see you, Admittedly he freaked out see a young forest woman wielding a stange but sharp Contraption that looks like it can do some serious damage. You continued to stare at Jasmir with soulless but curious eyes you Observed Jasmir up close he was definitely taller than you and had a smooth face you notice he wore some shiny items on them. He was kinda cute to you, as you continued to stare. As you stared at him Jasmir was sweating like Crazy he never Inspected to have a stare off with a quiet and cute girl. She was slightly Intimidating but something told him she wasn't a threat.

(Jasmir) Um Hi?

(Y/N) ( Stareing)...

(Jasmir) (weirded out) I am Jasmir I am the Sultan and Ruler of Arabah

You continued to stare at Jasmir as if to ask what Brings him to her forest home. Jasmir decided to Continue

(Jasmir) incase you are wondering I am on a search for something or rather someone. You see I been hearing a voice from this forest and it's been calling me and I need to know where it comes from.

You gasped! Your (e/c) eyes widened in Realization he must have heard you song the only time of the whole day you used your voice. Jasmir heard your voice from miles away?! Like what?! Anyways if he came all this way to find you then it must be faith you can't let him go. You can't let him go ever.

You put your chainsaw down on the side of the log, you then wave your hand at him and Beckoned you to follow him in your house. Jasmir was confused but not Deterred though he should really be careful he has no knowledge on who you are or why you're out here, but you clearly live here so. As Jasmir walk their you were on a Lift looking contraption. You continued to Beckoned him to join the Lift and as soon as Jasmir climbed on you began pulling the both of you up to your home. Jasmir was amazed but kelp a calm face but he now had many more questions about you and this Place. You two finally got to your tree house

Jasmir's Jaw dropped when the saw your home as you walked ahead of him silently toward the kitchen and put on a kettle of tea 🍵.

(Jasmir) you live here?! It looks like a bunch of teddy bear threw up rainbows and glitter on this place. It's so sickenly cute.

You rolled your eyes at him as you waited for the kettle to boil. You pointed to his bag 🎒 your (e/c) not leaving his face. Jasmir was confused but understood what you wanted to know.

Jasmir smirks again

(Jasmir) ( Arrogantly) Your wondering what's in here huh? Well since you asked, theses are maps of my home and the land that Surrounds it as i said im on a Search expedition for a mysterious voice and it has lead me to this forest. You see I was a handsome Prince Confine to that stupid castle since my father died. My mother presented me to many Princesses from other kingdoms to marry but they were either spoiled, Clingy, self-centered, Is haughty, bratty or arrogant and liked to hear themselves talk.

WoW are you the one to talk you Thought as you Boardly listen to Jasmir's Back story but then his voice changed

(Jasmir) But ever since I took my kingdom by force I heard a strange sound

Now You went back to listening to him Intently this time.

Jasmir( Softly) I heard a voice, a voice filled with fear, loneliness and disappointment, as if they were robbed of having a decent life. It was calling me every night when the moon was out I could no longer resist it I want to find them.

Jasmir (darkly) I NEED THEM.

Now You can confirm this situation. Jasmir was hear because of your love song or Mating Call as you Called it. he must of came all the way from his home country to court you and claim you as his own. The thoughts of what will take place in the future was enough to put a blush on your face and your whole body but you remain calm as not to scare him.

Jasmir(Frustrated) But everywhere I turn I wasn't even close I'm already low on money and resources I brought along with me and I am knowhere near then. I think thier teasing me

Well I kinda am you thought to yourself. Overall you really wanna test him to see if he's desperate enough to follow you to the ends of the earth. In case you haven't notice Jasmir was obsessed with the voice and its love song and your growing obsessed with the Sultan himself. Learning that your song is driving Jasmir Crazier then he already is you know that you to are Each other's destiny.

You will twist and pull and cut and tear and rip apart and stitch back up Jasmir until he had nothing left to give. You will make him love you and think he can never get by without you. You will have him think that he's going to DIE without you.

You stare at Jasmir before lightly slapping him to get him to focus

(Jasmir) (Gasped) How dare?!

But before he can finish you pointed at the picture frame on the main wall. Jasmir looked up and saw a huge picture of you in a pure white dress and a flower crown although their was some disturbing parts like you still had the same blank face as you cuddled a dead racoon and with blood on your hands and smudgeson your dress. Jasmir was Mesmerized and he then noticed the bottom of the frame that had a name.

(Jasmir) (In a low tone) Your Name is (Y/N)?

You stared at him one last time, before finally speaking

(Y/N) I am (Y/N) (L/N)

Jasmir was a goner, and a Figuratively dead man

He has no idea of the Ginormous and infected boo boo he has created.

Jasmir has no clue of how much danger he is in

AND the WORST part is he doesn't even CARE.

ok finally finished chapter 4 hope you like it and please leave comments below of what you think will happen in the future I want to hear you thoughts.

[rosietrace]

Waddles in with cookies

C- Can I have a Mel x Victoria fic pretty please? I don't got a lot of ideas but I think Vic deserves to be spoiled and loved.

OFCCC POOKIE BEAR (I'm so sorry this took so long 😭 Happy belated birthday, Mel!!)

Sweetness

(Central) Characters Featured: Victoria Shard, Melanie Charmant

↳ { Melanie belongs to @/twsted-princess }

Others mentioned/featured: Zenith Devi, Sumeragi Yuuta

Pairing: Victoria Shard & Melanie Charmant

Event: Valentine's Day 2024 💌

↳ Type: Requested Oneshot! 「 Fluff w/ Slight Angst 」

Synopsis: Sugary sweets such as chocolate chip cookies always make anyone's day, surely it would work on her, too?

Warning(s): Implied one-sided/unrequited love if you squint, like- One vague reference to a specific WIP, generally fluffy, potentially ooc

[ Apologies for any out of character moments ]

[ Reblogs > Likes ]

†•°•══════ஓ๑「♢」๑ஓ══════•°•†

“And then I found another letter… How peculiar.”

Zen giggled, circling Victoria as they walked the halls of Night Raven. “Whoever this secret admirer is, Tori, they sure seem to admire you!”

Victoria sighed, a soft smile on her lips. “Now, let's not make any assumptions, Zen,” she dismissed, bringing another piece of chocolate into her mouth. “Although I will say their taste in chocolate is impeccable.”

Zen could only snicker, endeared by his best friend's fondness for sweets.

“Well, whoever they are, they're definitely treating you right!”

“Perhaps, so.”

“Don't you ever wish you could meet them eventually?...”

Victoria thought about that possibility for a quick moment, sitting down against the tree in the main courtyard.

“I haven't thought much of it, really. However, if I do somehow meet them-”

Anything else Victoria was going to say after that had to be cut short, as a familiar face came their way.

Melanie Charmant was a perplexing topic of conversation — at least, in the eyes of Victoria Shard. Zen didn't think much of Melanie, not much to be said, simply saying she was ‘nice’.

“Zen!” Melanie sighed with relief, panting so heavily she looked like she had run a marathon. “Thank God I found you…”

“Aww, did little Miss Charmant miss me?” Zen chuckled, standing up from beside Victoria to stand beside Melanie, using his magic to give Melanie a bit of a ‘cooldown’.

“You look rather parched,” Victoria pointed out once she finished chewing on her chocolate. “Are you alright?”

Melanie felt her face heat up, taking a step back and almost stumbling.

It was obvious to everyone — perhaps even to Victoria — that Melanie may or may not fancy the ice queen of Pomefiore.

That, at least, made Zen pity her. Poor girl was so obvious she almost fell to the ground at the realization Victoria was there the entire time.

“S-Sorry, Victoria! I… I didn't notice you were there,” Melanie laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of her neck with an equally awkward smile.

Victoria hummed, rather puzzled by Melanie's behavior. “It's fine.”

“Ahahaha- Anyways! Mel,” Zen turned to Melanie with an enthusiastic grin. Perhaps a bit too enthusiastic.

“Do you need anything?”

“Uh- Well…” Melanie's stiff little smile remained, feeling quite discomforted by the fact Victoria was listening.

For obvious reasons, it was clear that Zen understood her stiffness. Victoria seemed to take her nervousness as a memo to give her and Zen their privacy, and promptly stood up.

“I'll leave you two to your own devices.”

Zen pouted. “Aw man, really?”

“I have a lot on my schedule today, Zen.”

“Can't you stay a couple more minutes longer?”

“As much as I'd love to, I have a busy work schedule, Zen.”

Zen chortled. “Does that work schedule consist of you trying to outdo a certain housewarden?”

Victoria's eyes narrowed, and she only gave Zen's forehead a brief poke. “Not the point.”

He chuckled. “Fine,” he embraced her. Melanie noted that Zen was akin to a koala with the way he clung to Victoria.

Amused beyond belief, Victoria gently gave him a pat on the head, returning his embrace with a soft smile.

Melanie found herself getting even more flustered when her gaze flickered to Victoria's smile. She always looks so pretty when she smiles…

Victoria bid Melanie and Zen farewell before walking away with a black box of chocolate in tow.

Melanie drew out a breath, eyes softening further as her crush walked away without another word.

Her attention soon shifted back to Zen when the latter clapped his hands to grab her attention. Well, at the very least, he was successful.

“So! Mel,” he placed his hands on his hips with an encouraging smile, “what can I do for you?”

“Huh-? O-Oh, right!” Melanie composed herself, clearing her throat and putting her hands behind her back. “I've been.. Wanting to ask you something about Victoria?”

Zen's eyebrows shot up. “Tori?” He cocked his head to the side. “Well, I mean I could, but she was just here earlier, why didn't you ask her then?”

Melanie frowned, looking down. She knew that Zen knew why, that he was just trying to be nice by pretending not to know the most obvious crush in Night Raven College.

Hesitating for a moment, Melanie fiddled with her hands behind her back, trying to find the right words to use.

“I was thinking… Does Victoria like sweets?”

Zen laughed. “Of course! Y'know, a lot of people don't know this, but her sweet tooth is actually insane,” he wrapped an arm around Melanie. “She has a whole pantry in her room, it's wild.”

“Huh,” Melanie was pleasantly surprised by this new piece of information. “Does she like chocolate in general, or…?”

“All kinds,” Zen answered swiftly. “However, if you ask me, she's the most fond of milk chocolate. Especially milk chocolate chip cookies.”

“That's…”

“Unexpected? Sure, but Tori's always had a soft spot for sweets!”

So she likes chocolate….

Based on the look in her eyes, Melanie Charmant was on a mission to brighten her crush's day and she'd be damned if she were unsuccessful.

•♢°─────────°♢•

It was a meticulous piece of work, honestly.

Yuuta judged her a bit for it, but Melanie was determined to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe to impress Victoria.

She didn't know the woman all that much, and in all honesty, she barely understood why she had a crush on her, to begin with.

But Melanie just felt this undying spark every time she and Victoria happened to look into each other's eyes, and her heart seemingly bursts then and there!

“Geez, Mel, you're gonna keep making this perfect?” Yuuta walked into the kitchen being an almost complete mess, and he scrunched his nose. Especially when he looked at Melanie.

In her cute ruffled apron, Melanie was decked head to toe in flour and was emitting the smell of melted chocolate all over her body.

“Oh-! Hi Yuuta!” Melanie greeted, giving her roommate a quick wave before shaping the cookies with her cookie cutters.

Yuuta rolled his eyes, walking to the pantry. “You sure you don't need any help there, Missy?”

“I'm fine,” Melanie insisted. Although Yuuta could see the slight anxiety as she prepped the cookies to bake in the oven.

He frowned, holding the poor girl by her chin and wiping away some flour off her face.

“You need to stop stressing out,” Yuuta told her, sighing to himself in disapproval. “I'm sure Shard's gonna like the cookies.”

“But I need them to be perfect, Yuuta,” Melanie remained persistent in her little ‘quest’.

“Missy,” Yuuta flicked her forehead, his frown deepening on his face.

“It's gonna be fine. Stop freaking out about it.”

“But-”

“Look, I get that you have a crush on her or something, but it's gonna work out.”

For a moment, Melanie just stood there, letting Yuuta's words simmer in her mind.

Would it work out? Sure, Melanie knew she had feelings for Victoria. That she fancied her and her gorgeous hair, her cat-like eyes, her… Everything.

But she had no way of knowing Victoria felt the same way.

And it hurt her to know of that fact.

But maybe Yuuta had a point.

Maybe, just maybe, she didn't need to worry so much. That Victoria will actually like her gift and that all her anxieties were for nothing.

“... Okay.”

•♢°─────────°♢•

Now, as much as Melanie wanted to take Yuuta's half-assed advice to heart, she really didn't wanna risk facing rejection from Victoria from giving her the cookies.

So, the young Queen of Genovia devised a plan: A little before Victoria went to her first period, Melanie would head to her classroom and place her box of cookies on Victoria's desk.

She giggled a bit, feeling rather giddy. I hope she likes it..

Melanie left the classroom and felt enough within herself to watch Victoria from a distance and see her reaction.

In full truth, Victoria did love the gift in the end.

But what Melanie didn't come to notice earlier was the small bouquet of roses and a note from an anonymous admirer that happened to be beneath the desk.

An admirer that wasn't her.

†•°•══════ஓ๑「♢」๑ஓ══════•°•†

Taglist

—

Written for

@twsted-princess

—

🥥

@starry-night-rose || @jasdiary || @authoruio || @nem0-nee || @fumikomiyasaki || @sakuramidnight15

—

「 Etteilla ♢」

@geminiiviolets || @hallowed-delights / @terrovaniadorm || @twistedsongstressofstarz / @absolutelyobsessedkiya || @abyss-wonderer || @mystery-skulls-ghost

†•°•══════ஓ๑「♢」๑ஓ══════•°•†

[phantasmaltrain]

chapter five! point five. 5.5. an interlude, if you will.

i just needed to work on something other than chapter six so i don’t burn myself out, so i dusted together a little in between for now + a doodle to go with.

general summary :

as nimbasa city falls to a rest, a certain blond haired ponders the point of his trip.

word count :

724

time ticks, ticks, ticks along, at what feels like at a sliggoo’s pace.

comforting, yet dull.

comforting, in the sense that time was still moving; as it always has, and would likely continue to do.

dull, in the sense he had seen so many sunsets in his ever expanding lifetime that they had begun to lose their sentiment.

sitting on the hotel balcony railing, the blonde haired figure seemed to be mulling his thoughts along; centuries of memories, conversations, places, people-

all condensed in a neat little bow inside his skull.

immortality was quite the cruel thing.

a small sliver of him was envious there was no one to share his agony with.

though, it would be selfish to wish the same pain on someone else, no?

that didn’t matter, really. he was already somewhat of a selfish person.

that, and they were just hopes. trees without fruit. never coming to bear anything as a product of devotion.

not as if it would be magically granted of him. wishmaking was not within the qualms of unova’s legendaries, anyways.

.. speaking of unova, he had not intended to stay this long. perhaps a few days- the cities were the faintest bit overwhelming, with all the modern hustle and bustle.

that, and the new hurdle he had created for himself.

emmet treyne. brother of ingo treyne.

or, as he had known him as, warden ingo.

volo faintly remembered the other’s talk of a man who looked just like him- most often passed it off as a particularly bad incident with a zoroark, or something else.

never had he gotten to the point he was able to remember a twin brother of all things.

in the calculated equation he had perfected over the past three centuries, it was like having a wrench thrown at the head. a completely unpredictable variable, something not accounted for in any manner.

giratina’s power was vast, but it could not prevent everything.

in.. whatever he had done, rather than eliminating the distortions entirely, it only redirected their focus on the other brother.

which meant his visit would have to last a bit longer, if he were to come even a fraction closer to what was planned to be in his grasp.

eliminate the chance of fallers, which would eliminate his past self’s chance of failure.

akari would not fall for another two years. he had a set time to ensure the two brothers would stay together in the present, before making off back to hisui.

or sinnoh. whatever they called it these days.

humming quietly, he untucked a pendant from his jacket, holding a delicate feather, one that's colors cascaded from a brilliant green to the palest of yellows.

a token from cresselia.

one did not simply ‘catch’ a legendary; you either befriended them enough they willingly stuck by your side,

or you would be granted a sliver of power, in the form of such a token.

cresselia dealt in the realm of dreams.

to prevent the, as he would say it, “unexpected diversion of one’s train of thought,” from the universe quite literally tearing itself and putting it back together for his sake, that was where volo needed to go.

memories and dreams were often intertwined. violently ripping them down the center would only cause an issue if not dealt with accordingly.

ones the two halves diverged, they were not to meet. ever again.

same stem of existence or not, the ingo then and ingo now were to, under any circumstances, never learn of each other's existence.

less strain on the timeline, that way.

.. then and now, he was still a peculiar man. both iterations he never truly understood.

the first time, they were strangers, outsiders in a sense of solitude. scarcely spoke, but the words he shared were always worth a listen, despite the metaphors he never got.

centuries later, they were strangers once again.

volo met ingo at what one could call a low- only a fraction of what had once been whole.

ingo would never learn to know volo in full, past or present. he simply would not let him.

perhaps, when this world is recreated in his image, he would, like the stubborn man he was, return once again, and they would be able to truly speak like peers.

but that was another fruitless hope.

no point in dawdling.

[acaplaya-musings]

Voiceplay-adjacent Visuals - I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas

Geoff's cover of White Christmas was released on the 5th of December, 2022. As Geoff said in his Early Access post for this on Patreon, he has in fact already done this song before, all the way back in 2014 with VoicePlay (@jules-has-notes has a post about it, which you can find here), but he goes on to say that "after repeat listenings to that version, it seemed to me that it could use a bit of freshening up, and I'm always happy to oblige my own whims." And I'm certainly not complaining either! But anyway, we're not here to talk about the arrangement, we're here to talk about the video! So let's get into this!

This was filmed at PattyCake Studios, and this is the same set/backdrop that VoicePlay used in November last year for their Whiskey In The Jar video!

Geoff says in the video description "Special shout out to all of my my patrons who make these videos possible - If Daryl were here, he might be so grateful to you that he'd shed one single tear... but he's not. And he wouldn't because he's not a sentimental teddy bear like the rest of these softies." 😂 (So basically, it's Jeff, Goff, and Jeoph whom are in this video, along with "lead Geoff")

"Where the treetops glisten..."

"...and children listen"

The bit-by-bit addition of stuff into the scene is frankly an Inspired choice ngl, and I love the way the Clones react to things appearing behind them!

Fairly smooth transition with the outfit changes! If you go frame by frame, you can see a few differences in like the hand positionings and stuff, but it's barely noticeable otherwise!

(Also I wish that I could put up the Christmas tree, decorations and all, just by singing! Would make it so much easier!)

And of course I gotta shoutout to the way they all react to the outfit changes! Mostly with Lead Geoff being like :D and the Clones being like ???? 😆

To quote one of the comments: The second Geoff from the left at 0:55: 🎶"I'm dreaming of a white🎶. . . sweater?"

(Also Geoff really does like scarves huh. And plaid flannel shirts!)

"May your days, may your days, may your days be merry and bright!"

The way the scene additions sync up with the lyrics! The tree appears at the "treetops glisten" line, the gramophone for "children listen", and the lights on the tree for "merry and bright"!

There are decorations on the wall, gifts under the tree, and look! The postcard from Mele Kalikimaka in the background, below and to the right of the gramophone! (And I'm not sure if that's the same miniature tree from the Mele Kalikimaka video, but I'm 99% certain that it has the titular Christmas ornament on it that was shown at the start of that video!)

Lead Geoff got a gift, the two Clones on the left got cards, and the Clone on the right, uh, well... 😅

He got one too! It was in his coat 😄

(But also look at how festive the background is now! Apparently the creative/visuals concept stuff was a joint collaboration between Geoff and Kathy, but Geoff also gives thanks to Layne "for his help on set with filming, lighting and all of the things!")

And the stockings appearing one-by-one on the wall as a brief instrumental of Jingle Bells plays, how cute!

I didn't get around to watching this one till last year, but I immediately loved it. So happy, so wholesome, so Merry And Bright!

One more post to go in this miniseries! Until next time!

[luminecho]

music note + bumblebee (tell me about your lesbians boy /silly) and also. music note + nowa if u want / feel comfortable 🥺

I SURE WILL TELL YOU ABOUT MY LESBIANS BOY.

EVERYBODY SHUT UP AND LOOK AT SLEEPING AT LAST'S MOST RECENT SONG:

I will wait patiently Take all of the time you need I'll be here, I'll be here when you're ready When the waves won't let up I'll cast an anchor heavy enough To keep our boat steady I see you My world blooms around you I see you The pure light you've always held on to I want you And I want to be worthy enough to love you I'll try to be worthy of you

Bloom (Eros) by Sleeping At Last

I BEAR WITNESS TO THE GARDEN WE'LL ONE DAY TEND TO!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! A LOVE SONG ABOUT BLOOMING AND GARDENS AND WATCHING SOMEBODY BECOME THE BEST VERSION OF THEMSELF AND FALLING IN LOVE WITH EVERY VERSION AND WAITING PATIENTLY FOR THEM TO BE READY WHILE COUNTLESS ADVERSITIES MAKE THINGS DIFFICULT, STANDING AT THEIR SIDE THROUGH IT ALL, WAITING AND WAITING FOR AS LONG AS NEEDED, PROMISING TO BE WORTHY OF THEM. I fucking listened to this song and nearly burst into tears it's so utterly Bumbleby at its essence what if I SOBBED and yelled and cried.

For context for you: In the scene they first kissed flowers started blooming around them. Their love song is named Worthy. They've waited so long for this. They've been through so much together. I'll eat grass right here right now watch me watch me

Anyway here's another:

You said “Hey” And I said “Hello What’s your name? I’d really like to know about you" Too bad I stopped at “Hello” I just stared And you grinned And looked right back It felt like just one big whirlwind One big emotional whirlwind Over the next few days, we got to talking With every single word I started falling farther Farther and farther for you

Cliché by mxmtoon

I hear this song and all I can think about is their first meeting in v1 where Yang walks over with this big stupid grin and a sing-songy "HELLOOOOOO~" and the whole time Blake is like Go Away Don't Talk To Me and yang goes "yikes this girl's a lost cause" and then they proceed to be the best and worst things that ever happened to each other for the next 3 years

Also I assume you mean your Nora? Easy.

Her dirty paws and furry coat She ran down the forest slopes The forest of talking trees They used to sing about the birds and the bees The bees had declared a war The sky wasn't big enough for them all The birds, they got help from below From dirty paws and the creatures of snow

Dirty Paws by Of Monsters And Men

I can't remember if you've ever talked about this song wrt her but this is the first song that comes to mind for me. The story of the beast with those four dirty paws!!!!!

(Send me a ♫ + a character’s name and I will respond with a song that reminds me of them. Send a ♫ + a ship and I will do the same.)

[erzsebetrosztoczy]

Hi! Idk if you write for Sigurd or Tyr but if you do, can i request a lil something with them, maybe comforting them after their arms got chopped off or something?

At your request 😌

Pairing: Sigurd x reader

Word count: 2770

Genre: fluff, angst

Notes: BB boi needs love. Give him love. Give him therapy and kisses and cuddles.

The mild spring weather, which you would otherwise have been grateful for, was now playing against you as you tossed and turned in your bed, your skin slippery with sweat, your forehead furrowed into deep wrinkles, your breathing ragged.Your dream images have now been ingrained in your mind - you have seen the terrible moments over and over again, you have felt the fear, sorrow, despair, helpless anger so many times. But these feelings did not rise in your heart because of your own suffering. That is, not completely.

The center of your dreams was not you. Your person, your presence was just an insignificant detail, as if you had become an outsider, a ghost, who was only an observer of all the bad happenings, unable to scream, run, or do anything to stop the horrors.

In the end; as always in this dream, you reached the point where your mind could no longer bear to see the further course of events - your awakening was a salvation. 

Gasping for air, you swallowed, your eyelids popped open as if a snake had bitten you; Throwing your blanket aside, you sat down among the furs. With a buzzing, dizzy head, you looked around thought zigzagging, wanting to make sure that it was just your imagination playing tricks on you- you were really in your bed, at home, safe, under the protection of your people, and all the ugliness you saw before was just a figment of your imagination. 

Your pounding heart echoed in your ears, a thin layer of sweat covered your skin as the coolness of the night hit your damp forehead.

Regaining control over your breathing, you took a deep breath in through your nose to calm your heart and mind.

After that you didn't want to go back to sleep— the nightmare chased away the dream from your eyes  and you didn't want to risk reliving the horrible events anyway- because you were almost certain that if you were to fall asleep again the images would return, starting all over again, like an insurmountable cycle.

Pulling your boots on, you pulled your thick blanket over your shoulders and walked over to your candle holder on your dresser. Darkness prevailed in your hut, only the white light of the silvery moon shone through your window, illuminating your modest abode. It was a small room, but it turned out to be just enough for you, its homely warmth always made your residence soothing. Lighting your candle, you stepped out into the evening sky; the fresh spring breeze came as sweet salvation to your heart, after the tormenting dreams. 

You thought that if you take a walk in the town; exercise your tired limbs, cool down your heated soul and clear your mind, you might be able to sleep a few more hours during the night before a new day begins full of tasks and responsibilities which can only be done properly with a clear head.

Your path led you to the river, watching the moon's eternal glow in the sky, listening to the soft creaking and cracking of the trees as the breeze moved them around you. You almost completely forgot the reason why you're awake, you almost completely forgot about the ghostly images that so gladly flashed before your eyes over and over again, while you roamed the realm of dreams.

Walking up the slope as you got a better view of the shore, you saw a figure among the docks, ships and stone pillars, not far at the end of the pier. The figure sat on the planks- long legs reaching down toward the water, the sluggish waves almost lapping at them. You stopped in fright, squinting your eyes, wondering if you could see him by the light of the moon, if it's a friend or a foe, who lurks alone on the shore in the dead of night. You were already about to turn around and quietly sneak home before it was too late, before the mysterious someone could notice. However, the moon has decided to come to your aid—the drifting cloud in front of it floated away into the distance, enveloping Ravenstorpe in a flood of light.

Your eyes widened, face elongated, and your heart felt as if it had been thrown off a mountain, when - to your greatest fear - you recognized the lonely figure. 

Dark red - almost brown braids glistened in the gloom of the night, the white fur coat fluttered on his shoulders as a particularly stronger wind swept across the water – Sigurd sat alone on the edge of the pier, his shoulders slumped, his back bent.

In that moment, the cause of all bad feelings, anxiety, and fear came flooding back into you, crushing you to the ground.

The images from your dream flashed into your mind—a dark, cold, damp room; a huge, murderous shadow, running from corner to corner so you don't even have a chance to figure out who it is; the knives and tongs are a sharp flash. And then there's always comes that makes your blood freeze, the hair on your back stands, and makes you want to cry convulsively. 

You catch a glimpse of Sigurd, sometimes sitting up, sometimes lying on the floor. Sometimes he's passed out or half dead, but that's the best case — most of the time he's awake, very awake.

You stand motionless in the middle of the room, you watch trembling as the dark figure ignores you and walks closer and closer to him, Sigurd's eyes widen, the paralyzing edge of fear reflected in his gaze. With what little strength he has left, he tries to free himself from the chains, ropes, and sharp claws, yelling, spinning, throwing himself- all the more in a frantic rush of terror. 

You also feel his fear, his helplessness, his vulnerability - like an animal waiting to be slaughtered, who has been tied up and is watching the arrival of his executioner. A cold pain shoots through your heart, your limbs start to go numb, your face and ears burn, your eyes fill with tears, as despite all your efforts you cannot prevent the events or turn away from them. 

A rusty, broken saw appears out of nowhere.

Then only the heart-wrenching yelling and sobbing; which one of you hears it, is unknown. Blood flows, blood everywhere, covers Sigurd, runs down to the floor, pooling, reaching your legs, then up to your ankles.

Blood, blood everywhere, red, warm and unstoppable flowing blood, covering the room, covering your body, flowing into your nose, ears, mouth, eyes, suffocating you.

Blinking, you turned back to face the Raven Clan's Jarl. You moved your trembling legs and wrapped your arms around your chest, to see if it could ease your heart's pounding.

You weren't there when it happened. You weren't there, you don't know how it was. It has already happened and there is nothing any of you can do about it. You know well, not even the weavers of fate can change the past. He was home now. Eivor brought him home; he lives- and is at home among his people.

You walked closer to the shore, but still making sure he didn't hear your footsteps - or at least if he did notice you, don't make it look like you wanted to go to him at all costs. In fact, that was all you wanted. Since Sigurd's return, you have only met a few times, your conversations were short. Until now, you didn't dare to bring up the subject of his arm, thinking that you should leave Sigurd, let him initiate the conversation. But inwardly your heart was rent at the sight of his condition; seeing the ghost of the agony on his face, the sparkle in his eyes has faded, his lips have only a faint memory of his smile.

You wanted to let him heal at his own pace, not rushed, forced just for your own peace.

However, you wanted to show him that you are by his side, that you are there for him at every moment, ready to do anything for him, just so that you can see him whole again. Until Sigurd is his old self, you can't be either.

The wind howled and rose stronger, caught in the blanket wrapped around you which flapped against your side like this. Grabbing the warm material, you pulled it closer as you were about to turn back from the shore, leaving him with his thoughts when a voice broke the silence of the night. 

"You're really awful at sneaking." Sigurd spoke to you, his voice seemed forced.

"I didn't mean to… I didn't want to eavesdrop." You stammered, swallowed thickly from the embarrassment and shame. "I just came out for a walk and..."

"I didn't mean to send you away. Just don't stand there alone like a ghost, come here then.” Sigurd's tall figure turned towards you, patting the wood next to him with his good arm. 

You just blinked at him for a few moments, wondering if you should leave him alone, or if he really wanted you to sit next to him for company, but your heart couldn't overcome your mind - you wanted to be as close to Sigurd as possible.

And now you had a great opportunity.

Taking small steps on the slippery wood, you reached him then carefully sat down on the edge of the dock dangling your legs over the water. You couldn't decide whether to look at him or you would make him uncomfortable with it, so you turned to his direction watching the moonlight reflected in the water.

In the past, the quiet, silent moments in Sigurd's company felt pleasant- a real salvation even - when you were both in your own world, yet next to each other —always in each other's company in an intimate silence.

Now however, this light and secure feeling couldn’t be found. A lump grew in your throat with each moment you spent in silence next to him, gnawing at the inside of your cheeks, wondering what and how to tell him. Do you say anything to him at all?

You noticed that, unfortunately, the man has changed towards you as well. The once open, attentive and interesting conversations turned into half-sentence answers, with his indifferent and tired voice you sometimes felt that he was perhaps outright bored or annoyed with your presence…

Although it had to belsaid; Sigurd held back himself particularly around you- since you saw how he could bark orders at Eivor, how venomously he could hurl accusations and insults at a person's head after a simple comment. You usually caught a glimpse of these while walking by the Long House; when at an unlucky moment you turn a corner and find yourself faced with a fight —  you were only an occasional real eyewitness of its manifestations, and even then, as soon as he noticed you, Sigurd immediately retreated into his gloomy, wordless brooding.

While he lashed out at others with burning anger, when he turned to you there was only cool callousness.

The river tumbled, bubbled and splashed beneath you, a chorus of frogs surrounded you as if they were singing to you. At least they are talking while you sink into deep silence.

There were many things in your heart that you wanted to say, that you wanted to share with him, that you wanted to guarantee him; Sigurd needs to know that he is not alone, that he never will be, and that he should never be afraid that anyone - especially you - will reject him because of what he has been through.

"It's so quiet." Sigurd sighed heavily, the sudden noise alarmed you as you turned your head towards him, straightening up in your seat. His voice sounded strangely harsh - raspy and hoarse, as if it pained him to make a sound.

"It's best to contemplate at times like this." You answered, in the hope that a conversation might finally come to fruition. "In peace and quiet."

Sigurd's nose crinkled as he grimaced sourly; his Adam's apple bobbed rapidly while he swallowed. You noticed this;  biting in the insides of your cheeks you thought again, could you have said something wrong to him. 

“Is…something wrong? Did I say something wrong?" You sputtered softly, having enough of the silence, having enough of the speechlessness, having enough that you don't know what is happening between you, what is happening with Sigurd, why he behaves like this towards you. “If you wanted to be left alone you should have just said-” You suddenly bit off the end of your words as Sigurd leaned over to you, wrapping his arm around your collarbone and pulling you close to his side.

A sharp, ragged sigh escaped your lungs, shoulders and torso rigid from the quick and unexpected action.

Moments later, however, you finally felt yourself melting into his chest, the pent-up doubts and tension of the days had melted away to almost nonexistent as he held you close - even if only for a few moments.

"No, not at all. I didn't want to - you never -" You didn't say a word, you let Sigurd say what he wanted, stuttering, not finding the words. He needed time to express everything he wanted; you also needed time to understand him. "I didn't want you to think... I just... I don't know what's happening to me, what's happening around me. Why is all this happening… Nothing is the same.”

"Hey," you placed your palm on his shoulder blade, trying to calm him by drawing small circles into his clothes. "it's okay. I do not demand anything from you Sigurd, quite the opposite. I want everything to go the way it suits you. I understand why you're upset... I'd be the same if I were you — I am; seeing what happened to you... I just want you to know that I'm here by your side." You spoke as quietly and softly as if you were talking to a feather, making sure your breath didn't blow it away from your palm.

"No—I'm not being fair to you." Sigurd's voice broke, swallowing thickly as he shook his head.

For a moment you blinked in silence gazing ahead into the river, your mind trying to comprehend everything that had happened so quickly until now; how you should respond to reassure your beloved and assure him that it is only his mind that creates these dark shadows. 

"How's your…arm?" You asked suddenly, the topic being so different from the previous ones that Sigurd snorted in astonishment.

"My arm?" A growl broke out of his throat as he forced himself to straighten up, leaving your side, his arm unconsciously touching the wound. "According to Valka, the skin is slowly starting to close... Sometimes it hurts, sometimes itches... most of the time it's like I still feel the -"

From the side you saw him biting his lip through his red beard, distant eyes wandering over the shimmering surface of the water. You reached for his hand, lacing your fingers together, pulling your body closer to his.

“It’s healing. Slowly, with a lot of care and time it will heal completly. Just the same, you will feel better over time. You can trust the clan, you can trust me— we will stand by you every step of the way.”

You turned to each other; pulling your legs up, you knelt on the pier so you could finally be at head level with Sigurd. Even in the darkness of the night, you could make out his sparkling, soft gaze, as his eyes scanned your features, mapping out what kind of meaning you wanted to give to your words.

Tingling waves ran over your skin as you finally felt Sigurd's warmth and the solidity of his body again; the fact that you could finally hold him in your arms made your heart skip a beat. 

Without a moment's hesitation, your Jarl wrapped his arms around your waist, nuzzling his cold nose into the crook of your neck, resting his forehead on your shoulder.

You have been missing this feeling for a very long time. You missed him. Now, it's as if a little piece of your heart has returned to you again, as your body has absorbed the love and care of the moment.

Sigurd didn't answer, but he didn't need to-  you already knew what he wanted to express, what he wanted to show you, even though his wounds crippled his voice for now.

"We'll get through this." You sighed, fingers coming to comb through his long braid. "We'll get through this together."

[avaritia-ffxiv]

5 Songs I'm Into RN

1. Tuoni - Kuolonpyörä

I LOVE the lyrics in this. But it's Finnish. And if you look up a translation, the chorus is wrong. And the chorus is the best part. So I'm a lil salty about that and had to translate it MYSELF for captainqster when sending it to them like "OMG THIS IS SO GNB GIOVANNA"

But it is, it really is her.

(Also the correct chorus goes like this:)

Pyörä pyörii - läpi ihmiselämän (The wheel turns - through human life) Pyörä pyörii - aina nauttii vähemmän (The wheel turns - always enjoys less) Pyörä pyörii - ei hellitä ikinä (The wheel turns - never relents) Kuolonpyörä - liekki ja kipinä (Wheel of death - flame and spark)

2. Beyond Awareness - Crime

This is from Nazaire's playlist.

Will I ever be fine? Do I belong in another life? Oh please show me the place where I can leave this behind Can't replace what's inside I'm all out of will to carry on with this life But if I just closed my eyes for now It's a crime

Apparently this is a Finnish band too?? The more you know. Anyway yeah very Nazaire, makes me vibe in his name.

3. Bloodbound - The Warlock's Trail

Hey it's a Swedish band this time. That's so far off.

Either way, this is from D&D Gia's playlist

In the mist of the morning a winter's day Came a man in robe from far away Out of ashes and clay of the magic vale 'Cause sorrow sail on the warlock's trail

Idk if I've ever talked about him? He's a ruthless little thing, and a warlock, so the song suits him p nicely.

4. Hozier & Bear McCreary - Blood Upon the Snow

It's not from some version of Gia's playlist!!! It's from Damonient's. I fucking love this song and it really... Gets his mood across, I feel? The melancholy, it's so good.

To all things housed in her silence Nature offers a violence The bear that keeps to his own line The wolf that seeks always his own kind The world that hardens as the harsher winter holds The parent forced to eat its young before it grows It's not my arms that will fail me But this world takes more strength than it gave me The trees deny themselves nothing that makes them grow No rain fall, no sunshine No blood upon the snow

I still haven't gotten around to doing a lil gpose to it with him.

5. Project Vela - War on Falling Stars

Embracing the darkness Telling you that it'll be okay But it's more than harmless This disease will rip your soul away I don't want to live my life by your beliefs I don't want to be caught up in vanity I don't want to swallow pills you offer me I just need to suppress these memories

This is from Saga's v2 playlist, soooooo himst after his corruption arc 'cause we can't have good sweet pure characters in this house, must ruin their whole outlook.

Tagged by @captainqster

Tagging idk who hasn't gotten tagged yet so if you've already gotten tagged or don't feel like it just ignore this but @soulshards-ooc @shadesofblades @vmbral (YES I KNOW YOU ALREADY GOT TAGGED BUT I WILL TAG YOU AGAIN) @cosmicharm (same at you) @midnightmagicks

@abalathia @shieke @briar-ffxiv @allyennah

Honorary mentions and a whole bunch of spotify links under the cut:

Bad Omens - Kingdom of Cards (from Amthan's playlist)

I made my way through hell again, I paid for my mistakes Next time, I think I'll stay awhile and pour myself a drink When I return, I'll look for you, so listen for your name If you can make it out above the roaring of the flames If it's the mask you want, then it's the mask that you will get But when I take it off, remember that you asked for this I tore myself apart to give you all that I could give Don't think that I will let it go, don't think that I'll forget I thought I wanted legacy, I thought I wanted fame I didn't know I'd lose all my loved ones in exchange Left 'em all behind and yeah, for that, I am ashamed But that's the price I'm paying 'til I'm buried in my grave

Blacklite District - Goodbye (rock mix) (from Gia and Saga v2's playlists)

Goodbye Say goodbye to the knife That you sharpen with your life Say goodbye To the dark side Goodbye Say goodbye to the lies And the pain You hold inside Say goodbye to that old life Goodbye

Hollywood Undead ft. Hyro the Hero - Comin' Through the Stereo (from Narin's playlist)

I'm going to the top and nobody's gonna stop me now Another nightmare and it's coming through the stеreo Keep going 'til I drop, 'til the hands on the clock run out Anothеr nightmare and it's coming through the stereo Straight out the gate, got them bodies dropping Ain't no grave that can hold my coffin I'm going to the top and nobody's gonna stop me now Another nightmare and it's coming through the stereo

Battle Beast - Where Angels Fear to Fly (from Nazaire's playlist)

I spread my wings and like the midnight sun I will be rising Into the frozen heights, where stars are born And where they die I'm lighting up horizons With thunder and lightning Through the darkest skies Whеre even angеls fear to fly

I COULD GO ON FOR SO MUCH LONGER, DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH MUSIC I LISTEN TO. But also yeah if I can't make it related to one character or other, it can't keep my interest.

Good thing I have a gazillion characters!

[pearblossommina]

ToG Read-A-Long, Kingdom of Ash, day 4

Lots of FEELINGS this time. I’m struggling with reading. It’s a lot, guys, bear with me!

Ch 25

Losing my mind. Can we hurry with this rescue!

Ch 26

Yeahhhhh Fenrys! Disobey!!!

Ch 27

Fenrys :(

Aelin got away - but is he gonna make it?

Ch 28

Ok like FOR THIS ENTIRE BOOK all I have wanted is for them to get her back, and she finally found her way to them! But the reunion isn’t what I wanted because Fenrys is still in deep shit.

I’ve got a lot of feelings right now and I can’t handle it, ok? go save him, Rowan

Ch 29

Listen I’m not saying Cairn doesn’t deserve to be paid back for the torture Aelin endured - but I don’t wanna read about it, reading about torture makes me real upset.

Ch 30

This shit is so heartbreaking. Even in rescue. Even with all of her friends around her, she’s still suffering. It’s not fair.

I should be thriving the moment the locks are undone and she is finally free to use her fire again, but it’s such a sorrowful feeling in my heart. I hate this, I have too many feelings, and I hate this.

Ch 31

"Welcome to the court, pup," he said, his voice thick.

Awwwwwwwww Fenrys, you got a new blood oath!!!!

These um, these Little Folk are super creepy to me. Very mysterious, spooky vibes, to have them leading the group through a forest by sneaking around rocks and trees.

Oh Aelin. Are you gonna be ok, my love? I need you to be ok, please.

Ch 32

Who does Dorian want to become? Someone with green eyes. Didn’t Sorscha have green eyes? I don’t think her hair was blonde, though. The only blonde people I can think of are Aelin and Aedion. Is he just making it up, is he just inventing a person, so he can be someone else?

Ch 33

I think this scene between Dorian and Kaltain is too much, man. Really puts the knife in and twists it, ya know? Like remember? Remember how we were all so young, so innocent, and we used to care about the silliest things, and nothing bad ever happened? Remember how you used to be a hunky prince, with a reputation for being a slut, and Kaltain used to be a snobbish, high-society lady, longing for your attention? Remember when you just wanted to annoy your dad, by hiring an assassin to be your champion in the contest? Remember when Chaol just wanted to protect you from her? Remember when you guys both wanted to date her - and it nearly broke your friendship? Remember when a princess from another kingdom showed up, and she was real, and she was good, and she knew that things were going to change, and she wasn’t afraid to face it head on - because she just wanted a better world for her people?

Yeah I remember

Ouch

Anyway Dorian became a bird

Manon saw it

Ch 34

This chapter’s pretty dark. Everyone’s depending on Aelin and she’s…. Fake.

I feel bad for Lysandra, she’s kind of carrying a lot, considering.

Hey - are things gonna be happy again soon!

I don’t know how much more of this I can take!

Everything is so grim and so painful!

[fic-over-cannon]

hiii sunnie!! i hope your day has been going well!! i just wanted to thank you again for the self ship asks you leave in my inbox they're always so creative and fun to work through they make my day really <33

i also want to know a little more about your own self ships so. about jaysun, what's a favourite literary work or piece of media that gets both of you going insane? a book or a movie or something that makes you want to tear your hair out with how good it is and make some time to consume it and dissect it together?

and for sunford, what's a place that's very special to you two? like maybe because of a memory you shared there or somewhere you dream of visiting someday?

hi ariel!!! i hope you’re having a wonderful week 💕 i love reading all about your selfships. these were such wonderful questions, i had the most lovely time thinking them over

when it comes to books, jason is sat and reading eros the bittersweet by anne carson and the paradise by emile zola with me. eros the bittersweet is technically an adapted phd on love and desire in classical greece but it’s one of the most interesting books on love i’ve ever read. my personal copy is annotated to hell and back, and it’s that copy that i give to jason to read. he adds his own notes and thoughts to it and we trade it back and forth until it’s basically unreadable. i could talk about it for ages, and i think jason would end up getting so emotional about love being described the way she does. just, desire being found in the distance between the boundary of yourself and your lover, a distance you endlessly reach out across looking for connection. nothing to do with deserved or earned, simply existing as naturally as you or any other person. reading this book, to me, is an endless revelation of things you’ve sort of half understood in the back of your mind but can’t quite articulate. i feel like i’m not doing justice to it at all, but jason would listen to me ramble about it anyway. now the paradise, this is a book that i drop into jason’s lap and wait for him to come find me when he’s finished. i think he’d look at the plot and the setting and see so many parallels to his own surroundings. he’d take the message about the inevitability of consumerism and commercialization devouring the lives of the people it exploits and take it as a challenge.

when it comes to movies, well that’s a little trickier. i live and breathe film at uni, and jason very kindly listens to me ramble about whatever it is that i’m studying this week. the significance of sound in this particular movie, the postmodern critique of queer history in that film, how the director of this new one is clearly obsessed with bazin’s realism. i drag jason through my new queer cinema phase, and it’s not really his thing but he likes watching me get animated, hands waving and eyes bright.

this next answer is a little long, so please bear with me 😅 but there’s this place i grew up going to as a child in my grandparents’ hometown. it’s the kind of town that’s nestled between the sea and mountains — not the barren rocky kind, but the type of mountain that’s thick with trees and greenery. to get to this place, you have to drive part way up the mountain on a winding road that frequently has warnings for wild boars roaming. when the weather’s right in the early summer, fog builds up at the top of the mountain, thick enough that you can’t see the bottom anymore. it’s an entirely different world up there, cooler too without the sticky summer heat. when you get to the top, that’s where the onsen is. the building is surprisingly new, glass wall windows and high ceilings. it’s one of the bigger bathhouses in the area with a little food stand and more than one sitting room. i think just the whole concept of onsen and public baths is so foreign to conrad and it takes some convincing to get him to come. but he’s here to meet my family and it’s just something we do here, like going out for coffee or to a neighbourhood barbecue. it's after, when we're sitting on the raised tatami platform in one of the sitting rooms, that's special. his hair is damp and curling around his ears, towel around his neck. he's staring off to the side, where the old timers are watching sumo on the television without sound and toasting each other with perspiring beer cans. there's an uchiwa fan in his hand, one i made him bring because he's not used to the heat and choking humidity. conrad enjoys himself more than he expected to, out here in the middle of no where in particular. out here, he's not conrad oxford, he's little sunnie's trophy boyfriend that gets introduced to every person over the age of 65 by her grandparents who are so pleased to show him off. he's trying so hard to adapt and fit in even though he was clearly so uncomfortable in the beginning and it's in that moment that i know he's in this for the long run. it's such a small thing, isn't it, being willing to learn and participate in the little rituals that mean something to me but i think it's one of the grandest declarations he could have made. this place is special because it's where we both knew we were committed to every part of each other, even the bits we didn't understand yet.

[sea-of-monster-s]

Sea Of Monster: The Crews Beguining

Chapter 3: You're Different… Too Different

We're now going to meet another creature, that is on the Envluck island, deep inside the forest. His name is Whisper, he's a crow griffin that got adopted by a small family of normal griffins. They found Whisper's egg in an abandoned nest, and decided to raise him as their own. When he grew up, he noticed that their nest was really near a human village. The curiosity got the best of him so he hung out near the village, soon he started to mimic them, teaching himself to walk on two legs and mimic human speech. Then he started stealing at night stuff from the streets and the trashcans to help his family a little bit. He then found an old worned out cloak that he used to hide himself and walk in the village when it was a day.

 This day wasn't as great as he imagined, his mother was sick. Yesterday she mistakenly got caught in a bear trap. Whisper got her unstick but the wond from it was starting to get infected. Whisper had no other choice but look for the medicine in the village

-mother- he said -i'm going to look for something, to ease your suffering-

-...- she didn't respond, she was too tired to do anything, even feed herself, Whisper didn't knew however that his mother is long gone, but he went in to the village anyway

 Making his way through the town looking at every building, wanting to find any information on how to treat his mother. Suddenly he overheard a tale of two villagers.

-im telling you- one of them mumbeted angrily -ive seen a griffin THIS big just outside of hire-

-but what are we going to do about it?-

-so we go to the mayor, we tell him and we burn them down-

-your right, evil must be dealt with fire-

 Whisper was unsure what they meant, but he felt uneasy by it. 

-MOMMY ,MOMMY!- a sudden yell from a little girl's mouth was heard from behind, the child started pulling on Whisper's cloak, wanting to get attention. Whisper was scared only a few tugs and his identity would be revealed, but then the two villagers started to talk loudly to the crowd.

-People of the village. We need to tell you about the evil that we found, a cursed being of eagle and lion is living right next our village-

The crowd started to listen closely, giving Whisper a chance to escape. He immediately went back to his nest.

-mother!- he yelled -we need to get out of here! humans found us!-

-...-

-mother?-

He moved his mother, and finally understood that she's long since gone, he was now all alone, his brothers left the nest and his father was slaughtered, now his mother died. Whisper heard the villagers approaching, when he turned around he noticed that they were carrying torches. In an act of desperation he exited the nest and stood right at the entrance, wanting to scare the villagers away. 

-LOOK ITS ONE OF THEM-

a villiger scream out, Whisper started screeching and doing weird hand movements but suddenly he felt something cold and heavy wrapped around him, it was a chain that the villagers also bringed along, they managed to make Whisper imobile and chained him for good, Whisper tried to break free, but he was too weak, they took him away, he looked back and saw that the tree was already ablaze. The villagers took him to the village, he was booed and got stuff thrown at him, then the villagers spoke

-we've captured the cursed monster that was roaming inside the forest-

The crowd cheered 

-but what can we do to get rid of it for good?-

-BURN IT- one of them said

-HANG IT- the second one said

-No- the one who captured it said- we need to lock it somewhere far away, somewhere where it will never witness true light again, and i just know a place-

 The villagers took Whisper height into the mountains, far away from his now burned down home, they then led him into a cave that originally belonged to a now long gone dragon. They tighten the chains on the old chain holders, and they just leave. 

 Whispers struggled, trying to break free, but that bringed nothing. He finally gave up after two days and layed, tired on the cold floor, lucky for him the bug population inside the cave kept him sustained to live another day