#Exchange to Lotus Notes

[paxaz535]

SLOW SIMMER - THREE

dallas!paige x privatechef!azzi

note: i love tlou2 sm like i can’t stop playing lol

anyways here you go!

———

paige was still getting used to azzi living in her home. it wasn’t the worst thing ever—obviously, because paige had been tearing up every meal since azzi got there—but it still felt… different having someone else in her space. not a bad different. just… different.

azzi wasn’t loud. something paige would forever be grateful for. the chef mostly kept to herself unless she wanted to socialize, and paige respected that.

which is exactly why, when dijonai, maddy, lyss, and arike said they wanted to meet “the chef,” paige hesitated. her teammates weren’t exactly… subtle. she didn’t want to overwhelm azzi or scare her off before she really got comfortable.

so yeah, she was definitely gonna talk to azzi about it first.

-

azzi was currently getting ready to go to the store, wanting to restock before anything got too empty. she had on something simple—black baggy jeans with a white top. the weather was nice today.

her goddess braids were pulled back into a low ponytail, a few soft curls framing her face. she looked cute.

she slipped on her crocs, grabbed her keys, and made her way to the door. when she stepped out, she saw paige on the couch, eyes glued to the tv—probably watching the white lotus again.

paige turned her head at the sound of azzi’s footsteps and smiled softly when she saw her. “heading to the store?”

azzi gave a nod. “yeah, gonna restock early. you doing anything later?”

paige shook her head. they had an early practice this morning, so the rest of her day was wide open. “nah, i’m free.”

“i don’t know how long i’ll be, but i’ll text you when i’m on my way back,” azzi said, letting out a small laugh as she scratched at her neck. “might need help though.”

paige sat up a little straighter. “no, yeah—of course. just let me know when.”

azzi nodded once more, hand on the doorknob. “see you later.”

“bye, fudd,” paige said, her voice soft.

the door clicked shut behind her.

paige leaned her head back against the couch, letting out a soft breath through her nose. the apartment was quiet again, but not in a bad way. she actually liked the new routine—waking up to the smell of something good in the kitchen, running into azzi in passing, sharing random little conversations between meals and naps.

it was weird. but it was also kinda… nice.

meanwhile, azzi made her way through the store with practiced ease. she was focused, going aisle by aisle, checking her notes app and glancing at prices. she wasn’t just cooking for herself anymore—this was paige bueckers, and azzi wasn’t about to mess anything up.

as she turned into the produce section, reaching for a bunch of cilantro, she heard a small gasp behind her.

“oh my god. allie.”

“no way. is that—?”

azzi turned slightly, already catching the familiar glimmer of recognition in both of their eyes.

“you’re azzi fudd, right?” one of the girls asked, her voice a little too loud for how quiet the store was. azzi smiled softly, nodding.

“yeah, that’s me.”

“we love your cooking account. like, seriously. that chicken parmesan you posted a while back? we tried to make it and failed miserably,” the other girl—caroline—gushed. allie just nodded beside her, clearly starstruck.

azzi laughed, “thank you, that’s sweet. and hey, cooking’s like hooping. takes practice.”

the two fans exchanged glances. “can we get a picture?”azzi didn’t like saying no to people who showed her support so she immediately nodded her head. “Of course, come on,”

they took the pictures and looked at the girl. “i’m guessing we’re gonna be seeing you a lot more?” the brunette asked. azzi chuckled before nodding her head. “yeah, maybe.”

they offered to bag her groceries when she checked out, which made her chuckle. “you don’t have to do that,” she said, but they insisted.

“it was a pleasure to meet you, azzi. we’ll see you soon?” they asked hopefully. azzi laughed softly before turning to her car. “see you ladies soon!” she called over her shoulder.

she could hear them giggling when she reached her car, making her heart warm.

by the time she made it, her phone buzzed.

paige

you good?

azzi smiled, brushing a curl from her forehead.

azzi

yeah, almost done

headed back now

paige

cool

i’m up if you need help

azzi stared at the screen for a second longer, heart doing a little flip. she didn’t expect her to check in like that, but it felt… sweet.

azzi

i’ll be home in 10

have those arms ready

paige

lol bet

azzi slid into the driver’s seat, still feeling the leftover warmth from the fan interaction. she pulled out of the parking lot and glanced up at the sky, soft blue and cloudless.

she still couldn’t believe it sometimes.

living in paige bueckers’ house.

cooking for her.

getting texted by her.

yeah… she really was starting to like it here.

-

azzi pulled into the driveway with the music low, humming along to the track playing through the speakers. the bags in her trunk weren’t too heavy, but she still appreciated the idea of help—especially when it came from someone who actually offered, not out of obligation.

as she opened the front door with her hip, balancing one bag on her forearm and another in her hand, she was met with the familiar smell of a candle paige must’ve lit. sandalwood and something warm.

“i’m back,” she called out, her voice carrying through the quiet apartment.

paige emerged from around the corner, hair pulled up in a bun now, wearing a black compression shirt and shorts. her feet were bare with slides and her energy was relaxed.

“perfect timing.” she walked over and immediately took the heavier bags from azzi’s arm, brushing past her gently. “you didn’t even text me,” she added, glancing over her shoulder.

“i was about to,” azzi smirked. “but then i figured i’d just surprise you.”

“you really out here trusting me to not be napping.”

“yeah well… if you were, i would’ve woke you up,” she said with a playful shrug.

they moved together in quiet rhythm, unloading bags and putting things away. azzi pointed out a couple new ingredients she picked up to experiment with, paige nodded along, eyes half-focused but still listening.

azzi sighed, the two of them finished stocking up the kitchen. “okay, go do something while i figure out what we’re gonna eat.” she told the woman.

paige just smiled before heading towards her room. “what would i do without you, fudd?”

“you’d probably still be eating take out.”

paige laughed.

-

after a couple hours, she found azzi in the kitchen, barefoot, hair pulled back, quietly focused on chopping up something that smelled incredible. garlic, maybe butter, a little spice—paige wasn’t sure, but it was working. her mouth watered on instinct.

“hey,” paige said casually as she leaned against the counter.

azzi looked up, giving her a soft smile. “hey.”

paige rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly realizing this was the first time she was actually nervous to talk to someone in her own house. “so… my teammates kind of want to meet you.”

azzi paused her chopping. “oh?”

“yeah,” paige exhaled, watching her reaction. “they’ve been bugging me since the first day i mentioned you were a chef. they’re curious.”

azzi tilted her head, lips twitching with a barely-there grin. “and by curious you mean hungry.”

“basically.” paige laughed. “but also nosy. they’ll want to ask a million questions. get all up in your space. it’s not… quiet.”

azzi leaned back on her heels, wiping her hands on a towel. “you worried i’ll run?”

paige shrugged, smirking a little. “i’m not saying i wouldn’t be sad if you did.”

azzi chuckled. “i’m not going anywhere, bueckers.”

paige tried not to look too pleased at that. “so… is it cool if they come over tomorrow night?”

“sure,” azzi said with a nod, turning back to the cutting board. “but if they’re gonna be that loud, they better eat every last bite.”

paige grinned. “deal.”

paige made her way to her room. she immediately texted the group chat back.

fly 🪽 fly

dijonai

so… what’d she say?

paige

she said she’d love to meet y’all.

i’m begging—please don’t scare her away.

maddy

tell that to nai and lyss.

you know they be doing too much sometimes.

lyss

oh please.

i’m a really chill person.

paige

try again.

lyss

whatever.

arike

i know what and what not to do when i’m first meeting someone.

trust me.

paige

whatever y’all say.

just be here

and please dress nice

arike

damn p.

safe to say you want us to impress your girl.

paige

she’s not my girl.

dijonai

not yet, that is.

it’s okay, you’ll realize it soon.

paige

bro.

i promise i’ll tell her y’all bailed.

maddy

ALRIGHT chill 💀

paige was chuckling at her phone, fingers still scrolling through the chaos in the groupchat. she sometimes hated her teammates—but mostly, she loved them. they were ridiculous, sure, but they were hers.

she reread arike’s message about “impressing her girl” and rolled her eyes, even though her lips tugged into a smile. azzi wasn’t her girl. not in the way they were all hinting at. and yet… there was something there, something warm and quiet that settled in her chest when she thought about her.

the way azzi hummed while she cooked. how she always asked if paige had eaten before thinking of herself. how she smelled like she belonged—like vanilla and coconut and the soft comfort of home.

paige set her phone down, leaning back into the couch with a soft sigh. her team was relentless. but maybe, just maybe, they weren’t that far off.

“paige! food’s ready!”

the call pulled her from her thoughts like a tether. she sat up quickly, glancing once at her phone before tossing it onto the cushion beside her. as much as her team liked to tease, they weren’t wrong about one thing—azzi’s food was something to look forward to. every time.

she stood, stretching briefly before heading toward the kitchen. the closer she got, the stronger the scent hit her—something savory, warm, and laced with herbs she couldn’t name but already craved.

“what’d you make this time?” she asked as she rounded the corner.

azzi was standing by the stove, apron tied around her waist, a soft smile on her face. “you’ll see. just sit down.”

paige raised a brow. “you hiding it?”

“i’m presenting it.” azzi corrected with a playful roll of her eyes. “you ever let a chef have their moment?”

paige held up her hands in surrender, grinning. “alright, alright. i’ll wait.”

but not without staring just a second too long. not at the plate—at her.

azzi felt it too—paige’s stare lingered a beat longer than usual, and while she didn’t look up right away, she definitely noticed. her fingers were careful as she plated the food, placing everything just how she liked it. she worked in silence, the kind that didn’t feel awkward. it felt full. warm.

“okay,” she finally said, sliding the plate in front of paige. “chicken shawarma with lemon rice, garlic roasted carrots, and a little cucumber-yogurt salad on the side. fresh naan too, because… why not?”

paige blinked down at the plate. “azzi. what the hell.”

“what?” azzi bit her bottom lip, holding back a smile. “too much?”

“no,” paige muttered, picking up her fork. “you’re trying to ruin takeout for me forever, huh?”

azzi finally let the smile come through. “that’s kind of the job.”

they both laughed softly, and paige took her first bite. her eyes closed dramatically.

“i’m serious,” she said after a pause. “you’re dangerous.”

azzi shrugged, wiping her hands on her apron. “you already knew that.”

paige opened one eye, smirking. “no, i didn’t. but i’m learning.”

paige set her fork down for a second, resting her elbow on the counter and letting her chin fall into her hand. “and i’m guessing there’s a lot more i don’t know yet.”

azzi leaned back slightly, arms folding as she smiled—this slow, subtle thing that made paige’s chest feel warm. “probably,” she said. “but i’m not that complicated.”

“you sure about that?”

azzi tilted her head, “are you?”

paige let out a soft laugh, a short exhale through her nose. “no,” she admitted. “not even a little.”

“then i guess we’re even,” azzi murmured, voice quiet but steady. she turned to grab her own plate and joined paige at the counter.

it was quiet again—but this time it felt intentional, like they were both letting the moment settle.

comfortable. warm. just enough to make azzi wonder what else paige might want to learn.

then—

azzi remembered.

jon’s text.

“hey, my brothers are like huge fans. they wanted a picture… if that’s okay?”

paige nodded her head quickly, “of course.”

paige straightened up in her seat a little, wiping her mouth with the napkin even though there was barely anything there. “how do you wanna do it? you want me to come over there?”

azzi shook her head, already pulling her phone out and walking around the counter to stand behind paige. “no, you stay. this’ll be quick.”

she opened her camera app and flipped to the front-facing lens, angling it just enough to catch them both. paige leaned in slightly, a relaxed smile tugging at her lips. azzi snapped the picture, then two more just in case, paige’s smile growing wider with each one.

“got it,” azzi grinned, scrolling through them quickly before sending one to the group chat with her brothers.

azzi

boom

y’all better not make this weird

jon

😭😭😭 YO

jose

that’s crazy. actual legends only.

tim

tell her we said thank you!

and also ask her if she hoop too 👀

azzi rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.

“they’re happy,” she muttered, locking her phone.

“i gathered,” paige chuckled. “do you hoop too?”

azzi looked at her with a smirk. “no. i just feed the ones who do.”

paige raised a brow, clearly amused. “lucky us.”

-

the next morning started slower than the last. sunlight spilled through the apartment windows, painting warm stripes across the hardwood floor.

paige was still in her room, probably just waking up, and azzi was already in the kitchen. this time, she moved a little slower, humming something under her breath as she sliced strawberries and placed them into a bowl.

she wasn’t rushing to cook — today felt lighter. easier. she made some toast, scrambled eggs, and those crispy-edged pancakes again because… why not?

she’d just finished plating everything when soft footsteps echoed down the hall. azzi didn’t turn — she already knew who it was.

“god, i don’t think i’ll ever get used to the kitchen smelling like this,” paige said as she sat down.

azzi chuckled, plating the food and handing it to her. “get used to it, bueckers. it’s not changing anytime soon.”

paige grinned, popping a piece of egg into her mouth. azzi was already tidying up, starting on the dishes right away.

“should i wear something fancy for tonight or…?” azzi asked curiously, glancing over her shoulder. she took first impressions seriously, but she didn’t want to go overboard either.

paige sipped her orange juice before answering. “you can wear whatever you feel comfortable in. i told them to wear something nice, though.”

azzi nodded, making a mental note. she probably wasn’t going for a dress, but a clean, put-together outfit should do the trick.

“did they want anything specific, or what?”

paige finished up her breakfast, her tongue gliding over her lips. “surprise us. they’ll like whatever.”

azzi smiled, a little spark of excitement in her eyes. “okay, challenge accepted.” she started clearing the counter, already running ideas through her mind.

paige watched her for a moment, feeling a warmth she couldn’t quite explain. maybe it was the way azzi took pride in even the smallest things. or maybe it was just the quiet comfort of having someone like her around.

“you know,” paige said, her voice softening, “i’m glad you’re here.”

azzi paused, looking up with a small smile. “me too.”

paige just looked a bit longer before standing. “thank you for breakfast. i’m gonna go shower.”

azzi nodded as she washed her hands. “i’m gonna go shower too. you’re welcome, by the way.”

paige smiled, making her way toward her room. “you’re a blessing, fudd!” she called over her shoulder.

azzi chuckled softly, shaking her head to herself. the quiet moments like these made everything feel a little more like home.

-

“i’m excited to meet her!” maddy beamed as she sat in the passenger seat, her legs criss-crossed while dijonai drove and lyss lounged in the backseat, scrolling through her phone.

“don’t scare her off,” dijonai warned, glancing over with a smirk. “paige actually likes this one.”

“likes her?” lyss repeated, eyes flicking up. “i thought she was just her chef.”

“exactly,” dijonai said with a pointed look through the rearview mirror. “and paige don’t just like anyone being in her house.”

maddy laughed, kicking her feet a little. “well now i’m even more excited.”

“you just want free food,” lyss muttered.

maddy turned and grinned. “yeah… and to meet the girl who somehow got paige to act like a softie.”

paige was currently setting up her playstation in the front room, knowing arike and lyss would definitely want to play with her the moment they walked in. she had already cleared off the coffee table, made sure the controllers were charged, and even tossed a few extra pillows on the couch just in case they stayed longer than expected.

she glanced at the time—still a little early—but she liked being ready. and if she was being honest, having everything in place also kept her from overthinking.

she tried not to admit it out loud, but she really wanted the night to go well. for azzi’s sake. and… maybe for hers, too.

azzi came out her room with an outfit she thought was good. tongue tied tinted flared jeans with a black tube top that shaped her body perfectly. she put her braids in a half up half down style while still keeping it out of her face.

she did a bit a make up before stepping out of the room. “paige, is this okay?”

paige turned around and froze, the hdmi cord in her hand completely forgotten. her eyes dragged slowly from azzi’s jeans to the way the tube top hugged her figure, then up to the soft, confident look on her face.

“uh…” paige blinked, almost forgetting how to speak. “yeah. yeah, that’s definitely… okay.”

azzi raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “you sure?”

paige coughed and nodded, setting the cord down. “positive. they’re gonna lose their minds.”

azzi smiled, walking further into the room. “not too much, though. i don’t wanna give your friends a heart attack before dinner.”

paige smirked. “well, no promises when dijonai sees you. she has no filter.”

“great,” azzi said, tugging lightly at her top and glancing at the setup. “you almost done?”

“almost.” paige cleared her throat and turned back around, cheeks still a little pink. “but now i gotta keep them from embarrassing me.”

azzi grinned, settling on the couch. “that’s not my job. i just cook.”

“you say that now,” paige muttered, plugging in the last wire, “but i got a feeling they’re gonna like you even more than your food.”

azzi smiled quietly to herself, not denying it.

their conversation was cut short when loud knocking echoed through the apartment, followed by overlapping voices and laughter right outside the door.

“that’s them,” paige muttered, already making her way over.

azzi stood, brushing her hands over her jeans and taking a quiet breath to center herself.

as soon as paige opened the door, chaos poured in—dijonai was the first one through, talking mid-sentence with a grin on her face, followed by maddy, arike, and lyss, all talking over each other.

“damn, paige, you didn’t tell us your place looked like this,” arike said, stepping in and looking around.

“arike, you’re hella late.” dijonai spoke.

“where’s the chef? we came for the food!” lyss teased, scanning the room dramatically.

azzi offered a small wave, standing by the couch. “hi. that would be me.”

they all turned at once, and for a second, no one said anything.

then—

“ohhh, okayyy, paige,” dijonai said, smirking.

“this who’s been feeding you?” maddy asked, already grinning. “yeah, we see the vision.”

paige groaned. “y’all—please.”

azzi just laughed, the nerves slowly fading under the sound of their teasing. they were loud, sure—but it felt more like energy than chaos. and she could work with that.

“we’re just saying, girl, you are beautiful,” maddy said, plopping down at the island with a wide smile. dijonai slid into the seat beside her, nodding in full agreement while the others lingered nearby, still checking out the space.

azzi blushed, ducking her head for a second before meeting their eyes again. “thank you. you’re all very beautiful too!”

“don’t gas us,” arike grinned, crossing her arms. “we came here for food, not compliments—though we’ll take both.”

“speak for yourself,” lyss said, eyeing the kitchen like it was a five-star restaurant. “i’ve heard too much about your cooking, i’m ready to be converted.”

paige leaned against the counter, arms crossed, watching the exchange with a soft smile. they weren’t scaring azzi off—if anything, she was handling them with ease.

azzi looked around at the girls, her nerves gone. “well, y’all are in luck. i made a few things already. appetizers first?”

“you’re a queen,” dijonai nodded, already sitting up straighter.

paige raised an eyebrow, nudging her with a smirk. “what happened to manners?”

dijonai grinned. “please, chef fudd. feed the people.”

azzi laughed, already turning to grab the plates. the room buzzed around her, light and full of warmth. she could get used to this.

azzi set a few plates on the island—mini crab cakes with a spicy aioli, baked mac and cheese bites, and fresh caprese skewers. everything looked golden, colorful, and just the right amount of fancy without trying too hard.

“oh, she’s not playing,” lyss muttered under her breath, already reaching for a skewer.

“hold on, hold on,” maddy said, pulling out her phone. “this is too pretty not to post.”

“not you trying to soft launch azzi’s food before even tasting it,” paige teased from the other side of the island.

“girl, this food soft launching itself,” dijonai said with a mouthful of mac and cheese bite. “azzi, you tryna marry someone, or…?”

azzi turned, feigning confusion. “what?”

“you cooking like you tryna wife somebody up,” arike added. “this ain’t normal behavior.”

azzi laughed, cheeks warm again. “well, it’s just what i do.”

“nah,” lyss said, shaking her head after biting into a crab cake. “this is talent. dangerous talent.”

paige caught azzi’s eyes from across the island, a smile tugging at her lips. azzi didn’t say anything—she just offered a small shrug, like it wasn’t a big deal. but the way everyone was looking at her said otherwise.

and as the group kept eating, talking, and laughing, paige felt herself relax even more. they liked her—just like she knew they would. but something about seeing azzi fit like this?

that made her stomach flutter. and not from the food.

“the main dish should be ready in a few, sorry for the delay,” azzi said softly, watching everyone enjoy the appetizers with a small smile.

dijonai waved her off. “oh, girl, you’re fine. i wanna get to know you more anyways.”

maddy nodded in agreement, already nibbling on another bite. “yeah, no complaints here. you could take all night if you want.”

“it gives me time to beat paige and arike’s ass in 2k,” lyss chimed in, already making her way toward the living room with a confident bounce in her step.

paige and arike locked eyes from across the island, mirroring each other’s unimpressed expression.

“she delusional as hell,” they said in sync before cracking up, both of them following lyss with zero urgency but all the intent to humble her.

azzi just laughed under her breath, feeling the ease in the room. dijonai stayed at the island, watching her with genuine curiosity.

“so what made you start cooking like this?” she asked, leaning her elbow on the counter.

azzi wiped her hands on a dish towel before answering, “honestly? it started with my mom. she used to make me help with every meal growing up. by the time i was sixteen, i was cooking for my whole family.”

“see, that’s what i’m talking about,” dijonai said with a grin. “you got a gift.”

azzi smiled, just a little shy but still proud. “thank you. i just… really love it.”

“well, keep loving it,” maddy added, popping the last mac bite in her mouth. “’cause we’re not letting you go anytime soon.”

azzi laughed, her eyes flicking between maddy and dijonai. “you say that now, wait till y’all get tired of me being all in the kitchen every five seconds.”

“never,” dijonai said quickly. “you feed people. you could walk around here narrating your whole life and i’d still be like, ‘what’s for dinner?’”

“facts,” maddy added. “you don’t understand what you’ve done to us already.”

azzi shook her head, her grin widening. “y’all are dramatic.”

“nah, paige been acting different since you moved in,” dijonai said, sitting up straighter. “girl be smiling at her phone and everything. smiling. you know how rare that is?”

azzi’s eyes widened slightly, her voice quiet but playful. “oh yeah?”

maddy nodded, sipping her water. “mhmm. we’ve been clocked it. we were like ‘who got miss bueckers giggling?’ turns out it was you.”

azzi glanced toward the living room where paige and the others were now yelling at the tv screen. her face warmed, but she played it off, going back to the stove. “well… if it’s the food making her smile, then i’ll take that as a win.”

“sure,” dijonai said with a smirk. “let’s pretend it’s just the food.”

azzi didn’t say anything else, but the slight shake of her head and the way her smile lingered said everything. the kitchen smelled like garlic and spice, laughter echoed from the living room, and for once… it didn’t feel like work.

it felt like belonging.

“what’s cookin’ anyway?” maddy asked, resting her chin in her hand as she leaned over the island.

azzi stirred something in the pan before glancing back at them. “garlic butter salmon, lemon roasted potatoes, asparagus… and a honey glaze for the salmon on the side in case y’all like a little extra sweetness.”

dijonai blinked. “girl. girl. you tryna make us propose or what?”

azzi laughed, shaking her head as she plated the roasted potatoes onto a serving tray. “nah, i just want y’all to leave full and happy.”

“you already checked one of those off,” maddy said. “if this salmon hits like those crab cakes did, i’mma cry.”

“don’t be dramatic,” azzi teased, placing the tray in the warming drawer.

“i’m dead serious,” maddy said. “i got no shame. tears will be shed.”

from the living room, they suddenly heard lyss yell, “yo! what kind of cheat code did paige just use?!”

paige’s laugh followed immediately. “get better, lyss!”

“don’t let her talk to you like that!” arike shouted, though she was clearly laughing too.

azzi glanced toward the sound, and dijonai caught the way her smile softened. “they really like you, you know.”

“they’re cool,” azzi said, her tone low and fond. “i didn’t expect to feel this… comfortable. it’s only been a few days.”

“sometimes it don’t take long,” dijonai shrugged. “you fit in easy.”

azzi looked back down at the salmon, flipping it gently in the pan. “thanks… really.”

“we mean it,” maddy added. “this group? we don’t click with everybody. but with you—it’s natural.”

azzi stayed quiet, her chest warm. natural. she liked the sound of that. she glanced down at the salmon, then over her shoulder where the girls laughed like they’d known each other for years.

maybe it really didn’t take that long. maybe sometimes, it just clicked.

azzi plated the salmon carefully, brushing a thin layer of the honey glaze across the top of each fillet. the warmth in the kitchen wasn’t just from the stove—it was from the feeling settling in her chest, soft and steady.

behind her, dijonai and maddy were still chatting, but the energy had mellowed, like even they could feel it. something about the way azzi moved, so sure of herself in someone else’s home, but still gentle with it.

“alright,” azzi said after a beat, wiping her hands on a clean towel. “main course is done.”

dijonai and maddy both sat up straighter like kids in a classroom.

“you want help carrying it over?” maddy asked.

“nah, i got it. y’all relax.”

azzi moved with ease, bringing over the trays one by one and setting them on the island—salmon glistening under the kitchen lights, potatoes golden and crisp, asparagus sprinkled with sea salt and lemon zest. the whole apartment smelled unreal.

“what’s that smell?” paige’s voice came from the living room, footsteps following fast.

“heaven,” lyss answered before azzi even said anything.

the rest of the girls trailed in, their eyes immediately locking onto the food.

“oh hell yeah,” arike grinned, already heading for a plate. “this look like a celebration.”

paige didn’t say much at first—just stood there quietly, taking it all in. the way her teammates were hyped, the way azzi stood confidently beside the island, apron still tied around her waist, a little flour on her forearm.

“you’re insane,” paige finally said, almost under her breath. “this looks… perfect.”

azzi met her eyes, shrugging lightly. “just doing my job.”

paige held her gaze a second longer, then grabbed a plate. “you’re doing it too well.”

“then i’m doing it right,” azzi said with a small smirk, finally stepping back to let everyone dive in.

the kitchen filled with compliments, laughter, the scraping of chairs, and the clinking of silverware. azzi stood off to the side for a moment, watching it all, letting herself breathe it in.

this wasn’t just work anymore.

this was hers.

[lotus-n-l0ve]

THREADS OF AFFECTION

— Biker!Ryomen Sukuna x Bestfriend!Female Reader

Sometimes, The One You Need Has Always Been There.・₊﹆ɞ‧₊

*⁠.⁠✧ SYNOPSIS : After a rough experience with your boyfriend, you turn to your best friend Sukuna. As the night goes on words unravel. The tension between you two grows and everything lay in your hand. But one thing for sure—Sukuna will always be there for you, no matter what.

*⁠.⁠✧ WARNINGS & TAGS : No cheating, bestfriend!sukuna, one sided pining, almost rape, traumatizing elements, vulgar language, confession, 3k words.

*⁠.⁠✧ NOTE FROM LOTUS : O my gosh! I'm so excited. I'm back in my Sukuna brain riot days. He is all I'm thinking about nowadays. Also, always remember that unless it's an explicit "yes", it can't be counted as consent.

*⁠.⁠✧ — NAVIGATION // JUJUTSU KAISEN MASTERLIST

➥ THREADS OF AFFECTION : THE MONTAGE

DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE. MINORS DNI, IF YOU DO THEN IT'S YOUR OWN RESPONSIBILITY.・₊﹆ɞ‧₊

Sukuna’s towering body pushed the blondie against the sink, his lips locked with her in a fiery battle, fighting for dominance. Their hands roamed all over each other's body, desperate to get rid of any article of clothing. Even the biggest earthquake or tsunami could not stop him from getting any release tonight. Nothing but the familiar ringtone of piano that he set specifically for you could get in his way.

Sukuna pulled out the phone faster than he could blink, ignoring the whine of the very high and wasted blondie who's name he didn't even bother to remember, Sukuna slid the accept icon across the screen and pressed the cold phone close to his ear.

“Hello?” Sukuna said as he waited for any response but was only met with silence.

“Suku—” Before the blondie could speak, his hand slammed on her palm, forcing her to keep quiet. Her weak punches did little to no damage to Sukuna.

“S-Sukuna…” the trembling voice of yours from the other side of the call threw him over the edge. His eyes darkened and eyebrows frowned, “Where are you?”

After a few seconds of silence you spoke again, “I'm….. I'm outside of Ryle’s house.”

“I'm coming.” Sukuna cut the call and strode out of the party house, ignoring the angry calls, telling him to go back.

The black yzf-r1 cut through the wind. It took Sukuna approximately 10 minutes to get to your location. Even from far away he could see you sitting on the sidelines, knees pulled to your chest, restless sobs eruption from your chest. His bike stopped in front of you. Crouching down in front of you, he cupped your cheeks in his warm hands and raised your head up.

“What happened?” Sukuna asked as he whipped your cheeks only for them to get wet the next second.

“Kuna.” You broke into another feat of breakdown. The words coming out of your mouth sounded like only nonsense.

“Hush, calm down.” He pulled you in his arms. Sturdy fingers running through your hair, providing solace for you, “Follow my breath, come on.”

Your breath aligned with his and finally your speeding heart came to a steady pace. Sukuna broke the hug and whipped your cheeks clean again.

His hold on your face didn't release, “Now tell me what happened?”

You recalled how you ended up here. ‘Little miss virgin’ is what your friends called you. Heck! Even the whole school called you that. It's not like you didn't want to have sex. You just never had the right opportunity for it. Random hook-ups were not your thing. You wanted your first time to be with a special someone.

That's where Ryle came into the picture. He was your seatmate in English class. Because of his continued bad grades Mr. Smith asked you to tutor him in exchange for extra points in the final semester. He was a nice sweet guy who always made you laugh and thus you gave him a chance when he proposed to you.

Well, he was not such a nice guy after all. A month of dating, Ryle was very clear about intimacy. He wanted to have sex with you, he brought up that topic quite often and after a month of thinking you finally prepared yourself to lose your v-card. And that night was tonight.

Ryle was very excited and the big grin on his face on the way to his house made it very clear. You were barely inside the house when his lips attacked yours, catching you off-guard. Your hands, as if instinctively grabbed his shoulders to push him away but his hands on your waist pinned you to the door.

Panic flooded in your heart. Everything felt rushed. You thought you would have enough time to prepare yourself while he took a shower but now you wanted to bolt out of there. Your view hazed and everything became blurry. When you were on the brink of passing out, then did Ryle pull back but dived right down your neck.

“Ryle, stop. Stop it.” Your voice was close to yelling.

Ryle paid no mind to your protest. Placing wet kisses down your neck that felt like a burning rod was touching your skin.

“RYLE, STOP!” You pushed him with all of your strength.

Ryle stumbled back and hit his head on the wall. A painful grunt came out of his mouth as he clutched his head. Guilt filled you in as you quickly rushed to his side.

“Are you okay? I'm so sorr—” tried to grab his hand only for him to jerk your hand away.

“Are you fucking kidding me? What the fuck was that?” Ryle shouted on top of his lungs.

‘I’m s-so sorry…..” your voice trembled.

Ryle took a deep breath, standing up straight, “Okay, it's okay. It's your first time so I understand. Let's continue.”

Ryle grabbed both sides of your face and kissed you again only for you to avoid it and step back.

“Ryle, how about we stop today. I feel a little tired.”

And with each word the smile on his face wavered till it faded into the darkness. You didn't like the look in his eyes, the negative feeling. The Ryle you knew was always so nice to you so his next action came as a heartbreaking shock to you.

His hands gripped your arms with so much strength, his nails dug into your skin, as he shouted at you, “Are you fucking with me right now, Y/N? I didn't put up with you all these days only for you to chicken out and stop me from getting my fun.”

“R-Ryle, you are h-hurting me.” Tears pricked your eyes.

“And you are annoying me. Did you think I ran around you like a dog for nothing huh? Fuck! The least you can do is shut up and take it.”

You didn't like this Ryle. He scared you, suffocated you with fear. His words sent you in a spiral of thoughts. The guy in front of you was nothing but a potential rapist.

In fear, words spouted out of your mouth like a fountain, “Ryle, let me go right now. Otherwise Sukuna will hear about this and you and I both know that you will not like what comes next.”

You looked straight into his eyes, daring him to continue with his absurd act. You could tell, he had more to say but only the name of Sukuna was enough to evoke terror in his heart. No one in their right mind would like to be on his bad side. His personality may have subdued now but his chaotic past personality was well known to everyone. Not to mention his status as the heir of Lumino Corp.

Finally Ryle released you but not without a hurtful shove. He went up the stairs muttering, “Get the fuck out of my house.”

You didn't need to be told twice.

“That damn fucker!” Sukuna jumped up running towards the front door, with the intention of killing, you were sure of.

You hurriedly blocked his way, wrapping your arm around his huge torso, “Wait Sukuna, he is not alone.”

That's when Sukuna heard the indecent noises coming from the house. Sukuna tried to get out of your hold, his jaw locked in a clench, “Even more reasons to end that fucker.”

Your arms only became more firm around him, “No, let's go home. I don't want to be here, I'm not feeling very good.”

Sukuna felt a debate in his heart before he finally took your adequately smaller hand in his and brought you to the parked beast of a bike. Your feelings were way more important than breaking that prick’s nose at the moment. Putting his helmet on you he buckled it tight. His body defending you against the seer hits of wind. Your arms wrapped tightly around his waist and forehead resting on his back as the night played in your head like a movie.

“I didn't put up with you all these days only for you to chicken out and stop me from getting my fun.” was what he said. You wonder if everything was fake. From him being interested in the same subject as you to the same food. All the times he called you late into the night only to hear your voice to getting you coffee every morning. Maybe, everything was fake.Your arms tightened around his waist, the only source of comfort for you, now and forever.

Sukuna’s apartment building, which turned into your hideout over the years, came into sight. Sukuna parked his bike in the underground garage. You didn’t feel like moving but still reluctantly got down from the bike, followed by Sukuna. He led you to the elevator and then to his apartment on the 17th floor.

You found yourself sitting on the gray couch in the living room as Sukuna rummaged through the fridge, “Want something to drink.”

“Anything will do.” You replied as you fidgeted with the blanket on your lap.

Sukuna came back to the living room, placing a can of matcha milk shake as he settled on the couch beside you with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. You picked up the can, taking sips of your drink.

The two of you sat in silence for a long time. Sukuna was bad with words, comforting someone was not his forte but that's what you liked. The comforting silence with him. He let you pick what wanted to do instead of forcing.

It was a quarter till an hour when all your resolve broke and a waterfall of tears ran down your cheeks without break, painful sobbs erupting from your heart. Sukuna silently pulled your head in his chest, his hand running through your head in gentle strokes.

You let all the agony out that you had been holding inside since the moment you went to Ryle’s house. You felt used, as if you are nothing worth other than your body. All the lies of Ryle kept floating in your mind.

“God! I'm so stupid.” You almost whimpered saying those words.

His hand stopped midway in your hair before resuming, “Stop, cry all you want but don't you dare degrade yourself for a lowlife like him.”

“I don't know what to do. Today was supposed to be so special but it turned into a disaster all because I'm such a coward.” Your voice trembled with each word.

“I said stop.” Sukuna held your shoulders and pushed you away from him. You saw an unexplainable fury in his eyes that you knew wasn't directed towards you.

His eyes softened as they stared at your watery ones, “Ai, stop. These things don't happen like that. I know I should be the last one to say this but..”

He cupped your cheeks, bringing your face closer, “Sex is not something to be rushed. If you had gone on with him then I know damn well he would have hurt you. That prick would have made you hate sex or any kind of intimacy.”

You stared into his eyes, heart throbbing because of the intensity in his eyes and the utter sincerity in his voice. It made you want to cry even more because—

“Why couldn't it be you? Gosh! I wish it was you. But it's not possible.” You were about to break into another fit of cry but his next words shocked you to core.

“Do you want me to be? You know……. I'll do anything if you tell me, Ai. Anything.” His thumb on your cheek rubbed back and forth, letting you know he was okay with any decision you make.

You wanted to believe that Sukuna uttered those words as a dear friend of you but the look in his eyes made it so hard to not see the obvious meaning behind his words.

“What?” Your voice barely escaped, a mix of disbelief and vulnerability. You tried to pull away, but Sukuna's hands held you firmly in place, his eyes unwavering.

“We can take things slow. Or you can take the lead. Do whatever you want, I won't say a word.” Words sprouted out of his mouth like an indomitable waterfall and it made him want to slam his head on the wall and black out if he could just stop his damn mouth.

Maybe it was the desperation that was increasing day by day, when he knew he would give you the world if you asked but it's not him that you chose. It was that lowlife jerk who only ever thought with his dick. Sukuna resented those days when you used to talk about him with stars in your eyes, completely oblivious to the turmoil in his heart. His heart ached like hell.

The words hung in the air, the tension between the two of you shifting. The world outside his apartment seemed to stop as you processed what he had just said. Your heart hammered in your chest, every inch of your body aware of how close you were to crossing a line that you had never considered before.

You swallowed hard, feeling the warmth of his body close to yours, the weight of his presence making you feel more vulnerable than you ever had before. The reality of what he was suggesting didn’t quite settle in yet. Was he serious? Was he offering something you couldn’t even allow yourself to imagine?

“I’m not saying this to confuse you,” he continued, his voice low and steady. “But I don’t want you to think you’re alone in this. Not when I’m here, not when I can help you.”

The softness of his words mixed with the roughness of his usual demeanor was enough to make you pause. You had always known Sukuna as someone who didn’t easily show affection or care. But in this moment, as he wiped the last of your tears away, his face softened in a way you had never seen before.

Your heart fluttered, an unexplainable feeling swarming your chest. You didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to process the fact that the person who had always been there for you, who you trusted above all others, was now offering you something you couldn’t have imagined in your wildest dreams.

But then, the fear and uncertainty crept in again. You thought of Ryle, his words, his actions. You thought about the vulnerability you had felt tonight, how everything had gone wrong, and the weight of what had just happened still clung to you like a heavy burden. Could you trust anyone again? Could you trust Sukuna with something as important as this?

“I… I don’t know,” you whispered, your voice trembling once more. “This is all so much. I don’t even know what to think right now.”

Sukuna's face softened even more, and for a moment, he just held you in his arms, letting you feel the comfort of his presence. He didn’t push you. He didn’t rush you. He simply allowed you the space to breathe, to feel, to make the decision for yourself, without any pressure.

“You don’t have to decide anything right now,” Sukuna said, his voice tender. “Take your time. Just know that I’m here for you, no matter what. You don’t owe anyone anything—least of all a bastard like Ryle. Not after what he did. It's only you who matters. Not Ryle. Not me. No-one else.”

His words hit you like a wave, washing over you with a strange sense of relief. It felt like you could finally breathe again. No longer trapped by someone else’s expectations, no longer bound by the need to please or perform for someone else’s desires.

“You’re safe here,” Sukuna added quietly. “Always.”

And like all the times, you believed him. The weight of the night and everything that had happened finally caught up with you. In Sukuna's arms, surrounded by the warmth of his presence, you felt a strange sense of peace that you hadn’t experienced in hours, maybe even longer. His heartbeat was steady against your ear, the rhythm soothing you like a lullaby. Your breathing slowed, and your body relaxed in a way that felt almost foreign, as if you hadn’t allowed yourself to truly rest for so long.

Sukuna didn’t move, didn’t try to disturb you. He simply held you, his strong arms wrapped around you protectively, grounding you in the moment. There were no expectations, no words needed. It was just the two of you, sharing the silence, the comfort of each other’s presence.

And then, without even realizing it, you drifted into sleep.

In his embrace, you felt safe. Safe from the world, safe from the turmoil and confusion that had plagued your mind. You felt as though, for once, the world had stopped spinning, and you could finally breathe without the weight of everything pressing down on you.

Sukuna’s gaze softened as he looked down at you, seeing the vulnerability and exhaustion in your face as you slept. He gently adjusted you in his arms, careful not to disturb you, making sure you were as comfortable as possible. The faintest trace of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips, though it was a rare and almost imperceptible expression. He didn’t need to say anything. He knew you needed this—peace, quiet, and the reassurance that, for now, you didn’t have to face everything on your own.

As the night wore on, Sukuna stayed by your side, watching over you. The world outside seemed distant, like it no longer mattered in the face of what was unfolding between the two of you. The only thing that mattered, in that moment, was that you were safe, that you were in his arms, and that he would protect you from whatever came next.

The events of the night could wait. Right now, it was just you and him, and for once, that was enough.

LIKED IT? THEN PLEASE LEAVE A LIKE, REBLOG & COMMENT. IT WOULD MEAN A LOT AND FOLLOW ME FOR MORE LIKE THESE. THANK YOU ♡

© 𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐔𝐒-𝐍-𝐋𝟎𝐕𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓, 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐃 — all content rights belongs to LOTUS-N-L0VE. do not plagiarise any works and do not repost or translate onto any other sites.・₊﹆ɞ‧₊

[harocat]

Hello Cdrama fans! The signups for the Yuletide fic exchange close in a little over forty-eight hours, and there are a ton of Cdrama fandoms nominated. I'd LOVE to see some more Cdrama fans on board (and not just because almost all my nominations are that).

Yuletide is an annual fic exchange for rare and obscure fandoms run through the Archive of Our Own. Participants sign up to write a story of at least 1,000 words in a fandom someone else has requested, using the selected characters from that fandom. In return, they receive a story of at least 1,000 words in a fandom they have requested, featuring requested characters.

Please read this FAQ and the Rules before deciding whether to participate.

I had so much fun doing this last year (and I got some great Cdrama fic), so I wanted to share it here in hopes of bringing in some more participants from these fandoms.

The following Chinese/Taiwanese/Hong Kong Dramas are nominated:

HIStory3 - 圈套

S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery

Thunderbolt Fantasy 東離劍遊紀

一念关山 | A Journey to Love

不良執念清除師 | Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

与凤行 | The Legend of Shen Li

且试天下 | Who Rules The World

九州缥缈录 | Novoland: Eagle Flag

云之羽 | My Journey to You

以家人之名 | Go Ahead

伪装者 | The Disguiser

你安全吗 | Are You Safe

你微笑时很美 | Falling Into Your Smile

你是我的荣耀 | You Are My Glory

侠探简不知 | Ancient Detective

全职高手 | The King's Avatar

冰雪谣 | Snowfall (TV 2024)

卿卿日常 | New Life Begins

南风知我意 | South Wind Knows My Mood

双夭记 | The Silent Criminal

原生之罪 | Original Sin

双镜 | Couple of Mirrors

后宫甄嬛传 | The Legend of Zhen Huan | Empresses in the Palace

君子盟 | A League of Nobleman

唐朝诡事录 | Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty

四方馆 | Go East

四海重明 | Love's Rebellion

回响 | Echo (TV 2023)

墨雨云间 | The Double

夜色倾心 | Night of Love with You

大唐女法医 | Miss Truth

天盛长歌 | The Rise of Phoenixes

女世子 | The Heiress

如懿传 | Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

宁安如梦 | Story of Kunning Palace

将军在上 | Oh My General

少年歌行 | The Blood of Youth (Live Action TV)

少年白马醉春风 | Dashing Youth (Live Action TV)

庆余年 | Joy of Life

延禧攻略 | Story of Yanxi Palace

很想很想你 | Love Me Love My Voice

御赐小仵作 | The Imperial Coroner

心宅猎人 | Psych-Hunter

恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer

惜花芷 | Blossoms in Adversity 

成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

扫黑风暴 | Crime Crackdown

无眠之境 | Desire Catcher

星汉灿�� | Love Like the Galaxy

有翡 | Legend of Fei

某某 | The On1y One 

棋魂 | Hikaru no Go (Live Action TV)

沉香如屑 | Immortal Samsara

沙海 | Tomb of the Sea

法医秦明之幸存者 | Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: The Survivor

浮華夢 | Fu Hua Meng 

涂山小红娘月红篇 | Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact

消失的痕迹 | The Evidence Tells

漂亮书生 | In A Class Of Her Own

猎狐 | Hunting

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin

玉骨遥 | Yù Gǔ Yáo 

琉璃 | Love and Redemption

盗墓笔记2之怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note

相逢时节 | Challenges at Midlife

种地吧 | Become A Farmer

绅探 | Detective L

美人为馅 | Memory Lost

老九门 | Old Nine Gates 

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth (TV 1983)

致命游戏 | The Spirealm 

花开有时颓靡无声 | Meet You at the Blossom

花轿喜事 | Wrong Carriage Right Groom (2023)

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil 

莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook 

HIStory3 - 圈套

S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery

Thunderbolt Fantasy 東離劍遊紀

一念关山 | A Journey to Love

不良執念清除師 | Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

与凤行 | The Legend of Shen Li

且试天下 | Who Rules The World

九州缥缈录 | Novoland: Eagle Flag

云之羽 | My Journey to You

以家人之名 | Go Ahead

伪装者 | The Disguiser

你安全吗 | Are You Safe

你微笑时很美 | Falling Into Your Smile

你是我的荣耀 | You Are My Glory

侠探简不知 | Ancient Detective

全职高手 | The King's Avatar

冰雪谣 | Snowfall (TV 2024)

卿卿日常 | New Life Begins

南风知我意 | South Wind Knows My Mood

双夭记 | The Silent Criminal

原生之罪 | Original Sin

双镜 | Couple of Mirrors

后宫甄嬛传 | The Legend of Zhen Huan | Empresses in the Palace

君子盟 | A League of Nobleman

唐朝诡事录 | Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty

四方馆 | Go East

四海重明 | Love's Rebellion

回响 | Echo (TV 2023)

墨雨云间 | The Double

夜色倾心 | Night of Love with You

大唐女法医 | Miss Truth

天盛长歌 | The Rise of Phoenixes

女世子 | The Heiress

如懿传 | Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

宁安如梦 | Story of Kunning Palace

将军在上 | Oh My General

少年歌行 | The Blood of Youth (Live Action TV)

少年白马醉春风 | Dashing Youth (Live Action TV)

庆余年 | Joy of Life

延禧攻略 | Story of Yanxi Palace

很想很想你 | Love Me Love My Voice

御赐小仵作 | The Imperial Coroner

心宅猎人 | Psych-Hunter

恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer

惜花芷 | Blossoms in Adversity 

成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

扫黑风暴 | Crime Crackdown

无眠之境 | Desire Catcher

星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy

有翡 | Legend of Fei

某某 | The On1y One 

棋魂 | Hikaru no Go (Live Action TV)

沉香如屑 | Immortal Samsara

沙海 | Tomb of the Sea

法医秦明之幸存者 | Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: The Survivor

浮華夢 | Fu Hua Meng 

涂山小红娘月红篇 | Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact

消失的痕迹 | The Evidence Tells

漂亮书生 | In A Class Of Her Own

猎狐 | Hunting

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin

玉骨遥 | Yù Gǔ Yáo 

琉璃 | Love and Redemption

盗���笔记2之怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note

相逢时节 | Challenges at Midlife

种地吧 | Become A Farmer

绅探 | Detective L

美人为馅 | Memory Lost

老九门 | Old Nine Gates 

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth (TV 1983)

致命游戏 | The Spirealm 

花轿喜事 | Wrong Carriage Right Groom (2023)

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil 

莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook 

藏海花 | Adventure behind the Bronze Door 

西出玉门 | Parallel World | West Out of Yumen

许你浮生若梦 | Xǔ Nǐ Fú Shēng Ruò Mèng | Granting You a Dreamlike Life

说英雄谁是英雄 | Heroes (2022) 

还珠格格 | Huán Zhū Gé Gé | Princess Returning Pearl

追风者 | War of Faith 

重启之极海听雷 | Reunion: The Sound of the Providence 

长月烬明 | Till the End of the Moon

长歌行 | The Long Ballad 

长相思 | Lost You Forever 

长风渡 | Destined 

關於未知的我們 | Unknown

问心 | The Heart 

陪你到世界之巔 | Gank Your Heart

霹靂布袋戲 | Pili Glove Puppetry

风起洛阳 | Fēng Qǐ Luò Yáng 

飞狐外传 | Side Story of Fox Volant

骄阳伴我 | Sunshine by My Side

鬓边不是海棠红 | Winter Begonia

鹿鼎記 | The Duke of Mount Deer (Hong Kong 1984)

I apologized if I missed any. I went fast so I could actually get this posted. For DONGHUA and MANHUA look under 'cartoons & comics & graphic novels'. For Chinese language movies look under 'movies'. For Cnovels (danmei and other), look under 'books and literature.' There are lots of nominations there as well. Here's the tag set!

By the way, according to Yuletide staff, the most frequently nominated fandom was Mysterious Lotus Casebook.

[rarepairqueenmochi]

Monster High and East Asian Representation

Alright MH fans, we need to have a semi-serious conversation about how East Asian rep has been handled in the franchise. Representation itself has been a big point of conversation in the community, so it's important to talk about all of its aspects. The good, the bad, and the ill-conceived.

For context, I am an East Asian-American who has seen time and time again her culture be misrepresented, boiled down to stereotypes, and even mocked by other Asian cultures. Am I the all-time expert? Absolutely not, which is why I encourage other East Asian/Asian-American fans to give their comments about the franchise's handling of Asian characters.

Now then, we'll start with G1 since it probably has some of the most infamous pieces of representation

There is a lot to unpack with G1 Jinafire's design and personality. Not only the choice of golden skin, the misguided outfit choices, and emphasis on honor and discipline, but also the oriental riff often accompanying her in every backing scene. Highly encourage people to look into the Asian Dragon Lady stereotype, because unfortunately, that is what Jinafire is.

It is acknowledgeable that Jinafire's voice actress, Stephanie Sheh, is also Chinese, but there is still error with her character as a whole. Jinafire was personally one of the first Asian characters in media that I was introduced too, so it's upsetting to reflect on how negative her character design is.

Shibooya is... not great. The exchange program as a whole feels like a minefield of issues (though I don't have much liberty to discuss the other transfers), and this one especially rubbed me the wrong way. They gave the vampires of Shibooya yellow skin, and the doll is supposed to kimono-inspired while hardly even resembling one.

Harajuku style was right there and easily fit the fashions of Monster High. There are also a number of Japanese yokai that could've been featured within the short and would have likely been better representation than the vampires.

Kiyomi is okay, and certainly an improvement compared to the previous G1 characters. She's based off the Noppera-bo, aka the faceless ghost, and it's used decently in her design. However, her personality is boiled down into being shy, quiet, and reserved, which is a stereotype many Asian girls face under the name "Lotus Blossoms". She even has blossoms on her dress sleeves, and her outfit again is a loose interpretation of a kimono.

There are a number of modern Japanese outfit designs that could be used, and kimonos are often associated with modesty and respect. Kimonos are not meant to be revealing in any way, covering the body in full and being intricately wrapped. I personally take issue with the designers noting her chains meaning to resemble the sailor collar, which is used in middle school uniforms, not high school uniforms.

Kiyomi is, of course, hardly mentioned and refined to a movie role, in which she copies and mimics the personality/style of an European character.

Now onto G3!

Honestly, nothing really to critique here! Draculaura's been canonically been confirmed to be at least half-Taiwanese and speaks Mandarin. Now would it be nicer to get more appearances of her culture other than a couple throw-away lines? Yes it would, but there isn't anything really negative about this portrayal. I think it'd be interesting if Draculaura had a Taiwanese name she went by around her mother, or just casual moments of her eating scallion pancakes or aiyu jelly.

aaaaaand here's where we automatically fall back on representation. This may not seem that major to people, but considering this is the first Japanese character we get in G3, it's not great. Points for the writers looking past the most common yokai, but I don't know any person that wants to be represented by an animal.

I really do need people to realize how this is compared to the other characters. I wasn't initially reactive to Kuma's introduction until I realized they were making him a consistent character. Considering we don't have many other anthro/fully monstrous characters, and they chose to make him the Japanese representation doesn't seem right. Especially since they gave him the lead in the cultural appropriation vs. appreciation episode. An excellent episode, but it loses some sentiment coming from a literal bear.

Plus I would implore you all to rewatch Horrorscare and take a close look at the Japanese water dragon Pearl. And I'll remind you she exists in the same world as Jinafire.

now this is what I'm talking about! Not only has the skin issue been resolved, but the creators took a step in the right direction and made Jinafire more akin to Chinese dragons, who are often connected to storms and rain. Her outfit is also much more akin to street fashion in China. I still wish there was more to see with Jinafire's character, but she absolutely an improvement to her G1 iteration!

Well that's a lot to unpack there! Again, I am in no way the expert on East Asian representation and I'm going to miss some things. I encourage other fans to think about these characters and how you feel about them, and maybe even point out things I missed, good or bad! I did this simply out of my own feelings and wanted to see if anyone else felt the same.

[hoshigray]

˗ˏˋ Summertime ⛱ Madness ˎˊ˗

Dear Diary...summer is finally here, and you're ready to spend it all with your best buds — Itadori, Megumi, and Nobara! Because the season is meant to be eventful, no? Though, how eventful? You already have plans with your friends to make every day count...Yet, so much has happened this summer that you NEED to write it all down! Especially since five men, in particular, have put you through a complete whirlwind of a summer...

Collector's Note: Hi, hello!! This is my first time doing something like this, but to commemorate getting 1k followers (tysm!!), I felt this would be a fun way to celebrate!! These entries will be posted throughout the summer (with dates provided), so keep your eyes open for when a diary entry opens! They can be read as standalone fics, but some (2-3) may be linked with one another. And no, they are not gonna be in first-person, only for this post as a sort of introduction to the pieces, lol. And FYI: these adorable sea-themed dividers are made by the wonderful remi (@cafekitsune), whose dividers I use non-stop!! Thank you sm for the dividers as always, remi, love what you do sm!!

Diary Status: ongoing!!

Word of caution: fem!reader - modern AU - age differences (the reader is at least in their 20s; the guys' ages will be specified in their respective fics for convenience's sake) - explicit content/nsfw so minors DNI - mentions of alcohol/drug use - unprotected sex (PSA: wrap it up, or get the fuck up) - taboo (consensual sex b/w professor/undergrad; a friend's relative) - size differences - one night stands - be sure to read the content warnings (cw) to fully grasp what each fic will contain before reading!

Intrigued readers: wanna be tagged when an entry is posted? Lmk in the replies plz!

✎﹏﹏﹏ 📖 Y/n's Diary Entries 📖 ﹏﹏﹏✎

Dear Nanami Kento... ༄ My Professor's Final Spring Praise

Entry Narrative: Before my summer break officially started, I had to finish my last in-person exam with Professor Nanami. It was so tough, but I made it through! I was the last to leave, so I thanked the professor and shared some final words before heading to my dorm to finish packing up. However, how do a few gratitude and praise exchanges end up with me on his desk and him between my legs? Contents: professor! Nanami x fem! reader - explicit content so minors DNI - taboo (consensual sex b/w a professor & undergrad) - age difference (the reader is at least in their 20s; Nanami approaching early 30s) - fingering (fem! receiving) - cunnilingus - semi-missionary position (reader lies on their back on a table while Nanami stands) - public sex/sex in a university classroom - unprotected sex (PSA: wrap it up, or get the fuck up) - pining if you squint - praise - pet names (baby, darling, love, sweet pea) - clitoral play (licking and sucking) - kissing/makeout sessions. Completion: July 3rd (Nanami + my bday :DD so I better see y'all wish me and my hubby a hbd or this shit isn't getting released >:T)

Dear Satoru Gojo... ༄ Sweet Blind Summer Fling

Entry Narrative: Due to a bet made by Nobara, I made an online dating account to set myself up with a blind date. Although a bit witty and annoyingly childish, Gojo's remarkably handsome and sweet...So, how the hell did I end up sleeping with him on the first date!? Contents: switch! Gojo x fem! reader - explicit content so minors DNI - blind date/online match-up - age difference (the reader is at least in their 20s; Gojo is around early 30s) - texting back and forth - sex at a hotel - one night stands - consensual sex under the influence - protected sex (PSA: wrap it up, or get the fuck up) - cowgirl + lotus positions - pet names (angel, baby, dollface, pretty, princess, sweet thing) - clitoral play (swiping and pinching) - mentions of drug/alcohol use (reader and Gojo don't get blackout drunk, but y'all get tipsy) - a bunch of silliness bc it's a Gojo fic (duh). Completion: July 24th

Dear Suguru Geto... ༄ Swim in Waves, Chill in Caves

Entry Narrative: I went to the beach with my friends!! Only for me to...run into Gojo again!!? And to make things crazier, I met his attractive best friend who heard "so much" about me??!! Thanks to Gojo's nonstop blabber-mouth, Geto was interested in me in ways I would rather not be known for! Contents: Geto x fem! reader - explicit content, so minors DNI - age difference (the reader is at least in their 20s; Geto is around early 30s) - oral (m! + f! receiving) - heavy depictions of a blowjob - semi-handjob - sex at an open area; cave by the beach - 69+ doggy style/backshots + missionary position - unprotected sex but Geto doesn't shoot inside (PSA: wrap it up, or get the fuck up) - fucking while the sun sets, lmaooo - pet names (baby, cutie, sweetheart, sweetie, princess) - clitoral play (swiping and pinching) - Gojo is here so expect some silliness. Completion: August 4th

Dear Choso Kamo... ༄ In[put]s & Out[put]s

Entry Narrative: My friends and I are getting ready to go out, but I'm feeling a little nervous about my outfit since it looks a little risqué... So, I took a pic of it and sent it to Itadori to hear his thoughts. Come to find out...I instead sent it to his half older brother, who was coming to pick me up......and he liked the outfit so much that he gave me his personal opinion?? Contents: still deciphering... Completion: TBA

Dear Toji Fushiguro... ༄ Secrets, Sweat, and Summer Fever

Entry Narrative: The gang and I hung out at Megumi's place for the last week of summer. But when I'm left at the house alone with Megumi's hot father, how am I supposed to act normal after "accidentally" eavesdropping on him jerking off to me!? Also, why and how the fuck does he know about my personal endeavors!? Contents: still deciphering... Completion: TBA

© hoshigray 2023 ~𓆉~ Diary entries above are collected by, written by, and belong to me, so please do not steal, edit, or post my works. Or I'll find all the people in your family who don't know how to swim and throw 'em in the ocean (and yes, that includes you). :/

[therealstacyfakename]

thoughts on my Frieren au idea (essentially immortal Geralt grieving Jaskier):

essential premise: Witcher au inspired by Frieren where Geralt long outlives Jaskier and realizes he’s in love with him 10 years after Jaskier died of old age. Jaskier knew the entire time.

Jaskier dies on a Sunday.

Jaskier died peacefully of old age. Geralt wasn't there when he died because he while he'd been visit the old bard, he'd spent Sunday morning helping the village raise a new barn. He found Jaskier dead in his bed at mid-afternoon when he returned to the bard's cottage, ready to bring him to town for the subsequent celebration.

While cleaning out the home Geralt finds a box of letters written by Jaskier with the note on the top "For Geralt. Read each of these when you need them." each letter has a different name. Things such as "Read after you say goodbye" and "Read when you feel lost"

Geralt tears the one at the top open and sobs after reading. How did Jaskier know him so well when he never took the time to really know him back.

Geralt leaves the village days after the funeral. This was a long time coming, he had no reason to be sad and didn't need them to keep looking at him with teary eyes. It was time to return to the path anyway.

One year after Jaskier's death he sees Yennefer again. She is angry he didn't tell her sooner.

Yennefer forces Geralt to speak about what happened. He can't say Jaskier's name anymore. He rips open another letter, finally letting himself read another.

A few years after Jaskier’s death Geralt meets a young bard named Issel. They start traveling together at her insistence. Traveling on the path, Geralt returns to countless villages and cities he and Jaskier once stopped at. Slowly he tells Issel about his travels.

It takes months for Geralt to tell her he knew the famous Jaskier who penned all those songs she likes to sing.

It takes even longer to tell her about saying goodbye to Jaskier. She looks at him the way Yennefer and those villagers did.

Geralt hears Jaskier’s songs in taverns, courts, festivals and around campfires across the continent. Sometimes he closes his eyes and feels Jaskier next to him.

One day Geralt overhears a lively debate over whether or not The White Wolf was a real person, or simply a character conjured by the famous Jaskier.

It makes something unusual settle inside Geralt to realize no one remembers The Butcher of Blaviken anymore.

When Issel and Geralt part ways, Geralt notices he never misses the young woman like he did Jaskier. She is there and then she's gone and his feelings have no depth.

One day Geralt returns to a village he an jaskier once saved where Jaskier gifted him a metal cuff. It's a silver piece of metal engraved with with lotus flowers that Gerald wears on his right wrist. Jaskier had insisted Geralt deserved it as a token of his appreciation for saving his life. When Geralt pointed out the fact he'd saved his life countless times Jaskier insisted it was making up for all the past rescues.

Geralt still wears the cuff all these decades later. An inkeeper sees it and asks who his wife is. This is when Geralt learns that in this region lotus flowers symbolize eternal love. Jewelry depicting a lotus flower is typically exchanged as a gift between married couples a year or more after their ceremony.

He learns later than Yennefer knows what the cuff means. Geralt, as he was with the innkeeper, is too embarrassed to say he never thought about it. This is when he realizes Yennefer has viewed him as a widow for all this time.

He reads Jaskier's last unopened letter 30 years after the bard's death. He opens it after he cleaned the headstone and placed lotus flowers beside it, sitting on a stone at the top of a hill Geralt pulls the letters from his bag.

The letter in Geralt's hand says "Read when you return home." For a long time Geralt thought the bard meant Kaher Morhen, but every time he was back in the keep with his brothers it did not feel like the right time or place. He curses himself for avoiding this place for so many years but shakes himself and remembers Jaskier would not have wanted him to feel this way.

Geralt cries for the first time since he brought Jaskier's body to the coroner. He cries with the letter safely tucked away in the box he keeps the rest of them. He cries while watching the sun set over the ocean the bard was so fond of.

So anyways this is kind of half baked but something about emotionally constipated Geralt recounting his journey and realizing the depth of his love for this human man is so so interesting to me.

watching frieren episode 14 did a number on me I can only imagine what else that show makes me think of doing to this grieving witcher.

[bullet-prooflove]

Whiskey Business: Bill Bevilaqua x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989 @lazilynervoussong @moisttowlett @happilysparklyunknown @krispyqueenluminary

Companion piece to: Trust

You’re already at Whiskey Business when Bill arrives. The private distillery is located thirty minutes away from Bill’s ranch and specialises in single malt. All of their whiskey is distilled in five gallon barrels and sold in limited runs making it Kansas City’s most sought after spirit. Their tastings are usually booked up months in advance but here Bill is, stepping over the threshold to spend the evening with a woman who is more stunning than every single one of those stars in the night time sky.

His eyes come to rest on you, standing there talking to one of the hosts and the sight of you it just steals his breath. Your hair is pulled back into a half up half down style, you’re wearing a pretty blue floral country dress and brown cowboy boots. He’s not used to seeing this version of you, the one that’s so casual, so relaxed.

Your face lights up when you see him and something in his chest aches. It’s been a long time since anyone has looked at him like that and it isn’t until now he realises just how much he misses it.

“Bill.” You say, clasping his hands in yours before you kiss his cheek.

His heart thuds a little harder in his chest as you lead him towards your table, his hand still clasped in yours. It feels dainty inside his larger one and he finds his thumb tracing over the tattoo of a geometric lotus blossom on your inner wrist.

“You look beautiful tonight.” He tells you and a flush of colour appears across your cheeks.

“I was worried you’d think I wasn’t making an effort.” You tell him referring to the clothes and the makeup you usually adorn for your profession. “But I wanted you to see the real me, the one that wears summer dresses and likes whiskey brewed from a barrel that’s older than her.”

“I like her already.” He tells you, squeezing your hand lightly.

You spend the night sipping whiskey, comparing notes, exchanging opinions as you mark your scores down on your phone so you can keep track of your favourites. Bill learns that you used to be a debutant before you started this career, that your father disowned you when you refused to marry a man twice your age to help advance his business.

“Is that when it started?” He asks you. “With Bobby D’Amico?”

“Yea.” You say, swirling around the tasting scotch. “He was the photographer who took the debutant portraits, he was always trying to get into the girls pants, give them molly. He said I could make some money modelling, it’s an age old story I won’t bore you with.”

“You don’t bore me Julia.” He says quietly, his dark eyes meeting yours. “You’ve never bored me. If you want to tell me then I want to listen.”

So you tell him, you tell him every sordid detail and by the end of it Bill knows he’s going to murder Bobby D’Amico for turning you out the way he did.

“The other night it became clear that you trust me with a lot of personal shit, stuff I don’t think you tell anyone.” You say, toying with the silver rings on his left hand. “I thought maybe it was time I do the same.”

“Your secrets are my secrets.” He tells you, bringing your fingertips to his lips and kissing the pads of them. “I’ll take them to my grave.”

He means that, you can tell from the fierceness in his eyes as he says it.

At the end of the night you’re both a little drunk, not just from the whiskey but from each other. Bill tucks his arm around your shoulders as you lean into him, hiding your face in his shirt because you can’t control your laughter. It continues long after the two of you climb into the backseat of his car, until his driver pulls up outside the address you gave him.

Your house is a classic Edwardian build that would look more at home in San Fransico than here in Kansas City. Every other place on this block falls into the Shirtwaist standard of architecture but you’ve gone completely against the grain by removing the steep gabled roofed porch so you can expand outwards with a bay window instead. The outside is painted a light grey, the windows and frame work contrasting with white.

“My neighbours fucking hate it.” You tell him as you unfasten your seat belt. “I’ve owned it for five years now and I’m still in love with it.”

He can understand why, this place it’s entirely you. Sophisticated, chique, brazen.

He undoes his own seatbelt as you search for your keys inside your purse, opening your door for you and helping you out of the vehicle. He escorts you up the path until you reach the doorstep.

“Do you want to come in?” You ask, your eyes bright as you look up at him and in that moment he’d like nothing more than to continue this evening well into the early hours of the morning.

“Next time.” He promises you, his thumb chasing over the apple of your cheek. “When the two of us haven’t been drinking so much.”

“Your momma raised a gentlemen.” You tease as your fingertips toy with lapels of his blazer.

Not much of one, he thinks as he leans in and kisses you because that mouth of yours, it’s just too inviting. You taste like whiskey from the distillery, smoky overtones with a dash of honey. Your lips are soft under his, warm like a summer’s day and just as sweet. He pulls away unwillingly, his large hands coming to rest on your hips, thumbs tracing over the fabric of your dress.

“Get on inside now.” He whispers as he releases you, inclining his head towards the door. He waits until you’ve unlocked it and are safely over the threshold before he tips his hat.

“Good night Julia.” He says softly.

“Sweet dreams Bill.”

Love Bill? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Interested in supporting me? Join my Patreon for Bonus Content!

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[funky-little-autistic-goose]

Woops Lychee Dragon Cookie analysis sorrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyy

totally not putting writing Triumph of Sloth au for LycheePrincess cause I got freaked out by the scale of what I want to do oops- so uh have this-

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lychee Dragon Cookie is genuinely one of the most interesting of the Dragons to me because of how their character is very subtly written. Now mind you, a lot of this is made on assumptions too, but bear with me for a minute here. Okay, longer than that, but shut up. Lychee Dragon Cookie, as we know already, uses mind control to have cookies worship them and do their dirty work. We see this very thing in their first proper appearance in Gingerbrave’s Tale by luring the residents of the Rambutan Isle to their cave, including Gingerbrave and Zombie Cookie. Beforehand, they had disguised themself as Mangosteen Cookie to gain the trust of the village. This leads to two assumptions about how Lychee Dragon Cookie thinks, that A. Cookies are nothing more than pawns to the dragons, and B. Love is merely a means to an end for that goal. Something else to note is why they choose Mangosteen Cookie as their disguise. Since Mangosteen Cookie was seen as a small clumsy child, no one would ever expect them to be the one luring people to the cliffs, as a threat to the village. Most curiously is their relationship with Rambutan Cookie. Rambutan Cookie immediately clocked that Mangosteen Cookie was not what they presented, but she still stuck around them because “They reminded of herself when she was younger” (sorta paraphrasing what she says about them in Gingerbrave’s Tale). We even find out through the Dragon Egg Chest storyline that they even exchanged friendship bracelets during this time, which Lychee Dragon Cookie was very reluctant when thinking about throwing theirs away (more on this later). 

We also see that Lychee Dragon Cookie is either the youngest of the fruit dragons and/or a runt. Even during the Age of Dragons, they were controlling cookies for their own gain. Lychee Dragon Cookie is very quick to antagonize the other dragons with an exception in Longan Dragon Cookie. This makes sense since their berries are in the same family, alongside being mutually friendly because of their misanthropic demeanors. Also something to note is that Lychee Dragon Cookie’s affection jelly states “I have only admitted defeat once!” And while this could be referring to the fight with Rambutan Cookie at the end of Gingerbrave’s Tale, I am more inclined to believe that defeat was because of Longan Dragon Cookie as Lychee states in their relationship chart, “My powers didn’t work? That’s a first!” If I had to make an assumption, Longan Dragon Cookie likely brought Lychee Dragon Cookie under them after a fight for dominance, but Longan saw the potential in a servant like Lychee Dragon Cookie.

The point I am trying to make with all of this is that Lychee Dragon Cookie is desperate for attention and control. Lychee Dragon Cookie is certainly stronger than the average cookie is, but they are likely the weakest of the dragons, at least on a physical level. Being the runt of the group likely led the other dragons to somewhat disregard Lychee Dragon Cookie’s abilities, which is supported by how both Pitaya Dragon and Ananas Dragon insult their methods of controlling cookies as cowardly and shameful. As for Lotus Dragon, they just find Lychee exhausting, but with the update revealing Lotus Dragon as a flower dragon, separate from the group, they likely didn’t have much expectation as to how Lychee Dragon, a fruit dragon, should behave until much later. Lychee Dragon Cookie returns this hostile behavior, basically saying how they will inevitably control the other dragons at some point or another in their relationship chart. Being at least partially influenced by Longan Dragon, Lychee Dragon Cookie believes they must be in control and above, which isn’t helped with assumed insecurities about their strength and size as a runt/the youngest. That’s why they choose the disguise of a small child whilst hiding amidst the Rambutan Villagers. Not just because it’s cute and easy to trust, but because no one expects a weak small child to impose a threat. Mangosteen Cookie is almost more like an extension of insecurities that Lychee Dragon Cookie has buried deep behind their cruelty and manipulation.

That’s why Rambutan Cookie is such a weird case to them. Rambutan Cookie immediately offered friendship to Lychee when disguised, even when she knew full well Mangosteen Cookie was highly suspicious. Even though it was behind a deceit, Lychee Dragon Cookie found themself attached to Rambutan Cookie and made a connection that lasted even after the cave fell on itself. As mentioned before, they had received a friendship bracelet from Rambutan Cookie herself to symbolize that Mangosteen Cookie belonged as family with the village. When reminded of this, Lychee Dragon Cookie keeps the bracelet because of that relationship that they made with Rambutan Cookie. On top of that, there was rambutan grass growing in the cave, and they chose not to cut it out because it reminded them of Rambutan Cookie. But of course, they refuse to show this side of themself. Lychee Dragon Cookie says this in their relationship chart when talking about Rambutan Cookie, “A Cookie? Trying to protect me?” This is Lychee’s only other status that isn’t Tension besides Longan Dragon Cookie with it being Friendly at that. On a very surface level, you’d almost think it should be Rival if they never truly cared about Rambutan Cookie, but no. Now, this line could be read as just amusement because, why would Rambutan Cookie ever protect them? Either as Mangosteen Cookie or themself? But it also further shows how Lychee Dragon Cookie thinks. They must be above everyone else. They must be in control at all times. Being protected isn’t new to Lychee Dragon Cookie, but that was only when others were forced to listen to them. Rambutan Cookie protecting them willingly, even knowing they weren’t being fully truthful, is bizarre to Lychee. It’s a sort of love they’ve never known properly in their entire life, a love that isn’t just a tool. It confuses them, but that’s why Lychee Dragon Cookie is so amused and attached to Rambutan Cookie…Because she is the only one who’s shown them a connection without ties despite everything. A love, whatever form it takes, that is true and genuine, and I desperately hope we get to explore that in the next update soon.

[firelordsfirelady]

XXIII. The Necklace

Author: @firelordsfirelady

Imagine: When Y/N—a princess of one of the Water Tribes—is told she’s leaving her tribe, she never expects that she’s to be betrothed to the Fire Lord’s son, nor was she prepared to be exiled the very day she arrived at the Fire Nation. With her life in the hands of her new fiancée, how will life change for the princess? 

Pairing: Zuko x F!Reader

Trigger warnings: arranged marriage, feelings of fear, banishment, mentions of burns/abuse, frustration, violence, betrayal, language

Word Count: 1427

Destined to be Yin and Yang 

I own no rights to Avatar the Last Airbender or any of the characters/story. 

Author’s Notes

The characters as all aged up so Zuko’s banishment happens when he’s 16 

Keep in mind I am bringing a unique world with inspiration from ATLA in their characters, some of the events that happen, bending, etc. Not many things may align or occur with what happened in the show. It’s intended that way, so I hope you enjoy it regardless.

See Y/N’s inspiration here. 

Destined to be Yin and Yang Soundtrack (YouTube)

A few weeks later, Zuko and  I were in the middle of a training session when the sudden turning of the ship threw Zuko and I onto the ground with a loud thud. Zuko let out a soft groan as his body cushioned my landing. Both of our cheeks turned red at how close our faces were before we both scrambled to stand up. Zuko avoided looking at me as he stormed off towards the captain’s cabin as he complained about no one ordering a change of course. Quickly following behind him, I followed him into the steering room where Iroh sat at a pai sho game table. The gentleman all looked at the checkered boxes on the table and moved circular wooden tiles with painted symbols around to various spots.

“No one told you to change course.” Zuko angrily said to the captain as he approached.

“Actually,” Iroh said as he studied the tiles on the table in front of him. “Someone did.” I casually leaned against the wall by the door as Zuko turned around to look at his older uncle. “I can assure you that it is a matter of importance.”

“There’s news of the Avatar?” Zuko’s question sounded hopeful as Iroh stroked the beard on his chin while he pondered his next move. 

“I fear it is even more urgent than that.” I felt my own eyebrow raise at the older firebender’s statement as Iroh looked to the Prince. “You see--” Iroh sighed heavily as he clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth. “I’ve lost my lotus tile.” I let out a chuckle as Iroh slide a tile across the board and Zuko looked deflated.

“Lotus tile?” He asked and Iroh nodded towards the game on the table.

“Everyone underestimates the power of the lotus tile in pai sho because they often deem it insignificant.” Iroh slide another tile on the board as he spoke. “However, it is essential for the unusual strategy I use.” 

“So, let me get this straight,” Zuko started in a calm manner, “You changed our course…” The fire prince took a deep breath before he continued. “For a stupid lotus tile?” I laughed at the exchange between the two firebenders before I smiled at Zuko’s angry stance.

“A ten minute trip to the merchant stalls won’t harm anything. Who knows, maybe there will be some news of the Avatar.” I shrugged as Zuko let out a breath of fire towards the ceiling, and Iroh laughed.

“I’m glad someone appreciates the value of the lotus tile.” Iroh threw a wink my way as I lightly chuckled at Zuko.

“Lucky are you, Iroh, to have such a compassionate nephew.” I threw a wink towards Zuko before I left the room as Zuko’s cheeks turned red and Iroh belly laughed with the men around the table.

Zuko begrudgingly accompanied Iroh and I as we arrived at the port to browse the merchant stalls. I slipped away from the Firebenders as Iroh gushed over some musical instruments at one of the stands. Iroh had given me some money to buy whatever my heart desired, and I was on a mission for a couple of things: sea prawn dumpling soup ingredients and art supplies. I easily and quickly moved through the stalls and admired some of the unique items the merchant city had to offer.

Although Zuko may not see the joy in the situation, I was thoroughly enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the world I wouldn’t have been able to experience otherwise without the circumstances of Zuko’s banishment. As I browsed the various shops, I noticed a necklace haphazardly tossed to the side of one of the shops. I gingerly picked it up as the blue ribbon told me it belonged to a waterbender.

I thought back to the girl from a Water Tribe that was traveling with the Avatar, and I tucked it into my front pouch to show Zuko when I caught up with him. Five minutes later, I was curiously looking at a new dress when rough hands grabbed me and interrupted my browsing. Something sharp poking into my side stopped any protest I was about to make.

“Thought you could get away with stealing from me?” A rough voice said as the sharp object poked more into my side. “Any word from you and I’ll gut you right here.” The male voice growled in my ear as rough hands grabbed my wrists and began guiding me away from the stall and towards an interesting looking building nearby. I was roughly shoved through the door where the occupants all turned to look at us as I was roughly held by my bicep..

“I caught the thief.” The voice of the man holding me said as he shoved me towards one of the other men in the building. “Came back for her necklace.”  I fell to my knees in front of the man with the brimmed hat. The braid I had worked diligently to put in my hair was roughly gripped by the man in front of me as he used it to slightly lift me up.

“Tell me what you and that bald headed thief did with my scroll.” He growled as he tightened his grip on my braid. I bit back the yelp of pain that threatened to come from my lips.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I hissed out the honest words, but the grip in my hair tightened to force my head slightly to the right.

“Did the bald kid have arrow tattoos?” I recognized Zuko’s voice as the grip on my hair tightened some more and I couldn’t hide the wince of pain from my face.

“And if he did?” The older man spat as he lifted me higher to get a better look at me. “That kid and those two waterbenders stole my scroll, and I want it back.” He growled as I yelped from the uncomfortable vice the man had on my braid.

“She’s not the Waterbender that was with the kid.” Zuko growled with clenched fists. “We are after the kid with the arrow tattoos. I think we can help each other here.”

“That doesn’t explain why—“ I was brought to look this man in his eyes. “—she’s got the necklace of the Waterbender.”

“I—“ I cleared my voice to try and make the words come out evenly. “I found it. I thought it looked familiar.” The huff the man let out smelt horrible to my nostrils as the man suddenly let my hair got and I fell harshly to the ground at his feet.

“They stole a scroll from us that we want back.” The man turned his attention to the firebender with clenched fists standing nearby. “We get the scroll and you can have the other three.”

“We just want the bald one.” Zuko growled as I stood up and brushed myself off. A rough hand wrapped tightly around my wrist to prevent me from walking away.

“You’re not going anywhere.” The man growled as he pulled me to stand next to him. “Once we have the scroll, you can have her back.” My eyes widened slightly as I looked at Zuko’s steady amber eyes as he coldly stared at the pirate’s hand tightly holding my wrist. 

“I’m going to need the necklace.” Zuko’s tone was even as he flickered his eyes to briefly look at me, but I couldn’t quite read the emotion his golden orbs had as they looked at me. 

“It’s in the front pouch.” I said and the firebender nodded as he approached then opened the pouch and gently grabbed the necklace. I didn’t say anything as he gave me a small nod before he pulled away and turned on his heel. Iroh gave me an apologetic smile as he turned to follow the younger firebender. I swallowed the fear in my throat as I was alone with a group of pirates, and I boldly met anyone who dared to look at me.

Following them to their small sailboat, I was surprised and relieved to find a smaller Fire Nation ship heading towards the ship I was being led to. The captain motioned for me to follow as he climbed onto the Fire Nation ship, where we met Zuko as he stood on the deck. Both of the men stared at each other with a distrustful stare as the ships began to move. I took a seat on the edge of the boat as we started traveling down the river.

Tag List @chevysstuffs @puttyly @ginger24880 @night-fall-moon @junieshohoho @0kauy @coolgirl458 @hypnoticbeing @angelruinz @preeyansha @playboygeniusphilanthropist @ssonniiu  @chi-ara @hagridshaircare @stell404 @kyo-kyo1 @herondale-lightworm @simonsbluee @nadlx33333 @nerdisthenewcool @jewelsrules @soggycrout0n @mymomsdisappointment @leeaintthere-blog @sanskritisays  @katie-tibo @stavitcutislamepodkrevet @niktwazny303 @fluffybunnyu

[purplealmonds]

Another Karakasa plot prediction

This time comparing the relationship between Fuki and everybody's favorite character, Tenshi – and that of Shingi and Nusu. (Yes, the color coding will matter here)

Though it requires a bit of set up. Discussions below the cut.

In the latest video, we get a lot of shots of Tenshi and Fuki performing a ceremony of sorts, passing the triangular water vessel back and forth between and pouring that water into one another's mouths with the excess running rivulets down their bodies, symbolically intermixing their presences.

In an earlier trailer, I initially mistook them to be Shingi and Nusu – Fuki's dark skin tone and Tenshi's pale skin and black manicure threw me off.

But now I think it's on purpose.

Look at the split floor colors. Red, orange, yellow – Hyper's color on the left. Fuki, who has a similar skin tone to Shingi stands here.

Purple, blues, with a touch of pink – Kusuriuri's colors on the right– where Tenshi, who is visually similar to Nusu stands.

––

Didn't we have discussions of how Shingi looked oddly human compared to Hyper until the red markings, representing Kusu, were emblazoned on his body?

And isn't it neat that it mirrors how strange it is that Fuki, a commoner, has somehow found herself as Tenshi's favored concubine to bed with?

––

Bonus shots of Fuki looking buff as heck, arguably almost as built as Shingi:

In contrast, I imagine that Tenshi, under all the voluminous robes, is quite the slight man. Doesn't that also remind you of how Nusu dresses up?

There's also some discussions in the community of how Tenshi may be dressed to the nines to exude divinity, he doesn't genuinely possess the real thing.

Fuki, who is a commoner, may be more attuned the "natural" order of things, which kind of mirrors Shingi's naturally attained divinity without needing all the bells and whistles of dress code to reinforce its presence.

––

Interestingly enough, I don't think we see any shots of Fuki drinking this water. It seems like something Tenshi exclusively consumes, internalizing the waters Fuki is integrated with as a woman of the ooku.

According to the lore videos, I believe it is said that during the transformation sequence, Kusuriuri's red facial markings transfer and transform into the golden sigils on Hyper's body.

––

According to the trivia sheet, the Yotogi no Ma is place where a lady-in-waiting pre-selected by Tenshi "entertains" him at night to produce an heir.

Note the distinct eye imagery on the Yotogi no Ma's ceiling. Also note how the room seems to be split in two palette-wise on the floor, folding screens, and lamps presumably representing the separation of masculinity and femininity - leading up to the lotus bed (representing enlightenment) where consummation takes place.

Now let's examine Nusu and Shingi's exorcism sword.

Eye imagery, check! Inherent Yin-Yang split between femininity and masculinity, check! Symbolic of enlightment (katachi, makato, kotowari), check! And hmm, it seems like the color palette somewhat matches that of the Yotogi no Ma?

––

During this ceremony, Tenshi and his companion are forbidden from speaking to one another.

As far as I know, when Kusuriuri and Hyper unsheath the exorcism sword, they also do not exchange words, much less make contact, save for a few indirect interactions.

Indirect interactions such as passing the exorcism sword between one another.

It is quite similar to Fuki and Tenshi passing the triangular cup between each other.

––

In conclusion, I believe Nusu and Shingi's transformation sequence will likely mirror the visuals of Fuki and Tenshi's "ceremony".

And they will almost certainly fuck like rabbits after the exorcism is done.

[sinni-ok-sessi]

I don't know if this is the done thing, or if it comes off too much like 'look at all my riches, nyeh', but I'm genuinely just so thrilled with all the things I've received in exchanges this year, so I guess I'm making A Rec Post Of Things Literally Written To My Tastes

Yuletide

Something like joy (Mysterious Lotus Casebook, Fang Duobing/Li Lianhua/Di Feisheng, E)

Lovely post-canon fic with a Li Lianhua who is so tired of trying to heal, which is the bittersweet note I crave in MLC fic.

It Might Just Take a While (Snowfall, Li Yingliang/Shen Zhiheng, T)

Delicious Shen Zhiheng POV here, a really compelling look at why he feels the way he does about Li Yingliang (and also a number of things he's ignoring). Canon-typical unhinged behaviour, absolutely impeccable.

Nirvana in Fire Exchange

i'll be true to the song i sing (Mu Nihuang & Lin Chen & others, M)

Post-Meiling, pre-canon, Mu Nihuang and Lin Chen run away to sea river. I had the best time reading this. All the characters are spot-on and delightful, Nihuang gets to be extremely cool with a sword, and then occasionally you get punched in the heart by how young everyone is and how much Meiling ruined for them. Ideal NiF fic experience tbh.

Im(Pact) (Yan Yujin & Xiao Jingrui, Mei Changsu & Lin Chen, T)

OK first of all I just realised the title, fuck. Second of all, the implications for this world, hhhhh. I crave like 50k more of Mei Changsu and Lin Chen's interractions here.

Promises (Mu Nihuang & Mu Qing, T)

Do you like to cry about the Mu siblings? I love to cry about the Mu siblings. Come read this and cry about them with me.

[lotus-n-l0ve]

LOST WITHOUT YOU, BABY

— Eren Yeager x Female Reader

With Heart And Soul.

*⁠.⁠✧ SYNOPSIS : Eren sometimes feared what he would do if you had not graced his life that one afternoon of mid-march. ・₊﹆ɞ‧₊

*⁠.⁠✧ WARNINGS & TAGS : Boyfriend!Eren, Girlfriend!reader, high school sweethearts, bullying, blood, fight, mob boss!eren, smut, kiss, late night, sex, p in v, 2.4k words. ・₊﹆ɞ‧₊

*⁠.⁠✧ NOTE FROM LOTUS : Feels so good to write after so long. My exams are coming up, of course I will wanna right now 乁⁠[⁠ ⁠◕⁠ ⁠ᴥ⁠ ⁠◕⁠ ⁠]⁠ㄏ

*⁠.⁠✧ — NAVIGATION // ATTACK ON TITAN MASTERLIST

DO NOT PRESS [READ MORE] IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE. MINORS DNI, IF YOU DO THEN IT'S YOUR OWN RESPONSIBILITY. ・₊﹆ɞ‧₊

𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐀𝐊𝐈 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐉𝐀 𝐇2𝐑 at the back of the baby blue two story house. Crossing over the wall wasn't so hard anymore after doing so many times. He ghosted across the back yard and climbed on to the maple tree before he was standing in front of the familiar window that led to your bedroom, separating you from him.

Eren stepped ahead on the rough branch leading right to the window. The glass window was left open as if you knew he would come by. He slid it open and he jumped inside the room with a thud but not loud enough to alert your parents who were fast asleep two rooms down the hallway. You were fast asleep under the fluffy comfort of the duvet.

Eren tiptoed to the bathroom and opened the door with as little noise as possible. You had been whining about the ongoing exam and how much pressure it was giving you. Eren knew he could give you the world you wanted. You only had to tell him with your sweet voice and he would bring the whole world to your feet. But he also respected your decision to do something yourself, to be independent.

Getting rid of any and every piece of clothing, Eren stepped under the shower head. Warm water glided down his body, soothing away all the tension in his muscles. Eren tangled a hand through the wet locks and tilted his head back. Drops of water pitter-pattering on his eyes and lips. His heart was felt with nothing but detest and abhor. He loathed everything, from the waking moment to the last awake second everyday.

Eren sometimes feared what he would do if you had not graced his life that one afternoon of mid-march.

The intense hit of boot against your belly sent a jolt of acute pain through your body. It would leave a ugly bruise you were sure. The blood had already dried under your nose long ago, now the area just  felt tight and itchy. The next hit came down hard on your head, almost knocking you out.

         “Do you have some screws loose in your head?” Your attacker shouted, stomping on your crouched body that stayed laying down on the cold floor of an empty classroom, “I clearly told you to finish my assignment and hand it over to teach. Then why the fuck is he saying I didnt submit my work?”

Two of his minions didn't try even the slightest to suppress the snickers. Standing behind their leader as if he was doing something great.

         “It was your assignment. Why should I do it?” Each trembling word that came out of your mouth, hurt your throat like hell. But it was not worse than the torture you had been enduring for the past two months. Precisely two and half months ago, you moved to this new city because of your father’s transfer. It had been two months since you started attending ‘Heritage High’ and every single student here had made it their job to bully the life out of the new student. Louise Liebert being the leader of them all.

He was the kid who was never told ‘no’ in his entire life. So, when you, being the reserved kid you were, denied to exchange your new fountain pen with his already half used ball pen, it hurt his ego and he made it his mission to fill your days in the school with hurt and sorrow. The pain was special to you, your grandpa had gifted it to you for the new journey you were going to start. He always had it with him wherever he went. He called it his lucky star but it didn't seem to have much luck for your case.

Complaining to your parents got you nowhere when the school staff and children pledged for his innocence. You had a suspicion that it had something to do with his father being the mayor of the town. The only thing you accomplished was proving yourself to be a liar to your parents and increased bullying.

         “Looks like you still have the energy to argue, huh?” Adler, the tall and abnormally skinny guy on his right scoffed.

         “All that beating was not enough for you was it?” Baldur, the shorty onLouise’s left sneered down at you.

         Louise brought his face to your level, a vicious smirk on his face, “Do you need a dick in your mouth to shut up like your mommy dearest?”

You didn't know what happened but the second those words left his stinky mouth, you shot up. Your head hitting his jaw as he went back flying, slamming his head on the hard floor. The room echoed the crazy screams of three individuals. A sense of fight or flight knocked you and you were sprinting out of the room, running through the empty hallway with three angry bulls running after you. As much as scared you were, you were also very proud of yourself. You hoped he cracked his head.

You ran and ran fast. If they got their hands on you then you were sure that you would be going home with more than just black eyes. Running up the stairs, you threw the door in front of you with a screech. They were just a few steps away from you as you pushed the door with your whole body and tried to shut the door. But your tired body was too weak against three of them.

The door swung with force, tripping you backwards on the ground. Fuck! They towered over your body, looking like hungry hyenas, very injured hyenas at that.If only you were not about to get beaten, you would have danced with joy. They closed in on you as you attempted to back away.

         “Now what? Where are you gonna run now bitch!” Louise sneered. 

         “Why don't you worry about yourself first, Liebert…….” You see the colours drain from Louise’s face, not only him but also his minions. “......Quite the brevery you’ve got there.”

The more that deep voice spoke a little far behind you, the more shit scared those fuckers looked. Your head turned ever so slowly. The very familiar body of Eren Yeager lying on the hard bench. Suddenly jumping off the roof didn't seem that bad. If Louise was a hyena, then Eren was the lion. Eren was the nightmare of Marley. Notorious, cruel, and brutal were the words that describe him. The only son of Grisha Yeager, the successor of Lupus, the biggest underworld gang. They didn't have to hide in the shadows, no, they wore suits and flaunted themselves in the broad daylight. The government was run by the rats of Lupus.

Eren lived up to his name, Hel, beautiful on one side and cruel on the other. He had everyone in Heritage High walking on eggshells.In attempt of saving yourself from one trouble, you threw yourself in the tiger’s den.

         “E-Eren–” Louise squicked rather embarrassingly, “We–”

         “Since when are we on a first name basis?” His tone was nonchalant but even you could feel the threat underneath.

Eren leisurely brought himself up in a sitting position. His eyes looked this side on the floor and then that side, searching for something, before it landed on you. You could feel your heart in your throat. God! You didnt wanna be anywhere near that menace of a boy. He jerked his head to your right, pointing at something.

What is it? A bat like his last victim? Or a gun like the one before that?

You follow his gaze, landing on a black bag and an unopened can of soda. You prayed to all the gods in existence that he meant the soda can as you hurriedly scooted over to bring it to him. He glanced at your hands holding out the can for him before staring at you with a raised eyebrow. WHAT NOW? 

You glanced at the can before realization drew onto you. Dumbass! You used all the strength you had and opened it and offered him again. This time Eren took the can, taking a sip of the cold drink.

         “Sir Yeager, everything is this bitch’s fault.” Alder spoke up, “Had she not run in here, we would have never disturbed you.”

         “Yes sir, we were teaching her a lesson but this bitch–” Baldur backed him.

         Eren took another sip, “Lesson? What is this great lesson of yours?” 

         The three exchanged worried glances and finally the biggest asshole of the group spoke up, “We were doing this for you sir.” 

         “Yes we caught her bad mouthing you–” 

         “That's not true!!” You almost yelled in fear, “I–”

Eren held up a hand, shutting you up and signed for them to continue. You could see relief sinking on them. Their eyes glinted with smugness.

        Louise continued with all the arrogance in his voice, “She was talking shit about you and we told her that she should not do that, she said that “Eren can suck my dick” that you are a lousy fucker who uses his father to get away with everything.”

         “Is that so?”

You felt your heart sink. Eyes prickled with tears and nose burned like hell as you grasped what was going to happen. The best would be if he straight up strangled you to death. Your head bowed down in the last attempt of saving yourself from further embarrassment. But did that even matter anymore?

You saw Eren throwing the can to the side, out of sight, and stood up and you instinctively backed away two steps. You waited for the blow to come, you waited and waited and waited because the blow never came. But a loud thud along with a piercing scream echoed on the rooftop, scaring away the pigeons there alongside you. Your bread shot up and the scene before you left you gasping.

Dulder’s body stayed slumped against the wooden door with his head shoved into the, now broken, door. Blood pooled around his quivering form and splattered on walls, his friends and most of all, on Eren himself. 

         Eren grabbed Louise’s coller and brought him up to his eye lever, “You think i'm one of your minions or something that i'll believe whatever you say?”

         Eren had a good five inches on Louise. His toes were barely touching the floor and that left him gasping for air, “I’m t-telling…… the…t-truth–”

         “So you are saying that you think–no, believe that I should suck your dick? That I get away with everything because of my father?” Eren tilted his head to the side and scoffed, “Do you also think that my father can stop me from beating you to death? Let’s do a little test.”

The next few minutes were like hell. You could hear every sound of bone cracking whenever Eren landed a punch. Every splash of blood and the groans of pain. You had slouched yourself in a crouched position, facing the wall, in the last attempt of saving yourself. When it finally stopped, you found yourself unable to relax because he was still there. The next could be you.

Sniffles were uncontrollable, you were probably shaking like you were being electrocuted. You heard steps closing on you before stopping right behind you.

         “Oii…” You felt a light kick on the back of your leg, “Are you seriously crying? After I beat your bullies?”

You tried to at least say one word but your throat was clogged with sniffles. He sighed as if you were a lost cause. 

         “So ungrateful. Not even a thanks.” Something fell on your head, a blazer, hiding you from the outside world, “You stink man! Go take a shower.”

With that he left you, alone, on the rooftop, with thousands of thoughts and maybe a little bit of relief. For Eren those were the best minutes he wasted and that he will never regret.

          “What are you thinking about?” You asked with your ever so soft voice as you ran your hands through his long hair from the back.

          “You.” Eren replied without a hint of hesitation.

You dragged your fingers down his neck and started massaging his tensed shoulder and his back.

         “Another meeting with your dad?” you received a hum in response, “Then you must be tired?”

         “Mm-hmm.”

         “Frustrated?”

         “Mmm.”

         “Should I do something…….to take off the load?”

You could feel the smirk on his face without even seeing it, “You know just the thing to relieve me, don't you?”

Eren didn't give you a second to reply as he turned to you, grabbing your neck, and pulled you in an intense kiss. You were just as eager to meet his passion, shoving your tongue his mouth and exploring each and every corner. He pushed you against the glass door of the shower. His hand glided down your chest, brushing on your peaked nipples and down your hip.

         Giving a tap on your thigh, he whispered against your lips, “Jump.”

Your hands find themselves tangled in his soaked hair and he uses his arm to support you in the air. Eren broke the kiss, out of breath, smoke coming out of your mouth and mixing in the middle. You feel his tip poking your wet pussy. Eren glids his tip along your lips, teasing you. 

         “Just put it in.” You whined in a breathless tone.

Oh! How adorable you look, begging for his cock.

         “As you wish, baby.”

He forced his cock in one go, making you moan  as the back of your head hit the glass. His hips slammed against your inner tight in a burning rhythm. Eren placed kisses along your neck that you were sure ws gonna leave dark purple bruises before he took one of the hard buds in his mouth. Sucking and twirling it his tongue.

He dragged his dick out till it was just the tip inside and then thrusted it all back inside. Your clammy walls stretched with every push. You could feel it, the familiar knot in your stomach. Eren increased his pace, closing in. Your hand tightly fisted his hair as you let yourself fall apart in his warm embrace. Not seconds later he shot stings of hot cum in you, filling up your inside. Still inside’ he pulled in a kiss but this time it was soft, delicate and full of tender love. ・₊﹆ɞ‧₊

LIKED IT? THEN PLEASE LEAVE A LIKE, REBLOG & COMMENT. IT WOULD MEAN A LOT AND FOLLOW ME FOR MORE LIKE THESE. THANK YOU ♡

© 𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐔𝐒-𝐍-𝐋𝟎𝐕𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓, 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐃 — all content rights belongs to LOTUS-N-L0VE. do not plagiarise any works and do not repost or translate onto any other sites.・₊﹆ɞ‧₊

[pawborough]

May 2024 Check In

Hello, all! 

Thank you for keeping up with our development! Let's jump right in on what we've been working on! 

We have received over 400 applications for Alpha testing. We are currently on track for a June start date, and we’ll divulge the gritty details of where we're at in development at the end of this update. 

However, we had mentioned a fauna present going to chosen volunteers in exchange for the requested labor. 

We wanted to give everyone a peak! Introducing… 

Nephrune 

Design and illustration by Hydde

Researchers are not certain if this legendary creature truly exists or if it is a fable-born myth, but folklore says the Nephrune slumbers underground among the earthen bounties. As the only natural creature made entirely of crystalline inorganics, legend has it that this mighty beast is the mother of all magics in Mewmoia. Its awakening would spell disaster.

It is worth mentioning once again that Alpha volunteering will not be the only way to obtain a Nephrune. We plan to have this fauna setup as an exclusive incentive for bug hunting and reporting (a bug bounty) in the future. We do not intend to permanently retire the beast, however it will be rare. 

New Icons 

Turmeric, Ink Jar, Lotus, Basil, Rosemary, Sage, and Oregano illustrated by Tybaxel

New Accessories 

We have continued accessory illustration! Last month, we previewed the fourth set of our catalog: 

The Woolen set! 

Illustration by Remmie

Alongside, we have continued working on backer accessories!

It has been our goal to develop several points of synergy in the aesthetics of our accessories. This includes backer accessories. As it turns out, several backer accessories worked together well enough to commit to one more set.

The Regal set! 

Illustration by Hydde

The Regal Crown and the Pheonix Mantle were both concepted and sponsored by SolsticeStar and Ralsha respectively. We've added to their concepts to create a versatile outfit! 

We also have further renders of the Kickstarter item:

Necromantic Cloak

Illustration by Hydde

Dynamic Accessorizing 

We wanted to take a moment to briefly talk about the dynamic layering we’ve implemented in accessories! 

We’ve implemented a system which allows the back of accessories to layer behind  accessories they're on top of. 

What this means: Socks will layer over the back hem of boots while remaining under the boot, items with back capes like the Necromantic Cloak can have poofy pants under them without clipping, wigs can be worn under hats or hoods without clipping the back brim, and the list goes on! 

It's a small QoL addition, but it makes layered outfits much easier to construct! 

Sol Site Theme

Daily Duties 

Next, take a look at our designs for play of the Territory Grounds section! 

NOTE: These are early concept mockups, and still need significant tweaking before final approval!

Performing a cat’s daily duty in your Territory is a consistent way for your camp to get item resources. 

Cats can participate in a number of different daily activities in order to gain different items. Hunting will gain items like the Common Mouse, while fishing will gain items like the Red Snapper. 

How well your cat does at a duty will depend on their statistics! In addition to playing the Guild, a cat which frequently does activities will raise their statistics. 

However, we wanted to make this process customizable and streamlined. 

Which is why we designed territory parties! You can create and save a party of cats with a certain territory activity, then send all the party cats on their daily duties at once. 

This way, if you really need meat items, you can choose to send all your cats hunting without painstakingly clicking several times. You can curate a consistent daily gain pool while at any time choosing to deviate from it! 

Parties are also versatile. Even if a cat has already been sent on a different duty, you may still send the party without that cat. 

This system will need testing to find any kinks or pain points, but our goal is to reduce the amount of clicking while still requiring some resource management strategy from the user! 

Map of Mewmoia

Above is the political map which presents Borough boundaries, however we also present a climate map, which outlines the conditions of each location: 

Map illustration by Hydde

Lore is finally something we can take some time to focus on. 

Refreshing and lengthening the writing found on our original prototype website is now being done. We have mockups for a better, interactive lore page! 

However, we must stress that this page does not take precedent over the game itself, so while we can communicate that its on our radar, we can't promise it before delivering on MVP mechanics. 

Speaking of lore… 

The Metropolis Logo

Illustration edits by Tybaxel The moon has now been better placed to represent the eyeshine, and a World Spire has been made front and center. This tower is sculpted to resemble a cat’s pupil, thus better fitting in with the other simplistic yet intentional visuals. 

The Metropolis will have its visuals updated on our demo website during our next improvement push!

Development Update

So where are we on development? 

Well, recently we wrapped up Alpha combat development. This includes movement, conditions, tile generation, NPC behaviors, item use, and combat abilities. 

Introducing Errands 

Take a peak at Errands, which is the Alpha version of the multiplayer Missions. 

Errands are smaller, short-term jobs that only one cat may go on. They take 1-3 minutes (VS. Missions taking 10-20 minutes) and will similarly have different objectives to accomplish.

Going on an errand will still gain you experience, items, currency, and help you raise the rank of your Team, but they are tailored towards casual play. While missions will be available for longer play-sessions, errands are for when you want to do something smaller!

Here you can see the method of browsing errands. Current errands can be refreshed via clearing all of them, re-checking the next day, or a premium instant refresh. Errands can also be clipped and saved for later if you don't want to start them immediately, but see one you're intrigued by! 

Dev Progress Check

Going forward, the big things we are currently working on, in order: 

Daily Duties 

Forums

Item Integration

Player to player trade; markets and currency

Dashboard Functionality 

Cooking / Crafting Functionality 

After which, all further features will be additional buffs to the loop and QoL features. Things such as a player and Team notebook to post and feature journal entries, aesthetic buffs to the scene builder (color tints on items, shadow tints, etc.), mobile QoL, the achievement badge system, a tagging system, and integrating multiplayer combat functionality. 

These additions are all things we hope to prioritize adding over the lifespan of our beta! 

Wahoo! Lots of good things! Everyone on the team is buzzing with excitement over how close we're getting to something fully playable. Thank you for being along for the ride!

To Summarize: We showed the Nephrune, new accessory sets and accessory dynamics, the Sol site theme, Territory Ground play, the Site Map, a new Metropolis logo, Errand setup, and the check-in for where we are in mechanic development. 

What to expect next month: Alpha functionality, further asset renderings, potential recolors, potential Moontail update!

[maggiecheungs]

poems in episode one of the story of kunning palace

in episode 1 of kunning palace, xuening grabs a book of poems in order to trick her maids into thinking she keeps a ledger. my knowledge of classical chinese isn't particularly high level, but it's good enough to at least identify which poems are on the page that she opens to, and i'm certain they were deliberately chosen because of their relevance to the characters and themes of the show 👀 so i thought i'd do a post about them :)

this page contains three poems by the tang dynasty poet wang changling (698–756): 芙蓉樓送辛漸 (farewell to xin jian at lotus tower); 閨怨 (boudoir lament); and 春宮曲 (spring palace song). detailed analyses under the cut:

1 - 芙蓉樓送辛漸 (farewell to xin jian at lotus tower):

my translation

poem summary: the poet's friend came to wu on a night when cold rain was pouring into the river, and departs again at dawn. the poet accompanies him on his journey as far as the chu mountains [but cannot carry on journeying with him because he must stay at his official post in wu]. as he bids goodbye, he asks his friend to tell his family back in luoyang that his heart is still pure and resolute.

key themes: loneliness and solitude; duty; having a pure heart and noble character

analysis: this one is a fairly famous poem about parting before setting off on a long journey. it's particularly notable for its final line, 一片冰心在玉壺, which roughly translates to "my heart is as pure as a piece of ice within a vessel of jade"... which could easily have been written as a summary of zhang zhe's character.

however! while there's a definite emphasis on having a pure and guiltless heart, when you combine with the previous line, the couplet as a whole also gives a sense that the speaker wishes to be remembered by those they love as someone pure and righteous ("tell my family back in luoyang that my heart is still pure etc"). this seems to be a theme of xuening's second life: wanting to correct her past wrongs and treat the people she cares for better, and to prove to zhang zhe that she can be a good person in future

in particular, this poem makes me think of xuening's last moments in her first life. the poet's final request before he bids farewell to his friend? for his companion to tell his family that he is still noble at heart. xuening's final request before she dies? for xie wei to take her life in exchange for that of zhang zhe, as her way of repenting for being dishonourable and ruining his life... 🤔🤔🤔

2 - 閨怨 (boudoir lament):

poem summary: the young wife in her boudoir knows nothing of sorrow, but as she completes her toilette and ascends the emerald tower, she suddenly sees the hue of poplars and willows on the roadside and regrets letting her husband leave home to pursue official position and power.

key themes: love and marriage; abandonment; ambition (and the effect that ambition has on love)

analysis: it's essentially about how the husband's ambition causes him to abandon his wife to grief and loneliness, which seems like a clear parallel with xuening's willingness to abandon her faithful lovers for the sake of her ambition; there's also the implication that political status is ultimately less meaningful than a loving marriage.

i think it's worth noting that the character 怨 (yuan) in the title is fairly hard to translate, as it implies a mixture of grief and anger/resentment, or even hatred. it's fairly common in boudoir poems about women left behind by their husbands, and in that context it's often translated as 'lament' or 'grief', but i think the ambivalence of the term is fairly important, particularly if you apply it to kunning palace and the mix of grief and anger that xuening inspires in her old lovers in her first life.

3 - 春宮曲 (spring palace song):

poem summary: the wind is mild, the flowers are in full bloom, the moon is full and bright. the emperor has fallen in love with one of his sister's singing serving women, and is showering her with imperial favour and bestowing brocade robes upon her to keep out the spring chill.

key themes: happiness, success, security. (however, with contextual knowledge, there's also the implication of future doom, and that nobody can stay on top of the world forever)

analysis: i didn't quite catch the full significance of this one until i googled it and realised it's a poem about a real historical figure: wei zifu, a song-and-dance girl serving the princess pingyang, who wins the favour of pingyang’s brother, emperor wu of the han dynasty, eventually becoming his second empress (the second-longest serving empress in chinese history!).

wei zifu's story is essentially about a young woman of humble origins who survives numerous palace intrigues and eventually manages to ascend to the position of empress, trusted by the emperor to the extent that she was allowed to rule in his absence. however, after maintaining her position for over three decades, she eventually fell afoul of a conspiracy against her and her son, and committed suicide rather than allowing herself to be deposed.

i mean… the way this links to jiang xuening's first life is so obvious i don't even feel the need to explain it.

[regalia-cookie]

Known Heretics in Decadenta:

Stained Glass Cookie (repurposed Beast OC)

Espresso Crinkle Cookie

Askew Berry Cookie

Warped Blossom Cookie

Catfish Sashimi Cookie

Jewel Box Cookie

Golden Ramen Cookie

Creeping Pineberry Cookie (cookie sona! ^^)

TBA+

[NOTE: Heretics are a cookie/rarity type I came up with for my own crk world for fun. Here's the original description of them: Heretics: Cookies who have committed grave sins and taboos, cursed by some unforseen power. This curse corrupts them over time and often drives them to madness. All Heretic cookies are exiled, sometimes crumbled or sealed depending on the nation upon discovery.]

Stained Glass Cookie - Stained Glass Cookie, previously known as Dyed Glass Cookie, is the Heratic of Obsession. He is known to originate from Gelatopia Island, where he was banished from after he committed a horrible crime for art post-corruption. He currently resides in the grim Leadlight Canyon where he runs the Macabre Macaron Museum, where he displays his own art and that of like-minded cookies.

Espresso Crinkle Cookie - Espresso Crinkle Cookie, previously known as Espresso Velvet Cookie, is the Heratic of Ascendancy. He is unknown of origin and is rumoured to have willingly sought out to become a Heratic. He currently resides in the Cirque de Twilight, where he is the ringmaster and rule over his "performers" who sold their souls to him in exchange for something dear to them.

Askew Berry Cookie - Askew Berry Cookie, previously known as Merry Berry Cookie, is the Heratic of Indulgence. They are of unknown origin, but they are rumoured to be the real identity of Game Maker Cookie, a cookie famous for creating games across Decadenta. They currently reside in the Rotting Dungeon, where they pose puzzles and deathly challenges to adventuring cookies eager to clear their dungeon. They rule over the other bosses in the dungeon.

Warped Blossom Cookie - Warped Blossom Cookie, previously known as Plum Blossom Cookie, is the Heratic of Vainglory. She is known to be from Crustcliff, where she was exiled from with her two sisters after they attempted to infect the population with a disease that turns susceptible cookies into mindless monsters. She currently resides in Lotus Island with her sisters and her many disciples who didn't fully succumb to the disease.

Catfish Sashimi Cookie - Catfish Sashimi Cookie, previously known as Catfish Cookie, is the Heratic of Vengeance. He is known to be from the Torta Kingdom, where he was exiled for unknown reasons before becoming a Heratic. He currently resides in the Fisher Bastion in the middle of the sea with his daughter, Baroque Pearl Cookie, and a few of his loyal servants.

Jewel Box Cookie - Jewel Box Cookie, previously known as Treasure Chest Cookie, is the Heratic of Avarice. She is known to be from the Syrup Isles, where she was banished for releasing countless beasts and monsters on the lands. She currently resides in Darling Cove, where she runs a restaurant called Sweet Fortune. She charms cookies with the sirenic songs she performs with her angelic voice and condemns them to an eternal servitude in her domain.

Golden Ramen Cookie - Golden Ramen Cookie, previously known as Honey Ramen Cookie, is the Heratic of Perpetuity. He is known to be from Caramelden where he was chased away after he was corrupted by a fellow Heratic, who opened his eyes to what it means to grow up, which he violently rejected as his future. He now resides on a small island in the middle of the Never Lake that he likes to call "Golden Ramen Cookie's Super Special Mega Awesome Playtastical Savoury Island". He resides there with many child cookies who also reject the idea of adulthood.

Creeping Pineberry Cookie - Creeping Pineberry Cookie, previously known as Tart Pineberry Cookie, is the Heratic of Voracity. They are known to be from the Torta Kingdom, where they were promptly exiled upon corruption, though their vampire clan is still in close contact with them and often use her strength for their own benefits. They currently reside in the Junebearer Forest, where they trap unassuming cookies to feast on their jam. They have a small off branch of their old clan under their care who are all thralls they have turned over the years.

TBA+

[itsbenedict]

From the beginning | Previously | Coin standings | 60/70 | 36/36

Walter wants to go check out what was happening down in that sunken temple, but Adea doesn't want to just leave all this dirt sitting here- and she's just plugged in that coin miner thingy, so they'll need to sit around for a bit to see if it works anyway.

IT PREVENTED ROOK POWER EXTRUSION is OVIOS NETWORK EXPENDITURE REPORT. Apparently, about 14 years ago, the municipal government started deploying some project called the OpenVista I/O Station network. OPENVISTA is, on paper, an independent startup, but apparently it's a shell corporation established so Thinrar could dodge some of his own restrictions on public works. The report details the budget that went into constructing and deploying these things- though it's not clear from the report exactly what they do.

Apparently a construction company called WIREFRAME MOCKUP was hired to simultaneously build a mall named TARGETED ADVERTISING... and force an underground funeral home type facility run by SLEEP MODE to surrender something called the LOTUS VEXOR, in exchange for letting them keep the rights to their land (which they'd been retroactively granted thanks to a surveying loophole). The project took years and went way over budget, despite someone named DEADLOCK DETECTION being sent from Thinrar's office to oversee it personally. But 14 years ago, she apparently managed to get her hands on it- a key component of the OVIOS network, somehow. The cover op, the mall construction, is set to open in a few days.

TIN RUNT CONCOCTS A QUART O' CACTI concerns an AQUATIC CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT, offered by COLLUSION to a well-regarded specialist contractor named REGRESSION TEST. It's mostly an email chain with said contractor, who had a thousand questions about the nature of the work and the equipment she was being paid to install. The emails- sent to her by someone named JUST-IN-TIME COMPILER- are evasive and noncommittal, and seem primarily concerned with getting her to agree to various nondisclosure agreements and security measures.

REGRESSION TEST's job, apparently, is just to demolish the wreckage at the build site, create some waterproof housing with enough space for maintenance staff, and install the provided equipment. That's all she's allowed to know about the HILARITY! BE A FILIAL E-CYGNET.

SPRITZ? REPENT, WRY ED COOLHAXX! is a strange set of files called PROXY WIZARD CONTEXT HELPERS. It's a dossier on... various random people in town. A university researcher with no friends, a family of small-time crooks down by the docks, various guards at this very tower, and a handful of other random citizens with no clear connecting factors. The files describe the details of their lives over a disconcertingly long period of observation, and note things that are missing from those lives. Family members they don't have, friends they've lost contact with, coworkers who quit recently. There's transcripts of interviews with some of these people, but nothing stands out as particularly odd.

There's also profiles on various properties for rent, and some odd shorthand notes that appear to describe how long they've spent vacant and what's wrong with them. And... a bunch of copies of old missing persons cases, with all the names blacked out. And statements from investigations of incidents where... disasters were averted for reasons no one understood, like an out-of-control trolley being diverted onto a track by some good samaritan who never identified themselves.

[ed: Yeah, chew on that one, FF. You'll find out what I'm on about eventually.]

This is all weird, and rings a few bells, but you're not sure what to make of it just yet. In the meantime, Adea collects 10 Coin from the minter- which seems to have really raised the ambient temperature in the room. It's probably fine, though, right? The heat's dissipating into the stone, for the most part.

Adea consults with Walter and formulates a guess. He'd been drawn underground by some mysterious force when he woke up, right? If your daughter ended up here too- and it stands to reason, because you were all right there in the same place when the blast(?) went off- maybe she was pulled down there by the same force! It's possible he just missed her- she could've gotten lost in those underground tunnels somewhere. Best to give it another once-over with an extra pair of eyes.

You head through the ancient pyramid, which... seems to be more extensive, and in better repair than it used to be. When did all this construction happen? Finding a crack in the floor leading down is more difficult than before. Earlier, it hadn't been difficult at all- Walter says some part of him knew which way to go. Did something change?

Neither of you are feeling any supernatural pull downwards anymore. The area below- save for some additional pyramid construction- is almost entirely unchanged. Which... does mean that there is a GIANT SKELETON, still. Several of them. You find a reasonably well-hidden spot to lurk and install the WIFI ACCESS POINT in the REVERT A BANDANA SURGERY SUBTERRANEAN GRAVEYARD. Files include:

Someone took issue with the performance assessment of a robot horse, around, like... thirty years ago? The email is RE: PONY SERVITOR 2076 SCORECARD, and they're not happy.

You've heard of saltwater taffy, but mousewater taffy is considerably harder to manage. Someone's done it, though: ENCODED::: WRANGLED MOUSEWATER TAFFY.

According to the LANCE GLANCE RECRUITER: PI ROTATION IS OUT. He's in charge of recruiting people who've had a close shave with spears, and he prefers to measure lance angles with tau.

An island nation called Haiti, which you've never heard of, is really mad about something- but they don't seem to want to be mad. IRATE HAITI WISHES MELLOW??? Really?

There'd been a lot of development on a faster-than-light utensil, but the product has been getting worse over time. See, a TORTOISE PROVED WARP FORK REGRESSED in this paper.

There's an invitation to the LETTERED CORRECTNESS FOUNDATION, an organization devoted to putting letters in the correct order. Sure would help if these guys weren't hallucinatory!

Continued | 60/70 | 32/32