#Familiar and fantastical landscapes

[blueheartbookclub]

"The Spirit Land: S. B. Emmons Unveils a Mesmerizing Journey into the Ethereal Unknown"

In "The Spirit Land," S. B. Emmons orchestrates an enchanting symphony of mysticism, folklore, and spiritual exploration. Published with an air of secrecy and allure, the novel takes readers on a spellbinding journey into the uncharted realms of the ethereal. From the very first page, Emmons weaves a narrative tapestry that blurs the lines between reality and the supernatural, beckoning readers into a world where the unseen forces of the spirit land hold sway.

The story follows a diverse cast of characters, each intricately connected by their encounters with the mystical. As the plot unfolds, Emmons skillfully navigates through ancient legends, forgotten folklore, and the threads of fate that bind the living to the spectral. The prose, rich in vivid descriptions and poetic imagery, transports readers to landscapes both familiar and fantastical, as the characters traverse the spirit land in pursuit of understanding, redemption, and connection.

Emmons' narrative prowess lies in the delicate balance between suspense and revelation. Each chapter unfolds like an unwritten spell, drawing readers deeper into the enigmatic allure of the spirit land. The novel grapples with themes of identity, destiny, and the inexorable ties that bind the living and the departed. The characters, whether mortal or ethereal, are painted with a depth that invites empathy and resonates with the universal human quest for meaning.

At its core, "The Spirit Land" is a captivating exploration of the unknown, an ode to the mysteries that lie beyond the veil of the tangible. Emmons masterfully blends elements of fantasy and spirituality, creating a narrative that transcends genre boundaries. The novel's intrigue is heightened by its ability to provoke contemplation on the nature of existence, the afterlife, and the profound connections that endure beyond the boundaries of time.

In conclusion, "The Spirit Land" stands as a testament to S. B. Emmons' literary prowess and ability to captivate readers with an evocative blend of the supernatural and the profound. This novel is not merely a story; it is an invitation to embark on an extraordinary journey, where the ethereal mysteries of the spirit land become a captivating backdrop to the universal human experience. Emmons' work is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling to transport us into realms where the ordinary dissolves, and the extraordinary comes to life.

"The Spirit Land," by S. B. Emmons is available in Amazon in paperback 16.99$ and hardcover 24.99$ editions.

Number of pages: 424

Language: English

Rating: 8/10                                           

Link of the book!

Review By: King's Cat

[blueheartbooks]

"The Spirit Land: S. B. Emmons Unveils a Mesmerizing Journey into the Ethereal Unknown"

In "The Spirit Land," S. B. Emmons orchestrates an enchanting symphony of mysticism, folklore, and spiritual exploration. Published with an air of secrecy and allure, the novel takes readers on a spellbinding journey into the uncharted realms of the ethereal. From the very first page, Emmons weaves a narrative tapestry that blurs the lines between reality and the supernatural, beckoning readers into a world where the unseen forces of the spirit land hold sway.

The story follows a diverse cast of characters, each intricately connected by their encounters with the mystical. As the plot unfolds, Emmons skillfully navigates through ancient legends, forgotten folklore, and the threads of fate that bind the living to the spectral. The prose, rich in vivid descriptions and poetic imagery, transports readers to landscapes both familiar and fantastical, as the characters traverse the spirit land in pursuit of understanding, redemption, and connection.

Emmons' narrative prowess lies in the delicate balance between suspense and revelation. Each chapter unfolds like an unwritten spell, drawing readers deeper into the enigmatic allure of the spirit land. The novel grapples with themes of identity, destiny, and the inexorable ties that bind the living and the departed. The characters, whether mortal or ethereal, are painted with a depth that invites empathy and resonates with the universal human quest for meaning.

At its core, "The Spirit Land" is a captivating exploration of the unknown, an ode to the mysteries that lie beyond the veil of the tangible. Emmons masterfully blends elements of fantasy and spirituality, creating a narrative that transcends genre boundaries. The novel's intrigue is heightened by its ability to provoke contemplation on the nature of existence, the afterlife, and the profound connections that endure beyond the boundaries of time.

In conclusion, "The Spirit Land" stands as a testament to S. B. Emmons' literary prowess and ability to captivate readers with an evocative blend of the supernatural and the profound. This novel is not merely a story; it is an invitation to embark on an extraordinary journey, where the ethereal mysteries of the spirit land become a captivating backdrop to the universal human experience. Emmons' work is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling to transport us into realms where the ordinary dissolves, and the extraordinary comes to life.

"The Spirit Land," by S. B. Emmons is available in Amazon in paperback 16.99$ and hardcover 24.99$ editions.

Number of pages: 424

Language: English

Rating: 8/10                                           

Link of the book!

Review By: King's Cat

[windvexer]

the Chicken furthermore tries to convince you to practice sorcery in a fun and fulfilling way

There is a difference between practicing goal-oriented practical sorcery, and placing the entire value of your sorcery on whether or not you achieved the goal. One of these things is soul-crushing.

Practicing sorcery should be it's own reward. The actual steps you are performing should be stuff that you like, or thrills you, or captures your fascination. As an activity, practicing sorcery should be satisfying regardless of whether or not the spellwork manifests properly.

If the sorcery on your plate is not satisfying, compost it and return to the endless buffet and try a different type of sorcery.

If you do not have the things you need, your first step to a spell becomes innovation. What is the purpose of the thing in the spell, and how can it be replaced?

A spell can be cast with a length of string, or a paper and pen. Or with a bit of crayon. Or a dead fly. Or with just you.

Sorcerous knowledge tends to reveal itself when the clutter of correspondences is placed aside, so having few things to practice with is not a curse.

You do not need an interpersonal spiritual friendship with every single spirit you want to work with in magic. YOU DO NOT.

Interpersonal friend relationships with spirits should probably be reserved for very special spirits in your "inner court," the beings with which you choose to share your life and that you honor as teachers and guides.

Many spirits are pleased to assist with magic, but have no interest in getting to know us personally.

Imagine if everyone in your askbox wanted to ask you for help on something you're knowledgeable about, but instead of just asking for help, they first wanted to DM you for a few weeks to make sure you're comfortable with being asked for help, meanwhile on your correspondence chart pinned post it says "I can help with [topic]! Just ask!"

Asking spirits for help in magic is a good, valid way to start building a relationship with them.

Repeatedly calling on the same spirit or type of spirit over and over in spellwork is a fantastic way to deepen your relationship with them.

Working with a spirit in magic does not mean you are obligated to build a shrine to it, venerate it, talk to it outside of spellwork, or any of that.

Practicing sorcery is not the same thing as casting a spell. Practicing sorcery also means practicing the composite skills which come together to make a spell.

A spell is like a completed painting. But to make that painting, the artist needed several skills: the ability to sketch the scene, knowledge of how to apply and work with their paint, color theory, an understanding of how to render landscapes, and so forth. As a sorcerer, your skillset might be imbuing intent, raising energy, centering and grounding, practicing trance, practicing psychism or divination, etc. As you gain familiarity with these things, spells become less like an imposing stranger, and more like someone you're sure you've met before.

Practice can be it's own reward, but discipline is often required for progress.

Raising energy once a day, forever? I think not.

Raising energy once a day for seven days? Or, dedicating to doing it a total of ten times this month? Perhaps so.

An artist may not be in love with every single step of the process, and sometimes a sorcerer may have to get good at a skill that's not their favorite. But if no part of the process sparks joy, then something is wrong.

Sucking at something is the first step to being kind of good at something. Be reasonable with yourself: does the beginner artist doodle a landscape, then look at their work and declare that their art "doesn't work"?

Not every witch is talented at every sort of sorcery. Not creating a potent prosperity spell after five tries doesn't mean you're bad at magic. It might mean that your current understanding of prosperity magic precludes good results, or that you are casting on one very intransigent situation, or that your true talents lie in destruction and chaos instead of peaceful growth.

Set practice goals, give it an honest go, and move on when the time is right: "I am going to practice raising Fire energy and putting it into this stone using the Pore Breathing method. I'm going to do it fifteen times." (3 months later): "That sucked and it never worked, but I did it all fifteen times. Next I'm going to do a grounded roots visualization and use it to channel water energy to cleanse my room." (10 days later): "That was awesome, I want to do it more than 15 times."

Play around and be silly with it. Taking your path seriously is not the same thing as taking your path somberly.

Sports teams practice drills to be ready for game day. Sorcerers are wise to take a page from their book, because when real-life game day arrives, it feels much better to deal with it when you know you've been having pretty good success with channeling water energies, so maybe it's best to do something with that, because you can't move fire for dick.

[arc-misadventures]

There’s Something On Your Face

Another day, another dollar, another poorly written news story.

Jaune Arc may have finally landed his dream job at the, Daily Planet. Being able to tell, and explore various stories that help inform people throughout the world. Being able to see, and hear all sort of things. And, being around some of the most talented reporters in the world. It was his dream come true!

But, good gods the people here were illiterate.

Jaune: Haaa… Good lord…

Nora: What’s wrong, Jaune?

Jaune: This place is filled with some of the most talented news reporters in the country, but they all seemingly pose the writing capabilities of an eight grader! Which isn’t all the surprising considering the country’s falling education system…

Nora: Why, what did they spell wrong?

Jaune: Ruby, was writing a report about the ecological damage, Lex Corp has committed in that gas leak we had the other week. And, she wrote: ‘The effects of the ass leak will have unseen effects…’ Ass leak… Good lord…

Nora: Well… it’s where gas leaks emanate from.

Jaune: …

Jaune: You’ve been hanging around, Yang too much. That… that was just horrible.

Nora: She makes worse puns than that, and you know it.

Jaune: True. Speaking of bad puns, where is, Yang?

Nora: I don’t know, maybe she got an exclusive scoop, and had to go report on it again.

Jaune: Yeah, another exclusive scoop…

Jaune turned to look outside, his mind gazing over the familiar high rise landscape before him as a question that had been plaguing him ran amok. That stopped when he saw a green blur fly past followed by a white figure chasing after it.

Jaune: Oh, looks like, Superwoman’s got a dancing partner. Though I don’t think it’s a good dancing partner.

Nora: Wait, what?!

He said this as nonchalantly, and generally uncaring as possible as he saw his coworkers rush to the window to see what was a abuzz.

Jaune had been at the, Daily Planet well before, Superwoman had arrived. He had reported on her first exploits as a hero saving, Metropolis. Had conducted several personal one on one interviews with her. Hell, he had even been saved by her a few times. So seeing her go about doing superhero things like saving the city from an alien invasion, some villain with a massive ego boner, or simply saving some kids kitten stuck in a tree, he had seen it, and written about dozens of times before. It was time that the new blood reported on such stories. Besides, he would know about it all in the end anyway, when he checked up on their atrocious grammar mistakes anyway.

But, as, Jaune looked through the window to see, Superwoman’s white cape billowing in the wind. Her dazzling smile radiating the sky as he blond locks of hair shined seemingly created a halo of light around her. Making her appear like an angel in the sky. He couldn’t help but ask himself the same question he often found himself ask all the time as of later:

Who was it that wore the mask of, Superwoman?

~~~

: Hey, Jaune!

Jaune’s musing from grading more spelling mistakes, and poor grammar was broken when a warm voice freed him from his stupor. He looked up to see violet eyes hidden behind thick black rimmed glasses with a warm welcoming smile he knew all too well.

Jaune: Oh, hello, Yang. Where have you been?

Yang Xiao Long had been working at the, Daily Planet for a few years now, she was a highly skilled reporter with an uncanny ability to always snag the hottest scoop from under your very nose. She also had this odd habit of suddenly disappearing, and reappearing at will. She could have been fired for this if she didn’t keep on bringing such fantastic news stories though.

But, as he looked upon her, her dorky little smile, and her hair tied in its usual ponytail. He could help but wonder how she would look like if she removed those ugly frames of hers, and wore contacts, it was such a shame to hide such a beautiful dace after all.

Yang: Oh catching this juicy story by the docks!

Jaune: The docks? What were you doing around there?

Yang: Oh… I was… I was just out for a jog. That’s all~!

He could help, but quirk an eyebrow at her rather odd remark. They lived in the same building, the docks were on the other side of town from where they lived. And, she found this supposed juicy story on a jog? That didn’t add up.

Jaune: And, the story?

Yang: How, Lex Corp recently bought it, and how a lot of strange items have been coming through. And, an odd amount of stuff like fruit, and vegetables.

Jaune accepted the paper containing, Yang’s story, and put if with pile of stories he need to review. Her brief synopsis sounded ridiculous, but, Lex Corp was a shady place. He was once been given a bag of peanuts by them, and he would swear on his life that whatever he ate that day wasn’t a real peanut.

Jaune: Okay, I’ll give it a look see when I come to it. Need anything else?

Yang: Nope, that’s all.

Jaune: Okay, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to pondering how our education system if failing to teach proper english to people.

Yang: Okay! I’ll be here if you need me.

Jaune watched her, the country girl in the big city seemingly skip her way to her desk to work on what ever new story she had concocted.

She was a nice girl, but she was a little odd. Everyone was a little odd so that wasn’t a huge problem, but their was something especially odd about, Yang. He had several feelings about the girl, he understood, and rationalized them as best he could.

And, yet there was just something he couldn’t pin down about the girl.

~~~

Jaune looked to the clock on the corner of his computer screen, and saw that it had ticked past six o’clock. He looked around the office, and saw that it was only him, and one person left in the office.

He rubbed his eyes as he stood up. He grabbed some paper, and walked over to the last person in the office.

Jaune: Congratulations. You the only person who didn’t piss me off today.

Yang: What?

Yang looked at him confused as he handed her back her news story. She looked at the paper, and the only mark she saw was the stamp that read: ‘Print it.’

Yang: I’m confused.

Jaune: I’ve been reviewing, and fixing everyone’s stories all day, and yours is the only one I didn’t have to fix. To which I thank you.

Yang: Oh, no problem, Jaune! Were there any bad spelling errors you need to fix?

Jaune: Lets see, first off there was, Ruby’s mistake of writing, ‘Ass leak,’ instead of, ‘gas leak.’ Nora got lost on a tangent of talking about pancakes in her story, again. Neptune’s story was supposed to be about the new swimming pool that was built, but he spent most of his time failing to flirt with girls according to, Sun. And, the cherry on top was, Blake’s report on the faunas rights rally. Instead of writing, ‘feline’ she for some reason wrote the worss, ‘peal lime.’

Yang: Pfft-hahahaha!

Yang’s warm laughter was infectious, and brought a smile to his face as he watched her happy smile play across her face.

Jaune: Considering the fact she is a cat faunas she should know what the hell she’s talking about, but nope. Apparently she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

Yang: ‘Peal lime.’ Ha! That’s a good one.

Jaune: Yeah. So thanks for not giving me more work to do for a change.

Yang: Just doing my job, Jaune. Think nothing of it.

Jaune: It’s always nice to have something to relax to. So let me have this one. Okaaaaaaay…?

Jaune’s words began to slur as his head tipped inquisitively to the side as he looked at, Yang’s face. The action made, Yang nervously fidget as he appeared to be looking for something.

Yang: I-Is there something wrong, Jaune?

Jaune: There’s something on your face. Hold still, I’ll get it.

Yang’s face started to become flushed red as, Jaune leaned down, and moved closer to her face. She started stuttering as his hands came closer to closer, and then the unthinkable happened.

Jaune had pulled off her glasses.

Jaune: Ah ha! I got it, there was a disguise on your face, Yang. Or perhaps I should say… Superwoman~!

And, had swiftly, and effortless unmasked her super hero persona.

Yang: H-How… How did you find out…?

Jaune smiled softly at her as he took a seat in the chair across from her. He handed back her glasses to which she rapidly put back on to hide herself so to speak.

Jaune: I thought you’d put up more of a fight, and deny you were, Superwoman. But, to answer your question, I’ve had several reasons to suspect it was you. The fact that when one of you is present, the other has seemingly disappeared. That you seeming always have the scoop, then Superwoman deals with it before the authorities could possibly deal with it. Before we even have the oppression to publish the story. You seemingly have insane reflexes that no normal human with years of experience could develop. And, i know you have super hearing; how else could you have heard where, Mrs. Schnee’s wedding ring fell. You had her back to her, and it fell upon a carpet, I couldn’t hear that, and yet you did. These are all speculative reasonings though, easily can be construed as drawing conclusions. But, do you really want to know how I knew you were, Superwoman?

Yang: H-How…?

Yang was sacred, for the first time since she had dawned on the cape, she was genuinely scared. She knew, Jaune could be highly analytically minded when he wanted to, and that he had this terrifying habit on picking up on the smallest of details. And, if he seduced her secretly identity just by noticing the small details others would pass over, what else had he discovered about her?

Jaune: Your eyes.

Yang: What…?!

Jaune: Your eyes… People may share the same shade of blue, brown, yellow, what ever colour there is. But, they don’t look that same. I remember staring into those violet eyes for the first time, and being mesmerized by how soft of a warm violet they were. Then, I remember when, Superwoman saved me from that weird, Toy Master fellow, I couldn’t help, but notice how beautiful her eyes were. But, I knew this was the first time I saw them, I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that I’ve seen them before. And, I finally answered that lingering question that plagued the back of my mind. So, does that answer your question, Superwoman?

Yang: …

Yang: I-I’m not in my costume… Y-Yang’s just fine… And, yeah… that answers my question… Well at least some of them, but yeah…

Yang looked away nervously before starting, Jaune down with a worried expression etched across her face.

Yang: So you know my secret identity… N-Now what…? Are you going to tell the world that, Yang Xiao Long is, Superwoman?

Jaune: No, no I won’t tell anyone.

Yang breathed a sigh of relief that washed away all the fear she had been building up.

Jaune: However, you have to do one thing for me.

And, suddenly all that fear, and dread came rushing back like a tidal wave.

Yang: A-Are you blackmailing me?!

Jaune: Mmm… Kinda, yeah.

Yang was shocked, she saw, Jaune as such a sweet, and caring person, was he really going to blackmail her?!

And, what would he make her do? Steal a vault, break a bridge, kill someone?! What could he possibly…

Jaune: Perchino’s, tomorrow, say five o’clock?

Yang: Eh…?

Yang looked towards this goofballs smiling face as she was utter lost in thought at what he just said. So lost that she honestly took a minute to go from her fear to being blackmailed to realizing what he had just said.

Yang: P-Perchino’s… a-at five…?

Jaune: Does six work better?

Yang: Waitwaitwait! Are you asking me out on a date?!

Jaune: Surprised?

Yang: Honestly, yes. Yes I am… I thought you would tell me to rob a bank for you, or something like that. Not ask me out… o-on a date…

Jaune: Well, if it makes you feel better I’m asking you because I’ve been meaning to for a while now.

Yang: Y-You have?

Jaune: Yeah, it’s just every time I try you’re suddenly gone. But, now I know why. So, since I have you here; Does five, or six o’clock work for you?

Yang: …

Yang: F-Five o’clock…

Jaune: Awesome! Well, it’s late, and I need to get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow, Yang. Don’t stay up too late saving the city! Bye.

And, with that, Jaune was gone, leaving a bewildered, Yang behind.

In the space of five minutes, Jaune Arc had turned her world upside down. He unmasked her effortlessly, twice. He had her quaking her her boots when he said he was going to blackmail her into committing a crime. And, he had asked her out on a date instead.

He had asked her out on a date.

Yang was asked out on a date.

Yang: I have a date tomorrow…

Yang: …

Yang: I have a date tomorrow…?

Yang: …

Yang: I have a date tomorrow!~!

Yang squealed in glee as she realized that her crush had asked her out on a date. This was unbelievable, unforgettable, highly unpredictable, highly…

(Shatter!)

Yang’s exuberance was cut short as she saw that several of the offices windows had been shattered from the high pitch her joyous squeal had made. She looked about the office, before looking back at the window in shock.

Yang: …

Yang: Oh shit…

///

I had a thought the other day: It’s called the Kryptonian AU, who says, Jaune has to be the Kryptonian.

[kaiser-author-san-iii]

Star Light, Star Bright | Fatui Harbingers x (Fem) Creator!Reader

A/N: okay okay. I'm very sorry for this overdue chapter. I've been busy farming for primogems and playing Stardew Valley. I have joined many other fandoms, especially with the release of the Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse movie, and have been collecting the comics. Sue me /j. I have a lot of stories that need updating haha. But anyway, thank you so much for the support you guys have given me. It's fantastic! I'll be sure to continue with the updates whenever possible! Any questions, please DM. Any suggestions, DM me!

Summary: Caring for children is hard, but it's especially harder when around the Fatui. Getting isekaied was the last thing on your mind after landing in the icy tundra of Snezhnaya all while your nephew is with you. What will happen when you encounter not only the Fatui Skirmishers but the Fatui Harbingers?

Tags/Warnings: female reader, Creator!reader, Cult Au, contains spoilers of the Archon Quests and World Quests (read at your own risk)

Not edited or beta read, we die like Signora

Chapter 3 | To Be Aware and Be Prepared

<<<First <<<Last Next>>>

MASTERLIST

OPERA EPICLESE, FONTAINE

It had started as a normal day. As normal as it could possibly get with the centrism of Lady Furina and the citizens of Fontaine. There was a pause before it then burst. At first, it was seemingly unnoticeable, but then the forests and the landscape became livelier. It seemed brighter and adventurers saw a decrease in Hilichurls, and slimes, and even the Abyss Order stopped whatever they were doing to... dance? It was certainly a strange sight, but at least there was less activity where civilians were being harmed. In fact, this was being seen all around Teyvat thanks to the Adventure's Guild insight and informing each nation's current ruling governments and Archons.

The archons themselves felt a different presence. A presence they have felt once upon a time ago. The same could be said with a certain Court Judge of Fontaine, a certain fellow dressed in blue, his long platinum blond hair and stoic expressions, he definitely felt a power he thought wouldn't be seen again in all of Fontaine.

A being almost as old as Teyvat themselves, but nowhere as powerful as the one that gave them life.

Before he could even make a decision as tremendous as the one all nations must follow, he needed more information.

He needed to send out anyone to locate their Beloved Creator.

Neuvilette felt to go himself and search for Them, but he had his duties. He simply couldn't abandon them. He is a powerful figure in Fontaine and everyone would be suspicious of his actions if he were to leave his office. They would be asking questions.

No.

This needed to be done in an orderly fashion.

If they were indeed in Teyvat, they would appreciate a calm and happy welcome instead of chaotic and frantic for their faithful followers.

Himself included as he needed to prove he, and Fontaine, would welcome Them with open hearts.

The Divine Creator... has finally descended onto Teyvat once again.

---

LIYUE HARBOR, LIYUE

The trembling of the mountains. The color in front of him wherever he faced. The weather the past few days was beautiful and the people, especially merchants who traveled through treacherous waters to make it to Liyue were grateful for calm waters.

But he knew of the reason why everything seemed so... calm, so perfect as if Teyvat themselves was behaving its absolute best. Especially with word from other nations that the monsters and even the Abyss Order had ceased their attacks on villages and cities. They had seen these beings celebrate nonstop and were quite stumped about what was happening. But the former Geo Archon knew all too well...

Zhongli, better known as Morax or Rex Lapis, had felt it within the very rocks around him. As a devout believer and follower of the Divine Creator, he was quite familiar with the power and aura They possessed.

It's said that the Sovereign Dragons were the very first to proclaim their loyalty to the Divine Creator and when their time of rule ended, the Archons and Gods followed in their footsteps. As an Adepti in the form of a great Dragon, or Exuvia, he would be loyal to his beloved Creator, a form he greatly prided in thanks to the words of the Divine Creator many centuries ago.

But now they were here.

They have descended at long last like they promised.

His many years of patience and loyalty were finally being rewarded with the very presence of They themselves.

Zhongli, the devout follower he is, must find them. Were they alright? Yes, they were an all-powerful being, but recalling correctly, even the mighty have weaknesses and with the importance of the Divine Creator, there's always a danger no matter how beloved you are. He had to go himself to find him.

No.

He could ask the other Adepti to relentlessly search through all of Liyue, to leave no rock unturned and locate where their Grace may be.

---

ZAPOLYARNY PALACE, SNEZHNAYA

The days have gotten warmer and brighter in Snezhnaya.

What with the presence of the Divine Creator that is. It was all that the Fatui and even the citizens of Snezhnaya were talking about. There was nonstop activity in the palace as everyone scrambled to perfect it all for the Divine Creator.

You.

Though it wasn't as overwhelming since your nephew was right beside you, who happily took everything with stride and awe.

He even became attached to the very people that he spoke with on the first day here. And there was no way to separate them or to even have the heart to tell him not to speak with them since he took after his parents and family. Stubborn little nugget.

He especially favored Childe and Scaramouche. He was quite heartbroken when he left and never came back. But, he has been receiving gifts 'anonymously' once in a while.

Meanwhile, you spoke more with the rest to know more about this world. They all unanimously agreed that the mortal body you and your nephew both have currently is due to the fact of the long absence from Teyvat you had. Since your nephew hasn't set foot in Teyvat until now, it might take him longer to adjust to his birthright powers and titles. But he was nonetheless Heir of Teyvat.

The Little Prince.

"They're working really hard, aren't they?" His voice echoed in the halls as you and him were on their way to play outside yet again. He was still a child and with no video games around, it was good for him to be active. Childe once made comment about how strong he was and what a potential warrior your nephew could be with proper training. However, you had the last say and it was not yet time to think about that.

Snezhnaya is still a cold nation so even with Teyvat making it slightly less cold, you and your nephew had to bundle up. This is where Pantalone's gifts came in handy. While you were still bedridden due to your injuries, he called in all the tailors of Teyvat to create a wardrobe fit for you and your nephew: The Divine Creator and the Heir of Teyvat.

It was a sight to behold all the boxes and bags that arrived at the palace - clothing made from rare beasts and cloth. All for you and your nephew.

"If there's one thing you don't question about other people, Nugget. It's their beliefs. It has a certain power that a lot of people have yet to understand." You commented, stopping to adjust his personal Harbinger Coat. It was one of the few items Pantalone commissioned - with the Heir of Teyvat present, might as well commission a child-sized Harbinger Coat.

"I think Mister Pierro and Mister Pulcinella said something about that. I don't know... it's not our birthdays though. We're just people, aren't we?"

"I'm not certain either. We're a long way from home and it might be a while before we can go back. But don't worry, we're together and that's all that matters. All we have to do is-"

"Go with the flow?"

"Ah. I taught you so well." You laughed, quickly moving to playfully pinch his cheeks before resuming your brief walk outside. Everyone else had their duties and you didn't want to disturb them. They all seemed to be important in the political and military worlds.

That was something that kinda threw you off. Something like this world seemed like in the past. Like maybe 1800's innovative past since there were snipers and even giant mechanical machines that can move on their own or by being piloted. It was definitely fantasy - like a dream.

But even in a fantasy world, with aspects aimed at child entertainment, there is danger. Arlecchino and Columbina were telling you all about it with a brief history lesson and a bit of current information about Teyvat today. It was definitely something to think about if you plan to travel Teyvat with or without the Harbingers, especially with your nephew.

"Your Grace. What a pleasant surprise." The voice was ahead and looking up, you could see the masked man, the Doctor. Dottore was the one who ended up healing you from your injuries from the accident. They never did find the person responsible for your accident. Though they never will.

The healing process went smoothly and tended to you alongside your nephew.

"My nephew wanted to play outside again. He saw everyone was occupied and didn't wish to intrude so we thought we could walk for a bit."

"The Heir has no worries. If he or your Grace has a request, we're bound to stop and fulfill your wishes."

Your nephew didn't need to be told twice and quickly marched his way over to the blue-haired man, took his hand, and started walking to the exit to face another cold day.

"Doctor, please play with Auntie and I."

Dottore was quite the character. The others filled you in on what they have done and their opinions of each other. Dottore was the one with the most negative background but no one could deny the intelligence or genius in his mind. But to think this wasn't even his true form. The man was quite the genius that he made a number of clones of himself of each stage of his life. As a scientist, as a pursuer of knowledge, even the kind that's better left alone, he thirsted for it.

"Of course, Your Highness. Your Grace, would it be troubling to accompany you two?"

He also performed...some experiments that in this world were unethical, from what you heard. But...they weren't the worst. No, there was definitely worse. You weren't justifying what he had done, you weren't one to stand on a higher moral ground than anyone else, you at least attempted to understand why. That is exactly what you concluded when you decided to speak and interact with Dottore.

"Not at all. My nephew has grown attached to you and the others."

The walk outside didn't take long. It was short and slow to appreciate the snowfall and the area around. Various Cryo Crystalflies quickly flew their way to your nephew and he gave chase all while a variety of animals appeared and decided to play with the Heir. Teyvat knew the little Prince's love for animals. You made sure he didn't stray too far, your eyes never leaving his form while Dottore kept the same pace as you, taking a few glimpses at you every now and then. There was a small silence - but it was comfortable.

"Why?" You broke the silence and Dottore turned his head, his mask hiding any expression he could have made.

"Pardon?"

"The Fatui. Why was it formed? I want the truth." Your eyes still focused on your nephew who danced along with the Crystalflies, laughing and happily throwing snow in the air before then falling and making snow angels.

Your reason for asking is with who you two have been identified as, and with a seemingly unknown way of going back home, you two will probably be dragged into this world's politics. Before you get involved, you have to see what it is all about. Would it be worth it? Are you currently with evil people? Misunderstood people? What is their goal?

Would it be dangerous to involve your nephew?

"There is quite a lot that a mere moment is not enough to disclose the Tsaristas and our organization's goal."

"Then I shall listen. I hear talk and before I pass 'judgment', I want to understand. I hear talk of other gods, but the mere mention of them besides the Tsarista, it's with contempt."

Dottore, like many of his colleagues and subordinates, has heard the stories, the creation of Teyvat that was retold by the very dragons they created and had them oversee Teyvat. And then Celestia arrived. They had become power-hungry, drunk from the love and attention the Divine Creator gave to them before. When the creator left, Celestia took over and everything changed. Teyvat became different, peace wasn't an option.

Wars started, innocents perished...

Nations demolished.

"The Tsarista fell in love with the idea of how Teyvat was before you left. A Teyvat where all lived in peace. Then Celestia came. Thousands of years ago, they proclaimed that seven gods would be chosen to rule over one of the seven nations. From the thousands of Gods that fought, along with mortals who fought to survive another day, Seven were indeed chosen to represent their following element. But even for Celestia that was not enough. Your Grace was fond of a nation, Khan'ri'ah. Khan'ri'ah was a nation that ruled without the intervention of a God, an Archon. So.. one day, Celestia proclaimed Khan'ri'ah to be sinners, a nation that went against the Divine Creator and was thus destroyed. The Tsarista understood, her eyes opened to what was being done, and isolated herself, to find people who shared her opinions on Celestia and the Divine besides you, Your Grace."

That was just a brief summary that you recreated after your talk with Dottore. He was quite honest and with a few words, you were able to piece together everything. And to think he was kicked out of the Akademiya because of his practices and the murder of a fellow scholar.

This was clearly a case of the black-white-gray morality.

Things aren't always what they seem.

"Several weeks ago, I thought I was human. A mortal who lived a mundane life who loves her nephew like her own. I'm here and I'm told I'm the God that created your world, but I somehow have no recollection of it."

The walk continued as your nephew seemed to head further away from you and Dottore. Dottore was listening. He knew you weren't done talking and he couldn't wait to hear. Would he hear criticism of the divine from the very being who created it in the first place? What kind of wisdom would she bestow that may rival the God of Wisdom herself.

"Pierro and the Tsarista mentioned that my memories of such events and my divinity would come back to me slowly. Especially for my nephew. He's still young, curious but young."

"Your Grace, you need not fear. The Fatui, us, the Harbingers, will be by your side for we and The Tsarista are loyal to no other than you and the Heir."

"But what if I am not who you think I am?" You asked, looking down at your arms, remembering the injuries and the blood that oozed. You remembered the color and thought it wasn't proof enough, but the gold blood was there. You even requested to see the bloodied gauze that had a clear gold color. The sparkle it held, the amount of power that it had.

"Highly unlikely. Every man, woman, and child knows firsthand that the Divine Creator's blood is unlike any living being in Teyvat. Eyewitnesses from your first time here have written quite a bit of information of you. There is no mistake. The Tsarista would have been the first to know."

"Auntie! Doctor! Look!" Your nephew shouted and quickly ran to you, the heavy atmosphere dissipating as your nephew smiled, his hands cupped to hide what it was that he was bound to show you two. Slowly, he opened his hands and a small light blue glow appeared and in the blink of an eye, a small Cryo Crystalfly appeared and took flight, joining the other Cryo crystalflies that surrounded the three.

Creation of new life.

A power only found in the Divine.

What kind of world did she find herself in?

TAGLIST:

@lizzhearthz, @yoshikuno, @anonclyde, @khalhaimdad, @ellenoir

@yunsblog030, @lsleepysimpl, @potol0ver, @kitty-chan33, @nasidibakar, @yoriichi-second-wife, @lilybythevalley, @esthelily, @liansh3ng, @bubbles-lounge, @chidouna, @okecaiditmemay, @angelofdarkness2, @emmbny, @vxsire, @mmeatt, @fybfjn, @nickey-diano, @reende-29,

If I missed anyone, let me know! I tried tagging some people, but tumblr must be weird. I probably will be posting this on Ao3 too. Thank you so much for your kind words, everyone! I hope to write more!

[axlerica]

CANARY ISLAND ~

-The one where Pedri invites his gf to his hometown with him-

On a warm summer evening, Pedri looked into his girlfriend’s eyes with a glimmer of excitement and nerves. He took a deep breath and finally mustered the courage to speak his heart, "Mi amor, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity and affection, "What is it love? You can tell me anything."

He smiled, grateful for her understanding nature, "I was thinking... how about we go to the Canary Islands together? It's my hometown, and I'd love for you to see where I grew up and meet my family."

Y/N's heart skipped a beat at the thought of exploring a new place with Pedri, "The Canary Islands? That sounds like a dream. I'd love to go with you."

Pedri's face lit up with joy, "Really? That's fantastic! I can't wait to show you around and introduce you to my family."

As their departure date approached, Y/N felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. She knew how much this trip meant to Pedri, and she wanted to make a good impression on his family and friends. However, she couldn't help but feel a touch of insecurity. She worried that they might have high expectations of her as the girlfriend of a famous footballer.

On the day of their flight, they boarded the plane hand in hand, ready for a new adventure together. The moment they landed in the Canary Islands, Pedri's eyes sparkled with pride as he showed Y/N around his beloved hometown. He pointed out his favorite spots, shared childhood stories, and introduced her to the locals who welcomed her warmly.

Y/N was taken aback by the beauty of the islands and the genuine warmth of Pedri's family. They embraced her as one of their own, and any fears of not fitting in melted away. She felt a sense of belonging, knowing that she was loved and accepted by those who mattered most to Pedri.

As they explored the sandy beaches, picturesque landscapes, and indulged in delicious local cuisine, Y/N and Pedri grew even closer. The trip became a journey of not just discovering a new place but discovering each other on a deeper level.

However, as the days went by, Y/N couldn't help but notice a familiar girl from Pedri's past, Isabella, who seemed to be getting close to him. She observed them sharing inside jokes and laughing together, and despite Pedri's reassurances, a sense of insecurity started to creep into her heart.

One evening, as they sat under a canopy of stars, Y/N couldn't hold back her feelings any longer. "Pedri, I've noticed you spending a lot of time with Isabella. Are you sure there's nothing between you two?"

Pedri's expression softened, and he took her hand in his, "Amor, she's an old friend, but there's nothing romantic between us. You're the one I love, and you're the one I want to be with."

Y/N's insecurity still lingered, "I trust you, but it's hard for me to see you two so close."

Pedri gazed into her eyes with sincerity, "I understand, and I'll do my best to reassure you. She's just a friend, but you're my everything."

As the trip continued, Y/N tried to overcome her insecurity, holding onto Pedri's words and the love they shared. The other girl remained a presence in their journey, but Y/N found strength in knowing that she and Pedri were building a love stronger than any doubts that might arise.

The next day, Pedri’s family and friends had gathered for a lively dinner and laughter filled the air as stories were exchanged and memories shared.

Amidst the joyous chatter, Y/N sometimes struggled to keep up with the rapid Spanish conversations. She tried her best to smile and nod, hoping that her limited fluency in the language wouldn't become too apparent.

As the night wore on, one of Pedri's cousin playfully teased Y/N about her Spanish, "Y/N, tu español es tan lindo, ¡necesitas practicar más!" (Y/N, your Spanish is so cute, you need to practice more!)

The table erupted in laughter, and to Y/N's dismay, even Pedri joined in on the joke.

Struggling to find the right words, she mustered a smile, trying to conceal her discomfort. "Gracias, sí, estoy aprendiendo," (Thankyou, yes I’m still learning) she replied, hoping her response sounded convincing.

Pedri's friend continued with the teasing, and Y/N could feel the weight of the situation growing. She felt embarrassed and isolated, like an outsider in the midst of their camaraderie.

As the night continued, Y/N tried her best to participate in the conversations, despite the language barrier. But the more she tried, the more self-conscious she felt. It seemed like everyone around her was effortlessly engaged, and she couldn't help but feel even more isolated.

Isabella then said with a subtle smirk and spoke in Spanish, "Nunca pensé que Pedri estaría con alguien que no habla español. Debe ser difícil comunicarse, ¿verdad?" (I never thought Pedri would be with someone who doesn't speak Spanish. It must be challenging to communicate, right?")

Y/N's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but she tried to remain composed, even though she didn't fully understand what was said.

Another person at the table chimed in while laughing, "Sí, seguro es complicado." (Yes, surely it's complicated.)

More laughter followed from some of the other guests, leaving Y/N feeling isolated and uncomfortable. She wanted to respond but didn't know how to articulate her thoughts in Spanish.

Pedri, noticing Y/N's discomfort, interjected in a firm tone, "That's enough. It's not funny. Y/N is learning Spanish, and she's doing great."

The room fell silent, and Pedri's defense of Y/N was evident. He then turned to you with a reassuring smile, "Don't worry love, you're doing great, and I'm proud of your efforts to learn Spanish."

Y/N mustered a shy smile, grateful for Pedri's support, but the awkwardness of the situation lingered. She wished she could express herself better in Spanish and be a more active participant in the conversation.

As the dinner continued, Y/N felt a mix of emotions, torn between her desire to fit in and her frustration at not being able to communicate fluently. She appreciated Pedri's support, but the teasing and laughter had dampened her spirits.

After the dinner, as they walked to their room, Y/N finally spoke up, "Pedri, I feel so embarrassed. I wish I could understand and respond better in Spanish."

Pedri pulled her close, reassuring her, "It's okay, amor. Learning a new language takes time, and it's natural to feel overwhelmed. Just remember, I'm here to help, and I love you just the way you are."

"I know, but it's frustrating not being able to express myself fully," Y/N sighed.

Pedri gently lifted her chin to meet her eyes, "You'll get there baby. Don't let this discourage you. Your efforts to learn Spanish mean a lot to me, and I admire your determination. I’m sorry for what happened at dinner just now amor, It was just a harmless joke, but I see now that it affected you more than I realized."

Y/N nodded, her voice shaky, "It's just hard, Pedri. I want to be a part of your world, but sometimes I feel like I'll never truly fit in."

Pedri took her hand in his, "You belong here with me Y/N. I love you, and I don't want you to ever feel left out or embarrassed. I'll talk to my friends and make sure they understand."

Y/N appreciated his understanding and said to him, "Thank you, Pedri. It means a lot to me that you're willing to stand up for me."

He pulled her into a comforting embrace, "I'll always stand up for you. You're the most important person in my life, and I want you to feel loved and accepted."

In the days that followed, Pedri spoke with his friends, making them understand the impact their jokes had on his girlfriend. They were apologetic and understanding, realizing that their teasing had unintentionally hurt her.

With Pedri's support and her own resilience, Y/N started to feel more at ease during their interactions. She continued to practice her Spanish, and as the days went by, she found herself more engaged in the conversations, feeling more included and accepted.

The trip became a turning point in their relationship. It brought them closer together, and Y/N learned that Pedri was willing to stand by her side, supporting her through the challenges they faced.

[thissying]

📷: Frits van Eldik NOS Sport

'At his first introduction to autosport, Max already went like a comet.'

A rainy day in the summer of 2013, somewhere deep in Wales. Jos and Max Verstappen arrive at the Pembrey Race Track in complete secrecy. The youngest Verstappen - 16 years old at the time - reports to Dutch GP2 team MP Motorsport, which has been active in (international) motorsport for 20 years. Team boss Sander Dorsman meets him. Max Verstappen is introduced to motorsport for the first time among the sheep and birds. “He immediately went like a comet.”

Motorsport commentator Allard Kalff approached MP Motorsport in 2013 at the request of Jos Verstappen. If they want to participate in a car test for Max. It must remain secret. It can not happen in the Netherlands and prying eyes are unwanted. The Verstappens do not want any publicity. Son Max is still a world class driver in karting at that time. There shouldn't be any pressure when he gets into a racing car.

The location for the secret test in Wales is chosen because MP Motorsport engineer Tony Shaw had previously been there with two young lads: the current Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton and former world champion Kimi Räikkönen. The landscape is mainly dominated by sheep and birds. "Tony Shaw said after the first test day: Max handled it better than Lewis and Kimi did," Dorsman remembers Verstappen's first appearance in a racing car.

Track record “The first day of the test was quite difficult,” Dorsman continues. "It rained a lot. Max picked it up fantastically. The next day it was drier. He immediately smashed the track record. That was also impressive. And for us it was nice that exactly a year and a day after the test in Wales he won his Formula 1 contract. For everyone who worked with him, that was of course great. So young and already that good. Things can happen quickly."

Birds hit In the anniversary book about twenty years of MP Motorsport, Verstappen himself writes that, mainly, he was nervous. "I didn't know what to expect at all. There were sheep and birds everywhere. I think I also hit a lot of birds. I felt like the car sounded very loud."

Dorsman: "Looking back, they were just two very special days. The way I remember it, he didn't seem nervous at all. When he arrived, we walked around the circuit. We also drove around the circuit in his father's car. Everything to prepare him well. You start from scratch with a boy like that. It went well, very well."

Dorsman now also sees Verstappen on the circuits surrounding the Formula 1 races. The GP2 class is the gateway to the premier class in motorsport. The team boss has seen many drivers come and go in recent years. Max Verstappen is going to make himself heard a lot more, in his opinion.

"He has had a fantastic debut season and now has to follow through. His strength this season will be that he has much more experience in Formula 1. He can benefit from that." According to Dorsman, it is easy to explain that the 18-year-old Verstappen sets the bar high for himself in his second year. "That's a family trait. He got that from his father. Max gives 100 percent to everything."

Future In his second year at Toro Rosso, Verstappen is being watched by all the major teams. The question is what the Dutchman will do after this season. "There is pressure on him to continue to perform. However, that applies to every top athlete. And Max is familiar with that feeling from his time in karting. He had to improve there every season, too. If he can achieve his goal of 100 world championship points and a podium place, that is great. In any case, he will continue to surprise everyone," Dorsman is sure.

[froottalks]

Threads of Fate - Wanda Maximoff x fem!reader

[summary: where wanda is new in town and is reader's new history teacher and reader starts to develop feelings for her, later reader comes to know that wanda is actually reader's mum's best friend and their new neighbor too. reader sucks at history and wanda offers to tutor reader. reader often goes to wanda's house for tutoring sesions which later evolves to something more.]

Masterlist

{Part 1} {Part 2}

In the quaint town of Westview, the arrival of Wanda Maximoff had stirred up whispers of curiosity. The enigmatic newcomer was more than just a history teacher at the local high school; she was a puzzle waiting to be solved. And amidst the intrigue stood Y/n L/n—a bright, independent student with a knack for getting herself into situations that defied logic.

It was a crisp autumn morning when (Y/n) found herself seated in the back row of Ms. Maximoff's history class, her gaze drifting between the blackboard and her phone. The lesson, it seemed, was about the Battle of Gettysburg—a topic that had never quite held her interest. Her thoughts wandered, weaving through the mundane and the fantastical.

"(Y/n), care to share your thoughts on the Gettysburg Address?" Ms. Maximoff's voice, with its gentle yet commanding timbre, pulled her from her daydreams.

(Y/n) blinked, her cheeks flushing as she realized all eyes were on her. "Uh, sure. So, the Gettysburg Address was delivered by Abraham Lincoln, right? He, um, talked about equality and stuff."

Ms. Maximoff raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into an amused smile. "Close enough. Lincoln's speech indeed focused on equality and the preservation of the nation."

The rest of the class passed in a haze of disinterest and unfocused attention. As the bell rang, (Y/n) gathered her belongings and made her way out, her thoughts drifting away from history and toward the mysteries that surrounded Ms. Maximoff.

Weeks turned into months, and as the town's landscapes transformed with the changing seasons, (Y/n)'s curiosity about her enigmatic history teacher remained unquenched. She spent her free moments attempting to decipher the puzzle that was Wanda Maximoff—searching for traces of her past, her motivations, and the secrets she carried.

One evening, after the final bell had rung, (Y/n) lingered in the classroom, pretending to organize her notes. As the other students filed out, Ms. Maximoff approached, her presence as enigmatic as ever.

"(Y/n), is there something you'd like to discuss?" Her tone was warm, inviting curiosity.

(Y/n) looked up, her gaze meeting Ms. Maximoff's. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd be open to some extra help. History's not really my strong suit."

Ms. Maximoff's smile was gentle, her eyes holding a mixture of encouragement and intrigue. "I'm always here to help, (Y/n). Feel free to come by my office after school if you need assistance."

The offer lingered in the air between them—a bridge connecting curiosity and companionship. Over the weeks that followed, (Y/n) took advantage of the opportunity, seeking Ms. Maximoff's guidance in history. The one-on-one sessions evolved into more than just academic discussions; they were conversations that spanned time and space, delving into the intricacies of history and life itself.

As winter descended upon Westview, their interactions grew more frequent. (Y/n) found herself drawn not just to the subject matter but to the woman herself. There was a spark of something—a connection that defied explanation.

One chilly evening, as snowflakes danced in the air, (Y/n) knocked on Ms. Maximoff's front door. The door swung open, revealing a cozy interior bathed in warm light.

"Come in, (Y/n)," Ms. Maximoff said, her smile welcoming as she ushered (Y/n) inside.

The sessions became a regular routine, a blend of laughter, discussions, and moments of quiet contemplation. (Y/n)'s heart raced whenever Ms. Maximoff looked her way, her smile sending shivers down her spine. There was a familiarity in those eyes—a familiarity that begged to be explored.

One day, as they sat in Ms. Maximoff's living room, a photograph caught (Y/n)'s attention. It was a picture of Ms. Maximoff, arm in arm with a woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to (Y/n)'s own mother.

"Is that...?" (Y/n)'s voice trailed off as she pointed at the photograph.

Ms. Maximoff's gaze softened, her fingers tracing the edges of the frame. "Yes. That's my best friend, your mother."

(Y/n)'s heart pounded in her chest as she processed the revelation. The threads of fate that had brought Ms. Maximoff into her life were woven with a familiarity she had never expected.

"Your mother and I were close," Ms. Maximoff continued, her voice tinged with a mix of fondness and nostalgia. "We lost touch over the years, but it seems fate has a way of bringing people back together."

(Y/n)'s mind was a whirlwind of emotions—surprise, confusion, and a growing realization. As Ms. Maximoff's gaze met hers, the air crackled with a tension that neither could deny.

Their conversations grew more intimate, their words laced with unspoken truths. And then, one evening, as the snow fell gently outside, (Y/n)'s gaze met Ms. Maximoff's, her heart pounding in her chest.

"(Y/n)," Ms. Maximoff began, her voice soft yet steady. "There's something I've wanted to tell you."

(Y/n)'s breath caught in her throat, anticipation mingling with uncertainty. "What is it?"

Ms. Maximoff's eyes held a mixture of vulnerability and hope. "I've felt a connection with you from the moment we met. And as time went on, that connection only grew stronger."

(Y/n)'s heart raced, the pieces falling into place. The familiarity, the unspoken tension—it was all leading to this moment.

"(Y/n)," Ms. Maximoff said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I have feelings for you, feelings that go beyond teacher and student."

The air was charged with an electric energy, a moment suspended in time. (Y/n)'s gaze met Ms. Maximoff's, her heart pounding in her chest.

And then, before either of them could say more, a knock at the door shattered the moment. Their eyes met, the connection between them unbroken yet undeniably altered.

As (Y/n) left that evening, the snow-covered streets felt like a metaphor for the tangled threads of fate that now bound them together.

{Part 2}

[forbidden-sunlight]

yandere!kusuriuri with chise!reader headcanons

Warnings: obsessive behavior, violence, and blood.

There may also be possible triggers in this story.

If you do not feel comfortable venturing any further, please hit the 'back' button on your device or computer and read something much more pleasant than a possible series of unfortunate events.

Hey guys, welcome to the second part in this mini-series, featuring the beloved Medicine Seller of the classic anime horror series, Mononoke, and the character!reader who is Chise Hatori from the fantastic world of The Ancient Magus Bride.

I know it took a little longer to upload it and I do apologize for the wait! You may or many have not heard on my other blog, @an-idyllic-novelist, but I am trying a new writing method: writing the entire draft by hand, before proofreading and editing. I know the process does take a bit longer than just typing it straight away on my laptop, but so far it’s working for me and ensures that my mental health doesn’t take a big hit from doing all nighters 😅

Special shout-out to @enryegotrip and @deathmetalunicorn1 for reading the draft and helping me figure out some scenes that just weren’t working :) with that being said, sit back, relax, and let’s get started!

PART ONE

PART THREE

PART TWO: A FOX’S OBSERVATION

Kusuriuri woke up the following morning in his human form, much to his delight and befuddlement. His bridal candidate insisted that he take the spare guest room for the night instead of the couch, and he was quite glad he took it; being in this strange new world, alone with no idea how to contact his patron left him feeling…a little unsettled. The last thing he wanted to do was to burden the mage and her household, even if Inari-sama had sent him to be with her, and seeing that smirk on Ruth’s face. 

He was quite a cheeky fellow, and very protective of [First Name]. 

Shaking his head, Kusuriuri rose from the bed and pulled its feathery cream-colored sheets upwards, followed by the matching duvet and arranging the burgundy pillows. He glanced around the room; the walls were a light beige, with landscape paintings hanging above the headboard. On the right side, where he had been sleeping, was a cherrywood nightstand with a lamp sitting on top of it. At the front of the bed was a leather ottoman, and next to it was his medicine box. The mage offered to put it on top of the ottoman, but Kusuriuri insisted otherwise because he had a feeling something like this would happen: the medicine box would expand or shrink in accordance to its owners’ size, and he was a little worried about breaking furniture in his host’s home.

He then left the room, closing the door behind and turned left, walking down the hallway and through the living room, carefully maneuvering around the furniture and other knick-knacks. The smell of yeast rising and eggs frying in a pan led him to the dining area. The mage stood over the stovetop, moving the pan in her hand up and down for a moment before straightening out over the bright-red iron coil. From the smell alone, it was sweet and had flour. 

Ruth, who was already sitting down with a  turquoise ceramic cup held gingerly in his hands, glanced up at him groggily and nodded towards him. Kusuriuri returned the gesture and took a seat next to him.

“Sleep well?” The familiar asked. 

“Yes. You seem quite exhausted yourself. Is everything all right?” 

Ruth took a languid sip of whatever he’s drinking before he sighed in content and looked at him. “I’m fine, just [First Name] stayed up too late working on another project again. We’re bound together, so whatever she feels, I feel it too. I’m surprised she even got up this morning to cook with Silky.” Kusuriuri raised his brow as he repeated the name. Ruth shrugged, jabbing a thumb back towards the kitchen. “You’ll see her soon.” 

And just like that, the door in the kitchen leading outside creaked open. Stepping inside with a wicker basket in her gloved hands was a tall, ethereal woman dressed in a flowing, dark green dress. Her silvery-blonde hair was pulled back in a bun, loose strands hanging by her ears and pink flowers pinned on either side. Her red eyes darted towards the dining room, pausing to stare at him for a moment before she glided to the mage’s side, handing her a few herbs from the basket. [First Name] smiled, thanking her. She quickly chopped them on an adjacent cutting board before scrapping them inside the pan with a knife. 

The woman, Silky, nodded before she quickly darted to the other side, pulling out a pan from the oven and setting it down to rest on the countertop. Kusuriuri blinked, glancing at Ruth. “A neighbor?” He asked.

“Yup. A brownie faerie, simplest explanation is that she can be found around the house and enjoys doing domestic work. The only thing I’d advise you to do to not is touch the dish of cream on the mantelpiece. That’s her payment. Faeries require payment for whatever tasks they accomplish, whether it’s magic to be used to help others, or of her own volition. Am I clear?” Ruth’s voice hardened slightly. 

Kusuriuri nodded. “I understand.”

“Good.” 

A few moments later, [First Name] and Silky brought out plates stacked with sliced grilled tomatoes, sausage, mushrooms, beans, toast, and fried eggs. The mage smiled at him. 

“Mornin’. I’m so sorry I didn’t greet you earlier, I ended up getting carried away with cooking and I had too many things going on at once.” She said, placing one of the plates in front of him. Kusuriuri shook his head. “It’s all right. I was having an…enlightening conversation with Ruth here about Silky.” [First Name] blinked.

“Ah. He told you about her?” She asked, seemingly not minding as Silky gently pushed her towards the head of the table by the shoulders. Kusuriuri watched with interest as the brownie flicked her gloved wrist and the chair pulled back on its own, guiding the mage to sit and place a plate in front of her. 

Kusuriuri nodded. “She did. You’re quite fortunate to have her…with your busy schedule.” He said carefully. Silky did not react. She just blinked at him, and then she went into the kitchen. He heard pots and pans clattering, followed by the sound of running water. 

“I’m…not exactly as busy as you make me out to be. But don’t feel pressured to eat everything, though, please. Eat as much as you’d like. We also have coffee and tea.” [First Name] frowned before clicking her tongue. “I knew I forgot something. I’m sorry, one moment I’ll get it ready -” That was when Silky poked her head through the doorway, frowning and motioned the mage to stay put.  I will get the tea for our guest, so please sit and eat. That was the non-verbal message the brownie faerie was giving, and [First Name] didn’t hesitate to start digging in. 

Now knowing he didn’t have to force himself to get sick out of politeness, Kusuriuri proceeded to start eating his own plate. He’d gotten lucky to know how to use a knife and fork when a kind-hearted waitress at a local cafe took time to teach him…though he knew the only reason she had bothered was because he is good-looking. 

Once they all had their fill, Ruth helped [First Name] clear off the plates. Kusuriuri offered to do the dishes. They were both surprised at his offer, though Silky was not going to let him get away with it that easily. He was only allowed to help with drying them before he was shooed off, all of them. 

Since [First Name] had gotten most of her work done last night, she had some free-time until later this afternoon. Today, she needed to go to the big city and visit a few people, restock on some supplies, maybe a bite to eat at a restaurant. Ruth would travel in his animal form, conceal himself inside the mage’s shadow. Kusuriuri had no idea if he could do the same, but he was not too keen on taking that risk if it meant he’ll forever be trapped as a fox. 

Instead of taking the bus or a train, the three of them used a telephone booth sitting on the edge of the village. The owner was a tiny teal lizard with a lazy grin and wearing a hat. [First Name] greeted him politely, and asked for two tickets, to and from the city. The tickets were printed from the bottom of the phone, and he held them up to her with his tongue. She bowed his head to him and replied in a language  Kusuriuri didn’t recognize. The booth suddenly jolted, moving from left to right and left again as the scenery outside swirled in a miasma of different colors. 

Then all of a sudden, the phone booth stopped moving, and they were no longer in a rural area but the heart of a metropolis. Kusuriuri would have been more awestruck at the usage of such magic if he didn’t feel like the world was spinning around him. [First Name] guided him to a bench and sat by his side until he was ready to stand. He apologized for seemingly wasting her time, but she waved her hand. 

“Don’t worry about it. From everyone’s perspective, I am just sitting down for a while. If there was anyone who could see you, then their mouths would be hanging open. Angela might look at you, but that’s the extent of her surprise at seeing a unique neighbor like yourself, probably. She’s been around for a long time.”

“Angela?”

“She’s a technician of sorts. She specializes in crystals and other magical tools. We’ll be going to her first before the other places.” [First Name] said. “Wanna get something sweet? There’s a bakery close by, might help with your nausea.”

Kusuriuri nodded. He didn’t get to have sweets often, mostly because they were either already stale from being out in the sun all day, or they were too expensive for what little money he had at the time. But the ones [First Name] purchased for him were simply incredible. He was a little hesitant in trying a blueberry scone and some other unfamiliar ones…but the risk was worth it in the end. 

He followed her through the streets packed with pedestrians and vendors, expertly weaving past the tourists as they boarded a white bus.  Angela’s shop was a brick building tucked between larger ones, with a vintage sign over the door that welcomed customers, and mentioned there were crystals and incense sold here. The scent of sage wafted through the air, the shelves lined with the aforementioned wares, books, and miniature statues of Buddha and other gods. Angela was nearing forty, at least in appearance, and dressed more like a tea shop owner than someone who specialized in magic: an apron draped over black pants and a white tank top, auburn hair pulled back in a braid, green eyes smiling lazily as she greeted them with a wave of her hand. Hovering next to her was a tiny water spirit, another familiar. 

Angela was pleasant, getting straight to business once she gave him a glance and shrugged. She wanted to ask questions, but she respected [First Name]’s time. They exchanged some words, walking over to the glass counter where a wide variety of crystals were laid out on a red silk cloth. [First Name] examined each of them carefully as Angela explained their uses and how they could help the mage with her research and help regulate the amount of magic in her body without putting too much strain on it. 

Kusuriuri watched [First Name] look over each of them carefully before she selected three of them. Angelas included a few sticks of incense and asked her to come back again soon with her new friend. 

From there, they went to two more places, the office of a university professor being the last stop of the day. Kusuriuri had heard of the Imperial University in Tokyo, and that only certain individuals could study there, but not a place where both men and women learn about magic. [First Name] had been a student here years ago, excelling in Herbology and Magical Creatures. One  research paper had helped the latter department expand on their knowledge on understanding the neighbors. The professor wanted her to sub for his afternoon Magical Creatures classes while he went on maternity leave with his wife. 

[First Name] politely refused. 

She did not have a teaching license nor was qualified to handle rambunctious students, even if they were in their final year at the university. She might get along with the neighbors, but they do not listen to anyone as if they were pets. They were faeries; to earn their respect, the students must respect them in turn and not piss them off. Or did he need a reminder of what happened when she was in his class? 

Her response was enough to silence the man. [First Name] stood from the chair and looked the professor straight in the eye as she apologized to him. It is a shame that she cannot do it, however, she does know someone who would be interested in this opportunity: Clarice Wordsworth. She and [First Name] attended the same year, but Clarice decided to further her education at another institute. Last she had heard, Clarice needed another internship to finish her degree. The professor nodded, muttering softly under his breath that a Sleigh Beggy teaching his classes would actually bring more students to attend. 

Whether she pretended to not hear him or simply didn’t, [First Name] bid him good-bye and practically sprinted out of the door. Kusuriuri was torn between amusement and curiosity as he trailed behind the mage, down the hall and through the university’s doors. 

The skies bled into an reddish-orange hue as they approached the telephone booth with the supplies, signaling that their day in the city was over. Ruth was happy because they could finally go home and enjoy Silky’s cooking. [First Name] hummed in agreement as they were teleported back into the village, and walked the rest of the way back to the house. 

As more days blended into weeks, Kusuriuri discovered that his bridal candidate was quite a contradiction. 

She was kind, loving, and sociable with people she knew very well, though cold and businesslike around people she regarded as an acquaintance like the professor. She worried about Silky doing too much around the house or Ruth being spotted near the forest, yet they in turn were concerned that she stayed up too late working in the study, pouring over her notes and creating tonics for the villagers who were sick. 

 Humans were like that though, yet she was still able to keep his interest for this long. Recently, at Silky’s insistence, [First Name] began taking small walks around the village after dinner. He and Ruth joined her to make sure she didn’t try to sneak back into the house through the kitchen. Thirty minutes of tranquil silence or small talk, and then they would return home. 

No, not home. His temporary quarters. Kusuriuri silently scolded himself. There were still things he did not know about her, and he had not issued his test to her. It was still too soon. 

What he did not realize, however, was that he would come to fall so deeply in love with the mage and the cozy life she led here, he nearly regretted taking her away from here to the temple lined with fox statues…though if he hadn’t…. he would not even have a bride. 

Taglist:

@saltyfruitbat

@westsidedrives

@himurakenshin25

@themoonisrising

@nastysparrow

@littlemintsister

@sketchlove

@i-am-the-pirate-queen

@praisethesuuun

@simpgoddess3000

@mitra555

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

When I’m trying to create new characters, I often find questionnaires that have questions like “what is your character’s favorite movie?” Or “What is their favorite social media app and why?” However, these questions do not work for creating fantasy characters (like I am). Do you have any ideas for questions to help writers create fantasy characters?

This is a fantastic question, especially for fantasy writers. There aren't many resources dedicated to the creation and development of fantasy characters. I highly recommend exploring Dungeons & Dragons (DND) questions; they can offer valuable insights like this one.

On that note, if you'd be interested in a customized workbook solely focused on fantasy character creation, just give me a heads-up! Meanwhile, I've crafted a concise yet distinctive short questionnaire to get you started. (With unique questions, not the basics.)

Magical Essence 🌟✨:

Source of Power: 🌀💫 What magical abilities or powers does your character possess? How did they acquire or inherit these powers?

Magical Affinity: 🌊🔥 Describe their connection to elemental forces or magical domains. Are they aligned with specific elements or forces of nature?

Otherworldly Origin 🌌🔮:

Realm of Origin: 🏰🌌 Where does your character come from? Describe their homeland or origin realm—its landscapes, cultures, and inhabitants.

Mythical Lineage: 👑🌟 Does your character hail from a line of legendary beings, gods, or creatures of ancient lore? How does this lineage influence their identity?

Legendary Quests and Adventures 🗡️🛡️:

Heroic Exploits: 🏹⚔️ What legendary quests or adventures has your character undertaken? Describe their valorous deeds and encounters with mythical creatures or foes.

Artifacts and Relics: 🏆🔮 Have they encountered or possess legendary artifacts or relics? How do these items influence or aid their journey?

Creatures and Companions 🐉🦄:

Familiar or Animal Companion: 🐾🔍 Does your character have a magical creature companion or a familiar? Describe this bond and its significance.

Encounters with Mythical Beings: 🧜‍♀️👻 Have they interacted with beings like dragons, spirits, or mythical entities? Describe these encounters and their impact.

Destiny and Prophecies 🌟🔮:

Foretold Prophecies: 🔍📜 Is there a prophecy or destiny foretold about your character? How do they perceive and react to this prophecy?

Chosen One or Fate's Hand: 👑🌌 Is your character considered a chosen one or fated to fulfill a significant role in the world's destiny? How do they handle this responsibility?

Interactions with Magic and Society 🤝🔮:

Attitude Towards Magic: 🧙‍♂️🔑 How does your character view magic in their world? Are they a skeptic, a practitioner, or a scholar of magic?

Relationship with Magical Societies: 🏰🌐 Are they part of magical societies, guilds, or orders? How do these affiliations shape their actions and beliefs?

Struggles and Sacrifices 💔🌪️:

Internal Conflict: 🤔💔 What inner struggles or conflicts does your character face? Are there conflicts between their desires, duties, or moral beliefs?

Sacrifices Made: ⚖️💔 Have they made sacrifices or endured hardships in their journey? What are these sacrifices, and how do they impact their character development?

Fate and Free Will 🎭🌌:

Control Over Destiny: 🌟🔗 Do they believe in free will, or do they feel their destiny is preordained? How does this belief affect their actions and decisions?

Choices and Consequences: 🤷‍♀️🔮 How do their choices influence the world around them? Describe instances where their decisions had profound consequences.

I hope these questions help you start thinking about your story and your character. I mentioned things like dragons and magic to give you a place to begin, but you can totally explore other ideas beyond typical fantasy themes. Use these questions to spark new thoughts for your plot and character development, leading you to create a story that's unique and goes beyond the usual fantasy clichés.

[lurkingshan]

Since you've watched a lot of kdrama, what are common things you've seen in kdrama that have been consistently ported into K-BL, and what is your assessment of that approach?

Ooh, interesting question. So first, let's acknowledge a few things:

Korean bl is short format, with even the longest shows (Light on Me, The Eighth Sense) not even half the length of a standard kdrama (16-20 hours), and most clocking in around 2-4 hours

Kbl operates under much smaller budgets and significant constraints around casting as compared to mainstream kdrama

Kbl often draws from webtoons and manwha and mostly does not have the kind of auteur writers and directors behind it that you get in kdrama (Hwang Da-Seul is the most consistent creator in genre with Where Your Eyes Linger, Blueming, To My Star)

All that said, there are a few features of mainstream kdrama that have definitely ported over into kbl despite these constraints:

Slick production values and strong use of setting and color: even the cheapest kbls still look decent, and there is always intentionally behind the setting and use of color palettes to set the tone and feel. Korea has a very well-developed film industry and it shows. Color Rush, Semantic Error and Blueming were fantastic examples of this: even within more familiar school romances, the settings felt specific and the use of color to communicate character and themes was striking. I also think often of Our Dating Sim and Choco Milk Shake and the very effective characterization work achieved through design of the apartments.

Sound production and music on point: the home of kpop is not going to be caught sleeping on the OSTs. Nearly every production has original songs and given the leads of these shows are usually idols, they're often the ones on the tracks. And when they use music that is not original, like in The Eighth Sense, it's a very intentional choice to set mood and tone. Korea is not going to let a boy who can't actually sing take the mic (*side eyes Thailand*). To My Star is a great example of memorable OSTs even in a fairly low budget production, and Wish You and Sing My Crush showed us what kbl can do when it decides to bring the full kpop treatment to bear.

A keen understanding of the international audience: kdrama production is a big part of South Korea's explicit goals to take the global media landscape by storm, and kbl is included in that. It's not a coincidence that Korea decided to step up its game in this arena shortly after Thai bl exploded (shoutout to 2gether and pandemic lockdowns). Kbl follows trends and explicitly caters to international audiences in a way jbl does not. The Eighth Sense was basically a case study in marrying kdrama sensibilities and western aesthetics for maximum international attention.

Second leads and valorization of unrequited love: you and I have discussed this one a lot because this is a feature of kdramas that will never die and that kbls also clearly love. Korea loves a one-sided love story and culturally, there is a certain dignity afforded to owning your feelings and being honest with the object of your affection, even when there is no hope of reciprocation. Often second leads don't get the guy/girl because they hesitate or hide their feelings until it's too late: the trope is used to underline the important of honesty and effort as well as providing a catalyst for the main lead to make their move. In Korean culture, the trying is what matters much more than the succeeding. We are meant to like most second leads and see them as honorable and dignified for their sincere feelings toward the protagonist. Second lead syndrome is a thing for a reason. It's also just a cheap and easy way to create drama so you'll often see it in the lower budget kbls. Second leads showed up recently in kbls like The Tasty Florida, Jun & Jun, Oh! Boarding House, Bon Appetit, etc. We also sometimes see kbls playing with the idea of unrequited love in the main pairing that is actually requited, like in Our Dating Sim.

Love triangles: relatedly, Korea loves them a love triangle, and they are uniquely good at doing it well when they want to. Light on Me is a fantastic example of a narrative where you can legitimately see the protagonist liking and ending up with both the main and second lead. And that is rooted in the way the narrative treats Daon with dignity even as it punishes him for his hesitation in reciprocating Taekyung's feelings (see above). When you have a strong second lead who engenders real sympathy with the audience, love triangle excellence is achieved.

Workplace romances: kdrama loves workplace romances, and we have seen kbl start to move into that space recently with shows like Roommates of Poongdock 304, Love Mate, Our Dating Sim, Jun & Jun, and The New Employee. Kdrama workplace romances run the gamut, but they often feature chaebol characters paired with a "normal" aka not wealthy person, and we are starting to see that more in the bl genre as well, as we discussed a bit yesterday. I believe @nieves-de-sugui commented on your post about how the rich/poor romance fantasy trend in recent bl may be coming in from kdrama. I think there's some truth to that, but really it's a foundational romance trope that predates kdrama by literal centuries, and is absolutely rooted in heteronormative patriarchal dynamics that assume men are breadwinners and caretakers for women (translated to seme/uke dynamics in bl). Often in kdrama the chaebol character is unable to live an authentic life due to the demands of filial piety and the expectations tied to their wealth, and I do think that dynamic is ripe for enrichment when you layer on gay identity in a homophobic society. But that requires shows leaving the no homophobia bubble, which few kbls have done.

Physical intimacy squarely in the middle space: comparing to heat levels we see across the spectrum of dramas, I think kdrama and kbl are pretty consistent in that they tend to land right in the middle of the spectrum. It's rare to see straight up dead fish kisses from romantic leads anymore (though it still happens, wincing at Unintentional Love Story), but they are also not going to be serving authentic sex scenes. What you get instead is very pretty open-mouthed kissing that feels more realistic than, for instance, the pure jbl lane, but still polished and aesthetically pleasing. Think Semantic Error, Blueming, Roomates of Poongdock 304, Love Mate, To My Star 2, Jun & Jun. This seems to be where the genre is landing and I don't expect heat levels to get any higher for kbl, as this is right in line with mainstream kdrama. The Eighth Sense offered a less polished version of intimacy that felt right in line with its grittier sensibilities.

So, after that long list, on to your second question: my assessment of this approach is that kbls are doing fairly well for themselves when you consider the constraints they are operating under. Look at a show like Love Tractor stacked up against something like Hometown Cha Cha Cha. These are both based in the classic romance trope of a city slicker coming to the country and falling in love with a humble working person. But where HCCC has 16 hours to build a quasi-enemies to lovers narrative with a rich community of side characters, LT has 3.5 hours to achieve the same thing. So it makes sense that it would fall back on well-worn tropes and story beats it knows the audience will recognize to help save time. These shortcuts help the audience ground themselves and get invested in the stories quickly.

One thing I'll say is that kbl mostly stays in the romcom lane with very occasional ventures into melo, and despite what casual observers think, kdrama actually has a lot more to offer than that. It's a giant world with stories based in every possible genre, tone, and style, and Korean media is particularly adept at embedding romance plots that actually work in all kinds of stories including action thrillers, horror, crime narratives, mysteries, supernatural and fantasy epics. I'd love to see kbl try this, though of course it would require the resources and runtime to do it successfully. Here's hoping they get the chance.

[tomuras]

| Heaven’s Name |

Painter!Albedo x Muse!Reader

Warnings: He/Him pronouns for Albedo, No pronouns for reader, afab reader, smut, not sfw, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, blowjobs, oral sex (reader to albedo), Albedo cums in your mouth whoops, cock riding, love confessions, mutual pining, implied slow burn, very self indulgent but not necessarily selfship, Albedo is very nervous and embarrassed in this <3, reader is implied to be trans masc, reader and Albedo get domestic towards the end, Albedo paints reader, strangers -> friends -> lovers, ass spanking, reader has hair, hair pulling, slight soulmate au, reader is called: sweetheart, good boy, baby; 2.4k words.

A/n: Wow i don’t think I’ve written something this long in SUCH a long time uhh so yeah I went a little overboard haha, but I had SO much fun writing this and I hope y’all love it <3 And if you haven’t read this already, you should be because this is a sequel to that drabble <3

It had been weeks after Albedo had committed his runaway stunt in the midst of a painting session, and it left you wondering, or rather thinking about why, he had run away. He hadn’t left much to mystery, what with how loud he was and all, but you weren’t about to give away his dirty little secret. At least, not yet. Instead you relaxed into the cushions of his bed just as you always did and let out a small breath, trying your best to remain comfortable and still. You looked to the walls that were covered in paintings, mostly of you, but there were also some landscapes, as well. Some familiar and some not. 

You reverted your gaze back towards Albedo and the both of you locked eyes, the two of you quickly getting lost in the color of each other’s irises. That’s when you saw how his eyes fluttered, opening and closing at a rapid rate, until you heard the clank of a paintbrush falling against the wooden easel. Trying your best to stifle your giggles you bit your cheek, but it did little to hide your amusement. As much as Albedo wanted to hide in his shame and embarrassment, he just couldn’t. Not when your smile was so beautiful. It set his soul on fire and in response he rubbed the part of his body where his heart lay underneath, hoping it would satiate the burn that was building up in his chest, but it still wouldn’t relieve the tingling feeling spreading throughout his body.  

“S-sorry about that. Let’s continue.” He said in a shaky voice. 

And so you both did just that, you continued, and as time went on the more nervous and hot the both of you became. You watched as the beads of sweat trailed down his face and neck onto his shirt, and he studied the way you squirmed slightly on the same bed he fantasized you two sharing together. As more time went by it became increasingly hard to avoid the inevitable, and that’s when Albedo was faced with the shameful fact that he was extremely hard at that moment. He went to excuse himself from you when your eyes begged him to stay. Pleading with him to not be afraid to ask for more, be more than just a painter and you his muse. 

“I’ll be right back-” He began, but was cut off by your frantic voice. If it weren’t for his own anxiousness he wouldn’t have missed the way your voice trembled when you spoke to him.

You got up and slowly approached him, pressing a gentle palm against his cheek. “Stay. Please?” You asked timidly. 

He nodded very slowly and stared at you with half-lidded eyes, and as you leaned in for a passionate kiss his eyes widened. He wasn’t expecting it, but christ did it feel fucking fantastic. It was everything he had always dreamt of and more, like a thousand galaxies were exploding all over his body all at the same exact time. At first he pushed you away slightly, pulling out of your hold and promising this won’t happen again and that he was sorry, swearing he’s not usually like this and that he wasn’t sure why he was acting so out of control, but you silenced him with a smile and a kiss. 

“Shh, relax. I want this, too, Albedo. So, please, relax?” You reassured him as you kissed his cheek gingerly. 

Finally, he nodded and relaxed his body, allowing you to do whatever would please you most. Both your minds were racing a mile a minute and yet, neither of you stopped for a second even as the what if’s were causing your worlds to spin. Albedo was quiet the entire time aside from the few whimpers and moans that slipped past his lips. Try as he might’ve to suppress his noises, it was inevitable. Your hands roamed his body and it was becoming more and more difficult for Albedo to hide his hard on, but eventually he gave up the fight after your hands grazed the tip of his cock just slightly. 

He let out an abrupt gasp, “I’m… I’m sorry. Maybe we should stop.” 

You pulled away momentarily to check his expression and was met with his beet red face, and a hand covering his drool stained mouth. It soon became very evident to you that he wasn’t asking to stop because he didn’t enjoy, but rather the complete opposite. He relished in the way your hands touched his body, from his hands up to his arms and then his neck, he couldn’t help but sigh and look at you lovingly when you held his face in your hands. 

He was going to say something, a few hopelessly romantic words I’m sure, but his attention was turned towards your words instead. “You say that but…” You paused and leaned in, pressing your lips to his earlobe, “You and I both know how badly you want this.” 

He swallowed hard and gripped the arms of the chair he was currently leaning back in. You were right, and a part of him hated that fact, but another part of him couldn’t wait to find out what that meant for the both of you. So, he swallowed hard, again, and grabbed your wrist with his hand which shook, and placed it on his cock which throbbed inside his pants. You were right, he did want this, but he was too nervous to do a thing about it. At least, that’s what it felt like beforehand, but now? Now he couldn't wait to wrap his arms around you and entangle his body with yours. 

Keeping your eyes trained on him you lowered yourself on your knees and began to unbutton his pants, slowly pulling out his cock and giving it a few taps on the flat of your tongue. Albedo was already dying to shove you all the way down to the base of his cock, but he resisted. His face burned with desire and already his hips were jerking up into the air for any sort of pleasurable sensation. He tried to stop but he couldn’t, not before you forced his hips down and swallowed his cock whole. Albedo writhed and whined underneath you as you licked your way up and down his shaft. Taking your sweet time you pushed your lips past the thick, red tip of his cock. His tip was throbbing and leaking with precum and with every flick of your tongue and touch of your lips, you could feel Albedo becoming less and less in control. 

His hips jerked the more time went on and before you knew it the poor man was pushing you away, again, too caught up in his own pleasure to realize he had already released himself all over your face. Immediately he covered his face in embarrassment and apologized profusely to you, but all you did was laugh. 

“You’re cute.” You giggled, and your eyes scrunched closed as you smiled.

Albedo looked away in embarrassment, too bashful to make eye contact with you, but you pulled his head to face you, insisting that he look deep into your eyes. That was the moment that you leaned in for another kiss, taking your time to enjoy the sensation of his lips against yours. He whimpered into the kiss as you climbed on top of him, beginning to remove your bottoms. His breath hitched when you carefully and gently stroked his cock, struggling to catch his breath. 

You pulled away for a second to look at him and asked, “You doin’ okay?” 

Albedo looked at you with eyes brimming with lust and love, he was ready, more ready than he had anticipated. He nodded and leaned his head against the palm of your hand that was now resting against his face, and gave you a tender smile. Then he placed a hand over yours and opened his eyes, finally speaking. 

“Before we continue there’s something I have to confess.” He admitted, his fingers now trembling slightly.

You nodded and he took a big breath before confessing, “I’m– well– I am and have been in love with you for quite some time now, and I thought you deserved to know before we continued.” 

Before he could say another word you cut him off with a kiss on the lips, passionately you parted and joined your lips with his as his hands hovered over your hips. Eager to touch you but too scared to, out of some peculiar fear that if he did you would vanish into thin air, but to his shock and amazement you pulled his hands onto your body, pulling him closer as you deepened the kiss. Then you backed out of the kiss to gaze into his glistening eyes. 

You smiled and admitted, “I know, and I’m in love with you, too, Albedo.” 

“Oh. Oh wow, I had- I had no idea that you felt the same way.” He stammered, too nervous and happy to be his usual reserved self. 

“Now…” You began to say as you situated yourself back on top of him, hovering over his cock, “Can we continue? I was really enjoying it before, ya know.” Your face was hot due to embarrassment regardless of the confidence you portrayed in that moment. 

Albedo was quiet for a moment out of confusion but then he realized exactly what you meant, and he said, ‘Oh- Oh! Yes, of course we can continue. P-Please do..” 

Without hesitation you slid yourself onto his cock with a lewd moan, bracing yourself by gripping onto his shoulders and rode him. Gradually you sped up the pace little by little until the sound of slapping skin echoed in the room. Soon the both of you were a symphony of moans and whimpers, the wet slapping of your bodies enhancing the experience. You allowed your hips to roll against the rhythm of his for a while, until he abruptly took control by turning you on your side and lifting your leg up to gain better access to your cunt. 

You whimpered at the sudden change of position and clung to him desperately, gazing deep into his eyes and getting lost in the color of them, again. Those beautiful, turquoise eyes of his captivated you and soon you became just as lost in them as you had with the high of the moment. Your nails dug into his soft back, leaving red marks trailing behind them. Albedo looked at you briefly before leaning in for a passion-filled kiss, his hand slid up to fist your hair as he fucked you rough and hard. 

“You’re so beautiful.” He cooed, leaving kisses over every inch of your body that he could reach. 

You moaned, “Fuuuuck. I want more, gimme m-more, please, ‘Bedo.” 

He grinned mischievously before flipping you onto your stomach. “On your knees.” He demanded and you did just that. Once you were on your knees he pressed the flat of his hand on your back, bracing himself as he slid inside of you with ease. You were soaking wet and already begging for more with only your body, but Albedo wanted to hear those begs from your very own lips, and so he was determined to do just that. 

“You’re very wet, sweetheart. You've wanted this for a long time, haven’t you?” He asked, all too pleased with the reaction he’d gotten from you. 

You nodded quietly, trying not to say a word except for the whiny ‘Mhmmm’ that you hummed accidentally. Albedo wasn’t pleased with your response and spanked you lightly on the ass just once. 

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you. Could you please repeat that?” He asked calmly. 

You gave in and started to beg, “Y-yes I have… Please, keep going, Albedo.”

He smiled, “That’s my good boy.”

Without warning Albedo began to fuck you fervently and without remorse, you’d never seen this side of him before. It was like the painter you’d always had an eye for was someone entirely different when it was just the two of you, and as much as you supposed you should’ve found that alarming, you didn’t. In fact it was the opposite, you loved it. Like you got to see a special side of him that was kept secret save for you. 

Albedo rolled his hips at a fast and hard pace, hitting that sweet spot of yours perfectly every time. He was comparable to an archon –or what you at least imagined that pure bliss to be like– but better. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head each time his pelvis slapped against your ass. Oh, it was pure heaven, but you were disappointed when your high had come around so early. Thankfully, for you he wasn’t done just yet. 

“You’re doing such a good job, taking me so well, baby.” He praised you, stroking your hip gently with his thumbs. 

“Can you do one more for me? Just one more and then we can take a break?” He pleaded, nearly begging you for more. In his own reserved way, of course.

For the next few hours you two shared a bed filled with moments of bliss and pure euphoria, ripping release after release from both of your bodies. You lost count of the many times he had made you cum and vice versa, and the moment your head rested against the pillow afterwards you were fast asleep, but that didn’t erase the bliss buzzing throughout your entire body. Even in your sleep your body remembered what it felt like to be loved and ravaged, truly and passionately. And while you were fast asleep, Albedo took that as the perfect opportunity to paint you in your most peaceful state. 

This time he took all the time in the world, smiling as he painted your face resting peacefully against the soft, fluffy pillows which lifted your head up. You looked like the purest of angels sleeping soundly in his bed, and if he hadn’t known any better he wouldn’t have been convinced otherwise. After another hour or two passed and the painting was finished, he followed suit and slipped into bed next to you, turned off the nearby lamp on his nightstand and wrapped you up in his arms and pulled you close as he finally drifted off into the best sleep he’d ever had in years. 

[analogwriting]

Childhood Crush

Chapter 13: Cobalt

Killer x gn!reader

word count: 2.4k

a/n: since i was gone longer than usual and gave a good cucking - HAVE ANOTHER AYEO cucking, i mean

next

When you came to and made your way out, the blizzard stopped. The night was still - no wind, no noise. Just the quiet snow and the light of the moon illuminating the glittering landscape. You stood there for a moment, just enjoying the silence. You let out a long sigh, closing your eyes and letting your head fall back. You were already exhausted. Why did Myra send only you? She had seemed pretty adamant about you going alone. She wouldn’t spare anyone else. Did she know something you didn’t?

Your mind then drifted to the crazy guy from earlier. What even was his deal? His face flashed in your mind and you groaned. That unnatural grin couldn’t be…on purpose. It almost looked as if some invisible force was pulling it - pulling it to that unnatural state. It couldn’t be comfortable. Even still, he felt familiar. You couldn’t place why.

You opened your eyes, sighing once more and watching as the clouds from your breath traveled up then to the ground. There wasn’t a lick of wind like earlier. You looked down at your arm. You needed to get that taken care of for sure. You couldn’t lose another arm. Sure, you could probably just make another armband, but you’d honestly rather not.

Thankfully, due to the still of the night, you did hear running water. You followed the noise and soon discovered a small river. At least it wasn’t frozen. 

Some time later, you had a small fire going and were boiling water. You cut off a piece of your cloak, dipping it in your now clean water. You hissed softly as you began to clean up your wound, soon enough stitching it up. You were glad you always carried around a small stitch kit just in case. It was essential to you at this point.

Once you were all patched and warmed up, you set off again.

--

Finally, you made it to a village. The Flower Capital to be specific. You needed to gather some information about Kaido and his castle. You couldn’t just go in blind. This was a stealth mission, not a strength contest. You stood no chance anyway. You knew your limits and you weren’t dumb.

The intel you obtained was a lot. Twenty years of constant downfall. These poor people just couldn’t catch a break. When would their suffering end? Soon, you hoped.

The information that pertained to you, however, was that it seemed that Kaido was going to be throwing some kind of party for an alliance he was having with Big Mom. Great. Two yonkos in one place. Just fantastic. Not only that, all of the beast pirates were apparently going to be there. Fanfuckingtastic. Just what you needed. Though, if you just found some kind of disguise and laid low, you should be just fine. You’re just getting some flowers after all. No need to stress about fighting. No one was going to question you just picking flowers.

Make fun of you, maybe, but nothing more.

“Yeah, I heard that the prison in Udon is holding that Strawhat captain now along with that Kid Pirate captain.” Your neck could have snapped with how fast your head turned. You noticed two people talking and walked over. “I heard the same thing,” you lied, sitting on the bench with the other two. They looked at you for a moment, but didn’t seem to dwell on you for long.

“I heard the Strawhat tried to take on Kaido and was easily defeated.” The woman laughed softly. “That’s what happens when you end up too big for your britches and try to fight a yonko, I guess.” The other woman laughed and you joined in.

“Yeah, it’s crazy,” you say, trying to fish for more information. “How long has that Kid guy been there anyway at this point?”

“Oh, I think it’s been a bit at this point. Kaido captured the whole crew. My husband heard it from a Beast Pirate. Boasting about it, he was.” Your heart sank. Caught the whole crew? Panic set in. Were they alive? Were they dead? Were they being held in the same place? It didn’t sound like it. You needed more information, but you knew you wouldn’t get too much from the two ladies without drawing suspicion.

“Well, at least they’re locked up. We don’t need more pirates terrorizing us. We’ve been through enough,” the other woman said. You nodded along with them, making a little more idle chat before bidding farewell and leaving.

Well, now to figure out where the hell Udon is. And what prison they were talking about. Though, you weren’t sure how old that information was either.

As if the universe was granting you some kind of mercy, you heard another tidbit of information.

“I heard there was a breakout at the Udon prison.” You glanced over, seeing a couple Beast Pirates talking this time. “That Strawhat guy and that Captain Kid guy.” You felt your heart breathe a sigh of relief to hear your brother was able to get out of there. But…where the hell was he now? You didn’t even know where to begin searching for him. You knew he wouldn’t stay in one place long and knew the first thing he’d do is get his crew back.

The only thing you could do was just continue with your own mission. Surely you’d run into him eventually. Besides, he was your brother, he was probably just fine. With a deep sigh, you decided what to do next.

Now, you just need to head to Onigashima. Simple enough. You just…needed to find your boat…and…fuck. Which fuckin’ port you come in on? You should’ve paid more attention to your surroundings and where the hell you were going. Though, taking your own boat over to Onigashima was probably also not very smart. You should probably just sneak on one of their own ships in disguise. Yeah, that checked out. That was a better plan.

Turns out, most of the Beast Pirates were absolutely dense. They were not bright. All it took was knocking one out and changing clothes and they were none the wiser.

When you actually made it to Onigashima - things didn’t get any easier. You thought it would for a moment, only to find out there was some kind of huge fight going on. Well, shit. Now what were you supposed to do? You ended up getting swept into a crowd of rushing people heading into the castle. Well shit, that’s the opposite of what you wanted. You wanted the outside not the inside. 

You eventually broke away from the crowd, grumbling as you did so. You straightened yourself out, heading towards the place where you had entered from only to suddenly feel the entire place begin to quake. You lost your footing, crashing to the ground as did a lot of other people. Shouting began and everyone started looking around. 

Once the ground stopped shaking, you stood up, heading over to the nearest window. “Are we in the fucking air?” you mumbled to yourself. That was absolutely insane. What was Kaido’s plan with this one? Actually, you still weren’t even sure what the hell was going on. As far as you know a fight broke out during a party and that’s it. You had no idea who was involved or why it was happening.

“I can’t believe it either.” You looked over, seeing another Beast Pirate. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but apparently the Strawhats, the Kid Pirates, and the Heart Pirates are all here trying to take down Kaido and Big Mom, so get ready for a lot of fighting.” You stared at him. “Huh?”

“Good luck, soldier,” he called as he ran off.

You just stared after him. “He’s going after another fucking yonko?” you yelled to no one in particular. With all the commotion, no one really noticed anyway. You took off your helmet for a moment, running a hand through your hair. This was absolutely ridiculous. What the hell was Eustass thinking? 

Well, at least that answered the question of where he was. It was only a matter of finding him now. At this point, you forgot about what you had originally come here for. Your only goal now was to find Eustass and demand to know what’s going on…or at least know he’s okay. You still couldn’t believe he was targeting a yonko. Was he trying to lose another arm? 

With a dramatic sigh, you started to navigate the halls. Fights were broken out left and right. You did your best to stay out of all of them. You didn’t particularly care one way or another how they would end up. None of this was any of your business…well…if you rejoined your own crew then you supposed it was.

Ugh, you’d figure out the details later. You really needed to stop overthinking things - it was giving you a headache.

During your search, you stopped dead in your tracks as you saw a familiar tuft of red hair. A large smile spread across your face as you honed in on what you saw. There he fucking was - your brother. Eustass fucking Kid. And, as always, Killer wasn’t far from him. You felt a heat creep onto your cheeks as you looked at the man you’ve had a crush on since childhood. Did he get bigger? Motherfucker yoked up. Your brother too. Damn, what the fuck did they do when you were gone? Take steroids? Damn.

Your heart was pounding in your ears with excitement. So much excitement, in fact, that you didn’t exactly notice the state they were in. Now that the initial shock of seeing them had passed, you noticed the rough shape the both of them were in. You had something that could fix that - you just had to get to them first.

You moved quick, taking your enemies out one by one in rapid succession. Soon enough, all that was standing in your way was Eustass and Killer. “What are you doing?” One of the fallen pirates asked in a strained voice. “Are you betraying us?” You just looked down at him, licking your teeth. You looked back to the two in front of you, tossing them what looked like some kind of protein bars. 

“Eat those,” you said.

Eustass just glared at you. “Why the fuck would I listen to someone who just killed their own men?” he demanded. You blinked, confused on why he didn’t recognize you. Then it dawned on you. The helmet covering your face. Right. Plus, what were the odds you’d be here anyway? You were about to take your helmet off when you noticed someone creeping up on your brother. 

With a sigh, you threw one of your daggers, flying right past Eustass’ head and straight into the skull of the man behind him. “You really need to be aware of your surroundings, Tungsten,” you said with a dramatic sigh.

His eyes widened in disbelief and his whole body went rigid as the nickname left your mouth. You took off your helmet, tossing it to the side. “Ugh, that thing was awful.” Honestly, you didn’t know why you wore it as long as you did. Maybe to make people leave you alone? You weren’t sure at this point. 

“What?” Your brother’s voice was soft, full of disbelief. You looked at Eustass, confused. “Is that all you gotta say to me?” Though, with the look on his face, you could tell that he was still dumbfounded. He definitely couldn’t believe his eyes. “What? You think I was dead?” You snorted.

“Like I said, eat those bars. It’ll take a couple of minutes, but you’ll completely recover. However, it’s the only one you’ll be able to have today so make it count, yeah?” It was something you had developed while you were on the island. Medicines were your specialty, after all.

They looked at each other before looking back at you. “Bigs?” You looked at him and nodded slowly. “...Yes? Are you still on that?” Now that you thought about it, Eustass did look pale. As if he had seen a ghost. He slowly stepped towards you before taking you in his arms and holding you tightly. “Uh…Tungsten?” you asked, patting his back. “As much as I love you and love your affection, I can’t help but feel like I’m missing something.”

“Kese said you died.” You froze at the mention of his name as your own mind started to spin. “H-He what?” You pulled away from Eustass, looking at him. You searched for a lie in his face, but there was none. There was, however, a lot of emotion that he was holding back. Probably holding it together because you were in public and somewhat in the middle of a war.

You blinked, looking from him, to Killer who hadn’t even moved so much of an inch or said anything, back to Eustass. You shook your head. 

“This is something we can process and go over later,” you said, knowing you needed to move things along. “I’m well and alive, obviously. I’m just here originally for a mission for the labs, but it seems like there’s a lot of unsettled business I’ll need to attend to. So.”

You look at them, stepping back and putting your hands on your hips. Once more, you were taking your authority as an older sibling. “This is the plan, yeah?” They nodded, looking at you, ready to listen. “You two are going to eat those bars and do whatever it is you need to do. I’m going to finish my own side mission that I was sent on. This is all gonna end and we’re gonna meet up later, alright?” They nodded again, opening their bars.

“And none of us are going to die, got it?” You had a firmer tone this time and again, they nodded. You could tell they were still absolutely floored that you were before them. Why would Kese tell them that you died? What the hell was his angle at this point? Why did he want you out of the picture so damn bad? You didn’t even fucking know the guy. 

You could figure all that out later, right now you had shit to do. You smiled at the both of them. “Alright. We have a plan, now quit standing there like a couple of idiots and get going.” With that, you winked and hightailed it out of there.

[imagitory]

@andrewmoocow Personally I find them to be misguided. There is a very well-done analysis video I've cited before that talks about the animation and why it ends up looking like AI, and I think it really addresses this argument better than I could --

-- but TL;DR, the animation looks "fake" largely because of stylistic decisions (l.e. turning off motion blur with the thought it would look "more like 2D") that weren't well thought-out. And I actually think the film's writing issues run into the same problem.

Because here's the thing -- writing high fantasy is not as easy as it looks. I can testify to this because I myself am writing a draft for a high fantasy novel right now.

All these years, Disney has been in an advantageous position with their animated films largely being adaptations of previous works, since they're already given a lot of the parameters a writer needs to build a world, plot, and characters. In a Snow White adaptation, for instance, you need a vain queen, an innocent princess, a prince, seven dwarfs, a magic mirror, and a poisoned apple, as well as a fairy tale world where these things fit comfortably. And since so much mainstream fantasy is largely inspired by medieval Europe, that aesthetic remains very familiar with audiences to the point that you need a lot less explanation for things. We don't really need an explanation for the political landscape of Cinderella because we see "fairy tale kingdom" and immediately know it's an absolute monarchy led by generally amiable rulers. We're not surprised when fairies appear in Sleeping Beauty, or when a magical sword predicts who should be king in The Sword in the Stone, or when Tiana and Naveen are turned into frogs in The Princess and the Frog, or when trolls appear in Frozen -- all of these magical conventions fit within the usual fantasy aesthetic and really don't need any explanation or backstory. I'd hazard to say that most people -- aside from those nitpicky critic types who get all hung up on how many servants are in Beast's castle just because they saw a bunch of extra silverware in the Be Our Guest sequence -- just don't bother questioning these things. And the original material also gives some shape and form to the adaptation's story, characters, and overall feel. It doesn't matter how close the finished product matches the original idea or even how familiar the audience is with that original material -- it still provides a jump-off point and sense of focus for the writer(s), the same way fanfiction (even an AU fanfic) can, in contrast to original content.

All right, well, what about those Disney projects that aren't fantasy? Well, in the case of stories like Treasure Planet, Robin Hood, and Mulan, they're still based off preexisting properties that people will find familiar enough that the writers can focus more on the adaptation's unique additions and not focus on detailed backstories and explanations about how the world and societies depicted in the story work. It's a lot easier to just focus on the fantastical elements like the space tech, talking animals, or Mushu and the ancestors if the rest of the story and cast are relatively easy to understand. Even in the case of original stories like The Lion King (which admittedly was largely inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet, but I digress), Lilo and Stitch, and Lady and the Tramp, they still exist in a non-magical world that closely resembles ours, with only superficial changes like animals being able to talk or the existence of aliens. Even quasi-historical settings like The Great Mouse Detective and Atlantis: The Lost Empire look enough like our real-world equivalent that their settings are largely recognizable to us.

In just about all Disney animated films, the screenwriters didn't have to world-build that much. They didn't have to put the character development and plot on hold to explain the rules of the universe these stories take place in that often -- not unlike how writers like Rick Riordan didn't have to explain as much about the country his hero Percy Jackson lives in, because his books are an urban fantasy where our real world is just "plused up" with magical elements. We don't need to know if gravity works on the story's characters the way it does for us. We don't need to be told about the political landscape, history, or terrain of our location. We don't need to ask whether dying is something our characters can come back from.

Wish, on the other hand, is an original story in a high fantasy setting that doesn't resemble our world. People might try to claim it takes place in the Iberian Peninsula, but come on -- Rosas is a completely fictional country in a world that has magic we don't know the rules of and countries that faintly resemble cultures from our world, but we don't know the histories of or how similar they actually are to their real-world inspiration. We also have a cast of characters we've never met in any other media and a story and messages that we know nothing about beforehand. This means that we have no preexisting framework going in for what's possible and impossible in this world; no frame of reference about who these characters are and what their histories are; and no parameters that the plot, characters, and themes must fit inside, whether based on the fantastical story being adapted or a real-world setting that's a lot like ours. And I don't think that Disney really thought through just how challenging it can sometimes be to tell this kind of a story without stuffing the script with a lot of "tell" and not "show," which, as just about any film person can tell you, is the exact opposite of what you generally want. In film scripts, you want to show your audience a lot more than you tell them -- this not only takes full advantage of the visual medium and communicates your point in a much more natural and artistic way, but it also lets your audience think for itself and come to its own conclusions.

Now of course, can you write a high fantasy original story that's easy to follow and evokes a lot of emotion in your audience? Of course! But it does take time and a lot of careful and creative world-building. J.R.R. Tolkien was the king of such things. George R. R. Martin has done it. Neil Gaiman has done it. Ursula K. Le Guin has done it. Even the writer of the Nimona graphic novel, ND Stevenson, did a good job of it! But I think it's quite clear that Wish's script was not in the works that long -- development of the original idea started back in 2018, yes, but it wasn't until January 2022 that it was announced Jennifer Lee was writing it and Julia Michaels was brought on to write the songs, so the film's current trajectory likely wasn't pinpointed until then. And if the film was released in November 2023, then that means Wish's script was finished in under two years. Although there are successful Disney scripts that I daresay needed only that much time (Frozen, for instance, was quite rushed, by all accounts), once again, those scripts were done for stories with some sort of preexisting framework that allowed the writers to skip explaining certain visual or contextual short-hand in favor of focusing on their own creative flourishes in character and story. They were written with a tighter focus on the plot and its players without the need to build a complete stage under them.

The reason some people want to cry "AI!" when they look at Wish's writing is that they're looking at a script that makes the rookie writing mistake of exposition-dumping in an attempt to make its audience care, rather than evoking emotion. That kind of exposition-dumping is something that most novelists usually have to trim and rewrite in future drafts of their work: it's a mistake done while the writer is trying to world-build enough that their audience understands all of these original rules, societies, locations, and characters they're not familiar with. This exposition is then often trimmed down before publishing, and when adapted for the screen it's often trimmed even further or even completely rewritten, in favor of more visual methods of conveying the same information. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz writes about Dorothy traveling down the Yellow Brick Road and about the long journey that takes her and her friends through a lot of side adventures on their way to the Emerald City: it's the famous film adaptation that cuts out the Kalidahs and puts the whole trip to jaunty music for the characters to sing and dance to. Wish could've communicated to us the importance of the wishes to their owners through more visual means, but instead feels the need to reiterate this idea over and over through written dialogue. And again, this is a common mistake by writers when they're inexperienced in creating completely original content, as opposed to spin-offs, sequels, or adaptations of other people's work.

AI writing is generally known for repetitive phrasing and sentence structure, lack of accuracy, and lack of a personal touch. As much as I'll agree that there are a lot of character and world-building choices in Wish that don't make sense, I don't think that's the same thing. There clearly was a story someone (or multiple people) wanted to tell about a person hoarding the precious ideas of other people away, even if it means those ideas can never be shared with the world -- it just wasn't a story that ended up being told that well. And I think this is why Wish is almost worth seeing -- it serves as a good example of why certain writing decisions work better than others and how writing for fantasy projects and/or "family entertainment" is an art form that's worthy of respect when it's done right.

To sum up my stance on the matter -- I think Disney just bit off way more than it could chew and then didn't give its writers enough time to properly digest it.

[cap-ironman]

2023 Captain America/Iron Man Reverse Bang Masterlist

After months filled with creativity being crafted into fanworks, this year's Reverse Bang is finished! Thank you to all of our fantastic participants—congratulations on posting, and we hope you had a great time working together, whether this was your first Cap-IM RBB or not!

Here’s the final list of our 11 fantastic artwork entries and their accompanying works, all created specifically for this event. Enjoy exploring the new Stevetony content, and remember to show your appreciation through kudos, comments and sharing if you haven't already!

Mind the warnings for each individual work on their AO3 page, please.

Masterlist under the cut

Honesty is the best policy by BladeoftheNebula and Hkandi (Gen, MCU, art and 7549 words) ★ Team Masterpost

Steve's friends are throwing a Valentine's party and want to set Steve up with a date there, as he's one of the few single ones in their circle. Stubborn as he is, he decides to put in some effort himself and puts a tragically honest flier up on campus, not actually believing anyone will reply. Imagine his surprise when someone actually does!

For What Good is a Man by Perlmutt and ATOASTBW (E, MCU, art and 15,921 words) ★ Team Masterpost

It's Tony 58th birthday, but despite it being his special day, he's filled with uncharacteristic self-doubt. Luckily, he had his friends and family to cheer him up.

In particular, his husband was more than happy to prove his love for him, in more ways than one

just like binary stars by Fluffypanda and ArabellaAM (Gen, MCU, art and 16,105 words) ★ Team Masterpost

Tony's kingdom has been at war with the northern barbarians since even before he was born. When his men finally capture one of them, Tony's ready for everything: he's ready to learn their language, to get all the information he can about them and to finally win this war.

But falling in love with one of them? That's the one thing he wasn't ready for.

Not Part of the Plan by KappaMairi/Askafroa and AvengersNewB (T, MCU, art and 9001 words) ★ Team Masterpost

Omega Tony was not planning to go against the plan: to mate with Tiberius Stone, take care of his alpha's needs, to remember at all times that he was just an omega. Tony was not planning to fall in love and yet, somehow, Steve Rogers happened to him.

Only Paintings in the Building by ironycap, BladeoftheNebula and Neverever (T, MCU, art and 5,885 words) ★ Team Masterpost

His life would be a lot easier if he could just stick to painting other things. Landscapes for example. Landscapes were nice. But then again landscapes didn’t have that glint in their eye, or that body that had been built from hard engineering and years of trying to do good. They didn’t have that inherent charm and good looks that won them Sexiest Man of the Year four times. By comparison, landscapes were a joke. Steve causes himself a whole heap of trouble when he starts to paint pictures of Tony.

Push by ralsbecket (T, MCU, art) ★ Team Masterpost

remember to remember me by xWinterDreamsx (T, MCU, 5267 words)

“Look at me. Look at me.”

Tony looked. He looked and he felt, for a moment, that this can’t have been the first time he got lost in those blue eyes. It felt familiar, in a way he didn’t understand.

Reaching Out For Your Hope_ART! by KakushiMiko (Not Rated, MCU, Art) ★ Team Masterpost

Reaching Out For Your Hope by Becci_chan (T, MCU, 10,569 words)

Steve knew Tony could see and sense everything about him, but Steve had no idea what was going on in Tony’s head. He just hoped he got his point across. He wanted to help as well. Maybe they could support each other, have each other’s back in case of a fight.

Safe Haven by zappedbysnow and Gottalovev (M, MCU/Avengers Assemble, art and 20,868 words) ★ Team Masterpost

It's been three months since the Battle of New York. Four since Steve woke up in the future. Everything is still too fast, too bright, too glib. And then, as if it wasn't enough, Steve is dragged through a portal into an alternate universe. Other Him is happy, though, and that feels like hope.

Soar the skies, scorch the lands, build a halo of stars and lightning- ART! by KakushiMiko (Not Rated, MCU, Art) ★ Team Masterpost

Soar the skies, scorch the lands, build a halo of stars and lightning by Shipperslist (T, MCU, 14,770 words)

Crown Prince Anthony Stark does not want to be a king, and even less he wants to be Bound to a Guardian in some supposedly magical ritual. Turns out that he likes being the victim even less and…well. The Binding might not be so bad after all.

The Starkphone Sex Tapes by jetblackfeeling/wingheads (E, MCU, art) ★ Team Masterpost

The Starkphone Sex Tapes by purpleicedteas (E, MCU, 5563 words)

Steve finds porn too unrealistic to watch.

Tony gives him a helping hand. And mouth.

unravel by jetblackfeeling/wingheads (E, 616, art) ★ Team Masterpost

Spill into my hands by Missy_dee811 (E, 616, 7811 words)

As always, a flirt. “It’s nice to see you, Tony,” he said. Tony smiled. “You, too, Cap,” he said.

(Thor, Steve, and Tony agree to restart the Avengers. All is going well until there's a misunderstanding and Steve has to come to terms with the feelings he has for Tony and what they'll mean for them, and the team, going forward.)

[trigunwritings]

Hey! Saw your new blog! Lovely layout! Anyway, if your accepting requests can I please have a request of vash traveling with a time traveler that claims they are from 21st century earth but are now stuck on Norman land? Maybe she tells him stories of all the wonders of the world?(huge trees that touch the sky, thousands of flowers of different colors, all the different types of donuts that exist, water that comes from the sky in such huge amounts it could flood a valley, volcanos that spew hot lava and giant glaciers of ice that float in giant pools of water) they just tell each other stories of their adventures on their respective planets while vash also teaches his time traveler buddy all the stuff about Noman land. Much thanks!

Vash's eyes fill with glittering awe as the words of home continue to fall from your lips. Of Earth. What had once been idle conversation to fill the awkward and empty air quickly became stories of things that had, at least at one point, been completely normal to you. As normal as things could be to a person who had been whisked away from everything familiar and safe in the blink of an eye. Even weeks after the fact, you still clutch onto the dire hope that you're simply dreaming a fantastical, horrifying dream.

"So you're telling me it could rain so much that it could fill up this entire gorge?"

The man's tone had not faltered from childish disbelief for a moment since deciding to tell him of the various wonders of Earth—it is so different from this... place, this No Man's Land of endless desert and scorching heat.

The fact that anyone could even survive upon such an inhospitable planet is beyond understanding.

Your eyes glance from one side of the rocky landscape to the other, then up towards where the edges of the rocks jut into the amazingly bright sky. Several meters high and several more wide at least. Idly, you wonder what could have happened in the history of this planet to create such a formation if rain was not the maker.

Nonetheless, you nod and look towards him again. "Easily," you say with a smile nearly forced. "There are plenty of places on Earth where the rain would fall so quickly that the ground can't absorb it quick enough—even in the desert. I think they were still called flash floods."

"Would it rain like that everywhere?"

"Oh no, not everywhere," you say, tapping a finger to your chin. "Lots of places didn't get so much rain that it washed everything away. There were forests and jungles, meadows and mountains—have you ever even seen a tree?"

"A tree?"

The blonde looks utterly befuddled by the word, though there's a thin veil of... recognition? He doesn't offer anything besides a look of genuine interest as that expression fades away, and you're not sure if you had simply misread him, and merely nod.

"A tree. It's tall and full of bright green leaves usually—Earth had all sorts, some were so huge you couldn't see the top, others grew fruit like apples and oranges."

You take a moment or so before glancing down towards your feet. There isn't even a tuft of grass, a sprig of green; dead or alive, there isn't an inch of plant growth to be found.

"Trees and grass... and bushes and flowers—never thought I'd be this desperate to even just see weeds or some cactuses."

Vash blinks, looking both as if he understands and doesn't at the same time, but before he can say anything the ground suddenly starts to shake beneath your feet. Not hard; it feels like a gentle rumbling as opposed to anything else, but fear rolls down your spine all the same.

"What-" you say, trying desperately to figure out if the shaking is coming from something large moving outside of what you can see within the valley of the gorge. "What is that? An earthquake?"

"Earthquake?" Vash sounds too amused, but lays a hand on your shoulder to steady you—perhaps more emotionally than physical. "That's just a sand-worm. Big one, I bet. They don't tend to surface in rocky places so I don't think we need to worry about anything."

A dozen questions immediately surface about nearly every word that came out of the man's mouth, but you shove them down so as to nod in silent acceptance of his answer. The rumbling continues for at least a minute before eventually calming down, leaving the ground beneath your feet still once more.

Vash removes his hand from your shoulder and adjusts himself, flashing a grin that looks almost stupidly energetic on his face.

"See? Nothing to worry about."

You simply remain silent, brows furrowing just enough over your downturned eyes that the stress must have looked obvious enough; your traveling partner quickly makes a noise to get your attention and gestures widely with his hands as he talks.

"Look, we're way too small to be considered any kind of good eating to a sand-worm like that—those things mostly eat tiny bug that live deep in the dunes out in the open sea anyway."

What?

"Sea?" The confusion grabbed you so quickly that there wasn't a moment to be concerned over the horrible way Vash had described such a monstrous thing—humans were too small? You narrow your eyes at him and tilt your head to the side. "What do you mean sea?"

He meets your confusion with some of his own, echoing the expression across your face.

"I mean... the open sand," he explains with a useless wave of his hand out towards the end of the gorge the two of you had entered from, where the sand dunes rolled on for miles upon miles. "No town for days, just dunes and stuff."

"That's...a desert."

Vash only looks more confused as you try to clarify his choice of words. It leaves you wondering if, perhaps, there's been a defined shift in what he means from your use of the language.

"A sea is a large body of water," you finally explain, uselessly trying to conjure up flashes of memories in your mind as if that would help you describe it perfectly into words he could connect with. "Like, huge. They're hundreds of miles wide at the smallest and deeper than anyone could ever swim. They have dolphins and whales and squids—"

"Are you sure you're not making some of those words up?" Vash asks with a chuckle, but you ignore him in favor of trying to finish your thoughts.

"—and we'd have huge ships that could sail across them, sometimes people would spend vacations on fancy cruises or— or scientists would find all sorts of new animals we never knew existed! They were huge and deep and filled with water and not sand—"

As your words turn less explanatory and more frantic, you swear that the world starts to shake just a little bit. Or maybe that's just you shaking, brain unable to wrap around the fact that this never-ending desert is not home, it's not Earth, and you are far, far away from anything even remotely familiar to you.

To this, Vash finally seems to take a step towards you, face empty of humor and instead filled with a look of soft concern.

"Hey hey hey—" his hands fall on your shoulders just hard enough that the pressure snaps your mind out of its whirlwind of worry. "Don't start thinking too much about it. I promise I don't think you're lying, not at all."

Your eyes meet his own for several long seconds. Even through the tint of his glasses, you can't help but feel comforted by the soft blue-green of the man's eyes, mirroring a perfectly clear sky and filled with an assurance so strong you couldn't help but feel calmed at least a little.

"...I miss it," the words gently mumble past your lips. "All of it. Earth."

"There's nothing wrong for someone to miss home," he whispers in return, soft tone nearly lost in the wind blowing through the gorge and whistling its lonely reminders. "And I'll do everything I can to make sure you go back to it, okay?"

Your face bounces with a nod after a few seconds, temporarily comforted from the anxiety biting at the edges of fragile thoughts.

"Please," you say, gentle and firm, "Don't make promises you can't keep."

Vash is silent for a moment. At first you think he's going to say nothing and merely change the subject or hurry the two of you to keep moving before the day turns too hot—but instead, the grip of his hands on your shoulders grow tight and hard, just short of uncomfortable.

"Don't worry." The words are simple, and there's a smile on his face. "I won't."

It's a painful, honest smile.