#I love snake characters… so intricate so interesting

[earthyorangeaid]

Is anyone gonna gif the looks of absolute disgust Palm was giving Ben this episode orrrr,,, cause he’s the only one reading the massive levels of SNAKE that boy’s giving off and we love to see it

Like look at his face before and after Ben starts talking to him. Mwah, perfection

[oepionie]

Hi! I'm not sure if this request is odd, but could I request Jamil with an s/o that's skilled at pharmacology and cooking?

CHARMING THE SNAKE. jamil viper

Character/s: Jamil Viper x GN! Reader

Tags: Tooth-rotting fluff, slight angst if you squint really hard

WordCount: 700+ |💌 Masterlist

> If you were skilled in pharmacology, I can see him being interested in the research work you do. He enjoys spending time with you in your lab while you work, however occasionally he gets sidetracked and ends up staring at you instead.

Jamil watched you move around the lab efficiently, grabbing papers and test tubes as you went. He sat in the far back, leaning against the wall as he watched you in your element. His half-finished homework was scattered on the desk in front of him. Homework that he had abandoned in favour of staring at you instead.

Your hair was pinned back with two golden snake clips, ones he gifted you himself. You had a focused expression on your face, tongue occasionally darting out to wet your lips. He let his gaze move to the soft line of your cheeks before finally looking into your eyes. They were like sparkling gold coins, pieces of pale, polished emerald, dazzling amber, and intricately carved jade, similar to the gems and jewels he'd seen at the bazaars back in the Scalding Sands. Your eyes shone under the lab's overhead lighting like hidden gems in rich dirt. Jamil wished to stare at them for hours, had stared at them for hours.

"That essay Sir Trein assigned isn't going to finish itself, Jamil." You mused, not looking up from your papers as he stared at you from across the table. He blinked before hastily looking down.

"Ah. Yes of course."

> Cooking dates? Cooking dates. Jamil would put both your culinary abilities to use and convince you to join him in the kitchen. After all, isn't cooking so much better with your beloved?

Placing a sheet of phyllo dough into the pan, you quickly grabbed a pastry brush, brushing the sheet with melted butter. Jamil was, unsurprisingly, placed in charge of food preparations after Kalim announced yet another weekend party at Scarabia. You had promised to help, and now here you were, wearing a frilly apron while preparing Baklava in Scarabia's kitchen.

"How is it?" Jamil placed a hand on your hip, brushing his lips against the shell of your ear. You jumped, cheeks burning up from the close proximity between his body and yours.

"Make sure the mixture is layered properly." He spoke in a low and deep whisper, eyeing the pan. He clasped his hands over your own, guiding the pastry brush along the pan.

"J-Jamil! I know that! Shoo! I'm trying to concentrate here." As you turned to face him, he gave you a sly smirk and stepped back. His charcoal grey eyes swept over your body before settling on the apron you were wearing.

"Kiss the chef, huh?"

"It was the only apron they had left!"

> Despite the teasing, he would actually melt if you cooked for him, though he'd feel a bit guilty about it. Being the vice dorm leader and Kalim's babysitter retainer leaves him with little free time, thus he hardly ever finds the opportunity to take care of himself. He is incredibly appreciative of your love and generosity, it might just take him some time to get used to it.

"Jewel? What are you doing here? Jamil stared at you bewildered. He was on his way to history class, running a bit late since he had to rush back to the dorm when Kalim once again forgot his homework. That's when you unexpectedly arrived, looking a little unkempt and holding a lunch box in one hand.

"Jamil! I've brought you lunch!" you say brightly, your one free arm raised up to beckon him in for a hug. Jamil closes the distance in less than a second, pulling you in. You pressed a kiss on his cheek, chuckling when you felt his skin burn up.

"Thank you but you really didn't have to." He steps back and coughs into his palm, attempting to maintain his composure. Jamil knew that cooking for him every day was no easy fit, especially when you're practically swamped with all the work that Crowley dumped onto you. Still, as with anything thrown your way, you somehow always go out of your way to make time for him.

"I wanted to! Here, take it!" Ignoring the pang of guilt in his chest, Jamil plucks the lunch box from your hands. He's careful with the meal, lifting the cover to catch a glimpse of what you've made for him today. The meal featured a bed of creamy milky rice which was topped with a butter-coated roast chicken.

"Saleeg? I was just craving this earlier, how did you know?"

"It was just a hunch~"

Likes and Reblogs are greatly appreciated and motivating on my end !

[zielenna]

12 and 17 :)

Hi! :)

I think you heard most of this already, but here goes.

12. Any books that disappointed you?

Quite a few! I tend to avoid books I am not confident I will enjoy, but it still happened. First one was Lee Mandelo's Summer Sons, which I only read 70 pages of. And you know, that one is on me, I should have known that a novel marketed as a follow-up to Dream Thieves would not be great, but I thought it would make a decent breezy summer reading, and I was compelled by the premise of estranged friends, ghosts, campus politics, southern gothic, and blood magic. And to be fair, the campus part was almost solid; I do believe that the author had been in a graduate program. But the prose was so clunky! It was possibly the worst-written book I read in the last couple of years. It wasn't just unremarkable, it was so bad that I had difficulty parsing it, and I am quite sure that wasn't intentional.

Unfortunately, my quest for a novel with ghosts intervening between estranged friends led me to another disappointment, Bryan Washington's Family Meal. I was mostly bothered by two things. First, there was much of "therapy-speak," both in dialogue and in narration. People told one another that the other person didn't get to say X to them, and apologized each other for trauma dumping. Second, possibly as a result of the author's other stylistic choices (spare, simple prose; limited access to characters' interiority), the descriptions of various locales and characters' actions were dominated by proper nouns - so I knew the exact demographic make-up of every neighborhood they drove through, I knew the names of Japanese ingredients they cooked with, and I knew that the love interest was Thai and used they/them pronouns - but I couldn't tell you anything about their personality. This made the novel feel rather flat.

17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

Well, because I am so picky, I am rarely positively surprised… Zola's Bête humaine surprised me with how well it was constructed. I can't recall it in detail as it's been a while since I read it, but I remember being impressed with how intricately the various plotlines were interconnected, how self-contained each chapter felt, and how effectively they cumulated. It felt very clean, like a classical tragedy. The novel also had a very striking center, towards which the plot and the characters gravitated, and from which the violence which the novel examined had originated. Funnily enough, Zola seems not to have been aware of it, as the novel explicitly provides a different account of the original crime - one which accords with his ideas about heredity, but isn't really persuasive.

Other than that, I was surprised by how much enjoyed Esther Yi's Y/N (it was even more to my taste than I expected) and, frankly, the Chaucer texts that I read this fall. I don't recall having a strong response to him in my undergrad, and it took me long weeks in the summer to read Troilus and Criseyde when I was assigned it in my second year. But now I had a really good time!

Actually, it was every easy for me to compate Y/N to Family Meal, which reinforced my opinions of both.

Y/N, a character's first impression of Seoul: "I drew aside the little curtain at my window. The proportions were startling. Row after row of perfectly rectangular apartment towers—thirty floors on average—obscured my view of a mountain range. Entire families were sitting on leather couches as high up as mountains. When the Han River appeared alongside the elevated track of the highway, I was shocked by its breadth. The river was a giant black snake with a muscular back, winding through the constructed landscape with a calm magnanimity I found menacing."

Family Meal, a character's first impression of Tokyo: "The publisher flew me to Tokyo to work with Hana on her edits. We’d been given a three-month deadline. But she and I spent most of our days in tiny dives around her neighborhood instead. We rode bikes past the financial district. We ate dinner with her ex-boyfriend, a stocky guy with dyed hair who blushed at the sight of me. The rest of the time, I slumped in the sento beside my rental in Setagaya, wading in the bathwater beside salarymen and shop owners and bankers."

I told you that what struck me in Y/N was its resistance to cliche. And that is a stylistic choice I sympathize with more than with the transparency of Family Meal.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

ace ruggie azul jamil for the character bingo! if four is too much, just ace ruggie and azul is fine!

Character Opinion Bingo for Azul here!

Character Opinion Bingo for Ruggie here!

***Standard disclaimer: These are just my personal opinions of the character(s); regardless of what I may think of them, sharing my thoughts is NOT meant to offend or to shame anyone that thinks differently.***

HEY IT’S J WORD

... Oh, wrong J word 😔 IT’S OKAY, I LIKE JAMIL TOO

I’m going to be real with you, I’ve got a thing for butler/bodyguard characters, and since Jamil is presented as Kalim’s caretaker (kind of like a butler) AND Jamil is professionally trained as a bodyguard (confirmed in episode 6), he checks off a lot of boxes for me. I actually feel kind of guilty for liking Jamil because of those attributes though, since he has stated that he dislikes his position in life 💦 I do like other aspects of Jamil, though! It’s just the butler/bodyguard vibes that initially drew me to him, along with his appearance. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a character with a hairstyle as intricate as Jamil’s??????? But it’s really pleasing to look at (and probably really pleasing to listen to, like just imagine all the little hair ornaments clinking or jingling as he walks)! His eyes are also interesting; they look kind of blank at first glance, but upon further inspection I kind of understand what Leona meant when he said Jamil has eyes that “always glare”.

I think the best thing about Jamil is how... understated he is? He has a resting bitch face, and he acts so unassuming, but when he’s given a chance to speak from the heart, he can be petty and passive aggressive 🤣 which I think is a real treat! As I mentioned in my character opinion bingo for Vil, I love characters who operate under the radar or scheme in the shadows, and Jamil definitely does so it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that I like him. Jamil also gives off those intense “tired mom”, “disappointed but not surprised”, and “I’m so done with this shit” energy, which I find extremely relatable. I feel bad for him when I see him suffering (because I know I would also be exasperated if I were in his shoes), but at the same time I have a sadistic part of me that wants to giggle, thankful that I’m not him right now. If I stop pointing and laughing at Jamil for a second, I’m happy that he finally has a little more wiggle room to act freely; the poor man’s been through a lot and he REALLY deserves a vacation and some freedom.

I think Jamil plays off of other characters so well, particularly when he’s being petty with them or is fed up with playing babysitter. One of my favorite character dynamics is Jamil and Azul; Azul’s eagerness to befriend and/or recruit Jamil to his dorm and Jamil vehemently resisting and firing back… I find it funny in a dry kind of way.

Weirdly enough, I don’t enjoy Jamil as much when he goes unhinged because he makes uncomfortable and unflattering facial expressions when he does ashdbaosydasdsd ALSO, LIKE. I don’t know if this is just me, but Jamil’s brand of “evil” feels like he’s trying too hard????? So it ends up coming across to me as more pathetic than how Jamil wants it to be perceived... especially when he laughs like that and has extended monologues about how great he is and how he has finally succeeded with his plans. It feels like I’m watching a Saturday morning cartoon where the villain is making their speech about how it’s too late to stop them RIGHT BEFORE THE HEROES CRASH IN AND STOP THEM. I’m also not a fan of his Overblot design, especially the weird hair-snake turban and the ink goatee thing??????????? THAT’S SO UGLY AND JAMIL DESERVED BETTER 😭

I think Jamil gets it kind of bad when it comes to fandom takes. I don’t believe I’ve seen anything that outright paints him as a “bad” person completely in the wrong after the events of episode 4, but I get the distinct impression that people oversimplify Jamil’s issues. “Oh, Kalim can just set him free when he succeeds the Asim family”/”Kalim can talk to his dad about it”, as if it’s just as easy to do as Aladdin wishing the Genie free. Kalim himself acts like it’s something can be easily done. It’s not, and to believe that it is as Kalim does demonstrates a sense of naivety. The fact of the matter is that this is something that extends far beyond what Kalim or Jamil can do individually to resolve it; it’s not a problem between just them, but between them and the systems that their families have become so accustomed to. You cannot just shatter or overturn a generations-long relationship just like that, which is exactly why Jamil is forced into a position where he HAS to continue serving under Kalim post-episode 4. Believing that it’s so simple undermines Jamil’s struggles and paints him as someone who was overreacting to a problem that could “easily” be resolved. I think a large part of this ideation comes from EN’s intentional censorship of how dire Jamil’s situation is 💦 which is a shame, as that really undercuts his motivations and how desperate he is… (EN makes Jamil and Kalim “employee” and “employer” not “servant” and “master”. Additionally, EN removes Jamil’s lines about his whole family will be thrown out on the streets if he defies the Asims.)

Another common take I see about Jamil is that he apparently hates Kalim and Kalim specifically (especially seeing as Jamil goes off on a rant post-OB about how much he despises Kalim’s smile and having to serve him). I believe it’s true to some extent, but that it’s also not the entirety of the picture. Why does Jamil hate Kalim? Because he’s forced to work for him? No, what Jamil truly hates is what Kalim stands for, the people who happen to be born in higher social statuses and are ignorant to the struggles of the people below them. He just happens to project his anger at Kalim in particular because he’s an easy target and someone he’s always with. “As long as [Kalim] exists, I will never be free,” Jamil says. Why? If Kalim dies, won’t Jamil just be relegated to serving the rest of the VERY extensive Asim family? Therefore, literally being rid of Kalim and Kalim alone would do nothing to alleviate Jamil’s distress. This leads me to believe “Kalim” in that line is metaphorical and refers to the establishments that Jamil hates, the thing that Kalim represents, rather than Kalim himself.

In episode 6, Jamil demonstrates holding similar vitriol for other people, such as Leona, and expresses disdain toward others and feels as though he cannot trust anyone at all to be competent. He directs a lot of hate to the people around him, but often just keeps it to himself to maintain a veneer of politeness... and I don’t think that’s healthy for him 😔 Good on Leona for talking some sense into him-- Jamil could literally be so powerful if he wasn’t busy blaming others for his own complicated emotions and being held back by his own ego.

I’ve already mentioned that I relate to Jamil a lot in terms of his energy, but even more than just that, I relate to Jamil in terms of his struggle against a society that doesn’t understand or find value in his desire to be free. I’m not going to go into too much detail about my own issue, but I know what Jamil is feeling and how difficult those feelings can be. I know what it’s like to feel helpless and like nothing can be done to help myself when it seems like the whole world and all of its systems were designed to work against you... but I also have way too much pride and too little trust in others to speak openly about it. Maybe I’m thinking way too hard about this or maybe I’m just projecting way too strongly, but Jamil is so much like me that it hurts 😭 I want to break free too, Jamil... I get you, my dude. LET’S BE FRIENDS--

I’m very split on Ace. On one hand, I don’t tend to like immature characters (which, let’s be honest, Ace is), but on the other hand, he has a kind of charm to his brattiness. His bright personality touched with mischief is refreshing, and I particularly adore the voice impressions he does of other characters (they’re really cute!)~ ... But at the same time, I really cannot stand it when Ace talks for too long, because he inevitably ends up doing or saying something to make me regret ever thinking he was cute to begin with (like when he dodges responsibility or blames other people for his fuck-ups). I also do not care for his selfish side or when he speaks without a filter; he needs to watch what he says a little better, because it constantly nets him trouble and makes me facepalm.

I guess I would liken Ace to a little brother? Like, he constantly gets on my nerves, but I end up forgiving him sooner or later because he’ll do something cute or say something snarky that temporarily redeems him right before he does something stupid or terrible again to make my opinion of him do another 180. I just kind of want to squish him into a little pouch and carry him around on my back so I can keep my eye on him at all times and make sure he’s not causing more trouble for himself or for others 😔

OKAY, NOTHING AGAINST HOW ACE LOOKS BUT HE HAS SOME OF THE MOST “GENERIC ANIME PROTAG” HAIR I’VE EVER SEEN with maybe only Deuce being the character that one-ups him in terms of “generic anime protag” hair-ness. It works well with Ace’s cheery (yet sassy) personality, but every time I see him I can’t help but think “Wow, you look like such a protag.” The funniest part about that is Ace acts NOTHING like a stereotypical bland nice guy protag, he’s such a fucking asshole 😂 which, again, I’m very conflicted on because sometimes his asshole-ry or brutal honesty is funny or warranted (like when he calls Riddle out), but other times it’s straight up just mean for no good reason (particularly when he bullies Deuce). 

The ONE thing I will firmly defend about Ace is that he is a lot more clever than people usually think he is. The fandom frequently refers to Ace and Deuce together as “the single brain cell duo” (sometimes trio, if Grim is included in the count), implying that they’re all pretty dumb. It’s definitely true that Ace is lacking in terms of his grades, but that’s moreso because he is too lazy to put effort into studying, not because he is inherently “stupid”. Ace is the REVERSE of Deuce, because Deuce is the one that actually puts forth an honest effort to be an honors student but lacks inherent classroom smarts, whereas Ace is the one that CAN be smart if he applies himself in lessons but he’d rather slack. He is a very quick thinker and an adept liar when he wants to be, and I think Ace deserves more credit for that.

Something that’s been bothering me about Ace is his lack of presence in recent main story content. He was gone for most of episode 4, barely did anything in episode 5 except for getting cursed and being mean to Deuce, and then in episode 6 he gets knocked out along with Deuce, so he can’t go along with Pomefiore for the rescue mission. I was really hoping to see Ace getting jealous of Deuce’s unique magic or feeling left out or useless because he hasn’t gotten his own yet 🤔 With how long of an episode 6 is, it feels so weird having this large span of the main story (even if, in universe, it has only been a few days between 5 and 6) where we get NOTHING on Ace’s feelings post-VDC. Episode 7, it’s all up to you now... Please let Ace reflect on his own actions and question his own abilities or something, PLEASE LET ACE GET HIS UNIQUE MAGIC TOO.

[flowerprose]

13, 14, 16 - OCs of your choice from Namesake?

ok, i LOVE the questions you chose!! very best. i have thoughts:

13 -🐁 Shifter: If your OC could be any animal what would they pick? What do you think they would be?

i think persephone will always cling to a fawn. there's something about a young deer, nimble and curious and uncruel, from its stature to its appetite, that will always remind her of her girlhood and the life she grew alongside her mother. reminiscent to who she was and what she left behind. and i think, despite her no longer being a child, despite her growth as a queen and goddess, revisiting that nostalgia and wanting to forever access that innocence makes her seek a body others would deem powerless or weak. but for her, it'll always be such an intricate part of her identity.

for hades, i see him drawn to serpents. the whole temptation and seduction symbolism, but also the way they constrict and slither. when i picture suffocating darkness, a snake fits in that image.

14 - 🔮 Precognition: If your OC could get a glimpse of what was to come, would they want to know? Would it do them any good?

demeter would absolutely seek a glimpse into the future, and it possibly could've prevented her madness, but there are dire consequences for divine beings who meddle with fate.

i don't think hades, who's arrogant enough to believe even fate will submit to his whims, or persephone, already so overwhelmed by her burgeoning destiny, would have any interest in it.

16 - 🎲 Probability Manipulation: Is there a concept of fate in your WIP? Can your character fight against it?

absolutely - fate, mankind, and the divine are all intertwined. what happens will happen, and while gods can theoretically intervene, this is a line they cannot cross without earning zeus's fury (and punitive interference.) following the inciting incident of NAMESAKE, the entire pantheon becomes involved trying to resolve hades's uhh... abduction to stave off demeter's rancor, but what's done is done.

sadly, demeter fighting a losing battle against fate is just a necessary evil she cannot win.

[jellyheadwriting]

hi hi!! might i request a noel levine imagine of just fluff? perhaps with some angst, since... it is noel 👀

Hello!! Thank you for your request... (o˘◡˘o) I hope this was the sort of thing you had in mind...!

the hydra (noel x GN demon reader)

The Witch Dorothy’s mansion was often filled with many interesting characters… Humans with colorful backgrounds, and Hater Demons such as yourself, operating within the underbelly of the cursed building. Among these figures, you had one special friend…

Noel Levine, a fellow demon. But to you, he was an angel like no other.

You tried as often as you could to bring him happiness, and comfort… You shielded him from Lime and the other demons as much as you could, whisking him away during select hours of the long days and nights, and bringing him to your special fantasy space.

Tonight was one of those nights, the low level demons in Hell were being especially hostile to him during the daytime hours, and Noel just looked positively hopeless… You approached him, extending one of your hands to him and trying to give him your best and warmest smile.

“Oh… Hello there,” his voice was dry, he had not spoken a word all throughout the day.

Your heart twinged, and you leaned down to help him up off of the floor where he sat. You asked him if he wanted to come with you tonight to your secret place, and he nodded slowly. After making sure you weren’t being followed, you led him there just like always.

It was truly a beautiful and peaceful place… There were fields upon fields of soft, green grass underneath a brilliant blue night sky, filled with stars that you hung up just for Noel’s sake. A large plaid baby blue picnic blanket was laid out, with a large and heavy constellations book on it waiting to be opened by him. Its cover was full of intricate and lovely carvings, like a grimoire from a fairy tale. In this place, it was perpetually Spring, one of the best seasons for star-gazing, and the season with the most pleasant breezes.

When the two of you arrived, you helped him out of his blue coat, folding it with care and setting it into one of the corners of the picnic blanket. You both then took a seat right next to each other, your hand instinctively reaching out to rub his back comfortingly. He took in a big shaky breath, and then looked up at that starry sky, the wind dreamily gracing his face, washing away his prior anxiety.

Then, suddenly, his features lit up with excitement. He scrambled to open his big book of constellations, flipping through the pages like someone opening their christmas present. When he arrived at his desired page, he smiled brightly, and turned the book in your direction, pointing a finger up at the sky, directing your gaze to a huge constellation.

“Hydra is out tonight, please, take a look..! It’s so beautiful…!”

You smiled, studying the contents of the book, and once again tilting your head up to look at the stars. It was certainly beautiful as he said, but you were enjoying his smiling face the most. You asked him to please tell you about the Hydra. His eye twinkled at your request, and he got straight to work.

“Well… The most notable thing about the Hydra is that it is the largest constellation in our sky. It is located south of the constellation Cancer, and its tail lies in between Centaurus and Libra… To my knowledge, it is not just associated with the Lernean Hydra, the immortal water snake with nine heads. It is also associated with the story of Apollo, The Crow, and The Water Snake…!”

You watched him, the love visible in your face as he rambled on… Your hand moved on its own, inching over to his free one while he spoke. You let your fingers slide over the top side of his hand, and he suddenly stopped talking, alerting you instantly. His eye was now fixated on both of your hands instead of the Hydra, his cheeks turning a dusty pink. He wasn’t brave enough to ask if you were meaning to do that, or what you meant by it… Instead he shyly looked up to meet your gaze, his many questions plain as day in his body language.

You apologized, asking him if he wanted you to stop.

“Um… No, I… That’s okay, I think… Please, do what you like.”

You could tell how hard it was for him to get that sentence out. You interlock your fingers with his, your palms now flush together. He breathed in sharply through his nose at this sign of affection. The sun timidly turned away from the moon, hoping it did not notice how brightly it burned inside… His hand was just a little bit sweaty.

You cut into the silence, asking if he would like to lay down together so that you could both better see the stars. His surprise was the only thing that gave him courage to look your way again, and he struggled for a moment, before simply and quietly whispering.

“Okay…”

The book was set to the side, and your backs met with the soft blanket, cushioned by the pillowy grass below. Your hands were still locked tightly, and you couldn’t help but steal more glances at the pretty man who laid beside you. His skin and bright hair seemed to glow in the moonlight, he truly looked ethereal. You thought you were being sneaky about your ogling, but he soon turned to face you with an expression like he was aware that you were looking at him, and he was embarrassed about it.

“Um… Can I ask you something?” He asked, and you told him to go ahead. “Why… Why are you so kind to me? It’s very strange, you know… The other demons are so much different than you. You don’t seem like you should have ended up here, in this miserable place… “

You stared at him languidly, not wanting to talk about things such as your nature, or why you became a demon. You decided to ignore those hidden parts of his question.

“I’m kind to you because you deserve kindness, Noel… And also… Just because I like you.”

His lips parted, and then shut tight. He turned his head in the opposite direction… You could see the tips of his ears still, and they were bright red. He didn’t dare ask how you meant what you said. He couldn’t, not just yet…

So, you both laid hand in hand for a long while, slowly slipping back into your usual conversation… He told you a little more about the Hydra, and its surrounding constellation, and you made sure to listen to him earnestly. After a while of more comfortable silence, he spoke up, his voice as soft as a feather.

“Thank you… For this time we share. I really do not know what I would do without it…”

You tell him that your moments together are just as precious to you.

Noel leans in closer to you bravely, clutching your hand with the anxiety that always came as time passed, and he realized that this moment couldn’t last forever…

[ravenael]

BILL WEASLEY AND THE DEATHLY DILEMMA

“Don’t die old, die empty. That’s the goal of life. Go to the cemetery and disappoint the graveyard.” — Myles Munroe

SERIES: [ A Series of Unrelated Events » The Golden Trio ]

LINKS: [ Tumblr | AO3 | Ko-fi ]

STATUS: Complete (1 chapter—2 parts).

FANDOM: Wizarding World (Harry Potter).

GENRES: Flash Fiction, Dark Comedy.

COUNT: 832 words.

SHIP: Bill & OC. CAST: Bill Weasley, OC, Dementors.

JUDGES’ PICK ― WINNING ENTRY.

HOST: [FFnet] The Houses Competition.

CATEGORY: [Y1R4] Drabble — Character Restriction: Bill Weasley.

PROMPT: [Setting] Graveyard.

As much as he loved the thrill of adventure that came with his dream job, Bill Weasley was not expecting to make his debut as a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts—at a graveyard, of all places. Stuffing a trembling hand into his pocket, he tightened his grip around his wand, suppressing the nervousness at the eerie silence around him.

“Scared, Weasley?”

The redhead shot a sideways glare at his partner—at a wizard three years older than him, by the name of Henry Caldecott. Bill was assigned to the latter as an assistant while undergoing his on-job training. Henry was a tall, burly man; his well-defined chest muscles and six packs were clearly visible on his tight T-shirt. He also appeared way older than his actual age with a mustache and a full beard, and his long grisly hair was pulled back with a green bandana.

“No more than you are,” Bill replied coolly, running a free hand through his long ginger locks as he surveyed the graveyard with wary eyes. “So, what are we supposed to do tonight?”

Henry let out a barking laugh, the sound echoing across the misty cemetery with an odd ring in the chilly air. “What do you think we’ll do in this kind of place? Raid a bloody tomb, of course.”

The grave in question was the oldest one at the furthest end of the death garden, situated under a majestic oak tree. The words on the stone plaque were difficult to discern, but it was clearly not English. The pair pulled out their wands and shifted the earth aside, then they levitated the coffin out of the hole in the ground.

The coffin seemed ordinary, made of the same material as the tree hovering over its grave. Bill frowned at the smooth exterior. Henry caught the questioning look in his face and tapped his wand on the heavy wooden lid. It began to glow, the white lines snaking across the whole coffin to form an intricate pattern of sorts.

“Heard you’re the top student in Arithmancy and Ancient Runes,” Henry sniggered, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with his wand. “Get your arse to work and solve the puzzle, then.”

Shrugging, Bill did as he was told, studying the symbols on the coffin with unblinking eyes. Meanwhile, the fog around them was thickening; the eldest Weasley shivered involuntarily at the chill. Even Henry dropped the smirk on his face and straightened up, a hint of fear flashing in his dark beady eyes.

This is a trap.

The pair raised their wands before them, their eyes darting around for any signs of movement. Bill could make an intelligent guess of whatever that was—were—coming for them as he watched a layer of frost covering the coffin.

Henry wasn’t as stupid as he seemed, either. “Bloody Dementors,” he hissed, beads of cold sweat glistening on his forehead. His thick beard was freezing over, too. “You wouldn’t think they’d be interested in a couple of dead bodies.”

Bill gulped and tightened his grip on his wand to stop his hand from shaking. He could produce an incorporeal Patronus, but it wasn’t going to be of much help against a murder of Dementors. “Well, have you got any better ideas?”

“I thought you’re the genius here, boy!”

If the situation wasn’t so dire, Bill would have prepared a wry comeback for Henry’s snark, but they didn’t have time to waste on verbal insults. Exhaling slowly, the intern cast the only spell that would work against the Dementors, but the wispy form simply melted into the mist and lit up the surrounding with a soft, bluish hue. “How did they even get here? Aren’t they supposed to guard Azkaban?”

“Someone must’ve sent them here,” Henry muttered, eyeing the approaching Dementors with a narrowed glare. “Someone at the Ministry. His supporters are still out there, biding their time for You-Know-Who’s resurrection…”

The mention of the dark wizard that was vanquished by Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, made Bill set his jaw with a grim expression. “Whatever the reason is, unless you can cast a better Patronus Charm than I do, we can kiss our souls goodbye.”

A creak behind the bickering duo made them jump and they whipped around, their eyes widening as the coffin lid slowly pushed itself open…

“Who dares to wake me up from my slumber—oh,” a young man with deathly pale face yawned as he got up to his feet slowly. Black smoke swirled around him before transforming into a set of black robes on his bony frame. Then he raised his eyebrows at the Dementors swooping overhead. “Oh ho-ho, what a welcome party we have here!”

Bill was the first to recover from the shocking, unexpected development. “Why didn’t you tell me that we’re going to unseal a bloody vampire?”

Henry only gave him a long, hard look.

“…I think this weirdo is the least of our worries compared to the ones circling above us.”

If you like my work, please do

via my profile page — https://ko-fi.com/whyraven.☕ Thank you very much for your continuous support !!

[bandluvr97]

mbb 🎅

Yeah, it’s a well-known space. I’m trying not to dox myself entirely lmao so I won’t give the name, but it’s a museum right next to The Landmark of the city. It was commissioned by this eccentric multi-billionaire to store everything he collected, and he picked this architect famous for designing wild looking buildings, so even when work sucks, at least it’s a very cool place to go every day.

You’re a social worker, that’s amazing! What got you into that? And do you work directly with the people utilizing the services? Or do you do, like, community outreach or something? I admire people who go into careers specifically to help people, I think that’s really amazing of you.

Shownu in his 30s is such a father figure type, it’s so funny. Like, he should be hot, and he is on stage, but offstage he’s just some guy. He did his little body-ody-ody dance in “Love Killa” and then bounced, love him for that. For their outfits, I like their intricate ones that also allow them to be so slutty, proving it’s always possible to be classy AND skanky. Love to see it. They have the range! I just think that more men should embrace that whole look, more crop tops please. I love how Shownu and Changkyun have such good voices but also show up in music videos like That. I didn’t love Shape of Love, but Changkyun’s voice in “Burning Up” and his modulation in “And”… I get why he couldn’t do it live, that’s a hard note to hit without any lead-up, but I wanted to hear it so bad.

kljeklsjfkl Snake Plisskin is a character from an 80s movie, which is so dated and cheesy, but Shownu with an open jumpsuit would be so good. If there’s going to be so many remakes, they should do Escape From New York with Shownu and Fight Club with Hyungwon. Most men don’t understand Fight Club, but I have faith that Hyungwon does.

Wonho is SO sweet and precious and deserves such good things. It’s so unfair that a situation he’s worked so hard to get out of hurt him professionally, the fact he wasn’t allowed to grow and change and get himself to a better place is ridiculous. I’m so glad he’s still got his kind heart and is still full of love. And also that he chose to come back to music and performance, he clearly loves it, and we love him!

I am so nosy and annoying I want to hear everything you’ll share. I’m spiritually lying on my stomach in bed, swinging my feet and trying to gossip over my novelty phone. I don’t like dating, but I do like living vicariously through people who do.

Hey love ❤️ lol!!! Fair enough 😂😂 best to not say anything right away lol it’s all good i understand lol that building sounds very fancy to be honest and not surprised you get paid the big bucks ❤️😂

Aw thanks love!! Lol well I had an interest in helping people either financially or otherwise and so my degree from university (which helped) got me into my place of work that started off as a student and then I worked my way up to an official worker position so I’m able to help more people that way 👍👍yeah we can work with the services that help clients like getting them referred to job programs and helping them get ids 🪪 so that’s wonderful ❤️

Lol right??? He took on the father role like nobody’s business and it’s adorable lol yeah he’s good at separating his stage persona from his real life persona 👌👌👌 like he’s also giving off husband vibes too which is very sweet to see ❤️❤️ their stylists are amazing for their outfits and they deserve awards for it lol ohhhh don’t get me started on those low voices love they hit the feels so hard like the oldest and the youngest members just had to have the lowest voices in the group like how?! 😂😂

Ohhhh lol!! I am so sorry 😂😂I had to google and I totally see what you mean love he would look absolutely stunning in everything lol I believe he knows some stuff about fight club before wearing the outfits lol and also the long hair though?! Like woah that was an amazing look lol

Isn’t he a sweet boy??? I agree with you he shouldn’t have had that happen to him it was so negative and so awful (he is neither of those things at all like the guy was laughing like a baby and he’s got squeaks when he laughs and he sounds like a cute child 😂❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️) heck yeah proud monwenee for the win!!!

Lol I don’t think it’s annoying love I think you just want to find out more about people and that’s sweet and totally cool with me ❤️❤️I can share more with you at a later time but let’s just say this- ghosting, way too fast and gonna fly solo for a bit lol fair enough love dating isn’t for everyone and that’s okay 👍 have you dated though? Like in the past and what not?

Hope you had a great day love ❤️

[chinaaesthetic]

Chinese New Year! 新年快乐!

*please note that the information below isn’t celebrated by everyone in the same way. Some customs are more common in northern China rather than southern China and vice-versa.

How to wish someone a Happy Chinese New Year:

1. 新年快乐！Xīnnián kuàilè! - Happy New Year! (This can be used one the first day of the lunar calendar as well as the Gregorian calendar).

2. 新春快乐！Xīnchūn kuàilè! - Happy Spring Festival!

3. 新年好！Xīnnián hǎo! - Hello! (This is how you greet people during Chinese New Year).

When greeting or wishing someone a Happy Chinese New Year, many Chinese people wish their family and friends things like: “I hope you have a happy and healthy family,” “I hope you get a job promotion,” “I hope you have good fortune and pockets overflowing with gold.” Here are some examples:

4. 恭喜发财！Gōngxǐ fācái! - Wish you a successful and prosperous year! (This saying is known well because of this Chinese New Year song you can watch here).

5. 阖家幸福! Hé jiā xìngfú - Wish you a happy family!

6. 事业有成! Shìyè yǒu chéng - Hope you have a successful career!

You can watch this YouTube video or read this article to learn more about how to wish someone a Happy Chinese New Year!

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What is Chinese New Year?

Chinese New Year, also known as lunar new year or the spring festival, celebrates the first day of the new year on the lunar calendar. In 2021, this holiday falls on Friday, February 12!  This holiday is the most important holiday to those who celebrate this - its importance can be comparable to how Americans celebrate Christmas.

People have been celebrating Chinese New Year for about 3,500 - 3,900 years. It’s exact origins are unknown, but this tradition is believed to have started in the Shang Dynasty (1600-1049 BC) when people would make sacrifices to the gods and their ancestors towards the end of a year. However, the tradition was recorded and official during the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD) when Emperor Wu began using the lunar calendar. He chose to follow this calendar because it would let him know when second new moon after the winter solstice was.

Now, many Southeast Asian countries and people besides the Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year such as: Koreans, Vietnamese, Tibetans, etc. However, it is common to not see Japan celebrate Chinese New Year.

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Why do I keep hearing about the Year of the Ox/Cow?

Just like in western culture, there are zodiacs in eastern culture that the Chinese follow. There are 12 zodiacs, and these zodiacs follow a cycle of 12 years. Each new year represents one of the zodiacs. 

In order, they are: Rat/mouse, Ox/cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

2021 is year of the Ox/Cow - 2020 was year of the Rat/Mouse - 2019 was Year of the Pig... and so on. 

Because each zodiac has its own characteristics, they define a year. Chinese zodiac scholars have said in 2021, Year of the Ox, will be a flip-around positive change. They believe this year will be lucky and that it will be a good time to focus on love and relationships. People who are born in years of the Ox are known to have a lot of endurance, be calm and confident, but are also stubborn.

Just like in western culture, these zodiacs are believed to affect personality, fortune, etc, and instead of getting your zodiac by your birth month, you get your zodiac by your birth year. If you are interested in your Chinese zodiac, you can type in your birthday on this calculator and read about it.

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What happens during Chinese New Year and how long do you celebrate it for? Lantern Festival?

On average, Chinese New Year is celebrated for about 15-16 days (from about New Year’s eve to the first full moon). Preparations start seven days before New Years because stores and restaurants close and people travel to be with their families. Most students are also on their big break during this time - they get off from school around the beginning of january and go back after Chinese New Year. It should also be noted that Northern China and Southern China celebrate the new year differently.

During the preparation period, people go shopping for food and decorations. They also clean the house very well. If living in a different city than one’s family, many people will travel back to their hometown to celebrate with family.

During the New Year’s Eve period, the house is decorated with New Year’s decorations, and there is a reunion dinner with family at the host’s house. Out of all the dinners you have during the year, it is incredibly important you don’t miss this dinner, which is why there are so many issues with travelling during this time. At this dinner, you eat many lucky foods such as dumplings and fish. Also during this time, the older generations will give younger generations something called 红包, which translates to “red envelope.” These envelopes are filled with money and are only given on very special occasions such as new years and weddings. Friends give these to each other, but it is not common at all for a younger generation to give one to an older generation person. There is a custom where families stay up late to “watch over the new year,” which is called 守岁. Late at night, people also like to go to temples to hear the first bells of the new year ring because they believe it will drive away bad luck.

On Chinese New Year’s Day, fireworks go off, families cook and eat large meals together, sacrifices are made to ancestors, etc. (Fireworks are especially important because they believe it will make your business more successful.) One popular tradition you might know of is the dancing lion/dragon parades where people wear a dragon costume and parade through the city. Dragons are very representative of Chinese culture and are thought to bring luck to a community. Lions are a symbol of protection.

For about a week after the first day, most people go visit family and friends. A lot of times people will visit the other side of their family. For example, someone will spend most of the time with their mother’s side of the family during the new year, then during this week, they will go visit relatives of the father’s side.

After that week, most people go back to work. This is around day 8-10. Businesses, restaurants, and stores reopen, and many people leave their hometown to go back to jobs in the city.

Day 15, the final day of Chinese New Year, is the Lantern Festival. On this day, the first full moon of the new year happens. To celebrate, people will light more fireworks, revisit family, eat sweet dumplings (called tangyuan), and participate in the Lantern Festival. People release lit lanterns into the sky to honor dead ancestors. This is called 元宵节.

You can read more here.

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What foods are eaten during Chinese New Year, and what do they represent?

During Chinese New Year, many special foods are eaten, and these are foods that are considered to be lucky and to bring fortune into the new year.

1. Dumplings - represent wealth. Dumplings take hours to make and involve family help. They’ve been eaten for at least 1,800 years and are especially popular in northern China. It is said that the more dumplings you eat during the new year, the more money you will make.

2. Fish - represents prosperity and success. The word “fish” in Chinese sounds like the word “surplus” in Chinese.

3. Glutinous Rice Cake/Nian gao - represents success in your work (more money, better position). 

4. Spring rolls - represent wealth. They get their name because they are most often eaten during the Spring Festival which is CNY. This dish is more popular in eastern and southern China.

5. Oranges, tangerines - represents luck and fortune. This is originally a Cantonese custom, but many people grace their tables with citrus fruits. The word for “tangerine” sounds similar to the word for “good fortune” in Chinese.

6. Longevity noodles - represents longevity. These noodles are longer than usual to represent a person’s long and happy life. This is more commonly eaten in northern China. *It should be noted that these are mostly eaten on birthdays but can be eaten during the NY as well.

7. Sweet rice balls/tang yuan - togetherness in family. This food is eaten during the Lantern Festival, the last day of Chinese New Year. The shape and pronunciation is associated with closeness of the family.

8. Snacks - represent a sweet and pleasant life. Any sweet snack like dried fruit, candy, tanghulu is eaten during this time.

When it comes to food during Chinese New Year, there are superstitions about how foods should be prepared and what makes them lucky. You can read more about them here as well as here.

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What kinds of decorations are put up in houses during the new year? What do the colors represent?

1. Spring/door couplets - These couplets originated in the Shu era. As seen in the picture below, you post these on doors in couples - in Chinese culture, even numbers are seen as good luck. On many of these couplets are written wishes or poems for the new year. Each couplet should have the same rhythm and the same number of words.

2. Paper cutting - Translated as “window flower,” these intricate, red paper cutting pieces are placed on windows and often represent the zodiac of the new year or other symbolic animals such as fish, dragons, and phoenixes.

3. Upside down characters/Fortune - Many Chinese people during the new year hang up positive characters such as Fu, which means happiness and good fortune. It is written in calligraphy on a red piece of paper and then put upside down on doors and windows. It is hung upside down because the people want the good fortune to fall down onto them.

4. Red lanterns - These lanterns push away bad luck and are seen during both the Spring and Autumn Festival. They can be hung on trees, outside houses, etc. There are also many styles - they can come in many shapes and have symbols written on them.

5. Kumquat trees - As said before, citruses represent good luck and fortune. People place kumquats and citrus fruits on their tables or decorate their homes with small kumquat trees.

You can read more about decorations here as well as here.

Common colors seen during Chinese New Year are red and gold, but green can also be found.

The color red is not only dominate during Chinese New Year, but it is also very representative of Chinese culture as well. Red signifies fire, good fortune, and happiness. It is representative of good luck, keeps the holiday very joyous, and scares away bad spirits.

Gold or yellow is considered to be a very beautiful color. Gold symbolizes wealth, riches, and prosperity.

Green represents money, harmony, and growth. 

Though these are the most common colors, it should be noted that a color combination of green and red is considered to be tacky in Chinese culture. 

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What do people wear during Chinese New Year?

On the first day, it is traditional to wear new clothes and new accessories as it symbolizes new beginnings. However, there are people who like to wear sentimental accessories to respect and remember their ancestors.

Some people like to wear traditional Qipao/Cheongsam, Tang Suits, and Hanfu, but many people stick to western clothes like skirts, dresses, and pants. There is also a tradition of wearing lucky, red underwear for New Years.

Tang suits are the most popular to wear during the New Year, Qipao is also popular, but it is often too cold to wear during the winter months. Many people are starting to wear Hanfu again to celebrate the new year, but it isn’t widely accepted yet to wear during the new year.

During the new year, people wear a lot of red and gold. It is important to NOT wear mostly white and/or black. These symbolize death, and white is worn at funerals. Anything that is bright, bold, and upbeat should be fine to wear, but you should go for something that is red.

*If you want to wear something that is traditional Chinese for New Years, please make sure you know about cultural appropriation and know how to wear these properly.

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As there is so much information about Chinese New Year, I cannot possibly tell you all about it in one post. It is truly something that you must experience in your lifetime. It is very beautiful, fun, and there are so many things to do and celebrate. I ask you that you please research this more and look at all the beautiful pictures of food, lanterns, fireworks, etc. 

Please stay safe and 新年快乐！

[nerdwriting]

The Creative Directors Behind Fate: The Winx Saga Must Not Be K-Pop Fans

Also, they have a pretty wrong idea of the role fashion should play in a show.

There are a few words that will stand out across most reviews of Netflix's Fate: The Winx Saga - drab, boring, flop, flat, unimaginative. Critics and audiences consensus is that the show is not only a mediocre-at-best story, but also an atrocious (and ultimately confusing) choice of adaptation of the color pop and fairy magic cartoon it’s based on, 2004 italian cartoon Winx Club.

Fate has plenty of it's own issues - white washing and erasing characters, cringey dialogue, outdated melodrama, etc. But where it truly, unequivocally fails is as an adaptation. Fate misses everything that was magical and lovable about the original series, in all levels, from bizarre writing choices, - such as never actually developing any sense of friendship between the characters, who are based on a cartoon about…..a group…….of friends -, but it's especially and immediately felt in the art direction and costume design.

Winx Club is set on a fantastical world, Magix, where each of our main characters hail from a different planet, à la Sailor Moon. Alfea, the fairy school they attend, is the most common background: a pastel colored, futuristic high tech-meets-fantasy, art nouveau inspired castle. Alfea sets the tone for the whole visual of the cartoon: bright, colorful, futuristic meets vintage, leaning into the technological positivism of the Y2K style, uniting it with magic, DnD worthy monsters and, of course, fairy wings. Often featured are also the Red Fountain school, where the Specialists train, and especially Cloud Tower, the goth and gothic inspired witch school Alfea has an OxBridge rivalry with (How cool would that be in a live action? I guess we’ll never know…).

On Fate, Alfea is the only school we ever see, and it’s another beige boarding school in not-Britain, somehow set in a magical world where everyone has the exact same technology and even social media that we have on Earth in 2021, no transformations and, most egregiously, no fairy wings.

This lack of visual creativity is pervasive throughout the whole show, and its most heartbreaking iteration is in the characters' wardrobe. The styling has the barest bones of a color scheme, - such as 'Bloom has to only dress in red since fire, duh',- the clothes are ill fitting, bland, dark and very dated. These are supposed to be teenagers who enjoy fashion, and yet they look like varying types of soccer moms from 2010.

The series seems to operate on an old and tired vision that women and girls can’t have depth and have adventures and fight monsters while also caring about fashion, a vision that the original show played a big, big role in challenging in the early 2000's. Fashion and costume design sets as much of the tone of a visual medium as the script does; through clothes we can gauge characters’ backgrounds, passions, and personality.

Winx Club has some of the best examples of this in the cartoon sphere - Bloom’s comfortable and bright style, Stella’s glitzy and bold, Musa’s edgy and cool, Aisha’s sporty and fun, Techna’s neon and tech gear inspired, Flora’s earthy and romantic, they all work as extensions of each character and serve a narrative purpose. And that’s not even mentioning how insulting it feels that in their quest to make Winx “edgier, darker” and fit for an older audience, the creators of Fate somehow decided that was in opposition to caring about style and fashion. Most “girly” shows, including the Winx Club are just as much adventure action shows as the ones geared towards boys, and it’s emphasis in fashion, friendship and color does not detract from that. The original run of the cartoon deals with war, violence, grief, abusive relationships and even genocide; leaning into those plotlines would not require Fate to erase any integral parts of what made Winx so beloved, and the fact that they did shows that the Netflix team completely missed the point of fashion in the original show, and really, the point of fashion and costume design in the world building of any show.

That, however, is not a mistake K-Pop makes very often; (This might seem like a bit of wild swerve in topic, but stay with me here). Unlike it's western counterpart, the Korean pop scene never lost the emphasis on music videos and how the visual medium can complete and potentialize music and performance; the K-Pop culture is very album and concept oriented in a way that has been all but lost in many other pop circuits, and the music video, styling and set design of a ‘comeback era’ is a key point of excitement among fans.

As such, music videos that follow storylines, connected universes, boundary pushing concepts and visual effects are the norm, rather than the exception, and a list could be made of works that are beautiful examples of what a live action Winx adaptation could look like. In fact, and very smoothly, here is a small list of exactly that!

A Small List of K-Pop Music Videos That Are Better Winx Club Live Actions Than Fate: The Winx Saga

3. Red Velvet - Psycho

If it was a darker and more somber look that Fate wanted, there was a way to make it actually appealing. While it still feels a liiitle too grown up and elegant for Winx, (maybe this author is biased, as a full proponent for the Y2K fun) Psycho makes a very compelling argument for a witchy, mysterious, fairy tale-esque show that could look scrumptious and definitely not boring, or even a gorgeous example of what the witches in Cloud Tower could look like. Black and white, dark green, pastel blue and pops of jewel tones make Psycho's color palette. To add interest to the understated colors, the styling is heavy on textures; We see plenty of stonework, intricate embroidery, tassels, lace on lace on lace, feathers, bows, opera gloves and lots of glitter. All of that is offset by bold, dark makeup, leather accents and eerie cinematography. Needle & Thread, Marchesa Notte and Self Portrait lend their hyper feminine and intricately detailed tulle gowns, juxtaposed with the creepiness of the lyrics and the dark backgrounds; their deep berry and green fairy tale looks are built with pieces from Zara to Nina Ricci to Dolce & Gabbana to Alexander McQueen.

Red Velvet’s more edgy styling for 2018's Bad Boy would also not feel out of place on the Trix.

2. IZ*ONE - Fiesta

IZ*ONE kicked off 2020 with sweet and fun Fiesta. The MV features rooms with mismatched décor that go from retro to space opera, rocky faux landscapes that feel other worldly, and visual effects that would look perfect on the back of a transformation sequence. Mirroring the set design, the girls wear various outfits by sustainable up and coming brand Chopova Lowena. Their signature skirts made with discarded and repurposed fabrics give a cool and interesting twist on a schoolgirl look that would look very sweet for a band of school fairies that occasionally go off to save the world. Also, wouldn't those bedazzled headphones look great on Musa's fairy outfit?

1. Aespa - Black Mamba and Next Level

Aespa is what fans call a monster rookie. With only three music videos under their belt, they still have some of the most visually interesting work in the industry right now. Their concept is very tied in with high tech, featuring even AI avatars of each member, packaged in a glitzy, fantastical and futuristic aesthetic, candy pop meets cyberpunk. I think I’ve exhausted ways to say that is exactly what a perfect Winx adaptation should feature.

Their debut smash hit, 2020’s Black Mamba is truly a perfect moodboard for live action Winx. Wearing a sequined and colorful mix and match of Dollskill, Gucci, Didu and Balenciaga to a backdrop that features some alien fairy forest realness, a pyschedelic fever dream, rooms straight out of a Y2K catalog or donning lime green and black techwear inside a metro fighting the "black mamba", Aespa look through and through the part of fashion loving fairies who save the world together, while looking fierce, stylish and, most importantly, interesting.

The styling and the sets jump seamlessly from more casual colorful fits with blouses, shirts and baggy pants to barren, darkly lit backgrounds and fringe-and-glitter heavy pieces necessary to fight giant snakes, in a way so fitting to transformation outfits for magical girls we could cry.

In their third MV, 2021's Next Level, the cyber in their concept is taken up a notch (get it. because Next Level-), set to a futuristic urbanscape intersped with a planet made of crystals and the ocasional alien fauna popping up again. We get treated to Monse, The 2nd Skin Co., Johanna Ortiz and The Attico styled to fairy princess standards, sporty sky racers and a white and sequined group styling that is top ten fairy busy saving the world uniform material, or maybe even a specialist worthy getup.

This particular look from Ningning is so Techna that it almost feels as if it's mocking Netflix.

And doesn’t this Karina trapped inside the "black mamba" in Alexander McQueen feel like a perfect Dark Bloom moment?

These are only a few examples of interesting and creative designs that are in line with what a live action Winx Club should have given us. There are so many more I could list, even among other TV Shows, like Sex Education and even polemic dark Euphoria, that know how to have fun with style and design without losing the depth of their stories. In the end, it's hard to justify why Fate creators even wanted to make an adaptation that didn't even try to capture the heart of its source material, and all we can do is watch one more "Restyling Fate: The Winx Saga" video on Youtube whilst mildly dreading season 2.

[ichorai]

the devil's queen ; k.yr

pairing ; forest queen!yeri x devil!reader (gender-neutral)

summary ; in which the queen of the forest seeks out the devil’s help after accidentally turning her husband to stone.

themes ; fantasy, slight fluff and angst, royalty au, devil au, magic au, forest au (?), forbidden love au

words ; 4.2k

warnings / includes ; devils obv, mentions of divorce and a loveless marriage, uhm yeri turns her husband into stone, one mention of angels, teasing banter, an absurd amount of description because yeri is gorgeous and i can't help myself, both yeri and reader are little shits, kissy kiss kiss at the end </3

a/n ; my first gg fic :D i'm rlly excited for this one !! i'm literally in love with yeri so i'm so happy to finally post this ! thank you to @doievoir for beta reading <3 also thanks to @subways-stuff and @koocycle for being gay with me :(

masterlist. | milestone celebration.

The stone of the balcony’s railing beneath the forest queen’s fingertips was just slightly cold to the touch, mellowed by the night’s sweet breeze. Her face, dappled by the moon’s gentlest luminescence, bore a somber expression, only managing to mask the panic she truly felt by a thread of her being. Pale was her dress, and paler her skin became as she grew clammy with unease. The sheer, opal chiffon of her skirts grazed the balcony floor with faint kisses in accordance to Yeri’s ceaseless fidgeting. And because of her restless movements, the intricate leaf crown propped atop her temple was now slightly askew, placed awkwardly amongst her perfectly-curled tendrils.

From where you were standing, watching the queen, worry etched into her soft features, you almost felt a shred of pity. The keyword being almost. Devils rarely ever felt remorse.

You took this opportunity to look around the queen’s chambers. After all, it wasn’t every day that you’re summoned by a woman of such importance, much less the queen of the forest herself. Gorgeous vines twisted up marble columns, white flowers scattered across the greenery. Every which way you looked, there were at least five potted plants ranging from minuscule succulents to large ferns longer than your own arm span. Even the bed had a canopy of iridescent petals and glossy leaves.

“You must really enjoy nature,” you quipped, taking slight amusement in the way Yeri jumped at the sound of your voice, spinning around with a hand on her chest. “Looks to be bordering on obsession, actually…”

The queen, having come down from her initial shock, looked upon you with a quizzical eyebrow. “I called you to help me, not to make comments on my lifestyle.” She waved her fingers in the air, conjuring a thick vine that wrapped around her waist as if it were a snake. “Besides, I’m the queen of the forest. It would be more bewildering to find my chamber void of natural elements.”

A toothy grin so wide it made you look sinister graced your lips, and you bowed your head slightly. Yeri, much to her dismay, couldn’t tell if the action was genuine or mocking.

“I like that you feel the need to defend yourself against the devil. Makes me feel somewhat of importance,” you uttered the words with a simple-minded hum, eyes glowing with mirth. “Which brings me to ask… why have you called me here?”

The silence was suffocating as she strode up towards you, an almost defiant look glazing over her irises. She was so close that you could detect a hint of her sweet scent; an intoxicating concoction of apricots and grass and the slight tang of the air just before it rained. A tad too refreshing for your taste, but it suited her well.

On the other hand, Yeri found that you were as warm as a walking fireplace, and smelled as if you had doused yourself in cinnamon and musky cologne. Though it wasn’t necessarily an awful aroma, it was most definitely strong and caught her off guard. Who knew the devil would radiate the odor of a popular dessert spice?

Yeri’s steps slowed down once she was just in front of you, near enough that her soft skirts brushed against your dress pants. You noted the way her breathing seemed to hitch, teeth slightly tugging at the plushness of her bottom lip in hesitancy. What was she waiting for?

And with a deep exhale, she reached somewhere behind you with the speed of lightning, as if she wanted to get this over and done with. Her fingers curled tightly around a fistful of white cloth cloaking a large mass, tugging on it with a mild grunt. You spun on your heel with an arched eyebrow, watching with suppressed curiosity.

As you beheld the sight, expression unfaltering, Yeri buried her face in her hands, practically vibrating in stagnant shame. You wondered if she was crying, but found that her face was dry when she pulled herself away from her palms. Either she was trying too hard to feel the comforting weight of sadness, or she was lying to herself about caring.

It was most likely the latter. The thought brought a smile to your face.

A chiseled statue stood in front of the both of you. Opal in color and sculpted with perfect body proportions, your smile melded into an intrigued frown.

“I know,” Yeri whispered without turning back to look at you. “I’m a monster.”

“Don’t call yourself a monster in front of the devil, it’s unbecoming,” you snorted in contempt. Then, you gestured limply towards the statue. “I don’t even know what this is. Did you call me here to show off an artsy escapade of yours? I’ve got far more important things to do, you know.” ‘Important things’ really meant watching two crows fight over a moldy baguette down in the village streets. You might’ve been the devil, but that didn’t necessarily mean you were busy all the time.

Disdain colored her words as she hissed out, “I turned my husband to stone,” rouge laced her cheekbones as she quickly added on, almost an afterthought, “by accident.”

Oh? You clasped your hands together behind you, rocking back and forth on your heels. Now you were starting to see the resemblance, recalling the forest queen’s marriage to a man whose only facial expression seemed to be stoically indifferent. “My, my,” you crooned glibly, “what an interesting turn of events. Are you sure it was an accident?”

The forest queen clearly didn’t take your teasing lightly.

“I didn’t even know I could,” she said in an icy tone, glancing down at her hands, one still fisted in the coversheet. After a moment’s pause, she spoke up again, turning towards you. “But I need him back.”

A guffaw slipped past you as you wrinkled your nose in distaste. “That’s no fun at all. You want me to bring him back? Your moronic oaf of a husband? I’m sure you could find a new one with the snap of a finger. Besides, it’s better to keep him this way. He seems far more intelligent as stone.”

Having said your fill and satisfied with the fuming look Yeri wore, you spun on your heel, about to head out of the castle and run your other devil errands.

A bright flower of consternation unfurled within her ribcage, and the forest queen found herself hurrying forward, curling her fingers around the wrist of the subject of her torment. Almost immediately, she let go, partly from shock at her own actions, but mostly from the fact that your skin was borderline scalding. You are the devil, after all. Yeri should have been more careful.

“Do you forget who I am?” she hissed nonetheless, glowering at your unturned back, her tone swimming in a pool of severity.

At her question, you whirled around to look upon her in bemusement.

“I’m the queen of the forest!”

You nodded just slightly. “So you’ve mentioned.”

Mouth agape and nose twitching slightly in an attempt to contain her umbrage, she whispered out, almost bristling in hostility, “Does that mean nothing to you?”

“Finally catching on, I see.” You flashed her wink, crossing your arms over your chest and leaning forward. “Let me make one thing clear. You may be a queen, but you are not my queen. I haven’t forgotten who you are to the mortals, but I feel you’ve forgotten who I am.”

A genuinely wounded look found its way sprawled across her soft features. She struggled to find her voice for a minute, before turning her head away to gaze upon the moon in shame.

“What can I do to convince you?”

Though the words were quiet, you could still detect the stubborn tenacity interwoven through the question.

Instead of answering her inquiry, you retaliated with one of your own.

“Did you love him?”

Her face snapped back to you, frozen in incredulity. “What?” she asked, furrowing her perfect brows.

“Did you love him?” you repeated, this time rolling your eyes to the leafy canvas obscuring the ceiling. “You need not lie to me. I’ll know.”

With a shred of hesitancy clinging onto her, she uttered lowly, “No. It was a diplomatic marriage… he’s the crown prince of the ice mountains. And I need him back before anybody notices. You understand why I have to have him back, don’t you? This could cause a war.”

“A little foolish of you to ask a devil to prevent a war, don’t you think? We live for chaos,” you susurrated into her ear, circling her like a predator would their prey. Yeri flushed at your words. “Pray tell, why didn’t you ask an angel? Why come to me?”

She drew herself to her full height, almost as if sizing you up. You grinned at that. What an interesting character she was. “I was ashamed of myself. I didn’t want an angel to know of my mistake. Angels judge, and devils are used to despicable acts far worse than what I did. Of course I had to go with the latter.”

It was silent for a moment, the leaves rustling with the cold breeze. “Smart girl,” you hummed, impressed. Yeri cleared her throat, evidently flustered.

With a flick of your hand, the statue’s marble hue slowly faded away, color returning to the forest queen’s husband. A gasp left her throat, and she scurried across the room, almost tripping over the wisps of her skirt in the process. The prince of the ice mountains fell to the floor just as his feet loosened up, and he looked as if he had woken up from a horrid sleep, a dumbfounded expression masking his usually stoic features.

He looks stupid, you thought to yourself as Yeri knelt down beside him. Why would she choose him of all people?

“Have fun being married to somebody you don’t love,” you called out to the couple.

Yeri glanced upwards, a ‘thank you’ just on the tip of her tongue. But when she looked towards where you had been standing, there was nobody there. The wind whistled in your absence, and everything suddenly felt cold.

The forest was quiet as Yeri stormed through. The leaves stopped whispering, the birds halted their chirps, and the rivers grew muted. She was livid, so much so that small wildflowers the color of winter unconsciously sprouted in her furious trail. There were tear tracks forming rivulets down the apples of her cheeks, but they were long dried. She was too angry to cry now.

You danced your fingers along the bark of the branch you were sitting on, swinging your legs in bemusement as you watched the Queen bask in her fury.

Your landing from tree to ground made naught a sound, but Yeri seemed to sense that you were already there, for her shoulders squared and her chin lifted. Perhaps she wanted to look as if she had at least some semblance of her life put together in front of you. You weren’t quite sure why she bothered; you already knew she was in shambles.

Today she wore a plain sage button dress, the fabric flaring softly at her hips and arms. The skirt reached just below her knees; a considerate choice seeing as she was trudging through mud and foliage of all sorts. A white cloth was tied about her temple, keeping gorgeous locks of dark ebony from falling into her tempestuous eyes. She was a stunningly beautiful woman, and seeing her angry conjured a queer elation within you. What’s gotten her so riled up this time?

With outstretched arms, you beamed at her scowl. “Regretting asking me to free your husband from his stony confines? I did warn you against it, did I not?”

She folded her arms over her chest. “Forgive me for choosing not to trust the devil.”

“You’re a hypocrite,” you said in a sing-song tone. “You chose to trust me the moment you asked me to fix your poor husband. What is it you want from me now? Did you call me to turn him back to stone this time?”

An affronted look colored her already-miffed features a twisted hue. She seemed to relax just slightly when she realized that you were just jesting, as you always were.

“He wants me to move out of the forest. Permanently.” She angled her face away from you so you couldn’t see the turmoil raging within her. It was fruitless, because you saw right through her words. “Says the icy mountains are far better than this infernal place.”

The unexpected sensation of your warm hands on Yeri’s shoulders conjured what felt like an inferno raging within her ribcage. The devil was touching her. Why wasn’t she mad about it?

“Divorce him,” you said, almost nonchalantly. “You don’t love him. Why stay married?”

“I told you,” she shot back in exasperation, trying her damned hardest not to look down at your hands encasing her shoulders, just a thin layer of green fabric separating bare skin to skin contact, “for diplomatic-!”

“Oh, screw diplomacy. You don’t even want to go outside of the forest. What’s the point of staying married to him?” Your words were sharp, a dagger of truth cleaving right through her skull. It was a good point you made, and it made the queen furious to know that you’ve got her beat.

Yeri was starting to think that your ability to constantly put a damper on her mood was a mastered talent. Have you had a lot of experience belittling people? She presumed the answer was yes; the devil didn’t belong only to her, this was undeniably so. Sin was an attractive flavor to mankind. Was it greedy to want the raw form of wrongdoing all to herself?

Plunged into a cavern of her own agitation, she didn’t even notice you releasing her to pace circles around the forest queen. “He doesn’t love you either, just so you know,” you whispered from behind, causing her to startle with a wince, “especially not after that rocky stunt you pulled, hm?”

Something akin to amusement danced in Yeri’s gaze as she turned her head to peer at you. It flickered away just as quickly as it came. “You’re mean,” she said dryly.

“I know, it’s kind of my job.” You rocked back and forth on your heels, leaning against the trunk of a large tree. “So why did you call me back?”

Yeri dithered for just a moment. “I don’t have anybody else to talk to.” With such a shameful statement, you were pleasantly surprised to see how she managed to say it in such a leveled tone.

“And so you came to the devil for mild chit chat?”

She bowed her head. “I did, yes. Do you have an issue with that?”

You shook your head with a slight smile. It was a truthful response; you quite enjoyed studying Yeri’s mannerisms and turmoils.

A stoic expression crossed her elegant visage as she nodded at you, and then proceeded to turn away, striding out of the forest with naught another word more, tendrils of hair fluttering airily with each step.

News of the forest queen’s divorce to the prince of the ice mountains spread quicker than a royal archer’s arrow. Some said she did so in a spectacle of dramatic tears and ring-throwing. Others gossipped that she slipped away into the woods with only a mere note to inform the prince of what was going on. And the most popular story going around was Yeri proclaiming the divorce void of any emotion, ignoring the prince when he dropped to his knees and begged her to stay.

Knowing both parties of the couple, you were sure that all three spin-offs were far from the truth.

Your suspicions were confirmed when Yeri called you back again, this time with a hint of a grin tracing her lips, a startling contrast to the previous two times she’s called you over. The duality of this woman, you thought with a shake of your head.

“What is it this time?” you asked with an annoyed facade, though it was clearly only skin-deep, for the curiosity swimming in your irises betrayed your true stand.

The queen in front of you was wearing a dress of black silk, flowing and cinching in all the right places. A white and canary flower hanging loosely from her ear, a vast juxtaposition from the darkness of her ensemble. She was the true epitome of allure.

“Black to look like you’re mourning to the simple-minded common folk,” you observed, “but the daffodil symbolizes a new, hopeful beginning. You’re not at all upset about your divorce.”

The corners of her carmine lips curled upwards. “Smart devil,” she replied, referencing back to when you had called her just the same. Devils weren’t ones to be flustered, but you supposed that was the closest thing to how you were feeling at the moment. Masking was a true talent of yours, however, because Yeri seemed not to notice at all. “I called you because I’m lonely.”

“It’s one thing after another with you, huh?” Your words lacked any bite, and you found yourself chuckling while threading your fingers through your hair. “Looking for an affair the same day you get divorced isn’t usually customary for humans. I’m not complaining, though,” you mumbled with a roguish grin, stepping closer to her and gently running the tips of your fingers against her forearms. You pointedly ignored the way the saccharine apple aroma she practically dripped of made you dizzy.

She drew a mock gasp at what you were insinuating, placing her frigid palms on your shoulders to push you back in a playful manner.

“So is it me you want or would you like me to brainwash someone to come and take pity on you?”

Dark irises rolled the leafy ceiling of her bedroom. “What if I asked you to stay?” Despite you barking out a laugh, she continued on. “I don’t need somebody else.”

Eyes flashing something dangerous, you drew yourself up to full height. “Don’t jest.”

“I’m not jesting.”

You knew she wasn’t, but you took a step backwards anyways. Much to your astonishment, she boldly rivaled that with her own foot propelling her forwards. Closer, ever so close.

“Why do you want to fraternize with the devil?”

“Why do you keep coming back whenever I call you?” she shot back quickly, leaning forward just as your spine brushed against a poster of her canopy bed. “I’m not giving you anything in return.”

The words had you reeling for some sort of witty comeback, but for the first time in your eons of life, a human had you dumbfounded. Why were you coming back?

“I…” you gaped at her earnest countenance. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know,” she echoed your words, almost smug.

Quiet unease filled the silence between you, and you narrowed your lids into slits. With but a gentle whistle of wind, the devil dissolved into a mass of shadows and glowing clementine-hued embers, leaving the queen alone in her chambers once more.

When the seasons change, it wasn’t a shift that happened overnight, but a feat that came with the patience of moons. Earth took its time in conversion, as did everything else. Time was a universal language everybody understood; unchangeable, solidary in its flow, ruthless and unforgiving.

Devils were no exception.

It took you time to come back to Yeri. You weren’t very sure how long. The stars shifted and the sun dipped past the horizon countless times while you waited for an answer to a question you never had the courage to ask. Quite pathetic of the devil, wasn’t it?

When the forest queen called for you a fourth time, you were tempted to decline.

But you found yourself teleporting without a second thought, materializing in a haze of dull light by the corner of her cavernous chambers.

Yeri watched from across the room. The beige turtleneck she wore clung to her like a second skin, a sheer corset cinched about her waist, embroidered flowers dancing across the fabric. A grey skirt fluttered with the wind that blew through the doorway to the balcony, singing a song of the forest. Golden jewelry dangled from her neck and ears, glinting sweetly in the fading sunlight. Her curled tresses had little wildflowers woven between the strands, rolling over her shoulders in waves. She was beautiful, and she wasn’t yours.

It took her no time to stride forward, bare feet padding silently across the smooth floors towards you. You didn’t move, standing your ground and eyeing her with indifference.

The grazes of her fingers against your blistering hot cheeks shouldn’t have taken you aback. Your pride was wounded the last time you saw her, and all a devil really had was their pride. Should you be mad at this woman for diminishing you down to a mess of discombobulated emotions and lost purpose? A twisted part of you was proud of her for doing so. Besting a devil at their own game wasn’t quite the everyday act.

Yeri hummed a pleased little sound when you grabbed at her wrist. Not to yank her away, no, but to pull her ever so close, breathing in her earthy scent. The walls of fire you once held up to closely guard your devilish heart, now doused by a simple pale of water. The forest queen did that. And you, quite frankly, were so very afraid of what she’d do with it now that it was hers.

“Took you a while to come back,” she whispered. You looked oh so bewitching in this light, a glimpse of heaven doused with the fits of hell, and Yeri found it hard to concentrate. Especially not with your searing fingers wrapped firmly around her forearm.

“Certainly didn’t take you a while to call,” you snorted, raising a brow at the queen. “You’re a desperate little thing, aren’t you?”

Even the flame-lit candles were envious of her radiance when she smiled, for they flickered and warbled at her mischievous beam. “I’m not ashamed to admit so. You look awful, by the way.”

“That’s a lie,” you teased, so close now that your nose brushed against her cheekbone. If an outsider were to walk in now, they would’ve thought the two of you were two lovers intimately dancing to a ghost’s silent song.

“You’re right. I lied. Thought you might enjoy that since you’re the devil, and all.” The queen looked at you with hooded eyes.

A breathy chuckle slipped past your lips. “I enjoyed that very much, yes.”

“I’m going to do something,” she uttered lowly, vague hesitation weaving through her words, “and you’re going to have to promise not to freak out.”

An off-hand sound of acknowledgement rumbled in your throat as the tip of your mouth quirked upwards. “My queen, I’m the devil. Of course I’m going to freak out. I live for chaos.”

Just as you took your time to come back to her, it took Yeri time to unfurl the folds of her heart, baring herself raw and unshielded. She trusted you with her life, and it was probably the most foolish decision she could ever think to make.

Her lips brushed against your jaw first, tentative and testing. Then the kisses trailed to your cheekbones, over to the lids of your fluttered-shut eyes, down to the bridge of your nose. When she melded her lips over yours, you knew you were done for. It was almost natural, how your arms snaked around her midriff, clutching at the threads of her corset with a yearning you’ve never felt before. The hands that cradled your jaw slid in different directions; one went to clutch at your arm in a fruitless attempt to ground herself, and the other gently scratched at the back of your neck, earning a pleased noise from you.

This was so wrong, and that was why it felt so good. If she was the fruit, you were the parasite. If she was the wine, you were the poison. If she was love, you were hatred.

When she pulled away from you with a dazzling smile reserved just for you, you swore the stars shattered and the moon collapsed and the sky broke into two. For this trembling certainly can’t be coming from you! Devils don’t tremble, for crying out loud!

“You called me your queen,” she observed, amused at your playful narrowing of eyes.

“A devil never lies, my queen,” you jested. The laugh she was about to bark out at your witty jab was stolen away from her as you kissed her once more. “I wouldn’t dare bow to somebody with a soul, yet it seems you’ve given me yours. Just what am I to do with you?”

Your words were paused to press a lasting kiss onto her cheek, right below her wide eyes, nervously awaiting your response. Studying her with mirth dancing in your irises, you crooned in acceptance, fondly nudging your nose against her supple cheek. She was yours, and you were hers. A white rose blooming amidst a tumultuous storm.

“And my, my, what a powerful pair we make, my queen.”

[baoshan-sanren]

Best dramas I’ve watched in 2020 so far (and some not so good ones) Part II

part 1 here

Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain - based on Once Upon A Time, There Was A Spirit Sword Mountain by 国王陛下 (translation dropped at chapter 50 out of 884 back in 2017). A combination of satire/comedy with complex themes. The emotional investment sneaks up on you out of nowhere and hits you like a sack of bricks. An interesting twist on the master/disciple relationship. Meh on the special effects. Excellent female characters. Solid plot, endless fanfic potential, all the found family your heart desires. Much more gay than you’d think. Needs Season 2, but Season 1 can be watched over and over again. 9/10

Handsome Siblings - based on Twin Heroes by Gu Long. Feel good ending. A decent amount of angst. The most heartwarming drama I’ve watched all year. Funny and insightful and a joy to experience. Meh on the special effects. They don’t know they’re brothers. Plot drags only in a few places, and not for very long. A variety of female characters, but mediocre on their portrayals. A sect comprised of only female disciples - I would like to see it. Contains one of the three het couples whose happiness mattered to me in the entirety of 2020. An endless well of hilarity and angst. Can be watched over and over again. 8/10

Love and Redemption - based on The Glass Maiden by Shi Si Lang (translation ongoing). A wild ride from beginning to end. Intentionally and unintentionally funny. Gay subtext. Contains one of the three het couples whose happiness mattered to me in the entirety of 2020. A plethora of excellent and complex side characters. A feral bottom snake god. A merman who gets kidnapped once a week. Buckets of angst and frustration and misunderstandings. Gorgeous aesthetics. The male lead is tortured more often than all the other characters combined, but he looks hot while going through it. A+ for the sheer wildness of the plot, C- for all the misunderstandings; there has to be a limit somewhere. 7.5/10

The Rise of Phoenixes - based on The Rise of Phoenixes by 天下归元 (translation ongoing). Contains one of the three het couples whose happiness mattered to me in the entirety of 2020. If you judge the seriousness of the drama by the relative hotness of the Emperor, casting Ni DaHong should tell you everything you need to know. An abundance of court intrigue, suspense, and humor. Complex themes, steady plot progression, no scene time wasted. Costumes and set design out of this world. Smart and witty. The most thought provoking drama I’ve watched all year. Ni Ni is a goddamn goddess and should be worshipped daily. 10/10

Legend of Two Sisters In the Chaos - based on a novel I can’t seem to track down anywhere. Meng ZiYi must have some serious back pain from carrying all forty episodes on her shoulders. Interesting premise, shaky execution at best. Main het relationship did not excite, nor were the acting skills comparable; Meng ZiYi deserved better. Wang ZhuoCheng gives a decent performance. The drama does pack an emotional punch if you stick around long enough to get invested. Forty episodes long, but sometimes seemed twice that. Definitely entertaining, but not engaging. 6/10

The Wolf - also based on a novel I can’t track down. Too much romance, then angst, then romance. The dreaded love triangle. Dropped the drama three times, then went back because Xiao Zhan. Darren Wang gives decent performance, but does not have much to work with. Li Qin’s skills utterly wasted on this role. If you’re not invested in the love story, you’ll get bored. If you’re invested, you’ll be emotionally numb half-way through. Good fight scenes. Not so good special effects. 5/10 for the actors doing their best with what they had.

Dance of the Phoenix - based on Dragons Flies Phoenix Dances by 明月听风 (translation dropped at chapter 27 out fo 85 in May of 2020). Yu Mingye deserved better. Female main character + mostly female side characters. Excellent + complex villains, also female. Judging by the costumes + special effects, not much of a budget to work with. Cop-out in the last few episodes to neatly tie up the plot that was... not very intricate to begin with. Vastly entertaining but not that deep. Buckets of angst, but plenty of humor to ease the pain. Lan JingYi fights with a fan. Good fanfic potential. Godawful ending. 7/10 for the best villain I’ve encountered all year.

Legend of Fei - based on Bandits by Priest (translation ongoing). Zhao Liying slays. A variety of compelling female characters. Excellent fight choreography. Interesting premise, steadily progressing plot. Potential for many disaster bisexuals. May contain the fourth het romance I’m invested in this year, but it's still too early to tell. Wang Yibo in his element as Xie Yun, may even produce a better performance than his role in The Untamed. The drama is still only 7 episodes in, will give ranking when finished. ?/10

Looking forward to:

Immortality - based on danmei novel The Husky and His White Cat Shizun by 肉包不吃肉 starring Chen Feiyu and Luo Yunxi

Winner Is King - based on the danmei novel Sha Po Lang by Priest starring Tan Jianci and Chen Zheyuan

A Tale of The Wanderers - based on danmei novel Faraway Wanderers by Priest starring Zhang Zhehan and Gong Jun

Douluo Continent - based on xuanhuan novel Soul Land by 唐家三少 starring Xiao Zhan and Wu Xuanyi 

Step By Step Lotus - based on historical novel Return to Ming Dynasty as Prince by 月关 starring Zhang Binbin and Luo Yunxi

Feng Qi Long Xi - based on historical novel of the same name by Ma Bo Yong starring Zhu Yilong and Deng Lun

Sword Snow Stride - based on the xuanhuan novel The Snowy Path of the Heroic Blade by 烽火戏诸侯 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Hu Jun

Heaven Official's Blessing - based on danmei novel of the same name by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - cast unknown

Thousand Autumns - based on danmei novel of the same name by Meng Xi Shi - cast unknown 

Joy Of Life Season 2 - based on wuxia novel of the same name by 猫腻 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Li Qin

A League of Nobleman - based on danmei novel The Society of Four Leaves by Da Feng Gua Guo starring Song Weilong and Jing Boran

Flying Phoenix - based on danmei novel of the same name by 風弄 starring Dai Jingyao and Shu Yaxin

[animefreak1145]

Adler Loves the 80s Vibe™️

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War—Deprogram Map Arcade Analysis

This one is going to be fun.

I got another analysis for the lovely map that is Deprogram with all it’s intricate and subtle details. I already did the helicopter, the music posters/band equipment, as well as slowly adding all the dialogue that can be heard from it.

Let’s get started.

Me throughout this whole thing.

Here, I’m going to focus in the part of the map where there’s arcade games into what is basically a standard looking Arcade Room one might find back than. Which is called Galaxy Room and was going to be in the new Pines Mall according to the Mall Map in the game. And we can just see it in the Mall too ourselves.

Look at that carpet. Standard fun pattern and of course gotta have those nice neon lights to really sell the 80s vibe. This man is obsessed I swear.

Why am I analyzing this? Well, because this Arcade Room is more than meets the eye. That’s why.

Arcades were started in the late 70s but it really started growing in the year 1980–the year Pac—Man came out. And forever changing video games, within this Golden Age. That’s just some background for you guys.

Because no, I am not saying Adler likes to play games. Just mind games.

As in video games. But, he is a fighter. Which is the main goal of video games really, especially the action ones—which is what this Arcade Room has.

I am not going to focus on the Videospiel Machine much. Besides pointing out it’s the same one that was in the safehouse back with Bell. Bell is a nerd. You can’t change my mind. Even Woods said it. They totally played games back there.

I am going to do my best to break down each game and the meanings behind the symbols and characters that you can see on the sides of the machine and by the buttons and joysticks.

Let’s start with Kremlin’s Lair.

First thing I thought of just based solely on the name is that this represents Adler being in Stitch’s Lair. And he has to find a way to get out of it. Problem is, this game is a Two Player Game. He needs help. He can’t do it by himself.

But than I looked to the side of the machine and saw it—churches in the background. And it connected.

This game represents Solovetsky.

Bell and co. went to the Solovetsky Islands—specifically, the monastery—to get a hold of the nukes and kill Perseus. This as we know is canon—and not Duga. Because well, Adler is alive. And Europe is in one piece.

Adler needed help to find out where Perseus was—his lair. Perseus representing Kremlin. And Adler being represented as the character on the side and on the screen. Again though, he needs help to do that.

Bell is his second player that he needed in order to win.

And they did win. In that game anyways. Not able to catch “Kremlin” himself but got a hold of his lair.

As represented by the two guns facing each other on each side of Player 1 and Player 2–this represents what happened between Bell and Adler on the cliffs. Adler thinks a lot about Bell in this map, Jesus Christ. I can make a whole separate analysis on that but I am just going to stick with pointing it out every so often in my analysis’s.

I feel rather confident in the Kremlin’s Lair being Perseus and Solovetsky, so let’s move on.

Next is Foliage Fighter.

First thing, again, that caught my eye was the name. I had to pause and think for a few seconds on places that have thick brush and Bada Bing Bada Boom—it’s Vietnam guys!

There’s not much to this. With how there are thick brush, snakes, and interesting plants on the arcade machine—it’s safe to say it’s indeed Vietnam. What’s interesting is—it’s that it’s only One Player.

Adler felt alone in his time in Vietnam, an inner soldier fighting a war by himself even though he had a whole platoon and Sims by him. His own platoon in fact when he became Commander. Why else is it One Player and not at least Two?

“You were never alone, Adler. Only in your own stubborn head!” —Mason(Deprogram Map)

Not only that, this machine is the smallest out of all of them, in the corner as well near someone’s leftover cup. Trash.

A game that perhaps isn’t that popular due to how it’s in the corner like that and it’s small. A little forgotten game that is not as quite fun as Two Player games can be.

Games aren’t the only thing that can be forgotten.

Veterans have a sad history of being forgotten. Especially Vietnam War Vet’s.

Vietnam Veterans Still Feel Forgotten

Honoring Vietnam War Veterans, Many of Whom Feel Forgotten

Not only that. But they were also scorned. By the very same people they wished to come back to.

Why Were Vietnam War Vets Treated Poorly When They Returned?

Soldiers of Misfortune

So it doesn’t come to a surprise to me, no matter how far deep down Adler pushes it, he still feels the affects of the war. In many ways.

I mean, clearly. His whole mind in the Deprogram Map is basically his time in Vietnam. So no surprise it’s in the game as well.

Now the focus on the side of the machine, again, shows the sense of having to fight huge battles alone. The man seems anxious as he’s trying to shoot the monster. I was trying to think what the monster could represent and I’m just going to settle on Vietnam. Although the colors of the Viet Cong don’t match the monster. Unless of course you mix the Yellow Star of the flag with the Blue Stripe—than it will indeed make green. And now that I’m looking at it more closely—there is some red in the monster as well for the other part of the flag so it looks like it can fit!

So far from these games, we have Adler thinking of Solovetsky—and in turn Bell—as well as him generally feeling a battle alone.

Maybe if you didn’t kill Bell and push everyone away, you’ll have someone in your corner, you idiot.

We now have Them Bones. These last few are so good.

Oh my goodness. This game could mean so many things.

Let’s start with the side of the machine. We see a man fighting what seems to be a horde of demons around him(I know it just seems to show two but I see red flame like shapes in the background which can signify more in the distance. Do keep the two demons in front of the man in mind.) with his fists alone. The man’s one fist is lightly brightened with a power up/fire and raised while the other one is just tightly clenched to his side.

Unlike in the Foliage Fighter game, the man here seems more determined. Angry. But a desperate sort of determined anger.

I believe this also again, represents Adler.

As for the demons, this is where the meaning can sort of be everywhere. Or maybe it’s all of what I think.

Let’s get this out the way—it can be Adler’s literal demons inside his head. We don’t know much besides what they’ve already revealed about Adler with the kind of missions he does. Can get pretty dirty and manipulative. Nor do we know what exactly he’s seen in Vietnam—we can only imagine based on our own knowledge of the war and the tactics that were used on both sides.

He’s seen some stuff. Done some stuff. So it can just be that.

Another possible significance—notice the demons are Red. And guess what is in Adler’s head? Red numbers. So this game can signify that Adler is trying to fight off the brainwashing that Stitch caused. But there’s a problem. He needs help.

This is a Two Player game. Which means Adler can’t move forward, like in Kuzmin’s Lair, without someone else to help and guide him out of there. This someone can of course, mean Mason this time. It goes to show why he only has one bright fist against the two demons.

Another representation of the two demons—can be Stitch and Perseus. Perseus, the one who Adler has hunted for sixteen years in total now as of 1984. And Stitch, his nemesis basically and the one who brainwashed him.

Another possible reason it could be both Stitch and Perseus is if you look by the buttons and joysticks, you can see on the front there are two golden swords. But their hilts look like it could be upside down crosses. So another possible reference to Solovetsky.

Or, like I said in the beginning, it can be a mix of all of these that I stated.

Heck, the two bones by the two joysticks can signify the bones of Bell too. The bones that Adler caused. As well as all the other deaths Adler caused throughout his life.

I just like the Bell reason because just in the other game, the two hands with the two guns—each hand representing one of Adler’s and one of Bell’s.

Perhaps the two bones represent that Adler won’t quite live a long life like Woods(and Mason depending). The man is insane enough. I just don’t see Adler living long. I know what COD:Mobile is but I think that’s non-canon. He just got rescued a few days ago and he just got rewired back to normal and Hudson is making him immediately go back to work. Like EXCUSE ME. I see where Adler just lets poor Bell with their poor eye and still recovering from their injuries in Cuba go to Solovetsky comes from. They’re all suicidal.

Anyways, Adler really need to learn to not face things alone. Seems to be a problem and worry of his.

And he has to be careful to not lose himself again. What he did with the Pines Mall was absolutely reckless and not strategic at all. He’s beginning to see a haze and if he’s not careful—he’ll really become a true demon himself.

“He spent so long searching for Perseus, he didn’t notice he lost himself.”—Mason(Deprogram Map)

Don’t worry, Adler. Mason got you. Even though he’s being an aggressive boi nowadays. Do you guys hear his lines? In Zombies especially? He sometimes makes references to lines said by Reznov too as well as other lines in BO. But seriously, Mason got some anger in him now. 💀

So, we have a man thinking of Solovetsky/Bell, thinks he’s alone, and he has some serious demons to fight and needs help.

Next! Mutants VS Nerds!

Guys. I don’t think you understand how hard I burst out laughing when I connected the characters on the side of the machine. 💀 Not just because it’s ridiculous, but it really goes to show Adler’s thoughts.

I’m going to start with the purple monster. Now everyone, take a close look at the monster. Go ahead. Go look at the picture and zoom in.

Back? Good.

So.

Who do we know that has one eye?

😂😂😂

I’m sorry! It’s too funny!

It doesn’t help the monster’s cheeks look so big and round it looks like Stitch’s gas mask openings. 💀 That. And with how the head is shaped with the horns, it looks like the Perseus Faction Symbol.

Wait! It gets better! Take a close look at the knight. Look at it…look.

Look at the hair. Yup. And than…yup. Those are glasses.

That’s Adler. ✅

Is it just me, or those flies look like they can be Naga.

But oh my! We actually have a second character that’s helping him out guys! That we can actually see.

But wait. We can’t see their face…

Bell?!

Okay, for realsies, I thought that was Bell at first glance. I thought the wizard hat was a wizard robe instead and the face was shadowed but looking at us. At closer inspection, the second character is clearly female. Which takes away my excitement somewhat. But not really. The Deprogram Map is giving mixed signals about Bell.

“Do you think he suspects anything?”—Lazar(Deprogram Map)

“You want me to tell them about my time in Vietnam?”—Adler(In Campaign and Deprogram Map)

I don’t know who Lazar is talking about but it could only be about Bell. But than Adler says that. So it just seems like they’ll continue to send mixed signals. Or just, of course, leave it up in the air.

Cause I doubt the second character represents Adler’s Ex wife. That’s a bit out of left field and how would she help with the Perseus faction at all?

Than again, Bell’s dead. 💀 OR ARE THEY?!

Still. This arcade game is unique. It shows the clearest representation of Adler and the Perseus faction. It’s a Two Player game so yes, Adler needs some support to beat them. He can’t do this by himself.

Defeating the Perseus faction that is. I don’t know. It’s just a little off, isn’t it? Perhaps the one who rewired Adler to bomb Verdansk(something Stitch is pissed about) when he was being brainwashed had to be someone on the inside. Perhaps Bell isn’t that dead after all and they were the one who rewired Adler to do that. Maybe he didn’t realize it. (Mason sure didn’t know Reznov even died and rewired him)

Let’s focus on the second character again. So, they are faceless. But look. They have their hand raised with their wand glowing. The same way the man in Them Bones has it. But also, Knight Adler is doing too. They’re raising their weapons in unison this time though. I just find it interesting that the second character’s weapon has a similar color scheme to the man from Them Bones.

Sort of shows a synchrony?

I guess you can call it that. I’m rambling now.

Another representation of the Perseus faction is the spider by the joysticks. The spider seems to be guarding the treasure. This time—I believe the spider represents Perseus. And the treasure is the threat level(or nukes/bombs/codes) that the heroes(the CIA) need to grab in order to accomplish their quest(mission). It can also just represent the Perseus faction as a whole.

Spiders can after all, live without legs. And this spider is big. Quite big. It lost a few worthy legs sure(Arash Kadivar, Anton Volkov, Robert Aldrich, & Vadim Rudnik) but it can manage. It has plenty of other legs after all and someone needs to take it’s head(Perseus) in order for it to truly fall(the Perseus Faction).

The meaning of this arcade game is mixed. Here, it seems Adler is indeed accepting help. But who?

So now we have haunted by Solovetsky/Bell, feeling alone/forgotten, has demons to fight and needs help, and is indeed accepting help here from someone.

Onto the finale! Part Two!

Tumblr has an image limit 🥲

Hope you guys enjoyed what I have so far!

@parkeepingparker @salvija @weirdoartist21 @tr1ppylady @smokeywhalee

[draconic-ichor]

In the Steel Steeds Heart

Chapter 20: Final: Till the Bitter End

Warnings: strong language, sexual themes, blood/gore, body horror, angst, violence, major character death, trauma

Summary: Juniper is delivered back to Heisenberg…

Feedback appreciated. 18+

This is the end my lovelies…this end can fit into cannon, without plot holes for the game. Stay tuned for the family Au later in the week. Will start a whole new (happier) fic, picking up at the end of chapter 19

The hours bled into days, then the days bled into weeks. Heisenberg thrust himself into his work, trying and failing to keep his mind off of what happened.

He couldn’t sleep in the bed anymore, and slowly he even stopped entering the apartment outside the occasional shower or meal.

He carried her compass in his pocket, finding his thumb worried over its surface more times than he’d like to admit.

Feelings of anger and sadness plagued him constantly, filling even his sleep with nightmares. He replayed the day she was taken over and over in his mind, loathing every stupid decision he’d made. The radio and alcohol did little to drown out these thoughts.

Until one day the cameras alerted him to someone at the gates. Heisenberg pushed away from his desk, flipping a switch to see who had tripped his alarm.

It was the Duke’s cart. Heisenberg groaned, his order wasn’t due for another week out. He pressed a button to buzz him in. Walking towards the elevator to meet him.

By the time he was on the surface Duke had pulled his cart up much closer than usual, damn near at the front doors.

“Didn’t expect my shipment so fucking soon.” Heisenberg pointed out.

The Duke’s voice was less jovial than normal as he spoke, “My apologies, Lord Heisenberg, but I bring a different delivery to you today.”

Heisenberg’s brows knitted together in confusion.

“It’s Lady Heisenberg…but I must warn you she is most unwell.” His smile fell, “I found her on the steps of the stone church, and thought her place was much more suited here.”

It took his words a moment to register, Heisenberg’s eyes scanned over the merchant, his lips a thin line.

A mixture of relief, worry, and anger swirled around his head. He swallowed, his throat dry, “Can I see her?”

“Lord Heisenberg…she’s just hanging on.” The Duke warned.

“Let me see her.” Heisenberg’s voice rose, desperation tinged his tone.

The Duke nodded, the small door at the side of the cart slowly swung open. Heisenberg quickly came to the opening, peering inside.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, the cart’s interior a menagerie of all matters of goods. In the center of it all, upon an owl rug, was a mass covered by a blanket.

Heisenberg crawled into the cart, a shaking hand reached out to pull the covering away.

There was Juniper, curled in on herself along the cart’s floor. Her skin was deathly pale, her side hardly rising with breath. Heisenberg tentatively touched her, skin cold under his fingers. He shuttered, dismay ripping through him.

The sound roused her.

Juniper blinked her eyes against the pale sunlight filtering in. Her eyes were dull, all the spark they once held, gone.

“Karl?” She asked, voice almost cracking.

“It’s me.” He came closer, cupping her face.

He saw a smile try to grace her lips, as her eyes closed weakly into his embrace, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Doll.” His eyes flicked down her body. She was thin, her skin covered in blotches of pooled blood below the surface. But the thing that almost turned his stomach was the deep incision from navel to pelvis. It was red and weeping, angry tendrils snaking through her skin from it.

“Fuck.” He cursed, “What did she do to you?”

Juniper winced, a weak hand delicately touching the stitching, “S-She said I was a failure…”

Heisenberg’s eyes stung and he gathered her up, careful to wrap her in the blanket to Shield her from the cold the best he could.

He could be angry later, he had to get Juniper safe first.

“I’m going to take you home, and fix you right up, ok Doll?” He tried to soothe, his voice wavering.

Heisenberg’s stomach clenched, seeing the redness of her abdomen slowly turning an ash grey.

She’ll be fine…she’ll be fine…she’ll be fine…

The words echoed in his head as he exited the cart. He gave a brief thanks to the Duke before retreating back into the factory.

He went straight to the apartment, pausing to ponder what to do next.

Hope waned as he felt her weaken in his grasp. He went to the bed, placing her down gently and making sure she had enough blankets.

“Thank…you.” Juniper gave a sigh, eyes closing. Heisenberg gulped, crawling into the bed beside her. He lay on his side, silently looking her over.

His heartbeat hammered in his chest, fear and worry spinning around his head.

He wanted to do something, anything, to help her. To make the pain go away. He wanted to see her bright and happy again, like a flower. His flower, his buttercup.

Juniper looked up at him the best she could, swallowing as she tried to find her voice. Her skin was slowly taking on an ashy hue, small cracks forming along her arms.

Heisenberg felt his chest clench in iron knots, touching her cheek.

“I’m sorry.” She rasped, her once bright eyes now milky, “I won’t be able…to see the world with you.”

“Don’t say that.” He choked, “Don’t fucking say that.”

Juniper’s breaths were shallow, her eyes unseeing.

“We’ll get out of here.” He almost pleaded.

He gently pulled her head closer until their forehead touched. Juniper closed her eyes into the contact. He could feel her life slipping away ever so slowly under his fingers.

She felt so frail, every breath ragged though her rib cage.

Heisenberg held her close, trying to choke back tears.

“I love you.” He whispered, words broken and wavering. Juniper’s delicate fingers covered his own. Her skin was cold as she smiled the best she could.

“I love you too.” She cooed, her voice sweet and like honey on his ears. He could feel her grasp wavering as he clenched his eyes shut.

He didn’t know how long he laid there. How long he held her, trying to memorize every detail of her form: her smell, her hair, every freckle on her sweet face.

Eventually, in the wake of exhaustion, sleep overtook him. It was fitful and quick. But as he blinked his eyes open all his fears came crashing into him like a speeding car.

The space in the bed beside him was covered in sparkling, iridescent crystal, and crumbling ash.

He sat up, eyes almost unseeing.

He could make out the outline of Juniper’s form, from her jaw to the sway or her hips, forever encased in beautiful stone. The place where her abdomen once was now was hollow with intricate swirling patterns.

He reached out a trembling hand, his fingertips touching the smooth surface of the crystal. The world seemed to slow, a distance ringing filling his ears.

A humming filled the room, all metal rose and began to swirl. It all picked up speed, becoming a cyclone. The metal desks and chairs buckled in on themselves, the walls shuttering.

He balled his hands into fists, bringing them up to cover his face.

A horrid sound joined the choir of destruction. Only when his throat ached did he realize it was his own voice, crying out the grief that ate his core.

The bed shook, the frame bending.

A sound met his ears, almost lost in the havoc. The cracking of stone, hollow like glass.

Everything stopped, metal falling to the floor as he looked forward. The bed frame had buckled enough to start to crack the crystal it held, stopping short only when the humming died.

He felt numb as he stood from the bed. Shattered glass and metal scattering the floor.

Days bled into weeks. He’s not sure how long he left the crystal untouched in the ruined bed. He rarely slept and even more rarely ate. Many family meetings were missed, calls going unanswered. Eventually he wrapped the crystal that was once Juniper in her coat; placing it somewhere safe, deep in the factory.

His grief and loss turned his hunger for freedom into an all consuming desire. His disdain for Mother Miranda forged into a dagger of loathing, cutting ribbons into his soul daily.

Distractions were no longer permitted. Every waking moment was dedicated to his obsession for revenge.

~Epilogue:

Heisenberg sat before the small tv monitor, smoke creating a haze around him. He watched the man on the other end of the screen with interest, a stranger in their village. A stranger with promise.

He bite the cigar between his teeth, pondering the opportunity presenting itself. His army was big, and time was running short. With this stranger’s help, freedom was within his grasp.

He sat back in his chair, reaching into his coat pocket. He pulled a small, ornate compass free. He turned it over on his gloved hand, it’s surface scratched and worn with time. His thumb brushed over the etching across the back, a word branded not only onto its metal but also on his mind.

His eyes narrowed, watching the screen. The man was breaching the stronghold, holding his own against the Lycans like no other before had.

He felt the word over again.

“We’ll see the world together, buttercup.” His tone was thick, “I promise.”

~Thank you~

[tomorrowsdrama]

So the costumes in rebel princess are obviously beautiful and incredibly detailed.  But I love that the costuming also informs us about a character’s social standing and for some characters, their state of mind as well.  Or in Song Huaien’s case, how far into the dark side he’s gone.  He’s really the inspiration for this post.  As I was re-watching some of the early episodes while waiting for the new subs (shhh, I know I’m unhealthily obsessed with this drama), I noticed not only how drastically his costuming/hair has changed, but also that he’s pretty much a mirror of whoever he chooses to follow at the moment.  Cheng’s very own Single White Female without the obsessive craziness, if you will.  Delusional?  Sure.  But not quite crazy.

But first, let’s talk about the clothing of the noble class.  I’m sorry for this thesis that I’m going to inflict on everyone that no one asked for.  I’ve joked about the long trains on Awu/the nobles’ clothing before, but it’s clear that they are a sign of high status and wealth.  The higher ranked/wealthier you are, the longer your train is it seems.  Also, just in general, the nobles’ outfits usually include an abundance/overflowing of luxe silky and billowy material.  See:

And the nobles can afford to have such styles of clothing not just monetarily, but also lifestyle wise.  To put it bluntly, the nobles don’t have to do shit in their lives so they can afford to drag long trains of expensive fabric back and forth in their huge manors/the palace.  These clothes aren’t for functionality, but for beauty/showing off your wealth (whether intentionally or not).  If they need to go anywhere, they have comfy carriages to travel in instead of walking long distances.  If they need something?  That’s what servants are for.  I mean, just imagine how cumbersome it is to move around with such huge billowy sleeves and six feet of cloth dragging behind your ass.  You don’t have to imagine, just look at this scene where Daddy Wang visits Prime Minister Wen in prison (oh, how I regret taking this time for granted and condemning Daddy Wang for imprisoning that old fool):

Look at how his train drags over the threshold of the prison door.  Daddy Wang literally has to lift his train and throw it over a bench in order to sit down.  

The higher your status, the less physical activity you have to partake in a.k.a. the more useless you are, so it should come as no surprise that the longest train I’ve seen so far in the drama belongs to none other than our Useless Mopey Teenager Zitan:

The clothing choices are pretty deliberate, because whenever a character needs to do something more than just sit around enjoying tea (or wine if you’re Awu), they are given clothes that are more practical for moving around. Like the outfit Awu wore when she chased after her dad:

It’s much shorter than her usual garb and she’s wearing simple black pants underneath which makes horse riding and chasing after a traitorous father much more manageable.

What’s interesting is seeing the opposite happen with Hu Yao.  Hu Yao is usually in very practical and simple clothing since unlike the rest of the nobles in the capital, she has to fight against invaders and protect Cheng.  But when she goes to meet our Emo Emperor Zitan, of course she has to be dressed up in a big frou frou dress that makes it hard to walk:

It highlights just how impractical this type of extravagant clothing is for any kind of life other than a noble’s.  Hu Yao can barely walk without tripping over her own dress, let alone fight.  Also what the hell is that giant bow?

Now let’s talk about Daddy Wang’s clothes.  So before he gets exiled for attempting a coup, Daddy Wang was arguably the most powerful man in court.  He was the head of the Wangs, the most influential noble family in Cheng.  The past 10 empresses of the empire were daughters of the Wang clan, and his sister, the current empress, listened to whatever he said (for the most part).  Also his nephew wass the crown prince and easily manipulated.  He’s also wealthy AF so his status and wealth was apparent in his clothing.

Look at the sheen on that fabric and all that intricate embroidery work!  But then of course, he gets exiled and understandably has to put on some more humble clothing:

Simple, unembellished clothing made of coarse fabric that can withstand moving through the fields and rough terrain while you covertly make your way towards your disappointment of a son.  What really sticks out to me though, is his wardrobe choice after he reunites with the turnip.  Instead of going back to the lavish and ornate clothing he used to wear, he opts for an understated gray and black outfit with no long train in sight:

Turnip obviously can afford to put his dad in fancier clothing.  I mean look at the gaudy over-embroidered monstrosity that he’s wearing.  But it makes sense that Daddy Wang has now opted for something a bit more subdued and modest.  He’s been defeated once and is no longer the powerful prime minister he used to be.  Also, the Wangs do not hold as much clout as they used to because 1) empress has gone mad; 2) potato emperor is dead; and 3) the official head of the Wangs is now...Turnip.  

But make no mistake, his clothes may be simpler than before, but they’re still made out of very nice materials. He is after all, still Daddy Wang.  And Wang will rise again if he can help it! 

Next we have the seagull.  Ugh, yuck, gross, I hate her.  Anyway, now that I’ve gotten the bad taste out of my mouth...So for the majority of the drama we see her in light pastel colored clothing with little to no make up as if to imply that she’s a sweet, innocent thing:

She’s also usually pretty covered up.  But then she becomes Concubine Su (ugh) and all of a sudden she’s in bold colors, wearing red lipstick, and most noticeably, gotten very breast-y

Man, did Seagull make a wrong turn and accidentally stumble onto the set of The Empress of China?  She’s definitely got the tackiness to fit in with them.  This drastic shift in styling is clearly to signal to the audience that Seagull is now a seductress ready to do whatever it takes to hold onto that magical flute and never let go.  Also, whereas before she was a snake hiding in the grass, now it’s all out in the open (at least to the Wangs) just like her bosom.

Look, she even gets her own long train to reflect just how useless she is.

And finally, we have Song Huaien, Cheng’s very own Single White Female who molds himself to whoever he happens to follow and takes on their personality and principals (or lack thereof).

In the beginning, he is stuck to Xiao Qi’s side like a shadow, dresses similar to him, and even wears his hair like him.  He’s like the kid brother who copies everything his cooler older brother does because he looks up to him. 

Notably, he’s the only one in the Ningshuo crew who wears his hair down with a half bun, just like Xiao Qi.  Hu Guanglie (RIP best bro) is XQ’s oldest friend and literally devoted his life to him, but he’s also his own man and did not need to copy XQ.  He never wanted to be him, he only wanted to serve him. 

If you didn’t pay attention, you wouldn’t be able to tell who’s who.

When you follow a brave, honorable general who’s sex on legs, you too will be a brave, honorable and sexy general.  Song Huaien never looked better than when he tried to emulate Xiao Qi.

Interestingly, when Song Huaien goes off with Awu and starts to fall for her, he also starts to incorporate some color into his previously all-black wardrobe.  I guess spring arrived in his heart even though it was the cold winter:

Hm, now I’m starting to wonder if a part of his crush on Awu wasn’t influenced by his desire to be like XQ a little bit.  And then, sigh, he starts to get tempted by the riches of the capital city and the internal shift in his character is materialized externally through how he wears his hair in his first appearance in court:

This is the first time we’ve seen him wear his hair in any style other than the usual loose half bun.  And of course, his top knot conforms and fits in with how the rest of the ministers wear their hair.  Now contrast that with Xiao Qi who only wore his hair in a top knot once:

and then promptly went back to his usual hair style:

Sure, he looked good with the top knot (when does he never look good), but it wasn’t him.  Unlike Song Huaien, XQ is secure in himself and knows who he is.  He is not easily swayed or corrupted.  That is why he is able to remain just like how he always has been, internally and externally.

The next change we see in Song’s appearance is his armor.  Now that he is Count Suyi, his armor is noticeably more ornate.  Unlike XQ’s armor, which remains pretty much the same barebones armor we’ve seen since the beginning, Song’s gets fancier and fancier as he gets more lured in by the nicer things in life.

At this point, his hair is still down like before.  But then the next time we see him after his wedding, his hair style is changed into a high ponytail:

Which is a very good look, don’t get me wrong, but it is again another physical representation of the change happening in Song internally.  It’s kind of a weird limbo he’s in because it’s not completely a top knot, but it’s definitely neater and closer to a top knot than his previous hairstyle.  At this stage, Song hasn’t completely crossed over to the dark side quite yet.  He’s still kind of wavering and going back and forth.  So a high ponytail that is a shift from his prior hairstyle but not quite the same as the nobles’ hairstyle makes sense.  He keeps this look for a while and even momentarily goes back to his less fancy self while dealing with the floods away from the capital.  That is, until he joins hands (or is it roots?) with Turnip and it’s all downhill from there, character-wise and also appearance-wise.

First, we have this very ill-advised mustache and goatee which mimics the same facial hair Turnip all of sudden started sporting:

Matching facial hair to commemorate their entry onto the shit list, perhaps?  Anyway, turns out facial hair isn’t for everyone, including Song Huaien.  But this isn’t even the worst of it.  As Song Huaien continues his descent into being a greedy, spineless, puppet for Turnip (HIM of all people! or should I say, of all root vegetables?), he gets uglier and uglier.  I mean:

He looks downright haggard and as if he aged 20 years overnight.  Notably though, he looks exactly like the rest of the useless ministers in court.  He has definitely lost the sheen, vigor, and hotness that he once had when he was following XQ.  It’s as if the ugly inside is reflected on the outside as well.

I guess when you follow a weaselly coward like Turnip, you too will turn into a weaselly coward.  Oh Song Huaien, Song Huaien.  What a disappointment you turned out to be, you dumb, greedy bastard.   

[a-pretty-nerd]

The Lingerie (Klaus Hargreeves x Fem!Reader Smut)

Request: "hiiii could you do something smutty w klaus hargreeves x fem!reader where klaus gets his hands on some lingerie and the reader overstimulates him.... a lot." ~ Anon

A/N: I love Klaus fuckers, they've got impeccable taste! Chef's Kiss my guy! Don't be afraid to interact, like, comment, and send a request my way if you'd like! Every little bit helps support me! And if you're interested in my original work, I post it on my Wattpad, and I also have a Patreon if you wanna support me further!

Warnings: NSFW, sub/dom-ish, overstimulation, toys, lots of dirty talk, etc.

You had it all planned out. You knew exactly what you were going to do, you had it all in your pretty little head. This year for your anniversary you were going to do something special, something classy and fun. A cozy night in to wine and dine your sweetheart, you even bought him flowers, his favorites. You just didn't know where the time had gone.

You anxiously tapped your foot in the elevator as you looked down at the watch on your wrist. Fuck, you were running late. He was supposed to be home soon and you hadn't even started setting up yet. As the doors opened you flew through the halls to your apartment where you stood outside, fumbling with the bags in your arms, trying to get out your keys. You threw open the door and rushed to put everything away. To get the flowers in some water, to set out ingredients, to get everything together until...

You heard a soft familiar voice call to you from your bedroom. You froze. Your heart sank. You slowly crept over and opened the door. Inside was a scene out of a movie. The dark room lit only by candles, rose peddles littering the floor, table tops, your bed. And on said bed laid a very proud figure. Klaus sat there, a smile stretched across his face. Your eyes trailed down his body, covered conservatively with a silk robe.

Your heart began to race. All the anxiety and stress you had pent up was beginning to wash away at even the sight of him.

"Happy Anniversary." Klaus called from the bed, sitting up before standing to remove the robe. The fabric dropped to the floor to reveal a decedent scene of white lace. His chest covered by intricate details that cascaded down his torso to his hips and highlighting the V shape of his body. Your mind went blank.

"Naughty boy," you cooed, "tempting me with dessert before I've even made dinner?" You closed the door behind you. He made you feel hungry, insatiable even. His bulge sat in the white lave panties, constricted and held by force. His thighs glistening in the candle light. Fuck.

"You're making dinner?" He flashed a bright smile, like he was breaking character while filming a porno. You chuckled as you approached him.

"I was, but you're distracting me." You reached out a hand and curled your fingers around his practically bare ass. He gave a pained hiss. "I'll have to punish you for that." You leaned in, nibbling his earlobe. He melted in your arms like butter. He was so easy to toy with. So eager to please. His reactions always made something in you burn with satisfaction.

"As you wish." He whispered as you ran your nails up his back before reaching the back of his skull. You roughly pulled the hair and wrenched his head back to give you open access to his neck. Where you left hickies and love bites as you pleased, soaking in his helpless moans before stealing a wanting kiss.

He moaned into your lips, his hand coming up to caress your face as he gave sloppy and desperate kisses. He tasted like rock candy, like pure sugar. You pulled away to his disappointment, he leaned forward trying to chase you. You pushed him back against the bed, forcing him to take a seat. He held his legs out open for you as he watched you. He bit his lip as you knelt down, your hands starting to toy with his already hard cock through the panties.

"Seeing as you went through all this trouble, I guess I should be good to you." You shrugged, pulling the fabric down off his cock to let it bounce free. It was always so ready and willing. As obedient and good as he was. It greeted you happily as it bounced, the res tip twitching with excitement. You smiled, reaching a hand around his base. His breath hitched in his throat, head lolling back as you licked the pre-cum off his tip. It bounced on your tongue, sensitive to the touch. His tip was incredibly sensitive, and you knew it.

You opened your mouth, resting the tip flat on your tongue and licking it like a lollipop. You circled your tongue around it, listening to the helpless moans he let out and reveling in the jolts it sent through his body. You took in his tip, bobbing your head up and down as you hand slowly worked his shaft. Your other hand placed firmly on his thigh, gently leaving scratches down it.

"Ooohhh fuuuuck Y/N...." He moaned. You continued, long, slow strokes. He looked down at you, his eyelids heavy, his mouth hanging open as he watched in admiration and pleasure. "Fuck it feels so good." He whined. You took more of him in, working faster, earning practically a yelp from him as he thighs tensed under your grasp. You worked him and worked him and worked him, picking up speed until you watched his hand grasp the sheets below. "Fuck, fuck, fuck- uh- uh-yeah- I'm gonna cum, fuck- I'm cumming-ah!" He bucked his hips up, cumming down your throat as he let sweet pants and moans.

"Good boy, Klaus." You praised as you stood, looking down on his decorated and weary form. You smiled a cruel and wanting smile. "Always such a good boy for me." You started to undress yourself, watching his eyes widen at the reveal of your body. He reached out to touch you, to press his face into your breasts and massage them to his liking. He sucked on your nipple while his hand played with the other. His free hand snaking down to your ass and squeezing. You rewarded him with a sweet moan.

You pulled away from him, reaching into your bedside table, you pulled out a familiar toy. Klaus looked almost concerned. A cock ring that had a vibrator attached to it was usually for your pleasure, but you had something else in mind. A second toy confirmed his suspicions. You ordered him to lay down on the bed properly, swinging your legs over his chest as if to start a 69 position. But now, you drenched the second toy in lube, a plug, and gently pressed it into his ass. He let out helpless but pleased moans, only interrupted by the cock ring being slid on, and turned up all the way.

"Ah! Fuck! Thats a lot." He groaned. His sensitive but already hardening cock twitching wildly between his thighs. You looked back at him, his eyes shut tight as he struggled to comprehend to feeling. You leaned back, pressing your soaking wet pussy against his lips. "Mph!" He cried, his hands coming down to your ass to playfully grab and squeeze. Soon he got to work, licking and sucking at your clit.

"Aahhh fuck. Good boy. Always such a good boy. Take what your master gives you." You cooed as he ate you out. He was always so good at oral, even when distracted. And distracted he was. Sometimes the vibrator jolted waves of electricity unexpectedly and it made him spasm. He'd let out a muffled cry into your clit before getting back to work. His thighs were starting to clench whenever the toy picked up its vibrations.

The way he licked you, almost absent-minded, like he was playing with you too. It made you crazy, it drove you wild to see him in such a compromising situation and still he was being coy. You leaned forward, drooling over his tip before taking it into your mouth.

"Ah! Oohhh fuck!" He cried before pulling you in closer to wilding lap at your clit. It hit you just right, making you climax as you sucked on his tip. "Oh god! Y/N!" He threw his head back and began bucking his hips up again, his second orgasm making its way through him as you pulled away. His cum spewing out and onto your face. He let out short pants as he started to relax. You turned off the cock ring and licked up what cum you could. It was sweet, Klaus always tasted so sweet.

"You can't possibly think I'm done with you yet." You chuckled as you moved to get off of him.

"Wh-what?" He panted. You stroked his cock as you adjusted your now soaking wet pussy over him. You watch his eyes widen at the sight. His chest heaving with slight exhaustion as blood rushed back down. He began to harden again, pulsing as the sensitive skin started to ache. "Oh- Wa-Ah! Ahahah oooooohhh fuck!" He moaned out as you sank down on him. His hands gripping your hips.

"Mmmmmhh yeeess babyy." You hummed as you started to grind. Earning a soft whimper from your lover. As you slowly rolled your hips back and forth, you turned your attention to the lingerie top Klaus still wore. You followed the lacey design until you spotted his nipples peaking out. You grinned.

"Oh! Oh fuck!" He cried as you reached up to play with them. Pulling the fabric aside to get a better angle. You smiled as you watched his head dart down to your hands, back up to you, and then back up to rest his head against the pillow. His eyes rolling back into his head.

"So sensitive." You chuckled, picking up the speed. Your own body aching for another orgasm. You reached down and turned the vibrating cock ring back on. The shock of electricity against your clip shot through you, threatening to pull your orgasm from you.

"No! Fuck! Ooooh goooood!" He roared. "Ohh mmph...f-feels so good it hurts! Fuck! Fuck it feels so good. You make me feel so g-gooooood." He gripped your hips so tight it would leave marks when he removed his hands. Watching him, so far gone all he could do was moan your name and a series of curses. "Ah! Ah! Ah!" His eyes rolled back into his head as you fucked him senseless. You couldn't help it, besides, you needed to cum too. You let yourself move just right, so his twitching, pulsing, raging cock hit just right.

So perfect it sent you over the edge within a few thrusts, and him as well. He let out a helpless gasp as the last slap of your hips came down. You felt him cum again. He pressed his hips up against you as he shook, holding you there so he could spew what little cum he had left onto your tight hole.

You panted, watching over him as the dust settled and you began to recover. You brushed a few strands of hair from him face as you assessed your damage. You pulled off him, removing the toys and cleaning the two of you off before bringing him some water. He laid there, blissed out. A silly, satisfied smile stretching across his face.

"Happy Anniversary." You cooed as you left sweet kisses all over his face and neck, making his smile widen.