#Main tagging for those that may want to learn

[bookish-library]

Y'all I finally got around to learning portuges (continuing to learn French and Spanish) and holy cow Busuu is awesome, it even tells you how to abbreviate it in text messages this is awesome

[twilightarcade]

spins around

[liyawritesss]

ʟᴏᴠɪɴɢ ᴋᴇɴᴊɪ ꜱᴀᴛᴏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇ...

-> synopsis: what would life be like to love the worlds baseball darling and secret superhero Ultraman, Kenji Sato?

-> pairing: kenji sato + black!gn!reader

-> from: ultraman: rising

-> contains: pure fluff, gender neutral, mentions of emiko and emi, 2nd person ('you', 'your', 'yours')

-> a/n: these animators need to stop making these kid movies with fine ass main characters bc whyyyyyyy is he so cute??? why do i wanna baby him in my arms and tell him everything will be okay? LET THIS MAN KNOW PEACE PLEASE!!!

-> join my taglist!

-> tags: @badass-dora-milaje @uranometrias @lees-chaotic-brain @jacuzziwaters

Kenji Sato who loves loves loooooovveeesss those subliminal couples pictures. The ‘private but not secret’ ones. They’re so aesthetically pleasing to him and they allow him to show you off to the world while still maintaining an air of privacy that he cherishes deeply from the media. Kenji is proud to call you his, and wants to show that in all ways possible.

Kenji Sato who is heavy on the couples jewelry. He’s already got a couple of notable pieces in his collection beforehand, and they only expand when you come into his life. In fact, the speculations of his love life come from the fact that people were noticing that he was wearing pieces from brands that were specifically designed for couples. Of course, when asked about it, he never goes into depth about it, and just recites how he thinks they look nice on him…and on someone else.

Kenji Sato who introduces you to his mom only after he’s sure that he wants to be serious with you. I have a feeling Emiko is the type of mom to get attached to their child’s partner in the sense of already viewing them as part of the family very early on, and Kenji wouldn’t want to get her hopes up if something were to happen - he can’t stand to see his mom upset. But when he does introduce you to his mom, you two become the best of friends! So definitely expect to be sent on girls day adventures by Kenji, cuz he’ll definitely be treating the two most important women in his life like royalty.

Kenji Sato who requires a lot of patience to deal - I mean, the man has a lot going on. Being the number one baseball player in the world, saving Japan from threats as Ultraman, and caring for the large kaiju baby Emi is more than a lot on anyone's plate. Kenji’s gonna need someone to understand that his schedule is never solid, and plans may fall through from time to time, and thats not because he’s not trying, but it’s because spontaneity runs his life and things can change at the drop of a hat, out of his control. It’s not the life he asked for, but it’s one he must take on.

Kenji Sato who doesn't exactly know how to bring up the topic of him being Ultraman, much less about Emi, early on in the relationship. I mean, how often do you tell someone that you're Japan's legendary hundred-foot tall superhero or that you're the surrogate parent to a twenty foot tall baby dragon kaiju? As much planning that he does on telling you, it ultimately happens in the worse way possible - you end up finding him mid-transition with Emi in tow...now that's gonna be an interesting story to tell. Spoiler: you stay with him, but now he's subjected to jokes about how is ego isn't the only thing that blows up to an enormous degree.

Kenji Sato who appreciates a partner that can not only deal with spontaneity, but is also rather spontaneous themselves. Surprise dates, random gifts, adventurous propositions out of the blue, I think those kind of things are right up his alley. He’s learned to live life in the moment and to the fullest, because it can be taken from you within an instant, and he wants to cherish every moment he has with you.

Kenji Sato who would spend his money on you religiously. He’ll sit in the dressing room with you as you try on armfuls of clothes, only to hand you his credit card at the end of the haul with a kiss to your temple, encouraging you to buy it all if you desire. And don't let you look at something too long in a display window, because he will have it shipped to your address in two business days. Endless trips post-baseball season in secluded locations so that the two of you can optimize the privacy you desperately crave.

Kenji Sato who’s a little bashful and nervous in the beginning, but eases into the relationship as time goes on. He doesn’t wanna mess up something so good that he has going on. Opening up takes some time, as he’s got some high walls that are hard to climb, but once you do get him to open up and bare his heart to you, don’t take it for granted. He doesn't do this to everyone, only the people he feels will truly return the care and compassion he has - so don’t prove him wrong.

Kenji Sato who seeks your comfort in the middle of the night when sleep evades him, leaving him restless and anxious. Most times, its about his mom and her disappearance, a mystery that's never left his mind. If you don't wake up to find him sitting up in bed deep in thought, or trying to tire himself out in a simulation, he finds comfort in just cuddling you, admiring your sleeping form, and talks about the most random things until the sun begins to peak over the horizon.

Kenji Sato who’s sort of in between the serious lover and the playful lover - he’s maturing in his emotions and how to deal with his past, learning how to communicate better and express himself healthily. Simultaneously, he’s a goofball and a jokester reliving a bit of his childhood in his love with you. Playful banter, jokes and teasing are equally as present as the late night talks and the deep conversations the two of you share.

Kenji Sato who tucks the chain that has his promise ring on it close to his chest, and on game days, rubs his thumb over the gold band for comfort and assurance before he heads up to bat. During championships, he'll ask you to kiss it for good luck, and when he wins, he of course accredits it to you being his 'good luck charm'.

Kenji Sato who loves deeply and fervently, with compassion and the entirety of his heart, who will do his duty and love you unconditionally an proudly while shielding you from the cruel and prying eyes of the public, letting you know time and time again that it will always be you he chooses, no matter what.

If you enjoyed, please leave a like, comment, and reblog for others to see! And don’t be shy to send in a request!

[queenofapeacefuldawn]

SxF Crack Theory: The Identity Of [REDACTED]'s Father

Hear me out here.... but, maybe, Twilight's father could be Yuri's boss, aka, the SSS Lieutenant.

Now, this might be a crack/joke theory, but here is the evidence I have to back up my claim (yes, I'm presenting it because I'm just Like That):

(Warning: Manga spoilers ahead)

Exhibit A: Physical Characteristics

Here is a picture of Agent Twilight:

Here is a picture of Yuri's boss (who, from now in, will be referred to as YB, for my own convenience):

We can see that Twilight and YB have very similar facial characteristics: bluish-grey eyes, blond hair, and a similar face shape (nose, jaw).

We never see Twilight's father's full face: only the lower half, because he has presumably forgotten his face, along with his mother's (King of Emotional Repression™️), but we can see that his jawline and shape of his mouth are very similar to Adult Twilight.

Oh, and look at that- rather pronounced cheekbones, if I do say so myself. Where else did I see those? Hmmm

Exhibit B: Ambiguous Fate

During the War Arc, we're never told about [REDACTED]'s father's fate. We just know he never returns to his family: and the reason why he left for the very last time, was that, "Things have been heating up at the border. I need to take a little business trip." The fact that his, a (presumably) rather important man's, body was never recovered: nor were [REDACTED] or his mother informed of his death. Of course, his body could have been lost in the bombings, or the part of [REDACTED] finding out about his father's dead could have been omitted, but for most of the part, we're left to assume about his father's dead. And... this sounds familiar to another instance...

Like the instance of [REDACTED]'s friends. He (and we) assumed they'd died in the warehouse as children, but later we see that they're alive and in the army (only to die a second time, RIP), but this time, for their deaths to be confirmed: for [REDACTED] to only receive their dog tags after the failed campaign.

This may have been a setup: for Endo to reintroduce [REDACTED]'s father, later in the story, as YB.

Anyway, one thing I've learned after reading and watching so many books, comics, and TV shows: never assume a person's dead, not unless their body/proof of their death has been explicitly shown. This belief was only reinforced after [REDACTED]'s friends.

And, [REDACTED]'s father's last known place was around the Westalian-Ostanian border. He could have escaped in the crossfire, theoretically...

Exhibit C: Fatherly Nature (?)

We all love a good found-family dynamic in the workplace. It's there with WISE, it's there with Garden, and it's kinda there with the SSS.

My main argument about this stems from the chapter which focuses on Yuri's work.

We see YB continuously worry about Yuri's physical health, in panels like:

Obviously, this doesn't happen only in this chapter. Whenever Yuri's there, YB is also there, yelling at him to a) go to sleep, or b) STOP GETTING HIT BY BUSSES OH MY FUCKING GOD IT CAN'T HAPPEN SO MANY TIMES TO ONE PERSON-

And, of course, there's the Yuri Sick Fic chapter:

Not gonna lie, this point is extremely weak, if I brought this up in court I'd be laughed out of there-

Anyway, I just wanted to put this in.

If it does turn out that YB is [REDACTED]'s father then. Bestie. Buddy. How are you managing to be a better father-figure to some insolent kid who gets hit by busses than you were to your actual son, like 20 years ago. Maybe he learned along the way.

Exhibit D: Symbolism (???)

Oh, look, another point I'm pulling out of my ass! But whatever, you're reading it <3

During the War Arc, we see Twilight sustain two major injuries:

One, as a child, when his home is bombed:

And two, as an adult, in the army:

and these injuries are both to his left eye.

Of course, this has given rise to theories of him not being able to see his left eye, it being his blind spot, and Yor guarding his blind spot on missions, etc., etc., which I love bc ✨Twiyor✨

Getting back on point, if we look at YB, we see that he has injuries too... or rather, remnants of them, what with the scars he has...

which, are also on his left eye. Huh! Interesting... this might just be me, but could this be parallels to how similar he and his father were? Are? His father also wanted peace between Ostania and Westalis: but he taught his child that in a very harsh manner (by slapping him), but Twilight wants to teach Anya that in a kind manner. Whenever we see him teaching her, he never loses his cool with her (of course, he loses a lot of hope, but this man's a pessimist, what can we do).

Also shows how much kinder Twilight is, compared to his father.

---

Of course, these points are very weak, and it might just be that Endo reused some character designs for efficiency, but let me be, ok!! This is a crack theory!!! Let me be a clown!!!! AKDFJSJF

If I'm being honest, this post was inspired by a convo I'd had with my friend, around the time Chapter 86 was released. She was theorizing that [REDACTED]'s dad is the Shopkeeper, and I was theorizing it was this dude. Of course, our theorizing was sidetracked by Chapter 86, and a certain panel within it, but... WHATEVER.

So, what are your thoughts? Obviously, my own theory is very weak (for example, why would the SSS accept a Westalian citizen into their ranks? Why would he even join the SSS? Could he have defected? Abandoned his wife and kid?), but this was fun to think about, lol. What are your theories? I think the Shopkeeper-is-the-dad theory and the YB-is-his-dad theory are both cool, so, what do you think?

(Also, yeah, I know, his dad could very well be dead. I just refuse to believe it, bc I'm just Like That <3)

[sindar-princeling]

LOTR Newsletter 3 Shire Drift - FAQ

Hello everyone!

Just like last year: for those of you who are already familiar with The Lord of the Rings Newsletter, this serves as an announcement that I'm doing it again; and for those who aren't - an introduction to the project :)

What is LOTR Newsletter?

I'm one of the people who subscribed to Dracula Daily in May 2022, and immediately thought, "Hey, I can do this too but with XYZ!" - XYZ being The Lord of the Rings. Because the events of LOTR also have specific dates ascribed to them, we're gonna be reading LOTR as it happened.

When does it take place?

Because of the way the beginning of LOTR is structured (read: because I don't want to leave six-month-long breaks between the first entries), we're gonna start on September 15th - a week before September 22nd, when the main events start to take place. It's also the publishing date of the Silmarillion, but that's just a fun fact for my own enjoyment.

From September 15th to September 19th, we'll read the prologue, and the fragments preceding Frodo's departure from the Shire. From September 20th, we'll be reading according to the dates in the book until April 8th. Then we'll be reading last parts of the book - which are stretched over a long time - once a week, to once again avoid lengthy breaks in delivery.

The Newsletter will last from September 15th to May 26th.

Where do I go if I want to post/talk about something related to the Newsletter with other readers?

We discuss current (and not only current) entries in the #lotr newsletter tag, and we have a Discord server set by the amazing @k-she-rambles! (I really hope this time I managed to generate a link that never expires...)

How do I subscribe?

Since the original platform I was using (TinyLetter) was shut down halfway through the second year of the newsletter, I had to figure out an alternative way to execute this project.

For the lovely people who joined the last edition of the newsletter, just a short announcement - I weighed all the pros and cons and decided to continue carrying out the newsletter the way I did after TinyLetter shut down.

For the new folks, a lengthier explanation: check out this post if you want to learn the details, but long story short: I can't send the newsletter as e-mails anymore, so instead I decided to provide you with a ready copy of the entire thing. I prepared formatted copies of the whole newsletter - September 15th to May 26th - as an .odt file, as a .pdf file, and most importantly as an .epub file, because I assume most of you are reading on your phones (if you don't already have an .epub reader, I use FBReader, and everything worked fine on my phone). At the beginning you'll find the whole table of contents with hyperlinks, so the navigation inside the document should be easy!

The MEGA folder can be accessed right here, and it's available for everyone!

In the folder linked, you'll also find a calendar file made by @none-ofthisnonsense that you can download on your phone and import into your calendar app so that all days when we read are marked in your calendar!

If you want to receive notifications about when there is an entry to read, you can also follow @is-today-a-lotr-newsletter-day and turn on notifications! This is a blog created solely for notifying you all when we're reading a new fragment of the newsletter, so all notifications you'll get will be about new entries, and nothing more. The notifications are meant to be the equivalent of sending e-mails.

Anything else I should know?

Please don't rat me out to Tolkien Estate/j, and have fun reading!

(And as a PS.: Thank you very much if you join - or join again! Last year was very tumultuous because of all the changes in the format, and I know the new way is not for everyone - but introducing more changes again felt like once more creating new chaos, so I decided to stick to a solution that mostly worked. I hope you understand!)

See you on September 15th!

[overdecorated-furniture]

Dead Parents - How to avoid them.

We are all very familiar with the notion of dead parents in fiction. For example, Harry Potter’s parents are dead before the first book even starts. Or in Portrait of Dorian Gray, the protagonist is brought up by an absentee and very neglectful grandfather. It’s a trope used again and again. And it does kind of work. It certainly allows your young protagonists the opportunity to gain agency and find their own way in the adventure thrown at them. But it’s also rather predictable. As a reader, we don’t sympathise as much because it’s such a used trope.

So, here are some of my thoughts about how to avoid the dead parents trope, and still propel your characters into the action.

Kill Someone Else.

I know, violence isn’t supposed to be the answer. But characters don’t only have close relationships with their parents. If your plot centres around a revenge quest for a dead loved one, it doesn’t have to be a parent.

Siblings who got caught in the crossfire trying to protect your MC, or an aunt/uncle they were close to being poisoned works just as well. Best friends are also a useful source of grief, and the fact it’s someone outside the family perhaps gives your MC more of a push. Equally, a significant other may work, although that is a used trope too. It might even just be a beloved pet.

Use their Morals.

People in the real world do not simply act out of revenge for the death of a loved one. Character morals can be just as powerful a motive for action, and Young people in particular are just beginning to discover what matters to them, and so it feels at its most important.

Perhaps your MC feels that the magic system in your fantasy world does not allow for people with disabilities to have access, and so uses that as their springboard. Or in an apocalypse setting, the desire to protect fellow humans against a threat may act as the MC’s launch pad for setting up a safe base somewhere. Concerns over equality, safety, climate change, government choices and even things as small as how cereal is marketed can motivate a character into changing their world/current situation.

Create Conflict.

Arguments, breakups, scrappy fistfights with someone in a back alley. Conflict is one of the spokes of a story, as it creates opportunities for moving the plot forward, and can hold the characters back from achieving their aims. Using this to start your character’s story arc makes for an explosive scene, and allows immediate sympathy with the situation they are in. Everyone argues, has had someone they care about walk out of their lives, or has at least been punched, so the familiarity of a minor but important conflict helps the reader associate with the character, as well as setting up any skills the character has or may need in order to defeat the foe at the climax of the story.

Parental Encouragement.

In a good family situation, parents will want to support their children and young people in achieving their goals. And the same can be true in stories. Perhaps your character wants to learn to play hockey, for example. Their parents can very easily encourage them to join a practice group, help them buy kit, and encourage them to play in matches. Having a supportive adult can mean as much to an MC as having said support removed, and although this doesn’t work for epic fantasy revenge quests, it does create a welcoming atmosphere for a reader.

Those are the main ones I can think of off the top of my head. Do add in comments/tags any you know of!

Happy writing!🌿

[thelittlelegends]

THE LITTLE LEGENDS

This is a blog for sharing and spreading love for the smaller Zelda games in the fandom!

For everyone crying over Spirit Tracks being forgotten, to people who wish someone else remembered the struggle to find a fourth player for Four Swords or sobbing at the end of online co-op for Tri Force Heroes – this is a home to join others in that love. Mainline and third-party Zelda games are all included!

The criteria for which Zelda games count as “small” is hard to quantify. To make things easier, we went by the numbers posted to Archive of Our Own, which has the option to disambiguate which game you’re writing for and is the current best-known fanfiction site. From there, we removed some things to try and narrow it down to core game fics and picked everything that was under 1000 works.

The resulting list of Zelda games is as follows:

CDI games = 14

Zelda cartoon = 29

Cadence of Hyrule = 50

Tri Force Heroes = 51

Oracle of Seasons = 76

Oracle of Ages = 85

Zelda II: Adventure of Link = 93

Zelda (1986) = 180

Spirit Tracks = 183

Phantom Hourglass = 191

Link’s Awakening = 256

Link to the Past = 260

Minish Cap = 290

Four Swords = 359

Four Swords Adventures = 423

A Link Between Worlds = 587

Wind Waker = 739

Some of this will be a case of poor tagging, and things winding up in the wrong place. (eg. Four Swords has 1200 entries, but upon removing all Four Swords Adventures or Manga story tags it reduces to 359.) Others may not be here at all because nobody has posted it under it’s own name vs a related game or “& Related Fandoms.”

While this means these numbers are not absolute, they still represent the problem: it’s hard to find content for your favourite games if it's in the list above, and we want to fix that!

WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL?

The event we’re planning is very chill, very low-stakes way of building up interest and knowledge, and then collecting and sharing fanworks produced.

The event month will be AUGUST, 2024.

Every few days in August we’ll make a post for each game on the list (and any bonus games that were highlighted alongside the main ones), which people can reblog with a link to the fanwork they created! You can also make your own posts and tag the blog plus the game of the day but we cannot promise to see and reblog everything.

In the lead-up to August, we will be doing round-up posts for each of the above games.

Some will be doubled up and treated as “bonuses” due to their small pool of fans (CDI, the Cartoon), and if there are some we don’t know about we may take them on as suggestions!

Each of these initial game posts will include basic stats about the game: when they were released, on what hardware, where you can find them now, and what their story was. It will also include links to a walkthrough or two, for those without access to the necessary hardware.

The purpose of these posts is to be shared!

Reblog them with your favourite artwork, current fanworks you love and adore, your favourite AU they’re featured in! Share the lore you wish everyone knew, and the characters who get forgotten!

Share prompts you’ve never gotten around to using, or ones you don’t feel competent to handle!

Do not feel bad about doing this! Every exchange or event I’ve been in, people desperately wanted prompts and ideas to spark their own imagination!

The goal is for people to learn more about games that they may have never heard of before, or not had the time or ability to engage with in full on their own. And from there we can push up those numbers on AO3 for everyone to enjoy!

The scheduled games to be “main” features of this event, and their respective introductory dates, are as follows:

May 5th = Minish Cap

May 12th = Zelda II: AoL

May 19th = Oracle of Ages / Oracle of Seasons

May 26th = Cadence of Hyrule

June 2nd = Phantom Hourglass

June 9th = Four Swords Adventures / Four Swords [Game]

June 16th = Link’s Awakening

June 23rd = Zelda (1986)

June 30th = Link to the Past

July 7th = Tri Force Heroes

July 14th = Spirit Tracks

July 21st = Link Between Worlds

July 28th = Wind Waker

Exact dates for the posting schedule of new fanworks in August will be released soon!

[robinmage]

absolutely no one: me: The Ancient Magus Bride isn't really a "romance" the way most people tend to think. Despite its few moments, one of, if not, the main focus of the series is about how the qualities of interpersonal relationships differ vastly between each individual. Your relationship with one friend may function incredibly differently from another friend, because the unique combination of those circumstances and personalities will affect how you coexist with one another and define each others' "roles" in your lives. For Elias and Chise, the growth of their relationship is also parallel to their growth as people. The way they met had a very big impact on how they viewed and treated each other in the beginning of the series. Chise, being completely alone and in a very vulnerable position and simply not caring because she had already given up on her life, and Elias buying taking her in because of her innate magical ability. As Elias is nonhuman and unable to relate to the human experience and human emotions, we later learn that one of his motivations for acquiring a human companion was because he wanted to understand these emotions more and feel closer to humanity. The circumstances of their meeting is explicitly mentioned, by a few characters, to be a generally fucked up thing to do, and one of the core aspects of Chise's early character development was how not to become complacent with relying on Elias so much. Chise is gradually learning how to value herself, separately from Elias, with the help of the people she has met. Elias himself struggles with his lack of emotional experience, occasionally lashing out when he feels new, strong emotions that he doesn't know how to react to or control. Put together, they are both still very immature characters and absolutely not ready or capable to commit themselves to any type of romantic relationship. Instead, the series focuses on the complexities of this human-nonhuman companionship, how their relationship can't solely be defined by human expectations and labels, and how to navigate the ever-changing state of interpersonal relationships combined with the ever-changing state of personal development. A lot of it comes from Chise herself, realizing that she not only wants to live but also wants to value herself as a person more than what she can selflessly give away to others. There are many people who genuinely care for her and are actively trying to help her see her own worth. Through these experiences and these connections that she forms with these characters is what gives her the strength to grow. The series is commonly tagged as a romance, though the elements of the genre are miniscule and not anywhere near as relevant as the main themes of learning how to love others, learning how to love the world around you, and most importantly-- learning how to love yourself.

[ghostlytide]

For Business Only | One

I hope you like it ^^

Vincent Renzi x Fem! Reader----1.6K

MASTERLIST -> Next

Synopsis:

After the whirlwind affair Vincent and you shared years ago, he was sure his goodbye was definitive. A fleeting memory filled with both regret and a peculiar ache that he can’t quite place. But life wishes to scorn him once again when his newest case obliges him to seek out your help. Though this case isn’t the only complicated thing in this strictly professional relationship—not with the way his heart seems to jump at your proximity, or the already familiar tune of your voice. For all the things that had changed, would this mean your story could have a different ending now?

General Tags: Second Chance/Exes to Lovers; Slow Burn; |They were Coworkers; Denial of Feelings; Pining & Longing; Idiots in Love; Eventual Friends (?) with Benefits (?); English isn't my first language so watch out for typos;

It was a late spring night when Vincent said his goodbye to you, so it was only fair that your reencounter would occur in another.

Life played both hommage and karma at him, remembering his words: You may forever hate me, but I promise you that you'll never see me ever again. I've bothered you enough.

That night, he had regained the common sense that had slipped out his grasp since you entered the law firm as an intern; eager to learn from whoever would spare you a glance for something more than to request their thousandth cup of coffee.

Of course, he did.

And how could he not to? When you were so bright and cheerful, all the opposite from those seniors who had seen the worst, to experience who knows how many times the balanced and blind justice's weight to tip at the wrong side. To have to face the client's hopeless expression.

Of course, you'd probably be sheltered from such a dark world at your station once you reached juniorship. But that wasn't the point right now.

Just as it wasn't the point to reminisce. He felt as ashamed as it could be possible while climbing the stairs of the skyscraper, which on the inside was decorated with pieces of steel, glass, and contemporary art that combined perfectly against the simple columns and the frescoes painted in the dome of the main hall.

Vincent shouldn't be overwhelmed by the sight, but he'd never been inside the Building of the Société Générale, white marble walls against a dark mosaic creating a cube to showcase the colorful paintings hung on the walls.

The secretary at the front desk showed him the way to the elevator behind the reception, polished black walls against the metal door as Vincent felt a pull in the pit of his stomach—either for the sudden upward movement or for nervousness, he didn't wish to dwell much on it.

Walking much faster than he wanted to, the secretary passed through an empty, quiet hallway in which Vincent could read a myriad of plaques varying from Accounting Department, all the way to Human Resources.

Finally, she stopped at a door labeled as Banking Associate: Cultural Department. Calling your name, she said: "Monsieur Favrè has sent his lawyer impromptu to meet you."

A muffled voice—your muffled voice echoed in the still hallway, stirring old memories inside of him he wasn't aware of keeping in the first place. "Alright. Let him come in."

A simple nod and the woman was gone. It was only the two of you now.

He took his time, a skipping beat. At the same time, you finished writing away at your keyboard. Then the door was closed with a gentle click.

"Monsieur Delaroux, what can I do for y—" A tentative pause, your bright, smart eyes locked into his. "Vincent?"

This hadn't been the deal planned out in his mind; he was almost hoping you'd ask, with a puzzled voice, who he was as if memory could morph at will rather than being one's source of torture.

So many years passed since he heard his name coming out of your soft lips, that if he remembered quite well, would taste like mocca and vanilla. But why was he remembering that now, from all times?

"Hello," he said, an awkward smile shining in the well-lit office. He put one of his hands inside the pocket of his dress pants, suppressing the childish urge to wave.

You blinked. "What… what are you doing here?"

"I know this isn't what we agreed on," he started, using small steps to get closer to the desk, as if you were a deer likely to run off, or a lion ready to pounce. Vincent had no idea which of the two could be worse. "But I need your assistance for a case. You're the most capable person I can think of, so I had to come and ask for your help."

Reclining from your seat, he let the words simmer into you, using the little time he had to look around your office, part of him was curious to see if he could still recognize a glimpse of the old you, and what he could learn from the present.

"How did you find me?" you asked, hands gesturing from him to sit in front of your desk.

"There are not many art lawyers with your name," he said, slightly flustered he had to admit about searching your name among colleagues, prying into your life when his promise was all the contrary. It wasn't the first time he felt like a fool, yet prideful because he was here for work.

And solely for work.

"I have a case linked with a small private art collection." His voice was plain, devoid of any emotion. He wasn't Vincent right now, the man that tried not to break your heart but failed terribly; he was Maître Renzi one of the talented lawyers from the before small law firm that now was rising like smoke after every case taken. "A murder. Probably linked to the growing art stock. I need an expert in the subject to conduct the required procedures."

"Since when do you take cases about private art collectors?" you hummed, eyes almost twinkling with amusement from all those times he had shit on the upper class and their slippery ways around the judicial system.

It was a good sign that you weren't bringing up his words last spoken, the past that at this moment felt too much aflush despite the time trying to bury it.

"This one is an exception." He couldn't help but get defensive, feeling like a stupid teenage boy being teased despite you being quite some years younger than him. "The owner of the law firm assigned me this case directly. We need to win so the firm can have an expansion." Which meant more law specialties, and more hired lawyers. And then it was… "They're even considering putting an Art Law department."

You could join, he almost said foolishly. Why would you like to be coworkers with him again, when that exact professional relationship prompted all the rest?

You seemed to be thinking the same. "It'll pay well," he added before you could say anything that derailed from his sketched conversation. "And it can help with your curriculum." Vincent signaled to the plaque in front of your computer, reading Junior Consultant. "It could be the case that turns you into a Senior."

There it was the ghost of you, biting your bottom lip in a pondering manner while your gaze was glued to the empty seat next to him.

"What makes you think you're going to win?"

"Have some faith in me, will you?" He chuckled, though deep inside he knew what you meant. It was a question that always lingered at the bottom of his mind, the one that stole his sleep some nights.

"Vincent—"

"Trust me. This is a high-profile case, very important for all people involved. I need your help. I know you're the only person that can help me." He couldn't make another empty promise. To never see you again? Vincent just broke it, and the opposite of that, to be partnered with you as colleagues didn't sound appropriate either. "You're the only one I can trust to remain on my side even if everything goes to shit," Vincent muttered after a while, blue eyes searching for yours as he tried to convince you with pity, even. Because you could never say no to him, and because this case was obliged to use all the desperate, creative measures he could think of.

Though Vincent wasn't lying about said statement. And you knew it.

You looked at him in a long, silent gaze that felt strangely, annoyingly charged inside the medium-sized office, silent so thick he heard the moment you chortled, a breathy, contained laugh that blessed him with the tiniest of smiles.

"Send me the generalities of the case so I can give it a glance tomorrow and write the protocol to follow."

"If tomorrow is one of your free days, we can discuss it over lunch," Vincent found himself saying before his brain could tell him to do better. "I'll give you a printed copy of everything so you can revise it easier. I apologize, but due to the nature of this case, I don't find myself comfortable with sharing this information via remote."

You put away the pencil you were playing with, settling it against the wooden desk with a thunk. "Breakfast. Tomorrow at 9 AM meet me at the Fontaine Saint-Sulpice. We can go to a nearby café once there." Looking from your computer to him, you arched an eyebrow. "Something else you need? You should go before the receptionist notices that you aren't Monsieur Favrè's lawyer."

He shrugged. "I showed her my card, she didn't say anything."

"Well, I'm not allowed to take private clients while on my shift."

"I'm not a client, we're colleagues."

You gestured away. "Wording. You know what I mean."

"You're a lawyer, Mademoiselle, wording matters."

"I write contracts and track art exhibits, Vincent," you told him in a familiar tone he recognized from when you two engaged in a well-needed, unwinding banter. "The one asked to give speeches is you, not me."

"Well, then you better prepare for an exception, because you will have to declare at court about your findings." Vincent heard your sigh and took in the sight of your angry pout, one you dedicated at him when it was time to get out of his office and help other junior lawyers while on your time as an intern. He was surprised to find it as charming as it once was. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

He stood up, torn between walking facing you or just striding toward the door. He did the last one, turning to smile at you while his hand tapped to feel the door's handle.

It was his time to call your name. "Thank you. Truly."

You nodded, one of the locks of your hair falling toward your brow, obscuring your view. "I'll see you tomorrow, Vincent."

[thirrith]

A guide to Dream of the Red Chamber for English speakers

I've been posting about a book called Dream of the Red Chamber for a while. I'm kinda obsessed with it but the tags here on tumblr are pretty much barren. I want to get more people to be interested in it, so here's something more informative with minimal screaming.

Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓夢) is a 18th century Chinese novel by Cao Xueqin. It isn't very well-known outside of the Sinophone aka the Chinese-speaking world, whereas where I come from it's considered a masterpiece and classic and is so well-known and holds so much cultural significance even the people who haven't necessarily read the book make references to it - like, basically everybody knows about the book. It certainly deserves to be known and loved by more people - that's why I'm making a post about it. This post is NOT going to be an attempt to cover everything, though, because there is just so, so much to the book; instead, I am creating a guide to make it easier for people to get started if they are interested.

What is Dream of the Red Chamber about? Why do people love it?

The best way to sum it up is calling it a family saga mixed with a bit of fantasy. It tells the story of the rise and fall of a big and powerful family, focusing on the story of the young girls, the maid servants, and the wives that all live together and run the household. The only male main character Jia Baoyu is a young heir of the family, who grew up among these women and girls. He loves and understands them, loves being surrounded by them, and deeply identifies with them. My dad, who is also a fan of the book, loves saying that Baoyu 'has the heart of a maiden'.

The book is funny and full of drama, and at the same time it's also poetic, tragic and profound, and the tragedy of the characters is written in such a kind way, as if the author wants you to love them and remember how wonderful and alive they are despite the fact that a gloomy fate will claim them all.

The book is also so queer in a way that no other Ming/Qing dynasty Chinese novels can compare. Obviously there are no modern queer labels because it was written in imperial China, but there are characters who are interested in both men and women, characters who are interested in no one, and affairs between boys and between girls; many main characters have the kind of relationships with their gender that make my Chinese transgender heart sing with empathy.

If you want to hear from English speakers who fell in love with the book and learn more about the context and literary/cultural value of the book, I recommend starting with 'Why is China’s greatest novel virtually unknown in the west?' by Michael Wood on The Guardian and 'Why you should read China’s vast, 18th century novel, Dream of the Red Chamber' by Josh Stenberg on The Conversation.

Dream of the Red Chamber is a long novel with many different versions and possibly hundreds of adaptations. How should I begin?

There are two translations that I know have received good reviews:

A Dream of Red Mansions translated by Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang. My partner is reading this version. It's a very faithful translation with footnotes to make up for the language and cultural barriers. (Note: the Yangs finished their translation in prison in China during the Cultural Revolution.)

The Story of the Stone translated by David Hawkes and John Minford. It's a translation that takes more artistic liberties than the Yangs version. For example it differs in the way it translates character names and its writing style. Hawkes wanted to recreate the experience of reading the novel in Chinese for English speaking readers, but it may also be harder for you to talk to those who read the book in Chinese about certain characters and details.

There is also a public domain translation by H. Bencraft Joly, which was first published in the 19th century, and you can find it on Project Gutenberg.

The 1987 36-episode TV adaptation Dream of the Red Chamber is well-loved and considered by many Chinese people to be the best adaptation of the book. Every later adaptation would be compared with the 1987 one and found lacking. I personally love this adaptation a lot, and I think out of all the adaptations I've seen (including TV series, films and Chinese opera) it has the best interpretations of the book and the characters. It also has the best songs, which were adapted from the poems in the book. You can stream the series with English subtitles on the Internet Archive.

If you want something shorter that covers the main romance plot line and includes a few iconic scenes from the book, I recommend the 1977 film adaptation The Dream of the Red Chamber casting legendary actress Brigitte Lin as Jia Baoyu (she also portrayed an iconic classic wuxia character as a trans woman in another film franchise, but I digress). You can find the film with English subtitles on Youtube.

This is not all, but it's a good start. If you ever decide to give it a go, it doesn't matter if you watch one of the adaptations first or read the book first. Don't stress, take your time, and enjoy the ride!

[elvgreen]

tips for 4t3 converters/CAS clothing creators

3 main things:

non-recolorable presets

DDS. settings

Adult to Teen conversions

disclaimer: i'm not a CC expert, but these are things i've noticed and learned these last couple months converting cc. special thanks to thornowl and the other converters in the TS3 Creators Cave discord.

Non-recolorable presets:

we obviously know that ts4 lacks a CASt tool, so ts4 creators rely on recolors. In my conversions, I do include a couple of the item's recolors. these usually are patterns that CASt does not have.

one thing I've noticed more and more converters doing is putting such item recolors in the 'Overlay' tab in TSRW.

let me show you what that looks like for a non-recolorable preset:

it looks over-saturated, and almost crunchy. but there's another place you can import the recolor into: stencils.

stencils will be found at the bottom, under patterns. hit the plus sign next to stencils to open it.

opening it will show you this:

by default, it will be enabled as false. import your recolor into the texture tab as you would do for any other texture tab. make sure you tick the 'false' to 'true.' stencils override overlays, so if you want to use an overlay, enable stencils back to 'false.'

here's what the recolor imported into stencils looks like:

here's the two side by side:

see how different they are? let's see how they are in game:

click on the pictures to really see the difference in quality. since TS3 uses DDS. format, it compresses the texture, which results in the crunchy texture. importing the recolor into the overlay tab makes the DDS. compression more noticeable. it ultimately is up to you and whichever one you prefer, but do keep it in mind.

the overlay tab is good for small details that you want to maintain on all recolorable presets, like zippers, buttons, tags, etc. just look at EA clothes for reference, especially their shoes and male clothes.

another thing you can see from the images are the bumps on the mesh. doing normal maps can help you keep those same details on the recolorable presets without importing the recolors.

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

DDS. settings:

something I also see and used to do myself is bloat package files with large file sizes, specifically normal and specular maps, as well as masks. the Sims 3 Tutorial Hub provides a link to plain maps, but the file sizes are unnecessarily big.

let's look at some of EA's maps in TSRW:

here's the specular from one of the basegame sweaters. notice the image size, DXT format, and compression size.

a lot of converters don't want the shine on regular clothes, so we use a plain, black specular map. but ask yourself, why do you need a 1024 x 1024 purely black specular map with no details?

let's try sizing it down:

notice the difference between the image and compression size. instead of bloating the package file, we can keep it down by using a 32x32 plain black specular map instead, since there aren't details we want from the specular map.

same goes for normal maps:

and masks (meant for 1 channel only):

now, notice how I underlined the info about DXT MipMaps. see how the normal map has a different number there compared to the specular map and mask.

the reason these textures use different DXT is because of the colors and alpha channel.

here's how my DDS. settings appear when saving:

DXT1 (no alpha): this keeps only the 3 color channels and has the strongest compression. it results in half the file size as DXT3/5. 3 channel masks should be saved with this, as they don't need an alpha channel.

DXT1 (1 bit alpha): this includes an alpha, but only black or white. it also results in half the file size as DXT3/5.

DXT3: this one is rarely used for TS3 textures. it really is only used for overlays. it compresses the same as DXT5, but may not be the best for images with smooth-blended alpha regions (Neely).

DXT5: multipliers and normal (bump) maps should only EVER be saved with this. it's best for colors but has a larger file size. this is why it's important to reduce the multiplier and normal map image size, especially if you don't make a normal map.

if you DO decide to do a specular and normal map, they should be regular image size, 1024x1024, and saved in the right format.

here is more information on which textures should use which compression.

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

Adult to Teen Conversions:

the default for converters is obviously AF and AM. a lot of people want the items for teens too. I've seen several converters just enable it in TSRW:

please don't do this. it's honestly the lazy route. you can hardly ever get away this, specifically because of the body differences between adult and teen.

some major issues with this include gaps, seams, and unnatural body characteristics:

so please, either skip the teen mesh entirely or spend the time reshaping the mesh. @/sweetdevil-sims has a great tutorial on converting meshes from AF to TF here. the inevitable seams on TF meshes are also now fixed, thanks to @/thornowl with their new version of mesh toolkit.

@pis3update

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

here are reduced file sizes and corrected settings of the plain mask, specular, and normal:

download

Sources:

Neely, G. ‘Buckaroo’. Working with DDS/DXT Files. Available at: https://www.buckarooshangar.com/flightgear/tut_dds.html (Accessed: 28 May 2024).

[blanketforcas]

Hey destiel and cockles newbies/relapsed addicts! We’re glad you’re here. But we have a problem – no worries, there’s an easy solution.

You may have noticed when you post ai images, people don’t always respond well to it. Let me explain why. And let me help you find different ways to engage with fandom/find community!

Why we don’t want to see ai “art”:

AI steals from real artists

it’s discouraging for artists who actually put the work and heart into their creations

If you want to have a better understanding of why it's unethical, here's a good video to watch

Why we don’t want to see ai-altered images/art of cockles, even if most of the picture is real:

See the reasons mentioned above

It eventually creates this weird dystopian situation where you google their names and there’s fake pictures among the real ones and it becomes harder to tell which ones are real

What IS okay:

Manips you created yourself without help of ai – as long as you state it’s a manip. Preferably also a link to the og pic(s) you used. This is a great way to get creative with real pictures and still make something new out of it.

Now, let me preface this next part by saying no one is obligated to engage with fandom in any way. Lurking is okay, though we always love when people reblog our posts/creations.

How to find community if you want to contribute something yourself but you’re still too intimidated to do it in any of the “conventional” ways:

Talk in the tags! People love to read those and like/reply to them. It’s a very accessible and low pressure way to feel part of a community

Make commentary posts about a fandom/destiel/cockles event or scene that happened a long time ago. They can be as short or as long as you like. We never got over it, so might as well make another post about it!

Edit pictures in a way you like, make posters out of them, make your blorbos/actor men look silly. It can be very low effort and still make people feel something

Web weaving! if you're not familiar with this concept, here's a post that explains it well

You can of course always dabble in making art, amvs, gifs, graphics, original music,... You don’t need to be good, let alone amazing at it from the start, or ever! There’s a learning curve for everyone and creators are improving their skills all the time. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or resources! The main goal is that you have fun

Let's make this a welcoming and supportive community. There's no place for AI in that.

[ominous-feychild]

✦ MY WRITEBLR INTRODUCTION ✦

Hey! I've been here for a while and I've somehow amassed a shocking amount of followers and mutuals, so I figured it's finally time for me to force one of these out for you guys!

(And you know... a masterpost... when I get around to it. 😅😭)

About me:

✦ Barlowe (she/her)

✦ In my early 20s

✦ A writer of 10 years ✦ working on novels for 6 of 10!

✦ Less dedicated to—but still interested in!—drawing, animation, photography, and cinematography

✦ AuDHD and a grey lesbian (aka I'm leaning asexual) ✦ (my writing may or may not be a special interest)

✦ I have a whole bunch of other neurodivergencies besides AuDHD but I don't think y'all want me to get into all of them, haha. ✦ oh, and I say "haha" a lot. I apologize in advance.

✦ I think I'm hilarious and make jokes constantly

✦ I use a lot of emojis and tone tags to help convey tone. Please forgive me if it's annoying, it's to cope with my inability to communicate. /lh /hj

Masterlists:

✦ General ✦ Worldbuilding ✦ Sun and Shadow ✦ The Arcane Rifts ✦ Rising From the Ashes

(will be added eventually)

My Obsessions:

✦ Fantasy, horror, mystery, action, and exploration of realistic characters' reactions to the things they go through.

✦ Fairy tales, mythology, and folklore

✦ "Ye Olde History" and language

✦ DIVERSITY!!!

✦ Explorations of "evil-coded" characters and abilities--aka, not just showing them as evil. Show them as people (for characters) and tools (for abilities)!

✦ Traumatizing my characters just like I've been

✦ Traumatizing my characters in ways I haven't been!

✦ Learning!!!

✦ Talking way too much about the things I like to the point that I need to make a whole separate post to share it so it doesn't clutter my intro post... oh, hey, why is this linked?

✦ THE AESTHETIC!!!!

My Aesthetics:

Those who've been following me for a bit probably know that I adore "the aesthetic" and try to make my posts look nice... even if there's no real reason to besides that it gives me a little serotonin. Here's my favorite aesthetics!

✦ Starry; night sky ✦ Dawn / dusk ✦ Sunrise / sunset

✦ Nature! ✦ Forestry ✦ Cottagecore ✦ Rustic ✦ Ocean

✦ Literally all of them, please and thank you

My Writing:

✎ Sun and Shadow

Everything goes wrong for Freya Ula when she leaves her simple life as a fisherwoman to get engaged overseas. Her ship gets wrecked, she finds out her dad's been hiding secrets from her for her whole life, and, oh, she gets framed for a terrorist attack. Wait, WHAT!? After the city's greatest detective is attacked and disappears before she could consult with him, Frey has to enlist the help of his kid and her would-be fiancée to find out who framed her and clear her name. If only Crow was half as good a detective their dad was supposed to be.

Main characters: Freya, Crow, Daleira

✦ Urban-esque high fantasy ✦ purposely very tropey in places ✦ however, as always, I love throwing in curveballs. Wonder what's played straight and what I'm going to emotionally destroy you with. Definitely won't be Crow.

✦ Slow-burn romance between Frey and Crow ✦ immediate interest between Frey / Daleira ✦ oh, look, it's a love triangle? ✦ JOKE'S ON YOU, IT'LL ACTUALLY BE POLY ✦ it's just... going to take a while.

✦ Lesbians, lesbians everywhere ✦ though Crow is actually genderfluid and uses they/them for the first book ✦ despite barely having anything written I've already plotted a bit of book 2 ✦ I desperately need help.

✦ Unsurprisingly is a detective mystery with action mixed in ✦ I'm not typically a romance writer, I excel in action fantasy ✦ please have mercy on my soul

✦ Lots of magic, it's high fantasy + victorian aesthetic ✦ (aka "gaslamp fantasy" if you've heard of it) ✦ Frey's got sun-themed magic ✦ gasp, I know ✦ Crow's got shadow magic ✦ wonder why this sounds familiar ✦ Daleira's got, hm, well it's also shadowy! ✦ spoilers 😘

✦ About to be updated en-masse for a writing contest!!!

✎ The Arcane Rifts

Ghosts of past tragedies haunt the town of Kavo after decades of neglect. Fantastical creatures desiring nothing but fear and destruction hide in invisible tears in reality. Gangs and the police are at constant war with one another, there's a shapeshifting monster running amok, and the mayor's assistant suddenly wants a disabled orphan kicked to the streets. A year ago, Gene was discovered in the forest on the outskirts of town, half dead, amnesiac, and unable to even speak the local language. As he had nowhere to go, he was brought to the orphanage of Kavo for a place to stay. Now Caspar, the assistant of the mayor and the man who funds the orphanage, wants him kicked out. When Gene's left to the cold, cruel streets of Kavo on his own, he has to navigate through a town ravaged by decades of neglect and intrigue. Has the corruption truly been purged from the government? Why are godly forces active in Kavo, a small town in a backwater country? And most importantly--will Gene survive?

Main Characters: Gene, Tazin, Mislav, Ludmila, Rada ❧ Gene and Tazin for book 1 ❧ the other 3 start being MCs books 2 and 3 ❧ I guess Nikolai is also a MC tho

❧ Industrial-era rustic high fantasy ❧ mixes fantasy, action, horror, and mystery! ❧ oh helloooooo "ominous feychild" origin? ❧ very strong folkloric and traditional fantasy inspo ❧ except I mean "traditional fantasy" as in ❧ "we don't understand this magic stuff but we're used to it" ❧ not "travel the world adventures!"

❧ VERY involved story with strong themes of discrimination, poverty, exploitation, trauma, and the recovery from trauma ❧ each main and secondary character is one flavor of discriminated against or another in-universe ❧ obviously I try to write it respectfully, but you can't really write bigots being bigots "respectfully"

❧ Has two "main plots" going on simultaneously; technically three ❧ I periodically give the reader updated "character guides" ❧ like they get more recent plot info added kinda like a red-string board to keep you, the audience, up-to-date with info you might've otherwise missed ❧ I think it's really cool and people seem to enjoy it ❧ I know it seems like a lot but please give it a chance

❧ I've literally plotted out pretty much the entirety of the first and second books, and know most of how book 3 will go, yet there's very little out for the current version of the story ❧ part of that is because I'm paused on the 3rd draft

❧ There's lots of timeskips throughout the first two books, but they're mostly to age up the protagonists! Gene, the MC, starts the series at 7. I promise it's not a kid's story though.

❧ The "secondary MC", Nikolai, is the police chief investigating magical stuff going on at the same time. They tie in with the main story involving Gene, though won't appear to for a long while.

❧ The "golden child" series I love more than SaS; however it's on hiatus because I promised people to work on SaS first and SaS is more popular as a romance-focused story. :/ ❧ I would never be salty about that.

Taglist:

For everything: @honeybewrites @the-golden-comet @illarian-rambling @ashirisu @urnumber1star

@the-letterbox-archives @48lexr @aalinaaaaaa @thecomfywriter

For Worldbuilding: @paeliae-occasionally

For Sun and Shadow: @mysticstarlightduck @paeliae-occasionally

For the Arcane Rifts: @paeliae-occasionally

For Rising From the Ashes: N/A

To be tagged in tag games: @honeybewrites @aalinaaaaaa

Ask and ye shall be added

Divider by @cafekitsune

[sihtricfedaraaahvicius]

Game Night

Note: just another silly little fic that turned out longer than planned. Also; I use the terms geek and nerd here in a way that some may find rude, but it's written from readers perspective, and not my own, just fyi. 

Warnings: 18+, smut/fluff.

pairing: Modern!Sihtric x you (f)

summary: a game night turned steamy. 

wordcount: 3,1k

Masterlist

Osferth was without a doubt the biggest nerd you knew, but also one of your best friends regardless of how much of a geek he was. He always told you about the latest card game he had scored or that sick new board game that just got on the market. You didn't care much for it but always let him ramble on. And now, after years of begging, he had finally persuaded you to come to one of his game nights, which he held weekly in his basement. You knew he had several friends who participated in the games and shared Osferth's enthusiasm, but you had never met any of them and only heard of some by name. You figured them to be just as passionate as Osferth, and probably less good looking than your best friend too, because he may be a huge nerd, but he was a handsome one and even you couldn't deny that. His dating game was quite good and you knew he saw multiple ladies at once sometimes, which was a big turn off for you and withheld you from even entertaining the thought of dating him. Thus you were more like brother and sister.

The main reason why you had agreed to join one of the game nights was so Osferth would finally stop nagging about it, and you were curious what was so interesting about those games anyway and what actually happens during those famous nights. You were also curious about his friends, and fully expected them to be the stereotypical nerdy dudes who still didn't know deodorant is a thing they could use, and you thought they would probably make for good gossip material with your girlfriends. 

But you couldn't have been more wrong. 

You were greeted by three handsome men, who were seated on separate couches around the large table in Osferth's dimly lit basement. You were introduced to Finan first, an Irishman with dark hair and a good beard, who gave you a flirty wink upon meeting. Up next was a guy named Uhtred, who's accent you couldn't quite place, but with his long locks tied back and the sides shaved he was pleasant to the eye, and he flashed a friendly smile. Lastly your eyes landed on Sihtric, who was immediately intrigued by your presence, which didn't go unnoticed by Osferth, and the pretty dark-haired boy with the bold haircut perked up as he eyed you up and down with a curious smile. Just as you wanted to make a positive remark about his half shaved cut, you were interrupted when an older man rushed down the stairs onto the basement, panting while he apologised for being later than usual. You learned that the man who had joined the party was named Pyrlig, and he announced that, 'The brothers are coming.'

Shortly after Pyrlig's announcement you heard the sound of heavy boots stomping down the stairs along with a howling laughter, and that's how you were introduced to the brothers Erik and Sigefrid, who were clearly the life of the party, and with them the group was complete for the night. Everyone had taken their regular seat while you still stood awkwardly as you took everything in; the massive boardgame upon the table, the deck of cards next to it and the multiple dice along with enough booze and snacks to last a whole week. You also took notice of the lack of women and, being the only lady, you felt a little nervous. Osferth came up to you and told you to just pick a seat and join the table, promising the game wasn't hard to understand, but you protested at the suggestion of playing.

'But I don't know this game… I'd rather just watch,' you chuckled nervously, 'I can sit back there,' you pointed towards a couch in the corner.

'Don't be silly,' Osferth smiled, 'join us, you can just tag along with one of the guys.'

You shrugged lightly and reluctantly agreed, then asked who you should tag along with as you looked at the few empty spaces left, contemplating your options. The only couch that had no space left was that one the brothers sat on, which was a relief because the one named Sigefrid was pretty loud… and drunk. Osferth hadn't forgotten about Sihtric's interest upon seeing you, and it was hard to forget as the handsome stranger kept eyeing you up, so Osferth nonchalantly cocked his head towards his friend. A visible disappointment appeared on the face of each man in the room when you made your way over to Sihtric, apart from Osferth and Sihtric himself. Osferth had never been romantically interested in you, so he didn't care where you sat and, naturally, Sihtric flashed a cocky smile toward the others as you sat down next to him. Everyone made peace with the decision merely a split second later, and their regular chatter and laughter filled the room again while you got comfortable.

Sihtric leaned in immediately and held out his hand, 'I didn't quite catch your name, darling,' he lied with a warm and low voice.

You felt your cheeks heat up and repeated your name as you took the hand of your gaming partner for the night.

'Beautiful name,' Sihtric smiled and kissed the back of your hand, while his mismatched eyes remained locked with yours, 'for a beautiful lady.'

You giggled softly and waved off the compliment, but the damage had already been done. Sihtric's eyes lingered on you after he had let go of your hand. He placed his arm on the backrest of the couch, around your shoulders without touching, and he then sat back, relaxed while manspreading. You swallowed hard and checked him out from the corner of your eyes, as he casually drunk beer from a bottle while Osferth tried to get everyone's attention so the game could start.

Your eyes were pleased with the sight of the man on your left, who was dressed in all black; black boots, black skinny jeans with a black leather belt, and half buttoned up black blouse on top. His dark facial hair matched his dark eyeliner, and the few scars on his pretty face didn't bother you. You found it hard to believe that this guy, who was quite intimidating with his good looks and visible tattoos, was as much of a dork as your friend was. 

Everyone listened when Osferth spoke to the group, except you, because you were too busy distinguishing what Sihtric smelled like. Your conclusion was that he smelled like cedarwood and amber, accompanied by a hint of mint and the faint smell of cigarettes. And then, as if to nudge you out of your thoughts, Sihtric bumped his knee lightly against yours, which made you look up at him. He winked with a sly smile after having earned your attention, and you knew you were in for an interesting night.

About two hours had passed since the game got kicked off, and you still had no idea what was going on at the table. You had witnessed grown men argue, trying to cheat, curse at each other, and you were sure some of them kicked each other under the table every now and then too. It was an eventful sight and it looked like the game was still far from over. You didn't mind it though, because the pretty boy next to you had scooted closer not long after the game had started, to show you the cards he was to keep hidden from the others. According to Sihtric he was in a good position, for he held important parts of land and had an army closing in on the other gamers. And despite the fact you had no real idea of what his cards meant, you were impressed anyway for some inexplicable reason.

Sihtric seemed smart and patient during the game, despite the rash decisions he can make in real life, as he had told you, and he leaned in closer every now and then to discuss what his next move on the board should be. You loved the fact that he tried to include you, and that despite the fact your advice was useless or simply non-strategic, he never stopped discussing the options with you. You also enjoyed how he had smoothly lowered his arm off the backrest, and eventually rested nonchalantly around your neck, while you had placed your hand on his thigh under the wooden table, out of sight for everyone else.

As the hours passed by and the game progressed steadily, the rivals of your game partner became more and more drunk, until a petty argument broke out and everyone was accused of cheating. Osferth desperately tried to calm the competing men, while Sihtric just threw his cards on the table and dedicated his full attention to you, for there was no saving that game anymore. Sihtric wasn't drunk, perhaps a little tipsy, but the others were so far gone they couldn't even stand on their feet anymore. And no one even noticed how you and Sihtric had eventually moved to the lone couch in the darkened corner.

Sihtric had pulled your legs over his as you sat back, and he leaned in close, one hand on your thigh while his other held your chin lightly and his mismatched eyes looked you all over.

'So… how did a girl like you end up in a place like this?' he smiled with hooded eyes, completely smitten and captivated by you.

'Because of Osferth,' you replied, returning the rather dazed look as you were just as head over heels as he was, 'he's been telling me about his game nights for years, so I finally came over to make him stop asking me to come.'

Sihtric hummed softly with a smile, his hand moving moderately up your thigh as he nuzzled your nose, 'well… I'm glad you're here.'

'So am I,' you smiled with warm cheeks, your hands trailing mindlessly over his muscular chest, feeling the warmth of his body as your fingers grazed his exposed skin.

'You liked the game then?'

'I didn't really care about the game.'

'Then why are you happy you're here?' Sihtric asked playfully, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it spill from your kissable lips.

'I think you know,' you chuckled and moved your fingers through his dark, soft curls.

'Do I know?' he taunted and leaned in, his lips faintly touching yours.

'You know,' you whispered, not telling him what he wanted to hear just yet.

'Hm… I know I wanna take you home,' he smiled and squeezed your thigh, 'and I also know I want you to tell me where you are most sensitive.'

You grinned and played with the pendant he wore around his neck, 'And what if I won't tell you?'

'Then you can show me.'

'Show you?' you feigned confusion, 'how?'

'By taking my hand and guiding it.'

'And then?' a cheeky smile appeared on your face.

'And then,' his breath tickled your lips as he chuckled, 'then I'll make you feel really good, darling,' he husked, 'would you like that?'

'Yeah,' you breathed, almost desperately, and you trailed your fingers down his chest to undo another button of his blouse, aching to see more of his scarred torso.

'Yeah?' Sihtric murmured and dragged his lips down your neck, where he left you short, mischievous kisses and wet kitty licks in between.

'Fuck,' you exhaled sharply with a smile, your hands on his chest underneath his blouse, feeling the rapid beating of his heart while you felt his lips curl into a smile as they were pressed onto your neck.

'Fuck?' he repeated with a devilish tone, 'you wanna fuck?'

You hummed approvingly as he leaned back to look in your eyes. He took your chin, his thumb circling your parted lips while he bit down on his lower lip before he brought face closer to yours again.

'Yeah?' he whispered, smiling, 'you want me to fuck you, darling?'

'Please,' you almost whimpered as you struggled to downplay your desperate need.

'What was that?' he clearly jested and shoved his hand between your thighs.

'Please,' you giggled and mindlessly grinded against his hand, 'please… I want you to fuck me.'

Sihtric smiled, and he took your hand as he got up, leading you discretely up the stairs while the others were still arguing over the game. Upstairs, in the hallway, Sihtric turned to you and placed one hand on your waist, pulling you closer, and the other on the back of your head as he finally kissed you after having endured hours of unbearable tension. He pushed you up against the wall and kissed you deeply, his tongue down your throat while you felt his trapped arousal pressing through his tightened jeans. You rubbed your palm over his hardened cock and he moaned into your mouth while he grabbed a fistful of your locks, and he yanked your head slightly back to make you look up at him after he broke the kiss.

'Upstairs,' he uttered, his enamoured look never leaving his face.

You knew Osferth's place all too well, and clearly Sihtric did too, for you both knew of the spare room on the second floor and you were quick to pull him with you up the stairs. You began to unbutton the rest of his blouse while he kissed you, and you both nearly stumbled as you clumsily climbed the steps while being all over each other.

'We should be quick,' you mumbled in between kisses as you reached the bedroom, 'before anyone will notice we left.'

'Trust me,' Sihtric husked and pulled you in the room, 'they won't notice, so I'll be taking my time.'

He kicked the door shut and buried his face in your neck, while his hands held your waist as he pushed you backwards to bed. Your hands were in his hair, your head thrown back while you enjoyed the touch of his lips on your sensitive skin.

'What's your favourite position?' he murmured in your ear as you slid his blouse off his shoulders.

'Doggy,' you grinned, 'but…' you paused and took his face, 'you're too beautiful. I want to see you while you fuck me.'

Sihtric chuckled, and it was evident that he enjoyed seeing you as well, so he cocked his head towards the desk with a mirror above it, and he smirked. You kissed him as he unbuttoned your jeans, and he spun you around to face the mirror once you reached the desk. You giggled with anticipation when Sihtric pulled your jeans and panties down, just low enough to have quick access, and he did the same with his own jeans, then he took off your shirt.

'Anything to worry about?' he asked and pulled out his cock as he stood behind you.

'All clean,' you smiled, 'and protected. What about you, handsome?'

'All clean,' he reassured with a wink and lined up with your soaked folds, wasting no more time and pushing himself inside you with ease.

You gasped and grabbed onto the desk as you felt him twitch inside you with each slow stroke, hitting all the right spots, keeping a steady and calm pace while filling you up entirely. You felt his big and warm hand on your waist, while he slid his other up into your hair, and he grabbed a fistful to pull your head back and make you look up into the mirror, locking his dazed eyes with yours while you were both smiling lustfully. You quickly started to curse under your breath as you watched him take you, to which his parted lips curled into a smug smile, and he leaned in closer.

'Does that feel good, darling?' he murmured in your ear, along with his raspy breathing while the desk rattled with every deep thrust.

'Mhm, so good,' you hummed.

'Yeah?' Sihtric chuckled, 'so do you.'

Then, he suddenly picked up his pace, and he fucked you with fast and short thrusts until you couldn't think straight anymore and your tongue hung out of your mouth. You struggled to keep your eyes open while Sihtric dumbed you down, and he yanked your head slightly backwards again when he noticed your struggle.

'Don't look away from me,' he growled sweetly, 'I'll stop if you won't look at me,' he threatened and moved his hand from your hip down to your core.

He stimulated you with with his fingers while he continued to fuck you, making you a trembling and moaning mess until you both came and then started to laugh, out of breath, at the impulsive absurdity that had just occurred in your best friend's spare bedroom. You gasped lightly when you felt the pretty boy pull out, after making sure you had taken his entire load and wouldn't waste a drop, and he gave you back your shirt before he pulled his jeans up again. When you were both decently dressed again he carefully took your face in his hands and kissed you admiringly and sweetly. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he leaned his forehead against yours, and you sighed softly.

'It's late, but I don't think I want to leave you just yet.'

'Good,' Sihtric whispered and nuzzled your nose, 'because I wasn't going to let you leave yet.'

You smiled and he captured you in another kiss, which was rudely disturbed when suddenly the bedroom door flung open and a drunken Irishman stared at you both as you were all tangled up, leaning back against a closet. You and Sihtric looked at Finan with wide eyes, knowing you got caught and he had the ability to make it a whole happening in front of his friends.

'Uhh,' Finan sounded and then burped loudly before he turned and closed the door again, 'nope, I don't see them anywhere either,' he shouted and stumbled down the stairs again.

You both sighed and laughed with relief, then kissed again before Sihtric took cupped your cheeks.

'Are all game nights like this?' you asked.

'If you mean getting drunk and arguing, then yes,' Sihtric chuckled, 'but this… what we did, that is new,' he smiled and pecked your lips, 'are you coming next week too?'

'I don't know,' you shrugged playfully, 'will you make me?'

'Yeah,' Sihtric said with a cocky smile, 'I'll make you come again, darling.'

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[borderline-culture-is]

Daily click for Palestine(and the other causes)

Blog introduction post

Who is this blog for?

This blog is for anyone with BPD and/or BPD traits. Other cluster B disorder havers and those without who want to learn are also welcome, although submissions are preferred to be BPD focused and sent by pwBPD and/or BPD traits.

Why this blog?

I'm not sure what happened to the other BPD culture is blog, but it was either nerfed or deleted, and I haven't seen any sign of return or a new blog, so I decided to make one. If the original account owner didn't want a creation of another one, please tell me!!!

DNI/BYF [do not interact] [before you follow]

Ableists

Proshippers

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Anti-recovery peeps

General DNI criteria

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We accept self-diagnosis.

You can vent, but we may not always know how to respond. We are a person, too.

We will also try to tag triggers accordingly.

Sending asks

Start every ask with "BPD culture is," "BPD traits culture is," "questioning/suspected BPD culture is," or something along those lines.

Extra info under cut

About the mod 🌕🥃

Hello, we're the moonshine collective. Bodily 16 y/o, collectively he/they, traumagenic system. We have BPD and NPD, among other things. Our main blog is @deepmilkshakepeach. If you want to visit it, it also has a masterlist of alters and their sign-offs and blogs.

About the other mod

Hello! I'm mod ghost. I'm in my 20's. I volunteered to help moderate because this is a heavy undertaking. I don't interact with the other mods much, I'm just here to help lighten the load. I have BPD, C-PTSD and a bit of depwession. My personal blog is private because I split a lot there and I prefer to keep it in my own little corner of the internet.

About the third mod

Hi! I'm the Fandom mod(I don't know what to put here). I'm a non-binary(they/them unless specifically stated otherwise) minor w BPD, most likely HPD and questioning for more PDs. I'm also autistic and have ADHD. I volunteered to be a mod because there are a lot of submissions here and I wanted to help. I won't share my personal blog because I feel like it'd be awkward with some of my mutuals.

Take care everyone!

info posts

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BPD and C-PTSD

our experience determining BPD self dx

supporting a pwBPD

Misc posts :]!

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[misc-obeyme]

THE THREADS THAT BIND

EPILOGUE

MASTERPOST for summary/info/chapter list

a/n: This spicy epilogue is dedicated to @silverrings-n-prettythings who offered to bare knuckle box an alligator for it... twice lol. Fortunately, no alligators needed to be fought, but without Silver's encouragement, it might not have happened. So thank you for always leaving such amazing feedback in the tags, it truly means so much to me!

PLEASE NOTE: This is an epilogue. You need to have read the rest of the story to get the full impact.

I also feel the need to mention that this is very feelings heavy because of the whole relationship build up that had been happening in the main story. It just felt right, since they just kinda recently admitted their feelings for each other.

Anyway, this is the last of the story for real. Thank you for coming with me on this journey!

GN!MC x Barbatos | word count 1,910

NSFW MDNI

Warnings: oral and penetration (reader receiving), pet names, uhhh definitely also some cheesiness, I'm sorry I can't help it lol

You startled yourself awake. Moonlight filtered through the large windows in Barbatos's room, casting shadows beneath the plants and in the corners of the staircases. Beside you, partially bathed in that silver light, Barbatos was slumbering peacefully. You watched as his expression grew concerned, as one of his hands reached out for you in his sleep. Between you, the bright teal of the thread glimmered gently.

It was so rare for you to see him at rest like this, hair disheveled, expression soft in sleep. And yet the last few days, you had seen more of it than he had ever shown you before.

Barbatos shifted slightly, as though he could sense the cold space next to him where your warm body had once been. His hand stretched even further, seeking your presence.

You took it and brought it to your lips.

Barbatos blinked his eyes open. You were confronted with the unguarded feelings that filled them when he focused them on your face, as he took in the sight of you with his fingers pressed to your lips.

Where so much was normally kept hidden, you saw only openness now. Here in the quiet of night, silver splayed and teal tinged, Barbatos looked at you as though everything he had ever cared for in his long life had culminated within your heart. He looked at you as though even when that thread was gone, he would still be irrevocably tied to you. He looked at you as though that was a choice he had made for himself, come what may.

No words passed between you because everything was held in his eyes and in the thread that lingered still.

As he watched, you spread his fingers and kissed the pads of each one, holding his gaze as you did so. His hand was so perfect, despite how often it was used to scrub dishes and pull weeds. The long elegant fingers stayed limp in your grasp until you had finished bestowing your kisses. And then they reached out, his palm resting on your cheek, warm and soft.

There had been a sort of unspoken caution between you as you learned your way through the new reality of honest love. A hesitancy that you both felt to ensure that you didn't make any rash choices, that you took your time, that you learned the nuances of each other.

All of that seemed to have vanished now. Because when you looked down into those eyes, there was only one thing you wanted more than anything else in the three worlds.

Barbatos likely saw that desire in your eyes.

He sat up to meet you, one hand staying on your cheek, the other going to your waist, as he kissed you softly in the moonlight.

You considered letting it stay soft. That despite what you were feeling, it might still be too soon.

But then Barbatos bit gently on your lower lip and any caution you had been about to employ was immediately abandoned. You opened your mouth for him, felt his tongue tracing your lip before entangling itself with yours. The grip on your waist tightened. Your hand flew up to grip the edge of his slightly unbuttoned pajama shirt, fabric twisting in your fist.

You felt the hand on your waist move to slide up your own shirt, fingertips tracing lightly across your skin. You broke away with a gasp, pulling your shirt over your head before undoing the buttons on Barbatos's shirt and pushing it off of his shoulders.

Barbatos followed your lead, helping you to remove the rest of your pajamas and his, before pushing you back gently on the bed.

Barbatos paused, poised above you. The longest strands of his hair brushed softly against your cheek as you looked into his green eyes. The slight glow of the teal thread stretched between your bare chests.

"MC," Barbatos said. His voice had a reverence to it and if he wasn't a demon you would have thought it sounded like a prayer.

You didn't have a chance to respond properly because Barbatos was kissing your neck, his lips pressing down your chest, his hands rubbing down your sides. He continued until he was tucked between your thighs, at which point he looked up at you, a question in his eyes. The thread trailed across your body, a tiny path down your chest and stomach, an almost perfect outline of where his kisses still burned against your skin.

You reached out your hand, nestling your fingers into his hair. "I'm ready," you said. "I trust you."

Barbatos waited for a few moments, as though he was giving you a chance to change your mind. When you didn't, he kissed your thighs, making his way to the throbbing space between your legs. You gasped when you felt his hot mouth on you, the expert way he used his tongue to make your limbs shake.

You couldn't prevent yourself from tugging on his hair as your fingers twisted in it, the feelings washing over you too intense for you to stop it. Barbatos didn't seem to mind, not even pausing although you were certainly causing him some pain.

"Ah, Barbatos-"

At this, Barbatos did stop, looking up at you from his position between your thighs. Your hand dropped to your side, letting go of his hair as he propped himself up to look at you properly.

"I-I'm sorry," you said, blushing slightly at his intense gaze.

His expression softened. "You needn't apologize, my love. All I want is to please you. Tell me what you would like me to do."

My love.

These words caused an echo in your mind, an echo of something Barbatos had once said about someone else -

It seems my love has found us.

You were reminded of that insecurity, the small piece of doubt that still remained, that couldn't be completely eased even though Barbatos told you how he truly felt about you. Even though he had also said -

I have never loved anyone in the same way that I love you.

He had said that to you, directly. Not in a vision of a future yet to come, not to a person whose identity he still didn't know.

Barbatos seemed aware that something was passing through your mind. He sat up, pulling you up with him, wrapping his arms around you, pressing you into his chest. Your eyes were so close to the entry point of the thread as it spilled out from his skin, creating a small U before looping back into you.

"Shall I find a different term to call you?" he asked.

The tenderness of his tone filled you with a softness unlike anything you had ever known. "Like what?"

Barbatos chuckled, his breath ruffling your hair. "My darling, my dearest, my everything, my sun and my moon…"

You laughed. "Okay, okay, stop, please!"

"My cupcake," Barbatos went on. "My muffin, my sugarplum…"

"I shouldn't be surprised that you have so many pastry options," you said.

Barbatos hummed contentedly, kissing your temple. "All you have to do is tell me your preference."

You sighed. "I don't have a preference, you can call me whatever you like."

"As you wish, my little tiramisu," Barbatos said.

You shook your head, laughing because you couldn't help it.

Barbatos pulled away enough to meet your eyes. "MC, if you will allow it, I would like nothing more than to finish what I have begun." His fingers trailed down your stomach, hovering just above the heat of your arousal.

A thrill ran through you when you saw the desire that had taken over Barbatos's expression. Where one moment he had been all softness, now he was all fire, a passion blazing there that ignited the need inside you as well.

You reached up, putting your hand flat on his chest right where the thread emerged. "I want you inside me, Barbatos."

Barbatos wasted no time. He was almost methodical in the way he retrieved some lubrication from the bedside table, using it and his fingers to make sure you were fully ready. You squirmed beneath his ministrations until you couldn't take it anymore, practically begging him to put his cock in you.

Barbatos's pace slowed significantly as he lined himself up, slowly pressing himself into your heat. You trembled beneath him, the exquisite feeling of him filling you up and making you shiver. You moaned once he was fully inside you and the expression of bliss on his face let you know that he was feeling just as good as you were.

You barely registered him asking you if you were okay, all you could do was wrap your legs around his hips, your hands clutching at his shoulders, as you moaned and gasped.

You were sure you said something, likely begging him to continue, but it was all lost in the heat and the feelings.

Barbatos was slow and sweet as he began to thrust, mumbling in your ear about how much he loved you. You mostly responded with moaning and gasping, but eventually you couldn't take how slow he was going and your words turned into begging him to speed up.

Barbatos didn't hold back for long, taking his cues from you and increasing his speed as you requested. You held onto him as he hit that perfect spot inside you over and over, the feeling of him moving inside you so sweet and so good, building and building.

Barbatos pulled away from you just a little, propping himself up to look down at you. You saw that blazing passion in his eyes and the reflection of the teal thread, that bounced now as it stretched between your chest and his. Your hands clutched at his arms. You cried out his name, your back arching, as you came hard, the feeling bursting within you from deep in your gut, exploding through every nerve in your body.

You watched as Barbatos came, too, his normally calm expression running riot with how good you made him feel.

Both of you gazed at each other, breathing heavily as you came down from the highs of your orgasms, feeling the warmth of the room settle around you, the gentle sweetness of intimacy bringing you even closer.

Barbatos kissed your eyelids, your cheeks, your lips, that place on your chest where the thread still connected you to him.

You found that neither of you needed to say anything more then. Barbatos was as efficient as always, taking care of cleaning things up before coming back to the bed. The moment he was beside you, you found yourself pulling him into your arms, pressing him against you, like you were scared he might disappear if you didn't feel him close enough. He sighed against your skin and wrapped his arms around you, tucking himself into you perfectly.

You didn't know it that night, but forever after Barbatos would use random pastries as pet names for you. It was almost always something different and it made you smile every time.

Sometimes, long after the thread had finally faded, often in the night when the silver moon cast its light into the darkness of his bedroom, Barbatos would speak gently and softly into your ear, making you shiver and reminding you of a truth he was determined to make sure you never forgot. In those quiet moments, he only ever called you my love.

masterpost | chapter one | chapter thirteen

masterlist | Thank you for reading!