#My expectations were high and by god have they been surpassed

[teethbomb]

Look at this little fucking freak

[tonkatsubowl]

blind. iii

dan heng x fem!reader

it's a series now! ⛧ part one. ⛧ part two.

➽ inspired by satoru gojo! what if the reader had a special ability with her eyes and often wore a blindfold?

➽ reader is a flirt!

dan heng has zero experience when it comes to relationships and intimacy.

he had very, very high expectations when he first got into a relationship with you...and he really thought you would be blowing up his phone, asking for his attention and just begging for his presence twenty-four seven.

however, it wasn't that bad as he thought it'd be. most likely because you are a stellaron hunter, and thus you were a busy woman. after your date with dan heng, you had vanished for about a day, not even texting dan heng. for once, he was rather worried about you, especially since you showed great interest in him in the beginning, and well...

you kissed him that one night.

in truth, you were actually in the middle of an emergency expedition to help kafka and silver wolf. they needed you, and you had no choice but to go missing for a few hours, causing your little dragon boy to be worried.

luckily for you, you found a moment to catch your breath after sending a world to a self-destructive state, watching as society began to rip each other apart.

your phone buzzed, and your eyes peeled to the notification display that popped up.

➽ dan heng: hey. are you okay?

you grinned to yourself. you couldn't respond yet, but you will respond later.

...but it had been about a few hours since you sent that message. why haven't you responded back yet?

over at the astral express, dan heng laid in bed with a bit of anxiety. he was a boyfriend now, and he hadn't told anyone. and neither have you, so this was a little secret relationship the both of you guys had. however, the man was anxious that he was hiding away in his room, but luckily, it was the dead of night...and his friends were all asleep.

he tried to sleep a couple of times, but he couldn't. all he could think about was you. maybe he should go and grab some melatonin and sleep it off, and-

ding!

his hands immediately scramble to his phone, seeing your response.

➽ y/n: sorry for the late response. had an emergency. are you okay?

he texted you back immediately.

➽ dan heng: good. i'm okay.

➽ y/n: lol. were you worried? ♡

➽ dan heng: no, i was just curious.

what a liar.

➽ y/n: if you say so! because i missed you. ♡♡♡♡♡

dan heng sighed at your message.

➽ dan heng: i'm just glad you're okay. what was the emergency?

➽ y/n: don't worry about it! just something to do with a mission of mine.

➽ dan heng: i see. i hope everything is okay.

➽ y/n: ? i'm a stellaron hunter and you want to hope everything is okay?

you were teasing him.

➽ dan heng: you know what i mean.

➽ y/n: lmfao, look, if things didn't go well on my end your friends would have the time of their life

something about what you said...didn't seem right.

➽ dan heng: ?

➽ dan heng: what do you mean?

➽ y/n: we're technically enemies, baby doll.

➽ dan heng: yes, but... we're in a relationship, no? as your boyfriend, i should be worried.

ooh, he's taking this seriously. you're into it.

➽ y/n: .

➽ y/n: god i want to kiss you

➽ dan heng: ???

➽ y/n: look, go get some rest. want me to sneak into the astral express again tonight?

➽ dan heng: ...

➽ dan heng: um.

➽ dan heng: if you'd like.

he wanted to see you again. you surpassed the security systems last time, so... and he had a feeling your visit this time had nothing to do with the information in his computer.

➽ y/n: alright, baby doll. i'm omw

➽ dan heng: baby doll??

➽ dan heng: ???

➽ dan heng: why are you calling me baby doll?

➽ dan heng: ...

➽ dan heng: y/n? hello?

➽ dan heng: sigh.

dan heng was right. you didn't want the information on the computer he had, but him.

you successfully infiltrated the astral express' train once again, but this time...something was different. when the door had opened, dan heng greeted you, but...

"y/n. hello⸻"

he froze as his hand went up the air to greet you. his eyes lingered on the bandage that was on your face and your arm was wrapped with bandages...you were injured. but you still came to see him with that flirtatious, cocky smile of yours.

"dan-dan." you cooed quietly as you closed the door behind you, locking it. taking off your shoes, you opened your arms to hug him, but he went up to you instead, hands on your shoulders.

"what? why are you injured? what happened? who did this to you?"

you blinked, staring at dan heng with a puzzled look before smiling. "oh, this? these are just burns and cuts. don't worry about it-"

"let me see your injuries."

you stare at him for a moment, and you would sigh. "look, it's okay, dan-dan. i only got messed up a bit, it's not like i'm dead⸻"

"let me see them, please, y/n."

you stare into his eyes as he gazed upon you with a worried expression, leaving you with a sigh. "alright, dan-dan. since you're so worried."

you move over to the floor to sit down before removing the bandages that was wrapped around your arm. you wince and you flinch, embracing the burning sensation as the cold air of the night kissed your injuries...and god, it stung.

dan heng frowned at the sight before getting up. "i'll be back."

"wait⸻"

you watch as he gets up to go to a different area of his room where he retrieved a box, assuming it was a med kit for you. he approached you, grabbing various of ointments and a few bandages.

"dan-dan, i already took care of it⸻"

"this ointment i have with me is strong enough to cure your injuries in a couple of days."

you decided not to protest. the moment the main was insisting on helping you...there was no used to stopping him. instead, you sheepishly smile, nodding. "..alright." you whisper before you watched him do his work.

applying the ointment to your arm, you flinch, cursing to yourself as you felt the ointment being rubbed on the burning spots.

"fire?" he murmured. "or was it a weapon don on high temperature?" he questioned.

"both," you smile through the pain, "eventually got him, but he had me...as you can see."

he sighed. "please be more careful."

"you're worried huh? that bad?" you grin.

"yes," he paused for a moment, "...i just...we had a bet, that's all. a deal."

you fell silent, but you still had a smile, "...i know. i have the flash drive on me, after all." you said.

now the two of you were quiet, and you were already used to the stinging pain that had kicked you in the ass. eventually, dan heng finished, replacing your bandages with newer ones and tossing the old ones out.

"alright, so... just come back tomorrow and i'll have to do the same thin⸻"

you got up, brushing your lips against dan heng's as you gently pushed him against your desk. he was taken back for a moment, but...he returned the kiss, just a bit. he was a bit inexperienced, after all.

pulling away, you looked at him with a satisfied smile.

"thanks, dan-dan. i'll come back tomorrow, but..." you take a step back. "wish i could stay longer." you look down to your phone, a frustrated look across your features. "i have something to do."

dan heng was quiet, looking at you with a worried expression before nodding. "...just don't get hurt."

he paused.

"...that ointment is expensive."

you grinned, turning your back towards him as you stepped towards the door.

"...i'll be back."

[oldestenemy]

“Graduation.” The wizard repeats the word blankly, staring at Headmaster Ambrose like he’s grown a second head. Honestly it would be less surprising if he had grown a second head.

“Yes, the faculty is all in agreement, you have more than surpassed the requi—”

“—Our graduation.” The wizard cuts over him, and now the effect is reversed, Merle Ambrose looks confused.

“I must ask that you hurry along to the cabinet of wonders,” He starts, as though they have not spoken at all. “Mr. Lincoln is waiting to prepare you for—”

“—No.” They cross their arms. They plant their feet. They stare their headmaster down with eyes that saw the fall of Azteca, the deaths of Malistaire and Morganthe. Warm brown flashing gold in a marriage of Myth and Astral magics. “It’s our graduation, right? Mine and all the other older students—all the others who have been here longer than I have.”

“Ah, I am afraid you misunderstand, their studies are—”

“—Are what, incomplete? What part of the requirements for graduation does not attending multiple years worth of classes fall under? Or is it that you only hand out diplomas to loyal war dogs?” The words tumble out before the wizard can stop them. And honestly? They cannot bring themself to regret it.

Silence.

Heavy and tense.

“I understand your nerves have been running high due to the ongoing disappearance of Mr. Grimwater,” Merle Ambrose sounds no different than he had before they spoke. He does not flinch. They wonder somewhere if he has trained the reactions out of himself. If he is concerned about pushing a student to anger, especially one like the wizard. Afraid of making another monster. He’s never reacted to their outbursts. Not the catatonia after Dragonspyre. Not the screaming after Azteca. Not the carefully constructed barbs they had flung at him after their final day on Khrysalis. “I shall consult with the rest of the faculty on the status of your classmates, and see what can be done.”

“I can do it.” They offer, perhaps too quickly. It’s habit. It’s safety. Send me on a quest. Get me out of this room. What can I do. How can I help. “I’m sorry.” The words are bitter and dark on their tongue. They don’t let it show.

“Very well. Consult with the other professors, and have them gather before Bartleby—I will meet them there.”

“Yes, sir.”

And they do.

One by one they make the rounds.

Dworgyn first as he’s furthest away.

Then working from Moolinda to the Elementals and eventually to Cyrus.

Everyone thus far has been in agreement.

Though they can still hear the curl of I would not expect you to advocate for Mr. Stormgate.

The wizard shakes their head, half a smile forming in spite of the barely contained fount of irritation still bubbling under the surface. The idea of graduating alone, of being even further removed from their peers-who-really-weren’t. No. No they wouldn’t go through with that.

When finally they make it back to Ambrose’s office, he is already gone.

But the office itself is packed.

“Wizard!” Penny, beaming and bright. “Have you heard the news? It seems it only just got passed around—”

“—Graduation.” They reply, happy for the fact that they do not have to be the one to break this. That nobody will have to know it was not supposed to be this way. “Through the wardrobe—cabinet—whatever.” They point to the Cabinet of Wonders in the corner, and watch as the Ravenwood upperclassmen—the Dragonspyre Academy Restoration Team—file their way through the doors.

“When you weren’t here, I was worried you’d been called away to some new problem.” Malorn says, watching with them as the others file through. “I wouldn’t put it past Headmaster Ambrose to think saving the world is more important than a silly little ceremony.”

“If that were the case, I might actually agree with him on something.”

“It’s weird,” It’s quiet, those words. “I’ve been teaching other students for—oh gods, how long has it even been now—years? I don’t know what my responsibilities are going to look like after—or—”

“—Malorn.” The wizard’s expression softens, “Breathe. I imagine you can discuss all that with Ambrose afterwards—or hey, don’t discuss it, go back to the Dragonspyre Academy and start planning a curriculum there.” It’s mostly a joke, maybe only half a joke with some of the talk the others have kept up lately. “If you really want to keep teaching.”

“Oh—Spiral no—I don’t think I could go straight into teaching anyone anything beyond—well—I dunno, Wraith I suppose now. I like teaching the younger kids, I like how excited they are to learn.” He pauses, looking back at the cabinet. “It’s not just that though, I don’t ever remember seeing a graduation happen here. I’ve lived in Wizard City my whole life—most of us have aside from Penny and Nolan—it’s just—weird.”

“First time for everything.” Is time the same in the Spiral? Has their body or their counterpart or whatever it is they can slip back into on the empty leeched out Earth graduated? Are they in college? Do they have a job?

Those thoughts make the wizard’s head ache, trying to think about Earth nowadays usually does.

“Yeah. Yeah…” Malorn says finally, giving them one last smile before stepping through.

And the wizard is alone in the Headmaster’s office.

Heart pounding for no good reason.

Who are you who are you who are you who are you.

It doesn’t matter.

Time is moving.

So are they.

~*~

The grounds of Ravenwood are bursting with guests and decoration. A small stage has been set up just before Bartleby, and one by one, by school, the students are called up.

Among the crowd of students there are hushed whispers.

Is that the Emperor of Mooshu?

What is the Headmistress from Pigswick doing here?

What’s with the bird?

The wizard genuinely tunes out a little, watches with ears ringing as their classmates walk across that little stage. Watches the Death students cross together, the void where Duncan should be heavy in the air. Like a poison. Like a fog.

They shake their head, look back into the crowd, faces from everywhere and nowhere. Zenzen catches their eye and if each of them looks away in the same moment? It is only because if they spend too long thinking about the other, the wall constructed against the grief of Azteca will crumble for them both.

They scan further, envoys from Celestia, Avalon, Zafaria—

—somewhere there is a little spark of hurt and worry for the absence of their comrades in arms on Khrysalis. But there is still so much to be done there in the name of keeping peace. Better Dyvim and Zaltanna stay where they are.

There is a set of eyes that amuses them in the fraught emotions of the rest.

Cuffed to not one but two—very disgruntled looking officers is Professor James Meowiarty.

Oh they would’ve loved to have been present for the conversation that happened at Scotland Yard to allow that.

Very suddenly they are the only one left.

It startles them, movements almost a stumble as they mount the steps up to the little stage.

Ambrose is talking, their ears are ringing again. Heroic spirit, shrewd mind, noble virtue—

They can barely hear him.

Even for you.

Even for you.

“My, my.” Professor Drake’s words break the sound of his brother’s reverberating in the Wizard’s skull. “Look at you, look how far you have come in all this time. You know well that I doubted the spark Headmaster Ambrose saw in you upon your arrival. That I did my best to dissuade you through hardship, impossibility, and playing to what I perceived as a lack of drive. I have never been more delighted to be proven wrong.”

Oh.

Oh.

They are going to cry when this is done.

They’re not going to do it here. In front of so many people. But alone, somewhere safe, this is going to hang in their chest while they heave.

“What you have done for Ravenwood, for the Spiral, and beyond that—for my family, cannot be overstated.” Cyrus Drake is smiling, it is barely there, it could be mistaken for neutrality or perhaps a smirk if they did not know those expressions so well. “You are a remarkable wizard, and one I am tremendously proud of. Keep your mind open to all the wonders that Myth has to offer, and you will never lack new avenues of discovery.”

They want to hold onto those words forever. Not yet acknowledging the other meaning within just saying them, that from this moment there is no longer the thread of Professor and Student tying them to Cyrus Drake. And that almost aches in its own way. A loss of something familiar.

The wizard hasn’t looked away from him by the time Ambrose is talking again. It’s so hard to hear anything. Ears ringing, wind blowing cold and frigid—

Wind blowing?

Had it been windy?

They raise a hand to hold the graduation cap to their head—

And that is when things all come crashing down.

Of course.

Again.

Read the whole series here <3

[princelylove]

i am slowly getting more and more annoyed with mr zeppeli himself i ate my fingers as i read your response to my ask AJAJHSUSH. thank you so much your highness i am burning my whole house rn.

actually, which yanderes do you think would be the most ANNOYING. like, not violent or anything but just plain annoying. the kind of people that make you wanna tear your hair out or commit a slow and painful murder.

(inspired heavily by narancia because i have a feeling he would be the most annoying little shit to deal with)

-🌸 anon

What an adorable thing you are. Don’t bite too hard, it’ll hinder your ability to compliment me. 

Oh, God. Most annoying to me, personally? Not in any order in particular, I feel as if this one would change depending on my mood:

Bruno hovers too much, and he tends to both infantilize and put a lot of responsibility on his darling. He expects his darling to parent Narancia but won’t let them handle a knife by themself. I’m doing a character study on him right now, so that’s all I’ll say, but just know that he is God’s punishment for whatever you did in a past life to deserve him.

Narancia is annoying- he’s a young guy who never got taught how to deep clean, spends his free time on his pull up bar, expects you to cook for him since he’s literally never been tasked with it, whines when you try to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of your six hours minimum long cuddling session, doesn’t know how to properly take care of an entire human being so just throws junk food at you and hopes you don’t starve, the list goes on. He loves you, he really does, he just doesn’t know what he’s doing. For someone as prissy as myself, I would die the first day. He doesn’t understand why I put those rollers in my hair- he just watched me straighten it, doesn’t that cancel out??? That’s stupid, oh, and another thing, what’s the point of owning five different versions of the same color of nail polish? It’s all red! Just have one, that isn’t crazy expensive! On top of Narancia being the worst roommate ever- he’s very irritable, and doesn’t really have a problem pulling a knife on you to get what he wants. He’s not as quick to snap as people think, but that doesn’t mean he won’t. Show signs of liking something more than him and he’ll maul it. 

It’s hard to set Cioccolata and Secco away from each other, they’re basically inseparable, but Cioccolata is capable of using logic, and Secco is not. If you’re on the ground in pain, obviously you’re going to have a hard time answering the little puppy’s questions. Secco doesn’t understand why you won’t play with him- he’s shoving his toy right in front of you, are you blind?? Play! With! Him! Throw it, play tug of war, SOMETHING, COME ON. There’s an interesting dynamic depending on who exactly you’re intended for- Cioccolata, Secco, or both. Let’s just talk about Secco alone, since Cioccolata isn’t annoying, he’s just a bit too affectionate sometimes. Secco’s forgetful, rude, jumps to conclusions, and you don’t even know what he looks like since he’s always wearing that bitch suit-esque thing. He nudges you to throw his toy- he probably thinks of you as human rather than another dog, and doesn’t understand why you aren’t behaving like Cioccolata does. If you were Cioccolata’s darling alone, or a shared darling, he’d probably think of you as another dog. But he was here first, so he’s got dibs on the good dog bed, AND cioccolata’s lap. As if you’d want that. Secco begs and begs and begs for you to give him as much attention as you possibly can- and somehow, you’re never doing it right. It’s like talking to a child who has surpassed the ‘Why?’ stage and has moved on to greater conquests- annoying you so badly that you ask Cioccolata if it’s fine to have a sip of his ‘not for dogs’ drink. Or two. Or three. Or the entire bottle. 

Rohan doesn’t ever shut the fuck up. He quite literally always has something to say, despite wanting to “observe.” He read an article this morning, let’s go visit the place it mentioned even though it’s a three hour train ride and supposed to rain for the rest of the week. He always wants to go explore- even when he promised that you could both stay home today and do something you want to do. It doesn’t make sense to Rohan- why wouldn’t you want to go see what the world has to offer? Probably because this is the fourth temple he’s wanted to visit this week and you don’t feel like going up two hundred stairs. (If his darling cannot walk, he makes sure it’s accessible beforehand. You’re not getting out of coming with him.) Rohan’s big on healthy living, and he feels a sense of superiority for eating right, and working out very consistently. He wants his darling to be perfectly well as well- how can he push you to your limits if you’re not at your best? You’d probably sleep better if he stopped talking for three hours past his initial ‘goodnight.’ 

Hazamada… is… he’s certainly a character! The literal only reason why he isn’t forcing himself upon his darling is because he’s too much of a coward- and that’s not my interpretation, that’s canon. His hobbies include bullying kittens and small animals, not showering, collecting manga, stalking idols, and tennis! Isn’t that nice, he does sports, he’s only a basement dweller half of the time. It isn’t even somewhat attractive when he tries to get it on with his darling, he’s like a dog humping your leg. He’s the type to call you a stupid bitch because you politely suggested he should wear deodorant before he hits on you. He’s canonically an exhibitionist- imagine sitting in class and looking over to check the clock and he’s just staring back at you while adjusting his pants. I’d switch schools. 

[tacticalgrandma]

minthara, “you don’t mean that, do you?”

The devil Mizora is unexpectedly merciful and tells Wyll Ravengard when his father dies. Minthara would have thought to dangle the hope before him, leave him in the agony of uncertainty, drive him to beg just to know. But perhaps Mizora has decided to truly be done with the man once their business is concluded. Minthara can see the wisdom of that as well. Finally, Wyll Ravengard is a man one can be afraid of. 

He does not act it now. He weeps into Karlach’s arms. The poor girl just holds him and looks lost, and tells him every truth she knows: that his father would not want to trade his life for Wyll’s, that Wyll’s father didn’t deserve him after everything he’d done to Wyll, that Wyll deserves life. Only the last one gives him pause, and Minthara thinks that it is no comfort. Karlach is fleeting proof that deserving life matters very little. 

He asks for space when the spawn tries to speak with him. Astarion assents and watches Wyll as he leaves their suite, even as the others tactfully look away. 

“What the hells do you think you’re doing?” Astarion spits as Minthara moves to follow Wyll. 

She does not respond. She does not fear him. When he scrambles up to her and puts a hand on her shoulder, Minthara does not turn around. 

“I will speak to him,” she says. “You should let me.”

Astarion drops his hand. Minthara thinks she hears a disgusted noise as she closes the door in his face. 

She finds Wyll on the tavern’s rooftop garden, because surfacers’ habits are entirely predictable. They always believe being up high, high enough to see anything coming, will save them. Minthara tilts her head to the highest point of their view, Wyrm’s Rock, where the new Archduke was crowned by Ulder Ravengard. She follows Wyll’s gaze down to the Chionthar. Mizora had said his father’s body fell to its bottom. 

“You should not feel ashamed,” Minthara says. Wyll looks over his shoulder at her. Minthara had been expecting his righteous indignation, but he just looks tired. 

“Shouldn’t I?” he says. “After all, he didn’t die by own hand. I’d think that’d be embarrassing in drow culture.”

It shocks a chuckle out of Minthara. He does not so much as smile. She sits down beside him. 

“Sons are not held to the same standards as daughters,” Minthara says, “and patricide is never as potent as matricide.”

“I suppose I killed my mother too,” Wyll says. Minthara stares at him. “She died in childbirth.”

She was a fool to get her hopes up. The statement is too stupid to scold him over, and in any case his self-flagellation is half-hearted at best. Someone has already disabused him of this fantasy, and he is tending to scars instead of fresh wounds.  

“Your father drew the ire of a god’s Chosen and a devil,” Minthara says. “He was a dead man the moment the tadpole entered his eye. Even if you had somehow found the man and wrested him from Gortash’s clutches, Mizora would have hounded the both of you until he was dead.”

“I could have protected him,” Wyll says. “I could have killed her.”

“More likely he would have died regardless.”

“Can you leave?”

“Not yet,” Minthara says, “but you’re right. Such speculation is pointless. Your father is dead and you are alive.”

“Please go,” Wyll says.

“You don’t want that, not truly,” Minthara says. “You need me. I am the only person who, when I tell you I do not judge you, you will believe me.”

Fresh tears well up in Wyll’s eyes. Minthara refuses to hug him. She doubts she would be as good at it as Karlach, in any case. She waits until his sobs have subsided somewhat, and she thinks he will hear her.

“Your father did not blame you for your mother’s death,” Minthara tells him. And Wyll nods. 

“He didn’t talk about her much,” Wyll says. “But I think the times he told me I took after her, those were the times he was proudest of me.”

Minthara scoffs. Her mother had only ever identified the ways Minthara was still inadequate compared to her. It had told Minthara what to train, how to surpass her. It had made her strong. 

“How soft of him,” she says. “Were you a drow daughter and he a matron in Menzoberranzan, you would have triumphed there as well.”

Wyll studies her for a moment, then nods.

“I miss him too,” Wyll says. “They’re going to keep telling me he didn’t deserve me saving him, after what he did to me. And that’s—” He half-laughs, half-sobs. “I fucking hate that.”

“They will say many stupid things in the coming days,” Minthara agrees. “Nothing they can say will make you feel any better about anything.” 

“Okay,” Wyll says. He wipes tears from his eyes.

“Nothing they say will change anything.”

“Yeah. Okay.” 

Minthara stands and dusts off her trousers. “Your father is dead and you are not,” she tells Wyll. “Once you accept that, come downstairs. We will be waiting.”

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 01/03/2024

Thank You, Everybody!

Season 4 Episode 1 Featured on: FINAL BOUT ~ SiIvaGunner: King for Another Day Tournament Original Soundtrack VOL. 3

Ripped by Expensive Dispenser

Requested by Alex Worm! (Request Form)

God, man. King for Another Day was magical, in so many ways. And I know, I know, that's something I've repeated over and over on here, to where you could almost argue my coverage of KFAD on here is a bit oversaturated - Sunday Morning, September, Here Comes A Thought, Lifelike Waterway...the event was simply overflowing with incredible performances from SiIvaGunner's entire team. Obviously the most exciting part of it all was the finale, and I discussed perhaps the loudest part of that in NIGHTMARESCAPE 〜Unrestrained HyperCam 2〜 (Final Boss Phase 2). Yet, when the dust had settled on that final battle, there was still things to be done. A battle between the tournament's two finalists, yes, but more importantly: A thank you to be given.

It's difficult to grasp just how gargantuan the event was unless you were there to see it all unfold piece by piece, and it's all made yet more jawdropping when you remember that SiIvaGunner still operates entirely as a non-profit, hobbyist endeavor. Back in 2016, the channel had started out as nothing but a pool of pure self-expression, an extended running joke left driven by impulse and commitment to the bit; yet four years in, it had morphed into an entity with continuity, with lore, with running jokes and ongoing storylines...and a devoted group of fans eagerly loving it all. The original King for a Day Tournament back in Season 3 was a rather sharp left turn for the channel's trajectory up to that point, and was only conceived as a way to give the channel something to do during an agonizing copyright strike - yet it wound up being a surprise highlight of the entire year for many of those devoted fans. To have the status quo of the channel's proceedings shaken by a random one-off event, and thus in a way change just what those same fans would expect from the channel in its years going forward...I imagine there must have been a lot of pressure on the SiIvaGunner team in developing the second tournament as a result. In a way, it's sort of felt to me like one of the first ever projects on the SiIvaGunner channel developed specifically to satiate our expectations, rather than subvert them.

What I'm getting at with all this is, that the King for Another Day Tournament was a one-of-a-kind project, one that kept one-upping itself with every step along the way, to the point where several commenters were noting just how insanely high-effort of a project this had turned into - if, for no other reason, than to surpass our expectations. With each MOJO post, each huge-in-scale arrangement, each twist in the tournament's proceedings, it felt more and more like we truly didn't deserve what we were getting. One part that I'm still in awe over was what I covered back in Fall Breaks: as the tournament's two finalists in Mariya Takeuchi and DJ Professor K were about to face off, we were treated to FOUR incredible collaborative arrangements between the two. We were, throughout the entire event, *spoiled* in so many ways, and the excitement through it all was absolutely palpable.

Yet, mere hours before the Grand Finals results were announced, on Christmas Eve of 2019 - we received Thank You, Everybody!

I remember it all clear as day, as one of the first SiIvaGunner rips to make me emotional within just the first few seconds; no, I'd say before I even clicked play. Here was this team of hobbyists, arrangers, composers, musicians of all kinds of trades from all over the world, putting together a project of this scale with no reason but for the love for the medium...And after a project of this scale, they were thanking us. US! The viewers, the fans, who hadn't contributed a single cent, who had no right to demand, no right to expect anything from what the team was to deliver with this tournament. At first glance, it felt completely backwards - until I clicked the video itself and was reminded of what SiIvaGunner truly is. A community.

The team were thanking us for everything else we had done to push them along this crazy ride. For our commitment to following this silly idea for a YouTube channel, for being so vocal about our excitement in so many fields, for speculating and engaging and spreading the word of the tournament throughout the year, and for - in the process of all of that - helping turn SiIvaGunner into a full-on community, scattered as it may at times feel. Yet check the comments on the YouTube upload yourself, and you'll see a community that was - for once - wholly united. Three hundred and nintety-two comments, all of which express the same sentiment, a unified thank-you sent right back for the team for the event they had put together for us.

These feelings are what immediately come to mind when I think of Thank You, Everybody!, but it of course helps that the rip itself is absolutely fantastic at amplifying those feelings. It's not a triumphant, bombastic credits theme - the final results were still to come, after all! - but rather plays to the strengths of Mariya Takeuchi's patented City Pop style for a lo-fi melody cruise. Primarily building on Tyler, the Creator's GONE, GONE / THANK YOU, it implements sprinkles and stylistic flairs of Hideki Naganuma music such as that featured in Jet Set Radio, little hips and hops and record scratches to always remind you which two characters the rip is build upon, yet with a tone that makes it sound as if the battle has just wrapped up.

Its an amazing listen in so many ways, be it with the sappy context given in mind, or just as a fantastic piece of music that shows just why these two were the ones to make it to the tournament's final round to begin with. In both Takeuchi's city pop and Naganuma's sample-funk, we the audience found a kind of sound that was otherwise missing from the channel, we formed a connection with these characters, with the people behind them and their rips. And regardless of who the winner would be revealed to be just hours late, Thank You, Everybody! would remain a beautiful end to the tournament's proceedings, and in its title alone a perfect reflection of our sentiments toward the SiIvaGunner team itself. Thank you. Everybody.

[djservo]

january lasted 100 days and nights and now february has practically flown by BUT i returned to hallowed ground (tumblr) to get your reading recap! did you make room for any romance reads what happened i’m all ears

surprisingly not really any romance specific reads though I think love was sort of the implicit/explicit thread stringing these all together so in a way it was still kinda fitting!! I did watch Touch of Pink (2004) on Valentine's Day which was a silly + sweet (if not slightly troubling) time!!

Since I Laid My Burden Down by Brontez Purnell

if I disembody my adoration for Brontez as a person and try to see this as just any other work of fiction, I could see the kinda jumpy/non-linear structure and casualty not working for me, but because it's Brontez and because I've adore him for years, it's impossible for me not to read this in his voice and demeanor specifically + thus get such a kick out of this!! in fact I'd say the casualty and rough edges are such a big component to its charm + narrative voice. reflective in such a real + funny way without pretension, and I think really indicative of his roots in zines and peak early internet blogging era (at least from my first introduction to him)

Punks by John Keene

poetry! really great when it was good but kinda cliche when it was weak which was disappointing. I'm not a big fan of repetition poetry (? not sure if there's a specific term for it) and there was just one too many in this collection for me to take seriously. could've cut down on a few poems which I feel like I've never thought about any poetry collection before so maybe that's actually a testament to Keene's generosity on not skimping on page count lolol. still I appreciate the good parts for what they are - love letters and testaments to simply existing as a gay man during a time of so much death and strife, proof of life as impossible as it seems to confront sometimes

I Love Myself When I Am Laughing... And Then Again When I Am Looking Mean And Impressive: A Zora Neale Hurston Reader edited by Alice Walker

admittedly added to my tbr way back mostly bc of the name alone (which may just be the greatest book title ever) and somehow didn't realize this was a reader/anthology? I knew it included her famous 'What White Publishers Won't Print' essay so I just assumed it was just a collection of essays ANYWAY. I wondered if I would've appreciated this more had I already read the entirety of the works featured (aside from Their Eyes Were Watching God, the only one I've read) or if this was actually an ideal way to get a better sense of Hurston's variety of writing. I'm leaning towards the latter since I really enjoyed just about every piece and genre - folklore and memoir and fiction - and getting to witness the similarities in how she writes each form and also the background context of her life/controversies added so much to the experience. simply love a woman with capital "A" Audacity and it's so clear from the intro alone (amazingly done by Mary Helen Washington) that there was no end to it!! inspiring!!! I also adored the afterword of Alice Walker's journey in trying to weave together Hurston's legacy with varying accounts + recollections of her life while trying to find Hurston's unmarked grave, which honestly could've been its own book bc it was that engrossing. loved this

Sula by Toni Morrison

buddy read this with one of my best gal friends which I think is the best way to read this ugh so damn good I barely have the words. The Bluest Eye floored me and set such a high expectation that Sula somehow surpassed and now I'm finishing up Song of Solomon which has been soooo ??#$?!!? IDK how Toni does it each time, not even just consistently amazing but somehow sharper than before. and with a vengeance!! I love stories about how friendships shift overtime with differing life outlooks n values to the point where you're wondering how you were even friends in the first place, and to create such a rich and complex net of characters and histories in less than 200 pages? just unbelievable. highly highly recommend this one

[segersgia]

Warhammer 2022 - My favourite miniatures from this year.

Warhammer Community is once again asking us our favourite miniatures of the year. And while I’ve made my vote, I thought it would be nice to post my favourite 10 releases of this year. And unlike the voting list that Games Workshop has given us, I’m also going to include releases from Forge World.

10. - Brôkhyr Thunderkyn:

The Leagues of Votann have been the most exciting revelation that Games Workshop has brought back from the dead. An abhuman society that retains some of the knowledge lost during the Dark Age of Technology, and living proof that humanity can survive without the Imperium.

Thunderkyn are those particular Votann engineers who head off into battle, armoured in repurposed void-rigs and carrying a variety of heavy weaponry; from heavy bolters to high-grade energy beams. The Imperium would definitely sacrifice a dozen worlds just to gain access to their gear.

While I really liked some of the Votann releases, and some others kind of missed the mark, the Brôkhyr are how I want to see the Leagues move forward; Cool advanced gear mixed with a heavy-industrial aesthetic. The goggles really make them so much cooler.

9. - Aeldari Rangers:

2022 finally saw the Eldar gain a heap of renewed kits, and almost all of them were a great update to... Truly ... ANCIENT... kits. While the new Guardians were very nice, the Rangers are one of my favourite units in the lore.

Eldar Snipers who live solitary lives away from their Craftworld. Rangers follow the Path of the Outcast, choosing a life of excitement and adventure. A dangerous life that can result in their worst nightmare; falling into the clutches of She Who Thirsts. Rangers are expert survivalists and amazing Marksmen.

The Ranger design is one of my favourite, with only the Shadow Spectres and Warp Spiders surpassing it. I love their cameleoline cloaks, especially when it covers their helmets. They encompass some of my favourite aspects of Elven aesthetics; mysterious, ethereal, and somewhat spooky. The “Aspect-Totem” to Kurnous is a detail that I’m glad they’re continuing from previous units.

8. - Boa Kon’ssstriktr:

This is something unheard of... a Snakeman from Lustria. Boa learned his skills from watching matches from high up in trees and eventually decided to participate himself. He is a very conniving player that also has a very special ability; he can hypnotise his adversaries.

Boa’s origins is an enigma, for Snakemen were something only heard of in the chaos-infested jungles of Khuresh. So might this be a Lizardman blessed by the Serpent-god Sotek, or perhaps a rare case of a non-chaos corrupted Naga?

The most interesting design for Blood Bowl this year. Fans have been speculating about Khuresh for decades now, and this little nod to the Naga from the earliest editions of Warhammer Fantasy is a welcome sight. Boa’s design offers so much. Not only is it a wonderful Star Player for Lizardmen and Amazons, it is also going to be a great conversion for almost every setting.

7. - Legion MKVI Tactical Squad:

No Warhammer list would be complete without the Space Marines making an appearance. The new Horus Heresy Plastic kit was probably the most anticipated release this year.

The Mark 6 “Corvus” pattern power armour is the iconic design from the early days of Rogue Trader, and during the Siege of Terra, it was the most used pattern by both loyalist and traitor forces. It is the lightest pattern of power armour to date, and favoured by the legions and chapters that preferred covert and stealth warfare.

I wasn’t expecting myself to like this unit. My favourite pattern of Power armour is Mark 5; Heresy Armour. It has the most “grim-looking” helmet design of all the patterns, while also looking haggard and worn out. I prefer my space marines grimy and battle-scarred. This unit however keeps some of my favourite design cues. I love the metal bonding studs on the Shoulder pads, and the new scaling of the miniatures is way better compared to their squatter predecessors. I hope Games Workshop re-releases the other patterns with the new proportions.

6. - Vartijan Exo-Driller:

What do you mean, Space Dwarves get two aesthetics? The Squats of Necromunda are little different compared to their core-ward kin. Instead of void suits and grav-trikes, the Necromundan Squats battle with mining gear and twin-linked weapons.

The Vartijan Exo-Driller is a piece of heavy gear utilized by the Squats to protect themselves from hazardous environments while mining. Of course, a massive suit that makes you the same height as an Ogryn, is also a perfect battle-mech to fight rival gangs.

While the Prospector gang is a great kit in and of itself, the Exo-driller was what everyone wanted. It keeps the egg-ish shape of the original Squat Exo-armour, and turns it into a beast of a mech. This is probably the model that will people go spend money on Forge World Minis. 

5. - The Avatar of Khaine:

The most deserving of winning the Best Miniature of the Year is most definitely this monster of a sculpt.

When the God Khaine was shattered in a thousand pieces, his essence was scattered to the hearts within many of the Craftworlds across the galaxy. A Wraith Artefact was formed wherever these shards landed. When the Craftworlds go to battle, one Exarch is chosen to sacrifice themselves to awaken this Artefact and make Khaine walk reality again; to destroy the enemies of the Aeldari.

Another wonderful glow-up for the Aeldari; What can I say? It is an absolutely stunning miniature and actually made me start looking more into Eldar lore. What I like the most about this miniature is the options the kit has. Three choices of heads, including a bare headed option with luscious hair, and three choices of forms for his weapon; the Wailing Doom. My favourite form is the axe; a weapon more Eldar should carry.

4. - Cadian Shock Troopers:

Another one I wasn’t expecting to like as much as I did. Cadians have returned to the field and look better than ever.

The Cadian Shock Troopers are considered the best of the best. Trained from childhood to battle the enemies of the Imperium and hold the line. Even after the destruction of their home, their resolve remains unfaltering, and their Mantra “Cadia Stands!” is still proudly confessed by their ranks. With no planet to recruit from, Cadians now allow recruits from other worlds, as long as they endure their harsh training regiments. Still, with every campaign and every battle, the people of Cadia are slowly going extinct, but as long as a single member of them stands to fight, their culture and their world will survive.

The update that the Guard deserved, and I was really impressed with just how lovely they look. Better proportions, new gear and an updated look. Their design looks way more like “Normandy Landing American Soldiers, than their previous iteration did, and it really works wonderfully.

The only thing unaccounted for is gear that currently is lacking in the available kit. We’ve seen images, so they might be available in a Kill Team Box, or are just lacking to save on space in the Starter box. 

3. - Ash Waste Nomads War Party:

I have been waiting for these to return since Necromunda got released and I actually have a kit of them.

The Nomads of Necromunda’s Ash Waste are a mysterious people that have existed on the planet since the vile Imperium claimed it as their own. Conducting lightning raids on trespassing gangs and convoys, they are one of the most dangerous thing to encounter in the toxic wastes of Necromunda.

Ash Waste Nomads are the closest you can get to a playable “good” rebel faction, outside of the Ogryn gangs. They are outlaws to the Imperium, and only have hate and malice to give to the Imperial House. This gang is a look at what non-chaos resistance forces can look like.

Such a cool concept that I hope is going to be expanded upon. The Nomads are awesome. It emphasizes everything I love in character design; long coats, gas masks, hoods, and a rugged appearance. I also believe this kit would work wonderfully as awesome conversions. I can already imagine conversions for a variety of guard regiments, including Death Korps and Tallarn Desert Raiders.

2. - Imperial Navy Breacher Squad:

Kill Team really kept on giving this year, from the Eldar Corsairs and Traitor Guard, to the Kroot and Kasrkin. However, my favourite Kill Team this year is the Imperial Navy.

The Imperial Navy employs a dedicated force of armed infantry to act as security personnel and defend their vessels from enemy boarders; The Voidsmen-at-Arms. Breacher Squads however, take the fight to the enemy. They are the elite branch of the Voidsmen and are deployed in boarding actions against enemy vessels. This also includes Space Hulks, and the Breachers are often the first soldiers to explore the outskirts of these massive shipwrecks.

These are my Space Marines. It is another look into a part of the lore that Kill Team has allowed for us to dive a little bit deeper in. Once again, this kit, like the other Kill Teams, has so much character to it, from the Armsman with a Breaching shield, to the one wearing a bombing vest. I do have some gripes though, mainly that the Axe-wielder carries an axe instead of the weird looking Pole-arm/ Boarding-hook that a lot of their artwork includes. I also wished that the helmets were a little bit more varied, instead of the plethora of bare heads this kit has (which is very weird for a unit that mostly deals with space-combat).

1. - Grinkrak’s Looncourt:

Of course my top-pick this year was something related to the Greenskins.

Grinkrak is a Loonboss that has gaslighted the rabble of Grots he has rule over, into thinking that they are a powerful group of noble knights instead of the ragtag team of cowardly Gobbos. Of course, a steady dose of fungal tinctures has helped him maintain that illusion. They live in the Gnarlwood, at the grand fungal monument known as the Great Stinkhorn. So far, the noble quests they have undertaken have been surprisingly successful, even though the Gnarlwood literally eats bigger opponents than them for breakfast.

The Gloomspite Gits are some of the most fun armies that Games Workshop has made. Even though this is the second Gloomspite warband for Warhammer: Underworlds, they are still such a creative bunch of fun characters. While I’ve noticed the two small Squigs are basically rescaled models from the Squig Herd set, everything else is just great.

I realised that the Gloomspite were given design notes that the Black Orcs originally had in Warhammer Fantasy; Fully armoured Orcs and Goblins with leering faces and the cool looking Iron Jaw. The New AoS Orruks lack this, which I find sad. I love Orcs in Fantasy, but Grots in AoS are way more superior to their Orruk kin.

______________________________________________________________

Yeah... a lot of love was given this year to a bunch of different things and I must say that I really liked the releases this year. The Votann were exciting, Necromunda brought us to the Wastes and the Aeldari finally were given the attention they deserved. I’m also glad that we still have so much in store next year, especially for the smaller gaming systems like Warcry and Kill Team.

Enjoy your holidays, peoples!!!

[acrookedbookshelf]

Vampyria (first cycle) - Victor Dixen

I discovered Victor Dixen's work through his saga "Phobos" a few years ago. I liked it then but didn't follow his work until now. Going through the fantasy section of my trustworthy local bookshop, I fell upon the first three books of his new series: Vampyria.

I was curious, looking for good french authors, to see if there were writers that would suit my taste.

Once again, Dixen didn't disappoint me: he surpassed my expectations. And now I'm stuck while waiting for the new cycle of the series, so I will talk to you about the first one.

🩸 So what is Vampyria? 🩸

Have you ever imagined how the world would have been if supernatural, magic, and creatures existed? Vampyria did.

You are immersed into a dark world, stuck for 300 years in the 16th century. Louis XIV (yes, the Sun King himself), was turned into a vampire on the verge of death and decided to rule the entire world, and reshape society, nobility, and religion.

The world, now called "Magna Vampyria", is oppressing humans, who pay the tithe by donating blood. They live in the fear of the night, now unable to leave their village due to the enclosing law. Every member of the high nobility was turned into a vampire and is the one who receives the blood of the humans as well as the new church. You follow the adventures of Jeanne, a young grey-haired woman, who wants to kill the king after the assassination of her parents. And I can safely say, that she takes all the necessary measures to try to achieve her goal.

If you love fantasy, with a little bit of romance, a lot of drama, and vampires, you'll surely like these books.

🩸 My own, totally not vampiric, review 🩸

I didn't expect to like it at first. It took me a few pages to enter into the story, but it's always like this when I read Dixen's books. I'm not into vampires and was never truly a fan of them. But (and that's a big but), this series might have changed my mind about vampire literature.

This series works with "cycles" of books, and a cycle is the story told through the eyes of one character.

Even though the vampires are supposed to be enemies, I fell in love with the way they were described. They have their own rules as a society, with their codes, and their traditions... reading this book was like seeing a twisted version of the french court that we know and I loved it. More generally, it's like seeing a twisted version of french history, with the shadow of the Revolution behind every sentence.

I think that Dixen is doing a great job at piquing the interest of the reader. The more you advance the story, the more the plot thickens. His characters are all different, with their own mindsets and personalities and I always love to see a cast of characters that are not all lookalikes.

And, oh my god, the end (that serves as an introduction for the next cycle) is absolutely wonderful. It took me so off-guard that I had to reread it because I was too baffled to just go on.

So if you like vampires, history, and pirates (yes, pirates) you must give these books a shot.

🩸 Do I recommend these books? 🩸

Victor Dixen's style can be a hit or miss depending on the person. But for me, it was a massive hit, especially due to the world-building and the thrill of adventure and danger.

So, if you know Dixen's work: go ahead and have fun I recommend it. If you don't know Dixen's work: if you love fantasy and adventures you should totally give it a shot!

[whentranslatorscry]

Hitagi Honeymoon

009

“Well, well, I never thought I'd see the day when I could accompany the esteemed Araragi-senpai and the beloved Senjougahara-senpai on their honeymoon! There can be no greater honor! Oh, dear me, I seem to have let my excitement get the better of me. That's right, she’s no longer Senjougahara-senpai— she's the beloved Araragi-senpai! The honeymoon of the esteemed Araragi-senpai and the beloved Araragi-senpai!”

“Sharing a surname in marriage is trickier than I thought, especially for someone as inflexible as you. Uh, if Hitagi is trying to force her senpai persona on you just to have you tag along, please let me know before she arrives? I'll say something on your behalf.”

Descending from the mountain after seeking the guidance of the local deity, I made my way towards the rendezvous point— the Kanbaru residence. There at the entrance, I was greeted by my lively high school junior who was waiting with great anticipation.

As a medical student aspiring to be a sports doctor, she was wearing a white coat over her tracksuit— a rather inappropriate attire for a honeymoon, but then again, this wasn't Kanbaru's honeymoon.

By the way, when she served as a bridesmaid at our wedding, she had worn a pure white tuxedo-like outfit, stealing the spotlight not from the bride but from the groom instead.

Since retiring from the basketball team, she had grown her hair out a bit, but now it looked shorter, not quite a buzz cut, but shorter than when we first met. Well, being in the medical field, even as a student, was a bit more demanding than playing sports, I guess.

“Hmph, what do you think you're saying, Araragi-senpai? I've always dreamed of attending a party to bid farewell to your single lives ever since high school, and here you are testing me.”

“Planning such a thing since high school, huh…”

“Surpassing my dream, I am elated and surprised to be whisked away on your honeymoon. Speaking of surprises, I always thought you two would certainly get married, but I never expected you to become an FBI agent!”

“It's quite a surprise that you're aiming to be a doctor yourself… umm, medical school takes six years, right?”

“Yes, I'm graduating the year after next, so it's the perfect timing for me as well. There couldn't be a better timing for joining the two of you on your trip. It must be a reward from the gods.”

“I met that god just now. She says she'll pray for clear skies over Tochigi, all the way from a far-off mountain.”

Well, I don’t think a snail god can control the weather— but it did provide me with some comfort. At the very least, it cleared away one of my doubts.

“Hehe, to think of going to Senjougahara with Araragi-senpai, that's an idea that could only come from you, Araragi-senpai. I'm truly impressed.”

“Hm…? Did you mean Hitagi by the first Araragi-senpai?”

“Who else would there be?”

“Won't you call her Hitagi-senpai?”

“I could never presume to do something so bold.”

Ah, flexibility, it seems we've got none of that around here.

Whether coming of age or reuniting, it seems it’s always going to be a bit complicated dealing with a junior who’s climbed aboard the bandwagon. It was endearing, but that didn’t make it any less convoluted.

“Speaking of which, you and Hitagi were quite a convoluted pair, as well. When you were known the Senjougahara and Kanbaru— uh, what was it called again?”

“The Valhalla Duo. I hope you don't forget it— it's a treasured memory of mine.”

“Sorry… though I have to say it was a title you came up with yourself. I wanted to forget that origin. In hindsight, could Tochigi Prefecture’s Senjougahara have been similar to Valhalla?”

It was completely different since it was a battleground for gods, but the imagery seems somewhat close. At the very least, they both shared elements of mythology.

“Hmm. In middle school, I knew about Valhalla but not about the Senjougahara battlefield. If I had known about it, I might've called ourselves the Senjougahara Duo.”

“Your involvement would be lost if you did that… Although it's interesting to think about it, your name does include the word 'god'; it somehow suits you as the master of the North Shirahebi Shrine, rather than Hachikuji.”

“I wanted to become a doctor more than a god.”

It's quite incredible how resolutely she put it.

I could never say that I became a police officer, an FBI agent, or even a college student simply because I wanted to.

“To become an FBI agent without even wanting to be one only highlights the extraordinariness of you, Araragi-senpai. But then, why Washington?”

“It was supposed to be for Hitagi, but things have a way of not going as planned. We ended up being a married but separate couple for a while after tying the knot.”

“That's quite like Araragi-senpai too.”

“Which Araragi-senpai are you talking about?”

“I meant Araragi-senpai.”

Ah, it’s hard to tell… The distinction couldn’t be made through wordplay or different intonations. How does the world conduct itself in this matter? When two old acquaintances get married, how do they differentiate between each other?

“Even if I were to take on the Senjougahara family name, it wouldn't save me from this confusion. What do you think about this, Kanbaru? Since your mother is Gaen-san's sister, you could have been Gaen Suruga, right?”

“Who knows? After all, my parents eloped, so now, even whether they officially registered their marriage is questionable.”

“Could that really be the case?”

“Although I did introduce her as Kanbaru Tooe, it's not like I personally looked into my family's official records when I was just an elementary schooler. However, for Mom, considering the circumstances, she might have wanted to change my last name— to cut ties with the Gaen family.”

“Ah, yeah, Gaen-san’s family is a complicated one.”

“To be honest, it's difficult for me to answer the question, 'What if I were Gaen Suruga?' Regardless, if it had not been for the Kanbaru family taking me in after my parents passed away in an accident, I wouldn't be who I am today.”

I see…

More than just a name, it symbolized her identity. If the term family unity encompassed such things, it was indeed difficult to dismiss outright.

At the very least, completely refuting it wouldn't be fair.

“As for the issue of couples having the same or different surnames, I don't really have any comments to make. Personally, I'd rather see the laws regarding same-sex partnership systems put in place first. But even once that's settled, insisting on having the same last name might seem like a joke. As I mentioned before, I do have an attachment to my own last name, Kanbaru. However, I can understand the desire to share a name with the one you love. If I were still in high school, I wouldn't have hesitated to give up my grandparents' name to become Senjougahara Suruga.”

Yeah.

I suppose that's one way to think about it, and it should be respected. After all, even without being married, one might say that you should let others have their own chosen name.

I wonder if Hitagi thought about it that way too? Araragi Hitagi does have a nice ring to it, but it might have just been a playful whim.

“Suppose, there was a time in high school when you had the opportunity to become Hanekawa Koyomi, you’d have done it, wouldn’t you? Regardless of whether it led to dating or marrying later on?”

“Aah, actually, that’s right. I even wanted to become Araragi Tsubasa.”

“In a ‘wanna be like her’ way.”

“Well, I suppose in a broader sense, that's cosplay or something like that, but there's just something about the desire to merge with someone or something you love that's just irresistible. You might call it fusion, or maybe assimilation—”

Maybe that was the case even for vampires— the mechanism of being bitten and turning into a vampire through infection could be seen as similar. It was an unexplainable rationale otherwise.

“…So it's the feeling of being legally obliged to do that which makes it less appealing, I guess. It would have been nicer if the system allowed for mixing both options, sort of like averaging the two, rather than being forced to choose one of them.”

“Something like Senjougahararagi Koyomi?”

“Divided by two.”

“Gaharagi Koyomi and Gaharagi Hitagi?”

I had only said it based on my vague knowledge of some countries being like that, but it fits surprisingly well. Gaharagi.

Even Hachikuji doesn’t stutter like that.

“If it were about you and Hitagi's last names, you'd probably be called Valhalla Hitagi and Valhalla Suruga, right?”

“Not too bad.”

“Though I must say, there's no vibe of a finance investor and a sports doctor in that.”

“Ah, as for you and Oshino-san, it’s gotta be Arashino Koyomi. So cool.”

“Don't marry me off to Oshino. And the kanji would change.”

“It’d still be Arashino Koyomi if you married Shinobu-chan, though.”

“Hasn't my sense of values been updated? I thought I reached a point where I can't marry little girls anymore?”

Seriously though, marriage aside, what’s up with the bonds of names? It's like the entire family system is designed to bind individuals through their names— not just aberrations.

“That's why I decided to keep the Shinobu part of her name, if I were to adopt Shinobu as a foster child of Hitagi and me.”

“Eh? A foster child?”

“Oh man, I haven’t told you. Well, I've been secretly working on a plan. I was thinking of discussing it in the car, actually. After all, it's not like I can keep Shinobu in the shadows from my partner all the time we're married.”

“Wait a moment, Araragi-senpai. Are you planning something like this without telling Araragi-senpai?”

“If you mean Hitagi by Araragi-senpai, then yes. I initially planned on making it a surprise, but I received a divine revelation to not even attempt that. So, instead, I've decided to casually bring it up during our car ride.”

“I'd like to offer my own divine advice as well. Although I have no intention of meddling with your marital affairs, I think both surprising her and casually mentioning it in the car are not the best ways to go about it,” she said with a stern face.

Was it her medical background that made her feel this way? It felt more like I had just been diagnosed with a serious illness.

A second opinion, huh?

“Well… then, how should I tell her? If both a surprise and a casual conversation are off the table, what do you suggest? Speaking with my eyes?”

“Just tell her there’s something important you need to discuss with her. Bring it up the same way you did when you proposed to her.”

“How did you know I proposed?”

“Well, it's because I received a very long phone call right after it happened.”

“She hasn’t changed at all since high school, has she.”

I don’t think she was playing me up to her junior.

But, maybe it wouldn't be inaccurate to say the same about myself in high school. On closer observation, this also wasn’t something to be mentioned casually.

Marriage problems.

Right, because this was a problem.

When it comes to unity, wasn’t it actually downright indolent of me to have left Shinobu, who is, in a sense, one with me, inextricably linked to me, and with whom I share a common destiny, hanging in the air as we held our candlelit ceremony?

To adopt her and have her bound to my name seemed like a wise foresight, But wasn't it also quite the hindsight, in that it had come too little too late?

After all, as someone still attending the academy, I couldn’t quite shake off my student-like mentality. Though I wasn't a particularly studious individual, I was working in law enforcement, and such a disposition was certainly unbecoming.

“To Hitagi, it’s a bigamous marriage to begin with. The unbreakable bond of blood that exists between me and Shinobu is something she’s probably not comfortable with, which is why adopting her might be met with resistance.”

It's easy to sweep things under the rug by saying we shouldn't worry about it because she's an aberration, a ghost, a sister, or a corpse. But those excuses only work until you're out of high school, or perhaps up through the Heisei era.

“No, Araragi-senpai. As your junior, I can agree with you up to the point of considering her as a little sister. However, even high school me would be slightly bothered by a corpse. In any case, I understand there may be some things on your conscience, but surely you haven't forgotten?”

My junior Kanbaru, a.k.a. medical student Kanbaru, was attempting to continue her diagnosis of me, the patient. But, in that instant, a loud and somewhat obnoxious car horn rang out, interrupting our contemplative debate outside the Kanbaru family gate. The honking was quite rude by city standards, but it was my dear wife responsible for the commotion.

Araragi Hitagi's minivan— the ultimate combination of practicality and leisure— pulled up to join us. Just as I had ordered, a child seat was installed in the rear of the vehicle.

For now, we'd had to make do with a rented one, but eventually we'd invest in a custom made, heirloom-quality model that would last us a lifetime.

With a press of a button, the side door swung open, revealing that Hitagi's car— far from the old-fashioned type she tended to favor— was completely under electronic control. At the very least, I could safely assume this vehicle wasn't haunted, like the aforementioned corpse doll.

“Alright, let's go, Araragi-senpai. I've always been excited by the prospect of glamping— a combination of camping and glamor, after all.”

“Please don't take our glamping honeymoon so grammatically, Kanbaru-kun.”

It seemed she had already switched gears beautifully, but I wondered what Kanbaru was going to say. Regarding the issue of adoption, there was a lingering sense of unease, but nevertheless, our two-night, three-day honeymoon trip to the lost Senjougahara was to begin.

Prev Chapter | Next Chapter

[seafavoured]

just wait until we're alone... (blackrose, gods, first time ed returns to the underworld is made into a big spectacle, like a dramatic goodbye ceremony, so blackrose is together but /not really yet/ - ned is five seconds from actually stealing ed like everyone thinks he did). @pyratezlife / ned.

𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐋𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐔𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐘, 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄'𝐒 𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐑. a celebration of the spring god themself, to rival and surpass all others. the gods were in high spirits, drinking and dancing and laughing, dining with one another amicably. or, as amicably as could be expected, for some. for most, that is, who looked upon ned as a shadow marring the bright vibrancy of their mountain sanctuary. a hub for all the splendor of the living, infiltrated by death himself.

edward, however, was showered upon with gifts and affection, fawned over by all those who basked within his presence. dark glances to the one whose arm he so clutched were lost on him. these were all friends, after all. surely the whole pantheon would share in their happiness ; for they did look happy indeed. arm wound through ned's own, clutching to him like a maiden being led through a ballroom. clad in sheer lavender swaths with a plunging neckline and a slit up the thigh, much bare skin left displayed. golden shimmer at their chest and high cheekbones, adorned in fine gold chains and jeweled baubles, they caught the eye of all.

laughter, soft and musical as wind chimes. ❛ oh? about to whisk me off and have your way with me? ❜ spoken hushed beneath his breath against the shell of ned's ear. a grin, broad upon his lips. ❛ patience is a virtue, you know. and we haven't even spoken to my father yet ... oh, there he is ! play nice. ❜

hornigold was, in fact, approaching as though he'd been looking all over for the two of them. for edward, at least. his gaze flit to the dead king's only briefly with what could only be described as vile disdain, ere all attention fell to his son. ❛ are you having fun, daddy? thank you for the party, everything is perfect. ❜ they released ned only to mirror that same grip upon their father instead, draped against him. head dipped, a kiss pressed to the god king's cheek, radiating warmth save for the crown's chill. ❛ i know you'll miss me terribly, but i won't be far ! i'm sure ned would be more than happy to have you visit. ❜ lilted, with an expectant glance to their lover.

[lindsaywesker]

Good morning! I hope you slept well and feel rested? Currently sitting at my desk, in my study, attired only in my blue towelling robe, enjoying my first cuppa of the day. Welcome to Throwback Thursday!

Many thanks to everyone that contributed to WEDNESDAY WORDS yesterday. You people really surpassed yourselves! If you didn’t see the words yesterday, check them out today!

On this page, ‘Throwback Thursday’ is about memories. So, what do you remember? If I was to say the word LIE, what immediately comes to mind?

I’ve told so many lies in my life, I don’t know where to begin. At least you can be guaranteed that sentence is true! I used to have two lovely cousins. Used to see them quite regularly at family functions. Mum and Dad asked them to babysit me once and, as you would expect, I was a spoilt, precocious nightmare. I must have been about nine or ten. I was a passenger in their car, they stopped to buy something at a shop, left me alone in the car and I was dicking around with their radio; pushing in the pre-set buttons to see how they worked. God knows why but I wondered what would happen if I pressed ALL of the pre-set buttons at once! Naturally, they all got stuck! I panicked and frantically tried pressing them one by one. Nothing. My uncle got back into the car, looked at his car radio and asked me what had happened. The first stupid words that came out of my mouth were, “My hand slipped.” A truly crap lie, which I have regretted ever since. Sadly, they both died a few years ago. Hopefully, they forgave their lying little cousin but I doubt they volunteered for babysitting duties again!

So, on this Throwback Thursday, what kind of memories does the word LIE conjure up for you?

I have now begun seeing adverts for Tinder on London Underground trains. Why do Tinder need to advertise? Seems like a high-profile brand? The thing is: Tinder needs female subscribers. At present, the men outnumber the women 7:3. No surprise that women looking for a relationship are realising what a hopeless waste of time Tinder is! Searching for ‘the one’ based on a photo of their face (probably ten years old) is the stupidest premise. A handsome face doesn’t even guarantee you one decent night of passion. Tinder can only attract more women by ‘weeding out’ poor quality men!

In amongst all the teaching and marking, in coming weeks, we’ve got lots to look forward to. We’ve got a fabulous 60th birthday party tomorrow night, it’s The Trouble’s birthday on June 11th, we are having dinner with two of our favourite people on June 17th, ‘The A-Z Of Mi-Soul Music’ is coming live from Summer Soulstice on June 24th, there’s another birthday party on June 25th, we have a yummy BBQ on July 1st and then I’ll be doing the Mi-Soul ‘Concert At The Castle’ event in Windsor on July 9th. I shall be whipping it out at every opportunity and adding more selfies to my collection! I had some personal grooming yesterday, so my nostrils no longer look like Epping Forest! I am ready for my close-up!

Have a throbbing and thrusting Thursday (with hopefully a few thrills through your thoroughfare?) I love you all.

[rssgreys]

The downside supertall tower creaks

THE DOWNSIDE SUPERTALL TOWER CREAKS HOW TO

The anonymous buyer of unit 84B cited a “catastrophic water flood” that caused major damage to the 83rd to 86th floors in 2016 as grounds to back out of the deal. Reached by phone, Czarnecki said he was “not at liberty to comment.”Īfter the first incident, water seeped into Abramovich’s apartment several floors below the leak, causing an estimated $500,000 in damage, she said. Four days later, a “water line failure” on the 74th floor caused water to enter elevator shafts, removing two of the four residential elevators from service for weeks.īoth events occurred on mechanical floors that have been criticized for being excessively tall - a design feature that allowed the developers to build higher than would otherwise have been permitted, because mechanical floors do not count against the building’s allowable size. 22, was caused by a “blown” flange, a ribbed collar that connects piping, around a high-pressure water feed on the 60th floor. There have been a number of floods in the building, including two leaks in November 2018 that the general manager of the building, Len Czarnecki, acknowledged in emails to residents. “That’s how I went up to my hoity-toity apartment before closing.” “They put me in a freight elevator surrounded by steel plates and plywood, with a hard-hat operator,” she said. She was disappointed with her purchase on day one, she said, when she left her home in London in early 2016 to move into what she expected to be a completed apartment, and found that both her unit and the building were still under construction. The construction manager, Lendlease, said in a statement that they “have been in contact” with the developers, “regarding some comments from tenants, which we are currently evaluating.”Ībramovich and her husband, Mikhail, retired business owners who worked in the oil and gas business, bought a high-floor, 3,500-square-foot apartment at the tower for nearly $17 million in 2016, to have a secondary home near their adult children. Macklowe Properties, the other developer, declined to comment. “Like all new construction, there were maintenance and close-out items during that period,” they said. (Developers typically control condo boards in the first few years of operation.) “They’re still billing it as God’s gift to the world, and it’s not.”ĬIM Group, one of the developers, said in a statement that the building “is a successfully designed, constructed and virtually sold-out project,” and that they are “working collaboratively” with the condo board, which was run by the developers until January when residents were elected and took control. “I was convinced it would be the best building in New York,” said Sarina Abramovich, one of the earliest residents of 432 Park.

THE DOWNSIDE SUPERTALL TOWER CREAKS HOW TO

Now, correspondence between residents, some of the richest and most influential people in the world, reveal thorny arguments over how to remedy the problems without tanking property values. Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez bought a 4,000-square-foot apartment there for $15.3 million in 2018, and sold about a year later. The 96th floor penthouse at the top of the building sold in 2016 for nearly $88 million to a company representing Saudi retail magnate Fawaz Alhokair. The building, a slender tower that critics have likened to a middle finger because of its contentious height, is mostly sold out, with a projected value of $3.1 billion. The disputes at 432 Park also highlight a rarely seen view of New York’s so-called Billionaire’s Row, a stretch of supertall towers near Central Park that redefined the city skyline, and where the identities of virtually all the buyers were concealed by shell companies. It has already been surpassed by a newcomer on New York’s Billionaire’s Row in Midtown Manhattan, but it remains one of the most expensive apartment buildings in the world. The tower at 432 Park Ave., far left, became the tallest residential building in the world in 2015. Engineers privy to some of the disputes say many of the same issues are occurring quietly in other new towers. Less than a decade after a spate of record-breaking condo towers reached new heights in New York, the first reports of defects and complaints are beginning to emerge, raising concerns that some of the construction methods and materials used have not lived up to the engineering breakthroughs that only recently enabled 1,000-foot-high trophy apartments.

[translations-by-aiimee]

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - Chapter 37

Original Title:  二哈和他的白猫师尊

Genres: Drama, Romance, Tragedy, Xianxia, Yaoi

This translation is the product of my limited knowledge of Chinese characters as I attempt to learn the language. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 37 - This Venerable One Meets A Great God

"The cold moon reflects the frost and the snow, and the cold mountain holds the frozen lake. Eight thousand feet cannot surpass it. The end of the world is now here."

Xue Meng wore deerskin gloves. He brushed off the snow on the huge boulder and read the cinnabar inscription on it. He turned back and said: "Shizun, we're here."

Dawning Peak was covered in snow all year round. At this time, when the moon hung high in the sky, the piercing moonlight reflected on the frozen lake. There was a chill in the air, piercingly cold. Jincheng Lake was frozen but it wasn't covered in snow. Just like a polished pearl, the Milky Way and its thousands of stars reflected off its surface. It was infinitely magnificent. It was really like walking to the end of the world, to its luminous snowy white peak.

A group of people came to the lake. The smooth mirror-like surface of the lake was overflowing with breathtaking light. and there was a stone embankment leading to the center of the lake. A stone tablet stood beside the embankment with flowering frost lines stretching across it. The line patterns covered the stone except for four words, "Difficult Travels Lay Ahead," which were still prominent even after thousands of years. The vermillion colour was still bright red indicating that someone seemed to touch up the paint often.

Chu Wanning stopped in front of the stone embankment and said: "Only one person seeking a sword can enter Jincheng Lake at a time. Which one of you will go first?"

Xue Meng couldn't wait: "Shizun, I'll go first!"

Chu Wanning glanced at him. He thought for a moment and shook his head: "I'm not comfortable with how reckless you are."

Then, Shi Mei, who stood by his side, smiled and said: "Shizun, let me go first. I probably won't be able to melt the frozen lake anyway."

On the vast ice lake, Shi Mei walked slowly walked along the stone embankment that could only allow one person to pass at a time.

According to the proper procedure, he condensed a mass of spiritual energy in his hand, and then leaned over and put his palm on the frozen surface - Shi Mei's spiritual energy continued to flow down through the ice surface and the luminous white light flickered in the distance.

Mo Ran was frozen in place with bated breath, clenching and unclenching his fists.

But despite how long Shi Mei tried by the lake, the frozen water remained motionless. He smiled bitterly and walked back, shrugging it off. He said to Chu Wanning: "Shizun, I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter. Practice for a few years and try again."

Mo Ran let out a soft sigh. He seemed more upset out of the two of them but he still comforted Shi Mei: "It doesn't matter, there's still a chance. Next time, I'll accompany you."

Chu Wanning said: "Don't talk so much. Step forward, it's your turn."

In his previous life, when Mo Ran came to ask for a sword, he had been a frivolous young man who had infinite expectations for the cultivating arts. However, in this life, he was just here to get the sword. He already knew what was waiting for him and he no longer had that kind of tension and expectation. Instead, there was a kind of warmth, like the feeling of being reunited with an old friend.

He walked down the stone embankment, kneeling in front of the ice lake.

He bent down and touched the ice with his palms.

Mo Ran closed his eyes.

His sheathless sword. . .

The sinister blade that accompanied him to the end see the flowers and taste the blood of the world——

Opening his eyes, Mo Ran whispered to the lake: "Bugui, I'm here."

As if sensing the call of its fated master, a huge black shadow suddenly rose under the ice surface of Jincheng Lake. The shadow circled underneath the ice surface, becoming clearer and more distinct.

Suddenly, the thousand-foot ice surface shattered. Mo Ran distantly heard Xue Meng's exclamation on the shore. His voice was so distant, it was barely inaudible.

"The ice melted!!"

The tide surged and the lake water rushed into the sky. A turquoise-black dragon broke through and came out. Each scale on the dragon was seven feet wide. In an instant, the surface of Jincheng Lake was surged with waves. Mist clung in the air. The dragon swayed in the brilliance of the moonlight, exhaling a snort.

At the same time, an ancient barrier fell around the edge of the pool, separating Chu Wanning and the others from Mo Ran.

Inside the barrier, a man and a dragon looked at each other from afar.

Mo Ran narrowed his eyes, facing the sky filled with mist, and looked up at the dragon.

He noticed the dragon was holding a pitch-black modao sabre in his mouth without a sheath. The ancient clumsy blade was thick but sharp, bending iron and breaking gold. The dragon turned the sword into a size suitable for mortals and slowly bowed its radiant dragon body and put the sword in front of Mo Ran.

But it didn't look up immediately. Instead, he stared at him with the pupils of its ginger eyes, which were as tall as two grown men.

The eyes of the dragon were like two bronze mirrors, clearly reflecting Mo Ran's reflection. Mo Ran held his breath, waiting for it to speak.

If things stayed the same, then he only needs to go to the foot of the mountain to grab a plum blossom branch and give it to it.

Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, this dragon was not like in his previous life, where it gave up the weapon with ease. Instead, the dragon's whiskers danced. A pair of huge bronze pupils squinted. Then, it raised its front claws and wrote down three words in the snow in front of Mo Ran: Are you mortal?

Mo Ran froze.

He clearly remembered that in his previous life, this dragon could speak, so why did it become mute in this life?

After the mute dragon finished writing those words, it immediately corrected itself, erased the handwriting with its thick scaly claws, and wrote another string of words: No, mortals don't have such a strong aura. So are you a divine being?

Mo Ran: ". . ."

The old dragon thought for a moment then shook his head and wrote: Not a divine being. You have an evil aura around you. Are you a ghost?

What a mess!, Mo Ran thought to himself. This Venerable One has just been reborn. What's there to think about? Bring this Venerable One his sword!

However, the old dragon seemed to have sensed his eagerness to receive the sword. It suddenly raised its scaly dragon claws and held the modao blade under his claw. The other claw wiped the writing away again, added some more snow and continued to write: Don't take offence. I saw two other auras in you, which is a really rare sight. Are you a human or a ghost, a god or a devil?

Mo Ran raised his eyebrows and said: "Of course I'm human. Does that even need to be said?" Just a human who has died once before.

The old dragon paused and then wrote: A person's soul being split like this is rarely seen and practically unheard of.

Mo Ran saw it stupidly shaking its head and tail and couldn't help but laugh: "What's so strange about it? Rather, senior, what exactly do you need before you are willing to give this sword to me?"

The old dragon looked at him and wrote: Stand still and let me cast an enchantment to see your soul, then I will give you the sword, okay?

". . ."

He didn't expect it to make such a request. Mo Ran was stunned and he hesitated.

He thought what if this old thing could see what happened in his previous life, what would happen?

But there was no chance to return. The power of this sabre is fierce and ruthless. It was a rare weapon that, if refused, it would be impossible to get it again in the future.

After a moment's hesitation, Mo Ran raised his head and asked: "Alright, but senior, will you be willing to give me the sword no matter what you see in me?"

The old dragon said one stroke at a time:

This is the rule. Naturally, I will not go back on my word.

Regardless of whether I was good or evil in the past?

The old dragon paused and then wrote: Even if you were evil in the past, there's nothing I can do. I only hope that you will be good in the future.

Mo Ran smiled: "Well, since senior said so, then I naturally have nothing to hide. Please cast the enchantment and take a look."

The old dragon raised its body slightly. It bowed its radiant body and exhaled, followed by a layer of a bright red glow emanating from its pupils.

Mo Ran tilted his head up and found that the layer of red light was actually a layer of mist. The blood mist gradually deepened, slowly covering up his reflection. After a while, when the mist slowly dissipated, the standing figure reappeared in the old dragon's eyes.

Only this time, Mo Ran suddenly found that in addition to himself, the dragon's eyes also reflected two other vague shadowy figures, one on his left and one on his right, standing behind him.

Mo Ran was taken aback and immediately turned to look, but there was nothing behind him. There was a blanket of vast white snow under him. Where are the others?

Turning his head back, the two people in the dragon's eyes became more clear, as if they were something submerged in the water that was slowly surfacing. Mo Ran stared at them for a while, and suddenly felt that the two shadow figures seemed familiar -- He couldn't help but take a couple steps forward. Unexpectedly, the two illusions in the dragon's eyes suddenly changed, their closed eyes abruptly opening!

Shi Mei!

Chu Wanning?!

He didn't expect it to be them. This was a huge shock for Mo Ran. He stumbled back, stepped back, and stammered, unable to form a complete sentence: "How -- this is-"

The three people in the old dragon's eyes stood quietly. Their faces were calm without the slightest expression, just staring peacefully into the distance.

Mo Ran was astonished. After a while, the blood red mist rose again, and the shadow figures in the dragon's eyes began to blur before finally disappearing.

The old dragon snorted. His whiskers trembled and he quickly wrote: I can't see it through. I've never seen anyone in my life with the imprint of two other people on their soul. It's really strange.

"I-I have their imprint. . . in my soul?"

Yes.

After the old dragon finished writing this word, he paused for a moment and wrote: I don't know what happened to you. Just how deep is your obsession to be entangled with others?

Mo Ran stared at the crooked lines in the snow. His face slowly flushed as though he were choking.

His obsession with Shi Mei went deep into the marrow of his bones. Even if this was engraved into his soul, even if the old dragon saw him and Shi Mei together, he didn't think it was a big deal.

But what's the deal with Chu Wanning. . . ?

What obsession does he have with Chu Wanning?

Is excessive hatred considered an obsession?

The man and dragon fell into contemplation. So much so that when the Jincheng Lake's water started to waver, they never noticed it.

When the huge tide broke through the sky and the waves crashed against the shore, it was already too late.

They saw Jincheng Lake's waters split apart like it was sliced by a sword. Each column spewed up to the sky. In the turbulent tide, two groups of black beasts rushed out. They had the body of a leopard but the head of a bull. Although they weren't as large as the old dragon, their bodies were huge. The horns on their heads let off a biting cold, and their claws were piercingly sharp. Hundreds of them gathered together, but the old dragon was not afraid and gave them a side glance.

Mo Ran asked: "What's going on?"

The old dragon paused and wrote: Gouchen the Exalted.

Glancing at these words, Mo Ran was struck.

Gouchen the Exalted is the master of killing and destroying, unifying the world's weapons. This primordial god created the world's first sword and helped Fuxi to eliminate the demons.

That majestic primordial god is actually a bunch of cows?

This was too frightening, Mo Ran couldn't accept it. He was dumbfounded when, suddenly, he heard a faint ocarina sound in the distance.

The ocarina was a very ancient instrumental music, and nowadays, not many people still play it. As the sound of the ocarina gradually approached, the beasts that were rushing towards them slowly halted and finally bent down on their front legs, kneeling in two rows. When the tidal wave of beasts dispersed, a man in elegant clothes carrying a long sword came forward riding a qilin.

The man had a handsome image with delicate features and a very gentle face.

He stood against the wind, the night snow enveloping his body, the hem of his clothes fluttering softly. His fingers pressed against the openings on the instrument in his hand, a ceramic ocarina rich in colour, as he brought it to his mouth to play it.

As the last ghostly sound ceased, the heads of the hundreds of bulls suddenly turned into mist. It turned out that they were actually misty illusions. They saw the man put down the ocarina. He looked over at Mo Ran and then gently smiled: "You are indeed a strange kind of person that I've never met in thousands of years. No wonder Wangyue is curious about you. I am Gouchen the Exalted and I reside in Jincheng Lake. I made all the blades in this lake. A simple task, truthfully."

Although the old dragon wrote it once and this man repeated it, Mo Ran was still in disbelief and he paled: "You're Gouchen the Exalted?"

The man, however, was not impatient and smiled: "I am."

Mo Ran felt like he was suffocating: ". . . As in, the God of a Thousand Weapons?"

"Yes." Gouchen raised his eyebrows slightly, a smile gleaming in his eyes. "That's what I seem to be called by the newer generations. I'm so ashamed, I just have nothing else to do. I just sharpen a little knife or braid a small whip or something, but people hold me in a high regard."

Mo Ran: ". . ."

It's really annoying for powerful people to act humble. Chu Wanning would calmly say, "I have three divine weapons." Gouchen the Exalted was even more annoying. How dare he call the weapons he made "little knives" and "small whips". Would he consider Heavenly Emperor Fuxi to be a "little old man"?

Mo Ran slowed down and said: "Well then, shouldn't you be in the realm of the gods? Why are you in this. . . this pond. . ."

"I like to jest, and I often disturb the Heavenly Emperor's peace and quiet. Instead of being scorned by him in the realm of the gods all day, it's better to excuse yourself to be in the human realm."

. . .

Mo Ran was speechless: "Can I ask how long you've been here?"

Gouchen pondered a little and then smiled: "It's alright, a few hundred years or so."

". . . Hundreds of years." Mo Burn repeated, laughing dryly. "Don't you think it's been a little too long?"

Gouchen smiled lightly and waved his sleeves without much concern.

"It's not that long. Besides, after casting the sword for the Heavenly Emperor, I lost a lot of divine energy. But, in the realm of the gods where there are precious stones as far as the eye can see, it's boring to stay there. It's much better here."

Although Mo Ran was quite curious about this legendary God of Killing, it wasn't polite to ask about more private matters. After thinking about it, he felt that another matter was more important, so he said: "You didn't come out to see me today just because you saw that my soul is special, right?"

"Why not? Your spiritual power is rare, it's really hard to come by." Gouchen smiled and said, "I'm afraid it's distasteful to give you such a flimsy blade."

Mo Ran said: "Haha, it's okay. I think this sword suits me well."

"I thought so too at first glance." Gouchen smiled, "After careful consideration, I found that it does not. You have a rare talent and that intrigues me, so I came out to invite you to the bottom of the lake for a little chat. I want to see which one is most suitable for you among the thousands of blades."

". . ."

This shock was no laughing matter. Even though Ta Xianjun had experienced many things, this left him at a loss for words.

The God of a Thousand Weapons actually invited him. . . to pick a weapon?

Gouchen saw that he wasn't saying anything and thought he was afraid to go, so he said: "Don't worry, although there are many monsters underwater, they all obey me and would never hurt you. Wangyue can testify to that."

The old dragon didn't say anything and nodded slowly beside him.

When Mo Ran saw that it was indeed a sincere invitation, he couldn't help but feel slightly moved: "If I go, could you grant me a request?"

"What's the request?"

"The person who asked for a sword just now is my dear friend." Mo Ran said, pointing to the shore outside the barrier and gesturing to Shi Mei. "He couldn't get a sword just now, so I thought, if I fulfilled your wish, could you also fulfill my wish and give him a weapon?"

"I thought this would be a large request but that's nothing." Gouchen laughed. He waved his hand and the ancient barrier that reached to the sky instantly disappeared.

"That's an easy thing to do. Let all three of them come over. If you find a weapon you like, just take it."

Mo Ran was overjoyed. He didn't expect it to go that smoothly. It took no effort at all. Shi Mei can get a divine weapon which made him more excited than the fact that he's going to get a more powerful weapon. He immediately agreed to Gouchen's terms. When Shi Mei and the others came and he caught them up on everything, Shi Mei and Xue Meng's eyes kept growing wider, and even Chu Wanning reacted minutely.

Gouchen watched from the side and suddenly seemed to realize something. "Hmm?" He stared at Chu Wanning.

"It's you?"

[wandanatsbaby]

Hey

May I please make a request?

Okay it goes like Steve Rogers and R are Mafia bosses who are best friends and at a party R meets Wanda and is completely entrances by her and just follows her around till she finally give R the attention. Probably ends with smut or however you want it.

Attention

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Mafia Boss! Reader

Warnings: Slight smut, slight use of Wandas powers, Maffia, public sex

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You definitely didn’t expect your night to turn out like this. You loved part and all but a part with a bunch bunch of different gangs didn’t always turn out great. Lucky for you, you've only had to break up 2 fights so far.

You were sitting at the bar next to your best friend and Co-leader Steve. You see both of your parents owned the Maffia together and when you both were born you were joined at the hip. So when the decision came to choose one of you as the leader they chose both.

Steve has been trying to get you a girlfriend for years. Everyone he introduced you to just wasn’t your type or completely afraid of you.

“What about her?” Steve said as he pointed to a pretty brunette. She was gorgeous. You were entranced by her. Steve smirked as he saw your reaction to the girl. Him and Wanda had recently become friends after a meeting with her brother.The second he saw her he knew you two were made for each other.

“Her name is Wanda Maximoff. Her brother owns the club downtown. Go talk to her.” With that you looked at him like he was crazy. There was no way in hell that she would ever even look your way. “Go!” with a small nod you down your drink and start walking her way.

As you get closer it seems like she gets further as she continues to walk from person to person.

Grabbing another drink from a waiter, you put it down and set it on a table.

When she walks over to another slightly smaller redhead they both look in your direction causing you to look away flustered. God you couldn’t do this.

Looking back slowly the woman, Wanda, looked at you with a smirk before turning back to her friend.

You sighed deeply before starting to walk back up to her. But before you could you were interrupted by one of your members.

“I'm sorry boss but we have the report on the shipments from the other day.” He says placing his hand on your arm. Sensing a pair of eyes on you, you looked up to see Wanda staring at the interaction with an unreadable expression.

“Yeah yeah. Go tell steve.” You pushed the man off you as the woman began making her way to you.

She smiled as she reached you and stuck out her hand. Thinking she wanted a hand shake you went to shake her hand but was surpassed when you were dragged to a bathroom.

Once you were in she pushed you roughly against the wall and locked the door. She turned back to you and with a tilt of her head and a small movement off her hand your pants and panties were pulled off your body.

“What's the matter, baby girl? Aren’t you happy you have my attention now?” The older woman smiles above you as she gently rubs circles on your clit.

“Wanda please.” She ignored your pleas as she continued making small circles.

“I Could always leave you high and dry up here and go back to the party. Is that what you want?” You whined loudly as she pulled her hand away and started to get off you.

“No! No! Please. Please fuck me.” She laughed at your eagerness and walked to the door before looking back at you with a smile.

“Meet me at my brothers club tomorrow night. Tell them you're with me, they'll let you right in.” With that she walks away causing you to groan.

You were definitely going to that club tomorrow.

[highcourts]

(In continuation from the last one 😌, no art this time cause m tired)

Human?? No. Its Wonder. My name isnt Human, dont call me that.. please i mean! Like i dont call you Fairy man, I’ll call you Jesse. Or prince Jesse? I dont know what you normally go by. Literally just kind of going off what i’ve heard others say-

Still I’ll shuffle on inside while i go on my half-logical rant to this poor prince. I’ll only get quiet when im actually inside & looking at everything in absolute awe because- like- i’ve never actually been inside anywhere this nice before?? This is cool-

Yknow- Jesse, Prince- whichever- i kind of expected a swift death or something from you. I didn’t really think i’d get inside.. where can i go now? :0?? Can you show me around?

the nerve.

jesse's back was facing you, and god – was he thankful. one look at your face and he would've impaled you then and there, then go about his day like it was nothing. because you were nothing. your death would mean nothing.

he ignores the sudden ache in his heart, because deep down – he didn't want to lose you.

yet if he didn't lose you , you'd be his downfall. his ruin. he won't go down so easily. he never will, not anytime soon. not without you beside him.

whatever.

don't expect him to follow your orders , knave.

"well then, wonder.. "

he lived to surpass those expectations, after all.

some scatterbrained sack of spoilt flesh you are. giving him your name so freely, urging you to call him that same exact name. do you not know what you have just gotten yourself into?

he doesn't think he can stand you any longer.

one.

" first & foremost , to be able to address a prince by his first name is impossible if you're a lesser. address me as either prince jesse or your highness. i will not stand for anything else , here on. i demand your utmost respect. "

he enunciated his words in a way that demanded no arguments, hoping your tiny little human brain would remember. if you were stupider than he had assumed, he'd just drill it into your brain. or he'd just drill into your brain. depends on how irritated he gets with you.

two.

he witnessed as you went silent, and smirked. the diamante palace has always had this effect on visitors, and he was glad - it filled him with pride to know his kingdom remained beautiful through all these years.

I love you.

three.

foolish human, if you had irked him enough to be at his mercy during the first meeting - he would've made your death slow & painful...

" ... i am no murderer , not today atleast. "

one day , he will soil his hands with your blood.

" i let you in because you intrigued me. nothing more, nothing less. " he stated, evenly.

four.

" you will be shown around, if that's what you so wish, but not by me. i'm sure you forget that I am a prince , wonder . i have endless duties. " looking around, he spotted a nearby servant and beckoned them over. then, he leaned into them closer and spoke in an indistinguishable language. the servant nodded. jesse's gaze settled onto you once more.

"they will be the one touring you throughout the castle, but for now –" jesse's eyes softened the tiniest bit, exposing what he thought was subtle annoyance - on the contrast, actually. it showed you he seemed to care.

" it is late, twenty minutes to midnight. " he revealed. " put yourself to rest. "

you did, guided by the servant [ whom you came to know as eden. ] to one of the palace's very luxurious guest rooms, of which only the noblest deserve - yet who were you to need to know that ? you're just happy you got somewhere to pass out.

meanwhile, jesse stood still. in that same hallway.

seething.

he hated you. alot. for making him feel like this. to feel like you, a stupid, weak, mortal's equal? disgusting.

he'll make sure you know your place.

hello everyone ! friendly reminder that if you do not imply or plainly state that you are in an established relationship with jesse, he will have homicidal thoughts and mistake his love with hatred, since fae do have a hard time processing their emotions and do sometimes have a lack of empathy.

he is in his ✨️ villain era ✨️ /hj