#Preparing my art skills as we speak

[am3ya]

The day I can actually create things I feel proud of is the day the MHA fandom will fall. I will become the most annoying ass Enji liker to ever exist. I will create the most gut wrenching angst, the most silliest drawings, the cutest fluff you will ever see about this fire man and no one can stop me.

no longer will I suffer by the lack of Enji content, as all I will need will come from myself and myself only. I will no longer by tied down by my own Inabilities.

[pugh-bug]

Flashing Lights

Art Donaldson x reader

If people like this I’ll write a part 2 and possibly some sub Art fics in the future. Challengers is all I can think about at the moment and this blonde man is living rent free in my brain.

——————————————————————

‘Come on come on, they can never have too many pictures taken of them!’

Your friend dragged you and your mediocre camera, quite forcefully, to Tashi Duncan’s party. It wasn’t just that you hadn’t been invited and that you weren’t remotely a tennis player it was that Ashley’s lame excuse of ‘they need more photographers’ was patently untrue. Everywhere you looked there were photographers with cameras that cost more than your yearly rent.

‘I’ll get us a drink wait here.’

You watched her confidently insert herself into the queue for the bar, in between endless posters of Tashi Duncan hoodies and Tashi Duncan headbands. If you hadn’t been such a feminist you might have felt a little sick from all the masturbatory self promotion.

In your idleness you decided to people watch. There were no less than a hundred people there already, all dressed elegantly with hair and makeup that no doubt took longer to do than the night would even last. You pulled at your tight dress. Flattering? Definitely. Comfortable? Absolutely not. Ashley had the tennis body, the Tashi Duncan confidence and skill but without the praise or queue of fans. You had your camera.

You hadn’t touched a tennis racket since you were ten years old. These people weren’t your peers they were your betters, including the snobby photographers and perhaps even including Ashely. At least she knew what ‘down the line’ meant.

‘Can we go?’ Your voice sounded bitter as Ashley handed you a cocktail. ‘I’ve got two photoshoots to edit for tomorrow and I don’t even like tennis! Why am I even here?’ As your friend defended her plan to ‘sleep with as many rich tennis players as possible’ your eyes wandered once again, this time landing on a man who needed no introduction.

‘Is that … Art Donaldson?’

It was him, smoking a cigarette by Patrick Zweig dressed for Summer. Fire and ice in the flesh. You suddenly felt the need to readjust your dress, your hair, your earrings. To fidget. To fidget and prepare for the chance he might look in your direction and see what he wanted.

‘Fuck me it’s Zweig.’

As Ashley launched into a thesis on why Patrick was the hottest man she’d ever seen, your eyes bored into the side of Art’s head. His curls fell so perfectly on his forehead but all you could find yourself imagining was messing them up. As your staring breached the line of too far, Ashley tapped your arm. ‘Think I should go talk to him? Flirt a bit? He’s a bit of a man whore, I’m pretty sure I could get him.’ Just as you opened your mouth to speak, the recipient of your staring began to move closer.

It only took a few moments for Art to reach yours and Ashley’s corner of refuge but his eyes never strayed from you. Zweig had followed him like a puppy and whilst you couldn’t have cared less where the brunette chose to stand, you could practically feel Ashley screaming in her head.

‘Aaliyah right? You basically murdered my friend out there yesterday.’ As Ashley corrected Patrick’s memory, you forced your eyes to look at anything that wasn’t Art’s knowing smirk in your direction. It didn’t work, in fact your refusal to make eye contact with the future star had made your feelings glaringly obvious.

You’d watched him play many times, instead of doing your own work, and although you found tennis a little boring the man had you riveted. The ease at which he hit the ball with such force, the little hand movements he’d do during a tie break and his cruel habit of taking his shirt off on hot days … you were hooked.

As he eyed your dress you wondered if he’d seen you, made note of just how many matches you’d been front and centre at. Maybe he knew you were an amateur photographer and perhaps his smirk was intended as a mockery of your being there. Art knew you didn’t belong at thee Tashi Duncan’s after party. You both knew it. He looked at you, finally as you’d lifted your gaze, and cocked his head slightly to the side.

‘So, you don’t like tennis?’

Shit.

‘Oh. You heard that.’

‘Yep.’

His voice was glazed with amusement as he sipped his cold beer, daring you to defend yourself.

‘Ashley was invited,’ you lied with little ease. ‘I’m here as her friend- well I guess also photographer but you all seem to have that covered.’ Both yours and Art’s eyes glanced at the gang of professionals taking Tashi’s photo. She was holding the shimmering trophy as if it was nothing of real value, she had the humble but proud smile down. Art clocked your jealous expression and raised an eyebrow. ‘Tashi not your favourite?’

‘She’s pretty amazing and she looks fucking beautiful tonight I can’t lie. I just, I guess I wish I was that talented.’

Despite her successful flirting to Patrick, Ashley heard your little, sad admission. Mentally you scolded yourself for letting Art see your vulnerable side. Instead of judgement he smiled.

‘Are you not the best at getting front row seats?’

He left off ‘at my matches’ but the point had been made loud and clear. You chose not to react and to ignore him completely. ‘Ashley?’ But when you turned your head to your friend you saw her mouth was occupied. Oh.

Art laughed at his best friend. ‘Seriously? You couldn’t go one night?’ No, Patrick couldn’t and he couldn’t find it in his horny heart to feel guilty for stealing your one friend and escape route from you. The pair, still connected by their lips, hurried away from the party and to some poor fucker’s bedroom. You were alone with Art Donaldson and the party that engulfed the two of you had began to die down.

‘I should go too-‘

‘Wanna go down to the beach with me?’

You couldn’t help but scoff audibly at his request. ‘You don’t even know my name.’

Art’s eyes practically gleamed with cheekiness as he moved towards you. ‘Then tell me.’

‘It’s Y/N.’

With a charming smile he repeated his offer. ‘Y/N… wanna go down to the beach with me?’

If a mind reader had been in attendance you’d have been mortified as your first thought was: Oh god have I even shaved?

The decision to take your heels off had been an impulsive one and an instant regret as you felt the brittle sand rub against your toes. Avoiding the broken glass, you walked into Art’s shoulder and quickly apologised. ‘You’re like a baby deer.’

You perched on the rock overlooking the water that moonlight reached. Art’s eyes were transfixed on you as your hair blew from your shoulders. Surely he was just bored and flirting for fun. But you hadn’t seen him speak to anyone except Patrick before approaching you.

‘What is it about photography?’ Art gestured to the camera you almost forgot you were still wearing around your neck.

‘What is it about tennis?’

Art lit his second cigarette, took a drag and smirked.

‘I’ll let you answer that.’

Much to his elation, your dress had begun to ride up but you hadn’t noticed. You simply dug your toes in the sand and smiled coyly at the blonde. But how to best handle this?

‘Watching you play tennis isn’t like watching other people play tennis.’

Art grinned, only for a moment, but you caught the ego boost in real time. He moved backwards in his chair, outstretching his long legs and looking up at you with keen interest and quiet amusement. ‘Go on.’

Your mind flashed back to his most recent match. His opponent had purposefully coughed every time it was Art’s turn to serve and instead of letting it distract him or doing it back Art had fired the ball, with force, by his head. It had been a warning, not a greatly subtle one but certainly great to watch. The shock on the boys face as he narrowly missed receiving a black eye had made you laugh and you suddenly remembered Art had beamed at you when you had.

‘You’re just really good at it.’

‘Try again.’

He wasn’t making this easy for you but that didn’t mean you had to shower him in compliments, not when he hadn’t so much as asked you your name until prompted. You watched him, completely settled and comfortable in Tashi Duncan’s deck hair and wondered if someone this confident and talented (and knew as much) could possibly be single… unless?

‘Are you and Patrick just friends?’

He twitched ever so slightly at your question before covering his shock with a chuckle.

‘Umm.. yes. Sorry to disappoint.’

You smiled, suddenly feeling more confident now that you’d put him on the spot for the first time that night.

‘Not disappointed.’

Seeing you at ease, seemingly with any answer he had to offer, Art relaxed into his chair again. A moment of silence passed as the two of you listened to the very end of the party above and the seas tumbling waves. The water was just beginning to reach the rock you’d been safely perching on. A sign to leave.

‘I think I should go back to my ho-AAA!’

You’d barely taken two steps before buried broken glass assaulted your feet.

‘Jesus fuck!’

‘Y/N!’

The pain shot through you from toe to head, it settled in between your eyebrows as you frowned, trying not to scream. Art’s face was a picture of panic. He couldn’t help but notice how much pain you were in from putting weight on your foot, which had just begun to bleed as a thought entered his head.

‘I’ll carry you.’

‘I think I can walk.’

You took a hesitant step further but your foot ,in an act of betrayal, buckled under the pain. Giving Art a look of defeat you sighed. ‘Yeah, I think you’re gonna have to.’

You thought it would feel strange, the man whom you’d been watching almost obsessively for months play a sport you despised carrying you to safety. It didn’t. It felt right. His strong arms flexed under your weight as he took confident but cautious steps to Tashi’s party. There wasn’t much left of it. In fact the only people still there were two photographers packing up their lighting equipment and they didn’t give you so much as a second glance.

‘Any chance you secretly are friends with Tashi?’ Art asked, his voice hopeful, hoping he could drop you off to safety. He pursed his lips when you shook your head. Another moment of silence passed through the two of you but this one was different. You craned your neck out to gage the distance before suggesting:

‘My hotel really isn’t far. A mile at most.’

Art smirked for a moment, forgetting what the actual circumstances were. Your foot had stopped bleeding but you didn’t feel like walking. In fact you were rather enjoying Art Donaldson: the knight in shining armour. It was a good look on him.

‘Uber?’

‘Think of it as a workout.’

It wasn’t the recreational workout Art had been hoping for that night but he did it. He carried you and your shoes to your hotel room. The receptionist barely reacted to your new person but of course what did she care? She was probably only concerned with what mess you’d leave the cleaners.

‘67, this is it.’

Art put you down, keeping his arm around your waist for support. He was a little flushed from the exertion and you were flushed from the pain, or perhaps just his wandering hand.

‘Do you want me to st-‘

‘I want you to stay.’ You interrupted him hurriedly, desperate for him to stay. In that moment you didn’t mind if he stayed to read the complimentary bible next to you or if he wanted to fuck you mercilessly in front of the bathroom mirror. You just wanted him close.

At your eagerness, Art smiled following you in. Your hotel room was not too messy for visitors but it certainly hadn’t been expecting any. For a moment you wondered how Ashley was getting on in her room down the hall and if she too had embarrassed herself in front of her favourite tennis player. Somewhat likely.

‘I think seeing as you’ve carried me bleeding you can see me in pyjamas. Give me one se-‘

You gestured to the bathroom and your dress, looking forward to getting out of it but Art shook his head. You froze. His face was one of sheer determination and unwavering confidence, not unlike the look he gave cocky opponents who needed humbling. He closed the gap between you until his chest was inches from yours but blocked by your camera. You took it off, not breaking eye contact, and placed it slowly on the desk behind you.

Just as you thought the only way to break the silence would be with a kiss, Art broke eye contact. ‘Do you have any antiseptic wipes? Anything to clean it?’ You felt your stomach unclench. ‘Yeah.’ Limping slightly, you fetched a packet from the bathroom sink and placed them in Art’s open palm. He gestured to the bed.

‘Sit.’

His order was polite but you felt compelled. Sitting on your own bed as if it was alien, you looked up at him waiting for the next.

‘Foot.’

Art got down on his knees. Your stomach flipped. With careful hands, he held your injured foot and inspected it. You’d never felt so exposed before, the way his eyes engaged with your wound as if it were more fascinating than any match he’d won. There was an unspoken rule for neither of you to speak as he cleaned you. It stung like a bitch but you only let out minor hisses in pain, barely audible to Art but not unnoticeable.

As he took out a plaster, seemingly from thin air, and applied it to your foot he said: ‘Before tonight,’ Ouch. You winced from the pressure he applied. ‘I’d seen you watching me.’ He didn’t look at you, only concentrating on his handiwork and causing you as little pain as possible.

‘Yeah I gathered from all the teasing.’

His voice grew suddenly lower. ‘I’m not talking about tennis matches.’

You were suddenly reminded of a not so distant memory. Ashley had stood you up for lunch, she’d found a better hot date, and you had been in the cafeteria alone. Art had been queuing in front of you, waiting for Patrick and you’d been in awe. What you hadn’t noticed was that he’d sensed your eyes burning holes into the back of his head long before he turned around. He had given you a passing look of recognition and slight amusement before finding his seat next to Patrick.

You imagined alongside that memory were hundreds others. Hundreds of days you’d stared at Art, watched how he span his apples before eating them and the line of his jaw when he drank water in oppressive heat. All the time he had known, you just hadn’t been as subtle as you thought.

‘Oh.’

Art gave you your foot back and sat on the bed beside you. For a moment you couldn’t bare to look at him, incase he disappeared and decided it was funnier to leave you hanging. Your foot was the least of your worries. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d really kissed someone, with feverish need, but you wanted to.

Noticing your inward battle, Art raised his hands almost in defeat. ‘I can leave.’ He meant it, there was no judgement. You turned to him, your eyes meeting his clouded with lust, and recognised that this was a man who needed to be wanted. He wanted to give and receive pleasure, not out of boredom but out of a clawing need for it. If you wanted him to leave then he’d leave but if you wanted him to stay then he’d make the most of it.

Your hand settled atop of his.

‘Don’t.’

Part 2

Masterlist

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Vil Schoenheit - Platinum Jacket Voice Lines

When Summoned: Today, I take on the role as a supporter of this museum. I'll make sure to promote well the beauty and wonder of these works of art.

Summon Line: Taking in all of these beautiful things will allow me to develop my own beauty further. I'll be taking my time to appreciate as much as I can today.

Groooovy!!: I refuse to accept a happy ending brought about by someone else. I will fulfill my dreams by my own hand.

Home: Time to celebrate the 100th anniversary.

Home Idle 1: The brilliant luster of the fabric and small accessories nicely accentuates this seemingly simple monochrome attire. Not bad at all.

Home Idle 2: There is a thin line between poisons and potions. The Fairest Queen must have delved into her research to further her understanding of their differences. She truly is someone worth our respect.

Home Idle 3: Ortho says he'd like to hold a conversation with the Lord of the Underworld. Seems as though he would like to utilize his sense of humor as a base for his acting.

Home Idle - Login: You'd like me to speak on the painting of the Fairest Queen? I suppose I could, as long as you stay attentive. If you dare to yawn during my exposition... Heh, you should prepare for the consequences.

Home Idle - Groovy: Beauty cannot be achieved in a single day, and the same could be said for a physically pristine body. Jack and I are very similar in how we will constantly endeavor towards our goals without fail.

Home Tap 1: Trey saw a painting of the Queen of Hearts smiling and commented that she had lovely teeth. Only he would focus on that...

Home Tap 2: The exhibits each give a different emotional impact based on the brightness of the lights and the way the works are illuminated. I can tell this museum has put much thought into its lighting.

Home Tap 3: I'd like to improve my drawing skills. Simply because I would like to make my own proposals if I ever have the opportunity to work with one of my favorite brands.

Home Tap 4: When I approached Malleus, he elucidated on the painting of the Thorn Fairy. He spoke of tales uniquely passed down among faes, so it was quite the learning experience.

Home Tap 5:  There are so many wonderful exhibits here, and yet here you are just staring at me. I fully understand why you would, but try to focus on the paintings.

Home Tap - Groovy: You seem to be in high spirits. Were you that elated to listen to my explanations of the artwork? Yes, of course you were.

Duo: [VIL]: We'll silence them all, Jack! [JACK]: Absolutely, Vil-senpai!

Birthday Login Message: [Yuu pops party popper] Thank you for the birthday surprise. That was a rather elaborate one, too. I especially enjoyed how you tripped over your lines, despite the fact that you were lying in wait to ambush me for quite some time. That wasn't on purpose? Obviously. If that was an act, it would be something worth scouting.

Requested by Anonymous.

[the-littlest-lily]

30 Days of G/t Self Care

I'm not fully sure where this idea came from, but here we go! I do enjoy a fun little daily challenge, and like most things my mind went to “but how can I make it G/t?” And here we are! Just in time for the new year, a 30 day self care challenge but… sizey. I wanted to make an actual calendar thing, just in time for the new year (though it can be started at any time, it's not specific to January). Check the days off, spread them out over a longer time, pick out just the ones that speak to you, whatever you want to do 😊 Here's the guide to go with it.

Day 1. Set aside a few minutes to take some deep breaths and focus on the present moment. To help ground yourself, perhaps wrap yourself in a blanket and imagine you are in a large, lovingly grasping hand, or hold a small item and imagine it's a tiny friend.

Day 2. Revisit some nostalgic G/t media. What first got you into this? Let yourself reminisce and remember why you love this in the first place.

Day 3. Make G/t art. It can be anything! Drawing, writing, crochet, pottery, you name it. No need to hold yourself to a certain standard or show anyone else, just take some time to be creative. Even if you don't deem yourself an artist, give it a shot and see if you enjoy it!

Day 4. Relax with a word search puzzle. I made a G/t themed one for you right here!

Day 5. Try out this journal prompt. If you could be tiny/big at will, what types of things would you do to relax? How might you extrapolate from this and apply it to your real life?

Day 6. Stretch your body today. What imaginary setting could you give yourself to make it G/t? Are you surrounded by gigantic furniture in your mind’s eye? Perhaps the yoga video on your phone helps you pretend you have a tiny instructor?

Day 7. Listen to some G/t music. This could be anything, from sizey music videos to songs with sizey lyrics to the Arietty soundtrack.

Day 8. Practice gratitude by listing out all the little things you're thankful for. (See what I did there?) Add some big things to the list for good measure.

Day 9. Practice stepping out of your comfort zone a little bit by talking about G/t, out loud if you’re able. Whether it's discussing with a friend (you brave soul), recording yourself on your phone (you can immediately delete it), or just mumbling to yourself in the shower. Maybe you’ll realize you want to make a G/t podcast and we all win!

Day 10. Here's a little creative prompt. Arrange everyday items to make a G/t scene (use toys, miniatures, or even fashion a tiny person out of paperclips or paper). Take a picture, share it if you like!

Day 11. Create a cozier space today to enjoy your G/t content. Grab some blankets, make yourself a snack or some tea, light some candles, whatever sounds nice to you. Sometimes it's making a mundane moment special!

Day 12. Make yourself something healthy to eat. While you prepare it, imagine how different the task might be to carry out if you were very big or very small. Maybe even have some fun making your snack in miniature too.

Day 13. Try out some affirmations today and see if you can make them both sizey and relevant to your life. Ideas of mantras could be “I am allowed to take up space,” “I choose to appreciate the little things today,” “I will achieve great things through small steps.”

Day 14. Go out into nature for some fresh air. Lean in close and pay attention to the small details, perhaps imagining a shrunken version of yourself or a small friend exploring.

Day 15. Challenge yourself to learn a new skill today to bring your Gt ideas to life. Maybe it's learning how to code, or making your own VR avatar, or learning a new art tool or technique. It's finally time to watch that tutorial you've been saving! 

Day 16. Pull out your dream journal, or start up a new one! Maybe we’ll figure out the whole lucid dreaming thing and come close to experiencing Gt, wouldn't that be the dream~ If this doesn't resonate with you, maybe start a journal to jot down your Gt daydreams instead!

Day 17. Relax with a crossword puzzle. I made a G/t themed one for you right here!

Day 18. Try to cross a few to dos off your to do list someday. Make it more fun by adding in some joke tasks in there, like “leave out a snack for the fairies” or “prep for borrowing trip tonight” or “meet with giant friend for coffee.” Maybe even schedule some real life Gt tasks - such as “work on chapter 2 of (Gt story you're writing)” or “plan a VRC hangout”.

Day 19. It's time to dress the part! Is there any way you can dress up or accessorize yourself in a sizey way? Maybe you have an oversized hoodie, or a necklace of a tiny Eiffel tower, or an old shirt with Tinkerbell on it. Did you know you can actually buy Arietty’s giant hair clip thing? Or if this better scratches your creative itch, maybe your objective is to make tiny accessories for a toy or figurine.

Day 20. Take some time to rest. Just allow yourself to lay down in a quiet, cozy setting for at least a few minutes and have some dedicated G/t daydreaming. 

Day 21. Try out a new exercise routine and use your G/t imaginings to make it more fun. Watching a new workout video? You’re a giant visiting the gym and that's your human instructor on the screen. Spontaneous dance session in your room? You're a fairy frolicking in a field of enormous wildflowers. Going for a swim? You're actually crossing a vast ocean, or maybe a small glass of water.

Day 22. Check out a new G/t story. Not a big reader normally? Just give it a shot!

Day 23. Give yourself a pamper night, whatever that means for you - face masks, cucumber water, a warm drink, candles, the works. Pamper night (face masks and stuff)

Day 24. Make or buy something for your G/t interests (miniatures or toys, “max”iature like a giant flower pillow, fairy-themed stationary, make a giant paper mache strawberry, etc)

Day 25. Relax with a coloring page. You can use any of your favorite artist’s lineart (just make sure to get permission and/or proper attribution if you want to post it). Here's an example option from me.

Day 26. Make a list of all the things you love about G/t. It's always nice to remember the various ways this interest might benefit our lives.

Day 27. Motivate yourself to try out a new hobby by making it G/t. Take that pottery class you've been meaning to take and make a giant acorn-shaped mug. Get into cosplay so you can dress up as a borrower. Dabble with watercolors and you may end up becoming a G/t artist. Study a new language and enjoy new sizey media you couldn't understand before. Whatever speaks to you! 

Day 28. Do a favor for your future self and make a self care kit for when you're having a hard time. This could include a journal or affirmation cards, or perhaps some grounding items like fidget toys, stress balls and mints. Add a little something G/t in there too. Perhaps some kind of miniature with an interesting texture, or a fidget toy in the shape of a person, or a stuffed animal of a giant ladybug to hug. 

Day 29. An act of kindness can do wonders for our mental health. Send someone in the G/t community a kind comment today, whether it's a long-time friend, someone you just met in a Discord group, or a comment to your favorite G/t artist. 

Day 30. Reflect on all the activities you’ve tried during this self care challenge and journal about it. What have you learned about yourself? What might you incorporate more into your self care routines going forward? Pat yourself on the back for investing some time and attention into yourself - you deserve it!

[seoul-bros]

Jikook Week 27 Complete ✔️(11/06 - 18/06/2024)

Their twenty seventh week in the military is now complete. They are hanging in there even though it is far from being the place either of them really want to be. Physically they look well but their handwritten Festa letters speak to how much they miss performing. I hope the fact that there is now less than a year to go and that Jin is out there carrying the BTS torch for them all will give them strength to continue even on the most tedious and slow days.

This week we celebrate another seven days under their belt with a look at what they were up to in June 2019.

Festa 2019 was in full swing and on 11/06 Big Hit released this JK memories of BTS video with a Euphoria remix as a backing track. Lots and lots of JK and Jimin is either there in front of the camera with him (albeit mostly cropped out) or behind the camera with lens focused lovingly on his Jungkook. They've been causing problems for Big Hit content editors for years.

For the big day itselt (13/06) Jimin prepared a gift for ARMY. It's the first time I've ever seen this video and I love how he captures the personality of each of the members (Hobi and RM in particular are hilarious) as well as giving us a glimpse of what it means to go on tour together.

It was a time of peak happiness for the BTS team before COVID sent them spiraling along with the rest of the planet. The BTS Festa dinner that year was Bangtan Attic a festival of yellow and purple. Gone were the doubts of the previous year and they had a pretty frank and humorous conversation about their past, their present and future.

There is so much going on here it's difficult to pick out highlights but one thing is very clear, BTS really begin to move forward as a team when the powers that be let Jin and Jimin drop the personas they had been assigned at debut and let them be themselves.

On 15-16/06, BTS were in Busan for 5th Muster Magic Shop.

5th Muster is one of the holy grails of jikook's history so much so that there are already full posts exploring this concert series including this amazing post by @wingzie. The ring incident in Busan still has me scratching my head. We never heard anything about it after that day.

The Busan boys were also in action on Vlive while BTS was in Busan. Jimin went live on the 15/06 and was positively glowing. The show had gone well and he was still on a high from the overseas tour. He wanted us to know how thankful he was for ARMY's support. He showed us Gwangan Bridge all lit up in purple...

... and he spent time talking about his martial arts training including cutting bamboo, newspaper slicing and extinguishing candles with a sword (a skill he retains to this day).

The next day it was Jungkook's turn. His room set up was identical to Jimin's so also overlooking the river but he had the blinds down so no view of the Gwangan Bridge that night.

He was in an excellent mood and opened a bottle of wine to celebrate - just two glasses - a rule he has since put aside. He talked about how he wanted to get back to GCF filming but with their schedule he hadn't been able to settle upon a topic.

He explained that he couldn't make the live very long because some of the staff were staying up to monitor it and wouldn't be able to rest until he had finished. This is what he said about that.

"We need to be considerate of others. Only then can we understand each other and get close to each other and become one"

I don't think he was still talking about the staff at this point. Look at that cheeky satisfied smile behind the glass. Happy times in 2019.

Post Date: 18/06/2024

[booiiee]

Deep blue, but you painted me golden

the first time you realise you're in love with yeonjun

Pairing: female reader + choi yeonjun

Tags: realisation of love, date in the park, fluff, tooth rotting fluff, LOTS of kissing (self indulgent)

sfw!

the first time you realise you love yeonjun you're in central park for a last minute picnic (that you were not dressed appropriately for- a pair of jeans and a tshirt that you had borrowed from jun). you're setting down your art supplies as you look over to yeonjun who's already begun taking pictures on his film camera ( that you had given him as a present).

Maybe it's the way the sunlight falls on his face or the way he smiles as the breeze touches his hair, maybe it's the way he's always treated you, or the way he is always so gentle when he speaks, to everyone around him- his gentle soul is an all access feature that seldom makes you jealous for he makes you feel special in a million other ways.

He had asked you out twice before you agreed to go on a date with him, too scared to mess up the friendship and lose him if it didn't work out, and he missed no chance to let you know it was the best day ever for him.

Making sure to not overwhelm you (you were, his aura is overwhelming in itself) he prepared a dinner at your shared apartment and laughed wholeheartedly when you accused him of using his fabulous cooking skills to get more than one date outta you, "well my charm has worked once, I'm sure you'll agree for another date if i asked nicely" he had said, silly him didn't know it wouldn't even take asking you twice, you've wanted this for a long long time.

He got himself another date and then one more and a third impromptu one you were currently at. In the 10 days you guys had been going out (in your head anyway) holding his hand and resting your head on his chest is the most physical contact you had initiated. On the second date you had anticipated him to kiss you, with the way he pulled you by your waist but he stopped at a forehead kiss instead, somehow that had you blush like crazy.

Lost in your thoughts you did not notice when yeonjun has already walked towards you and had squatted down near you waving his hands, "earth to y/n. where are you lost?"

"nothing just thinking what to draw" you lied.

"well you can always draw me, but if you wanna draw me like one od your french girl, we'll have to go back to our apartment" he teased.

"you're so annoying" you say shoving him onto the blanket you were currently sitting on.

he laughs as he falls and you stop in your tracks to feel how his laugh rang in your ear like a song.

"and yet you're on a third date with me!" he says cheekily laying on his side.

good god he looks ethereal.

"hello!! why are you getting distracted when im hereee, do you not wanna be here? we can always leave" he says sitting up, trying his best to hide his disappointment and his pout. god he's adorable.

"sorry for getting distracted juniee i was just thinking, we don't have to leave i like it here, love it actually! thank you for bringing me here" you almost have to control the urge to just lean in and squish his face.

you spend the next few minutes drawing the scenery as jun lays on his back with his eyes closed. comfortable silence, you've realised is one of your favourite things that come so naturally with him. You put down your pens to look over at jun and feel your whole body shiver with the way his face glimmers under the sunlight, the shadow of the leaves on his face making up for the perfect shot for a picture.

you grab his camera and click a picture and then another and put it down only to continue staring at him. your hands, with a mind of their own, reach over to his face to move his hair from near his eyes; your body following your hand leans over as your lips take the final call and place a soft kiss on his temple.

yeonjun opens his eyes in surprise with a pink hue covering his pale cheeks. embarassment takes over you as you try to move but get pulled by yeonjun landing on his chest. "my turn" he says, leaning towards you and kissing your forehead, he spends good few seconds staring at your flushed cheeks before leaning again and this time planting a kiss on your temple, and again on the other side and as your heartbeat grows, he caresses your cheek with his thumb as he plants a kiss on the other and continues to stare at you.

"you're staring" you say, body still half on top of him.

"i am" he says, as he continues to stare

"don't" you say

"and why not" he says, putting his finger under your chin making you look into his eyes.

"am i making you uncomfortable?" he asks, ever so gently

"no, I'm just....im just feeling too shy. we've been friends for so long and now suddenly we're going out and we're so close and i feel like i" you ramble on until you realise you might let out words that you shouldn't say so casually.

"hey, hey, breathe. you're getting overwhelmed, that's okay we can, we can take a step back, not go on dates for a while" he says sitting upright and holding both your hands.

"infact we don't have to go on dates at all, I'll never do something you're not comfortable with, it doesn't matter how i feel, you're more important to me than what relationship we share" he continued. you could feel his genuine concern but also the hidden hurt at the possibility of never going on another date again.

you couldn't wait for a perfect moment anymore, not when he was ready to scrap the whole idea just so you wouldn't feel overwhelmed or upset.

"yeonjun"

"yeah"

"i think..."

"i think i fell in love with you"

"no im sure, im in love with you, I've been in love with you...for a while now"

you confess, looking at his soft eyes, which looked like they would jump out with how shocked he looked

"you WHAT NOW?" he says, almost too loudly for others in the park.

"you love me? you LOVE ME??? so more dates?? You'll go on dates with me?? YOU'RE GONNA BE MY GIRLFRIEND?!" one thing about yeonjun, he cannot hide his excitement.

"well not if you don't ask me first" you say in a matter of fact tone, as if you didn't have a whole zoo in your belly.

"oh my god wait wait" he says running to the car, 5 minutes later he's coming back with what looks like a bouquet made from some flowers he picked from the park and wait- boba?!

"the boba's not as cold as you like it but i asked them for a lot of tiny ice for you, anywayy, y/n, you've been my bestfriend for years, my favourite person in the whole world, best gaming partner cause you always lose, and the girl i love for 4 years now, would you please make me the happiest guy in the world by being my girlfriend? I promise I'll get you a better bouquet at our date tonight, if you say yes that is, and i promise I'll never be too possessive and ask you not to hangout with other men, although that dude from uni might catch these hands, BUT anyway, I'll be a good boyfriend to you for as long as you'll have me and a good husb-, a good boyfriend yes" he looks up to see tears streaming down your face and gets worries before you leap into his arms and say 'yes' and repeat it until he hugs you back.

"This is the best thing that has happened to me since meeting you, yes I'll be your girlfriend, i love you so much choi yeonjun" you say taking the bouquet and boba from him, smiling through your tears.

"can i.." yeonjun says and then stops in between

"please kiss me" you say throwing your arms over his shoulders.

"god you make me crazy" he says, in a tone you didn't quite recognise, and which made your legs feel like jelly.

He kisses you softly and then gives you a few pecks as your two break the kiss but he pulls you back and kisses you again, this time more passionately, almost as if you weren't in a park filled with people, almost as if you were adorned in a sundress and not his tshirt. He breaks the kiss and sinks his head on your shoulder as he calms his breathing, making you breathless, he was so close, and yet not close enough.

"wait you said you've loved me for 4 years, that's almost as long as we've known each other!" you ask in astonishment.

he smiles shyly and replies "yeah i kinda fell in loce with you as soon as we became friends, i think it was the moment i saw you at rhat cafe, you were drawing the scenery outside the cafe's window, you looked so bright almost as if no one in that cafe knew the way to light and only you took autonomy of it"

"jesus christ dude you're such a sap!" you laugh trying to hide the loud thumping in your chest, he REALLY had you swooned.

"don't 'dude' me after you just made out with me in a public park!!" yeonjun says loudly his pout too noticeable for you to take his words seriously.

the newly received status of being his girlfriend must've messed up some wires in your brain cause before you realise, you had grabbed his face with both your hands and kissed his pout, "you're adorable!" you squealed.

"oh my god! give a guy a warning!" he exclaims trying to hide how his face had turned red.

the first time you realise you're in love with yeonjun, he tells you he's been in love with you for years.

-fin

.

this was born out of my friend sending me her fab zzn posts and how the pictures above seemed to her like the realisation of love.

i had fun writing it now (at 2 am) but i will be groaning and whining when i read it later and miss him like crazy.

not my first time using a lyrics for the story title but i hope you guys know i associate all bright things with him, he's my sun, my moon,.my everything, literally my daylight.

[goblinpuppy35]

Paw Prints in Fresh Soil

(Previous Chapter) - Part 2 - (Next Chapter)

Professor Remus x Male Reader

Summary: While teaching at Hogwarts Professor Lupin tries his best to conceal his strong crush for the green fingered grounds keeper Y/N but soon a strong friendship blooms into something more.

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

A week of teaching flashed past Remus at an expectational speed and he loved every moment of it. Everyday was slightly different with what he taught and he was beginning to see a genuine improvement in the students Defense Against the Dark Art skills. He felt a place of pride for them all in his heart. The connection he had built with his students did help to combat the consistently delicate relationship he held with most other teachers.

They would exchange polite nods with Remus down the hallway yet this was always accompanied with a swift step to the furthest wall to increase their distance between themselves and the Proffesor. It was an agonising staff meeting when it had been made aware to the rest of the teachers about Remus being a werewolf, several protested intensely, with Professor Snape being the biggest. During this discussion Remus had kept closest to the door with his head hung staring at his scuffed shoes. He felt a constant sense of anxiety that this whole opportunity would be whipped away from him any second.

Each day Remus considered it a blessing he was still at Hogwarts. At this point he had become accustomed to doing his scheduled night patrols alone. His eyes adjusted well to the dark night surroundings, personally Remus would have been happy to wonder without a light but to not startle any potential wandering members of the castle, he illuminated his path by the tip of his wand as he strolled down the hallway, passing sleeping paintings. 

The night had a cold but peaceful atmosphere to it which Remus took solis in, enjoying a few squares of his nighttime supply of chocolate. As Remus used his sharp back teeth to press down on a particular hard piece he froze in the middle of the hallway and observed a dull warm light grow in intensity around the corner. It was the glow of a lantern and Remus prepared himself to give a wandering student a stern yet measured reminder of Hogwarts after dark curfew rules, but the figure's size threw his focus. Taller than a student yet not as tall as the Professor himself. With Remus remaining stagnant and figure not fully looking where they were going the two almost collided.

With only a few steps to spare the lamp and the head of its carrier whipped forward in Remus' direction, their two light sources highlighting the other. "Y/N!" Remus said in surprise, "Oh Christ! " was the groundskeeper's response followed by him stepping back, clinching his chest and letting out a small nervous laugh "You really need to stop sneaking up on me Professor Lupin". Despite the shock Remus found himself pleased to see the young man again "forgive me, I didn't expect to see you of all people on my patrol, what are you doing up and about?". By now Y/N had caught his breath back, "Same as you actually" he explained "Hagrid wasn't feeling so well so asked me to do his night patrol for him. I don't spend much time in this castle, I'm honestly amazed you all don't get lost in this maze more often!". There already seemed to be an element of comfortable familiarity between the two men which Remus enjoyed, "Well we all get lost in our first year but soon you start to know Hogwarts as a second home along with all its strange passageways" he beamed towards Y/N, however this shared experience seemed to be lost on the groundskeeper who looked back at Remus with a polite but confused smile.

Remus wasn't able to speak again before the conversation was deliberately interrupted by a slow cough echoing down the hall, it's perpetrator made themselves viable from their own wands light. "Interrupting something am I?" each word was more drawn more then the last and Remus brow dropped as Proffesor Snape approached them. "The fact your granted the responsibility of night patrols is truly beyond me, especially since it seems you'd rather spend your time gossiping" Snape's dark eyes lookee between Y/N and Remus who then looked towards each other. "With all due respect Proffesor Snape" Y/N carefully began "Professor Lupin is an incredibly capable member of staff and takes his role with absolute seriousness" Remus' mouth dropped open slightly, it was rare he was ever stood up for. "In fact I was just about to ask Professor Lupin if he would accompany me on my petrol for the rest of the night since I don't know these halls as well as him." Y/N finished with an air of confidence though alas this began to diminished as Proffesor Snape came closer.

"This is NOT the kind of individual anyone in this school should be conspiring with" hissed Snape towards Y/N, "If it was put to me he would be on the first train out of here" as the ghoulish positions teacher paused he leaned in closer to Y/N making him visible nervous. "And you would be a close second Mr Y/L/N. You have no business being here, the only small positive in your gross act of misjudgement is the only person your endangering is yourself of course". Y/N's face showed he was certainly upset by these comments yet he stood his ground, gripping onto the handle of his lantern tightly.

Once Snape was satisfied with his torment he adjusted his robes and started to walk down the eery corridor "Of course, it's in my best interest for you to not get yourself harmed. I will need your help collecting the herbs I need for a certain Someone's medicine" with the word someone being emphasised as Snape briefly turned back to glare directly as Remus. It wasn't until Remus was satisfied that Snape was out of ear stop he could relax and turn back to Y/N "he's as insufferable as when he was child. I'm sorry about him Y/N please don't take his words to heart. You have a right to be here as much as anyone" in a moment of rare forwardness Remus places his hand gently on Y/N's shoulder.

This gesture was met with tender eyes and a small warm smile from Y/N which was enough to make Remus draw him in closer but by force he controlled his impulses. "Thank you Lupin" Y/N said genuinely "But Professor Snape is right, I don't exactly belong here" as Y/N contemplated he began to walk down the hallway and Remus swiftly followed. "You know originally I withdrew my application to come and work here at the school but it was Dumbeldore who found me and encouraged me to reconsider." as they walked Y/N seemed to be talking to the sleeping paintings as much as he was to Remus, nevertheless he was happy to just listen. "I knew the risks coming here and I knew it wasn't going to be easy yet at the same time I was hopeful, if that makes any sense". "Completely" Remus said earnestly suddenly finding himself connecting even more with the gentleman next to him. Was it possible they were more alike then he had originally thought?

"Well" Y/N said with a sudden chuckle "that's what I get for being a Muggle living under Hogwarts roof". Remus instantly scrapped his previous thoughts. "I'm sorry what? .. your a Muggle?" Y/N seemed shocked by Remus' own level of disbelief, "had you not noticed" he asked lifting up his hand  to Remus "no wand". This was true, Remus had never noticed a wand on Y/N's person and it would explain why he was walking at night by latten light and yet Remus was still struggling to grasp this new information. Y/N had stopped walking forward, folding his arms he leans against the stone wall, allowing Remus to remain dumbfounded "if it helps you reacting as well as most people do" there was a hint of sarcasm in Y/N's voice. This was not the first time he'd had this conversation. In this moment Remus recognised the familiar emotions of uneasiness and panic he had often bared witness from others now being expressed outwardly from himself. He took a moment to recenter himself and rejoin the conversation with Y/N, the last thing Remus wanted to do was make him feel more isolated.

Without being prompted Y/N began to talk, "I'm sure you've got questions so I'll give you the basic run down . My parents went to Hogwarts, they met each other, fell in love and had a child. A healthy baby boy who grew up to be a very capable wizard in the ministry. Then they had a second child .. a child who showed no signs of magical spell casting abilities. And before you ask they did numerous tests on me. Some just said I was a late bloomer and needed more time but nothing happened. No wand chose me and that was that". They had reached the end of the hallway which had an enormous decorative arched window looking out towards the still lake and Y/N watched the clouds reflection dance in the water ripples as he continued. "So my parents decided to send me to a Muggle school, not that I really fit in there either. But I still had such an interest in the magic world, I read all my parents books on wizard history and creatures. I got particularly fascinated by magical herbology hence why I help out in the greenhouses so much. So yes, I may be a Muggle technically but I know a lot about this world and I feel more connected to be in it then the one out there." Despair was hidden behind Y/N's eyes though he did a good job holding it from rising to the surface.

Remus said nothing at first, he simply looked at Y/N in awe, processing every word he'd said. Finally as the full murky colours of dawn began to creep into the sky and morning birds tweeted in the dark trees, Remus reached out and took Y/N's hand. It was Y/N's turn to now stand silently, in shock of Remus' sudden action. "You may not be a magic caster Y/N .. but you have me spellbound" even within the dark Y/N cheeks clearly turned a warm pink and he almost tried to wiggle out of Remus' grasp. "You are proving everyone who ever doubted you wrong by being here and that is immensely courageous, I implore you to believe in your own capabilities, or at least let me believe in them until you can" when Remus had said 'let me' he could feel Y/N's own grip in his palm get tighter for a moment. "That's .. that's quite a romantic statement Proffesor Lupin" Y/N couldn't meet Remus' eye contact until he said his name and in a heart beat both men were the same shape of pink and exchange nervous chuckles.

"Please, call me Remus" he noticed the warm colour coming back to Y/N's face which caused Remus to gaze out of the window and see that the morning sun was swiftly approaching. "And I'm just speaking honestly...Looks like our patrol together is almost done. Would you like to watch the sun rise with me?". Y/N nodded and their hands parted as they sat down of the stone window ledge and enjoyed the steady glow of the horizon. "What did Professor Snape mean when he said that you shouldn't be here either" Y/N ask and looked at Remus with curious eyes. Remus kept his eyes forward at the lake and his jaw tightened. "Oh nothing really. Just old school boy grudges really." Y/N continued to stare at Remus and then eventually turned back to face the sunshine "oh. okay then."

'Honestly my arse' thought Remus with a sigh.

[sonics-atelier]

A Sacred Celebration: Love's Eternal Embrace

Summary : Hua Cheng comes home to a surprise Xie Lian baked - well burnt - for him, cue tooth rotting fluff, fox and ferret plushies, self indulgent.

a/n : Hello Tgcf Fandom, wanted to Kickstart my journey by writing a piece for Our Kings Birthday, hope you like it <33 ❣️ (This art is so beautiful btw, I was inspired from it)

Hua Cheng wandered through the fields, the setting sun casting a golden glow over the landscape. As he made his way back home, a sense of peace enveloped him. Upon entering, he was greeted by a delightful surprise: a small celebration prepared by Xie Lian, complete with a half-charred, half-cream-covered cake. The sight was endearing, bringing a soft smile to Hua Cheng's face.

“Gege, how did you know it’s my birthday?” Hua Cheng asked, his voice filled with affection and surprise.

Xie Lian beamed with excitement. “I asked around, and Ling Wen told me since she owed me a favor,” he replied proudly.

Clearing his throat, Xie Lian began to sing a sweet, if somewhat off-key, birthday song, followed by a playful poem he had composed:

“Oh Lord of Ghost City, so brave and true,

How you have bewitched me, oh how you do,

With your smile so bright and your gaze so keen,

In your embrace, I find a world unseen.

Trapping me for eternity,

Oh what bliss,In moments stolen, in every tender kiss,

Through trials and storms, together we stand,With you, My love, I find my promised land.”

Hua Cheng’s eyes welled up with tears, his heart touched by the genuine effort Xie Lian had put into the celebration. He tried to speak, to thank Xie Lian, but his emotions choked him up. Mistaking his reaction, Xie Lian shook him vigorously and patted his back, thinking the cake was causing him to choke.

“Are you okay?!” Xie Lian asked, his concern genuine "I knew my skills aren't good-"

Hua Cheng started laughing, the sound rich and heartfelt. “I’m fine, gege,” he managed between laughs.

Xie Lian pouted playfully. “Don’t scare me like that! You almost gave me a heart attack”

The ghost king apologised profusely while his gege swatted at him.

Xie Lian’s face lit up with another idea. “Wait, I have something else for you.” He pulled out two cotton-filled plushies he had made: one was a fox with an eyepatch, and the other was a ferret with a crumpled hat. Hua Cheng’s eyes widened in surprise and amusement.

Xie Lian began to narrate a whimsical tale, holding up the plushies. “Once upon a time, there was a brave fox with an eyepatch and a clever ferret with a crumpled hat. They met in the woods and became the best of friends. One day, the ferret proposed to the fox as a joke.”

Hua Cheng laughed loudly at that, his eyes shining with delight "I already apologised gege!"

Xie Lian continued, grinning, “But the fox took it seriously, and they decided to get married. They had many adventures together and lived happily ever after.”

Hua Cheng, caught up in the story, started playing along with Xie Lian, making the fox and ferret plushies dance and interact. Their laughter once again filled the room, creating a melody of joy and affection.

When the laughter finally died down, Hua Cheng looked at Xie Lian with a depth of emotion that words could barely convey. “Thank you, Xie Lian, for always standing up for me, for being there when no one else was, for being my source of comfort.”

Xie Lian cupped Hua Cheng’s face tenderly. “You deserve to be loved, Hua Cheng. I am so proud of how far you’ve come.”

Hua Cheng kissed Xie Lian’s palm, a gesture imbued with reverence and devotion, as if he were worshipping at the altar of his beloved. Their love was a sacred religion, each kiss a prayer, each embrace a hymn. They moved closer, their lips meeting in a kiss that was profound and tender, a testament to their unwavering love.

In that moment, they were bound by more than just affection; their love was a sanctuary, a holy place where they found solace and joy. Smiles and contentment radiated from them as they held each other close, their hearts beating in perfect harmony.

- @sonics-atelier 2024 ( do not repost or reuse in any way shape or form , I will decapitate you )

[sparrowseagles]

The terror 2018 & religious symbols in storytelling and character development

Religious themes are widely used in cinema mainly because religion is an inherent part of our culture. The story of the bible is told using tropes and storytelling devices that are still prevalent to this day. It can help the audience recognize themes, character archetypes and offers the storyteller/director an opportunity to play with those common ideas and reshape them to create a unique piece of art.

We will be looking at first season of The terror series and how that applies to it. I have not read the book on which it's based, so I'll be focusing on the show's version.

(Disclaimer, I was raised catholic but never went to catechism class, so my knowledge of the subject may be flawed as it dates back to my childhood. Also, I am awfully uneducated and don't know anything about other religions or how they may apply to any of this. Therefore I'll be sticking to what I know here, but you're welcome to add to this and enlighten me!)

Episode 6 "A Mercy"

This episode quite obviously relates to religion as Fitzjames names the event they organize after the Catholic season of Carnival. All the episodes after it also follow the events that come after Carnival in the catholic faith, fasting for 40 days and then the resurrection of Christ.

Fitzjames orders this Carnival to keep the crew's spirits up and to "prepare them for what's to come". The walk home and/or the Lent season.

In the catholic faith, Carnival is a celebration of worldly pleasures. People eat in abundance, expensive and unhealthy foods, lots of sweets and fat. This is a time of celebration, with dancing, music and playing games. And of course lots of alcohol consumption.

We see the event through Francis' eyes, still afflicted by withdrawal. There is a fever dream quality to the place. The abundance of everything, the time it must have taken the men to not only build the place but their costumes as well, it all feels exaggerated and far too elaborated for the resources available to them.

This furthers the idea of abundance that Carnival represents.

Francis congratulates them on their skills, their creativity, and their cooperation in building this place that he calls a 'temple'. Again, the word is significant in the sense that a temple is a church.

He goes on to tell the men what's awaiting them. A long walk, to get back home. After Carnival comes a season of fasting in the Catholic faith during which people atone for their overindulgence. They eat sparingly, no meats, sweets, dairy, and liquor and everything else they did at Carnival.

This fast lasts 40 days. A parallel can easily be made with the imminent starvation the men are about to go through.

One of the most important things that happen at this Carnival is its end. Dr. Stanley foresees these horrors awaiting them all and opts for mass murder, in his eyes it's the gentler end, 'a mercy'.

He attempts to save the men from this otherwise inevitable fate by setting himself on fire and walking out with his arms spread out like a burning cross.

There is a tradition at the end of Carnival where the Carnival King is burned, it represents the end of the festivities and the beginning of lent. It's a scapegoat for all this excess.

Also, before Carnival Kings were puppets or floats, they were an appointed person. During Carnival, this 'king' was allowed to speak freely, even against their own government and would not be punished or imprisoned for it afterwards. They were meant to advocate for the people and bring up potential issues. Where Crozier tries to be honest with the men and make them feel brave to face the task ahead, Dr. Stanly, knowing the truth about the cans, goes against that directly, to him there is no hope. He advocates for the crew through an extreme act, which looking back on by the end of the season can indeed look like the lesser of two evils.

The 40 days of fasting are a call back to the 40 years the Hebrews spent in the desert, before reaching the promised land. When looking at the visuals from the episodes following the Carnival, the landscape is strongly reminiscent of the desert. The rocky hills look just like sand dunes. It's just as barren, nothing grows and nothing lives there. Where one is hot, the other is cold.

Dr. Goodsir as a Christ figure

First off, Goodsir's nature and personality can be compared to that of Jesus. He is a man who acts out of compassion and who believes in the goodness of human nature. He doesn't project racist beliefs onto the Netsilik people, like most of the crew does. He treats Silna as an equal and a friend, not a captive. He is the one who brings her her food, symbolically breaking bread.

He even continues to believe in the good of the British people despite the horrors he realizes they are responsible for, he claims this is not all his people are. His profession itself is reminiscent of Jesus, as they both heal the ill.

But his Christ-like metamorphosis really shines through in the latter half of the season.

As we established, the 40 days of fasting relate to the 40 years of wandering in the desert. However, it most importantly relates to the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and being tormented by Satan's temptations.

Many times in the 4 episodes that follow the Carnival we see Goodsir refusing to eat, because he knows of the cans. Later Hickey's group stops eating the cans as well, but they don't fast, they resort to cannibalism. Where satan tempts Jesus to turn the stones into bread, Hickey makes Goodsir turn men into food. Still, despite being hungrier than any of them because of his fast, Goodsir does not yield to the temptation Hickey lays in front of him.

Furthermore, the only way he can be coerced into participating in this horrible act and preparing the flesh to be eaten, is by being threatened that harm could befall Hodgson if he refuses.

Witnessing Dr. Stanley's suicide planted the idea for Dr. Goodsir's own early on, but what triggers it is Hodgson's story about attending papist mass.

He describes the vivid elated feeling of being purified through eating the body of Christ. In the Catholic faith Jesus died for our sins and by doing so, absolved us of our wrongdoings. By consuming him, we become a little more like him ourselves. If you attend Mass on Easter Sunday, the lights will be off and then turned on to symbolize the resurrection of Christ, then you are called to eat the wafer. It's Christ's body that you first consume after your fast, it gives you life again.

But even dying on the cross, Jesus continued to love people, even the ones who put him there and asked God to forgive them. Goodsir, captive in Hickey's camp and pushed to his limit, takes another route. He only lets Crozier know of the plan, therefore sentencing Hickey's followers along with him.

Hodgson told Goodsir that if he were a braver man he'd kill Hickey, implying not Hickey's group. Francis tells Hickey that he forgives everyone, except for him. Goodsir, however, is starting to embrace his former colleague's point of view, and opts for mass murder as well.

He tells Crozier that even through all of this he still finds beauty in the environment that surrounds them. As he bleeds to death, it is not loved ones that welcome him, like he had told David Young in the beginning, but symbols of nature.

In many ways, Goodsir represents an alternate path Jesus could easily have taken, one in which he lost his faith in the goodness of people and his faith in God.

"Any God?"

Still, Goodsir is a martyr and makes the ultimate sacrifice, like Jesus did, dying for the sins of others. But by eating his flesh Hickey will not be washed of his sins but punished for them.

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Victor’s HS SSR Story: Carefree Years (Eng Translation)

⌚Warning⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a story, 岁月无忧, that is yet to be released on the global server! ♡

Do remember to read the event stories beforehand for further info and understanding: ♡ || ♡ || ♡ || ♡ || ♡ || ♡ || ♡

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

──────

【Subbed Video】

Work in progress, will add the link once it’s uploaded :>

【Transcript Version】

[Notes]: The story is told from young Victor’s perspective + includes the narrator’s POV towards the end sporadically~ 💕

—

【Chapter 1】

It’s early autumn, and Loveland City hasn’t yet shaken off the lingering summer heat. The breeze, still carrying the residual heat, slips through the cracks of the windows into the dormitory, dispelling the slight chill. 

The hour hand of the alarm clock by the bedside is about to point to six. I roll out of bed, pick up my toiletry bag, and turn around, heading for the door. 

—

Once I’m done freshening up, I plan to go to the cafeteria for breakfast before heading to the classroom to drop off my backpack. 

Considering the time required for submitting summer vacation assignments, preparing for the first class, and accounting for any unforeseen circumstances… 

I should have enough time before I need to be at the playground at 7:30 to confirm the final proceedings with the emcee of the flag-raising ceremony. 

??: Morning, Bro Vic~ 

A slurred voice sounds from the side just as I wipe the water off my face, and then that familiar face comes into view. 

With his mouth full of toothpaste foam, Zheng Xi tilts his head back and makes gurgling sounds as he rinses his mouth. His hair is so disheveled that it could hide a couple of eggs within. 

Victor: Morning.

Victor: It’s rare to see you not stepping on the dot. 

Zheng Xi: New semester, fresh start. Besides, we can’t lose face to our seniors. Must follow the examples of Bro Vic! 

Victor: Don’t make things harder for yourself, and don’t end up straining your neck when the time comes. 

Zheng Xi: …cracking cold jokes on such a hot day. I must thank you for it. 

As he speaks, he haphazardly wipes his face a few times and then carelessly tosses the toothbrush into the washbasin. 

— 

The corridor has become much livelier when I walk out of the dorm room again after changing into the school uniform and hanging my backpack over my shoulders. 

Accompanied by the sound of flowing water, the jingling and clattering sounds reverberate through the corridor in the early morning. The doors of different dorm rooms swing open and then close, as if orchestrating a concerto unique to high school life. 

Walking beside me, Zheng Xi suddenly begins to talk. 

Zheng Xi: You haven’t said hello to our new roommates yet, have you? One of them was in Section 6, and the other was in Section 9. 

Victor: Oh, didn’t we have a quick encounter earlier? 

Zheng Xi: Saying hello means introducing yourself, not just exchanging a brief glance and nodding, okay? 

…it seems like one summer break isn’t enough for someone with a young-at-heart mentality to have much growth. 

Victor: If only you could channel this meticulous attention to every wording in your reading comprehension, “Empress Dowager Hu” wouldn’t call on you to answer questions every class. 

Zheng Xi: Don’t jinx me! Also, my mom practically had detained me these past two months to catch up on Chinese. Who knows, I might have improved by leaps and bounds. 

Zheng Xi: Speaking of which, why would teachers like “Empress Dowager Hu” who receives awards yearly, teach liberal arts classes? Oh well, damn lucky Wu Xing! 

Victor: Well, that’s not necessarily the case. 

Victor: I’m afraid pulling up the Chinese language grades for a student like you who is biased towards specific subjects is more about showcasing your skills. 

As expected, the wails of anguish resound. I shake my head helplessly, finding myself already somewhat accustomed to this. 

I just can’t wrap my head around how this guy who’s been getting nearly perfect scores in math since the first year of high school can be so one-track-minded in other subjects. 

— 

As we walk into Section 1 of the first year, I find that quite a few students have already arrived. Among them are both familiar and unfamiliar faces. 

Some are in groups, chatting about their summer vacation experiences, while others sit alone at their desks, organizing their textbooks. 

I cast a brief glance at the seating chart on the blackboard and quickly find my name. 

Surprisingly, it’s the same seat as before. That’s actually good. 

Just as I’m about to lift my foot, I notice the person next to me is still squinting while trying to find his name. 

Victor: You can stop searching; you’re in the first row. 

Zheng Xi: … 

After setting down my backpack, I find that inside the desk, there’s a carton of milk, its outer packaging still oozing moisture from the condensation.

Whose is this? And why is it placed here? 

Before I can even inquire, my arm is poked with a pen cap. 

I tilt my head and see a boy I’m not that familiar with pointing at the milk carton in my hand. 

Boy: Um… I put it there. Don’t take it the wrong way–– I’m just helping someone out. I’m delivering it for a girl who used to be in my former Section 6. 

Zheng Xi: Whoa–– it’s been ages since I’ve seen a scene like this. I almost feel like I’ve traveled back to our first year. 

Zheng Xi walks over to poke his nose in as he hears the noise, wearing a gossipy look. 

Zheng Xi: I know many folks from Section 6. Who is this brave soul? Spill the beans. 

Boy: Uh, she specifically told me not to disclose her identity… 

Zheng Xi: F*ck! Quite smart to keep her identity under wraps. It’s a shame, though, cause she’s also fallen into the pit. How come she hasn’t heard about our Bro Vic’s wide reputation for being strictly incorruptible and not getting anywhere near girls? 

He lowers his voice as he speaks, feigning a sense of mystery. 

Zheng Xi: Besides, there’s a name this guy keeps murmuring about in his dreams all the time…

Victor: Was your summer vacation too boring since you had to keep these words pent up for two whole months? 

Victor: Here, drink this to moisten your throat. 

Victor: So you don’t get stuck while trying to recite Classical Chinese in the first class. 

– 

I toss the milk to him, grab the speech notes, and stand up to walk out of the classroom. Sure enough, a wave of cries akin to “wailing ghosts and howling wolves” follow from behind.

Zheng Xi: See– see! Such foul temper and unapproachable look on his face! I bet it won’t be long before everyone who wants to give him a gift will be scared away! 

It’d be the best outcome– ideal to avoid any complications. 

– 

I stride down the stairs with big steps, until the refreshing air fills my nostrils. 

Victor: [murmuring to himself]  …how could I possibly sleep-talk in my dreams, [sounds as if he’s telling himself–]  idiot. 

Thinking about Zheng Xi’s incessant chatter leaves me speechless. Even though they all unanimously claim that I do mention that name in my sleep, I remain skeptical. 

While searching for information about the orphanage incident, it's highly likely that I came across the compiled data from the past few years. 

Inhaling a deep breath, I continue walking toward the playground. 

To be honest, I’m not oblivious to the significance of those gifts and the feelings that can blossom at this age. It’s just that, personally, I don’t find them as something necessary. 

Time has always been best spent on more important endeavors, whether achieving short-term goals or paving the path for long-term plans. From this point on, it’s crucial to be adequately prepared. 

Anything unrelated to these matters is just a waste of time. 

I take another turn, and sunlight filters through the greenery, casting vibrant patches on the plastic athletic track, creating a colorful dance. 

It’s 7:10 sharp, right on the dot. 

— 

[Tidbits]: For those who are unaware, all the dream-talk is a reference to Victor’s R&S “Six out of Seventeen,” (find the translation here by @/cheri-translates), which touched upon the extent of his long and strenuous search for MC— including the little crumbs as how he’d call a girl’s name in his sleep and his roommates would tease him about it– which we got to see a bit here as well. I do VERY HIGHLY recommend reading all the canceled R&S for yourself because if you haven’t, you have NO IDEA what you’re missing out on! ༼⁠;⁠´⁠༎ຶ⁠ ⁠۝ ⁠༎ຶ⁠༽ 

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【Chapter 2】

Victor: Teacher. Reporting! 

The people in the office glance up at my voice, the rapid movement of their pens coming to a pause. Teacher Hu adjusts the wire-framed glasses on the bridge of her nose, displaying a composed smile. 

Teacher Hu: Come in, Vic.

Teacher Hu: Here— the mock Chinese exam papers for our section. Take them and hand them out. I’ll discuss them during the class later. 

As she speaks, she taps the stack of test papers on her left with the tip of her pen, then retrieves a laminated file from the drawer. 

Teacher Hu: In here, you’ll find the scores and class-grade rankings for each subject this time. Help me attach them to each student’s respective test papers one by one. 

Teacher Hu: We have an eye exercise break during this class, right? You can stay here and get everything organized before going back. Here, the paperclips. 

Victor: Roger. 

Once Teacher Hu finishes speaking, she resumes grading the papers with her head lowered. It seems … she is grading the Classical Chinese reading exercises from yesterday evening’s self-study session? The moment this thought springs to mind, I quickly glance over. 

Luckily, I answered that set of questions quite smoothly yesterday. 

Thinking this way, my fingertips subconsciously relax as I untie the knot. As expected, the report cards are sorted by student ID. 

Just as I’m about to begin flipping through them from the back, Teacher Hu’s voice sounds right on cue. 

Teacher Hu: Vic, you did quite well in the exam this time, but there is still room for improvement. Your math teacher, Mr. Gao, also asked me to commend you properly. 

Victor: …thank you, Teacher. 

Teacher Hu: Zheng Xi-- that kid has also made some progress. It looks like he’s finally catching on. 

Victor: I’ll relay the message on your behalf and tell him to keep making persistent efforts. 

Soon, I spot my own name among the array of report cards. 

Chinese 132, Math 140, English 125, Physics… 

Victor: [sighing LONG and HARD in disappointment] … 

My gaze at once shifts towards the ranking listed at the bottom of the paper. 

Section Ranking: 4th, Grade Ranking: 13th. 

My heart, which has inexplicably leaped into the air, temporarily settles back into its original place. I continue with the sorting, but my thoughts involuntarily begin to decelerate. 

Thankfully, I’ve performed decently in the physics and chemistry exams, and my ranking is still within the range I had set for myself. 

However, my English score is unexpectedly almost 10 points lower than my estimated score. So, where did things go wrong? 

The classroom bell chimes, and the music for eye exercises flows through the air. I’m unable to come up with an answer, so I just subconsciously speed up my movements. 

Teacher Hu: Xiao Luo turned in the participant list for the Autumn Sports Festival yesterday. I noticed you signed up for the friendly soccer match? 

Victor: Yes. There aren’t many students in our section who play soccer, and I’m somewhat familiar with the basic rules and regulations of the game, so I thought I’d participate to make up the numbers. 

Teacher Hu: That's great; participating in this kind of activity is a good thing. It's important not to focus solely on academics; diverting some of one’s attention to meaningful activities like this can also contribute to their self-development. 

Teacher Hu: Don’t you think so, too? 

I nod in agreement, vaguely sensing that Teacher Hu’s words seem to carry an implicit meaning. After picking up the file bag and exam papers, I slightly bow in her direction. 

Victor: Teacher Hu, I’ll take my leave now. 

Teacher Hu: Sure… ah, Vic, there’s something else I wanted to ask you. 

Teacher Hu: Wu Xing from your former section, is it true that he is dating the academic representative from section 3? 

Victor: Is it? I’m not too sure about that. 

Teacher Hu: Weren’t you two dormitory roommates? 

Victor: Yes, but that was last semester. Since this semester began, I haven’t really seen him much. 

Victor: Regarding your question, the response would be more accurate if he answered it himself. Would you like me to summon him for you? 

Teacher Hu: Hahaha, no need for that. 

Teacher Hu: Those friends of yours who hang out with you should learn to take a page from your book and invest their time and energy in more meaningful pursuits. 

Teacher Hu: Alright, you should head back now. 

– 

Following my parting with Teacher Hu, I walk in large strides toward the academic building— a melodious tune wafts through the campus, melding with the breeze. 

I’m afraid “Master Hu,” asked that question, likely because Wu Xing’s results in the mock exam didn’t meet expectations. 

Admittedly, I “did not disclose the information I knew” earlier, but to be fair, I indeed haven’t seen him around much at all, not only during this semester but throughout the entire summer vacation. 

Rarely, when we finally managed to schedule a long-overdue soccer match during our free time from makeup classes, this guy who prioritizes his date before friendship flaked out on me. 

Victor: [scoffing, BUT BAOBEI YOU’RE GONNA DO THE VERY SAME THING 10+ YEARS LATER 🤣]  How childish. 

– 

I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence or one of those cases where “if your heart ponders something, there will be some sort of corresponding response,” but this “ex-roommate” of mine, whom I haven’t seen around much, shows up out of the blue right after taking his name, for the first time in ages. 

Wu Xing: Sir Vic— VIC— TOR— 

A sneaky voice suddenly drifts from the classroom’s back door during the lunch break. Wu Xing cautiously waves his hand, approaching the unfamiliar classroom with a hint of nervousness. 

Feeling a bit resigned, I walk over and offhandedly close the classroom door behind me. 

Victor: Doesn’t your section have you guys work on test papers during lunch break? 

Wu Xing: Does your section still have you guys work on test papers during lunch break? 

Our questions sound in unison, inexplicably making me laugh, but then I quickly refocus on the matter at hand. 

Victor: You need me for something? 

Wu Xing: For something big. Is Lao Zheng not around? 

Victor: I haven’t seen him. 

He asks as he peers into the classroom through the rear window a couple more times before finally speaking solemnly, as if it truly is something of utmost urgency. 

Wu Xing: Well, let’s go then. Time is of the essence. 

– 

I could have never imagined that the “something big” he was talking about was actually buying snacks from the convenience store outside the school gate. 

The aged iron gate, entwined with crawling vines, has a mottled appearance. Even though the lock is dangling loosely, it offers a firm barrier. The air carries a subtle scent of iron rust and the dampness common to the equipment room. 

The hand clutching the paper money reaches through the gap between the railings, and when it is withdrawn, it holds an assortment of snacks in various packaging bags. 

I hardly ever come to this place, and the handful of times I have been are all thanks to my dormitory roommates. 

Victor: So, this is what you referred to as “something big?” I’m out of here. 

Wu Xing: Ack, Sir Vic, don’t! Don’t roll the dice yet. The “iron rooster” is on patrol duty today. If he catches us, it’ll be bad news. At the very least, we’d probably have to sweep the playground for a whole month! 

Victor: And you’re still going to “commit the crime in broad daylight?” 

Wu Xing: [dramatically]  I have reasons for which I must take this risk. 

Victor: …if it weren’t for your talking nonsense, everything would’ve already been bought. 

As if finally remembering his purpose, Wu Xing briskly rushes toward the iron gate and calls out to the convenience store owner while cupping his throat. 

On his way back, he is busy hiding two large packs of “Meow Meow Snow Cookies” in his school uniform jacket. 

He nonchalantly tears open one of the packs while walking over, and then he stuffs two pieces of snow cookies into my hand without any explanation. 

Victor: No need, keep them for yourself to snack on later. 

Wu Xing: No, no, it’s all thanks to you that I could carry out this daunting mission smoothly. Thank you, my greatest ex-roommate, my former class monitor, my… 

Victor: [sighs helplessly]  …shut up. 

– 

Not wanting to waste more time, I off-handedly stash the two snow cookies into my pocket and motion for him to hurry up. He continues walking alongside me, matching my strides, until we reach the academic building. 

The grating noise created by the plastic rubbing against something makes me furrow my brows, and I can’t help but offer a warning. 

Victor: Your classroom is at that end of the corridor. 

Wu Xing: I’ll go to section 3 first. 

Victor: … 

Wu Xing: LuLu didn’t do well in the mock exam. I think she cried. Her eyes were red when I saw her at the cafeteria during lunch. 

Wu Xing: Although she hasn’t mentioned anything, I’m afraid she might think our relationship is interfering with… 

Wu Xing: I don’t know how to make her happy; I can only think of buying her the Meow Meow Snow Cookies she loves. Bro, say, girls would usually feel happy when they eat something they like, right? 

Victor: [softly]  …I think you might be the one who would be even happier. 

— 

[Tidbits]: kept the notes for last so as not to break the flow— 

✦ uhh they have so many nicknames, ofc it’s expected and relatable LMAO, but GODS THEY ARE a PAIN TO TRANSLATE HHH. Victor addressed Teacher Hu as “胡师太” which I translated as “Master Hu.” In Chinese, it’s essentially another sarcastic play on the other nickname they have for their homeroom teacher, “Empress Dowager Hu,” the message behind which is self-explanatory LOL. 

✦ “Prioritizing date before friendship” – the phrase here was 重色轻友, which in more causal English terms would be “hoes before bros,” haha. 

✦ “Iron Rooster” – here, I did the literal translation of “铁公鸡” to retain the sarcastic effect. It in simpler terms refers to someone being a cheapskate or miserly. 

✦ “Meow Meow snow cookies” (喵喵雪饼) – as the name suggests, they are similar to your usual snow cookies, only cat-shaped and much cuter LOL. 

✦ Victor’s final line about you being happier than the person receiving the gift— yes, as you might’ve already presumed, it’s the 2nd reference to MC in this story, and also a theme that runs through Victor’s contents pretty often— when they’re happy because of you, the cheery smile on the person’s face apparently brings you more joy than the person themselves. 

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【Chapter 3】

Xiao Luo: Victor, how about we play some soccer later? Maybe you could show some of your footwork to the team? 

Despite seeing the expectant look on his face, I still shake my head. 

Victor: Sorry, but today won’t be possible. I can return to the dorm on Sunday morning and have the entire time afterward for practicing. 

Victor: I’ll compile the fundamental tactics and rules later tonight and send them to you on QQ. As for my footwork… I’m an amateur, so the most I can do is share some of my experiences during the actual training session. 

Xiao Luo: Sure thing! Just give me a knock tonight! 

– 

As I walk out of the school gate, the last rays of the setting sun cast a soft, crimson halo over the bustling streets. 

The charm of Friday lies precisely in this, rendering even the usually ordinary sunset into something particularly romantic. 

Soon, the No. 923 bus arrives, and after the crowd has boarded, I stand close to the handrail and shift my backpack to the front. 

The bus isn’t overly crowded at this hour, which makes it easier to fetch one’s belongings without causing any inconvenience to other passengers. 

– 

With this thought in mind, I grip the handrail with one hand while my other hand reaches into the front compartment of my schoolbag to retrieve the vocabulary notebook. With my fingertips, I flip through the pages one by one. 

A few points I lost this time were in vocabulary and grammar. It looks like I need to consolidate my understanding of these error-prone areas much more. 

I concentrate on each letter in the notebook, quietly repeating every word three times in my mind before turning to the next page. 

For a moment, the clamors surrounding me seem to grow muffled. I feel as if I’m isolated in a space of my own, able to hear only the voice of my mind crystal clear. 

Even the passage of time seems to slow down. 

The window’s shadow on the edge of my vision is rendered a hazy tint, slowly receding, but it also sharpens the clarity of the words in front of me. 

Although these words aren’t my first language, as long as I grasp the arteries and veins that connect the word roots and affixes, the rest is simply a process of putting them together and restructuring them. 

The patterns that dictate how the world operates also follow this principle. 

Firstly, one needs to understand the distinct characteristics of different things, then find their respective gaps–– and finally connect them, akin to joining mortise and tenon. 

This way, the correct answer is plainly evident. 

The sky outside the window has gradually begun to darken. I weave through the crowd to the back of the vehicle and take a quick look at my wristwatch. 

The hour hand ticks down one notch, and the time is about the same as what I had in mind. I should still be able to make it to Dawn Market before it closes for the day even if I hit traffic. 

Auntie Zhang usually doesn’t close her stall this early. I’m just not sure if I’ll be able to get any of the fruits Dad loves. 

I subconsciously look at the condition of the road ahead, feeling a slight hint of impatience creeping in. 

Victor: Yes, I can still make it in time. 

– 

By the time I arrive home, it’s slightly past 7 o’clock. 

Swiftly, I put down my schoolbag and change my clothes. I then step into the kitchen, don an apron, put the clams in a bowl to let them soak, and simultaneously begin cleaning the scallops. 

Just as I’m serving the garlic-steamed scallops on the table, I hear the door lock turning in the porch. 

Victor: Dad, you’re back. 

Papa Li: The flight got delayed, so it took longer than expected. Ah, you must be starving, aren’t you? 

Victor: I’m fine. You go and take a rest for a while. I’ll call you when the meal is ready. 

After saying this, I wipe my hands dry and pick up his suitcase propped against the doorway, placing it in the study. When I return to the living room, my father has already rolled up his sleeves and is standing by the dining table. 

Papa Li: I was wondering why the entire house was filled with the aroma of food as soon as I walked in the door. It turns out that our master chef has once again prepared a grand feast. 

Victor: It’s not that over-the-top, just regular home-cooked dishes, that’s all.  Victor: But I do have the clam stew and garlic butter scallops that you love. 

Papa Li: Well, it sounds like I must be in for a treat. 

Papa Li: What are you still stir-frying in your pan? Here, let Dad exhibit some tricks for you. 

My father seems to be in a good mood. It’s probably because the work on his business trip has been exceptionally successful. Although doing things myself would be more efficient, I naturally can’t dampen his spirits. 

I smile and lend him a hand. 

Papa Li: How’s school been going recently? Are you settling into your new class well? 

Victor: It’s going pretty well. We got our mock exam scores and class rankings today, and overall, they’re within the range I expected, except for some mistakes I made in English. 

Victor: I’ll show you my report card after we’re done with dinner. 

Papa Li: I’ve always been confident in your academic performance. What about things outside your studies? Have you been busy with student council duties recently? 

Victor: Hm, we are gearing up to organize the Autumn Sports Festival soon, and lately, I’ve been exploring potential sponsors among educational organizations and bookstores that have shown interest. 

Seeing that he hasn’t shifted his gaze, I contemplate for a moment and add. 

Victor: In my free time, I’ll be playing soccer with the others. I’ve signed up for the soccer tournament in the sports festival. 

Sure enough, my father appears visibly happier upon hearing this and even teases me a little. 

Papa Li: Such opportunities don’t come by often, so you’ve to make sure to give it your best! But son, you haven’t played as much soccer as you used to since you’ve grown up. Are you sure your skills are still sharp? 

Victor: How about personally inspecting my skills tomorrow morning? 

Papa Li: Hahaha, are you “throwing down the gauntlet” to me? Alright, alright, no problem, let’s have a friendly showdown. 

Before we know it, the family dinner wraps up amidst an atmosphere steeped in laughter, something we haven’t done in a long time. 

It’s almost ten o’clock by the time I finish my homework, and I notice that the light in my father’s study is still on. After hesitating for a moment, I go back to my room, pick up the notebook from my desk, and knock on the door of his study. 

– 

Papa Li: Vic? Why are you still up? 

Victor: I’ve got a few questions that I’m having a bit of trouble understanding. 

I flip my notebook to the most recent page and place it in front of my father, briefly giving him a summary of the few stocks that I’ve been researching these days. 

My father comprehends the situation and begins circling things in the notebook, gradually clarifying the puzzles that have been plaguing my mind. 

Seeing that I haven’t said anything in a while, my father gently taps on the table with his pen. 

Papa Li: Is there a part you didn’t understand? 

Victor: No, it’s not that. I’m just glad that I’m in a simulated investment scenario where there’s room for trial and error. 

Papa Li: Real business transactions can also withstand trial and error. Son, there’s no one or no circumstance that can bring overnight success. 

I understand what my father is saying, but it’s precisely because I understand these principles that my resolve to achieve my goals becomes even more steadfast. 

It’s also because I have experienced that feeling of powerlessness, where I was helpless to find a way out, that my conviction has been more solidified— I must advance at a faster pace. 

Victor: I’ve got it. Thanks, Dad. You should get an early night. 

Papa Li: But judging by your achievements of the past few years… 

As if he has suddenly remembered something, my father takes out a somewhat aged notebook from a drawer. 

Inside the notebook, there are meticulous records of the maintenance cost I’ve earned every year for Vic Vic through simulated investments, starting from my junior high school days. 

Papa Li: It looks like you’ll get there earlier than you had planned. 

Victor: My goal is to round off the remaining amount in the next three years. 

Victor: I was quite conservative in my calculations back then, but now I’m confident. 

– 

In the blink of an eye, the preparation phase for the Autumn Sports Festival is in full swing. Adhering to the “first-come, first-served” principle, there’s a constant rush of people in the venues and equipment storage areas. 

It appears that this enthusiasm has got the entire school’s faculty and students immersed, as evident in the ongoing internal meeting of the student council. 

I close the proposal document in front of me and turn my gaze to the head of the sports department who has been talking confidently since the beginning of the meeting, putting forth all kinds of budget-busting ideas. 

If memory serves, he only joined the student council this year. While it’s understandable to have such drive when taking on a major responsibility as this for the first time, it’s not surprising that his ideas are so impractical. 

Victor: We are organizing a sports event for the school, not the Loveland City Youth Sports Meet. 

Victor: Before asking me if I can secure such a large budget, shouldn’t we first consider the already existing conditions? 

Victor: Even if we manage to lock in sponsorships smoothly, I’m afraid we don’t have sufficient space and workforce to sustain it. 

Head of Sports Department: But I’ve discussed this issue with Xiao Sun from your External Affairs Department beforehand, and the proposal he’s handed in today is actually twice as substantial as what he initially suggested. 

Victor: That’s the very reason why having this meeting today was essential, isn’t it? 

Victor: To prevent the possibility of others misinterpreting due to the spread of incomplete information inappropriately. 

The other party doesn’t seem to have anticipated that I would respond this way, rendering him silent for a moment before he speaks again. 

Head of Sports Department: Doesn’t the External Affairs Department need to hold another meeting to discuss this? Or is Student Council President Victor implying that we don’t have any room for further discussion? 

Victor: First and foremost, whether the External Affairs Department needs to deliberate on the conclusions drawn from today’s general meeting, I will make that assessment. 

Victor: Secondly, “we” are not the ones who get to negotiate this. Because this matter has never been about any of us individually, from the outset to the conclusion. 

Head of Sports Department: [sarcastic laugh]  Heh, I’ve heard rumors that the External Affairs Department is managed by an autocratic approach, and today I finally got the chance to witness it first-hand. 

…I can hardly believe someone would make such an elementary-school-student-style remark in this situation. 

Victor: If labeling me with a derogatory term as “autocratic” can make things seem more reasonable, then I don’t find any objection to your remark. 

Head of Sports Department: … 

Victor: I apologize for taking up everyone’s time. The Executive Committee and the Secretariat, please inform me as soon as you have made your decisions, and I will make further improvements to the proposal. 

After finishing my words, I pick up the folder and turn around to exit the conference room. 

— 

[Tidbits]: 

✦ regarding the “arteries and veins” (脉络) and “mortise and tenon” (榫卯) parts— I decided to do their literal translations despite initially going for metaphorical terms, to show you guys the way Li Zeyan writers think + how they wanted you to grasp just how immersed he was and how passionate he is in general about learning that he is subconsciously relating things like this. 

✦ Dawn Market and Auntie Zhang are references to his S2 Company Project, where we met this old lady and learned the precious story of how Victor would visit the market with his dad when he was a kid. I don’t remember her name on the EN server LOL, so used the original one as it was. 

✦ The stock research, simulated investment, and paying for Vic Vic’s (the panda Yan Yan) upkeep fees – these are all references to Victor’s 4th birthday story, where after learning that the panda’s adoption fee had to be paid on yearly installments, 15-year-old Victor decided to put his knowledge about simulated investment to action and use the profits from investments to pay the panda’s upkeep fees. And sure enough, his investments were successful, and at the time he had told his dad that he’d be able to pay his dad all the adoption fees back over the years by the time he was 25. But as we saw in this story, in 2nd year of his senior high school, he had cut that time down to only 3 years, and he did not need those years in full either~ :’) 

✦ And as for using the “Papa Li” term of address instead of “Victor’s Dad”–– it was a force of habit LOL + I wanted to retain the personalized feelings here haha (,,>ࡇ<,,)

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【Chapter 4】

As the other person reiterates his “refusal” attitude once again, I take a deep breath and reach out to loosen my tie. 

The sunlight at high noon is somewhat glaring. After stuffing the proposal into my backpack, I walk mechanically towards the subway station. 

I still have more than enough time before the cram classes, and this morning has gone well as I successfully negotiated for most of the sponsorship according to the plan. 

Apart from… 

I can’t help but sigh, kneading my throbbing forehead. 

Perhaps because it’s the weekend, as I pass by the park, I hear the animated sounds of laughter and cheerful voices. 

It’s as if I’ve caught the contagious effect of that simple joy, I subconsciously change my path and sit down on a bench nearby. 

All of a sudden, I loosen up a tad and my mind involuntarily begins thinking back to the wall I’ve hit just earlier. 

— 

───── [FLASHBACK BEGINS] ─────

Victor: Mr. Yu, the significance school sports day holds in high school activities is quite evident, whether in terms of its overall scale or the level of importance placed on it by both teachers and students. 

Victor: And with the level of publicity in an event such as this, it’s without a doubt that it can boost your campus market share, while simultaneously deepening the profile of your company. 

Victor: In my opinion, this collaborative effort is one that demands minimal investment but yields rapid returns. 

Victor: Please take a look at our proposal, and if you have any questions, we can discuss them right away. 

The man in the impeccably dressed suit and shoes in front of me remains completely silent, waiting patiently until I finish speaking. Then he sits up straight on the couch, courteously accepts the folder from me, and places it directly onto the table. 

Mr. Yu: Your arguments are very sound, but there’s no need for us to invest in the school. 

Victor: Do you have any concerns, or are there any aspects of the proposal that you currently find unsatisfactory? 

Mr. Yu: Hahaha, Victor, you seem to have missed the point of what I meant. 

Mr. Yu: As a matter of fact, your proposal is already very well-rounded. To be honest with you, among all the proposals I always receive, many from adults don’t even measure up to yours. 

Mr. Yu: But you must know that what you’re confronting are people, not only proposals. 

Mr. Yu: There’s nothing wrong with being considerate of all aspects, but people are incoercible, let alone businessmen who always prioritize their interests above all else. 

───── [FLASHBACK ENDS] ─────

— 

Suddenly, something lightly bumps against my feet, snapping me back to reality. 

It’s a soccer ball. 

??: Sorry—— 

An unfamiliar voice sounds not far away, and upon lifting my head, I see a group of young boys waving at me, dripping with sweat. I knowingly rise to my feet and lift my leg to kick the ball back to them. 

The ball is passed with perfect accuracy to the feet of a young boy not too far away. 

??: Thanks, buddy! 

Sunlight filters down the gaps between the branches and leaves. I incline my head to gaze at the dappled light spots it creates. 

On this day, I’ve come to understand that many things don’t yield results based on the perfection achieved by one individual; there are numerous external factors at play. 

And that, one should always be prepared and have a well-rounded plan in place for everything. 

– 

The highly anticipated Autumn Sports Festival has lifted its curtains on a bright and beautiful morning. 

With the piercing sound of the whistle, the friendly soccer match is down to its final five minutes. 

Under the scorching sun, the grass field sizzles beneath our feet, and the striking 0:1 on the scoreboard has got everyone in the Section 1 team with their hearts hanging in midair. 

However, as if the situation is not already bad enough, more troubles keep coming one after another. Not only are we behind in the score, but our goalkeeper has also been red-carded and sent off the field due to a mistake while charging out. 

My gaze shifts from the glaring red card to the referee’s finger–– pointing at the 12-yard mark. 

??: You’ve got to be kidding me! A penalty kick at this moment–– they’re giving us the full “red-card” combo! This is ridiculous! Can’t we protest this? 

??: Come on, move along. The match is over. 

??: It’s really a pity for the Section 1 team. The two teams were neck and neck for so long, and I thought a miracle might really happen. 

??: You’re overthinking it. It’s already a miracle that they managed to persist until now. Among those students of Section 9, six of them are sports prodigies, you know. 

The ceaseless buzz of murmurs and discussions lingers around me from all directions. Fine beads of sweat cling to my neck in disarray, and I wipe them away in irritation, my toes finding themselves stomping on the ground several times. 

The current situation is indeed far from optimistic. 

If we bring in a forward as a substitute for the goalkeeper, the odds of winning the game will be completely against us. 

Given that nothing can be done about the 10 vs. 11 situation we’re already in, what can we possibly do to level the score? 

My brain spins at a lightning pace, and suddenly, a somewhat bold idea springs to mind. 

With almost not the slightest hesitation, I raise my hand to draw the referee’s attention, requesting a substitution. 

Xiao Luo: ...but you hardly ever took on the role of a goalkeeper in the practice matches we had before, and now to substitute as... 

Victor: The key is not just to defend the goalpost. 

I interrupt the sports committee representative and earnestly shift my gaze to the coach and the team members on the field. 

Victor: Being a midfielder, if I take on the role of the goalkeeper, to some extent, it will create a similar sense of skepticism in the opposing team. 

Victor: Now, at this point in the game, it essentially boils down to a competition of stamina. 

While speaking, I turn my gaze to the substitutes who are about to replace the wingers on both sides. 

Substitute teammate: But doesn’t that mean we’re giving up control of the midfield by doing this? 

Victor: You’re right. But without taking risks, there will be no reward. 

Victor: My strategy is not something I can accomplish relying on my abilities alone. I need the trust and cooperation of every single one of you. 

Victor: I will surely block the penalty kick. 

After putting on the protective gloves, I clap my palms together vigorously twice, and in my peripheral vision, I can see the penalty taker also walking to the designated spot. 

Drawing a deep breath, I walk to the side of the goalpost, slightly arch my body, and then fix my gaze straight ahead. Inadvertently, I raise my hand and gesture towards the completely unguarded opposite side. 

For a moment, it feels as if all the eyes in the entire arena have turned towards me, causing me to fall into a trance and giving me the sensation as though I can hear the sound of time ticking away. 

Another whistle blows. 

The opponent clearly hesitates for a moment, as if trying to decipher whether my action is intended as a provocation, or it has some other meaning. 

But all of that is unimportant at this moment. 

He had already lost right at the second he hesitated and did not take a decisive shot. 

And that second was all I needed. 

── 

Xiao Luo: Victor! You’re really something! I can’t believe that pulling off such an unconventional strategy secured us a narrow victory! 

Victor: It was merely a draw, nothing more. 

Teammate: Well, that still counts as a victory in our book! Let’s go to Lao Beimen’s street stall; I’m treating everyone to soda, ice-cream, and grilled sausages! Victor, you coming with us? 

Victor: Sure, let’s go. 

Xiao Luo and Teammates: YES! 

Watching my fellow teammates, who have shared the sweat and toil, beam with expressions of elation as if they have scored a goal, I find myself smiling along with them. 

The afternoon heat is yet to subside, and pedestrians are seeking shelter beneath the shade of the trees as they move forward. Only we continue to walk under the sunlight, chatting and laughing among ourselves as we walk down the footbridge. 

The lady working at the newspaper stand places the newly arrived comics in a prominent spot, then sits down in the shaded area, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan; 

The bright and youthful college students walk hand in hand, their phone charms clinking together, producing a crisp sound; 

Clad in their uniform, the junior high schoolers sport headphones as they wait for the bus to arrive. Who knows what they’re listening to, whether it’s some English listening exercise or popular music; 

The fine beads of sweat glisten with a radiant glow between the young boy’s hairline, while his red sportswear is eye-catching and vibrant, epitomizing the most splendid appearance one can have at his age.

I tighten the cords of my drawstring bag a little and skillfully keep the ball bouncing on my toes, maneuvering around a few bicycles on the lane without any people, and then use a bit of force to toss the ball in the air. 

The attempt to catch the ball with my knee isn’t executed perfectly, and the ball slightly slips out of control. 

I jog a couple of steps to catch up, throw the ball again, and catch it once more— and like this, I indulge in this self-amusing routine tirelessly. 

A light sheen of sweat lightly dampens the ends of my hair. I fling my head back a little and quicken my stride, allowing the gentle breeze to whisk away the residual heat. 

Even though it’s merely a school-level sports event, triumph always feels great, especially when your own efforts are so clearly visible. 

There are still two more intersections to go before we reach Lao Beimen’s stall. As I watch the several spiritedly hopping figures ahead of me, I decide to bring my own little celebration to an end. 

After all, this was merely a school-level soccer match; I couldn’t let satisfaction be so readily apparent on my face. 

The soccer ball bounces and produces a firm sound, while the fluttering clothes closely trails its trajectory. 

It’s only the sunshine that knows the young boy has been unknowingly sporting a smile at the corners of his lips, unmistakably revealing a look of satisfaction. 

────── ••• ─────

💘 【Calls】: Here!

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

【Anika’s Ramblings】

—

[king-paimon]

Houseki no Kuni Chapter 106 Thoughts: Bon Voyage...

Hello all. I hope these last few months have been kind to you in some way. These months have been... a lot. Some very good things happened, and some very bad. I wish we lived in a world were tragedies were just fiction, but that sadly isn't the case. I won't elaborate, but I promise, I'm okay. I just hope 2024 improves, though I know for many others, just hoping isn't enough.

I'm sorry for this late post. Once again, real life had me so distracted that I honestly forgot about Houseki no Kuni's chapter coming out this month. I only remembered when I saw activity around my older HnK posts.

Well, I finished reading the chapter and it was very beautiful and sad in different ways. I'll share more of my thoughts, though I don't think it'll be as long or detailed as my previous ones to be honest... Though I could be wrong! We'll see how it fairs. And who knows? Maybe I'll make another post to dissect this chapter further. But for now, I'll just write whatever comes to mind and try to make it as coherent as possible. I hope you like it. And as always, please feel free to share your own thoughts!

Here we go!

Thunderous Spectacle: The Final Journey

Once again, Ms. Haruko Ichikawa decided to flex her art skills by making beautiful, bombastic illustrations that encapsulates the chaos that is happening on Earth. And the ship departing looks straight out of a sci-fi movie; my mind went to Star Trek when I first saw those pages. Maybe Dune would be more appropriate; I actually don't know, I haven't read or watched Dune, though I hear it's very good.

I wish I had more to say about the visuals for this chapter, but I think they speak for themselves. I will say though...It's moments like this when I marvel... this was originally about a silly gem child trying to find their place in the world. And this is how their journey is finally coming to an end. Almost nothing is recognizable. This certainly was not how I thought this story, or specifically Phos' story, was going to unfold. I wonder if this was Haruko Ichikawa's plan from the beginning? Who can say...

Speaking of plans... Let's talk about Phos's and Eyeball's conversation.

Manipulation or Consideration: Humanity's Parting "Gift"

That was an interesting conversation Eyeball and Phos had when they were finishing up putting the little pebbles onto the ship. I think I remember stating in the last post how I thought it was odd that the Lunarians had this ship prepared for Phos. I'm glad this was somewhat addressed, but the conversation reveals that there was more behind this literal Deus ex Machina ship.

(I will never stop calling it that)

So if I'm understanding Eyeball's logic, Adamant and the Lunarians were considering Phos in the end? That after Phos fulfilled their last duties to the remnants of humanity that they'd be given the chance to leave the planet with whatever species came about before the planet died- Oh. Wait.

Wait.

Was this the thing that Adamant and Aechmea were alluding to back in chapter 96???

Oh my goodness, I think it was.

As I was typing this and going over some of the saved pages I had from the previous chapters, I saw the one with Euclase and I suddenly remembered their weird conversation with Adamant and Aechmea. I also remembered wondering what the heck they meant in the later chapters since their plan for Phos seemed to only be self serving.

HUH.

( Please let me know if I'm way off! For all I know, I could be making stuff up, but oh my goodness, when I made that connection AAaahh)

This was not how this portion was originally going to go, but there you go. I was going to talk about how twisted but not surprising how calculated everything was from the the Lunarians and the other ruminants of humanity's end. And I was also going to mention how the Doctor also fit into this since she was also calculated and manipulative in her own ways. Despite the different forms it takes, humanity didn't seem to change much in this world...

I was also going to originally say that the Deus ex machina ship feels like a backhanded "gift" for Phos, especially after everything that happened to them. And though I still feel that way, after thinking back to chapter 96, I'm now starting to see Phos's perspective of this gift. That despite everything that they put them through, Phos's former families still left this parting gift for them so they could live on elsewhere after they are long gone and when Phos was free from their duties. It's still a backhanded gift in my opinion, but it showed that they cared... at least a bit.

And the fact that their plan also included Eyeball is just wow. I do not blame his small, comedic outburst for that realization. He was manipulated too from the getgo!

At least in the end, Phos chose not to go into the ship. Phos intended to burn that bridge. Even though this thought was implanted by Sensei, Adamant, and the Lunarians, Phos still made that choice on their own and they are owning it. It's bittersweet, though, because regardless of whether or not they stayed or went, Phos's decisions were still a result of them being manipulated one way or another. Pretty much a lose-lose kind of situation, but at least the choice that Phos chose in the end still aligned with what they wanted in they end.

They are giving Eyeball and the little pebbles a chance for a fresh start while Phos can finally end the cycle... By taking humanity and himself to bitter end...

Or does he?

Goodnight, Phosphophyllite

The final farewell between Phos and Eyeball was touching. In a last minute decision to give Phos closure and in an act of true salvation, Eyeball took the last piece of Phos with him. The true remaining piece of Phosphophyllite. To me, this action felt more earnest and heartwarming than the Deus Ex Machina Ship (but that's just me).

What will happen with that piece of Phosphophyllite? Who knows? Maybe that piece will gain sentience and live a peaceful life with the pebbles? A life free of all the constraints as well as the freedoms that was intentionally and unintentionally reinforced within societies created by the former remnants of humanity? I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

As for the Phos that was left behind? The Phos that we've watch evolve from the beginning to end? They will finally rest.

They will finally, and truly be free.

(Albeit in a seemingly not so pleasant way?? Well, they weren't complaining so maybe the lava and other harsh elements isn't hurting them. I hope that's the case.)

I had the feeling that this chapter will be the last time we see Phos, or at least this version of Phos, and it would be a sad but proper send off.

But after seeing THIS at the end, I'm not so sure:

Of course Haruko Ichikawa decides to be cheeky with that little note. Ma'am. Why did you say this???

Is this her roundabout way of saying that Phos is kind of back to square 1? Of being the lonely, jobless Phos who no longer has a purpose and is left with nothing to do but "think." That's pretty funny/messed up joke if that's what she's hinting at.

But again, we'll have to wait and see.

WELP. That's all I have for you all. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I'd love to hear what you thought about this chapter. We're nearly at the end of this saga. We're are almost there...

Please be worth it.

[simslegacy5083]

Not So Berry (Straud Descendants) Gen 9

Today's (8/19/2024) Episode: Family Joy

The “nana nummies” did indeed help little Elyse warm up to her auntie, who soon found herself fielding questions about her plans after graduation.

“I’m not sure what I want to do yet” she replied shyly, turning the question around on Rhys. “How did you decide you wanted to be a pro gamer?”

“Well…” Rhys began “I never really enjoyed school, so I skipped university and got a job doing tech support at Rainy Day’s E-Sports facility. The players there all seemed to love what they did so much that I gave the local tournaments a try. Eventually I got recruited to the team, and the rest is history.”

“So far I’ve really liked school and the performing arts club,” Jade replied, “so going to University with my friends or sisters could be my thing.”

“I’ve heard University is a great place to build skills and figure out what to do with your life.” Wren chimed in “If you went, you’d be the first sim in our family to do so.” “Par” Isra interjected “Remember the time we went to Foxbury to watch Luigi play his final University E-Sports match only to discover he’d been told he wasn’t allowed to participate because he’d already graduated? That was wild!”

“...and that’s how my sister Gemma and I ended up “borrowing” a thousand simoleons from my parents and buying back our friend Claudia’s horse“ Jade finished up, laughing “Silly Auntie!” Elyse giggled “Come play dollies?” “Sure!” Jade replied, following her over to the large dollhouse.

As her par’s firstborn entertained her own, Isra scooted over next to the silver haired sim and quietly asked “How are you doing?”

“Its surreal, having her here” Wren replied “When we left, I thought I’d never see my baby again, and now she’s right over there. I can’t thank Luigi and his grandfather enough for showing you how to travel safely between nations.”

Isra smiled “Me either. Luigi was oddly excited to meet a legacy spare; the way he acted when I told him Jade would be at Skye’s party, you’d think he was part of a legacy himself!” she laughed “That boy is so self-absorbed, he’d probably be intolerable if he was an heir like Ophelia and Gemma.”

As they finally prepared to leave the park, Isra gave her sister one last hug. “I can’t wait to spend the next few days with you! I arranged time off and childcare so I can show you all the hot spots, and on Spooky Day you can dress up for the costume party at our place for Luigi’s son’s birthday.”

“Is his son named Mario?” Jade asked with a sly smile. “No!” Isra laughed “he’s Skye. Luigi can’t wait to meet you actually; just don’t be surprised if he keeps turning the conversation back to himself, that’s kind of his specialty.” Jade grinned: “Don’t worry, its Lulu’s too, I’m used to it!”

“Speaking of my siblings” she continued, “My sister Wren crafted a little something for her name buddy and you. Why don’t you open them now?”

The family cooed over the unexpected gifts. The elder Wren unwrapped a lovely basic bracelet while Isra showed the kids a knitted teddy bear plush that would fit right in with their other nursery friends. They all conveyed their thanks with their goodbyes as they headed home.

Luckily Isra hadn’t planned anything for early the following morning, because Wren and Jade ended up talking late into the night.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get your birth father to return my calls.” a yawning Wren apologized. “I had hoped to give you a chance to meet him.”

“Its OK.” Jade said, “Honestly from what I’ve heard of him, I don’t know if he’d appreciate meeting the real me, instead of a copy of himself.”

Wren frowned. “Unfortunately, you’re probably right. Calvin was a hard man to like, with a lot of very inflexible ideas about the world. His website trying to convince the sims here of The Watcher’s judgement makes it clear he hasn’t changed. I’d send you the link, but you’ve seen it all before.”

“Well, maybe it’s the time shift, but I can hardly keep my eyes open.” Jade said, reluctantly rising. “It’s been a great day though!”

Her par jumped up and gave her a tight hug goodnight. “It’s so good to see my baby all grown up. Tomorrow, can you tell me more about Ophelia’s work on World United, and if I can send you home with anything to help? I love that she’s using her star power for such a great cause.”

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate whatever you’d like to give.” Jade smiled at the eager to please elder sim as she headed towards her bedroom. “See you in the morning.”

 “See you then.” Wren agreed quietly. Watching the child they had been forced to leave behind so many years ago walk down the hall brought tears to their eyes, but they were mostly tears of joy. Jade had grown into a fine young woman with a kind heart who was clearly happy and well loved.

What more, Wren mused, could a parent ask for?

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[happypot0001]

Hello everyone!!

So Art Fight has now ended...huh?? Gosh...I've only been posting stuff BECAUSE of Art Fight!! I'm really grateful I was able to find it. I wish that I could do more to support the team that's helping bring together thousands of artists but I can't really so i'm just going to talk about it reeeeallly quick!

To start off...I really wanted to make this post in order to thank the people who took the time and went through the trouble to draw my character!! I would like to thank these three people: @just-a-carrot 🥕, @sailingseals ⛵, and @boxxie-does-art 📦!!! All such amazing people that I find very admirable and take inspiration from almost everything they create!! 🥕 is the creator of a WONDERFUL game called "Our Wonderland"! Not only did they write and code the game...they also drew all the artwork for the game as well!!! And the game was PHENOMENAL!! You probably found this blog only because of the OW stuff...but I still like talking about it anyways!!!

The game includes such interesting and "real" characters that almost everyone could be able to relate to! The game has this special skill to make people so attached to these characters so that when they reach their demise...the players deep connection that resonated with them would quickly shatter. I'll try not to include spoilers in here in case anyone else feels that they want to try out the game as well!!!! (If you haven't played, then I highly recommend it!!!) Not to mention the community!! The people all affiliated with OW are sooooo accepting, never have I once heard a TRULY terrible thing come out of their mouths! I'm glad there's not a HUGE range of people here...it makes it much more easier to connect with other people who enjoy the game much like myself!! That's something that I truly don't regret from OW, all of the people it introduced me to!! Now...speaking of that...allow me to move to the next person...⛵!!!!!

Ohhh wooowww....⛵!!!! Gosh I really love the stuff they do!! They have such funny and creative ideas in their head and it’s very inspiring...especially because they seem close to my age!!! Their artstyle is very cute and pretty, I LOVE looking at anything they create! They don’t use anything fancy but they still have the ability to produce something FLAWLESS in literal minutes!! They’re also just very kind people, we’ve been talking with each other on discord and that’s where I can see how their humor expands to just simply talking with their friends! Whenever I’m around them I feel so open and can so easily talk to them about how I feel! I could never talk to them the ways that I have with my IRL friends! I’m so glad to have someone like that by my side! It’s been amazing having their company! Especially because we also make stories together as well! Oh we’ve made a good few stories together as friends and it’s been an awesome experience! Seeing a master creator with their mind at work! They come up with FANTASTIC ideas that make me sick…in a good way!! Ever since we’ve been friends…I’ve gotten to know a LOT MORE about their stories along with their characters! And HOW THEY HAVE CAPTIVATED ME AND STOLE MY HEART!!! I’m so serious when I say they’re the only things I want to draw now!!! ⛵️ has 5 main characters split into three separate stories…and EACH ONE OF THEM IS SOO CREATIVE AND UNIQUE!!!!! I don’t want to leak any spoilers about their stories, especially because I’m gonna guess they’re planning on posting anyways! IF THEY DO THEN BE PREPARED FOR GREATNESS HAHAH!! At this point it may sound like I’m a person who’s simply just easy to please but REALLY!! I ADORE THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR CHARACTERS SOOO MUCH! ⛵️ is so inspiring and the fact that I can call such an inspiring person that I look up to a companion of mine?? IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY!! I APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION WE HAVE AND I HOPE THEIR ARE MORE AWAITING IN THE FUTURE!!!! I WISH TO LEARN AND BE AS TALENTED AS YOU ARE SOMEDAY!!!! I CAN ONLY WISH!!!!! YOURE SO AMAZING I LOVE EVERYTHING YOU DO!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! SO SO SO GLAD WE’RE FRIENDS!!!!! Hehehe WOOOOOO now I MUST move on to the next person…📦!!!!

📦!!!! Another friend that I find so inspiring!!! Ooohhh the way the color is one thing that I LOVE about their style!!! I like that they know what colors mix with others to properly get what color they desire…that’s a very important trait in an artist!!!! It’s so unique and it’s something that could never be possible for me in a LIFETIME! Just their style itself!!!! It’s pleasing to the eye but it’s also something that I can find from a mile away!!!! It’s very unique and not very easy to copy!! Also, the amount of effort and determination they put into everything is very inspiring!! Recently, 📦 had asked 🥕 if I was okay for them to make a mod using their characters. They mentioned in that ask that they were working with two friends to make the mod…THATS ME AND ⛵️!!!!! WE’RE THE TWO FRIENDS!!!! (they said “amazing friends” in their ask thank you so much 📦!!!! 🥹🥹) Haha but it was 📦 themselves who proposed the idea!!! At first it would seem like a simple thought, one that would be too complicated to actually produce…but with 📦 presenting ideas to us and really getting us hyped up for the project…it can really make a person compelled to work harder!!!! Also they’re making a whole WEBTOON as well???? That’s a lot of effort and dedication for a person to have!!!! It’s nice seeing a person willing to work hard on these projects!!!! It really gets me to take the project seriously and do more work than I would’ve done if I hadn’t seen the effort that my friends want to put into this project!!!! It’s also just very easy to talk to them as well!!!! The both of my friends! I can say what I’m thinking and they’ll respond with only kindness!!! They will find a way to help me and make me feel better than I had before!!!! I’m so happy that I’m not ridiculed and afraid to share my thoughts to someone!!! It’s so refreshing, so freeing to have someone like that there for you!!! The both of them provide that comfort for me, so I thank that so much for that!!! OH!!! Also!!!! From what I hear…they use their phone to draw???? With everything they create, that is just amazing!!! That is the work of someone with a TALENT!!!! If anyone follows 📦, they had recently posted an animation about them and a tiny Genzou…THAT WAS WITH THE USE OF A PHONE!!!! 📱 THIS THING!!!! A PHONE!!!! Hehe, I may be over-exaggerating it but I just personally think that’s a feat to be known!!!! Anyone can make wonderful art no matter what you have!!!! You just have to have skill really!!!! But that’s what I’m saying haha!!! 📦 you have a talent which I’m sure you’re already aware of but let me mention it once again!!!! IM SO GLAD TO BE FRIENDS WITH YOU AND ⛵️!!! YOU GUYS ARE SOME OF THE NICEST PEOPLE I’VE MET AND I HOPE I CAN LEARN FROM THE BOTH OF YOU AND LEARN TO BE JUST AS TALENTED!!!! I HOPE FOR OUR FRIENDSHIP TO GROW FOR A LONG TIME!!!!!

Alright…this was a rollercoaster of emotions. If it looks like I wrote more for one person than the other…I apologize!!!! Especially for 📦 and ⛵️!!! I appreciate the both of you equally and I’m glad to have met you guys! Everything I’ve said so far about you is nothing less than the truth!! And to 🥕, if they are somehow seeing this, then I simply have to thank you for the amazing game that you have created!!! I will admire you for a very long time!!! You and your game help me in seeing from a whole new perspective!!! Thank you very much!!! Can never say it enough!! I hope that one day I can be as great as the three of you guys!!! Thank you guys for attacking me on Art Fight once again!! And thank you to Art Fight for giving me a chance to send art to these wonderful people!!! Gosh Art Fight was a blast while it lasted!!! I’m excited for next year…hopefully by then I’ll have more characters for people to draw!!! Also hope that I will have improved drawing myself!!! There was some more stuff I wanted to do in Art Fight but I don’t regret anything I DID do!!! I’m very happy with deciding on joining Art Fight!!! I have one more Art Fight attack for ⛵️ that I haven’t posted yet but I’ll be doing that later!!! Until next time!!!

Lots of love to 🥕, ⛵️, 📦, and anyone else who may be reading!! 💕💕💕

[cidthesquid]

What's next for our Styling Star? | Style Savvy : Styling Star #06

[Previous Post]              [First Post]              [Next Post]

Alright, so we're back after a bit of a break, and I've been really wondering what I'll do with this blog after I finish this game... Sure, I could finish Style Savvy DS, but there's not much to talk about there, and it feels a bit too soon to going back to play more trendsetter/Fashion Forward. I've considered writing about new topics that are not style related (have a few ideas) But I honestly think it would be just better to make a second blog for that.. But I guess I still have plenty of time to decide

Anyways, I forgot this game has a harvest moon style clock, so while writing that above paragraph, the day actually ended up advancing. We're nearing the end of April, and it looks like we have a new arrival in town! And it looks like the day starts off with her event:

It looks like the new girl is being chased by someone!

(Also I meant to ask, How does the dual photo layout look on mobile? (Do you find yourself having to open each one to read the text?) (Would a single image looks better? Even if it makes the post longer?)

They head into an alley, so we follow... and they stop in front of a cafe

(I have a feeling this is NOT what it looks like) The man begins speaking with her, and she tells him to 'stay back' He replies that this is not a topic for discussion, and grabs her arm. Then the girl (Yolanda) does some kind of martial arts move, knocking him down.

She apologies, mentioning that she make have taken this too far, (obvious were 'practicing for a move flag') And Fortman replies, complementing here black belt grade judo skills. Yolanda apologizes and mentions that she can't leave as there's still something she needs to do in this city. And that she'd like some time alone.

Fortman Says she can have 30mins to settle whatever affairs she has left, and they need to leave right after that. And she agrees.

After Fortman leaves, The waiter is clearly a bit rattled by the display then proceeds to offer her a seat to take her order.

The game then proceeds to spoil her backstory a bit with her character card:

I then go up and talk to her, and overhear her mention that she only really bought the drink to be polite, but she ends up enjoying it more than she expected.

She mentions that she likes the café, and gives a slight hint to her wealth, mentioning that the café would fit easily in to the parlor at her home. She then asks if I'm local, and if she could get help with something... Conveniently, she'd like to know if there are any boutiques nearby. How every convienet that we just happen to be the manager :)

She then mentions that she'd like to vist our shop to get help with what she refers to as "a small fashion dilemma" I guess we'll see that entails..

But we're then interrupted as fortman mentions that her time is up,

We also get a little more background on why she's here in the first place:

(maybe I'll just put text heavy images, one at a time, and double up on text-less ones, again, any feedback is welcome) She then mentioned that she only snuck out, and came all this way, so she could visit the cafe. And Fortman seems a little confused as to why she would come all this way just for coffee, and asks that she doesn't do it again. He mentions that she is in a bit of what he refers to as "a rebellious phase", and says it's time for her to return, as her mother was worried. And they then prepare to leave.

Yolanda mentions that Fortman is her bodyguard, and asks that we don't tell him about our conversation, and mentions that she intends to meet us again. Well, that was an... interesting event. I may have been wrong with my initial read of the situation, but it seems they went with the 'rebilious kid from a rich (controlling) family' trope.

I've seen this background dozens of times by now, it was really popular in the late 90's early 00's, So I hope they do something interesting with it. ----- Alright, I'm gonna have to cut this post a little short, I started playing a few days ago, but ended up getting busy with life stuff, I wanted to at least finish off the day, but that would delay this post even longer, so I'll just give some final thoughts on this event, and end it here. So, it's really starting to feel like they traded off the 'town npc' from Fashion Forward, for the 'multiple story lines' that we're seeing in this new game. I'm still not sure how I feel about that change, but at the same time, Fashion Forward still exists. And changing it up really makes both games stand alone with their own distinct identities. I'll reserve my judgment on what I think is better till I complete the game, and for now I'll just try to accept this game for what it is! Thanks for reading! ----- As always, all comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome! (I'm also looking for feedback on this new style, how's the formatting?)

You literally can't bother me, (unless you go out of your way to be a jerk), so post whatever you need to say!

[ghostdrool1]

Heyy, I'm ghostdrool

Finally decided to post after what, a year or so.? Honestly didn't think I was going to post on this platform when I joined Tumblr but here we are🙌

Anyway a little bit about me:

I'm the very ripe age of 19, but I'll be 20 in July 🎊

Mainly on here for Tummy content, SFW preferred on this blog.

I can do art but it'll be rare because I'm not too sure about my skills, and I have like, no time to draw because of work and classes. That also adds onto how often I post because I have no time to do anything I swear, but I'll try to at least post once a month lmao.

It's mentioned in my bio that I am indeed taken by a lovely autistic so please stop DMing me and proceeding to ask for my snap, I'm so tired of it. On the other hand I'm very open to having new friends here, so please don't be shy if you wanna be buddies 🫶

What you'll see here:

Stuff I do/allow:

• Stuffing

• Starvation

• Stomach Noises

• Soft Vore

• Hard Vore (not preferred)

• G/T Vore

• Same Size Vore (not preferred)

• Burps

• Tummy Rubs

• Sick/Queasy Tummies

• Slight Weight Gain

• Mpreg (not preferred)

• Mouth Play

• Food Play

• BDSM

• LGBTQ+

• Monsters

• Masks

• Soft Torture

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

Stuff I do NOT do/allow:

• Zoophilia

• Pedophilia

• Anal/Cock Vore

• Extreme Weight Gain

• Giant Inflation

• Farts

• Vomit

• Scat

• Eating Disorders

• Birthing

• Gore

• Feet

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

A few more things..

I'm very fond of faceless or masked characters, so most of my content will consist of many masked/faceless characters and Oc's. So be prepared for that lol.

Also, I'm a straight female, meaning a lot of my content will be mostly male's. Although if asked I will do some things with females or other genders if asked. 💜 Speaking of that, I do really enjoy Male on Male things, so I'm open to that stuff as well🫶

I am not much of a fan of Furry content, not that I have anything against them at all, they're really cool people and their art is adorable, but I don't really enjoy furry art/posts when it comes to belly kinks. It's just not my thing, but no harm toward that amazing community ♡♡

I'm a SFW content creator, I tend to enjoy bellies and Vore in a non-sexual way, so there won't be too much sexual related posts on my blog, but just be aware it might be possibility.

►◄►◄►◄►◄►◄►◄►◄►◄►◄►◄►◄►◄►◄►◄►◄

That's about it! Please don't be shy to DM me or send an Ask, I'm nice, I promise! No ask is too weird or gross🫶 (unless it's in my list of not allowed)

Thank you. ❤

[gabrielokun]

Hi. You watch a lot of dramas/series. Do you have any favorites? If you do, what's your top 20 favorite Asian BL dramas/series?

Hi, anon)) thank you for asking. Sorry, it took a while) but I have to prepare a visual representation to compensate for the lack of writing skills))) english is hard T_T

anyway, here are some of my favorite things

Love by Chance (2018)

The show that started it all (づ ᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡ Yep, my first Bl therefore I just must include it. Is is a good show? - not really. BUT! AePete are my babies, I love them. Nobody does it like them ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡

2. My Only 12% (2022)

Childhood friends to lovers done right! My favorite show of the last year. It is a slooooow burn but it's so worth it! Very lively and real boys. great family and friend dynamics, kind of meh last story outside of CakeEwi but still…If you want some great friendship slowly blooming into romance this is the show

3. Kieta Hatsukoi (2021)

Super cute show. All characters are amazing, story well written, minimum hurt all the comfort. Good girl-not an enemy (im really easy too please ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀) xd)

4. 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii (2020)aka Cherry magic

JapBL are totally for me when they do fluff, (cause their angst is on a such level I need a lifetime to process it xd)

but this one is so fluffy (ฅ́ ˘ฅ̀)♡ They make me happy and I grateful for it

5. My Ride (2022)

Speaking of fluff °ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ° Other couples are kind of boring But! Mork's uncles, MorkTawan's adopted son (still a bit salty we didnt see him again, Tawan should've had more parenting time, he is clearly a great dad ଘ(੭◌ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚) natural growth of their friendship into love *_*. This one is good!

6.Color Rush (2020)

I love soulmates. Its short, simple story but with very interesting and original idea.

7. Hello Stranger (2020)

Such a simple story but the way it was done is amazing! Falling in love through web camera (੭ ˊ^ˋ)੭ ♡ Characters have such an incredible chemistry even tho they have minimum personal contact(kudos to actors they done well)))

I Will Knock You (2022)

Okay, yes age gap not for everyone. But again it was done very respectful. ૮₍ ´ ꒳ `₎ა I love love love Noey's ˖°.✧aesthetic✧˖°., his room is my fave ngl, i want everything he has))))I love this delusional king He was so sure Thi is into him from the second they met and i live for it.

9. Until We Meet Again (2019)

I love soulmates 2. I just love this show. Its gonna traumatize you and then comforts you with cutest fluffiest boys that going through it

10. Vice Versa (2022)

I didn't like it at first

Puen annoyed me too much ૮꒰˶> ༝ <˶ ꒱ა but then I binge rewatch it in one weekend and I just fall for it. Its so good))) I love soulmates 3 and it's super pretty. I love colors

11. About Youth (2022)

Show where I love main and second couple the same ପ(๑•ᴗ•๑)ଓ ♡ thats rare))) Again very simple story but told beautifly

12. HIStory2 Right or Wrong (2018)

Let's talk HIStory. They kind of getting worse imho. 4 and 5 were just fine. thats sucks ʚ₍ᐢ ›̥̥̥ ༝ ‹̥̥̥ ᐢ₎ɞ i still love them tho

HIStory2 Right or Wrong (2018) 13. HIStory3 Trapped (2019) and 14. HIStory2 Crossing the Line (2018)

are superior for me. but just watch any of them they all are worth your time

15. Our Dating Sim (2023)

Second chance romance done very very right!

16. Oxygen (2020)

Good fluffy fluff. P'Phu and his bunny are so precious. Main are cute and sweet and adorable. Ignore weird girl and doctor everything else is just so lovely

17. Light on Me (2021)

Love triangle done right. Good light fluffy show that did hurt so good (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)

18. To My Star Season 2: Our Untold Stories (2022)

I love how they told this story

19. Not Me (2021)

its hard to explain how good this show is, its more serious than usual bls, great acting, amazing story, strong message told through not just cinematography but art and dance too. its truly great show

20. Triage (2022)

Time loops are fun

+ some honorable mentions

Ingredients (2020)

not a show))) just an add but damn. It such a feel good little comfort add Jeff and Gameplay have an amazing chemistry, simple slice of life stories but so good , mutual pining done so well

anything by strongberry, literally just go at their YT chanel and enjoy ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭ ੈ♡‧₊˚

emmmm that a long post sorry