#Sixteenth official post

[faux-ecrivain]

Frightened Ex x Yandere reader

“When Cupid gets it wrong, goodbyes can be messy.” - that private eye who worked for the HPD for thirty years from that one episode of Hawaï Five-O where that girl in a red dress died and the private eye was narrating the story

(Trigger warning: murder, death and amputation are mentioned/implied.)

(Also, you, the reader, are the yandere here)

(Sixteenth Official Post)

(Merry Christmas)

(Happy Holidays)

(name is Anthony)

          When you and Anthony first started dating he thought you were an absolutely wonderful person, he admired you and would go out of his way to please you. Then just 4 years into your relationship, you started to behave… strangely. You were more possessive and would often isolate him from his friends (regardless of gender).     

         Sometimes, you would makes jokes about locking him up and killing all his friends, which made him very uncomfortable. Luckily, after expressing his discomfort, you quit joking like that, but now he was wary around you and he was considering breaking up with you. However, when he expressed this decision to you, you informed him that you wouldn’t let him leave and would make sure he knew his place.

——————————————————————

   Anthony’s breath was muffled by his hands, his eyes squeezed shut as he prays that you won’t find him. He doesn’t know why you’re acting like this, treating him like a prisoner and trying to lock him away in your dreary, albeit big, house. He shuffles further into the closet, his knees up and his legs pulled close to his body. Tears fall down his face and he sniffles, what once was a beautiful, loving relationship, was now massacred beyond fixing.

         He listens as you creep through the hallway, he hears your ominous voice call out to him and he fights the urge to run into your arms. Yes, he’s scared, but often when he was scared you would be there to comfort him. Your footsteps grow closer, the floorboards creak and you stop in front of the closet. You taunt him, calling out for him, even though he’s certain you know he’s in there. “Anthony, baby, wheeere are yoou? Are you hiding from me?” Shivers wrack his body the moment he hears a haunting giggle escape your mouth. 

          “That’s not very nice, Anthony. Didn’t your mommy ever teach you manners?” Anthony’s tears fall faster as you bring up his mother, he’s sure you’ve done something to her, probably killed her. You begin moving again, the creaking of the floorboards lessen in volume and he assumes you’ve moved away from the closet. Still, he doesn’t leave and instead waits inside the closet for a matter of minutes. He listens diligently for your footsteps and hopes you won’t come back. 

          After at least 20 minutes have passed he cracks the closet door open, his eyes roam across the expanse of the hallway and his fear lessens once he sees the hall empty. He sneaks out of the closet, quietly closes the door behind him and sneaks in the direction opposite of the way that you went. For a moment, Anthony believes he can escape, he thinks he can make it to the door and run away from you. He thinks he came leave you behind, but he was wrong, so very wrong. 

          His heart stops when you call out to him, your voice smug and haughty. “There you are, baby, trying to escape, again?” He turns around and his body freezes as you approach. His heart beats erratically and he can barely form a single thought in his brain. Then he quickly snaps to when he realizes the distance between you two is slowly closing. He wills his legs to work and, when they do, he rushes off in a random direction. One that will hopefully allow him freedom or a moment’s salvation. 

         You groan when he runs off again, it was getting quite annoying and each time he ran it made you want to immobilize him. You snicker at the thought, but since you have no desire to traumatize him, more than you already have, you decide against such an idea. You stalk after him, taking your time as you knew he was likely lost in the maze of a house you own. Your throat vibrates as you begin to hum, a tune much too joyful for the present time. You hear Anthony crack open the door to the left wing of your house, well it isn’t actually your house, but does that really matter? 

          Anthony closes the heavy mahogany door behind him and wince at the loud slam it releases. He wrings his hands together and begins to walk down the darkened hallway, he’s never seen this part of the house before, it’s all worn down. He exhales and continues walking, his eyes glancing around his surroundings and taking in the strange decorations hanging up. Some of them seem entirely too old for such a modern house, some seem to be straight from the eighteenth century. 

          He doesn’t have time to dwell on your strange interior choices, as he hears the mahogany doors creak open and slam shut. His hearts begins to race, once more, and he knows you’re near. He fears that he might never escape and that you would catch him. He’s so scared, so frightened. He doesn’t know what to do, should he run or should he hide?

(I know everyone voted yes go back to my old style, but I didn’t know how else to write this oneshot. Don’t worry though, I’ll still listen to you guys and will continue writing in my old style, but I might also write this way.)

(Hope you enjoyed and hopefully you guys are excited for the next part!)

—————————————————-

(Don’t worry, I’m going to post all three (or two) endings, I just need to know which one you want first.)

(Expect another post around 12:30 this afternoon)

[lunastrophe]

BG3 Drow Lore 🕷️ Minthara's Childhood

Some thoughts on Minthy's childhood in Menzoberranzan:

🕷️ Assassination Attempt – being almost killed was likely among Minthara's earliest memories: I survived my first assassination attempt while I still suckled at my mother's breast. I tasted her blood that day. She covered my body with her own, and a blade bit deep into her chest, almost puncturing her heart.

We do not know why somebody wanted to kill her - the assassination might be orchestrated by some relative, for example, or some other person who wanted to weaken her mother's position in the family. Minthara was likely important to her (see this post).

🕷️Lessons of Early Childhood – Minthara was being raised by her mother instead of being fostered to some other relative, like it happens with less important drow children: My mother taught me to talk, to walk, and then to kill. I still hope to thank her by teaching her how to die one day. In another line, Minthara says: I had every advantage, and my mother showed me how to survive.

As a female and Baenre, Minthara was infinitely more privileged than many other drow kids in Menzoberranzan – at the same time, though, she lived under enormous pressure, striving to meet her mother's high expectations. A failure meant a punishment, and little Minthara probably quickly learnt that in her world, failures can be deadly.

🕷️ Lessons In Killing? – Minthara most likely started to learn how to survive the perils of Lolth-sworn drow society when she was still very young.

It is quite possible that she scored her first kill before actually reaching adulthood – in one of her lines, when she is asked at what age it is right to set a child upon mortal combat, she answers: The moment it can hold a blade. It may even test its resilience against some common poisons while it is still in the womb.

We do not know if her own mother was building up her resistance to poisons in such a way, but in another line, Minthara says: my mother would have poisoned her own milk to torment me. So... who knows.

🕷️ Protected And Tormented – Minthara says that there was no love between her and her mother. As an adult, she reflects that her mother protected her with one hand and tormented her with the other, and admits that her relationship with her ...may not be the best model to follow.

🕷️ End of Early Childhood – in noble drow families, sons typically start to serve the household when they are around ten years old and when they are sixteen, they are officially recognized as members of their house. During the family meeting in the chapel, they receive the house piwafwi and then their mother - or matron mother of their house - makes decisions about their education and future.

I doubt that daughters of noble drow families need to serve the household as children - but maybe after reaching a suitable age, they start to visit the family chapel, for example, to observe and learn basic duties of priestesses? In case of Minthara, it would probably mean spending some time in the huge, domed chapel of House Baenre.

🕷️ Young Baenre - noble drow girls probably have their own variant of societal rite of passage around their sixteenth birthday, celebrated more grandly than that of noble drow boys. Maybe it is also a formal ceremony in the family chapel, followed by less formal celebrations - maybe even a party? Some drow version of "sweet sixteen"?

If yes - then most likely during this ceremony it was officially announced that Minthara is to be trained as a soldier in Lolth's service. It was probably one of the most important moments in her life, especially since noble females are typically trained to be priestesses - if they want to pursue a different career, they need their matron mother's permission. House Baenre apparently recognized Minthara's talents early.

Minthara's early training lasted for several decades - until she enrolled into academy.

For more of my drow lore ramblings, feel free to check my pinned post 🕷️

[venomous-qwille]

Weekly Magma Session 16

That’s a wrap for our sixteenth ☆ DCA Artists ☆ Weekly Magma!

Soz for the posting delay! Here are the beautiful boards from the sixteenth session <3 You can check out everyone popping off below~

[ID: The above images are from a Magma canvas with various pieces of Sun and Moon fanart drawn by different artists. End ID]

If you like what you see and you crave more (..I know I do), you can find a bunch of these amazing artists are tagged below!

@foxboidrew // @truorstrawberry // @sunnyxdx3 // @jadescortaurius-alt // @penguins-dragons // @grayyskies // @nicmares404 // @lilsteppybigoof // @alexluminosbucket

@chaireem // @bucketbabs // @cero-sleep // @pr0ng3ls // @moonlight1caladium // @penguins-dragons // @tenebrous-one // @ilsole // @starsketchez // @clxckwork-sun-n-moon

@trixxstrawberry // @slimelijah // @skizabaa // @fishydaycare // @thecatnipwizard // @just-a-drawing-bean // @oofouchstovehot // @pasteldragonstuff // @callmeschmoodey

@theblog-with-thestuff // @venomous-qwille // @anonymousmouse556 // @lec743 // @ohno-the-sun // @00arlala // @mizuriot // @beeeepis4why // @eclipsedcrystalstar

@ayippeei // @chknbzkt // @agent-darkfest // @fudgernutter // @socksandbuttons // @luckipangelz // @bluegamerchick // @pointyfruit // @coulsart // @rambunctioustoons

@simpalert // @nexerist // @jadewolfy // @greedyarts-official // @miss-night // @o-g-i // @bubbiethesaur // @sillywabbits // @muffant // @vpsky

Someone missing? I try hard to keep track of all the artists who participate! Make sure you add a legible signature (tumblr handle) to future Magmas so I can find and tag you!

If you would like to take part in our future Weekly Magmas please take a moment to join the ☆ DCA Artists ☆ Magma group where we will be hosting all our weekly sessions. Future Magmas will be live on:

Saturday 6pm-4am UTC

I will be posting the Magma link on tumblr when we do go live, so keep an eye out around this time!

If you are looking for more events and fun stuff to do in the DCA fandom come join the DCA Palooza discord, where we will be doing more collabs and community stuff for creatives in our orbit!

See ya next time Superstars ☆

[olympeline]

@fireandspiceland’s recent posts made me realise I never knew how much I needed a USUK cardverse/omegaverse combo AU in my life. Well now I do! So have a Situation Involving Them that I just came up with:

The King of each of the four Suit Lands is always an alpha, the Queen an omega, and each kingdom has their own way of choosing their royal pair. In the Land of Spades, the Queen is born with his or her Royal Mark and so taken from their family and raised to rule from a young age. Meanwhile the King gains the Mark once he or she beds the Queen in heat for the first time. This means the Queen is born to rule, but the King can be anyone so long as they’re an alpha. To make sure they get someone worthy, a potential King must face a series of trials. Ending with the most treacherous of all: catching the Spade Queen in the traditional hunting grounds of the Garden of Thorns. Catching the Queen, subduing them, then bringing them back to the castle to be wedded and mated during their next heat. While the Queen can fight to kill, obviously the would-be-Kings can’t. Which puts them at a huge disadvantage right from the start.

The Spade Queen is always a powerful mage so the threat of facing them one-on-one is enough to repel all but the most elite warriors. Nevertheless, there’s usually a new Spade King a year or two after the Queen comes of age. The prize of a kingdom is a big motivator after all. Enough to bring the greatest warriors from all over and make them daring. But - unfortunately for the kingdom - their latest Queen is different. Their latest Queen is one Arthur Kirkland: green-eyed, straw haired, peasant son of a sailor turned Spade Queen-in-Waiting from the moment his midwife spotted the Mark before the cord was even cut. As is traditional, Arthur is a mage. But even for a Spade Queen, he’s not just powerful but stupidly powerful and ruthless with it. He’s also proud, haughty, and absolutely bound and determined that no one, but no one, is going to subdue him. He’s nobody’s broodmare, goddamnit! He’s his own man! Arthur bloody Kirkland is not getting wedded and bedded, not ending up wasting his talents raising litters of babies while some meatheaded brute usurps his place in the kingdom he’s been learning to rule since he was barely more than a babe himself! Arthur has a razor sharp mind and many plans for the Kingdom of Spades. Plans to reform society and make life better for all who live there. Something he can’t do if bound to a Spade King and forced to do his or her bidding. The laws of the land make the King of Spades monarch supreme. The Queen utterly subservient to them and there to birth royal children - Dukes and Duchesses of Spades - who can then be married off to forge alliances with other kingdoms. Excuse Arthur while he seethes at the thought of all of his brilliance being squandered on a life of endless sex followed by birthing royal brats in a nest.

Arthur had his first heat in his early teens and the kingdom officials started the tournaments as soon as he did, confident they’d have a new King of Spades in a year or two at most. Only to grow increasingly horrified as Arthur destroyed every champion brought in to chase him. Most of the time he didn’t even bother to run as a Queen usually would. Instead just calling on his litany of flesh melting, bone shattering spells to finish each encounter in mere minutes. His sixteenth birthday passes, then his eighteenth, nineteenth, on and on. Now the Queen of Spades is close to his twenty-first year and still he’s unmated! Not only that, but his reputation has grown so fearsome that the kingdom officials can barely find any champions willing to face him. The old fossils are close to despair and Arthur is smugger than a smug vendor at a convention of smuggery. He knows if he can make it past his twenty-first birthday then he will legally be an adult and the kingdom’s steward will have no choice but to hand all the powers of monarch supreme over to him. The old King of Spades is long dead and so is the old Queen. Making Arthur the undisputed highest authority in the Kingdom of Spades once he comes of age. Then no one can stop him making himself Queen Regnat, able to rule with no King. Able to change whatever laws he wants. Able to put a stop to these cursed tournaments once and for all and choose his own Spade Prince - not a Spade King, a Spade Prince! Subservient to his Spade Queen! Definitely a Prince - in peace.

He’s so close now, just one more month to go. All the years of training and endless sleepless nights of practicing spellcraft til he keeled over from exhaustion will be worth it. Arthur knows he can do it. He’s powerful now, so, so powerful. Who could ever hope to match the sheer force of his black magic? As far as he knows, there’s only one challenger left who’s been stupid enough not to throw in the towel. A young knight from a minor noble family by the name of Albert or Alfred or some such. Arthur barely listened to the details when Councillor Yao told him he had another challenge coming up. Arthur has practically been through more would-be-Kings than he’s had cups of tea. He’s heard it all before. He’s sure this Alfred or whatever will be no different.

Quite sure.

(This is getting long so end of part 1! Hopefully you guys will be interested in reading more once I type it up. 😘)

[fallingrealms16]

Sterek Fic Recs PART7 <333

i cannot believe i have read enough sterek fic to be able to make a part 7?!?! It's been over a year and between work and my social life all i do is read, read, read! (special fic recs for @singer7777 at the bottom) well here it is, sterek fic recs part 7, LETS GO

(ps. this is a long post so buckle in)

1. This Might Be Irony by thepsychicclam

38K Words // Chapters: 1/1 // Hits: 190K // COMPLETED

//MATURE//

Stiles and Derek have been close friends since the Hale siblings moved in next door after their parents' death. But Derek's in the popular group, he's a star baseball player, and he dates popular Pep Squad captain Jennifer Blake. Stiles doesn't have any of that, just his skateboard and a hopeless crush on Derek (oh yeah, and his Vote Lydia Martin Prom Queen button). As prom and the baseball state championship grow closer, Stiles and Derek start rekindling their friendship. And it all begins with two white boards.

2. But Then What... by Stoney

24K Words // Chapters: 3/3 // Hits: 182K // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

Senior year is almost over, and all Stiles needs to do is keep his head down to survive. A teacher calls in a favor, leaving him stuck tutoring Derek Hale, one of the most popular jocks in school and a member of a group of douchecanoes who have bullied Stiles for years. He's someone Stiles totally hates. Totally. Like, doesn't like him even a little bit. DEFINITELY isn't attracted to him. Except that is a total lie. Fuck his life, seriously.

3. When You're Close I Feel the Sparks by Leslie_Knope

39K Words // Chapters: 4/4 // Hits: 156K // COMPLETED

//MATURE//

The guy is hot as hell, sure—leather jacket and glasses, Jesus, be still Stiles' poor, bisexual, beating heart—but more importantly, it must really suck being new on the first day of senior year. “We’re adopting him,” he decides, tugging Scott and Kira by the elbow in that direction. “Let’s go.”

4. What To Expect When You're Expecting (A Litter of Sourwolf Puppies) by Brego_Mellon_Nin

17K Words // Chapters: 1/1 // Hits: 176K // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

The Sheriff sighs and plops down in a chair opposite his son. “Stiles, I’m going crazy here. We need to get you to a doctor. You sleep like you’re trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records, and your eating habits are bizarre! You vomit around the clock and for some reason only the tea your mother used when she was pregnant will get your stomach to settle down for any length of time. Is there something you aren’t telling me? Can werewolves get guys pregnant? I’ve noticed how you look at that Hale kid-” Stiles meeps and flails, sloshing tea down his front. Luckily it’s not scalding anymore, but still hot, so he jumps up and wrenches his shirt off. “God, dad, no! Guys can’t get pregnant, that’s ridiculous, it’s like...” “Like werewolves being real?” his dad questions, deadpan.

5. More Than Biology by DiscontentedWinter

45K Words // Chapters: 13/13 // Hits: 60K // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

Stiles is a teenaged, unmated omega whose sixteenth birthday is fast approaching. Derek is the beta who loves him, and promises to claim him. And then it all goes to hell.

SPECIAL FIC RECS:

1. The Soul Knows What the Heart Wants by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella)

163K Words // Chapters: 9/9 // Hits: 74K // COMPLETED

//MATURE//

“Holy—shit,” Stiles breathed, Bacon stopping in what he was doing, still staring at him intently, as if begging him to understand, for someone to finally understand. Stiles felt like he’d been electrocuted and he leapt out of his chair, kneeling in front of Bacon and grabbing at his furry face. “Holy shit! Oh my God, are you—wait, holy—you’re not fucking with me, right?!” Bacon let out two quick barks, which Stiles chose to interpret as ‘no.’ “Oh my God, are you a real person in there?!” Stiles shouted in the wolf’s face, staring him right in the eye. He was still holding the wolf’s head with both hands, but Bacon dipped his muzzle in confirmation and Stiles officially lost his mind. “Oh my God!” he shouted again, releasing Bacon to clutch at his own hair. “Oh my God! Dude, for real?! You’re—holy shit! Holy shit!” He didn’t know how to react to this news. He had no fucking idea how to react. This was a person?! But how?! How was this a person?! People didn’t just turn into wolves!

2. Whisper Through the Din by HyperLittleNori (Shiguresan)

38K Words // Chapters: 4/4 // Hits: 11K // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

He wasn’t good at knowing the best thing to say, knowing how to comfort someone. He never had been. That had always been his mom or Laura. He thought of them then, of his mom’s warm eyes and Laura’s thoughtful expression. He remembered that night she’d tucked him into the Camaro, smoke still clinging to their hair and clothes, remembered what she’d said and he thought those words would stick with him until the day he died. He watched Stiles for a long heartbeat; his own head slightly cocked as he listened to Stiles’s heart simmer back from the enraged crescendo it’d worked itself into. When it settled back to something sad and steady, like the vibration on a string instrument, Derek offered an uncertain echo of Laura’s words. “We’ll work this out, Stiles.”

3. This isn’t the OK!Cupid I thought I was signing up for by changez

21K Words // Chapters: 12/12 // Hits: 8K // COMPLETED

//MATURE//

Stiles and Scott are enjoying their relatively quiet life on the East Coast, but everything is turned upside down by the appearance of a very familiar black wolf stalking the nearby woods. A lone hunter forces Derek to make a last second decision to give Stiles the bite to save his life, but the circumstances bring a seemingly fairytale legend to reality. Derek feels remorse for what he’s done to Stiles, but before he can make amends, he’s captured. Stiles will have to come to terms with more than just the bite before it’s too late.

[eddiediazismyhusband]

the homophobic!marisol fic has officially hit 40k words 😭💕

yall this fic has turned into my literal baby i can’t express how much i am enjoying working on it and how i cannot wait until it’s finished…. it’s going to take a while; there’s a lot that still has to happen in the story, but i am so happy with how things are turning out so far. the love and support yall have shown so far is astounding and i couldn’t be more happy to have such an amazing group of people following along in this long-ass journey of writing this fic (that i’ve been writing since MAY SIXTEENTH)

i am so excited to share it with yall once it’s eventually finished and i truly hope that yall enjoy it, but for now i’m just gonna continue working on it and posting the occasional update when i can.

💕💕💕💕

[mrsfrecklesmarauders]

AN: Little post for Regulus's birthday that in my headcanon is today. 25th of June, Cancer child, obviously.

This one is a little sad but sometimes I need to write angsty things about Regulus to deal with my personal pain because I kin him so much.

Content warning of verbal and physical abuse plus mentions of self harm.

*****

Regulus had always been invisible on his birthday. It wasn't that people actually forgot. It was just not a big deal like Sirius’s birthdays for example. Sirius had always been the king. Even if he was the rebel. Even if he fought constantly with their parents. Even if he represented everything that the family didn't. Sirius Black was the heir. Therefore his birthdays were special. Regulus's were not.

It always mixed with the end of term exams as well. This year, Regulus had gone through his GCSE's with stress but hopefully successful results that would come out on August. Being a Black, Regulus had lots of expectations on him to get full marks. Like Sirius surprisingly did for his.

Regulus didn't have a party or a cake until summer officially began.

Regulus's sixteenth birthday was stained by Sirius's rebellious behavior. It was the summer before his eighteenth birthday, before he became an adult and he had to start behaving like the heir everyone expected of him.

So Regulus's birthday party became an excuse to invite "important people" over so they could meet Sirius. A business meeting with old people that Regulus didn't even know. Regulus didn't have friends besides Barty, he didn't expect much people of his age. But still.

Their Grandfather Pollux was dragging Sirius around to introduce him to coworkers, shakeholders and businessmen. Orion and Walburga were acting like proud parents. Everyone was pretending. Regulus was practically a ghost.

"It's okay" Regulus sighed as Sirius commented furiously how it wasn't fair, when he could escape from Pollux into the kitchen for some forbidden drinks "I hate my birthdays anyway"

"Grandfather is a dick. Heard his lung is failing, hope he passes soon"

"Sirius!" Regulus gasped but he hid a smile. Honestly it sounded cruel. But that man had been horrible to them their whole lives.

"I don't think I am ready for this, Reggie" Sirius added, looking around with disdain. The group of people chatting formally. Like a meeting in an office. Not like a teenager's birthday.

"I knew I had to be the heir one day. But that seemed far away when we were kids... Now I only have one year left at Hogwarts, and then my life is supposed to be this... Boring meetings, pretending to be perfect, talking nonsense about superficialities..."

Regulus was relieved he was not the heir. He had a plan with Barty to run away as soon as they finished school. Actually, they didn't even matter for their families. But Regulus didn't think about the burden Sirius actually had right now.

"There's no option" Regulus murmured as he had a sip of his drink.

"What if there is?" Sirius asked "What if I ran away with Uncle Alphard to Rome or whatever"

"He just left to make some businesses. He will be back"

"Are you sure about that?" Sirius’s eyes glistened revealing how much he missed Alphard "I think he got tired of this family and ran away"

Regulus panicked. He knew his brother well. And he was capable of going after Alphard. Maybe, if it wasn't for Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew, he would have already be gone. And Regulus didn't want to lose him. He didn't know what would happen if Pollux would lose his heir. But it wouldn't be good. Plus, Sirius was the only person that kept Regulus sane.

"If you leave, and Grandfather has a heart attack for your absence, this hell hole would be chaos. I don't want to be there when it happens"

Sirius twisted his mouth in a half smile "Good thing I'm bringing you with me when I leave"

"When? I thought it was a matter of if..."

"When, Reggie. When" Sirius winked.

They ended up their conversation as Sirius was summoned by their mother again. Sirius groaned openly as Walburga fixed his suit and tie.

"You look like low class lawyer, Sirius. I don't understand how people believe you can be a good heir. But hell, here we are"

"They say I take my gracious looks from you, mother"

Walburga answered by tying his tie tight. A little bit more and Sirius could choke.

"Now get over there and behave like a human being"

"Care to pay attention to your son on his birthday?"

Walburga flickered her eyes towards Regulus for a second. But fixed her penetrating gaze on Sirius.

"His birthday was days ago"

"But we are supposed to be celebrating today!"

Regulus could feel the tension building up between them. He didn't want to witness a fight. Those were horrible. And they were worse when they involved Orion.

Walburga just pursed her lips.

"Just go back in there before I lose my patience"

Sirius’s eyes were daring. He didn't move for a few seconds. Seconds in which Regulus thought he was going to lose it and do something dumb.

"Luckily we are not done with the celebration"

Sirius simply said that and gave a little wink to his brother. Then he walked away.

Walburga sighed with patience as she turned to Regulus. Now that Sirius was gone, she had a softer expression.

"Don't worry, love" she whispered in French only for him, squeezing his chin gently "I have your birthday cake ready for later"

"Thanks, mum" Regulus replied in French as well.

The rest of the evening passed in a numb blur. A feeling Regulus had been having lately. If you could call it a feeling at all. Usually, Regulus survived school with Barty. But summers were split into horrible social events of fake and superficial people and the constant fights of Orion and Walburga. Between each other. Or with Sirius. Regulus was drowned in a teenage angst. Youth didn't seem like the best years of his life. He wasn’t even excited to be sixteen.

"How much he is growing" people would say "He is as handsome as his father. Surely there are lots of girls after him... Maybe my niece would be interested. She lives in America"

"How skinny" another would say "Does he play any sports, Orion? It is good for young boys to be athletic. I was captain of my rugby team when I was his age"

"Oh, how adorable. He is shy, isn't he, Walburga? Not very suitable for businesses. Good thing you have Sirius"

"A handsome boy like him without a girlfriend? Maybe it is the piercings, son. See girls think that is weird. You don't want people thinking you're a puff, do you?"

These kind of comments made Regulus hate himself even more than he already did. He hated how shy he had sounded. How socially awkward he was. How he was seen as this baby, mummy's boy. While Sirius was natural with words, with presence, with the winning smile. Everyone wanted him for business, for recommendations, for making him their sons' model, their nephews'  friend, their nieces' and daughters' future husband. It was sickening. Sirius could be the best heir for the Company and the family name. He just didn't give a fuck about any of it.

Regulus locked himself in his room when everything became too much. He had a knot on his throat. He just wanted to crawl in bed and cry. He was ashamed of himself and what he was. He felt guilty for not being enough. For not being more. For not being the center of attention, not even in his fucking birthday.

Regulus sat on his bed and opened up his drawer. Inside it, Regulus kept a large pair of siccors he had stolen from somewhere.

Regulus had been the angsty teen that not only related with depressing songs about how society sucked and everything was hopeless, that had had his embarrassing emo phase at thirteen when he covered his face with a fang and used only black clothes; Regulus also had cut his own arm.

It was a secret no one knew. Not even Barty who wouldn't be scandalized by these things. It was recent. And Regulus did it a couple of times to feel something. To focus the mental pain into a physical one.

Regulus wanted to do it tonight.

Luckily, he was interrupted by a knock on his window that made him jump. Barty was smiling through the glass. He had a new piercing on his nose.

Regulus hid the scissors inside his drawer and ran to open the window for his friend.

"Happy Birthday!"

"Don't you know how to use the front door?"

Barty crawled inside.

"And face the pretentious wankers from downstairs? No, thank you!"

Regulus smiled "I'm glad you are here"

He didn't want to hurt himself anyway. He felt worse afterwards.

"I brought you a present. And you are going to love me for it" Barty grinned as he took out something from his back pocket.

A big bag of weed hanged from his fingers.

Regulus grinned "God, I love you"

They smoked for a while on Regulus's bed. Barty asked him about the party. Regulus said it was shit. Barty didn't ask no more. Regulus loved him for not pressuring him. They smoked in silence only with punk music in the background. Barty commenting on weird facts that Regulus didn't need to know. But it was nice to focus on something else.

A few hours later someone bursted through his door and Regulus almost had a heart attack hiding his spliff, thinking it was his mother. But Sirius was on the door with a grin on his face and a bottle of gin on his hand.

"Look what I got for ourselves, birthday boy!" he chanted.

"Oh fuck"

"Crouch, you're here"

"Black" Barty said as he let out some smoke.

"Is that weed?" Sirius asked with his eyebrows raised. "Nice! Let's begin with the actual celebration"

"What about our parents?"

Sirius shrugged "Let them have fun with their little orgie of rich old boomers"

Barty cracked up laughing at that.

Regulus started to have some fun with his two favorite people smoking weed and drinking gin with him. It was funny that Sirius and Barty were so similar but quarreled about everything.

Regulus loved them. They made Regulus happy and they made him feel young and alive for a while. They tried playing Monopoly until Sirius threw the board away because he was losing. They gossiped and laughed about people at school, including teachers.

"Okay, hottest girl in school to shag" Sirius said, "Go!"

To Sirius’s surprise, both Regulus and Barty were silent. They had always said Hogwarts girls were too stupid for them.

"Don't you want to shag someone?" Sirius asked

Regulus actually didn't.

"Come on! I know both of you are virgins"

"I am not a virgin!" Barty exclaimed but when Sirius gave him a look he added "Fine! I'd prefer cutting my dick off than shagging one of those brainless princesses"

That was why Barty was Regulus's best friend. They were too similar.

"Me too"

"Come on! There must be someone you find pretty, sexy, hot..." Sirius insisted. Of course he had a long history with girls.

Regulus and Barty stared at each other. This was often something boys didn't understand. How they weren't interested in any girl. The boys in their class used to tease them for it. Calling them fags and each other's boyfriends. Until they got sick of it and arranged to have a default answers. Sirius was the teasing type.

"Emmeline Vance" Barty said.

"Alice Fortescue" Regulus said almost immediately.

Regulus chose Alice because she was the prettiest girl in school. And she was unreachable since she was dating Longbottom. So people left him alone with his "crush". Barty chose Emmeline because everyone thought she was a lesbian and they found funny how Barty didn't have a chance with her. Actually, they didn't care about those girls.

Sirius had the same expected reaction as everyone else. Teasing both for their silly crushes. He even mentioned that Alice and Longbottom were on a break and that his little brother might have a chance.

"You know, I lost my virginity at sixteen" Sirius winked "And Fortescue looks like a good shag"

"Sure" Regulus said. He didn't care.

Sirius was drunk anyway.

"I love girls" Sirius added, his mind somewhere else "I mean I'm very into girls, eh Reggie? No one else.... It is just weird that he is in my mind, yeh know?"

"Who?" Regulus asked amused.

But Sirius didn't answer. He placed his head on Regulus's shoulder with his eyes closed.

"He's pissed" Regulus laughed, turning to look at Barty and finding out he was fast asleep next to him as well. Regulus smiled.

These two. They had made Regulus's birthday worth it somehow. Regulus hated everyone else. Except for these two boys next to him. They made life worth living.

Regulus fell asleep thinking that was the end of the day. However he was woken up hours later by Walburga and her angry expression.

"What is the meaning of this?" She asked as she held the empty bottle and the rest of the stash.

Regulus's heart started beating fast in fear. His mother didn't know how he had drunk, had had drugs and wasn't the innocent lamb she believed.

"Mrs. Black..." Barty cleared his throat as he spoke "Let me explain..."

"I want you out of my house, Bartemius" Walburga snapped "I will call your father in the morning"

Regulus gave Barty an apologetic look. Bartemius Senior was going to punish his son hard. Barty knew it. He looked scared already.

"Regulus?" Walburga was staring directly at him.

"It was me, Walburga" Sirius said next to him and Regulus remembered he was there "Stole the bottle, bought the weed and even called Crouch here to make things interesting. It was my baby brother's birthday after all"

Walburga clenched her jaw.

"Of course it was you" she said looking at Sirius with disgust.

To be fair, Regulus was frozen on the spot. It happened a lot to him when he got too stressed and frightened to react. He wanted to tell the truth but he couldn't.

"I keep insisting to your father and grandfather that you're nothing but a waist" Walburga commented to herself "You are a disappointment. Probably going to end up in rehab or jail..."

Sirius was still drunk with puffy red eyes from the weed. But still what their mother was saying was hurting him. She didn't even care that Barty was there.

"But dragging your little brother into this?" Walburga shook her head "You might want to drown but don't bring Regulus into this"

Sirius chuckled.

"Maman..." Regulus began talking in French. He wanted to tell her it was all his fault. But his voice shook.

"Perhaps I just wanted to give your son a bit of fun, mother. You know, like a man" Sirius’s voice proved the alcohol was speaking for him "Not like the pussy that you had made of him"

Regulus closed his eyes to avoid the tears to fall. He hated to be this weak. To be this fragil. Barty was right there.

"Get up, get a cold shower and compose yourself before your Grandfather leaves. He would want to see you" Walburga sighed with patience.

"I can do whatever I fucking want" Sirius replied drunk as a horse "Didn't you hear? I'm the heir and I will own everything you see around..." he smirked evily "That pisses you off, doesn't it? To think you will have to respond to me like the little bitch you are"

SLAP! Sirius’s little comment caused his such a strong slap across his face, that Walburga's ring cut his cheek and it began bleeding.

Barty gasped and covered his mouth. Regulus, who was used to it, just closed his eyes and nailed his fingers on his palm so hard that it hurt.

Sirius was shocked as he touched the blood on his cheek. Regulus saw it in his expression. He was done. He hated this woman. He hated this life. He hated it all.

Regulus knew he would leave with Alphard. Forever. Regulus knew he was practically one foot out.

"I guess I will make an excuse for your Grandfather" Walburga said as if nothing had happened "I want both of you sober by the time everyone leaves. Or else, your father won't have mercy"

She was right. Orion was ten times worse.

"Bartemius" she turned to him "Get out of here, before I lose my patience"

"Eh... Eh.. Yeah..."

That was the beginning of everything. The beginning of the end as some might say. It easily became the worst summer of Regulus's life.

The relationship between Sirius and Walburga became worse. Sirius’s rebelty was worse. He went to Orion to the office and came back with a terrible mood. Dinners became a battlefield. Until the point when Sirius couldn't take it no more. And he left.

"I can't do this, Regulus" Sirius told him between tears the night he packed his things "I cannot be with them anymore. I cannot become what they want. I can't become like them. This life sickens me..."

Regulus couldn't hold the tears falling down his cheeks silently because he couldn't ask his brother to stay. It wasn't fair. How could he if Regulus himself sometimes wanted to leave.

"Please come with me"

"Where? To the Potters? With Alphard?" he shook his head.

"Doesn't matter! Anywhere but here" Sirius took a step closer, begging desperately "Reg, we can disappear. We can ran away together. They won't have a power over us. I promise"

Some part of Regulus wanted to follow his brother anywhere. But another part of him knew that The Black Family would not lose the heir. If it wasn't Sirius, it would be Regulus. That was it. All eyes would turn to him. They would follow them to the end of the world to make sure one of them took the place.

But Sirius didn't see the details. How by being selfish, he could hurt other people. The Blacks were like a Jenga. If a key piece was taken out, the whole tower would fall down. And Sirius was one of the most important pieces.

"I can't, Sirius" Regulus cried "I'm sorry"

He wanted to beg him to stay and solve this together. They needed to fix Walburga with her drinking problems and childish behavior. They needed to stop Orion from committing fraud and doing everything he could to keep the power. They needed to find out why Alphard left. They were family after all. They couldn't just abandon everything.

"Okay... Suit yourself" Sirius snapped angrily as he grabbed his bag.

Regulus watched him go and he knew once Sirius crossed the door, he was going to lose him forever. And that hurt.

[twomp-thoughts]

Kay so this a blog 2 just reblog all my theories so they're all in one place since tumblrs search system is shit n I keep losing my theories :3

MASTERPOST:

●Twomp

Explaining twomp to someone who hasn't watch it

Why humans in the void look different from us

Present head guy episode analysis

Argos and Mr plant's age

Rambling about Gardening with Argos episode 7

My take on Argos' eyes placement

Why I think Argos said "Remember you are a visitor in these parts" in travel tips with Argos episode 1

Does Argos not know Mr plant (and some other ppl) are mute?

"Yk I'm one sixteenth banana leaf, and we go through alot of struggles" essay

When did Mr plant stopped wanting to kill Argos and fall in love with him?

Argos' DNA

Why I like the moon guy

Brief character analysis of Argos and Mr plant

Did the Police guy and Rose head guy dated before Rose died? [Side characters analysis]

What I think Mr plant's tear strikes are

My opinions on the Mushroom side character guy

Mr plant character analysis

My opinions on the cloud head side character guy

My thoughts on the Void 1 (with mark) video

●Mark and friends

Everything Billy has done to Mark

Mark and friends lore theory

How old is Mark? (Answered)

Thoughts and theories on what the official lore video could be about (posted before the lore video was out)

Why I'm conflicted about Ashur posting the lore video

Movie recommendation sheet of Mark and friends

Times Billy hendricks sounded sassy yasssss girl 💅💅💅💅 for no reason

Explaining Mark and friends to someone who hasn't watched it yet

Mark is doomed by the narrative not to die but to survive

Billy Hendricks character analysis [extremely long post]

Full trigger warning list for Mark and friends series

The significance of Mark being a 'little monster'

Mark with horns headcanon

Who is Big Monster?

Billy Hendricks is cruel in subtle ways too

Billy Hendricks headcanons

Wide Billy lore

More Billy Hendricks headcanons

● Both series/Other

Why I think plargos can adopt Mark

How Mark and friends lore is related to twomp

Emo Mark headcanons

Argos and Billy Hendricks are related?

Rambling about 'The unseeables are watching'

Plargos + Mark Family au headcanons

Plargos + Mark Found Family au stuff

[hihello-pinky]

11 First Kisses

a record of eleven defining kisses you shared with Yeonjun

Non-Idol Choi Yeonjun x she/her reader! WC: 4.8k words Genre: friends to lovers to exes/strangers to lovers, some angst, some fluff, hurt maybe comfort? TWs: none (please let me know if I somehow missed any!)

A few disclaimers (?):

I know I’m supposed to be writing for Sight but I was trying to look for inspiration and I stumbled upon this in my drafts so...

I know this blog is for Haikyuu but please let me post here because I can barely manage this so I don’t think I can open a separate blog for TXT and also because this may be the first and last time I will write for TXT

ANYWAYs

here we go ~ kindly reblog and/or leave a comment if you liked it!!!!

-x-o-x-o-

Kiss #1

You both were fifteen, paired for a science project. You were sitting at the back-most part of the library, the tables near you unoccupied. You were busy explaining something Yeonjun couldn’t grasp and he could hear the frustration starting to drip from your voice since it was becoming obvious that he wasn’t listening. “Yeonjun, you’re not paying attention,” you said sternly.

“I am,” he replied, but his eyes were still trained on your plump lips as his head rested on his hand.

You dropped your pen and crossed your arms, facing him. With your eyebrows burrowed together, you whispered the threat. “I’m gonna ask Teacher Min if I can still switch partners.”

His only response was, “Can I kiss you?”

You were so taken aback by his question but after a few moments, nodded reluctantly. Yeonjun cheered internally – what he read in the books was right, after all! So, he carefully leaned in and gave you a quick peck. It was sweet with a faint taste of your favorite strawberry milk drink. You and Yeonjun’s very first kiss.

-x-o-x-o-

Kiss #2

His parents held a simple celebration for Yeonjun’s sixteenth birthday and he thought it was the best time to introduce you to his parents as his girlfriend ever since he finally asked you out a few weeks ago. You were nervous as he was your first boyfriend, you even stuttered while greeting them and you were so cute that Yeonjun committed the image to his memory. Who knew a meet-the-parents scenario would make the confident and smart L/N Y/N lose her nerves?

After the celebration, he snuck you into his room (after convincing you for ten minutes that you were not going to get caught and that if you did, it wouldn’t be a big deal, anyway) and as you sat awkwardly on his bed, he laughed and said, “Relax, we’re only going to kiss.” You visibly breathed a sigh of relief and you looked so adorable at that moment, sitting on his dark blue comforter, that he leaned in and kissed you. Your first kiss as an official couple.

 -x-o-x-o-

Kiss #3

Last day of summer before twelfth grade, Yeonjun and you were in your living room seated on the couch with a small distance between you two, watching Ouran High School Host Club, while a bowl of popcorn stood on the table in front of you. Yeonjun was starting to get into watching anime, all thanks to you. Your Mama told both of you that she was going on a quick grocery run for some salt or egg, he couldn’t recall.

As soon as the door shut behind her, you pulled Yeonjun closer towards you and he laughed a bit. He was surprised in delight because he was always the one initiating the affectionate acts between you. But that afternoon, after pulling him to your body, you turned your head in front of his and stole a quick kiss before focusing your attention back to the TV. He’ll always remember it – your first kiss that was initiated by you.

-x-o-x-o- 

Kiss #4

Your last year in senior high. Prom night. Yeonjun pulled you away from the dance floor, you struggling on your heels as he guided you towards the photobooth. Right before the camera shutter went off, he cupped your face and put his lips against yours. It was your first kiss captured in a photograph.

-x-o-x-o- 

Kiss #5

Your eighteenth birthday. The two of you were cuddling on your bed, your head on Yeonjun’s chest as you both looked at your ceiling decorated by the old glow-in-the-dark stars that everyone loved as children. Yeonjun had pasted his on random places but yours seemed to be arranged into constellations.

“And what’s that?” He asked, pointing to the five stars close to each other, which looked like they were the first ones to be pasted on the ceiling.

With his soft breath warm and comforting near you, you answered, “That’s Cassiopeia.”

“Like the calculator?” He asked innocently and felt your body shake in laughter.

“No, like the queen in Greek mythology. Did you not listen to literature class?”

Shaking his head, he looked down to face you and stared at your dark eyes. Before he could get lost in them, Yeonjun confessed. “I was bad in class because I was always busy watching you.”

You blushed, pink dusting your cheeks, and poked his nose. “Since when did you have a crush on me?”

“Seventh grade,” he answered without a second thought. “You were annoyed at me for checking your science quiz messily.”

“Crazy!” you exclaimed, almost hitting your head against his. “That was the moment I began to really notice you. Who would have thought I’d end up falling in love with the boy who can’t grade a paper properly?”

Yeonjun became silent as soon as you finished your sentence and he didn’t tell you then but at that moment, he was so relieved. He’d been dying to drop the L-word on you but was afraid he would scare you away. Could you imagine how he felt when he heard your slip of the tongue?

You realized what you have said and gently snuggled closer to his chest, your hair tickling his chin. In a whisper, you said softly, “I love you, Yeonjun.”

He planted a soft kiss at the top of your head before turning down so you’re face to face. “I love you, Y/N.” Staring into each other’s eyes, you leaned towards each other and closed the gap. Your first kiss after saying I love you.

 -x-o-x-o-

Kiss #6

You were crying. Not the tears-silently-running-down-your-face kind of crying but the messy-tears-and-runny-nose crying. It was time for the both of you to go to college and Yeonjun got accepted in the country’s top university for musicians and dancers. When you first found out the news, you were filled with pride because you knew how much Yeonjun loved performing. However, Yeonjun getting accepted into his dream school also meant he would have to move to a city four hours away from home.

His parents were kind enough to let you know you were welcome to tag along when they would drop Yeonjun off in his dorms but you declined the offer, not trusting yourself to bid a proper goodbye and besides, you wanted to give that moment to his parents.

So, you and Yeonjun set a date for the whole day before he moved and as you watched the sunset under your favorite tree, the fact that the day was closing to an end hit you like a brick and you weren’t able to stop yourself from ugly-crying at the thought that your boyfriend would be moving the next day.

“I promise I’d go home as often as I can,” Yeonjun said as he tried to wipe your tears away.

Instead of being comforted, what he said only made you cry harder. Yeonjun pulled you against him and let you cry until it felt like you ran out of tears. And when you regained your composure later on, he sweetly kissed your lips. “I’ll hold on to this,” you said after a while, smiling gently at him, “our salty first goodbye kiss.”

-x-o-x-o- 

Kiss #7

On your fourth anniversary, you and Yeonjun had a fight. You were both on your sophomore year in university. You were elated when he told you he’d be coming home for the weekend and you prepared a surprise for him. Yeonjun did come home, but he wasn’t alone.

Soobin and Taehyun were with him, his friends that he met on his first year. As it turned out, Yeonjun only went home to show them around your town, to let his family meet them. He didn’t remember what you were supposed to celebrate. So, Saturday came and it was your anniversary but you didn’t even get to see him until late at night when you dropped by their house.

When Yeonjun saw you, his face didn’t transform into that happy expression he always wore whenever the two of you meet after not seeing each other for some time. Instead, he said with a hint of surprise and something else in his voice, “I didn’t know you were coming.”

You replied with a nonchalant shrug. “Well, you sure don’t know a lot of things these days.”

At that, Yeonjun frowned before he grabbed your wrist and brought you to his room, his guests and family awkwardly trying not to look at the scene. Once he closed the door, he asked in a barely contained voice, “What the hell was that?”

And you knew you should have been calmer but instead, you retorted with, “Who the hell forgets what the date today is?”

Yeonjun’s budding anger was replaced with confusion. “I don’t know what you’re talking… about.” The way he slowly trailed off let you know that he just remembered at that moment what the day was. “Shit. I’m sorry.”

You wanted to stay mad but the apologetic look he gave you – like a puppy asking to be forgiven after chewing something he’s not supposed to – made your heart melt. You reached for his hand and squeezed it. “You owe me one day where you’ll only be with me.”

Yeonjun laced your fingers together and raised it towards his lips so he could plant a kiss on the back of your hand. “Of course. And I won’t only give you one day, I’ll give you the rest of my life.”

You were glad that his lights were off because you were absolutely sure that you blushed like crazy at the implication of Yeonjun’s words. “Shut up.”

He laughed at you and leaned closer, your lips barely touching. “You’re not mad at me anymore?”

“No…”

A sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he lightly brushed your lips against yours. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” you replied.

As if to seal your exchanged words, he locked his lips with yours and the two of you shared your first make-up kiss.

-x-o-x-o- 

Kiss #8

Yeonjun’s twenty-first birthday celebration. He had come home after not visiting your town for a few months. It was the first time that you were nervous about him coming home because you knew there were a lot of things that needed to be addressed. During the past months you’ve been away from each other, you lacked communication and time together. You weren’t even sure how to interact with Yeonjun. But still, the smile he gave you as you arrived at the celebration his family threw for him was enough to reassure your heart.

You could name a lot of memories between you and your boyfriend which brought you happiness, and you were about to add that day to the memories but alas, it’s as if time just decided to tease you, letting you borrow joy for a quick moment. The whole celebration, you felt confident about your relationship and where you and Yeonjun stood in each other’s lives. But then came the announcement of his Dad.

“Yeonjun has grown into a fine man,” he began. “I’m very proud of my only child and since today is a special one, we want to share with you that he got accepted for a spring program focusing on music and dance in Singapore this coming break.” He paused as if letting everyone absorb what he just said. “On top of that, he also got chosen as one of the cultural exchange students in Japan for one semester.” Applause followed around the room, cheers and hoots of excitement from the guests and you felt bad for not being completely happy with the news.

The spring and exchange programs meant he’d be out of the country for six months. Half a year. Could you both make that work? And more importantly, you kept thinking about how come you had to learn about them that way? Did Yeonjun purposely not tell you or was he just too busy?

Yeonjun walked you home after the celebration and you were silent the whole time. In the past, any silence between the two of you was comfortable, basking in the feeling that you could tell what each other was thinking without words being exchanged. But at that time, it felt as if you were walking the streets with a stranger. You finally broke the silence when you stopped in front of your gate. “Congratulations.”

Your bodies were facing but you weren’t looking at each other. “Y/N,” Yeonjun finally said before reaching for your hand, gingerly enclosing it with his. You could feel he was staring at your face but still felt scared to meet his eyes. Instead, you looked down at your hands, your brows furrowing as you noticed the chip on your newly-manicured left pinky. “Are we okay?”

Maybe it was the way that there was uncertainty in his usually confident voice. Maybe it was the implication of what he asked; a silent acknowledgment of the things you’ve both been trying to ignore for the past months. Whatever the reason was, Yeonjun’s question made you burst into tears. It didn’t help that his fingers were quick to brush them away.

“I don’t know, Jun,” you finally answered after regaining a little bit of composure. “I’m not sure about us right now.” At that moment, you almost spilled everything to him: the fear, doubt, hurt, and longing that you’ve been feeling. But instead, you reached up to your face to wipe the stray tears left. “I’m sorry.”

He pulled you close to him, and the familiar warmth of his arms around you didn’t help in stopping your tears. You felt his lips on your forehead. “To be honest, I’m not sure as well,” Yeonjun confessed and then cupped your face, making sure you were eye to eye as he said the next words. “But this I’m a hundred percent sure of. I love you, Y/N, and I won’t give up on us. Okay?”

You nodded, badly wanting to believe that everything will be okay between you and Yeonjun. “Okay.”

A small smile finally found its way to his lips. He brought your face closer to his, brushed his thumbs against your lips, and leaned down. A kiss. A whisper of promises. With the dark sky littered by stars, it was a moment that you would later try to forget. Your first kiss with Yeonjun that didn’t bring butterflies to your stomach.

-x-o-x-o- 

Kiss #9

It was at an old friend’s wedding where you met Yeonjun again after several years. It was an unexpected and awkward reunion. The last time you heard back then, he was happy with his job in Japan, working at a dance academy that had sourced him when he was studying there. You remember how, after the exchange program, he only went back to the country to finish his last term in university and shortly after graduating, moved to Japan.

“Hey.” His voice broke you out of your thoughts, making you look at him. Now that he’s in closer proximity, you could properly observe him. He had grown his hair to barely above his shoulder, the black silky strands looking vibrant as ever. His body was well-defined. He looked different and yet the same. Those warm eyes looking at you intently. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

You offered a friendly smile. “Shouldn’t I be the one to ask you that question?”

Yeonjun actually laughed a little and the sound brought a wave of nostalgia to you. “I moved back six months ago.” He rubbed at his nape – a force of habit you knew he had since he was younger. “It’s nice to see you again, Y/N. It’s been so long.” He took a sip from his drink and you couldn’t help but stare at his plump lips. You’re reminded of how they felt like against yours.

“Yeah...” You answered distractedly. Upon realizing what you’ve been doing, you quickly cast your eyes somewhere else. “How have you been?”

Yeonjun pursed his lips, contemplating on an answer before settling with a simple, “Great.” His eyes crinkled a little as he smiled at you. “How about you? You look dashing.”

You tried to not put too much meaning on his compliment. “I’m good. I teach kids in fifth grade.”

That made him smile. “As expected of you. You always loved to help others understand lessons they have trouble dealing with.” His words unintentionally brought you back to when you were fifteen years old, trying to explain to Yeonjun a topic for the project you were paired to work on together. That day in the library, when you both had your first kiss.

“Well,” you cleared your throat, setting your glass down on the table. “It was nice seeing you again, Yeonjun.” You hoped he couldn’t hear the hesitancy in your voice and the way your heart was beating loudly in your chest all because of him. It’s been many years since you last saw each other and yet, the moment you first saw him two hours ago, all the longing came back instantly, as if they were always there and were barely contained by a flimsy gate.

“Yeah...” Yeonjun replied awkwardly. He slightly fidgeted in place and it pained you that you could no longer tell what it meant for him. You could no longer read Yeonjun as easily as you were able to before. Still, he made no move to leave you. “Do you want to-”

“Y/N!” An excited voice joined you but immediately faltered once the person realized you were with someone he didn’t know. “Oh, hi.”

You smiled at the guy. “Kai, this is Yeonjun, the one who kept on putting all kinds of bugs and insects inside Beomgyu’s locker up until middle school. Yeonjun, this is Kai. He moved to our town a few years back and is the one responsible for this very event. He’s the one who introduced Beomgyu to his partner.”

The two exchanged greetings. “Oh, you really came! I’ve heard a lot about you!” Kai shared excitedly, making your eyes widen in panic. Realizing his slip up, Kai quickly amended with, “I always tease Beomgyu and he tells me how there’s someone from his childhood who always played a prank on him...”

Whether Yeonjun bought it or not was unknown to you, another reminder of the bitter reality that you no longer knew him as well as you did in the past. Before the three of you could continue your conversation, another friend who hasn’t seen Yeonjun in years called for his attention from a few tables down. He gave you a quick smile before reluctantly going to the said person.

After Yeonjun left, you gave your friend a pointed look and Kai quickly held up his hands in defense. “I’m sorry I slipped up!”

You rolled your eyes before mimicking him. “You really came!” An accusing look was on your face. “Did you know all along that he’s invited to the wedding?”

Like a deer caught in headlights, Kai only gave you a guilty look. “Hear me out, okay? I didn’t tell you because I knew you would be overthinking a lot on the months and weeks leading to this day. You so obviously still have feelings for Yeonjun and I just didn’t want you to... you know... think a lot about him more than you already do on a daily basis.”

“I do not think a lot about him on a daily basis, Kai.”

He scoffed. “You so do.”

You sent him a glare but it was in a friendly nature. Kai became one of your closest friends ever since he helped you get a strawberry milk from one of the vending machines in the school where he also worked as a teacher. He was also the one who tried to set you up on dates with other people, all of which miserably failed, which he attributed to you never getting over Yeonjun, your first love.

“Shut up, I’ve already moved on.” Kai only laughed at that because you both knew that it was far from the truth. He didn’t call you out though and the two of you continued to banter, passing the time, all the while unaware of eyes that kept watching you.

Beomgyu was a friend of yours who always gets back to people who have wronged him and it’s one of the things you oddly liked about him. But alas, you didn’t know the day would come when you would be a pawn in his revenge. Stupid, younger Yeonjun and his locker pranks.

As it turned out, Beomgyu, a dear old mutual friend of you and Yeonjun, oh-so-conveniently overlooked a tiny detail when booking the rooms at the hotel and resort where all the guests of his beach wedding would be staying. The mistake being, you and Yeonjun having to share a room with only one bed.

“This is so cliché,” you groaned out in frustration as you stood inside the room and heard the sound of the door shutting behind you. “Beomgyu is so unbelievable!”

Yeonjun quietly went towards the bed and it wasn’t until he was seated on the soft mattress that he spoke. “That brat.” A small shake of his head before looking to meet your eyes with a slight smile. “He never changed, huh.”

“Yeah.” The way he was looking at you made you feel things and suddenly, frustration was no longer your most dominant emotion at the moment. You cleared your throat, eyes not leaving Yeonjun’s as you carefully said the next words. “But I’m glad he didn’t. It’s comforting to know that despite all the things and people that have changed and slipped away through my fingers, some remained and stayed the same.”

Silence settled in the room but Yeonjun’s gaze didn’t falter. You hated how you couldn’t fathom what the look on his eyes meant. He stood from the bed and walked towards your frozen figure near the door and stopped when there was only a small distance between your bodies. “Y/N.”

“Yeonjun.”

It was a simple exchange of your names and yet, it felt as if there were so many words that were said between the two of you. Thousands of things left unsaid during the past several years when you were out of each other’s lives. Finally, he spoke aloud. “Do you want to talk, Y/N?”

You nodded almost immediately, your heart rioting inside your chest. “But can I ask a question first?”

With a slight tilt of his head to the side, he said, “Okay.”

For a split second, you were tempted to back out and change the question you were about to ask him. But you remembered how you’ve never been truly happy in the romance aspect of your life during the past years and so, with a deep breath, you decided to just go along, knowing your cheeks were flushed pink. “Can you please kiss me?”

His face broke into that handsome smile of his that was all too familiar, eyes turning into small crescents as he closed the short distance between you. It would always be special and you’d be forever grateful to Beomgyu for somehow making it happen.

Your first kiss with Yeonjun, ten years after the break up.

 -x-o-x-o-

Kiss #10

If someone would ask Yeonjun what his favorite day was, they’d probably expect him to answer with any of the following: the day he got accepted into his dream school, the day the dance academy in Japan offered the contract to him, the day he met the performer who was his role-model, the day he first kissed you. All of which would be wrong.

His favorite day would be the one where his younger self’s dream became a reality: him waiting at the end of an aisle of flowers, you walking down in your white dress and a bouquet of beautiful flowers in your hands.

The girl of his dreams looking as beautiful as always. As beautiful as the day you were annoyed at him for incorrectly grading your test paper. As beautiful as the day he first asked if he could kiss you. As beautiful as the day he first brought you to his room. As beautiful as that night he took you to prom and you spent the half of it complaining about how your feet hurt from wearing heels. As beautiful as the day you said goodbye to him before he went off to university. As beautiful as the day he broke your heart shortly before he flew to Singapore. As beautiful as the day he saw you at Beomgyu’s wedding.

In every single moment, you looked beautiful. Yeonjun couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be given a second chance of loving and being loved by you. And after you exchanged your vows and put the rings on each other’s fingers, he couldn’t help but shed a single tear for what you were about to share.

A core memory for him: your first kiss as husband and wife.

-x-o-x-o- 

Kiss #11

One hundred days after your wedding, Yeonjun was surprised when you came to him with an idea. Let’s record all of our important “first kisses”! He laughed a bit and told you that there was only supposed to be one first kiss. But you had insisted and asked (forced) him to think back to all the kisses you have shared and surprisingly enough, the both of you were able to come up with 10 first kisses that defined your relationship.

“Isn’t this cute?” You had asked him as you finished decorating the small scrapbook that you both were working on. “How sweet that it ends with us getting married. Ah, I’m getting all the feels from a romance book!”

He had agreed absentmindedly as his mind was more focused on taking in every single one of your features. The whisker dimples that appear whenever you smile and laugh. Your eyes that he could spend eternity getting lost in. And most importantly, your lips that he couldn’t kiss enough. “So, you finally agree that we stop recording at ten?”

You poked your cheek with your tongue and after a bit of contemplation, gave him a smile. “Yeah. I think it’s best to leave it at that.” You looked so lovely at that moment, and, unable to stop himself, Yeonjun leaned towards you for one sweet kiss.

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

Yeonjun closed the book and looked at the woman beside him. She always looked younger than her age and the only indication that she’s approaching her fifties were the streaks of gray hair beginning to peek out from her head. The woman looked at him, confusion written all over her face. “I don’t understand.”

He resisted the urge to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. “You don’t understand what?”

“I thought the agreement is to leave it at ten first kisses? Why are there eleven?”

A smile that was a mix of happiness and melancholia made its way to Yeonjun’s lips. “Well, it was supposed to really end at kiss number 10. But something happened that prompted a need for one more kiss to be recorded.”

She tilted her head in question, eyes full of curiosity and urging him to go on. Yeonjun inwardly sighed; this was usually the hardest part. “Y/N, five years ago, we got into an accident and it was pretty bad but between us two, you suffered more.” He watched for any change of expression on her face before continuing. “You suffered a lot, love. Severe global amnesia, you can’t retrieve past memories and you can’t store new ones. For a long time, at least. Your new memories can only last from three days to a week.”

“Oh.”

As usual, Yeonjun waited for the woman to say more but she just stared at the book on his lap, eyes squinted as if she’s waiting for something to happen. Was she waiting for him to break out in laughter and admit it was a cruel joke? However, what she asked next surprised him.

“I still don’t understand why Kiss #11 exists...”

For the first time in a while, Yeonjun let out a genuine laugh. “You see, Y/N, the recorded eleventh kiss in the book is just a placeholder.” He gently cupped her face. “Can I kiss you?”

She blushed, her rose-colored cheeks warming his heart. Still, she managed to let out a small, “Yes.”

And same as that time in the library all those years ago, Yeonjun leaned in to the only person his lips belonged to. “This is our real Kiss #11.” The kiss was gentle, soft but was full of emotions. He smiled at the love of life. “Our first “first kiss”.” The first kiss of many years to come whenever you would wake up not remembering again.

[ask-agent-rapzutin-vodello]

Hey raz did lili ever find out about that cute dance you did? And do you still do it?

[Lili] (Attempts to hold back a giggle, but it erupts into full-blown laughter)

[Raz] (Groans) I know what event you're thinking of and -

[Lili] (Grabs Raz by the collar and pull him in for a long kiss) (Releases him) How -phew - how 'bout now, hotshot?

[Raz] (Drowsily) Payment accepted, you may PrOcEed. <-(voice crack)

[Lili] To answer both questions, yes and yes, kinda. Of course I know of the "Funky Raz dance" - (Ignores Raz's mumbled 'not its name' comment). It was his signature victory dance for a long time, but he stopped doing it years ago...

[Raz] (Annoyed groan)

[Lili] That is, until his sixteenth birthday afterparty - the one our friends threw together after his 'official parent-approved party' at Milla and Sasha's. I don't know who brought booze, but uh ...yeah, we got drunk. Totally worth the two weeks we spend grounded.

[Raz] (Reluctant grunt of agreement)

[Lili] We get slightly wasted, music starts playing and suddenly Raz jumps on the table, professes his undying love for me and announces that he would do "the ancestral dance of love" for me ...and he does that little dance. It had no right being that funny, but I guess that's what drunk teens find funny. There, was it that embarrassing of a story?

[Raz] No, the embarrassing part is that someone - Gisu! - filmed the whole thing and posted it on her social media. Do you know how humiliating it was when I was out in the field and some thug started doing that little dance when I tried to apprehend him?

[Lili] (Giggles)

[Raz] I still find it weird that the criminal element has social media.

[houseofsnarry]

Interactive Games/Fiction & CYOA

Inspired by a convo in the HoS server, we complied a list of Interactive Games/Fiction and CYOA (Choose Your Own Adventures). Fandom is more than fanfics and fanart. There are fests, communities, podfics, cosplays, poetry, comics, zines, conventions, interactive games & CYOA and then some! There are no limits to our imagination! Like they say in the 'Field of Dreams' - 'If you build it, they will come.'

Here are some interactive games/fictions and CYOA. Some are Snarry. Some are slash/femslash. But all are definitely HP. Have fun! And if you know any others, reply to the post so we can all celebrate them! <3

@ac1d6urn's Mirror - Tumblr Post , Link to Mirror

Hogwarts, Eighth Year. Harry Potter must choose: talk about a secret or keep it. Place trust in one teacher or keep silent. Speak up in support of a war hero or let the weight of public opinion take its toll. Will Harry's reflection in the Mirror of Erised offer guidance? Mirror is a choice and consequence game with ~12,000 words of dialogue. What's next, treacle tart or flying? Was it really Snape that Harry saw in the Mirror of Erised? Will Harriet tell the Headmistress all about her crush on Ginny Weasley? Will Harry ever feel as free on the ground as he does in the sky with Ron? Will Severus Snape keep his job? It's up to you.

----

Rushlight's Interactive Fiction - Website

CYOA Stories

What Dreams May Come

Rated: PG to NC-17 Fandom: Harry Potter Category: Angst, Romance Harry is haunted by a recurring dream that may be more than what it seems.

Interactive Fiction Games

A Hogwarts Night's Tale

Rated: G Fandom: Harry Potter Category: Drama, Puzzle Voldemort has been defeated, but there are rumors circulating that there are still Death Eaters about who are planning to continue his legacy of murder and mayhem. There might even be a spy somewhere inside Hogwarts…. Can Harry solve the mystery before it's too late?

Detention

Rated: NC-17 Fandom: Harry Potter Category: PWP, First-Time Harry Potter is given detention with Snape on a Friday night yet again. After years of war and hardship and fighting side-by-side against Voldemort, they should really be closer than this… shouldn't they?

Flight From the Dark

Rated: PG Fandom: Harry Potter Category: Drama, Puzzle Draco has reached his sixteenth birthday, and it is expected that he will now officially join the ranks of Voldemort's followers. But Draco isn't so sure that's the path he wants to follow…. Can you help him escape from Voldemort before it's too late?

The Man Behind the Mask

Rated: G Fandom: Harry Potter Category: Romance A year after the end of the war with Voldemort, Harry is finding it difficult to move on with his life. Then he receives an invitation to a Masquerade Ball….

----

@lizzy0305's Choices Rated E

You’re Harry Potter, currently doing your 8th year in Hogwarts. One night, you see something on the Marauder’s Map that catches your attention. The decision is up to you. Should you investigate the mystery or simply go to sleep? An interactive story with 17 completely different endings.

----

@likelightinglass's What Comes Next (And How to Like It) Rated E

A choose your own adventure fic! You are Severus Snape. You survived against all odds, and now it's time to take life into your own hands. What will you do with this gift of a second chance, and how will you find your happy ending? Your happy ending is pretty much always Harry Potter, but there's so many fun ways to get there.

[faux-ecrivain]

Masterlist!

First post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/735356688250617856/yan-crossdresser?source=share)

Second Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/735370780913844224/yan-neko?source=share)

Third Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/735456038419070976/yan-idol?source=share)

Fourth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/735643280303423489/yan-babysitter?source=share)

Fifth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/735822380823429120/yan-cheater?source=share)

Sixth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/736101158817513472/yan-reader?source=share)

Seventh Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/736274934145368064/alex-the-crossdresser-is-absolutely-adorable-and?source=share)

Eighth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/736558096797843456/yan-roommate?source=share)

Ninth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/736654884458364928/yan-neighbor?source=share)

Tenth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/736754090270441472/1950s-househusband-part-1?source=share)

Eleventh Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/737098248985182208/yan-crossdresser-headcannons?source=share)

Twelfth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/737497787405631488/yan-emperor?source=share)

Thirteenth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/737465060107173888/househusband-part-two?source=share)

Fourteenth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/737483247773220864/yan-investigator?source=share)

Fifteenth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/737703718955499521/yandere-fickle-ex-boyfriend?source=share)

Sixteenth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/737680395317002240/frightened-ex-x-yandere-reader?source=share)

Seventeenth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/737770982944768000/headcannons-about-yan-emperor?source=share)

Eighteenth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/737861580426969088/yandere-darling?source=share)

Nineteenth Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/737986162632851456/imagine?source=share)

Twentieth Official Post; (https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/738133375420891136/what-kinda-yan-would-utterly-adore-a-werewolf?source=share)

Twenty First Official Post; https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/738948733896720384/yan-bully?source=share

Twenty Second Official Post; Due to a clerical Error I skipped this number.

Twenty Third Official Post; https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/738971423118327808/yan-bully-victim?source=share

Twenty Fourth Official Post; https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/739275325801922560/yan-twins-x-gn-reader?source=share

Twenty Fifth Official Post; https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/739457396194361344/yandere-drabble?source=share

Twenty Sixth Official Post; https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/739764106569056256/trouble-at-midnight?source=share

Twenty Seventh Official Post; https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/739902400999129088/dating-harper?source=share

Twenty Eighth Official Post; https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/740191114714300416/jealous-harper-drabble?source=share

Twenty Ninth Official Post; https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/740670078032461824/part-one-of-anon-number-9s-request?source=share and https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/740692748837027840/part-two-of-anon-number-9s-request?source=share

Thirtieth Official Post; https://www.tumblr.com/faux-ecrivain/741002652746481664/will-there-be-a-second-part-of-yan-bully-victim-i?source=share

(If none of the links work, I apologize, but you can try to copy the link and paste it in the search box on your search engine!)

(However, if you don’t want to copy and paste, just tell me which link isn’t working, and I’ll send you the link!)

[growling]

Ok one more thing about Hundred Line is apparently they are currently hosting a user survey (the links is in the official website) So after the questionare…please tell them to make the characters normal teenagers.

The first question is "please indicate your area of residence" with a bunch of continents listed and I picked Europe and they thanked me for the cooperation and told me to close the browser the poll ended I just thought it was funny. None of them Europeans allowed we've heard enough of you's

So I thought "huh whats up with that" and tested the other options. Asia is fine. North America is fine. Literally anything else listed? The survey just tells you to fuck off. Which like, kinda hilarious. I mean the largest fanbases/people who Buy That Stuff for Danganronpa/THL are in Asia (mostly Japan) and North America (mostly USA) so it makes sense they aren't interested in anything the other ones have to say. But damn. That is cold sjdhfgdajwksdfdskldj. A bunch of people in the twt post comments are pointing this out they're so mad lmaooooo

Ok so I'm going undercover as a north american dude named uhhhh John Freedom. Ok so first question. Gender question ok this is easy I'm getting such a good grade on this. Second question. Age question also a classic. Third question is how you found out about this survey uhhh from the tweeter post yesterday. Ok fourth question. Occupation?? damn shit they gotta know I'm unemployed now. Fifth question devices that you can use freely (to Buy Their Games). Ok I said none I'm actually writing this reply from my family heirloom world war II era calculator connected to wifi. Sixth question. "average amount of money you can spend in a month" ohhhh you rapscallion, I know what you're doing buddy haha you're so silly. Seventh question. Some game events that you have watched recently. I watched none I got no idea what they're talking about. Eighth question select all game streamers slash youtubers you have watched. They're all japanese I think so I don't recognize any of these uhh none. Ninth question select all following games you know of. As in played or just know of. Well now that you mention them existing I know all these this is so easy. Why is among us here. Tenth question oh now this is one for all the games you played haha I see. Eleventh question thoughts on danganronpa v3 uh oh. uh oh. uh oh. I'm gonna pick the "not satisfied with the pricing cus too high" so they take my helpful advice and make that shit cheaper. Ok twelvth question. "why didn't you play rain code but played danganronpa" im sorry i am so sorry im sorry im fucking sorry im sorry okay leave me alone im sorry.

Sigh thirteenth question. Line break cause now they're actually asking about hundred line... "what do you think of it" ohohohoho. what i dont think of it. im just picking options i dont have the energy to submit an essay i just know theyll skim over and disregard. lmaoo one of the options is "i can feel the essence of danganronpa". Oh wait they don't have an essay option that is great. Fourteenth question is what kind of bonuses would you like to receive when you purchase the game. hahaha i do not care. Next fifteenth quesion if tookyo released another game what elements would you look for in it or something. oh they have essay option enabled im gonna say something deeply fucked up and evil but straight from the heart. Sixteenth question. if tookyo releases a game what device would you play it on. None. Next question. Seventeenth question. Final question comments and requests for THL... damn this is hard. Ok I said something profound. Survey ended

I feel empty

[wordsandrobots]

IBO reference notes on … the Gundams (Addendum 1)

[Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Addendum 1]

Calling this the first addendum because hopefully, at some point, I'll be doing another to cover the Baklazan Family's entry in the list. In the meantime, let's take a gander at the two 'suits released to the world since I wrapped up my posts on the Gundam frames.

ASW-G-16 Zepar

(With apologies to Gundam Info, who had a higher resolution version of this image than the actual MSV site).

When I separated the Gundam frames into groups for the purposes of not having an extremely over-long blog post, they naturally fell into three groups: relatively simple designs, armed relatively simply; more busy designs featuring some kind of added gimmick; and the freaks and weirdos representing increasingly arcane strategies for beating mobile armours. Seems the official designers intend this to be an actual in-story progression since Zepar, as a low-numbered machine, neatly fits into the first category.

Excepting the 'cape' of shield-wings, Zepar is remarkably unadorned, comparable to Barbatos in its straightforwardness. That a pilot armed only with a sword and shield should have gained a position among the Seven Stars speaks to Embrilla Kujan's skill. True, the shield is motorised so it can be turned into a large-bore drill (handy). But that in itself demonstrates this Gundam did its fighting at close range, further underlining Embrilla's capability. There are undoubted similarities here to Agnika Kaieru's trademark two-sword combat style, which probably looked very good in the late-War propaganda. Indeed, few of the other Gundams seem as gloriously heroic as this in their resting appearance. Put Bael and Zepar in the same place and you're looking at a pair of elegant warriors. Champion dragon-killers, here to save the human race!

Before we get too caught up in the aesthetics, however, let's consider the realities of the Calamity War's outcome. Going by the seating plan, and assuming this maps seniority within the Seven Stars (based on the Issues being positioned at the top of the table), the Kujans and the Fareeds lie at the bottom of the heap. This would actually track quite well with Iznario Fareed's scheming. Lacking the comfortable entrenchment of, say, the Falk Family, he sought to gain other advantages by breaking Gjallarhorn's ostensive political neutrality and acquiring allies among Earth's governments.

Perhaps this also explains why the Kujan Family apparently has connections to underworld figures such as Jasley Donomikols. I'm not going to claim any of the noble families are less than extensively corrupt. Gjallarhorn bends to realpolitik at all levels. But it is notable that the Kujans should have a relationship with the JPT Trust that possibly extends as far as getting them a Halfbeak class spaceship for their boss to ride around in. Is a Jupiter mobster not a rather petty ally for a high-placed house? Or does this represent the level on which such a low-ranked member of the elite can operate?

Without knowing much about Iok's father beyond his earning the adoration of his troops and the above-mentioned connection, it's hard to say for sure. If the Kujans are indeed the runts of the Seven Stars, it seems our red-glad knight was surpassed quite comfortably by peers using different, more pragmatic strategies. Given the drive towards greater complexity in later designs, we might take this to be something the people fighting the War were themselves aware of. At some point, the base Gundam form was judged insufficient for the task at hand.

Then again, the Kujan progenitor still made a place among the seven, however lowly. And, lest we forget, the Falk's Gundam was the fourth in the sequence. The simpler machines cannot be counted out just by virtue of being simpler.

From the Ars Goetia:

The Sixteenth Spirit is Zepar. He is a Great Duke, and appeareth in Red Apparel and Armour, like a Soldier. His office is to cause Women to love Men, and to bring them together in love. He also maketh them barren. He governeth 26 Legions of Inferior Spirits, and his Seal is this, which he obeyeth when he seeth it.

There's an obvious joke in here about preventing Iok's from having been around to screw everything up. That aside, Gundam Zepar is most exactly a 'soldier in red apparel'. Further, on the theme of love, its heroic appearance and the way that Iok's father is talked about in the series seem to mesh well together. Perhaps in Zepar we see the epitome of Gjallarhorn as a positive force -- on the surface, at least.

ASW-G-61 Zagan

16 at the bottom, 61 at the top. I wonder if that was on purpose? They share a designer out of fiction, and seem to share more design cues in-universe than most other pairs of Gundams we could pick. These are perhaps the pair it is most easily to look at and say 'the second is developing on the first'.

Anyway. Gundam Zagan. Original pilot: Arzona Issue. The most prolific mobile armour killer of the Seven Stars. Perhaps *the* most prolific of all the Gundams, depending on whether we assume Bael took the actual top spot and whether the Seven Stars bagged most armours overall, not just out of the surviving pilots.

If Zepar represents simplicity of form, Zagan is a triumph of function. Its numbering places it in the top third of the 72 frames, which by my breakdown classifies it as a freak, and, well. Those aren't just shields it's got there: they're Zagan's main weapons.

With three canonical fights against mobile armours under our belts, we can safely say the goal in such encounters is to rip the 'armour to bits. Whether it be Marchosias dicing Harael with a show of expert swordsmanship, Wiz and friends ganging up to wear down Mebahiah by sheer weight of numbers, or Mikazuki clobbering Hashmal until he gets an opening to stab it in the central processor, a certain degree of dismemberment seems par for the course. This ties into the 'medieval' combat style of the show, but also fits with the general sense that the 'armours are such juggernauts, their defences need to be peeled back to expose any trace of weakness.

A Gundam outfitted with a part of giant tin-openers, therefore, feels like exactly the kind of thing you'd want on the battlefield. Moreover, in his (brief) usage of Zagan, erstwhile Issue Family-supporter Londo Bron demonstrates the sheer brute strength of the machine, effortlessly dispatching a squad of three Grazes, including one he quite literally punches to death. Like Gusion in its Brewers form, this Gundam is built thick, the limbs set wide on the frame. It's the most brutish 'suit we've seen since Gamigin and where that appeared built for heavy-lifting, this one seems designed to be a berserker. Close-range, like Zepar, but discarding swords or spears in favour of crushing force.

Again, it reads as an extension of previous attempts, pushing the envelope in the pursuit of victory. Like Murmur, this looks like a case of incorporating the enemy's strengths: those claws would be at home on a mobile armour -- riffing on Ananel, perhaps? It is certainly building on the kind of equipment Marchosias used, moving from providing auxiliary limbs to making them the Gundam's primary offensive capability (remember, Marchosias' main weapon remained its long sword/club; the other articulated blades were in addition).

What strikes me most of all is how this circles around to what Barbatos will become under Tekkadan's watch. Gjallarhorn might assay the heroic appearance of Zepar, with ornate uniforms and aristocratic trappings, a proud bearing in the face of a grubby world. But the most powerful group among their leadership for three centuries was founded by someone who flew a machine like Zagan, which would be quite at home alongside Barbatos Lupus Rex.

All kingship is rooted, ultimately, in conquest and brutality. The trappings of honour and martial splendour among which Carta Issue dies in PD 323 are a veneer over the horror of a devastating war -- and the horrors required to end it.

One has to wonder what she would have made of her ancestor in their prime, tearing armours apart with their all four of their bare hands.

From the Ars Goetia:

The Sixty-first Spirit is Zagan. He is a Great King and President, appearing at first in the Form of a Bull with Gryphon's Wings; but after a while he putteth on Human Shape. He maketh Men Witty. He can turn Wine into Water, and Blood into Wine. He can turn all Metals into Coin of the Domninion that Metal is of. He can even make Fools Wise. He governeth 33 Legions of Spirits, and his Seal is this, etc.

'Bull with gryphon's wings' is a certainly an apt description of the form and with respect to what I was just talking about, putting on a human shape 'after a while' feels like a theme to run with more than in the other metamorphoses we've read about. Indeed, there is much here to do with the transformation of baser things into the stuff of civilisation: wit, wine, coin, even wisdom. Is this not what the Issues led, the refinement of an organisation dedicated to ending a war into the bastion of a new age? Or, if we are to be cynical about it, is it any surprise a demon's production of such things should only run skin-deep?

Other reference posts include:

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (Part 1)

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (Part 2)

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (corrigendum) [mainly covering my inability to recognise mythical wolves]

IBO reference notes on … three key Yamagi scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Shino scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Eugene scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Ride scenes

IBO reference notes on … the tone of the setting

IBO reference notes on … character parallels and counterpoints

IBO reference notes on … a perfect villain

IBO reference notes on … Iron-Blooded Orphans: Gekko

IBO reference notes on … an act of unspeakable cruelty

IBO reference notes on … original(ish) characters [this one is mainly fanfic]

IBO reference notes on … Kudelia’s decisions

IBO reference notes on … assorted head-canons

IBO reference notes on … actual, proper original characters [explicit fanfic – as in, actually fanfic. None of them have turned up in the smut yet]

IBO reference notes on … the aesthetics of the mobile frame

IBO reference notes on … mobile suit designations

IBO reference notes on … the Gundams (part 1)

IBO reference notes on … the Gundams (part 2)

IBO reference notes on … the Gundams (part 3)

IBO reference notes on … the Turbines, or ‘Tekkadan done right’

[relicsongmel]

sure tell me about pokemon music! my favourite is the lake cavern theme from platinum with the piano intro!

Ohhhh that’s a good one!!! I love all the music associated with the Lake Guardians—it’s got fun modal mixture stuff which (to make a long and very nerdy explanation short) does some really interesting things with colors in my head :3 so I suppose I will respond in kind by telling you a few of my overall favorites! (I say “overall” because singling out one is virtually impossible. Pro-tip: NEVER ask a musician for their one singular favorite piece—some of them may have an answer for you but the vast majority of them will cry. Me included.)

Alola Region Theme ~ Pokemon Sun and Moon

I have a ridiculous amount of nostalgia for this theme despite Gen 7 only being two generations ago. I love the chanting in the intro and the melody is beautiful and memorable—it’s a leitmotif that gets reused in other parts of the soundtrack like the player’s home, the summit of Mount Lanakila (which houses the Pokemon League) and the end credits. It also ALWAYS takes me back to Sun and Moon hype season—I have very vivid memories of waking up to new trailers on Pokemon’s official YouTube channel and getting immeasurably excited, and they often used this theme which played a big part in that. Despite being a certified Music Bitch I’m not really the type of person who cries while listening to music that much, but this is one of those themes that CAN make me cry if I hear it at the right time. A bit odd considering this theme is nothing if not joyous but it is what it is.

Cynthia’s Theme ~ Pokemon Diamond and Pearl

This theme has been memed to hell and back because of Cynthia’s uncanny ability to strike fear into the hearts of children and adults alike with piano alone, but other than the initial jumpscare that those sixteenth-note triplet octaves in the bassline sometimes give me in the intro, I unironically think it’s a beautiful piece of music. To me it sounds like it could be a piece on the program of a piano student’s senior recital—I don’t know if I can ever hope to learn how to play it myself with how fast it is (not to mention my teeny tiny hands that can’t even reliably reach 9ths ;_;), but goddamn if I don’t want to try. Also obligatory shoutout to Volo’s battle theme from Legends Arceus because this is what it’s based on and it is excellent as well :3

Route 10 ~ Pokemon Black and White

This is my favorite route theme in the entire Pokemon franchise, no questions asked. It plays on the very last route you visit before challenging the Pokemon League and it’s got a bittersweet tone that complements that feeling perfectly. Unfortunately in Black and White 2 this route got destroyed in a landslide—but this theme is still accessible via talking to a post-game NPC (but only during the winter months in-game, sadly). There’s also a bit of musical symbolism insofar as this game’s Route 1 theme is in C major whereas this one is in the parallel C minor. I love this because it fits with the circumstances of your journey at that point being a bit darker than your standard Pokemon fare—you’re challenging the Pokemon League not for personal ambition, but out of necessity because Team Plasma will take over if you don’t. The key difference is a testament to your Trainer’s growth and I love it so so much.

Slumbering Weald ~ Pokemon Sword and Shield

I wasn’t as big a fan of Sword and Shield’s music as much of the rest of the community seemed to be—to my ears at least, the soundfont of these games sounds a lot thinner and weaker than that of previous generations and there weren’t a lot of tracks that really hooked me right off the bat (though this only applies to base SwSh—the DLC music redeemed the soundtrack in my eyes because there’s a LOT of good stuff in there). This piece, however, was one of the exceptions to that—one of my FAVORITE musical ideas is any melody that makes heavy use of the leading tone (the 7th scale degree, which is the last one before the tonal center and it has a very sensitive, sometimes bittersweet quality to it because of this), specifically the note sequence 7 -> 1 -> 5 (in solfege this would be ti -> do -> sol; or G# -> A -> E in A major which is the key this piece is in) and this track straight up repeats that sequence over and over in that starting melody which turns into a background ostinato as the strings take over. The rest of the track holds up too—the synths mesh well with the strings and gentle percussion and even the howls work well melodically—I’m also a big fan of the diminished harmonies underneath them in what I’d call the B section of the piece; those elements along with the muted choral chanting really adds to the mysterious vibe of the winding forest this track is meant to represent.

Again, this is not at ALL an exhaustive list of my fave pieces (my favorites playlist on my phone is currently housing a whopping 435 tracks I’ll have you know) but I hope you enjoyed this peek into my musical tastes regardless!

[cadybear420]

Cadybear's Reviews Brief Thoughts- The Heist: Monaco

Welcome to the sixteenth official Cadybear's Reviews Brief Thoughts post! Today I'll be talking about The Heist: Monaco, which I have ranked on the "Diamond Tier" at 10 stars out of a possible 10. My last playthrough of this book was back in May 2021. I had started another playthrough in July 2023, but it's been put on hiatus.

This is another one of those books where there’s not much to say that hasn’t already been said. 

This book has so many refreshing elements to it. A MC that gets to be experienced and a leader for a change? A variety of choices that actually significantly influence the story and experience? Um, fuck yes???

Probably my favorite feature is how you can choose different people for each crew role, and how it changes the dialogue and interactions in certain scenes. Like, that must have been a pain in the ass to code, all the different dialogue exchanges for each crew combination. But it just goes to show what happens when you actually put effort into your books. 

And it’s all wrapped up in a story that’s straightforward and not exactly “emotionally deep/complex” or whatever, but it’s still great for being exciting, engaging, and overall very solid. Along with the choice in our crew, we also have to build up a Heist score to get good endings for our MC and Eris and Rye, and relationship scores to get good endings for the new crew members.  

The only thing I didn’t like was that most of the female MC outfits were… kind of ass. Maybe I’m just biased because I’m very GNC about my clothing tastes as a woman, but very few of them screamed “cunning, clever, criminal mastermind leader” to me like most of the m!MC ones did. They’re not really bad, they just don’t have the same vibes as the m!MC outfits. 

Especially stuff like the f!MC’s racer outfit having a crop top (while m!MC’s is more basic)... like, can we stop this? At least half the time they give a f!MC outfit a “cool” or “badass” jacket outfit, they always have to pair it with a crop top, while the m!MC version does not get the same treatment. Either both get a crop top or neither get a crop top. They do this in many books (especially later ones), but the racer outfit is probably one of the more egregious examples. 

Speaking of racing, though… (yes, hint hint for what my next review will be)