#and giving me support conversation brainworms...

[hestzhyen]

SURPRISE! Canon-Compliant AbeMiha Prompt!

I'm still doing that AbeMiha fic re-write as I catch up with the series to see where I can slot it in to canon, and this fucking scene happened in chapter 160:

Bless you Hamada, thank you, may the slightly older woman of your dreams appear before you once you're no longer in high school.

Abe and Mihashi are going to become one in body and mind as a battery

They're working on getting closer to each other and have shown no interest in romance

Mihashi at least still has interest in sex like many teenage boys do

They're both constantly wondering how they can give back to each other, and Abe especially is concerned about doing everything he can to support Mihashi

But the icing on the cake that made me crack up was this fucking transition immediately afterwards:

This had to be 100% deliberate.

I'M GONNA FUCKING EXPLODE INTO CONFETTI.

I'm teary-eyed and wheezing as I type this, no exaggeration.

Hamada talking about how he got involved with an older woman that cheated on him and that's the reason he got held back a year -> WTF Hamada?! -> Oh, we should probably ban romance between all club members before something happens, just in case -> But love can be a source of power too! Pro players sometimes have sex before a match -> Wax sentimental over how giving oneself to each other through loving sex can strengthen performance -> Yeah but there's no high school baseball player that's capable of that kind of intimacy-> Mihashi's phone rings, Abe's calling him

I'M FUCKING DYING OVER HERE My fic's gonna be rated T at most but damn, thank you so much for the canon-compliant premise!

I know we're supposed to agree with the author that Shinooka's the only romantic potential that needs to be "worried" about, but Mihashi overheard this entire conversation about romance and showed exactly 0 interest in dating her even when directly asked if he'd consider it. So... yeah. No. I got brain worms and they say "Abe and Mihashi are going to be Tajima's next pre-exam crisis" even if I put the re-write elsewhere in the timeline. BONUS:

LMAO

Please excuse me while I laugh myself to death. GAYSBALL. For real, though...

Abe giving off the biggest AroAce vibes ever lmao.

As funny as it is to see these guys stress about falling in love is, I hope Shinooka isn't used as conflict between Abe and Mihashi. I don't like that kind of manufactured drama- and Shinooka deserves much better than that. Thankfully:

"Baseball before hoes"

Ok, Abe, chill out- he's gonna be fine (probably).

Looks like there's nothing to worry about with these idiots for a while. And in 165...

"...Like he looks at Mihashi." was automatically added in that first box by the brainworms. The author didn't have to frame it like they did there, okay?!

Fujoshi Shinooka let's goooooooooo I'll make full-on delusions for every character!

Anyway, onward with catching up!

[ozziesemporium]

I just played all of blooming panic and I’m giving Cat a bunch of traits inspired by traits my actual cats have. Some of these my cats don’t do anymore and some are my interpretations of how Xyx/Bloomic server would react to Cat doing these things. Also poly!toastxyx because this is my blog and I get to choose the propaganda.

Also I edited this in the HTML text editor so if the formatting is fucked, blame that.

Watches doorways. If there is an elevated surface near a door Cat will sit there and watch

Cat will also yell at whoever walks in until they give it pets. The likelihood increases if you dare talk to the person in the room before acknowledging it. Will also interrupt your conversation if you don’t move over fast enough and pet it.

Fiends for crinkly things and will stare at you until you let it sniff whatever it is you have (wrapped food most often)

Will bat at/grab the Crinkly for The Crinkle

On that note, uses its paws like hands way more than is probably normal for a cat. Will grab toys from its toy bin with its paws, as well as grabbing the clothes of anyone walking by if it wants them to pet it. Surprisingly good at it too.

Two modes when in “pet mode” :

- I do not care HOW you pet me, I just want YOU to pet me

- I do not care WHO is petting me, just pet me like THIS

Tries to walk off with the string of hoodies/sweats/etc… while you are still wearing them. Will be slightly confused when the string goes taut and it drops it.

Doesn’t care how it is being held as long as it’s supported and upright. Will scream until it is held and will let out a squeak while being picked up.

Drops its toys in any unsupervised coffee cup. Xyx has to keep his coffee in his hand or in his line of sight. Toast usually has coffee at his desk anyways so it's not much of a change. Cat does not like when its toys are soggy. Nobody knows why it does this.

Cat once walked around the house struggling to carry a slipper. Xyx filmed it and sent it in the server to several cheering him on. Cat has gone on to do this with water bottles, with people making bets as to how far Cat will carry it this time.

Goes insane when brushes are involved. Toast bought a pair of brush gloves and ever since they first used them, whenever Cat sees someone taking out the box it follows them around until it’s getting brushed, where it will then flop on the ground and purr loud enough to be heard across the room.

Loves to lay in the bathtub. There have been several moments where someone walked into the bathroom and turned the light on, only to find Cat squinting at the light.

Only sleeps on the bed when it is made.

Sometimes does biscuits with one paw.

One time he escaped the house for hours, only to be found nearby hiding behind the trash. Earlier that week you bought everyone heating pads for their back pain, and when Toast went to lay down on his, Cat had stolen it.

They leave it and decided to play FFXIV, only to be interrupted by Cat meowing at them to turn it back on when it automatically turned off.

When Xyx sent a photo of Cat on the heating pad and detailed its newfound tyranny, the first reply was

Nightowl: It remembered why it stopped being a stray

I think that's it. I'll probably post more headcannons when the brainworms prove too powerful.

[talkingparrotkee]

(Longer read) It was extremely hard to find character takes without brainworms concerning Wakanda Forever in the thick of silly ship wars or character stanning, I'm not going to hold you. Each side had some level of misses going on. Everybody was too busy making another character a scapegoat or harping on about how good or bad a Shuri ship was. At best, a character seemed to be understood a little bit, but then diagnoses of other characters were woefully one-dimensional or mild mischaracterizations.

So anyway, I want to talk about it and give every character their grace.

Don't mistake me. It's not wrong to connect with one side more than the other. In a video interview, director and writer Ryan Coogler even stated it was written in a way that who you root for could change and depend on the day. He wanted both sides to be sympathetic, but never evil or wrong on all accounts. It was just a case of people trying to do the best they could with what they're dealing with. It was a story about grief and how it affected us. It also came with a layer of bipoc experience and colonialization.

It makes sense for you to follow Shuri and Wakanda as they are the protagonists. It is sensible to empathize with Talokan, too, given what we learned about them.

What drives me bonkers is completely spitting on the narrative, making it into something it never was. (If it doesn't apply let it fly!)

If some fans seemed to understand Namor, more than a comfortable number of times, it turned into oversympathization at the expenses of other characters and his own character development. They try downplaying Namor's canonically rough edges and faults while blaming Nakia or Ramonda.

It appeared that they understood Talokan's points, but suddenly, that same critical thinking or humane sympathy is in sparing doses for Wakanda (their sister nation).

I just think people need to remember that Namor is... Kind of an asshole in any canon. He was literally called that and arrogant by Ryan Coogler, which is what we have seen in Wakanda Forever.

Namor is a multi-faceted character. His motives are upright and just. He's not entirely a "villain." Everything he did in Wakanda Forever had a rhyme and reason. His actions were in response to something (e.g., Wakanda unknowingly jeopardizing Talokan's safety). No, Namor didn't want to hurt Shuri, nor did he view it as him killing her mother. Yes, he genuinely sought out kinship, support, and an alliance with her. Yes, it is true that he holds respect and admiration for Shuri and Wakanda (see Con La Brisa or Namor's first and lines just for three references).

At the same time, he had his missteps. His diplomacy skills (barring his first conversations with Shuri) sucked exponentially! Namor was difficult with Ramonda. He intruded and constantly tried to give orders, make demands, or give Wakanda ultimatum.

These things can co-exist. As Joe Robert Cole said, Namor wasn't wrong for what he felt or his objective. His point of view is comprehensible and valid, but the problem was his approach. Namor even admits how Shuri had every right to kill him to Namora, so yes, he is flawed and had fault.

If some fans seemed to sympathize heavily with Shuri, they oddly villified and outright misconstrue Namor as something "anti-black," an oppressor (pure insanity), or a purely villainous, evil finger twiddling mastermind who sought to manipulate her right from the start.

These are stupid reads that's blatantly non-canon, mind you. Ryan Coogler even debunked that. He stated that he wanted their scenes to read as intimate and legitimate human connection amongst people who mirror.

There is also the fact that, if anything, the only character that was to give the impression to being "fooled" was Namor.

I think people should also realize how Shuri was not at all ok (aka, her flaw). This is another thing Ryan Coogler stressed in an interview. Namor and Shuri were intentionally two sides to the same coin. The pain one had was reflected in the other. Shuri was paralleling Namor in his thirst for retribution and destructive grief, but the difference is that she stopped herself from crossing the point of no return as he did, while offering her hand to pull him back.

"Vengance has consumed us. We cannot let it consume our people." Shuri wouldn't have said that for no reason.

There is an important point behind Shuri and Namor resonating with one another. Attempting to erode the connection they kindled in Talokan or misconstrue either of the two is a disservice to the movie's intricately structured theme.

If some fans loved Okoye and empathize with her struggles, they took shots at Ramonda for snapping. Yes, Okoye is an amazing, sympathetic character and tried her best. Okoye was suffering too, but do not neglect Queen Ramonda's pains.

"I had to lead a wounded nation and a broken world."

This is the same woman who lost her daughter for 5 years in the Blip, lost her son three times with the final being permanent, and lost her husband, who was politically assassinated. Throughout all of this, she had to lead a broken nation through a broken world herself. In Wakanda Forever, Ramonda had to deal with a dangerously grieving Shuri whose whole world was torn apart. She had to stand strong, seeing her daughter come undone while grieving herself.

Okoye stayed loyal to the throne when N'Jadaka (T'Challa's supposed murderer) took it while she and Shuri ran for their lives to the Jabari. Okoye's husband, W'Kabi, was a traitor. Ramonda pushed this all away (likely because she knew Okoye's heart and she understood the situation), allowing Okoye to continue serving at her side as her entrusted general and friend.

Ramonda told Okoye Shuri wasn't ready and told her not to take her on the field. Ramonda stressed her concerns about Namor (an unknown player with vibranium who had unexplainably breeched their boarders, warned them of their military power, and acted with help). Still, Okoye insisted, assuming full responsibility over Shuri.

Yes, Queen Ramonda was acting more like a mother than a queen here, and it wasn't the best decision she could've made (Okoye is their best warrior and was the only one who had fighting experience against Talokanil). However, it shows that she was human. It makes complete sense that the dam broke. She also had a point: Okoye failed in her duty, an insanely important duty that determined the fate of Wakanda.

Shuri isn't just Ramonda's daughter. She's the apparent heir. Shuri is a vital pillar in Wakanda as:

A) the apparent and only heir

B) head of Wakandan technology and design

Shuri is a leader in more ways than one, so her being taken is nothing to take lightly. Shuri even told Namor herself that Wakanda wouldn't rest until she was returned. When she comes back, a lab technician confirms this, stating to Shuri that the city has been stressed and restless in her absence.

All in all, this was a tragic fallout spurred by grief between characters with a mother-daughter dynamic.

Then there's Nakia, who mostly gets blamed for everything when she was roped in with her hands constantly forced. Even in canon, she was mistreated with Shuri ostracizing her. I'll probably write a dissection on her because it's just so crazy to me, but to give a rundown:

☆ Nakia lost "her everything" thrice. She had to be a single mother to Toussaint (who she also had to keep secret).

☆ Nakia's lack of presence at T'Challa's funeral in Wakanda was misunderstood for "running away," when she was told by T'Challa not to attend in fear of exposing their child. This led to characters pressing or misjudging her for it. Shuri had snip remarks towards her and even ignored her calls, yet Nakia remained patient and her side.

☆ The grandmother of her child pulled up to her workplace and home in Haiti, practically pleading with her to save Shuri (the love of her life's beloved sister). Queen Ramonda came to her, urging her to come out of retirement as wardog to rescue Shuri from those who held her. Neither Ramonda nor Nakia knew that Shuri requested to be taken to Namor. There was no rapport formed between them and Namor (quite the opposite). They do not know Namor or how he treats Shuri. We, as the audience, have dramatic irony. The characters do not!

☆ Nakia acted under the order of Ramonda to retrieve Shuri by any means. Even then, she did not shoot immediately. She told the guard to drop her weapon, then shot her only because she attempted to kill Shuri.

When the young handmaiden shakily held Shuri with a fruit knife near her neck, Nakia warned her with two lines, one being a command to let Shuri go. It is understandable that the young maiden froze up in fear, but time was running out. Nakia wasn't going to roll the dice on Shuri's life either. Namor would've done the same (or probably would've killed them on the dot to save his people).

While it is true Nakia killing those two Talokanil in part led to Namor's attack on Wakanda's Golden City...

1. Wakanda and Talokan still would've had inevitable conflict.

2. Her hand was pushed.

I've seen people blame or hate on Riri Williams, too, simultaneously getting and missing the point. Yes, Namor had a reason to kill Riri. He was acting as a king and didn't want his people to suffer the same traumas that caused them to move again. T'Chaka would've done the same thing.

However, even in Namor's own words, it wasn't "about the scientist." In the original script, he furthers he would've killed a thousand scientists if it meant ensuring Talokan's safety. Unfortunately, Riri was the scientist who made the machine (that she honestly had no business creating, even if she didn't know of Talokan). They wanted to throw a wrench in the cogs by depriving them of the machine and the scientist who created it. That way, they can't possibly replicate it.

To Namor, it was "Nothing personal, kid." Not even he fixed the blame on Riri personally. He just emphasized the problematic nature of the vibranium detector and what it opened them to, what it has begun. It's like the ethical delimma question of rerouting the train: Would you save the worker working absentmindedly on the train tracks or the group of people on the other side?

Coming from his perspective, you can understand him to a degree. Shuri did, but still was firm in advocating for sparing Riri. The moment she heard and saw that Riri was a student, she couldn't just fork her over to be killed for something not truly her fault. On her brother and for her brother's legacy, she refused to kill Riri. The choice to protect Riri reflected Wakanda's overall development post-BP1. It also illustrates Wakanda's optimism (afforded by their history and position), which isn't shared by Talokan. Talokan has more pessimism (due to their history of displacement, massacre by colonial disease, and vulnerabilities).

However, Riri also shows how Namor could be wrong.

Riri is a young black girl living in a constant state of disadvantage, trying to prove herself.

“To be young, gifted, and Black though, right?”

She mirrors Namor ironically. She suffered and experienced byproducts of colonialism as an African American. Riri, who is a teenager beginning college (do you expect the pinnacle of maturity and foresight from a 19-year-old?), was just caught in crossfire. Her work was meant for a rock project her professor, for some reason, didn't responsibly dissaude her from doing (but challenged her to). The FBI stolen and weaponized it, then dared to send armed forces to seize her in order to have her make it again. They even attempted to use Riri as a guise to destabilize Wakanda, pretending to care about her safety and abduction.

Additionally, even by Namor's own words, the surface world coming for them was only a matter of time. With or without Riri. Killing her would just be pushing back the dates, but it wouldn't have solved the problem. Beyond the moral dilemma of killing a kid, it actually would've created new problems.

1. A sovereign body intruded on American soil. 2. Said sovereign body and representative of another nation took a citizen. Not only that, a teenaged citizen that poses no harm who has also created the first vibranium detector (which they wanted and are looking for themselves). 3. Assuming Wakanda obliged, Riri would've been killed and never returned. Her mother would throw a fit, and it gives them so much political ammunition and guises to destablize Wakanda.

And what can Wakanda do? They are sworn to secrecy that Talokan exists. So they'll just be taking the hits just like they almost took the hits for sinking that ship when it was Talokan. If Wakanda falls and gets plundered, Talokan is not far behind.

None of these characters are "the real villains." Each of them have nuance, goodness, sympathies, and complexities. Every single one captures the complexity of humanity.

[zprites]

Lucifer x Female OC Below!!!

Oh hey, wow it's been a while since I've shared anything I've written, huh? Well I have good news! I have multiple wips that I will finish this year so be on the look out (nothing TMNT related unfortunately, for my hyperfixations have gone all over the place... oops).

Yes, I fell down the Hazbin/Helluva hole and I don't see me leaving anytime soon. So read this! I wrote a little drabble for @unknownfanartist (who I love and adore, no matter how much she stinks <3) with her OC, Penelope (you can find her info here) and Lucifer. Just a small SFW brainworm that ate at me earlier and I had to stop writing my Alastor fic to appease the little wriggler.

This is not proof-read in the slightest so if you see any mistakes, no you don't. *points a can of silly string right at you*

Enjoy!

Diamonds and Coal

When left alone with his thoughts, Lucifer found himself wondering where he went wrong. Sure, he had the chance now to be there for his daughter, supporting her endeavors to lead Sinners down the path of redemption, no matter how fruitless he believed the idea to be. That was until he got word from Heaven that the first ever redeemed soul had crossed the pearly gates during the last extermination, and everything he knew had been pulled into question. 

Was he wrong to dismiss Sinners so easily? He supposed he could chalk up his view to his own regrets in life. Countless nights were spent feeling bitter over his previous actions, hating the fact he granted free will to all of humanity without so much as a second thought. He even began to hate himself for it.

But now, watching Charlie bring her dream to life, something he tried and ultimately failed to do, he knew that he made the right choice. He’d met so many Sinners who have chosen to call the hotel their ‘home’ and honestly, he was growing rather fond of them all. 

Especially her. 

Penelope… After meeting the woman who was the hotel’s resident art therapist all those months ago, the woman was still an enigma to him. She was quiet, so much so that he sometimes forgot she was in the same room as him, though that was in the beginning. As of late, he couldn’t walk into a room without first looking for the artist and upon spotting the brunette, Lucifer would make his way towards her and start a conversation. Well, ‘conversation’ was putting it mildly. They were more one-sided than anything. Not that he minded one bit, he could talk uninterrupted for hours.

He just couldn’t figure out what her deal was. 

She often kept to herself, really only interacting with other guests to help with exercises that would hopefully help them through whatever hang ups and traumas they may have. And it seemed like she had a lot of her own, from what little Lucifer could glean from her. Yet he couldn’t help but feel drawn to her. It didn’t help that she was beautiful. 

He had no idea when his compliments on her art shifted to flirtatious remarks aimed at her. Maybe it was when he found out about Lilith spending the past seven years in Heaven after their separation, wanting nothing to do with her family and actively trying to thwart all the hard work their daughter has put into this place? Or maybe it was when he first realized his stance on Sinners was not fair to the souls who were giving redemption an honest chance?

It was true he thought that all Sinners were nothing but violent psychopaths. He had even thought the same about her, assuming whatever she had done while she was alive was something that could never be forgiven. But he was proven wrong - not all Sinners were like that. Maybe she wasn’t as well. After all, she was choosing to help people with her craft. She couldn’t really be all that bad, right?

The answer to that question came to him much quicker than he’d anticipated.

It was like any other night. He was up late as usual, looking over a seemingly never ending pile of paperwork that only grew each morning. However as he looked over some new plans for the hotel that Charlie had handed him earlier, the words on the page were beginning to blur, a clear sign that he needed to take a break.

With a groan, he pushed himself up to his feet and stepped out of his room. Some fresh air would do him some good…

Though as he walked towards the expansive balcony near the rear of the building, he noticed a light on at the end of the hallway, a familiar humming emanating from the room. Curiosity got the better of him and he found himself moving on his own towards the artist’s studio. Inside, Penelope sat on a stool in front of a large canvas that almost reached the ceiling, the colors appearing blocky and barely resembling any shapes except at the bottom where she worked. After looking at the painting for a few moments, he could glean that it appeared to be a depiction of water, the figure of a woman laying underneath it, reaching towards the surface while several air bubbles escaped her open mouth. 

As if sensing she was being watched, the woman ceased her song and turned to look at where he stood in the doorway.

A nervous chuckle escaped him as he waved. “Ah, knock knock…?”

Way to sound like an idiot, idiot, he chastised himself mentally.

“Can I help you with something, sir?” Penelope asked, her voice holding a monotonous and even tone that seemed to never leave her. He didn’t know when he’d grown to love her voice regardless of how uninterested she may sound. It was part of her charm.

“I told you to stop calling me that, Penelope. Just Lucifer is fine.” He said. The woman raised a brow at him before turning back to her painting, dipping her brush into some brown before gently swiping the bristles over the canvas.

Lucifer watched in silence as she worked, captivated by the way she layered each brushstroke with careful precision. God, she was stunning. The large overhead light casted almost an ethereal aura around her, catching the dust particles that sparkled as they floated along. She looked so peaceful like this. 

His gaze traveled from her face to her fingers, pale skin turning dark at her fingertips where she held her brush with care as she swirled it in a pool of deep blue on her palette. Not only was she captivating, but she was a damned good artist that clearly took pride in her craft, pouring nothing but love into each piece. Several of her works graced the halls and spaces of the hotel, like the portrait of Sir Pentious that hung in the foyer. Many of the guests even had their own Penelope-original in their rooms, alongside their own art that was crafted during their stays. He was only slightly disheartened that he didn’t have one of his own. Maybe he should ask. Would it be weird to ask? None of the others had to ask. No, it would definitely be weird to ask. Oh- crap she was looking at him.

He gave her a half-smile as her brows furrowed. He could swear a hint of distrust flash in her amber eyes as she spoke. “What?”

“What?” He repeated.

Penelope rolled her eyes. “You’ve been staring at me.”

“Oh, I am? I was uh… I-” 

His words were coming out in a disjointed mess, crimson eyes shifting as his hands moved about as he struggled to find the right words. It wasn’t until he had to forcibly stop himself and take a deep breath that he got his thoughts in order. “I’m just trying to figure you out.” 

She blinked at him, her face staying perfectly blank as she turned her attention back to the canvas. “Well, don’t.”

“Oh c’mon, I know next to nothing about you!” Lucifer remarked, a small seed of hope planting in his chest that maybe he would finally get her to open up tonight.

“Good, let’s keep it that way.” Penelope brushed some of the blue onto a bit of gray, gently dabbing the brush so as to not mix the colors too much.

“No no no, not ‘good’. It’s not good.” He let out a small laugh though anything about the situation was humorous. “You make a big deal about using art as a way of expressing emotions and feelings yet you keep yourself so closed off. Oh, don’t look at me that way. Of course I noticed, and I’m sure everyone else has too.”

Her focus was on him as he spoke, eyes cold as if she didn’t appreciate him voicing his observations on her. A sigh left her upon realizing he wouldn’t be backing down from this and resigned herself to her fate. “I keep to myself because it keeps me safe.”

“Safe from what?” He questioned, glad that he was finally getting something out of her but eager to know anything she was willing to give him.

A stretch of silence passed between them until she gave him an answer. “From getting hurt…”

Confusion gripped his entire body as his forehead creased. “What are you talking about? No one here wants to hurt you.”

“I know.” She stated plainly before cursing under her breath. Setting down the brush she grabbed a towel, pressing it to a small area on the canvas in an effort to minimize the damage of her mistake. 

Lucifer was beginning to understand now. 

“Is that why you’re so reserved? Because you’re afraid of someone getting too close, afraid of someone getting to know you, earning your trust, only for them to hurt you in the end.”

Penelope’s body grew rigid as his words hung heavy in the air and he knew he hit the nail in the coffin. So that’s what this was all about, he thought to himself, feeling almost proud that he’d figured it out, but that feeling was slowly fading away as the silence stretched longer. He hoped he didn’t take it too far and mess things up. How could he fix this?

“You know, not everyone is like that.” He began while taking a step closer to her, bringing his hands behind his back to fiddle with his fingers. “There are good people out there, even in this infernal afterlife that seems to only bring out the worst inside everyone.” 

She hesitantly met his eyes as he paused, taking a second to swallow the nerves that came to him suddenly before getting to his point. “Like you.”

“Me?” Doubt somehow finding its way into her monotoned way of speaking as her nose crinkled in disbelief. 

Cute, he told himself but quickly squashed that thought down.

“Yeah!” He exclaimed. “You’re kind and have incredible talent! And you’re patient with everyone here, even if they’re getting on your last nerve with using the wrong type of brushes or wasting supplies. Sometimes I feel as though you’re the only sane one here. Well, besides me, of course.” He let out a small huff of amusement at his own joke before composing himself.

“And… And even if you don’t believe me, just know that you’re pretty special, especially in a place like this. A brilliant diamond amongst a sea of coal. Anyone would be lucky to have the chance to get to know you, the real you.” Lucifer expressed, his eyes shining with the same truthfulness he spoke with.

Penelope regarded him for a beat, golden pools encased in black flitting back and forth between his own eyes before shaking her head. “I’m not someone worth knowing.”

“I think you are…” He whispered.

Then her shoulders shook, a silent giggle wracking her frame as he felt his jaw go slack. In the several months of knowing her, he had never seen her laugh, granted it wasn’t a full one but still! He did that! He made her feel happy!

He wanted to do it again, and again, and again. Suddenly he wondered what it would feel like to be the reason for her happiness. He wanted to touch her, to hold her close, to tell her how much he cared for her before kissing her, to-. 

Oh…

Oh…

Her amusement quieted down and he could swear that the corners of her mouth were twitching. “Then you’re more of an idiot than I thought you were.” 

Lucifer felt his heart do a flip as he noticed the smile that graced her lips, so small that he almost missed it. 

He was in deep shit.

“Well!” He all but shouted, clearing his throat as he scratched the back of his neck. “I should uh- go! Gotta get back to the office before the paperwork decides to have babies, hah ha…”

He clapped his hands together as he turned to leave with awkward movements, almost falling on his ass in the process. As he reached the door he looked over his shoulder to see that her smile was gone but her eyes still gleamed with mirth.

“You have a good night, Penelope.” 

He was barely two steps away when he heard her call back to him in a gentle tone instead of her usual even voice. “You too, Lucifer.”

With a dumb grin that refused to go away, he trekked back to his room, ignoring the mountains of paper that surrounded his desk and making a beeline for his bed, flopping onto the plush comforter. He had no idea how long he stayed there, laying on his back and staring up at the patterned, red fabric that draped over the canopy frame as he replayed the interaction with Penelope over and over again in his mind. It wasn’t until morning broke over the horizon that he realized he’d spent all night thinking about her. 

It wasn’t until he heard the rest of the hotel come to life that he moved, getting up to seek out some coffee. As he left his room, he caught sight of a thin rectangle wrapped in brown parchment paper. He picked up the package that was clearly a painting and saw a note taped onto the front that read ‘Even a diamond needs reminding that they’re someone worth knowing. - P’. 

Excitement coursed through him as Lucifer went back into his room and carefully ripped through the wrapping. It was a simple painting that couldn’t be bigger than two by three feet, but he was more drawn to the flower that was depicted on the canvas. A pair of hands delicately held a singular white orchid, the dark colors of the background and the skin making the brightness of the flower all the more radiant. 

He blinked in amazement at the painting, surprised that she was able to make something so pretty so quickly, though he could vaguely remember her going on about how some paints dry faster than others. With a large grin he scanned the walls, deciding that right next to his desk would be a perfect place to hand the art since he would be able to turn and see it often.

Heat creeped onto his face as he thought this, bringing a hand to cover his face as he groaned. 

These feelings… They were going to be a problem, weren’t they?

[enbyleighlines]

Leigh plays Tellius prt 25

I like how they throw this foreshadowing into the story so early. I'll talk it about this more once we learn the aforementioned secret, but for now I'll just say that I find the parallels between Naesala and another king quite fascinating.

I had to get this base conversation, even though I've seen it before. I think it's just such a sweet addition to the story. I mentioned it before, but I just love these three brothers. Their backstory is so sad, and I love how, even though they still bicker and don't always get along, they all rely on and support one another.

See, like this right here. This base conversation is payoff for the ridiculous little argument Rolf and Boyd got into earlier about skill vs strength. I think the Tellius duology does sibling relationships so well. Ike and Mist have a similar dynamic, wherein they biker and tease one another, while also clearly caring for one another.

Oh, Ilyana. Never change.

I couldn't stop cackling during this base conversation. I just love everything about it— Ike's no nonsense attitude towards Aimee's flirtations, Soren rushing in to save Ike from doing something that could get him in trouble, and then Soren aggressively flirting with Aimee for some sweet, sweet discounts. It's such a lovely callback to the base conversation in PoR, wherein Soren gives Aimee advice on how to seduce Ike in exchange for a rare staff.

I know a lot of people headcanon Soren as a jealous partner, and it's not that I disagree (I think he has a possessive streak which embarrasses him), but I think he's also very confident in the fact that Ike isn't interested in the various women that flirt with him, so he has no reason to feel threatened. Sure, if a woman oversteps their boundaries, Soren is going to step in. But he isn't overly jealous. And I think that sort of thing is rare in characters like him, the intensely-in-love-with-their-best-childhood-friend archetype. He loves Ike, that is for certain. But he's also a pragmatic person who takes his position as staff officer very seriously. If there is a way for him to get a discount on goods or get his hands on an extremely rare item, well, he's not afraid to do what needs to be done.

As he says in this conversation, "What I do now, I do for the good of the company."

Gosh, I love this base conversation. It's literally just Ranulf talking about Soren's character growth from PoR to RD. Ranulf is always carefully observing Soren, like that moment in PoR where he implies he knows about Soren's laguz heritage, or that moment when he asks Ike about whether or not his "nervous little staff officer" has snapped yet. I think Soren and Ranulf should interact more! I'm so mad they cut out the scene where Soren reluctantly agrees to ride on transformed Ranulf's back. Ahhh. I have so many brainworms about these two. I don't ship them romantically, but I think that their dynamic is just so fun to think about. It's my personal belief that they would (eventually, after a lot of effort on Ranulf's part) become good friends (even if Soren would never admit it).

Let Ike have two boyfriends!! Let them all travel the world together as a partially queerplatonic throuple!!! Ugh my heart hurts just thinking about it.

AND HERE IT IS

This is my favorite cutscene in the game. Gosh, seeing Ranulf animated in this scene is always such a treat. The smooth delivery of his lines, the small little ear twitches, the fact that he is just too damn handsome... Yeah, I'll admit it. I 100% have a bit of a crush on Ranulf. I totally understand why Lyre and Kyza fight over him.

I mean, I love a lot of other things about this cutscene. I love how effortlessly cool Zelgius is, I love the grand scale of it all, I love the gloomy, misty atmosphere, I love how each laguz and beorc in the background is animated with such care and attention to detail, I even love Tibarn's ridiculous line "To wing, brothers! Catch me if you can!" And oooh, don't even get me started on the low timbre of Skrimir's voice. I'm not usually into muscular men, but Skrimir is an exception.

Maybe I just have a thing for catboys...

Gosh, I love this dynamic between Skrimir and Soren. This one-sided infatuation is so damn cute. And I'm glad to see someone else appreciate Soren as much as I do. Of course, Soren immediately rejects him and rushes to stand by Ike.

I don't ship these Soren and Skrimir, but I understand the people that do. It's a very fun dynamic.

Anyway, that's it for now! Sorry for the long wait on this one. I have been struggling to get back into routine after having a week off from work. Also, I'm sorry if I talked too much about shipping in this one. But it is impossible for me to be normal about this part of the game, with so much focus put on Soren. In PoR, Soren struggled with the fact that he didn't feel like he belonged anywhere, that he was unwanted, and now look at him!! He's so much more confident now, less afraid to speak his mind.

I just want to grab him by the face and tell him, "You're doing great, sweetie!"

Would he kill me for doing that? Oh, absolutely.

Would it be worth it anyway?

I think anyone who has read this far already knows the answer.

[cantalooprat]

Eternities Still Unsaid Till You Love Me/Boundless Utterance

What I Liked

iien was so peak it gave me brainworms and im not usually into alpha/alpha ships but it was just so good that i wanted more so i went to read the "first book" which is also peak (tbh i like iien a wee bit better but that's just personal preference. guwen is a gem.)

gu yunchi lmao it's not even his book but he steals the show whenever he appears he's the op one of the three besties. iien and unsaid are both connected but can be read as standalones, but it does kind of feel like unsaid should prob be read first... bc it's written first? so it explains more of the society and the setting of both stories. but at the same time reading iien and then reading unsaid is like. whenever gu yunchi appears he's aura farming and i love all of his aura farming moments.

makes sense that he wei/chi jiahan get more moments here by virtue of chi jiahan being xu ze's bestie while xu ze and wen ran basically never cross paths. actually that's also what i appreciate about the book, that each character has their own social circles and support systems outside each other. like sure the three young masters are besties and that's the connecting point of the stories but xu ze has chi jiahan and wen ran has tao susu and song shuang and they're not all necessarily close to each other.

smh xu ze is the most babygirl-coded alpha i've ever seen. he's seriously doggishly loyal and so unreservedly trusting towards lu heyang and has cripplingly low self-esteem that it's tragic but i also like that he has all of these flaws. he is a big man but he is my babygirl.

lu heyang is lowkey kinda pervy lol the thing with the skirt after xu ze was boxing... then the garter...

it's fun to see two quiet people fall in love. lu heyang, initially distant, grows more and more interested in the not honest xu ze who can't lie to save his life but keeps lying anyway. their long-stretched silences because of xu ze's reticence and lu heyang's disinterest slowly morphing into directed conversations and gentle nudging as lu heyang helps xu ze become more assertive...

love the theming that authornim does for this series of books. iien has the polar night and the aurora while unsaid has gardenias.

also ofc the soap opera tropes: oppressive chaebol parents ✅ forced "love" between lu heyang's parents like that thing abt ntr-ing the brother-in-law was so unnecessarily dogbloody (i like it) ✅ fake pregnancy ✅ memory loss ✅✅ mc's dad died saving ml's life when they were kids (plus points bc the first memory loss instance was caused by this incident) ✅

how both gu yunchi and lu heyang both fall in love with wen ran and xu ze respectively who "have nothing else to give" but wish nothing else but happiness and freedom for them. in a society where their worth is decided by their families and connections and inheritance, where every move of theirs is calculated and calculating, to encounter a selfless love where the other party sees them not as a resource but as themselves must be nothing less than a treasure.

another point i like is kind of the folly of their "arrogance" i guess (referring to gu yunchi and lu heyang) it's fun to kind of compare and contrast them because they're the iceberg duo in the three young masters besties group but they're both sufficiently different (gu yunchi is tsundere with a spicy tongue, lu heyang is sly with a somewhat perverted streak?) but they both also have these... grand plans about going to the military and gaining power and freedom and being able to be with the person they love. but in the end, things still spiral out of their control because the bigger picture involves so much more than just them and they both face the repercussions (wen ran "dying", lu heyang's second memory loss)

also another point of similarity is the bday present that they ended up missing out on due to one reason or another

i like that post-memory loss lu heyang after the timeskip basically had a repeat of his interactions with xu ze so it's like things have changed a lot but at the same time it's still the same. lu heyang still ended up drawn to xu ze and still ended up in love despite not remembering him.

xu ze is so pessimistic but not without reason and i love that it just sets the tone of the book into this matter-of-fact melancholy. things like lu heyang being too good for him, them using borrowed time to fall in love, him always expecting lu heyang to leave and thinking that he'll cherish whatever lu heyang gives him. like it's really unhealthy but also xu ze's earnestness and sincerity coupled with his clumsy lies make him so endearing. babygirl.

he wei being bullied LMAO i like that he wei and wen ran are both like the "oblivious duo" and how he wei never caught on that luxu was A Thing poor guy but at the same time LMAO

im happy lu heyang got his memory back and got to have a happy ending with his babygirl xu ze. i like that lu-jiejie got to be together with her lover and they have a cute daughter together. i like that their omega dad got to divorce the alpha sperm donor.

the ending... the main story ending... i love that it's tinged with just the slightest hint of bittersweetness when high school xu ze woke up and said he just had a long dream. not sure what authornim quite implies but i want to take it as some sort of au where they're both not dealing with all this shit, or somehow post-timeskip luxu being able to give salvation to their younger selves, or just a sweet dream xu ze had of their fleeting high school years

What I Disliked

i want more extras /unreasonable

poor xiao feng 😭😭😭 the kid was so cute and helpful he didn't deserve to die

Notes

i also want he wei and chi jiahan's book authornim

give audio drama for iien and unsaid i beg i just want the theme songs i bet they'll be peak angsty ballads

also what is the song from which the tl-er got the title tl im so curious

i actually still have a bunch of books i haven't written reviews (?) on bc ive been lazy and distracted but i wanted to yap abt unsaid and didn't want to half ass these so here are the others, coming... soon... or whenever i feel like yapping: - the rest of trashbin boyfriends i haven't finished writing abt the last couple of worlds and extras - Hui Tian - New Times New Hell (reread) - The God of War Returns and Spices Up Life With Marriage - Industrial Cultivation - The Salted Fish is Rebellious - Mr. Dior - An e-sports Tale of a Shattered Mirror Made Whole

[mrpenguinpants]

would you,, kindly consider dainsleif x ganyu? ok i promise there’s an explanation, he sounded genuinely worried about her in his narrative so i was like “omg hello imaginary chemistry between two characters who likely will not have any canon interaction whatsoever”

Of course^^ I will write any rare pair since I know how absolutely crippling it is when you love a ship but there are no crumbs. (I’m a hard scaracmouche and albedo simp. Don’t ask me how it happened. It just did and I will feed myself if I have to). 

Once my request box is open again, feel free to send it in! I just ask that you give me some sort of scenario or prompt since it might be hard for be to picture it or I’m not sure what you would like. 

Alright anon, you’ve triggered my brainworms. I’m going to go watch Ganyu’s trailer again and I’ll come back with content. 

So minor spoilers for the Dainsleif theories

Okay, the way Dainsleif says “the loneliness of an "inhuman" living in the human world”. I can feel the crippling suffering in how he says loneliness. I fully believe that Dainsleif isn’t human either so he can definitely relate to Ganyu in some way. I know that Ganyu has been alive for a long time but her mannerisms do remind me of someone young and bright, just trying to find their way through life, ya know? And in a sense, that’s kinda who Ganyu is. 

If I had to write this right now with no context whatsoever then something like this:

Ganyu feels incredibly lonely despite being surrounded with her fellow adepti and the Liyue Qixing. While Rex Lapis was still alive she held some comfort in his presence but now with his “death” and the disappearing bodies of adepti in Liyue. She’s conflicted in her identify of being half human and half adepti. Whether she belongs in the human world or with the celestial bodies. 

Hailing from Khaenri’ah, Dainsleif understands the loneliness of not belonging in your own home. The person you held comfort in suddenly disappearing without a trace that you’re left standing on your own. While he chooses to not interfere with the human world and the traveler’s adventures. He’s... genuinely worried for Ganyu. He may not like the adepti’s but Ganyu is still a person that deserves support. 

While Ganyu throws herself into her work to try and stray away the dark thoughts, she feels as if she’s being watched. Her hand is always ready to fly to her bow in any signs of trouble but nothing ever appears. Her suspicious arise even further when she is gifted strange flowers. She likes eating them but no one should really know that besides the Qixing. She still shudders in embarrassment at Ningguang catching her. Perhaps she’s being tested? 

While Ganyu and Dainsleif aren’t the best at expressing themselves. There is some type of solace they find in each other. Both being inhuman in a human world. Dainsleif see’s his travel companion in Ganyu, from her sense of duty to protect the contract she made but also finding some charm in her forgetful nature, and genuinely enjoys her calming nature. To Ganyu, Dainsleif’s reminds her a lot about Morax. She feels safe when she’s with him, a second pillar of support but mostly a friend. 

She gets a bit shy when Ninngguang asks where she’s been and if there’s anything interesting that’s popped into her life. She supposes she has been taking a few more breaks to see Dainsleif but it shouldn’t have been that noticeable. It becomes even worse when Xiao of all people suddenly drops in and questions her about the mysterious man she’s been conversing with. She ends up stuttering in both cases before she’s running out the door saying that she has important work to do. It’s only when she’s somewhere isolated that she calms down and cups her cheeks and tries to will away the pink flush. What’s happening to her?

This is “I literally just woke up” brain food but that’s my interpretations. But let me know anon what your hcs are! I’d love to hear it (maybe its a lot fluffier than mine haha). I honestly love hearing rare pair ideas and why people like them. It’s a lot more interesting (I mean, keqing anon and I have a 190k word fic in the back haha)