#but it’s just a look and a fashion he’s cultivated for himself

[fiercestpurpose]

“harry styles uses queer fashion as a costume he can take on and off” it’s literally fashion. it IS a costume. like. that’s the POINT of fashion.

[b00tyliciousbabe]

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅

barbie tingz

marcus scribner x THICC male reader

summary: just marcus loving you like with his heart, soul, and FAT SCHLONG. slight feminisation - don’t kill me.

notes: LOVELIES! hope everyone is having a beautiful day. i wanted to let y’all know that i will be taking a lil break because it’s exam season. don’t be sad…because this means i have an entire summer of smutty content to write and catch up on! ps. each word in this fic is me being another squat closer to the fattest ass in the world. ENJOY!

ALSO! the met gala is tonight! my favourite event of the year, i might make a short rec…how do we feel about that?

song rec: ‘freak’ - victoria monét

marcus was well on his way to establishing a name for himself in hollywood. booking new roles, alongside his debut as a director, he was on track for a career that would rival his mentors. but if you were to ask him what his biggest achievement was, he would say being with you. the corny mf has actually reiterated his adoration multiple times during interviews, and the world is obsessed with how lovestruck he was. aside from being social media’s favourite young couple, you, yourself, had a blossoming career in fashion that meant you were styling your man to make sure he looked good for his press tours.

notoriously, you garnered a reputation for EATING UP on the carpet - zendaya being your only competition. this ain’t no exaggeration, but every time you’d step out, those fits would break the internet. thus, when the news dropped that you’d be attending the premiere with your boyfriend, all eyes would be on you - yet again. having you on his arm, instantly elevated his aesthetic. not that he ever saw you as some pawn too boost his career, you meant the world to him, but your beauty as his trophy wife made him even more palatable. usually, you’d have an entire glam team by your side cultivating your iconic, polished look. but, you and marcus had both been working so hard, to the detriment of your relationship, and so you decided to spend the night at his, agreeing to do all the glam yourself.

‘Y/N,’ Marcus bellowed from downstairs, putting on his rings, and spraying cologne onto his clothes. ‘baby, we gotta go.’

‘Y/N! over here! to the left! Y/N!’ a flurry of paparazzi screamed. ‘the body is TEA!’ one reporter exclaimed, making you laugh.

you graciously blushed. they weren’t wrong, your pear-shaped figure, defined abs, and toned arms were nothing short of a sculpted masterpiece. amidst the bbl allegations on twitter, and every tabloid claiming to have the secret to getting an ass as perfect as yours, YOU were the standard. a beautiful, androgynous mix of allure and charm. not even chris evans, america’s ass, said that you had the best glutes in the industry. it was a thing of wonder; something so many lusted for, and even more desired to have a piece of whilst having you in backshots. there were an array of wolf whistles from the public whenever you walked, swiftly followed by a gaggle of photographers snapping shots of your post-gym bawd.

marcus soon joined you on the carpet after finishing up on his interview. if the sensory overstimulation of flashes and cheers wasn’t enough, this was heightened when marcus snaked his arm around your lower back. whispering sweet nothings into your ear, spectators were foaming at the mouth by his public proclamations of love, hiding your blush from the world.

‘don’t be shy,’ he said lifting your chin to his face. ‘there’s that smile I love.’ the whole crowd was gushing, you could’ve cringed at how clingy he was being in public, but found his confidence to do so, all the more endearing.

one thing that you sly liked about marcus, was how he jealous he could get, so many of his friends and industry buffs would come up to talk to you during the interviews, coming up for hugs, and even though he trusted you, his need to protect had him riled. marcus had a great relationship with all of his co-stars and they all became such a family over the filming process. you being there made the family even stronger, embodying the role of MOTHERRR in more ways than one, and they all appreciated your kindness. always there to soften the stressful tones of your bf’s criticism.

you were particularly close with his friend from another project, and due to mutual management you spent a lot of time in the same spaces. he came up and hugged you from behind, before being whisked away to speak with another reporter. all but a few seconds, lasted an eternity, the worst kind, burned into the possessive psyche of your man.

moments passed and it was time for group pictures on the carpet. you and marc were dead center, with his large hands gripping you tighter than usual. you looked up to see he was scowling, ‘lighten up bubs.’ you giggled, to which your bf fixed his face - he could never stay mad when you were always there to calm his demons. not long after, the same face screw, that made his nose look so cute came back, as he remembered the voices of the media resounding in his head.

‘damn I’d hit that.’

‘Marcus is one lucky mf to be all up in dat pussy’

‘I bet the recoil on that thing is insane.’

it infuriated him to hear how the public spoke about you, as if you were some object, and not the kind person he grew so enamoured with. ‘I’m gonna fuck you so hard, you gon’ beg me for mercy.’ he whispered , breaking that veneer of respectability for a brief moment, squeezing your butt, then turning back to smile at the cameras. you’d never seen that side to him, it’d be a lie to say it didn’t turn you on.

throughout the screening, he made sure to let you know that all your teasing would soon be dealt with. the vulgar remarks were still plaguing him, and you knew you were about to be on the receiving end of it. literally.

‘upstairs.’ he said sternly,

the two of you started kissing, unbuttoning his shirt as he unbuckled your pants to free the globes of juicy flesh he loved so much. strewn across the floor, all fear of creasing the custom couture outfit you were wearing had disappeared - the overwhelming desire to make love to your boyfriend clouded your judgement.

you get down to business, kneeling to align your lips with his cock head. ‘don’t take this the wrong way.’ marcus sighed, urging you to stand up, so frail against how tall your man stood.

‘Y/N, i just wanna fuck right now.’

you knew how badly he needed this, and a part of you liked how desperate he was to be inside you. but it was bizarre, marcus loved watching you suck him off, getting him all lubed to plough your hole, almost as much as you loved gagging on his meat. nonetheless, you obliged, bending over as you had your knees on the edge of the bed, hole puckering at the chill of the air. marcus grabbed your left cheek, caressing and massaging your upper hip.

‘so fucking soft.’ he whispers against your skin, kissing at your taint. it was as if he snapped out of his love drunk trance, and was left a primal shell of himself. he practically ripped off your underwear, leaving your naked bodies to rub up on each other as he scrambled to find lube.

‘fuuuuuuuk’ he groaned.

his thick schlong fit like a glove in your inviting hole, slick from your desire and his precum.

‘damn i missed that boy pussy’ - LIES. that man combusts if he isn’t inside of you at least 4 times a week - wtf was there to miss? this sentiment made you smile at how whipped he was for you though.

his pace quickened. pulling his entire length out of you, except his bulbous tip, and spitting directly on your pussy to get you even more slick. ‘hear that baby,’ he praised the ‘mac n cheese’ sloppiness of your hole. ‘your pussy was made for me.’ he was right; most guys love skinny twinks because their petite butts made their tops’ look hung. despite the voluptuous curves you had, you were ample in both chest and derrière making average look like a micro penis inside you. all but marcus. he overpowered you in ways no other man could, his thick, girthy cock stretched you out in a way that blurred the lines between pain and pleasure. not to mention his length, during your first time he could barely fit half in without it feeling like he was stabbing your insides. but after some practice, you started taking him - ALL of him.

his grunts deepened. ‘practically begging me to cum inside that hole.’ gripping your hair up fucking you in doggy. style. marcus began leaving love bites on your neck, marking you for all to see. his big hand crossed to caress your childbearing hips. whoever said men can’t get pregnant must’ve never accounted for marcus’ determination. his dick wanted to make you a mother so badly, and nothing was going to stop him trying.

‘you can take it.’ he praises. ‘all. of. it.’ slamming into you with a bold rhythm on his final three words. and that you could. your hole was heaven for him. every time he would enter, your thick meaty globes would bounce like jelly on his lower abdomen, making marcus even more inclined to give you your reward. you moaned out in ecstasy, your bodies were made for one another.

‘who’s pussy is this?’ his grip on your neck became tighter, still allowing you to moan out in response, ‘it’s yours marky, all yours.’ fuck. you were whipped, almost as much as he was. ‘that’s right baby, moan for me.’

‘scream like the little bitch you are.’ you and marcus both enjoyed the passion of rough sex, but this was something you hadn’t ever seen in him before. he was a beast and you loved it, way more than you could ever admit. there was something sweet about the high you were on as you were being impaled by his dick.

particularly, he relished in hearing your slutty cries, ‘music to my fucking ears.’ praising you ‘my pretty little slut, fuck yeah, you want my load.’

‘fuck yeah marc, give it to me please.’ you screeched, loving how hard he was clapping your cheeks.

‘shiiiiiiit, baby, fuuuuuck.’ he spouted, spilling his pearliness into your pussy. he used his thumbs to kneed the dough around your hips, losing himself in the bakery he so enjoyed visiting every morning for breakfast.

gently, he collapsed on top of you, still inside the warmth of your flesh. after a gentle make out sesh, cockwarming your boyfriend until he was soft, your bf brushed up against you. massaging your thick thighs, marcus tended to the bruises he gave, kissing them reassuringly. you ushered him to lay his head between your pecs, as he put his entire body weight onto you. he sighed deeply, feeling safe in your warm embrace. ‘marc, is everything okay?’ you stroke his face, as your fingers laced into his curls. he snickered groggily, ‘shouldn’t i be asking you the same thing?’ - a fair question because he litch just wrecked your shit. ‘real, but we both know that in a couple hours i’ll be fine.’ a silence filled the room, concern brewing in your heart. you played with his ear, knowing how he becomes putty in your hands. ‘fuuuuuck, you ain’t gon’ stop unless i talk, right?’ you kept quiet, trailing the tips of your fingers on his lobe. he sighed deeply, ‘i just get so possessive over you.’ his last words muffled by your ample bosom as he came to the realisation that the press’ words got to him more than he thought.

sitting up, marcus exhaled deeply. ‘i can’t even blame them for ogling, you’re so beautiful.’ ‘but u ain’t an object, and i hate that people treat you like that.’ you caressed his cheek with a loving care. ‘call it jealousy, possession, toxic - I don’t care. you’re all mine.’ marcus always felt the need to take care of what was his, doing better than what he had seen throughout his childhood.

you had an idea, trailing your fingers down his torso, circling his belly button, ‘why don’t you show me again?’ whispering into his ear as he breathed out in pleasure.

you kissed his cheek, before slowly massaging his dick tip, ‘how much do you love me.’

marcus turned you over. stroking and licking his ear, y’all were so intimate. he held onto the grooves of your waist, fucking into you slowly, marking your neck with his saliva.

‘you’re such a dream to me Y/N,’ he always had a way with words that made you smile like a school girl. ‘I was so selfish before, you didn’t even come.’ you always placed marcus’ pleasure above your own, but he was never satisfied with just brutalising your hole. he needed you to enjoy taking his dick, just as much as he enjoyed gaping your hole.

‘guess I’ll have to fuck another load in, to get one out of you.’ he joked, sucking on the sweet skin of your plump ass.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅

tag list:

@gayaristocrat

@ghostking4m

[fatalism-and-villainy]

Rewatching season 2 had me really struck by the sheer amount of time Will spends performing for other people, and how few fully authentic interactions he has. In fact, I’d say one of the biggest through lines between the first and second halves of the season is Will learning how to wear masks, and then actively deploying that for the purpose of catching Hannibal.

(And how fitting is it that the promo for season 2 had Will wearing the iconic hockey mask? Not just a franchise in-joke, but a reflection of the fact that he “becomes” Hannibal in this season, begins to symbolically merge with him, to the point in which his own goals become clouded to him.)

It's a natural extension of season 1's establishment of his empathic abilities, where he begins to more actively use his ability to read other people and discern their motivations as a tool, or weapon. Simply telling the truth about his innocence doesn’t serve him - so he adapts a façade very quickly, in his faked tears for Hannibal and Alana. All of his interactions with others while in prison - Chilton, Lounds, Matthew Brown, etc. - are very deliberately engineered, and lean into what Will knows (or thinks) each person wants to hear - all setting the stage for him doing the same thing to Hannibal. Every word, everything about his intonation, is so precise - something that specifically struck me in this stretch of episodes was when he talks to Gideon and very carefully leans forward as he’s trying to drive his point home:

(And the body language, interestingly enough, is not just persuasive, but also mirrors the way Gideon sometimes leans/dangles his arms out of the cage when talking to others - and it reminds me of Will also mirroring Hannibal’s body language during the “not now that I finally find you interesting” scene, when he bites his lip in the way Hannibal so often does.)

It really highlights how so much of how he interacts with others during this entire stretch of the plot is a very carefully crafted performance, with so many of Will’s actual feelings and motivations subsumed into his manipulations. I remember watching the DVD commentary on Su-zakana, and they talk about how Will’s visible surliness with Hannibal was meant to stem from the fact that he didn’t want to be too friendly with Hannibal right away, because it would look suspicious. And I think that gets at something that’s present with how both Will and Hannibal manipulate others - they’re not necessarily lying about their feelings, just consciously using genuine feelings or motivations as a method of influencing others. With Hannibal, he frequently does feel genuine affection for others, and his care for them stems from that, but it’s also often used to put them at ease, serve his own ends. Will, for his part, is genuinely angry with Hannibal, but actively uses those feelings to fashion an aura of standoffishness. And of course, Hannibal has a genuine pull for him, and he deliberately leans into and cultivates that enjoyment for the sake of entrapping Hannibal. …Which of course leads to a situation where he has to put on a show for Jack as well, in which he downplays how deep into it he’s getting.

So it’s entirely fitting that the opening of Mizumono features the two halves of Will’s face - the front he’s presenting to Hannibal, and the front he’s presenting to Jack - merging, mask-like, in the middle of the screen.

They’re both the real him, and they’re both masks - and he gets so subsumed into his performances for others, the modulation and accentuation and sublimation of his feelings that they require, that he gets lost to himself (and is also terribly lonely and isolated). No wonder he’s confused and unmoored in early season 3.

[asterlark]

today in Leverage Thoughts That Make Me Sad- it's canon that eliot has a much better than average memory, and we see this in a few ways:

the extensive and minute knowledge he has of things like helicopter and bullet sounds, and what different groups of military look like based on haircuts and stances, always brushed off with "it's a very distinctive ___"

the knowledge he gathers from women he dates, paying attention to things like what's currently fashionable, what flight attendants prefer to be called, etc; again brushed off with "what? i dated a ___"

the speech in the experimental job about him remembering everyone he's ever killed, up to and including their names, what they wore, and what food was on their breath

if you've rewatched the show at all or pay attention to eliot specifically in any scene, you'll notice that he observes people very closely. i think this goes back to a hyper-vigilance he's cultivated through his days in the military and doing wetwork- probably especially in working with moreau. if your circumstances are that difficult to navigate, and if you can only really depend on yourself, of course you're going to notice and remember details about people. you'd have to develop that skill, to have the knowledge to give yourself options if you ever needed to escape suddenly.

also, for eliot's job in retrieval, he had to be a successful grifter somewhat often, so it makes sense that he'd find it important to both notice and remember small details about other people in that setting as well. cultivating that skill with people, with lying and charming, was a survival instinct.

all of this is to say- eliot has always done this, remembered little things about people, in service of his own survival (he's loaned out the skill to others, but you can argue that work is based in a survival instinct too... anyway). during the course of leverage we start to see him using these skills not only to protect other people, but to make them happy too. while he's risking his life every day to protect the team, he's also using his excellent memory to do things like buy parker a fucking plant that does something and say it's from hardison!

he wants to go beyond simply protecting them, he loves them and wants to show it- but he won't take the credit. eliot doesn't believe he's worth loving. he doesn't believe he'll ever be actually loved back, let alone loudly, by parker and hardison.

so he lets the credit be on hardison, he talks to them both and gives them advice about each other, he tells them in the rundown job to get on a plane out of d.c. so he can take whatever's coming himself. he pushes them away, towards each other, because he wants them to be happy and he thinks they will be happiest not knowing him that deeply.

but he also couldn't bear not being in their lives, not standing with them every day and protecting them from harm- so he puts his body, his memory, his mind in service of them, every single day. just... always from a distance. and he thinks he's doing it for them, to protect them, but he's doing it for himself out of fear of rejection. because he doesn't think he's good enough, worthy enough, of love. and that's so fucking sad.

[meraki-yao]

Transcription and Translation of Taylor's Little Red Book Livestream (9th December 2023, to the best of my ability)

Q: Question A: Answer

Side Banters:

H: Host T: Taylor Anything in brackets: me or additional elaboration

Q: Asking him to share his experience of city walking in Shanghai earlier today

A: They went to Yu Garden which Taylor said was incredible, and he tried 糖葫蘆 Tanghulu, a traditional Chinese sweet which is candied Chinese Hawthorn

Q: How was the past few days for him and where did he go

A: He's been in China for four nights now (He came by himself btw) First night he stayed at the J Hotel which is the third tallest building in the world and the tallest hotel in the world. After that, he went to 濮院 (the venue for the GQ event) for two nights and it was incredible

Q: How's his jetlag?

A: It's hitting right now 😂 He's been drinking a lot of tea and getting better

Q: What led him to choose to become an actor instead of a competitive swimmer

A: That was an easy choice, he swan for 10 years and then decided he didn't want to swim in college, and then decided he didn't want to be a doctor (his brother's a doctor) and maybe disappointed his parents (H: No way!) It was a hard decision but he decided to move to LA and pursue acting (H: and you made it!)

Q: How is he enjoying being an actor?

A: It's tough, ups and downs. It's kind of like swimming, it's an individual activity, but you also get to collaborate with the community, which is fun.

Q: What are his favourite three movies and why?

A: The Matrix, Fight Club and Interstellar, he likes movie with a twist

Q: What type of music does he like

A: Deep House, Tropical House, Reggaeton

And then the host taught him a couple of Chinese phrases

Q: What sparked his interest in fashion

A: His dad bought him a subscription to GQ when he was younger which started his interest in fashion, and then he started watching fashion-related movies (like Brad Pitt in Allied) which further cultivated that interest. Maybe in the future, he'll try out characters like that

Q: Did he meet any friends in the GQ event?

A: He met Li Xian who he met in Italy earlier, otherwise met a lot of new people.

Q: Why is he passionate about being eco-friendly when it comes to fashion?

A: It was inspired initially by his mom. They lived in the countryside with horses, cows, and fields away from the city, and he has seven siblings (he's the sixth oldest/ third youngest) so there are a lot of hand-me-downs and not a lot of new things, so the family kept on using the same things. He gained a deeper awareness of the issue in recent years.

Q: Talk a bit about fashion sustainability

A: A lot of fast fashion material and clothes are thrown out really soon and disposed of really quickly (despite still being in good shape) but a lot of clothing material, especially synthetic fabric can't be recycled, so it's just like throwing out plastic. Actually, a lot of clothes can keep being reused and styled. He's had the inner shirt he's currently wearing for four years.

Q: Any future plans?

A: He has a film project early next year and there are other things he's excited about but can't talk about yet

Q: Is he going to Shanghai Disneyland?

A: He wants to but he doesn't have time

H: You don't even need to go to Disney you look like a Disney character already! (Damn right!!!)

Q: What food have you had in China so far?

A: Don't get him started on the subject of food 😂 He's had a Shanghainese Lunch today and a Cantonese (YAY) lunch yesterday, and he's looking for some spicy food for tomorrow. Also, he had a really crazy allergic reaction and his lips got giant (???). He needs to be careful with food.

T: I see talk about RWRB, what do you want to know? I'll give some secret intel

(me: YESSSSSSSSSS FINALLY)

RWRB questions speedrun:

Q: sequel?

A: ... He doesn't know. He says he thinks Casey has to write another book for that.

Q: Deleted scenes?

A: They're deleted for a reason (DUDE)

Q: BTS?

A: He says he has some on his phone and he would show us but he doesn't have his phone right now, he might post it later (PLEASE DO)

H: He's leaving after three days

T: (reading off comments) Come visit Hong Kong next time? Yeah! (me, who lives in Hong Kong: AHHHHHHHHHH)

Q: Do you know any Chinese nicknames of yours?

A: 忒樂. (tei le, or "Tay"-le) meaning too happy (I made a list of the boys' Chinese nicknames here)

Annddd... That's it! The live was pretty short, like 20 minutes? He ended it by picking up the phone and showing the audience the Shanghai city view himself (I was too busy typing to get a screenshot)

All transcription or interpretation mistakes are mine

[maingh0st]

thoughts on holly black's tithe

fair warning that this isn't really going to be a book review—I went into this book predisposed to enjoying it, and I generally had a good time. rather than a comprehensive review, I just have some loose silos of thoughts I wanted to share. it's still a long post, but I'm not attempting to cover everything! so without further ado (some spoilers ahead):

let's get this out of the way

Tithe was Holly Black's debut YA novel, and it reads like it. it's a good debut—she's clearly a skillful author even this early in her career—but there are some choices (pacing, phrasing, etc) that read as slightly amateur. one of these choices was, in my opinion, including multiple POVs. maybe this is a controversial take, but I would've enjoyed this book more if Roiben's POV hadn't been included. it would've increased narrative tension, led to more intrigue about his character, and allowed us to get to know him along with Kaye (rather than being privy to his secrets and Deep Inner Turmoil from the jump).

I can't remember where I saw this, but someone said that reading Tithe feels like talking to a teen who's just figured out they can swear & make sex jokes, and yeah, that's accurate—but I also found it strangely endearing. Kaye is a teen, and her ~quirky~ teenager-ish musings on boys, alcohol, fashion, etc feel believable. which leads, unfortunately, to the next thing I've gotta address:

Kaye is 16 years old, and most of the time, she reads like a 16 year old. on the other hand, we're never told Roiben's exact age, but the man has lived a lot of life by the time we meet him. now I'm pretty lenient toward the idea that the Folk age differently than humans, so it's not really an exact number that's the issue, but the sheer chasm in life experience between them. I quite enjoyed both characters on their own, and conceptually, I feel like they work well together on a personality level, but yikes guys. the story even highlights that Kaye hasn't gotten her license yet because of her age; meanwhile, Roiben is waxing melodramatic about how many people he's killed in his years of tortured servitude to his evil queen. this age gap combined with the insta-lovey nature of their relationship* made this book feel... well, about as dated as it is.

*they have great chemistry once they're actually having conversations & getting to know one another! I really enjoyed their banter! but that's well into the book, and well after they've already been acting mutually infatuated

laughs nervously while looking at sjm

okay I'm not going to harp on the above points, I just wanted to get them out of the way. but now let's play a game: let me tell you about a plot from a popular YA novel, and you tell me which book I'm describing.

there is an evil queen with beautiful red hair and pale skin. she holds her court beneath a large hill. the court itself is ghastly—full of bloodshed, debauchery, riddles, and cruel games. unfortunately, an immortal fey man has found himself magically bound to her power, and while he tries to carve out pockets of agency in minor ways, his forced loyalty to his queen requires him to compromise his morals and cultivate a fearsome, bloody reputation.

a young woman who was raised in the human world finds herself swept up in the machinations of this court. the man fears for her, because she is vulnerable, but her presence also makes him feel hope, and her strength and cleverness surprise him. many shenanigans ensue, and they kill the wicked queen.

I mean. there are notable differences, of course, but I just noticed too many acotar parallels. anyways. holly black did it better

reading a faerie's pov

I've already established that I love Kaye, but guys, I really do love Kaye. I love that she takes initiative and moves the plot along (breaking her glamour too early is a great example of this—she could've gone along with the Grand Plan, but her curiosity led her to act faster). I like that Holly allows her to be selfish and think ugly things, but still try to do good and be kind. I know these books have less buzz than tfota, but I find myself fascinated that there's not really Discourse about the Kenny situation (for a tldr: Kenny is Kaye's best friend's boyfriend. Kaye accidentally glamours him to be infatuated with her. when she learns how to remove that glamour, she first takes the time to taunt him publicly and humiliate him with his own desire for her. personally, I like that Holly wrote her doing this and then feeling remorse about it, but it is objectively pretty shitty, both to him and to her best friend).

I also like the way Kaye is believably fey. she's playful and blunt and mostly uncaring about social conventions. repeatedly throughout the book, she'll make a decision without deliberating on it beforehand (which at first, as a reader, feels jarring), but then as she's facing the consequences, she processes her choice and often feels regret or course-corrects in some way. it feels very fae to jump into something because it seems fun, then only once you're in the thick of it realize that Oops, My Actions Have Consequences

threads left undone/questions that weren't answered—or maybe I'm a bad reader

who tried to kill Roiben at the beginning of the book? it's a Seelie arrow, but I thought there would be more plot relevance to this attempt on his life. do Seelie fae often try to murder him? it seemed like a significant one-off event, but as it stands at the end of Tithe, it was just the narrative's way of leading Kaye to find him

Kaye pricked her finger on a thorn in Lloyd's jacket pocket, and I now understand that this was (I guess?) meant to connect Lloyd to Nephamael (the knight with the thorn-lined cloak). but hey, this is a magic book, and I really thought there would be some magical significance to Kaye pricking her finger

is Kaye Fierch her true name? Does she have a true name that she's unaware of? How are true names given / received?

what secrets are guarded by the Court of Termites?? I know this isn't really a plot hole because Kaye is so new to the world of the Folk, but I'm just putting it on the record right here that I really hope we learn some of these Deep and Dark Secrets that were teased

because this post has gotten long, I'm going to create a separate one with bullet points of things we learn about/are reminded of re: how the faerie world works. I kept track of these for the fic I'm currently outlining, but also because it's fun to pay attention to little worldbuilding details :)

[silverstark]

Heavenly Demon Baby Fever pt.4

Part 1; Part 2; Part 3

BingQiu get baby fever. Tentatively rated M instead of T.

x-x-x-x-x

Despite spending most of his time traveling the world carrying out all of Luo Binghe’s roleplay fantasies, Shen Qingqiu tried to set a good example for his disciples by never neglecting his Peak Lord duties. He made sure that his and Luo Binghe’s visits to Cang Qiong Mountain coincided with Peak Lord meetings whenever possible. He usually enjoyed these meetings…meaning he enjoyed opportunity to put on his finest poser act and learn all the Peak Lord gossip he had missed while he was away.

That wasn’t the case on this particular day. Shen Qingqiu woke up feeling ill to the point that he couldn’t even attempt to hide it from his husband. Luo Binghe, of course, fretted and clung and conveniently tried to coax him to stay in bed, but Shen Qingqiu had refused to compromise his morals.

And so, Shen Qingqiu dragged himself all the way to Qiong Ding Peak, took his customary seat by his sect leader, and braced himself for a long meeting. The Peak Lords engaged in their usual chatter as they waited for the meeting to begin.

“Shen-shixiong, try this new wine I made!”

“Is it really appropriate for us to drink before the meeting has even begun?” Shen Qingqiu demurred.

“Fine, fine, you don’t have to drink now. You can drink with us later at Zui Xian Peak! Just give it a smell for now.”

Shen Qingqiu obligingly gave the jar of wine a sniff. He froze then. The one sniff had made his head spin, and not in a good way.

“Excuse me,” he muttered.

He stuffed the jar of wine back into his shidi’s hand and then he rushed out of the hall.

“En? What’s wrong with Shen-shixiong?”

“Is that new wine of yours really that bad?” someone teased.

The wine-making Peak Lord bristled. “If shixiong thinks so, then I won’t trouble him to try my wine from now on.”

“Shidi, I was wrong!”

Shen-shixiong was in fact finding a quiet spot in Qiong Ding Peak’s ornamental gardens to puke up his entire breakfast.

Motherfucker. Shen Qingqiu was supposed to be immune from all disease thanks to his regular medical appointments with the Heavenly Pillar. What kind of unscientific bs was this?

He tidied his appearance and made his miserable way back to his seat. Yue Qingyuan had considerately waited to start the meeting until Shen Qingqiu returned. Shen Qingqiu was embarrassed. He’d only come because he didn’t like making trouble for his kind shixiong when he could help it, and look what had come of it!

Shen Qingqiu strictly admonished himself to endure any further discomfort. But he had to run back outside again when it was the Ku Xing Peak leader turn to speak. He liked to angrily wave his hands around when he spoke, wafting an acrid smell around the room. It wasn’t particularly unpleasant, just a side-effect of always meditating using rare incense. But it wasn’t particularly nice either. Shen Qingqiu for some reason could not bear the scent today.

He apologized to Yue Qingyuan under his breath before he fled. His only consolation was that his absence this time was shorter: He had already found Qiong Ding Peak’s ideal secret puking spot! He gave himself a little achievement badge in his mind and then tried to sneak back into the meeting. Yue Qingyuan frowned at him in concern when he returned.

“Shidi, is everything alright?” Yue Qingyuan asked.

Shen Qingqiu smiled tightly as he fanned the cold sweat off his face. He wished Luo Binghe were here. If he were, Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t even have to say anything. Luo Binghe would quietly place before him a tray of mild tea and a light snack to settle his stomach. But Cang Qiong Mountain Sect had mysteriously done away with the tradition of having peak lords bring their top disciples along with them to regular sect meetings.

“Of course. Let shidi continue.”

The Ku Xing Peak leader gladly resumed his diatribe about kids these days who preferred fast-fashion cultivation styles over committing to Ku Xing’s steady, tried and true cultivation style. Shen Qingqiu was a little piqued -since when was Qing Jing Peak’s cultivation style unreliable?- but he couldn’t focus on that once the servants brought forth trays of snacks to place before each peak lord.

A sickly-sweet smell rose up from something on the tray, and Shen Qingqiu had to abruptly leave the meeting again.

When he came back, his fellow peak lords didn’t bother to hide their gossiping.

“—probably from some exotic demonic cuisine.”

“The air can’t be wholesome in those underground palaces either, not when he’s used to Qing Jing Peak’s pure air.”

“And don’t forget those qi deviations he used to have,” someone whispered. “It can’t be good for his core that he’s dual-cultivating with a Heavenly Demon all of the time.”

“Shixiong!” someone replied with a delighted and faux-scandalized gasp.

Shen Qingqiu cleared his throat at the door. Once everyone had shut up and noticed his return, he swept a trademark cold look around the table. Then he made his dignified way back to his seat.

He almost made it. As he prepared to gracefully take his seat, Liu Qingge suddenly appeared beside him and grabbed one of his arms.

“…What is the meaning of this, Liu-shidi?”

Liu Qingge ignored him and turned to Mu Qingfang.

“Will you come here, or do I drag him over?”

Mu Qingfang looked at Shen Qingqiu apologetically before glancing over at Yue Qingyuan. Shen Qingqiu likewise looked over. Surely Yue Qingyuan would put a stop to this nonsense!

…Yue Qingyuan lowered his eyes to sip at his tea. Before Shen Qingqiu could even voice a complaint over this betrayal, Qi Qingqi had showed up to grab Shen Qingqiu’s other arm and help drag Sheng Qingqiu over to Mu Qingfang.

“Shixiong!” Shen Qingqiu whined at Yue Qingyuan, who ignored him. Shen Qingqiu turned to pout at Liu Qingge. “This is completely unnecessary.”

“It would have been unnecessary, if that disciple had taken care of you the way he promised he would,” Qi Qingqi scolded.

Shen Qingqiu drew himself up in indignation. He got as far as “Binghe takes care of me perfectly well,” before his brain caught up. When had Luo Binghe promised to take care of him? To whom had he promised? Had Qi Qingqi secretly given Luo Binghe the shovel talk? Why had Luo Binghe said nothing of it to Shen Qingqiu, his husband?

By the time Liu Qingge took Shen Qingqiu’s hand and held it out in front of Mu Qingfang, Shen Qingqiu was feeling disgruntled with everyone. He barely even cared about the results of this silly health check. It wasn’t like it could be anything serious: Dual-cultivating with Heavenly Demons was very good for one’s health, whatever that ignorant person had whispered earlier.

Mu Qingfang cleared his throat and said, “Liu-shixiong will have to let go of Shen-shixiong’s hand first.”

Liu Qingge gave Shen Qingqiu a stern glare before releasing his hand as if he thought Shen Qingqiu would flee at the first opportunity. Shen Qingqiu resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at him. One of these days, he was going to release a nest of demonic hornets on Bai Zhan Peak. See if Bai Zhan Peak Lord could fight hornets. Or maybe demonic mosquitoes. Demonic mosquitoes would be quite formidable after feeding off Liu Qingge’s spiritual energy-rich blood.

Mu Qingfang undoubtedly saw the evil thoughts on Shen Qingqiu’s face and feared that they were directed at him.

“May I?” he asked.

Shen Qingqiu thought it over, realized it would be better to get it over with sooner, and nodded coolly.

“You may,” he said magnanimously.

This dramatic mess wasn’t Mu-shidi’s fault, after all.

Mu Qingfang took Shen Qingqiu’s hand and read his pulse. Everyone in the room, from the peak lords and little An Ding disciples to the servants, scooted closer to listen in on the diagnosis.

Mu Qingfang’s expression was calm as he focused on his work. Then his face turned pale. Then it gradually reddened.

“What is it?” Liu Qingge demanded, before even Shen Qingqiu asked.

Mu Qingfang let go of Shen Qingqiu’s hand and began to cough violently. Shen Qingqiu became a little uneasy. Mu Qingfang had been quite composed when he told Shen Qingqiu about his Without a Cure poisoning. Then again, Shen Qingqiu had been unconscious when Mu Qingfang had made the diagnosis.

…In any case, it couldn’t be anything worse than Without a Cure, could it? Shen Qingqiu mentally went over his activities in the past few days. He and Luo Binghe had…just the night before, after they had arrived at Qing Jing Peak, so what could have attacked him in the course of the morning? Were there really already demonic mosquitos on Cang Qiong Mountain? How could they have dared to bite him with Luo Binghe around?

“Mu Qingfang,” Liu Qingge insisted.

Mu Qingfang cleared his throat once more and managed to pull himself together.

“Shen-shixiong is well,” he announced.

“As if we’d believe that,” Qi Qingqi complained. “What was that reaction for, then?”

Mu Qingfang reddened again. “False alarm!”

Shen Qingqiu opened his fan with a sigh. He appreciated his shidi’s efforts to be discrete even though they were completely useless. He didn’t know why his sect siblings had to be so nosy. It was probably some wife-plot disease that Lou Binghe -or rather, the Heavenly Pillar- would resolve two days from now during their scheduled sex session.

“Stop badgering him. Mu-shidi will tell me in private later and if,” he emphasized, “it is any of your business, I may share the news.”

“Boo,” someone jeered under their breath.

Shen Qingqiu ignored it. He straightened out the little wrinkles Liu Qingge and Qi Qingqi had made on his sleeves and returned to his seat. Yue Qingyuan finally re-established order. Shen Qingqiu decided not to worry about it. He had gotten pretty good at dealing with Shang Qinghua’s shitty wife plots, after all.

x-x-x-x-x

[myboyknows]

"the confidence when he's playing a role vs the insecurity when he's being himself" is such a good way to put it, and there's times I've fantasized about having a line that deft to throw at the haters. I'll keep it in my back pocket if such a situation ever arises again.

Please do!

I've been an AtS fan for a long time, and something I've always found so compelling about Angel is how easy it is for him to slip into a disguise and walk into a situation armed only with his own confidence in the role he's playing. He does it several times - especially over the course of the first two seasons of AtS - and I am absolutely enthralled by it. He's suddenly an art museum guide, a police detective in charge of a crime scene, a priest, 'cool' vampire J-Don, a lawyer, a French guy who loves fashion. Angel would never go out in a Hawaiian shirt and beach hat on his own, but he has zero problem with becoming Herb Saunders: Clueless Tourist from Baltimore in front of a mob boss. There are a lot of things this says to me about his character:

He's clever.

He's spontaneous.

He's calm under pressure.

He's good at improv/bluffing and should probably call Rebecca Lowell's agent and just become an actor already.

He doesn't care how strangers perceive him. This is the one that I think a lot of fans don't really understand about Angel. This man does not give a fuck. The reason he wouldn't wear a Hawaiian shirt on a normal day but is happy to do it in front of Little Tony isn't because he's embarrassed for other people to see him in a loud shirt - clearly - but because Angel has his own particular style that he feels comfortable in as himself and doesn't want to wear something that doesn't appeal to him, unless he himself chooses to wear it for a reason. It's like with the pink motorcycle helmet. Angel has no problem with other people mistaking him for a gay man, so when he doesn't want to wear the ladies' helmet, it's not because it might affect anyone else's perception of him but because he doesn't want to wear that helmet and he didn't get a choice. He likes his dark clothes and he likes his car, and the fake swami accuses him of developing this type of style to cultivate a persona for other people to appreciate without taking into consideration that these things appeal to Angel himself regardless of what strangers think. The only folks that he does actually care about in terms of their impressions of him are his friends, and so he'll correct them (sometimes) when they misinterpret him, but often he lets them think what they want about him, too. Which is maybe why it feels like Angel is so often misunderstood in fandom - because so many fans simply accept other characters' opinions of Angel as if they are fact rather than actually looking at Angel himself. Like with the smiling thing. There's an overwhelming fannish opinion that Angel doesn't smile very much because there are characters in the show who say he should smile more. But outside of serious or dangerous situations, Angel actually smiles all the time, and if it's any less than Wes or Gunn then it's only because he's more often in situations where it would be really weird to be smiling. He's a pleasant guy unless he's been given a reason not to be!

I also headcanon that one of the reasons Angel is so good at pretending to be someone else is because human camouflage is something that is literally built into his physiology as a vampire. Pretending to be something they aren't is a super important skill for all vampires, not just defensively in order to move through the human-dominated world but also as a means of getting close to their primary source of food. Angel spent 150ish years using his human face to deceive his prey while hunting, then a further 100ish years using it to blend in and disappear. Wolf in sheep's clothing, except the sheep's clothing is a really fucking good impression of a normal human being and he can wear it all the time. It comes naturally to vampires to pass as something they're not (we're ignoring the friend of Xanderrrrr's here) and Angel has 250 years of experience of people-watching. If he couldn't do pretty good imitations of different kinds of people by this point, I'd be surprised and disappointed in him.

But also! When we first meet Angel in the show, he's had very little experience interacting with humans while he's trying to be himself and not play some role to accomplish some kind of purpose. He's never had friends before, at least not with a soul, and he has no example of another vampire with a soul to imitate or learn from. He's flying totally blind, navigating unfamiliar territory, AND has conflicting impulses. So when he's insecure about his feelings and actions and expectations in his own life, that is also as natural for him as the confidence when it comes to pretending to be someone else.

Er, thanks for coming to my TED Talk?

[oh-hell-help-me]

July 31: National Watermelon Day

Luigi had waited for this day- the moment he planted their seeds, he knew it was guaranteed that he and his family would be eating watermelon.

Up until the start of the month, he thought his chances of grabbing even a slice of the fruit was near zero with him and his brother being in another dimension (or universe… who knows?).

Which makes it an utterly amazing surprise to learn that this world did in fact have watermelon- even if it’s unusually sweet.

So, while he was extremely tempted on just buying the fruit when he wanted, he opted for seeds that will sprout replantable fruit.

The first few weeks had Luigi waiting with bated breath, unsure if the Royal Greenhouse was able to accommodate the seeds or if the seeds were viable at all.

And then he saw the first sprouts.

It was then that Luigi threw himself into the project, sometimes being joined by Roy, and carefully following the steps of watermelon cultivation.

If he was not in the Greenhouse, he was in the library researching fruiting plant care and preparation methods for when the fruit would ripen.

If he was in neither location, Luigi could often be found in the recesses of the castle making his own version of a vacuum sealer.

The only reason he comes out is to spend time with Bowser and the kids (and to avoid being dragged out). Without them, he likely wouldn’t have made it through the three months of tedious cultivation.

Then again, he wouldn’t be doing this at all if not for them.

…

Bowser was concerned for his husband- at first.

The pattern of overwork had been obvious, what with the decreased socialization and self care, but Roy’s involvement had stayed Bowser’s hand.

Then, he realized what Luigi was doing.

For some reason, the new addition of the Greenhouse has been receiving the most attention.

If if wasn’t for the fact that it was just a new plant, Bowser might have been jealous.

(…Okay, he might’ve been a little bit jealous.)

Still, the efforts his husband made to still spend time with him and their kids, in spite of this new addition, was enough to mollify Bowser’s fears.

And, in atypical fashion, he watches the weeks go by as the plants sprout into curly vines that somehow pop out a few pretty flowers.

He watches long after seeing the fliers wilt and be replaced a rapidly growing fruit, getting bigger and bigger into something that almost seemed famil-

Wait.

Really?

Really.

He- why- hmm.

From the near ending of the third month of growth, Bowser is able to corner Luigi in the library, scooping him up in a sneak-hug that rewarded him a high pitched yelp.

“Now, what do you think you’re doing?”

“Um…” Luigi, his cute clueless husband, stutters. “Reading?”

“I meant the watermelons.”

“Oh!” And Bowser nearly looses his train of thought at the nearly blinding beam of a smile that spread across Luigi’s face. “I’m growing some for us!”

“Obviously.” Not really, but Luigi didn’t need to know that. “But why?”

“Well,” Luigi lets himself settle in his arms, craning his head back to meet eyes. “I wanted to share them with our family on Watermelon Day.”

“Another human tradition?”

“Yeah!”

“And did you tell the kids that?”

“Do you think the watermelons would have made it if I did?”

“Roy probably could have reined them in.”

“Probably.”

“And what’s so special about them anyway?”

“Nothing really, just…”

Luigi breaks the eye contact, but the way he fiddled with Bowser’s claws showed a level of anxiety he hadn’t seen in a while.

“Before- before we came here, watermelon used to be one of the few things we could afford to celebrate with- a deal with a grocer, you know? It always tasted particularly sweet after a month of back to back plumbing jobs in the summer, and it always was something to look forward to.”

Bowser doesn’t twitch when Luigi snaps his head up.

“Not that I’m saying that I don’t have that here now! But- but it would be nice to share that tradition, and I…” Luigi looks like he wants to squirm. “I want to see you all enjoy that same bit of happiness.”

Well, who the hell would say that it wasn’t sweet? In fact, as the freaking Koopa King, he is in good authority to say that was the most sugary sweet sentiment he ever heard from his husband’s mouth.

A sentiment that always surprised Bowser, elated him in a way that made words hard to perfectly describe the urge of wanting to smother Luigi in affection.

“You sap.” And he kissed him instead, distantly noting that the fireworks of emotions that always came with it felt burning sweet this time.

Addictive, almost.

By the time they parted, their panting was the only thing breaking the silence of the Library. Until-

“I love you.” Bowser hears those magic words, and feels like he’s falling for Luigi all over again.

“I love you too.”

[gabessquishytum]

I was thinking of turning this into something longer but I actually think it works nicely a little vignette. So I’m posting it here instead of ao3 bc you all deserve it for blowing up that emo worm dream textpost xox

——————

Word count: 1364

Warnings: Angst, references to death of family members including children, references to pregnancy

Ship: Dream/Hob

Because Dreaming Costs Money

There’s nothing like a good old fashioned cry to sort you out and leave you feeling refreshed. Hob has been a firm believer in the power of tears for a good few centuries now. Crying might not fix your problems, but it certainly doesn’t do any harm.

He feels sick with the weight of it, the need to weep. It’s in his stomach, squeezing at him so hard that his abdominals are clenching and he wonders if he’s about to dry heave. He covers his mouth with his hand just in case, feeling his lips tremble. He breathes through his nose, like you’re supposed to. He’s doing everything right. But he can’t be too loud, because his office door isn’t all that thick really, and he doesn’t want anyone to hear him.

He’s sitting on the floor, behind the desk — almost under the desk, actually. If he makes himself very small and very quiet, no one will know that he’s there. He’s breathing through his nose, but every other moment he sobs with his whole chest, and it comes out in an ugly sound through his dry lips.

He’s forgotten her name.

He can remember a few things. The scent of fresh rushes on the floor. Woodsmoke, too. Her hair, the same chestnut brown as his own. Her strong arms laden with bundles of sheep’s wool.

Not her face. That’s long gone, and he’s accepted it as another curve in the passage of time. But her name. He can’t remember his own mother’s name!

He’s never even bothered to write it down, because he could never have imagined needing to. He curses himself, gripping a handful of his own hair, consumed by the urge to scream. What kind of son must he be to lose the memory of his own mother? When was the last time he even thought of her?

The tears are streaming down his face now, and he’s forgotten his intention to be quiet. He wants his Ma, he realises through the haze of grief. He wants her now more than he has in 600 years. Only now, when she is so far gone from him. His fist collides with the wood of the desk and he barely feels the sting, so he does it again and this time his knuckle splits open.

“Stop.” Someone says. There’s only one person, or person shaped thing, who could possibly get through the locked door of Hob’s office. Hob looks up through his blurry eyes and finds Dream just stepping into his line of sight, framed by the sun from the window. Hob makes a strange little whimpering noise and drags the sleeve of his jacket over his face. He doesn’t want Dream to see him like this, so messy and far away from the well-adjusted person he’s cultivated himself into over the last few centuries.

Dream kneels down on the carpet and crawls under the desk beside him. It’s the last thing Hob could have expected, and it tips him into a fresh wave of tears. Dream seizes his hand gently, the one with the bloody knuckles. He cradles it like an injured bird and kisses the cracked and broken skin with the barest brush of lips. He doesn’t tell Hob not to cry. He doesn’t say anything, until Hob is hauling breaths into his lungs and his tears have run out, at least for a little while.

“Sorry.” Hob says thickly. His lips feel numb, in fact his entire body feels as though it doesn’t really belong to him anymore. His back should ache from crouching under the desk, but physical sensations feel very far away just then. The only thing he can really feel is Dream grasping onto his hand.

“Don’t apologise.” Dream says. He shuffles on his bum a couple of inches across the crusty old carpet and puts his hands on Hob’s shoulders. It’s a grounding touch — Dream’s hands always have such a weight and an intention to them. He never does anything by accident.

Hob sniffles. “Just had a really bad day.” He says. “Everything’s sort of overwhelming. Kind of just wish the whole world would go away for a minute, y’know?”

Dream nods. “I understand. There have been many days in which I have wished similarly.” He moves his hand from Hob’s shoulder to the side of his face, thumbing away a spot of wetness and resting his palm on his cheek. Hob hears his own breath shudder through his lungs.

“I really miss her.” He says, almost angrily. “I do.” He isn’t sure who he’s trying to convince. Himself, probably. “Forgetting someone… doesn’t make me a bad person, does it?”

“No, it doesn’t. It makes you old. Human. That’s all. You are an extraordinary person, and anyone who has ever loved you would certainly be proud of you.” Dream says, somehow knowing exactly what Hob needs to hear in that particular moment.

Hob sniffs and wipes his face again on his sleeve. He really, really misses the days when everyone carried a handkerchief. He'd do anything for even a kleenex right now. Dream gives him an encouraging little nod.

"I was talking to one of my students today, I knew she'd been having a rough couple of weeks. She came in during my office hours and she told me that she found out last month that she's pregnant. Didn't know what to do or who to tell. Obviously I was a bit useless. Gave her a hug and told her to see a doctor, the usual stuff. I told her she should tell someone other than me. She said she was scared to tell her mum. She didn't want to disappoint anyone. I tried to remind her that no matter how bad we are at showing it, good parents always want their kids to be safe."

"You're right." Dream says softly. He hugs his bony knees up to his chest. "I know that you did the very best for your son."

"So did you. In your own way, in the way you thought best." Hob sniffles, nudging his leg up against Dream’s. "The whole conversation, I was thinking about Robyn. And then… I started thinking about my mother." A fresh wave of tears threatens to spill over and he has to haul up a lungful of breath.

“She was just a really… a really lovely person. Somehow she handled 7 kids, and all of them fucking died when they were babies, apart from me. And she worked every day of her life until the stupid fucking plague took her away.” The urge to punch something is there again, mitigated only by the fact that his hand hurts now, and he's pretty sure Dream would disapprove. He sighs and rubs at his still streaming eyes. "Like I said. I do miss her. She's a part of me, isn't she? It's not that I didn't expect her to die, it's just that I didn't expect to forget her."

"You have not forgotten her. Not her essence." Dream says. "She lives on in you. You remember the things that matter to you."

"But not her name." Hob whispers. "If I'm here, surely part of the point is to remember stuff?"

"The point is whatever you want it to be." Dream says. Coming from anyone else, such words would be meaningless and trite, but Hob really knows that Dream means it. He’d make a good therapist if he could only get past his crippling inability to express himself.

“Sometimes.” Hob says, wrapping his arms around himself tightly. “Sometimes, I think everyone just needs their Ma, even if it’s just for a moment. And there’s few things more painful than knowing that she’s gone.”

“You’re right.” Dream pulls at Hob’s arms, pulls him forward until he’s sprawled on top of Dream in a mess of awkward limbs. “Listen. I remember her name, Hob. And I’ll keep on remembering it for you, long into the future. As long as there are dreams and nightmares and stories.”

Hob hugs him tight, grabbing at the fabric of the familiar and well-loved coat. “Keep her safe for me.” He says, pressing his forehead to Dream’s.

[cheetahsprints]

Lingyi fic rec list!

In case anyone floats into the tag and needs this. Personal and without review/explanation because brain too rotted. I just adore this tragically non-canon pairing almost as much as our main guys.

💌 trust my love - panpipe - E - Chapters: 1 - Jin Ling confesses his feelings, and Lan Jingyi has to muddle through the aftermath. (The aftermath is they're in love.)

🕊️ best friends forever - varnes - T - Chapters: 1 - Jin Ling and Jingyi get engaged. Things spiral from there.

⚔️ Can’t Keep Holding My Breath - singingintheshower48 - T - Chapters: 2 -  Two post-canon snippets about Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi enduring growing pains, enduring a war, and somehow finding their way together.

🔥 how can i find the words to say (love has surely shifted my way) - annadream - G - Chapters: 6 -  Jingyi’s steely eyes blazed brighter than the flames surrounding them and in that moment Jin Ling knew he was in love with this loud, obnoxious fool.

📱 the song stuck in my head - poefucker (drbubblegum) - E - Chapters: 7 - Waiting until his third year of college to finish off his last actual gen ed class is absolutely a mistake, and Jingyi proudly admits to it. Public speaking is an unfortunately necessary evil. Or: the juniors have that college experience like the movies show us.

🧞‍♂️ over, sideways, & under - poefucker (drbubblegum) - T - Chapters: 10 -  Jingyi goes nighthunting. It should be that simple. But somehow, after a fateful encounter with a rude, runaway boy and getting trapped in a cave, he's strongarmed into bringing disaster upon the whole of the cultivation world by summoning the infamous Yiling Laozu for unknown purposes. Except now he grants wishes and is actually really funny for an evil spirit. Weird.

🙇‍♂️could someone call a referee - poefucker (drbubblegum) - T - Chapters: 1 -  The one where they go to prom.

📦 all there’s left to do is run - poefucker (drbubblegum) - T - Chapters: 1 -  Lan Jingyi helps his professor move in with his husband. The day doesn't end up like he expected.

🐇 what must it be like to grow up that beautiful? - taetaeloveschimmy - Not Rated - Chapters: 6 -  Jin Ling is in love with Lan Jingyi and he's not exactly thrilled that he's finding this out about himself. Meanwhile, Jingyi is also grappling with his own emotions and complicated history with Jin Ling, leaving both of them unsure of where they stand with each other.

📑 A Guide to Dumbasses Getting Together - Midori_99 - T - Chapters: 5 - Lan Jingyi pines, in poetic melancholy fashion like a true Lan, bemoaning his fate of falling in love with someone as difficult as that Spoilt Mistress Jin. Too bad his love would forever be unrequited and there's no way Jin Ling would ever look at him that way! Lan Sizhui and Ouyang Zizhen would like to disagree. "Mission: Get an overworked Jin Ling to rest and an idiotic Lan Jingyi to stop pining and just confess already, commence!"

📝 Jin Ling’s Heart Is So Big Because It’s Full of Bad Poetry - corduroyserpent - G - Chapters: 1 -  If Jin Ling had learned anything about love in his sixteen years of being alive, it was this: love made people crazy. Sometimes love made you do things like write horrifically bad poetry. It happens!

💝 Oh no- Jiujiu!!! - You_know_yeah - M - Chapters: 1 -  Jin Ling takes a break and fucks off to the Cloud Recesses to "study". Jiang Wanyin follows with the threat of paperwork and leg breaking. All Jin Ling wants to do is kiss his boyfriend and chill :(

🦊 Chasing Gold - albsyant (transtobio) - T - Chapters: 9 -  Jin Ling expected this to be just a regular night hunt, but it didn’t even last a day before disaster struck.

Lan Jingyi, meanwhile, had no idea what to do with the fox that seemed determined to cuddle against him 24/7. What had done this to Jin Ling, and could he please get his prickly cru-friend back?

🌧️ bending the clouds - Jenki - G - Chapters: 1 - Jin Ling's father left him destined to become a leader of the earthbending sect but he didn't leave him his earthbending skills. On the other hand, his mother's waterbending talent was the reason for all of his problems. But he had learned how to isolate himself and hide his secrets and feelings from everyone.Until one day an airbender from Gusu discovered his secret and, with the help of his friends, began to do his best to make Jin Ling feel loved.

👨‍🏫 just because you’re an idiot doesn’t mean you can’t go to college - theinkquiry - T - Chapters: 1 -  “So Lan Jingyi asked you for help to get Professor Wei and Professor Lan together. Does… does he not realize they’re already married?”

“No.” Jin Ling rolled his eyes. “Because he’s an idiot.”

[cuddleyhoney]

hey darling , can i request smutty john wick x reader (Maybe Meena Tarasov 😉😍) fic.

Maybe John comes home stressed and Meena prepares him a nice evening so that he quickly forgets his stress.

hii I was bored so I thought I would try and write something for this sorry i'm late also happy new year lol <3

john wick x oc mena tarasov

brief context -

-The bond that Meena and John cultivated throughout the past year created a cozy and affectionate lifestyle. Frequently, Meena would linger at his place, spending evenings together after delightful dinners or indulging in weekend sleepovers that added a touch of warmth to their connection.

It being the cold winter John invited you to spend the week with him during the holidays. He still had to work on most days though, which led her to being at home with "dog/mochi"! -

6:31 am

The sun was glimmering through the floor to ceiling windows you notice John start to shuffle in the sheets and wake up. As usual he performed with his normal routine of making coffee for himself and watching the morning news. After 10-15 minutes he went to shower later then going to work.

Meena hated the "old fashioned" morning routine John had. She wished she could just stay in bed for a couple more hours with him just to relax and be close to each other. After John left she slept for a couple more hours, I mean she's just a girl right?

Around 9:45 Meena awakened

(second pov)

Hearing the quiet yet noticeable pitter-patter of John's beloved dog walking into the bedroom was a sign that he needed some "outside time". John's dog you nicknamed "Mochi" really loved you and enjoyed attention from you.

In her adorable pajamas walking over towards the large shared bathroom she and John shared. Glancing at the counter and seeing the small area of her own personal items like skin care and makeup took over made you smile. Meena made her way to the glass doored shower to clean herself up for the day.

Time passed and Meena spent most of her time just hanging out with the dog, online shopping and baking cookies. She later fell asleep on the sofa watching YouTube. Until the sound of the garage woke her up she realized John was home.

Meena greeted her love with a warm smile and sprinted over to him with a hug. He loved your soft cuddles but this specific evening he seemed a bit more firm than usual. He have you a couple kisses then he released you from his arms and went to his office.

With such discomfort and tensity plastered on his face you worried if something bad happened? with work or maybe you annoyed him? maybe it was road rage from driving through the busy new york city streets?

Meena let John have maybe 12 to 15 minutes of quiet time to himself but she couldn't worry alone much longer. She left her comfy chair near the island counter she was in to work on the idea she planned. A small ice cream session with John!!

Preparing the adorable comfort snack with sprinkles and caramel syrup in small bowls, she placed both bowls on the table then quickly skipping to Johns office.

John noticed the sound of her foot steps immediately and stood up as soon as the door was opened. He greeted her saying "Hi Bunny". That was one of the nicknames he gave you. You looked at John with nothing but pure intention and grabbed his hand to lead him to the dining area where the ice cream was.

He stared in shock of the small gesture Meena made for him. He didn't have much growing up and was rarely given anything nice, so this was a big deal for him. The two love birds sat and conversed whilst having their delicious treat.

John finished eating and then placed his hand on top of her with his fingers moving slowly and taking in her beauty as the night went on. The two didn't want the night to go to waste but noticed the night was passing.

He then made then asked the small yet intense question saying "Would you like to visit me in the bathroom in five minutes?" a sparkle lit in her eyes and she nodded her head softly whilst blushing.

Quickly Meena raced to wash the dishes whilst John walked over to their beloved shower...

Meena looked at herself in front of the mirror making sure she looks good, checking if her eyebrows were in place or if she had any crumbs on her face. Then practically sprinting over to the bathroom and knocking on the door.

*knock knock* Meena ask gently "Can I come in?" hoping this situation is more than him just giving her a back massage and bath something more intimate.

John quickly opens the door to see Meena in her cute sweat pants and delicate top but for Meena all she is seeing is a very bare version of John. Her heart began to race with arousal. He pulled her hand into the bathroom and led her to the shower. He slowly undressed her let her check if the water was at a good temperature for her.

The two of them slowly started to bathe themselves but they both knew they wanted to do more than that. Meena's soft tanned hand made its way to Johns chest feeling the warmth of his body. John looked at her with water droplets dripping from his hair he used his own hand to move hers guiding it lower to his wait and made a small smirk...

Meena lowered herself on to her knees trying not to break eye contact with him. She grabbed his "shaft" and looked down then right back at him. He looked at her with so much love and put his hands on the side of her cheeks then saying "Please continue".

She took his length slowly but steadily hoping it was enough for him, he began to massage her neck and shoulders to ease any tensity she may have. His soft grunts made her so weak.

He tapped her on the shoulder and memoed her to stop. He wanted her to feel good too. John lifted her by the waist and had her back towards the wall, He glanced at her once she made the small "oh my god remark" smiling at how courageous he can be at time. He looked back at her to make sure he had her consent and she nodded heavily wanting him to continue.

John inserted himself into her and instantly felt a form relaxation. Luckily shes on birth control so there's no need to worry for any issues. John paced himself to make sure he didn't hurt or make any tears or marks on her skin. He left small kisses all across her waist and face. His small "I love yous" left her feeling like a princess...

The night ended with the two cuddle buddies snug in bed with facial moisturizer on and vanilla-scented lotion. Their pure bliss was so strong it radiated through their entire home.

the end for now

thank you for reading!!

[rarepears]

more sqq harem pls 🙏

Qi Qingqi is still going to make disparaging comments about Shen Jiu. Like "oh so he prefers mortal women because they can't pose any threat to him" and "interesting how none of these women have families that could protect them or even make a fuss about Shen Jiu's vile actions... he preys on the weak and helpless". Naturally she also doesn't let go of the opportunity to scoff at Shen Jiu's "arrogance, parading about like he's an emperor with so many in his harem" since cultivators pretty much never have harems - that's such a mortal thing to do.

Because Shen Jiu now has a harem, he can no longer live in his bamboo cottage - it's far too crowded for three to live in, much less a whole harem of a dozen women. Thus, Shen Jiu finds himself moving into the ostentatious manor that was his shizun's residence before he ascended.

Shen Jiu didn't really spend much money before; other than the veneer of wealth that he imposed upon himself - really, how many outfits and hair crowns did he really need to buy for himself when the sect leader always piled so much finery upon him, as though he was afraid that Shen Jiu's low upbringing would be revealed through his taste in fashion - he lived very frugally and simply. His bamboo cottage was modest and had few decorations. What few decorations on the walls were indeed considered expensive luxuries, but that was only because it was handmade by Shen Qingqiu himself.

But now that he has a group of women all depending upon him - not just depending on his actions but also his reputation because he knew that everyone would be taking their cues on how to interact and respect, or not respect, his "concubines" from him - Shen Jiu knew he had to change things. Merely ensuring they were dressed in expensive silks and fed the finest meals were only the bare essentials. He arranges ways for his ladies to show off their talents - and truly, they are talented in the arts in ways that cultivators, always arrogantly looking down on mortals and especially on prostitutes and women, never expect - in addition to teaching them new skills so that they can help him manage the peak.

His peak learns that to disobey his concubines is to earn the most severe punishments. But... in a way, they've also gained a dozen new mothers motherhenning over them.

(Not that teenagers appreciate that in the moment.)

Moreover, he has to manage - mediate - any disagreements between his concubines; thankfully none are those harem plots, perhaps because they are all aware that they are surrounded by cultivators who are not pleased by their presence in the sect at all or perhaps they've heard enough of Shen Jiu's complaints to add up that the sect was full of hostile ill-intent individuals. Luckily, the older courtesans (who've also known Shen Jiu longer) help him manage the arguments over missing garments and fights over the last slice of the cake.

[More in the #liu qingge is the reason why shen jiu has a harem now AU]

[dailytomlinson]

Exclusive: previously unseen pictures show the quiet, cool style of Louis Tomlinson

We take a look at the casual, cold style of Louis Tomlinson, with exclusive images from his tour.

(Full article with pictures under cut)

The alumni of One Direction have flourished since going solo, and along with their distinct music style, they’ve each forged their own personal style. Whilst Zayn likes a metallic flash with Versace and collaborating on embellished accessories, Niall has embraced the his U.S centric fanbase – opting for collegiate-cool – and crafty-folksy-maximalism has found Harry Styles, it’s Louis Tomlinson’s wardrobe that’s piqued our interest of late.

We’ve been able to take a good look at the singer as he traverses the globe on his Faith in the Future world tour and the film premiere trail for his documentary All of Those Voices. Louis’ stylist, Helen Seamons has tapped into lad culture, blending it with fashion, with football shirts, oversized Burberry checks, and bespoke Carlsberg motif knits from Adam Jones, that give a fresh take on nostalgia. There is a playfulness to the bolder pieces that the singer wears, that both modernises and also references the Brit pop icon era of Blur and Oasis, with touches of streetwear from Adidas, smiley motifs from Raf Simons and and the trusty Brit-pop staple, the polo shirt. Quite fitting as Louis scored a number one on the UK charts for his album Faith in the Future late last year.

In terms of the the polo shirt, the devil is in the detail. Louis loves a polo, but he knows he can’t just bring out the Fred Perry when on tour, his fans wouldn’t allow it. Working with Seamons, Louis has cultivated a tactile, super-lux wardrobe with knitted pieces from Denzil Patrick, Dries Van Noten mesh, Balmain prints and heritage collegiate Bode that give a louder aesthetic on stage. This subtle, detailed-orientation flows through into the formalwear, with intricate Bottega Veneta shirts, suits from one of his trusty favourites, Neil Barrett and metal clasped Givenchy suits. Keeping his wardrobe authentic to himself, the suits are paired with monochrome tank and tee and sometimes trainers, to ensure that the look is effortless yet casual. It’s a clean style. We hate using the word ‘quiet’ when paired with fashion (Succession bore the brunt of the internet for suggesting their bog-standard wardrobe was ‘quiet luxury’) but here, there is a case for it. Louis style isn’t over the top, but it’s carefully detailed and considered and very cool.

[louisupdates]

ROLLING STONE UK

Exclusive: previously unseen pictures show the quiet, cool style of Louis Tomlinson

We take a look at the casual, cold style of Louis Tomlinson, with exclusive images from his tour.

By JOSEPH KACHARIAN | 16 MAY 2023 3:18 PM

The alumni of One Direction have flourished since going solo, and along with their distinct music style, they’ve each forged their own personal style. Whilst Zayn likes a metallic flash with Versace and collaborating on embellished accessories, Niall has embraced the his U.S centric fanbase – opting for collegiate-cool – and crafty-folksy-maximalism has found Harry Styles, it’s Louis Tomlinson’s wardrobe that’s piqued our interest of late.

We’ve been able to take a good look at the singer as he traverses the globe on his Faith in the Future world tour and the film premiere trail for his documentary All of Those Voices. Louis’ stylist, Helen Seamons has tapped into lad culture, blending it with fashion, with football shirts, oversized Burberry checks, and bespoke Carlsberg motif knits from Adam Jones, that give a fresh take on nostalgia. There is a playfulness to the bolder pieces that the singer wears, that both modernises and also references the Brit pop icon era of Blur and Oasis, with touches of streetwear from Adidas, smiley motifs from Raf Simons and and the trusty Brit-pop staple, the polo shirt. Quite fitting as Louis scored a number one on the UK charts for his album Faith in the Future late last year.

Louis wearing Burberry for his Australia show (Image provided/Photographer: Charlie Lightening)

Louis wearing Denzil Patrick for the L.A Premiere of All those Voices (Image provided: Exclusive to Rolling Stone UK/Photography Joshua Halling)

Louis wearing Neil Barrett in Tokyo premiere of All of Those Voices (Image provided/Photographer: Joshua Halling)

In terms of the the polo shirt, the devil is in the detail. Louis loves a polo, but he knows he can’t just bring out the Fred Perry when on tour, his fans wouldn’t allow it. Working with Seamons, Louis has cultivated a tactile, super-lux wardrobe with knitted pieces from Denzil Patrick, Dries Van Noten mesh, Balmain prints and heritage collegiate Bode that give a louder aesthetic on stage. This subtle, detailed-orientation flows through into the formalwear, with intricate Bottega Veneta shirts, suits from one of his trusty favourites, Neil Barrett and metal clasped Givenchy suits. Keeping his wardrobe authentic to himself, the suits are paired with monochrome tank and tee and sometimes trainers, to ensure that the look is effortless yet casual. It’s a clean style. We hate using the word ‘quiet’ when paired with fashion (Succession bore the brunt of the internet for suggesting their bog-standard wardrobe was ‘quiet luxury’) but here, there is a case for it. Louis style isn’t over the top, but it’s carefully detailed and considered and very cool.

Top: Louis wearing Givenchy for the London premiere of All of Those Voices (Image provided/Photographer: Joshua Halling)

Bottom: Louis performing in Bottega Veneta in Mexico (Image provided: Exclusive to Rolling Stone UK/Photographer: Joshua Halling)

Top: Louis performing in Adidas in Mexico (Image provided/Photographer: Joshua Halling)

Bottom: Louis wears Balmain in Milan (Image provided/Photographer: Joshua Halling)

Top: Louis performing in Raf Simons in Paraguay (Image provided/Photographer: Joshua Halling)

Bottom: Louis performing in Bottega Veneta in Mexico (Image provided: Exclusivel for Rolling Stone UK/Photographer: Joshua Halling)

[masiethewriter]

Honored Eternal Path of Demise CH. 2 - New Game

Her on the other hand Shen Qingqiu immediately recognizes. Though when her face is not twisted in rage and mania, plunging a knife into his chest, she looks quite different. Very cute, he would usually think. If he hadn't experienced her stabbing him. Multiple times. To his death. "Senior! You are here too?" She calls out to him the moment they see him at the top of the stairs. "Ning Yingying, you know who this is?" The boy asks her before Shen Qingqiu can answer. "Of course! That is Shen Qingqiu. One of the seniors that helped us when we first started. Don't you remember A-Lou?" Ning Yingying answers, confirming Shen Qingqius suspicions of who they are.

Previous Chapter ~~//~~ Next Chapter

Shen Yuan opens his eyes and breathes.

For a minute he lies perfectly still. The enjoyment of breathing without food or blood blocking his airways is something to marvel at. Who would have thought breathing is this awesome? He has never really appreciated it like it deserves. Definitely something he won't take for granted anymore. 

Enjoying air going in and out his lungs is cool, but eventually he has to get up. Pushing himself into a sit, he feels much more clear headed than before. This time, he is even able to take in the room around him.

It is not the same as where he woke up last. First of all, he is laying in a bed this time. A queen size. Relatively clean. Not particularly luxurious or anything. It matches the rest of the room that is also quite modest. Wallpaper is old fashioned and loose in some spots. A garderope stands tall, wood dark. An old desk full of dust. A dirty mirror in the corner. A door leading out. 

Rain splatters against the one window of the room, leaving constant noise. There is nothing to see outside it, as it is too dark.

Slowly getting out of bed, Shen Yuan experiences none of the vertigo from earlier. He feels like he just woke up from a nap, the actual restful kind. Is this how people normally feel after sleeping? Sounded fake, but awesome now that he is experiencing it. Now he can't help but feel jealous of those who always woke up like this.

The floorboards creak beneath his feet as he walks around the room. As he gets in front of the mirror, he has to stop and take a look.

He looks nothing like himself. What Shen Yuan is used to seeing is a scrawny otaku, always choosing comfortable outfits above style. Hair an unruly mess, with round glasses big enough to cover half his face. He's never been particularly handsome or stylish. Not someone that would stand out in a crowd.

The man he sees in the mirror is the absolute opposite of that. He stands tall, muscles lean though with strength behind them. Instead of the warzone his hair can usually be found in, it is parted evenly, soft locks laying elegantly against his head. He is wearing an unknown school uniform that clearly no common folk could afford. His new glasses are slender and give off the vibe of someone scholarly and intelligent. 

Seeing this, the last of his doubts slither away. Instead of Shen Yuans own body, it is clear he now finds himself as Shen Qingqiu, popular stallion novel scum villain and less popular shitty video game #1 expendable character.

Allowing himself a minute of denial from his situation, Shen Yuan studies how the game developers have translated Shen Qingqiu into a character for their game. 

With their modern setting they of course couldn't keep Cang Qiong Mountain Sect or any other cultivation aspects in their story. But since so many of the characters' relations rely on hierarchy, they had to find another way for everyone to be connected. So the obvious solution was of course to just do the cliche and make them all students of the same rich kid boarding school. Apparently teachers aren't popular characters, so the peak lords of the novel were turned into last year students while the disciples became first year juniors. 

Just how much older were the last year students than those who just started? Never specified, so fans wouldn't be able to poke at broken timelines or complain about age differences. 

So how do you turn the scholarly peak lord into an unspecified boarding school student? You make him look like a nerd of course!

A pretty handsome nerd, but Shen Yuan's point still stands. 

But this is only so far he can allow himself to be distracted before he has to confront his situation. Namely that he now finds himself as the character most known for its merciless and gruesome deaths, who is only able to survive in the one, almost impossible to gain, secret ending.

Shen Yuan is not just screwed. He is absolutely fucked!

What the fuck kind of shit game is this!? Shen Yuan wants his money back, this isn't what he agreed to! If he was going to transmigrate into another world, could it be one where he wasn't going to die over a hundred awful deaths? At least in the original novel Shen Qingqiu only had to die once!

A horrific death it would take years of torture to reach, but after that it would be over!

He is vaguely able to recall what happened after he died, but before he woke up the first time. Some kind of dark void and a mission quest so obscurely worded it might as well be gibberish! Shit about misfortune and stories and lives and nothing that made any sense! Hello, anyone there? Some system that can offer the least bit of guidance in this fucked up world??

No? Nothing? Well, fuck it all then.

Okay, enough with the cursing. That is what got Shen Yuan killed in the first place and he doesn't need a repeat of that.

While a system that could help would have been nice, he got to stay positive. Since he has just been thrown into this with nothing to point the way, that must mean Shen Yuan is free to do what he wants. No rules also mean no restrictions in how he handles his situation. 

Also, Shen Yuan is no noob. He has spent every day playing this game since he brought it. He knows it inside and out by now, every secret and hidden shortcut. While he will likely still be limited by certain aspects of the storyline, he is also a walking and talking cheat guide. Nothing should be able to surprise him.

Whatever his quest is, isn't really that important. What matters is that clearly once he reaches the ending of the game the quest will be completed. Which ending or what will happen after, he will find out then. Problem for future Shen Yuan. For now there is nothing he can do but play the game.

So accepting his new role as Shen Qingqiu, he finally leaves the room.

The door opens with a shrill creak, loud enough to make him flinch. He steps into a dark hallway.

It is clear that the old mansionly aesthetic is going to follow him wherever he goes. The flooring is covered by a dark red carpet, the wallpaper made to match. Candlesticks protrude from the walls, giving off an eerie glow. Shen Qingqiu doesn't bother to consider who turned them all on.

Randomly choosing a direction, he takes a quick look at the first door he passes. 

Nothing stands out about it. At first it appears to be made of dark wood. But as Shen Qingqiu examines it closer, he realizes it is fake. There is no space between the edges and the wall. Almost like it has been painted on. Taking hold of the door handle, nothing moves as he tries to pull on it.

He will have to be carefull, as they look perfectly real from a distance. Wouldn't be good to try to get through a fake door if he is in a chase. But with this knowledge, he is able to pass by most of the doors in the corridor with no worry. Would be a waste of time to check if every door is fake. Not something he wants to do on his first playthrough.

Continuing through the repeating hallway he is finally rewarded by the sound of voices. Following them to a door that is actually different, decorated with elegant carvings in the wood, he opens it to a grand foyer.

Shen Qingqiu finds himself on the second floor, two huge staircases leading down to an overly decorated entrance. Old paintings with golden frames line the walls, dusty chairs and couches placed around to create gathering spots. The main door is so huge that Shen Qingqiu doubts he would be able to push it open by himself. Thick oak wide enough for 5 people to walk through at once, and at least twice as tall as any of them.

And in the middle of it all stands two figures. A boy and a girl.

Shen Qingqiu will be frank. The boy is the most handsome person he has ever seen in his life. Standing taller than even Shen Qingqiu's upgraded height, his wide shoulders and broad back shows of his natural masculinity. His uniform fits him well, jacket tied around his waist and sleeves rolled up to expose his strong forearms. He is clearly muscular, but not to an exaggerated degree. His dark curly hair is pulled back into a rough ponytail that only adds to the handsome features of his face. 

In contrast to his powerful and dependable build, his face is one of kindness and slight innocence. He seems like the kind of friend you can rely on and trust. Someone who will always show support and encouragement. 

In summary, he looks like someone who can win a fight if needed. And someone who gives great hugs when asked. Though out of Shen Qingqiu and the girl, it is no question who would be given which.

Her on the other hand Shen Qingqiu immediately recognizes. Though when her face is not twisted in rage and mania, plunging a knife into his chest, she looks quite different. Very cute, he would usually think. If he hadn't experienced her stabbing him. Multiple times. To his death.

"Senior! You are here too?" She calls out to him the moment they see him at the top of the stairs.

"Ning Yingying, you know who this is?" The boy asks her before Shen Qingqiu can answer.

"Of course! That is Shen Qingqiu. One of the seniors that helped us when we first started. Don't you remember A-Lou?" Ning Yingying answers, confirming Shen Qingqius suspicions of who they are.

Being face to face with Lou Binghe, the fated protagonist of Proud Immortal Demon Way, Shen Qingqiu just barely manages to not run to him. Every fanboy instinct is screaming at him to tell Lou Binghe that he is his biggest fan. He is just barely able to keep in his excitement and not scream like an obsessed fangirl. Instead he keeps his face passive and blank, not allowing it to show anything. 

As the two continue to whisper uninteresting exposition to each other, Shen Qingqiu descends the stairs, unhurried and with a hand gently trailing the railing. 

As he reaches the bottom, Ning Yingying runs up to him, none of her expressions hiding her excitement. Lou Bingle follows, much more cautiously. 

"Senior Shen, it is so good to see you! Do you have any idea where we are? A-Lou and I woke up with no memory of how we got here. I am so lucky we found each other, I have no idea what I would do if I was all alone by myself-" Ning Yingying ramples, barely pausing to breathe.

Shen Qingqiu lets her continue for a bit before he holds up a hand to quiet her.

"I just got here after waking up myself. I don't know anything either."

Disappointment takes over, the entirety of Ning Yingying's body crumbling as he blows out her hope.

"Does senior Shen have any idea of why we are here?" Lou Binghe then asks. His voice is low, but strong, exactly what Shen Qingqiu had always imagined the protagonist of his most hated novel would sound like. Being this close to his favorite character, he can't keep from internally crying with happiness for how well Lou Binghe is being portrayed. This one, this person, this protagonist is why he kept going through each terrible chapter of the novel and the entire awful game!

Externally Shen Qingqiu barely spares him a glance. Instead of keeping his focus on the teary Ning Yingying, he puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Clearly someone brought us here, though for what reason we can only guess. Nevertheless we should focus on finding a way away from here."

Brightening up as if she didn't consider this obvious course of action, Ning Yingying agrees. "Senior Shen is right! If we can just get away from here, surely everything will be fine!"

"We just checked and the doors aren't locked. We were just about to go out," Lou Binghe says, continuing the expected dialogue.

Good thing Shen Qingue went through this section of the game at least a hundred times. So he knows exactly what to say.

"Hmm, okay. You go do that," he starts. "I will look for a phone we can use to call for help."

This makes the other two pause. "Senior Shen is not coming with us?" Ning Yingying asks. Shen Qingqiu pushes his glasses, taking the classic pretentious asshole stance.

"Of course not. We have no idea where this is. What will you do when you find the way out? Keep going in the rain hoping to randomly find someone who will help? And what if we're in the middle of nowhere, not a soul to be found?" With each word, Shen Qingqiu can see he kills off more of Ning Yingying's hope. Still, he has to continue. "It's better to seek out multiple solutions than rely on one uncertain one. I prefer to stay here and not get my uniform unnecessarily ruined."

Or rather, this is the game designer's lazy excuse to immediately split up the party. Characters introduced and setting presented. The job here is done, so away with the scum villain, thank you for your contribution. 

Couldn't they think of a better reason to get rid of Shen Qingqiu? Even a loner like him should see it would be better to stick together. Though in actuality this was to his advantage.

"What will senior Shen be doing then?" It is Lou Binghes turn to ask, perfectly following the script. Though this is the part where Shen Qingqiu must divide from the story.

"I will start checking out the rooms here, see if I can find anything to contact the outside world." He explains, pointing towards a door hidden beneath the staircase.

Originally the real Shen Qingqiu chose to explore the upper floor, essentially leaving the story until next time he was needed. But this cheat sheet version knew where to go to find the first place of note. No reason to waste time, when he could go straight for the important items.

Ning Yingying looks at him worried, but he can’t read Luo Binghe. Since Shen Qingqiu hadn't broken character yet, he wasn’t worried about what was happening in their NPC minds. If things went according to plan, he didn't expect to see either of them for a long time after this.

"Will Senior be okay? I don't like the thought of you walking all by yourself," Ning Yingying tries one last time.

"You should worry more about yourself than others. You stick with... your friend... and he should take care of you. This one is perfectly capable of taking care of himself."

With these words Lou Binghe finally accepts his decision. Taking Ning Yingying’s hand he leads her towards the exit.

"Be careful Senior Shen! Please wait for us to come back for you!" Ning Yingying calls as Lou Binghe opens the huge doors like they weigh nothing. As the outside reveals the heavy rain, they only hesitate for a second, before they hurry along. The heavy doors fall closed, the loud bang following them ominous. 

With a deep sigh, Shen Quingiu can finally relax and let his mask fall.

From the beginning he knew he had to stay in character. While it was tough to act like an aloof and prickly rich kid, he wasn't risking the consequences of acting otherwise. In a setting like this, with paranoia and insanity being the norm, you didn't act in a way that would catch people's attention. Better to stay off the radar as much as possible.

So with the others gone, he turned around, going straight for the door he pointed out earlier. 

The room he entered was surprisingly cozy compared to the rest of the mansion. Rather than blood red carpets and walls with heavy shadows, here was properly lit with furniture that made it clear this was a study of sorts.

Or a safe room, as Shen Qingqiu knew it to be. 

Bookshelves lined the walls, one big closet placed on one side. In the center of the room was a big desk and chair, many knick knacks placed around. The only window of the room was huge and faced an outside road that actually had a lamppost to light up the area. Besides the door was a two-person couch that looked soft and inviting. 

Like commonly found in many horror games this was the one room that never hid any traps and which the monster would never randomly step into. This would also be the first room Ning Yingying would hide in after getting back to the mansion.

Shen Qingqiu knew exactly what was about to happen to her and Lou Binghe.

Originally she was meant to be the tutorial character of the game. The player would start playing as her, waking up in the mansion with no idea what was going on. Soon after she would stumble upon Lou Binghe and the two would seek a way out. Finding the entrance, they would meet the scum villain, the scene playing out almost exactly as what had just happened. Shen Qingqiu would refuse to go with them, instead heading for the upper floor, not to appear in the story for a while after. 

Ning Yingying and Lou Binghe would explore the outside, basically introducing the basic game mechanics. How to interact with others, finding items, running and crouching and so on. This would continue a bit, until they finally found the gate leading away. Though at this point, they wouldn’t be able to leave for two reasons.

1. The gate would be locked with no key in sight and no alternate exit.

2. The desecrated corpse of some nameless classmate would be found, clear signs that their death had been no accident.

This is when the Killer, the first monster of the game, would spawn. Attacking the two of them, they would be forced to split up, Lou Binghe disappearing to who-knows-where and Ning Yingying having to run back to the mansion to hide. With the Killer right on her heels, she would be led inside the safe room, where the hiding mechanic would be taught using the big closet in the room.

What happened after then became more dependent on the player. This was when the game truly began and it was possible to explore freely and begin to solve the story.

To Shen Qingqiu, most of this didn't matter. Already a free soul, with no need for a tutorial, being perfectly capable of bending his knees for sneaking or picking up items with his hands, he didn't feel a need to follow in Ning Yingying’s footsteps. Rather he saw the beginning of the game as the timer for when he could no longer act freely. 

Until Ning Yingying and Lou Binghe found the first corpse, the Killer should not be on the loose. So until then, he should not have to worry about surviving, but could instead concentrate on gathering items and solving puzzles. Which is why he went into this room for arguably the most important item the game had.

Going to the desk, he investigated it a bit before he found a secret compartment. Pushing it to the side, a sliding puzzle was revealed, one he easily solved. Putting the last piece in the correct spot a click was heard before one of the drawers suddenly opened. Quickly, he gathered the one item it held. 

The spiritbox.

With this Shen Qingqiu could officially begin to play. He already beat the game once, gaining every single ending, no matter how challenging or impossible. He was confident that he could do so again. 

Time to start a new save.