#i am smiling like a fool

[coquelicoq]

girl help the beautiful man at the food truck flirted with me and shook my hand with his big gorgeous hand and held on a little longer than he needed to (but in a good way) and then he gave me a free mango lassi and THEN left his food truck unattended to go get me a bottle of water after i asked if there was any water available and after all that all he wants in exchange (other than payment for the food i ordered) is for me to rate him on google maps. but girl i don't even know how to do that

[headphonemouse]

Follow up to this post brought to you by @forgetme-eternally-blissfully, in fanfic snippet format because I gave up on drawing the comic (the fanfic was supposed to be a comic draft but I added too many details)

Kim Dokja lays on the ground among the rubble of a ruined building. He twitches a little before his eyes open. The world is blurry. In the distance, he can see a dark blur fluttering around his surroundings. As his vision comes into focus, he can recognize Yoo Joonghyuk searching through the debris.

A sharp pain coming from his side causes Kim Dokja to let out a groan as he struggles to push himself up to a sitting position. The sound catches Yoo Joonghyuk's attention and immediately he starts making a beeline in Kim Dokja's direction.

As Yoo Joonghyuk approaches, Kim Dokja takes note of Yoo Joonghyuk's tattered coat, his bloodstained body, the wounds on his face, hands, legs. None too serious though some deep enough to inevitably leave scars later.

Yoo Joonghyuk is getting closer, kneeling down, reaching his hand out towards Kim Dokja's face, making a move to pull Kim Dokja in when Kim Dokja decides to open his mouth.

"You're not losing your balance and having trouble standing are you? I'm not going to carry you on my back this time."

"Shut up," is all Yoo Joonghyuk says as he wraps his arms around Kim Dokja's shoulders. His grip is tight, one hand on the back of Kim Dokja's head, the other circled around his upper back.

There is a gash in Kim Dokja's side that throbs with pain. Blood loss has his head spinning and his vision blurring again. From where his face is pressed into Yoo Joonghyuk's shoulder, Kim Dokja can smell blood, sweat, smoke. Buildings continue to crumple in the background and the sound of something falling pitters in his ears. His hands tense and untense, relax and remain by his sides.

Kim Dokja lets out a breath and leans into Yoo Joonghyuk, just slightly. Just enough so that Yoo Joonghyuk can tighten his hold by a hair.

----------

Author's notes (what would normally be my image caption):

I said in the referenced post that Kim Dokja has no trouble reciprocating affection once someone else initiates, but I think Yoo Joonghyuk is the exception. Always exceptional, that one. At least during the Scenarios.

Kim Dokja can read his movements, see what Yoo Joonghyuk is aiming to do, can read his mind, dammit. But he can't comprehend his actions. Yoo Joonghyuk acting in a way that Kim Dokja doesn't know about is something that happens more and more often as time goes on, and serves as a reminder of the wall that exists between a protagonist and a reader, but also the wall that exists between two normal people. Because at this moment, Kim Dokja is still struggling to see Yoo Joonghyuk as his own person instead of a protagonist or a 1863x-regressor-to-be. He's blinded by what he knows and has seen in his own past, which he assumes will be Yoo Joonghyuk's future. When he looks at him, does he see those ghosts of the future flickering superimposed over the shape of the man before him? This is the sort of wall that exists between them.

So when Yoo Joonghyuk acts outside of Kim Dokja's expectations, Kim Dokja tries to push them back on course with banter. "Yoo Joonghyuk is getting closer, kneeling down, reaching his hand out towards Kim Dokja's face, making a move to pull Kim Dokja in-" Kim Dokja sees all of this, takes note of all of this, knows what's to come of it. Doesn't understand it one bit. He's not oblivious. It's more like, "Why? Why me? Why would someone feel this way about and want to do these things with me?" He KNOWS the effect he has on people. He intentionally calculates how much he interacts with Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung to ensure their loyalty towards him in the early scenarios (not so much so after like Scenario 5-ish so we're talking early-early scenarios. After that point he more supports them in the direction they want to go (when that direction is the direction he already wanted them to go anyways. something something picking teammates because he knew they were already loyal and righteous by nature, nurturing them so that they would be able to carry out their justice no matter the adversary. He chose them because he knew they were loyal and strong, but they weren't loyal or strong at the time. But they would be in the future. But they wouldn't have been without him. But in another time where he didn't exist they were strong anyways see this is how he is able to have ultimate faith in his party members and know the kind of support he has given them while still being unable to recognize his own value in the grand scheme of things. Because they would have been fine without him, he's SEEN it. This is another wall between him and other people, another future ghost)). So he knows how much influence he has in other peoples' lives. But he values himself so little that he is blind to the emotional, sentimental weight he has to these people. No matter how much he knows he's done for them, he won't see himself as worthy of genuine praise or recognition, affection, love.

So this lack of self recognition extends to his perception of all of his companions, but especially so to Yoo Joonghyuk. Yoo Joonghyuk is probably the person whom Kim Dokja is the most strict about characterization with. Kim Dokja knows him the best, it's true, but he also doesn't know a damn thing about him as a person instead of a character and that makes him feel a certain way. Vulnerable, I think. Lonely. That childish feeling of betrayal when the characters walk off the page without him. There are sides to people and characters that you will never know simply because they weren't observed. And there are sides of people that you have no right to know. It is by becoming a person instead of a reader that you must abide by those rules and give up omniscience. Part of being a person and recognizing another's personhood is to willingly not know everything about them.

Anyways. He's not there yet. Not by Hug Attempt #2. This was supposed to have 3 parts with the last one set after the epilogue but we'll see if I ever get to it.

[desertduality]

Ad astra scar lives in my head rent free and it is entirely your fault btw. That man has set up his whole apartment up there and will not leave. /pos

ASJKDKSAJ SAME TBH IF MY BRAIN HAD A SCREENSAVER IT WOULD JUST BE HIM

[hershelwidget]

Yeah ok more bo I MEAN completely normal barnacleses. barnaci? barncle. barnanc NEVERMIND

In all seriousness I think the part BB loves most about being the Captain is that he’s got that big voice and confidence to match and it has FUN with it. Gets Extra when saying his catchphrases and stuff yk

Also some cute quirks it has <3 BB’s actually adorable I can’t even deny it anymore (either that or my old crush on Barnacles is acting up) COUGHS ANYWAYS

[itsbrucey]

Selkie Ron in my brain again but that makes me think of KELPIE WILLY. LIKE. GUYS SEE THE VISION!

[fridayyy-13th]

i am the world's biggest gayest idiot having the biggest gayest crisis right now

[aroace-poly-show]

oh speaking of hw btw. you remember rui’s whole “thank you for giving me the chance to change” thing towards tsukasa….….hw tsukasa being the one to give hw a second chance……idk they’re all convinced they’re hopeless and then this stupid star persuades them enough to join him and ghrdsgfygfndfnshansdngyhgsadfn

[martieshub]

[valsnonsense]

Prince Blaise Diamond

"WO-HO-HOAH!!! DIDJA SEE THAT SHIT?! Nearly broke our record on that run!!"

Parents: King Darnell and Guy Diamond

Siblings: Tiny Diamond (Elder Brother)

Age: 19

Pronouns: He/Him

Sexuality: Gay

Genre: Funk/Hip-Hop/Pop

Voice Claim: Jason Desrouleaox (Jason Derulo)

First son of King D and Guy Diamond, and heir to the throne of Funk. Wild and loud and a bit of an adrenaline junkie, Blaise may be a bit much compared to the relaxed Funk people, but he's beloved nonetheless.

On top of training to be the next King of Funk, Blaise is a excellent Moth Racer (think dragon racing from HTTYD2). Ever since he saw a racing match as a kid while his family was visiting Trollstopia, he wanted to learn how to rear and race with a moth. So for his tenth birthday, D and Guy got him a moth grub to raise as his own. He named her Stellaluna, and she grew to be one of the FASTEST moths on record. He's very proud.

When he's not practicing for races, Blaise loves to party. He's usually seen out and about the city partying on the streets, at gigs in clubs, or in big stadiums. Man cant sit still for two seconds or he will literally explode.

Speaking of music, Blaise is mainly a funk troll, but does inheret a love of hip-hop and pop from his fathers'. He loves how they can all flow together to make new types of music entirely their own. He's constantly pushing the boundaries of Funk. He also likes to try and incorporate jazz in there, to try and impress a certain pop prince~

Blaise currently resides in Vibe City alongside his family

Fun Facts!

- Blaise will shed his arm and leg fur in the spring and summer. And by shed, I mean it all falls off in one fell swoop, living him nekid like a glitter troll. Scared the SHIT outta his dads when it happened for the first time when he was baby.

- When Stellaluna began to pupate, Blaise thought she was dying. The young boy ran to Guy BAWLING his eyes out, crying that his caterpillar was gonna die. Guy spent about an hour soothing him and having to explain that she was not dying but turning to moth xD

- Since he loves moths, he and Strawberry get along super well. Whenever he and the family visit Trollstopia, he and Strawberry will ramble about bugs for hours

The child of my most questionable crack ship is here! I have issues okay

Blaise went through only one design change, and that was just a profession change really. At first, he was just an athlete, but I after seeing some art about Trolls rearing moths, I had the idea of them riding moths, like dragons from HTTYD. I mean they're certaintly small enough. So boom!

Why is he voiced by Jason Derulo? So that he and Apple can sing Spicy Margarita. No that's it that's literally the only reason

Edit: OH! Blaise's moth is based off the Indian Lily Moth! I'll be drawing him with her soon. Image below the cut xP (TW for bug)

Voice Example: Kiss The Sky (Jason Derulo)

[mmmitchmmmarner]

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤

[alsojnpie]

that image of kanon cringing is literally burned into my brain. pure art. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REBLOGGED IT AND OTHER PIECES FROM THAT DEACTIVATED ARTIST SO I COULD FIND IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[iniziare]

Tag drop: Seele (Honkai: Star Rail). Listen, I used to write her and I miss her a bit, and also: there's Belobog people around. And also, well, she's much more interesting than people give her credit for. Also, prepare for some 'rewriting', because Belobog's pacing in specific ways kind of blew a little bit much.

[exoexid]

THEY'RE HOLDING HANDDDDDS

[faaun]

. anyway after writing the tags 4 this post i told my research partner i will no longer follow his dreams lmao. still helping w it but i need to engage in research that i find satisfying

[trashbaget]

tell me your failed/embarrassing flirting stories to make me feel better, i’ll go first: today i said “get out of my way” forgot to say “i’m kidding” then immediately said “bye”

[rox-of-iu]

war and hate on planet earth

stg i was living in a world where i was sure MQF peak seniority was left ambiguous and then i got a wake-up call when i picked up the book to reread a bit 😔😔😔🤡 (i know it was prolly mentioned somewhere before this scene as well but this is where i picked it up and got smacked at so thats the only reason why i picked this part)

idk i guess i just had my eyes conveniently closed each time before hdksfh

also @ anyone thats gonna notice that i will still put qc peak as 4th even after seeing the evidence umm no you didnt mind your damn business