#i hope this winter is kind to you!! and i hope 2023 is a good year for you :D

[chwejongho-archive]

❄️your winter gift has arrived, @hwanswerland!

a series of gifts for mutuals through december!

[redbullgirly]

Can you do a Lewis Hamilton smau where she is basically like Barbie? I feel like since Barbie is a fashion icon and so is Lewis, it would be a match made in Heaven. I read your pinned post and tried to make a request based on your rules. Sorry if it isn’t good enough

HI BARBIE! HI KEN! [part 1, LH44 smau]

Lewis Hamilton x reader

Masterlist & Hi Barbie! Hi Ken! [part2, LH44 smau]

Summary: Lewis Hamilton is part-time Formula One driver and full-time fashion icon. And so is his girlfriend, Y/N Y/L/N, who's also known as a real life Barbie.

Warnings: None... but a lot of pink XD. Also this story is set in December 2023, so no broken hearts over Lewis going to Ferrari... actually maybe just a little teaser.

Author's Note: Hi Anon! This request is great and thank you so much for it, it definitely is good enough! :) I had fun writing and creating this, even though at the end it's kind of different than what I firstly intended to do. The original idea was to make Y/N very Barbie coded, but at the end I'd say she's Barbie inspired and I focused more on the fashion icon part of the request. Though there's a sweet storyline about why her nickname is Barbie, so I hope you won't be disappointed! :)

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lewishamilton A lot happened in 2023 season and there was also a lot of outfits 🤞🏾✨

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user1 MY GOD THIS MAN IS BEAUTIFUL!

yourusername this was definitely one of my favs 💝

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lewishamilton What can I say... pink is the color of real men 🫶🏾

yourusername but do i still wear it the best?

lewishamilton Of course ma'am

user2 I love them sm 😭

user3 can we talk about the fact they're the best couple ever?!

user4 so sweet🥰

user5 And the fact she's literally the only person he interacts with in the comments...

user6 You are the best Lewis, can't wait for another season 👏

user7 🔥❤️

mercedesamgf1 Did someone say Barbie and Ken?💘

user8 YES

user9 admin you're so real for this... they literally ARE our barbie and ken 🤭

user10 The only question is who is the Barbie and who's the Ken? xd

user11 lol imagine barbie lewis💀

user12 GOAT ⬆️♥️

carmenmmundt Me and goergerussell63 when?

gourgerussell I don't really think pink is my colour...😬

yourusername don't worry honey, if he won't wear pink w you i will 😘

carmenmmundt Oh I knew why you're my favourite Y/N 😘

georgerussell63 No wait I changed my mind darling!!

carmenmmundt Hmm now I'll have to think about it 🤔

georgerussell63 Y/NNNNN

yourusername 😌😚

user13 i love how he always manages to get y/n into his posts

user14 The power boyfriend Lewis has over me😩😩

user15 RIGHT?!

user16 he's just so... asdgsagfsgd 😫

user17 I literally need this version of him to live!!!

user18 i'm weak for bf lewis🥵

user19 Y/N looks SO GOOD in that coat

user20 I need to know how she does it

user21 fr

user22 The best driver and a fashion icon... damn he's got some talent 🙇‍♂️

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yourusername great season and now it'll be even better winter break w my love 💋💞

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f1 Our own Barbie🤩

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user1 yeeeees

user2 Wait I'm new in formula one, why do we call Lewis Hamilton's gf Babrie??

user3 idk user2 she just gives off the energy 😆

user4 Actually I think Lewis himself once called her Barbie in an interview when there were rumors about them dating and then it just stuck with her 🤷‍♀️

user5 oh really?!! tbh i had idea he ever called he barbie himself... y/n is just iconic xd

user6 IT'S Y/N'S WORLD AND WE'RE JUST LIVING IN IT 🗣🗣

lewishamilton Can't wait to spend the winter break with you ✨

yourusername *mwah*

user7 pls I'm so excited for them!!

user8 the vacation photo dumps are gonna slay🤭

alexandrasaintmleux stoppp you're so pretty!🎀

yourusername nooo you are alex 🥹🫶

user9 they could never make me hate these two just 'cause they're dating the hottest drivers on the grid🫡

user10 The outfit in the second photo? HELLO?!

kellypiquet 🤍

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charles_leclerc I see you like the Monaco circuit very much👀

yourusername i see you're stalking my photo dumps very carefully charles leclerc 🤨

charles_leclerc Well I have a feeling we'll see each other more often soon so I have to get to know you better😉

this comment has been deleted by charles_leclerc

charles_leclerc Caught in the crime😂

user11 WHAT WAS THAT CHARLES?!

user12 omg I wasn't the only one to see it? I'm not delusional right?🫣

user13 idk what you saw 'cause i didn't but this interaction is so funny to me XD

user14 mommy- sorry... MOTHER

user15 ❣️❣️

user16 y/n & lew >>>>

twitter

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yourusername i'm barbie. he's just a ken (and he won some trophy for p3 in the championship... idk where it is) 💖💄

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user1 I live for Lewis leaving the trophy there💀

user2 and the way y/n basically confirmed this by saying she has no idea where it is😭

lewishamilton You're everything. I'm just Ken 🙏🏾✨

yourusername exactly... though you're the best ken ever 💞

sebastianvettel Isn't he more like Allan then?

yourusername ohhh true seb 🤭

user3 YOU WANNA TELL ME THE SEBASTIAN VETTEL SAW BARBIE

yourusername yeah we made him watch it and he cried during gloria's speech 💓

sebastianvettel I'm not ashamed about it.

yourusername and that's why i love u seb 🫶

user4 why aren't all men like sebastian???😩

user5 I love these three with all my heart y'all don't understand

user6 my fav driver watching my fav movie and crying during speech about feminism is my roman empire

user7 AAAHSDFHFGSDHSG😍

f1 If there was a prize for fashion icons, the Hamilton household would definetly win it! 🏆

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user8 not admin calling them hamilton household🥹

user9 Lol that would be the only fairly given trophy this year

user10 OMG I just realized that one day Y/N and Lewis WILL be both HAMILTON😭😭

user11 I'll tattoo the date of their wedding on my arm fr

user12 that's real dedication user11 💀

user13 TRUE DEFINITION OF A QUEEN... LOVE YOUUUUUU

kellypiquet Gorgeous darling!💖💖💖

yourusername we both babeee 💖🫶

user14 the IT wags casually supporting each other

user15 I love they're still friends even though their bfs are probably the biggest rivals xd

user16 not the shade about the trophy💀

user17 Waiiittt what happened?

user18 someone who was at the ceremony said lewis gave him the prize 'cause he didn't want it😭

user17 Oh and Y/N wrote in her caption she doesn't know where it is?

user18 exactly😭

user17 Whoops... I love her, she's queen for that

user19 and the fact fia tried to deny these rumors💀

user20 Absolutely love this look 🤍

user21 you and lew are just such a good looking couple

user22 THE DRESS I REPEAT THE DRESS🥰

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lewishamilton 🇲🇨 with the best company.

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roscoelovescoco Mom's look's so handsome's ☺️☀️

liked by the author and yourusername

lewishamilton Agreed

yourusername awww my boys are too sweet 🥹💕

user1 lewis complimenting his gf not w one but TWO accounts makes my heart melt

liked by yourusername

user2 I want a man like him🤧

user3 WE LOVE ROSCOE CALLING HER MUM

user4 Lewis, Y/N & Roscoe are the best trio ever🥰

user5 parents and their son

user6 literally omg

yourusername wow who's that handsome boy laying on a couch 🥴😻

lewishamilton Handsome you say?😏

yourusername yeah, right next to u 🥰

lewishamilton Oh no, I should've seen that coming😒

roscoelovescoco Thank's mom's I'm handsome's boy's 😊👅

user7 these interactions give me the will to live

user8 I love the Hamilton family🥺

user9 lol y/n calling roscoe handsome xd

user10 The funniest part about this is that Lewis manages Roscoe's profile😭

user11 omg yes user10 not him playing being offended on his main and then being all sweet as roscoe...

user12 Love forever ❤️

user13 Y/N is so beautiful I can't believe my own eyes

user14 the two belong together forever 🙌🫶♾️💫

user15 fr

user16 If they ever break up I'll stop believing on love

mercedesamgf1 Mr. & Mrs. Mercedes

user17 pls give him decent car in 2024 to win another championship🙏

user18 The most iconic couple in history of motorsport 💅

user19 ❤️😍

user20 what's Ferrari doing in the likes?🤨

user21 lol calm down... he's literally lewis hamilton🤣

user22 No but it's weird... they never like other team's things

user23 and after the rumors during monaco gp too 🥸🥸

user24 I think this photo dump caused global warming... like daaammmnnn they're both so fine 🥵

user25 let's just say roscoe isn't the only one calling them mommy and daddy-

user26 lmao

user26 but true🫢

yourusername posted on instagram

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yourusername barbie has a great day everyday... especially when she gets pink mercedes she wanted 🛍🤍

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lewishamilton Seems like Ken is good for something

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yourusername maybeeee

lewishamilton You want pink Ferrari too, don't you?

yourusername ☺️☺️

user1 ohhh to have a man like that

user2 OMG LEWIS PLS GET HER PINK FERRARI

user3 Yeah, Y/N will slay in that car😌

user4 i wanna be barbie too if she gets pink mercedes

user5 but first you'll need to have a ken like lewis hamilton

francisca.cgomes this barbie is so prettyyyy

yourusername love u! 💓

user6 Okay okay I NEED the bikini😫😍

user7 QUEEN

user8 Y/N looking gorgeous like always🫶🏼

user9 gold digger alert!!!!🤮

user10 Girl go away, you clearly know nothing about their relationship xd

user11 jealousy alert!!!

user12 the first pic does something to me 😩

user13 The most beautiful woman ever

user14 Lewis won lottery w her

user15 yes she's literally so pretty and they seem so happy together🥰

user16 fr I don't think I've seen him this happy before

user17 yeah he looks so much calmer and even younger when y/n is with him at event and gps...🥹

user18 Plus the OUTFITS?! I love them sm

user19 Where is Lewis 🙂?

user20 c'mmon he doesn't have to be in every post she makes🙄

user21 stunning as always 💘

user22 SLAYING AS ALWAYS

twitter

Y/N’s interview

photo 1: Y/N: How did you and Lewis meet?

Y/F/N: Oh, you guys'll love the story!

photo 2: Y/N: It was actually in a toy store. Lew was there with his niece and I was there because... [laughs] Let's say I still like to collect dolls and lego, sue me.

photo 3: Y/N: Anyway, Lew's niece saw me, thought I'm a real life Barbie and wanted to say hi. [laughs] It was honestly so sweet that I didn't have the heart to tell her I'm just a normal girl.

photo 4: Y/F/N: So does she still think you're Barbie? [laughs]

Y/N: Yeah, I think so... She calls me Auntie Barbie! [laughs too]

photo 5: Y/N: But back to Lewis - I didn't recognize him and just thought he's really cute. We talked for few minutes, though then I had to leave and didn't have the courage to ask for his number.

photo 6: Y/N: But few days later he followed me on Instagram and I was just like - yes!

Lewis’ interview

Interviewer: Lewis, you recently followed a known influencer and model on Instagram. Is there something going on between the two of you?

Lewis: Are you talking about Barbie? Oh, shoot, sorry... [laughs] I mean Y/N?

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yourusername aesthetic life w the best man, cute son and lots of flowers 🌸💖

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roscoelovescoco I got's mom's the's flowers's 😊🌷

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yourusername thx roscoe baby!! 🫶 guess daddy will have to learn from you 😌🤍

user1 ... are we gonna talk about the fact y/n just called lewis daddy?

yourusername ... no please don't, you know what i meant 😭🙈

user2 Too late Y/N, the twitter girlies are going to go nuts about this (me included)

landonorris Awww look at that grumpy little dude 🥺

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pierregasly Mate are you calling the seven world time champion grumpy little dude?🤣

user3 lando tf-

user4 This is so funny for no reason😭

user5 Lewis being called grumpy little dude wasn't what I expected from this winter break tbh

landonorris ROSCOE

landonorris I WAS TALKING ABOUT ROSCOE GUYS

user6 💀💀

pierregasly Lol

yourusername why did you even think it was about lewis peirregasly ??🧐

landonorris YEAH MR. TRIPOD TELL US

pierregasly Goodbye...👋

user7 u and lew are so sweet

user8 MOTHER IS MOTHERING 😍

alexandrasaintmleux Shining like a star✨💖

yourusername and you're my sun ☀️💖

user9 I want a man who gives me so many flowers!!!

user10 yeah and they're beautiful and tasteful too

lewishamilton So lucky to have you darling! 🫧🫶🏾

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yourusername we're both so lucky lew 💗🫶

user11 and i'm lucky i was born in the same century as you so i can witness this love

user12 I LOVE Y/N & LEWIS🥰

user13 I'll ask again... When is he going to put a ring on it? 💍 C'mon Lewis you obviously love her sm

user14 Your guys love is so special ❤️

user15 if this is the content we'll be getting during winter break, i don't think i want it to end

user16 races are great... but boyfriend material lewis hamilton is better🤤

user17 REAL

THE END

Author's Note: Hi and thank you for reading! I'll be glad for likes, reblogs, comments, follows and any other ways of support. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT PART 2! I really enjoyed this version of Lewis and Y/N... and perhaps I have a lot of pictures that unfortunately didn't make it to the story because picture limit isn't very friendly. Love you and have a great day! :)

[satorhime]

. ･｡･ right where you left me ࿐gojo satoru.

── ◜ ⪩⪨ ◞ content : angst, fluff, dad!gojo (reader ‘n’ gojo have a daughter), set in 2018 and 2023, reunion, beach trips, established relationship ! f!reader. ･｡･ w.c. 3.7k & not proofread.

── ◜ ⪩⪨ ◞ synopsis : time remains the one enemy gojo can’t defeat. ໒꒰ྀི ´ ꒳ ` ꒱ྀིა notes: ik there’s a gazillion reunion fics but this has been sitting in my drafts since oct n i suddenly felt like finishing n sharing so i hope u enjoy <333 ‘m gna go cry over this fic now ;u;

satoru is having a damn good day.

it’s suspicious, it feels like a fever dream, and he can’t really pinpoint where the dubiousness comes from. maybe it’s because he feels as if he doesn’t deserve it, like if he allows himself to relax like this something terrible will happen while he slacks off. or maybe, it’s because he’s only ever had those truly good days in his youth when he was devil may care and his concerns for the wellbeing of the world slid off his shoulders weightlessly, like sheets of rain on a rooftop. a wild and selfish kind of happiness that begun in spring and ended too quickly in winter.

but today is a good day. he forgot to charge his phone last night, he is in the best mood he’s been in all year, and he can’t stop fucking smiling. gojo satoru is thriving, on top of the world, a little bit of that nostalgic, adolescent joy warming up his chest.

and it’s all because it’s a sunny day, the water is cool, and he’s on the beach with you and his baby girl.

the three of you decided to steal away on a spontaneous trip to okinawa that forced him out of his work uniform and into swim trunks with a bare chest, simply because you burst into his office with big droplets of tears in your eyes declaring yourself a terrible mother because you realized that your daughter was already three years old and she had never seen the ocean before.

it had taken him ten minutes to book three first class tickets and secure the private family villa for the weekend, fifteen to get packed, and twenty to board after hearing that.

he would do anything to please his girls, after all.

“‘anna go into the bathtub, mama!” your baby whines impatiently from the embrace of your arms, squirming and squiggling for you to let her down as she points towards the rolling ocean waves behind you. ever since she learned how to walk, she’s lost all patience for her doting parents carrying her around— especially when something catches the attention of those big, pretty blue eyes. it didn’t take long for her to become enamored with the sea, wanting nothing more than to get out of your hold and toddle towards the shallows.

“it’s called an ‘ocean’, cupcake,” you correct her, voice full of amusement and affection as you crane your head forward to kiss the soft skin of her chubby cheek, bouncing the toddler in your arms. “too bad we’re being held hostage by dada right now.”

“i heard that,” satoru mumbles with a pout, his third melon popsicle of the day hanging from one side of his mouth. droplets of green slush drips onto the broad planes of his chest in a sticky mess as it melts but he’s wholly focused on the two of you, one summer blue eye winked closed as the other peers through the lens of the polaroid camera looped around his neck. “but wait, just one more photo of my two favorite girls!”

“you’ve been taking photos for the last twenty minutes, satoru,” you huff. “we aren’t going anywhere, you know. you don’t have to take so many.”

“our baby needs to see what the three of us looked like in our prime, before we grow old and gray together.”

“you’re so ridiculous, gojo satoru.”

but despite your exasperation, you remain put. it’s hard not to feel the same way he does on a perfect day like this— contentment, light in the heart and full of love because of this little trip. the camera focuses in on you and your daughter before the shutter clicks, each snap immortalizing the sight of you and your baby girl illuminated by the lazy autumn sun.

“and done!” he cheers, catching the polaroid in his palm as it slides from the slot. it wobbles between two of his fingers as it develops, but he can already see that it’s a perfect picture. he feels his heart sink in his chest, melting into a syrupy sweet puddle of happiness that makes him lightheaded and anxious.

oh, you’ve never looked as pretty as you do right now. like a dream, a forever kind of love he never plans to let go of. wearing that cute little swimsuit he likes so much with his sunnies perched on top of your head and his baby propped up on your supple hip. the two of you are beaming, cheeks squished together, your daughter’s hand cupping your face fondly.

it’s the kind of picture that others would coo at and fawn over if he framed it in a museum, but satoru retrieves his wallet from the pocket of his swim trunks, tucking the polaroid safely in the trifold for his own selfish keeping.

“i think she really likes the beach,” you tell him, squatting to set your daughter on her feet. she waves to you and satoru before waddling toward the shallow surf, her little legs stumbling in the thick body of sand. “this was good of you, satoru.”

“what? you think i’d miss the opportunity to spend time with my best girls?” he asks you, a hand on his chest with an affronted look on his face. you resist the urge to snort as the two of you follow closely behind your stumbling toddler, rushing towards her every time she gets distracted and attempts to eat the sand or chase one of the seagulls.

“you’ve been busy lately, that’s all,” is how you respond, the accusation washed out of your tone for the gentle words instead. you don’t bring up how many milestones, how many little memories he’s already missed, just by being who he is— that no matter what, he’ll always belong to his duty first and his family second. no, you’ve always shown patience and understanding. never complaining when his side of the bed is empty before morning or your girl requests for her father to read a bedtime story in that animated, comical way you can never replicate for her. making her settle for your offkey, wobbly lullabies instead.

“i know,” he says quietly, suddenly serious— keeping one eye on your baby girl who is currently splashing her hands around in the sand and water. “one of my first year’s a vessel so the curses are getting more pesky. i don’t think that’s a coincidence.”

“you think something’s about to happen?” you ask, looking up at him, but he presses a kiss to your temple and you wrinkle your nose at the sticky feeling of his lips.

“nah,” he replies, and you almost roll your eyes because you know he’s lying. even though satoru has done his best to keep you hidden from his world, you’re no fool. you already know why he rarely comes home at night, why he was absent for christmas last year, why your daughter has never met her paternal grandparents. you know that with the reappearance of several ancient cursed objects, there is thunder crackling among the clouds. “don’t worry your pretty little head about that.”

satoru turns up the volume on the waterproof boombox half-buried in the sand next to your belongings. he can’t stand your choice of music, finds it noise most of the time, but it’s the distraction the atmosphere needs to throw off your questioning. he pulls you to sit down between his legs, your back pressed against his chest and his arms wrapped around your body.

ocean foam splashes against the tips of your toes as the two of you sit at the surf of the tide in peaceful silence, time getting away from you both in the warm sun as your baby girl plays, her energy endless— waddling around and squealing at the different curiosities and wonders the beach has to offer.

whatever will happen, satoru won’t allow it to be today.

“satoru,” you call after a long quiet, craning your neck to look up at him. “if you—”

“what, you think i’m gonna croak sometime soon?” he shoots back, already knowing where the conversation is heading. so he holds you tighter, his strong arms a protective cage around your body as his shades slide down the attractive slope of his nose. he cracks a grin at you, another obvious deflection because he knows you can’t resist when he looks at you that way. not with his hair mussed from humidity, a strip of sunscreen on his nose as he chews on that damn wooden stick from his ice pop earlier.

“i know what you’re doing,” you shake your head. “and it’s not working. i’m just worried, i’m allowed to, as your wife. you think you’re invincible but if something happens to you that’ll… it’ll—” it will break us.

satoru’s smile fades, but he thankfully doesn’t need to reply because your daughter is waddling up to the both of you now, her sand-caked hands full of seashells and stones that glimmer in the sunlight. he wants to scoff because if anyone understands the consequences of failing those you love, it’s him— it’s all he’s ever known.

“what ya got there, princess?”

“fish—!” she cries in her sweet, babyish voice. some of the shells tumble from her hands, and you watch as her expression switches from happiness to dismay to finally confusion. you have to bite your lip to hold back laughter when instead of picking them back up, she dumps the rest of the seashells in your lap. “now i don’t have any fish.”

“i think those are seashells, princess,” gojo says with a grin, picking up a shell that rests on top of your thigh and holding it up to the sunlight. “this shell looks like it belongs to a hermit crab, like your megumi-nii.”

“you’re a terrible influence on our daughter, you know.”

“i’m just setting up future dynamics, angel face,” he grins.

“look look look!” your daughter gasps, bringing your attentions back to her. “this swee-shell looks like dada—!” she squeals excitedly, her new finding held delicately in her little sand-covered palm. she stands up on your thighs to reach her father sitting behind you, holding an iridescent blue seashell next to gojo’s eyes, her tiny mind comparing the colors in wonder. meanwhile, satoru wears a smile that burns so wide it hurts his cheeks.

“it looks like you too, princess,” he boops her nose, gently taking the seashell and holding it to her eyes next. her answering giggles sound like a sweet bell calling him home to heaven, but he can’t answer it because there are two people on this earth who laugh and smile at him like he hung the moon and painted the stars. “if you put it in your pocket now, the ocean won’t call the cops on you for stealing it.”

“no, this one ‘s for dada,” she insists, shoving the pretty blue seashell back into his hand.

“thank you, my mini angel,” he ruffles her hair, and you smile softly at the little exchange because though she may be enamored with her new discoveries at the beach, her father will always be one of her favorite wonders of the world.

“i ‘anna go find one for mama now!” she announces, and you wonder how she hasn’t run out of energy yet, but you nod and stand to your feet, dusting the sand away from the bottom of your swimsuit. your baby’s entire hand curls around your pointer finger, and she pulls you along with great effort.

you glance back at satoru and find that he’s watching the two of you head closer to the water, that uncharacteristically genuine smile still on his face, and you part your lips to call him to your side— where he’s always supposed to be.

“you didn’t think we’d let you slack off, did you? finding seashells is serious business, satoru!” you tease, pretty eyes crinkling with unbridled happiness, haloed by the waning sun and the orange dreamsicle sky that holds it. “hurry up!”

“wait for me just a little while, i’m coming to you,” he calls back, a lopsided grin spreading across his mouth before he raises the polaroid camera to his face, snapping one last candid photo of the two of you before he jogs towards his little piece of heaven.

but he doesn’t think he’s imagining things when the distance between heaven and earth keeps growing further and further apart—

“satoru, you can’t stand outside forever,” your voice is gentle as it speaks behind him, your hand laid delicately on his back in comfort; breaking the sorcerer out of deep reverie, the edges of the old memory fading, replaced by the pink paint of his daughter’s bedroom door that he’s been standing in front of for the last thirty minutes. his thumb brushes over the polaroid in his hand, the one that had been his salvation and his undoing in the prison realm. he’d taken it out without knowing, his eyes reading over the date written in his handwriting.

october 30, 2018

the picture of you with your daughter on your hip that he took at the beach all those years ago— that had been the last time he’d seen her.

four, no, five years?

his feet are nailed to the floor because change makes satoru shut down, and everything has changed since then.

while time was immeasurable and immovable inside of the prison realm for him, the clock had ticked on outside of it and just like that, his little girl is no longer three years old, giving him seashells that matches his eyes or hitting the back of his ankles with her big wheel or—

“you can’t keep doing this to yourself,” you sigh. “you’ve been unsealed for months. you’re her father, no matter what.”

“i’m a stranger to her,” and to you, but he doesn’t say it. you had waited for him, in every aspect of the word. held out on hope and faith in his strength that he would return to your side, where he’s always supposed to be.

“you’re n—” but you’re cut off when the door opens to reveal your daughter standing on the other side. the child standing before him is almost unrecognizable. she’s much taller and older, wearing track pants underneath her school dress with ribbons in unruly waves of white hair. the last time he’d seen his daughter, she had been three years old and still learning things like colors and sight words and that feeding megumi’s demon dogs her vegetable purée was against the rules. now, gojo satoru was the father of an eight year old and he’d missed everything because of a mista—

“you can come in,” she says, blinking up at satoru with an expression void of emotion. “but i’m not finished with my homework so if you stay too long, you’ll bug me.”

“how did you know i was outside?” he whistles nonchalantly, unbothered by the attitude that she gives him. it fills him with bitter satisfaction that she isn’t excited to see him, that someone is angry that he failed, regardless if he won in the end. he can handle bratty children who hate him and only look at him as a tool for their success, he can’t handle a daughter who cried herself to sleep every night waiting for him while he was losing his sanity away in a cube.

or at least, that’s what he tells himself.

“i could see you and mama through the door, duh,” she replies, hip cocked to the side in an amount of sass she had to pick up from you. “mama says i have your eyesight. i don’t really get it, but it makes it easy to cheat on tests.”

he could see it in the bright blue of her eyes, even if she hadn’t confirmed it. plain as daylight, she’s exactly like he was at that age. easily irritable and bratty, cocky and spoiled rotten. suffering from the weight of being an uncontested heir to an ancient dynasty at the age of elementary.

“i used six eyes to cheat on tests too,” he relates with pride, and then he bends down to her height, waving his palm. “sooo you probably got some questions about where i was—”

“not really. grandfather said you were sealed because you’re foolish and let weakness distract you.”

“you shouldn’t say things like that,” you scold, “apologize.”

“why? i don’t want to.”

your daughter turns, disappearing back into her room after that and seeming like she doesn’t care if satoru follows or not. your hand travels up the long expanse of satoru’s back in a soothing circle as you step closer.

“huh, that’s new.”

“sorry, she’s… i don’t know if acting out is the right term,” you say, pain in your voice. “she doesn’t really understand why she’s so different, or why you were … gone for so long. i know you didn’t want her around your family so i kept her away as best i could, but she started to have crippling migraines because she didn’t know how to use her ability and well… they were the only ones who knew how to help. filled her head with foolishness every time she visited the estate, though and it’s changed her.”

“huh,” is all he says, a broken record, tongue running across his inner lip in thought.

“do you need me?”

“what, you think i can’t handle her?”

“well, you were outside the door for a half hour, ‘toru.”

he shoots you a lopsided grin before he’s stepping into his daughter’s bedroom, glancing around at the unfamiliarity of it all. you follow close behind, watching with a heavy heart as he takes in the difference eight years can make.

her tiny baby crib has been traded for a poster bed decorated with a sanrio duvet and various stuffed animals where a laptop and study papers lay scattered on top. the angel themed decorations, along with her first ultrasound photo you and satoru had hung up in her nursery had been replaced by pink paint and pictures of her with a group of friends from school and a photo of her on a volleyball team.

he has to rip his gaze away.

“so,” he starts, standing in the center of the room and trying not to feel like an intruder, desperate for something to say— something to relate to her with. “how many episodes did i miss? did aya-chan ever get married?”

“i’m too old to play with dolls now, father,” she huffs, scrunching up her nose, and though satoru expected that exact answer, it doesn’t stop his heart from shattering into a million pieces. he feels that familiar itch, anger welling in his body until it burns at his fingertips because this is no one’s fault but his own. “don’t you know anything about me?”

“my bad, you’re a big kid now,” he snorts, even as his chest aches. he sits on the edge of her bed, flipping up one edge of the coloring book laying next to her laptop. “maybe you should start paying taxes.”

“i’m also too young to pay taxes. you really don’t know anything about me anymore,” she snaps, and she’s right— he doesn’t and it burns like saltwater on a wound. now he knows why you asked if he needed you; he’d hide behind you if he could, but he settles for flickering his eyes up to you helplessly.

you realize that neither of you can be upset with her for being angry that one of her favorite people vanished out of thin air. that while he was sealed, his clan had taken advantage of his absence and your powerlessness against them, and had begun spoiling your child rotten, teaching her how to use her ability— plumping her up for the inevitable day that she becomes her father’s successor, turning her against him.

“i think,” you say softly, leaning against the frame of the door. “that your dada— your father— would like to learn, though. he’s missed a lot, baby.”

she considers this for a long while, then she heaves a great sigh, hackles lowering. she scoots off the bed and before satoru can feel the hurt of figuring she doesn’t want to be near him, she does something unexpected. she moves one of her trophies out of the way to open her closet door, rummaging around for the longest before she yanks out a cardboard box you had labeled ‘donate one day since my snotty kid is a hag now’— it’s a box full of old dolls, covered in dust. she sits on her knees in front of the box, peering inside.

“aya-chan didn’t get married, but hinata-chan did,” she explains with an exasperated sigh and a roll of her eyes, taking out the dolls one by one and setting them on the floor in front of satoru’s feet.

“to the mailman that lived in your ugliest dollhouse?”

“you remember,” her eyes widen a little in surprise before her expression shutters again, smoothing out the doll’s colorful polyester dress before reaching back into the box and retrieving a brush covered in synthetic hairs. she looks at it for a while before extending her arm and offering the brush to her father. “aya-chan decided to be independent and explore the world. she’s planning to go on a trip soon so she needs to get ready. do y’wanna brush her hair?”

satoru is sliding off the bed and sitting cross-legged on the floor before he knows it, barely wanting to breathe because he doesn’t want to shatter the fragility of the moment between them. he takes the brush, and seconds later she hands him one of the dolls that had once upon a time been her favorite one that no one was allowed to touch. you would giggle at the delicate way he brushes the doll’s hair with utmost care and precision if you weren’t about to cry at the scene instead. “oh, and where’s she headed?”

“okinawa.”

“ponytail or messy bun then?” you don’t think you’re imagining the wobble in his voice. “to compliment her swimsuit.”

a tiny, hopeful smile twinkles over your lips at the two of them on the floor, babbling away to each other about the outlandish stories they’ve created together with her dolls. how many times had you offered to play with her, only for her to burst into tears because it wasn’t the same? you know that this won’t bridge the gap between the years that have been lost, but it’s a start. just hearing the soft murmurs of their conversation, the sound of your little girl giggling for the first time in ages, makes your heart swell.

time may be an undefeated opponent, and with it comes change that no one can control, but something tells you that as long as the three of you are together— everything will be okay.

you tiptoe out of the room, because they need time to catch up and apologize and reconnect, to learn one another once more, but before you close the door, you don’t think you’re mistaken when you hear, “can we go back to the beach too, dada?”

[epicbuddieficrecs]

Weekly Recap | December 19th-24th 2023

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you're all having a good time with your loved ones. You might get an extra rec this week as a treat! 😊

Complete

running in the dark (let the storms arise) by extasiswings/ @extasiswings (6x10: In A Flash | 2K | Teen): As Buck sleeps, Eddie dreams.

give it to someone special by rainbow_nerds/ @rainbow-nerdss (Canon Divergent - Different First Meeting, Christmas | 12K | Mature): Buck and Eddie meet at the airport after their respective girlfriends live their Hallmark movie dreams and dump them right before Christmas.

I Couldn’t Stand the Person Inside Me I Turned All the Mirrors Around by Princessfbi/ @princessfbi (Hurt Buck, Established Buddie | 7K | General): The shattering sound of plates erupted in the air like a crack of thunder and Eddie’s gaze shot up from his phone. Something was wrong. It was a hair thin trigger that had been switched the moment he caught sight of his boyfriend and the whole world could’ve stopped for all Eddie knew. Buck was staring down at his hands, breathing way too fast, and drowning in some kind of panic that only he could see. “My hands won’t work,” Buck said so quietly.

🔥 Kink Club AU series by Princessfbi/ @princessfbi (Canon Divergent - Different First Meeting, BDSM, Dom Eddie, Sub Buck | Complete | Explicit): Canon compliant one shots where Eddie works at a Kink Club as a side hustle and meets Buck there before his first shift in 2x01.

The Warmth (of You) (25K): aka where Buck and Eddie first meet at a kink club before the firehouse To Weather the Storm (With You) (21K): aka the fallout of Buck finding out the dom he met at a Kink Club is his new coworker Safe Here (With You) (20K): aka Buck and Eddie handle working a shift after their first scene The Building Pressure (of You) (15K): aka Buck reaches out to Eddie after he leaves Abby's place in 2x07 An Offer to Torment (You) (14K): aka Eddie is all twisted up inside about what to do with Shannon. Buck offers himself up for some much needed holiday stress relief.

🔥 to be found by ZainClaw/ @zainclaw (Werewolf AU | 71K | Mature): After being mistreated by his alpha for the last time, Buck abandons his pack and heads for the city where he’s found by Eddie - another werewolf who’s nothing like the ones Buck is used to. Eddie is gentle, kind, and has made a pack for himself and his son that Buck desperately wishes he could be a part of. (Part 1 of to be found (verse))

🔥 to belong by ZainClaw/ @zainclaw (Werewolf AU | 9K | Explicit): Reluctantly, Buck detaches himself from Eddie’s neck and lifts his head just enough for them to look at each other. Eddie’s eyes are dark even with the room bathing in sunlight, his pupils blown. His chest rises and falls at a quick pace, his cheeks flushed. Buck can’t help but lick his own mouth at the sight of Eddie’s kiss-bruised lips. I did that, he thinks. A few months ago he hadn’t even known how to kiss Eddie properly for the first time, and now he can do this. Can leave Eddie looking completely disheveled with just his mouth and hands, the sound of his fast thumping heart loud in Buck’s ears. It makes his chest swell with pride. (Part 2 of to be found (verse))

Christmas Lights by ZainClaw/ @zainclaw (Established Buddie, Christmas | 1K | Teen): “What are we looking at?” Eddie asks, his voice slightly muffled from where his cheek is resting against the top of Buck’s head. “The lights.” “Okay,” Eddie hums. “And what do we think about the lights?”

don't waste a dime on me by QuietLittleVoices/ @hawkeyefrommash (Established Buddie, Secret Relationship | 2K | Teen): Buck and Eddie attend the LAFD's Winter Charity Gala, where Buck is up for auction as a 'date with a real firefighter!'.

Pining. Get it? Like the Tree? by littlechivalry/ @jonlybonlyfromboldlygo (Christmas, First Kiss | 2K | General): Buck likes Christmas. Well, he likes the idea of Christmas.  Loved ones getting together. Generosity. The magic of the season. It's wonderful. The reality however, or at least the reality he's experienced? Not so much.

all I want for christmas by smilingbuckley/ @smilingbuckley (Christmas, Getting Together | 7K | Teen): Eddie has to work Christmas Eve and asks Buck to take him to the Buckley-Han Christmas dinner. Buck is happy to spend Christmas with Christopher, but being with his parents dampens the mood. It makes it worse when his mother questions his place in Christopher’s life. Luckily, Christopher knows Buck enough to see him hurting and has a plan to make him feel better. To show him who his real family are.

baby, you never lookеd better than you do in that ugly Christmas sweatеr by wikiangela/ @wikiangela (Christmas, Getting Together | 7K | General): Buck mentions he always wanted his family to wear matching Christmas sweaters, but never got it - Eddie takes matters into his own hands.

Like The Cavemen Did by DeadlyChildArtemis (PWP, BDSM | 4K | Explicit): Buck and Eddie discover a new part of themselves.

🔥 still sitting in a corner i haunt by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Time Travel | 7K | Mature): Unable to imagine a scenario where acting on his feelings for Buck doesn’t end up with everybody hurt, Eddie rejects Buck. Before he can finish the conversation, Eddie is ripped from his time and hurtled into several, seemingly random moments from the future that help clarify his decision.

How Eddie Learned To Stop Worrying and Embrace the Kitten Life by DeadlyChildArtemis (PWP, BDSM | 7K | Explicit): Or, 5 times Eddie refuses to acknowledge his cat behavior and one time he does

All it took was one sniff by kas_delafere/ @janekburza (Incubus Buck, Werewolf Eddie | 1K | General): Buck’s been starving himself since Abby left. But the new hire in the station apparently took one look (one sniff, really) at him and decided Buck is The One.

and i feel just like i want to kiss you underneath my mistletoe by oklahoma/ @malewifediaz (Christmas | 9K | Teen): 5 times the team tries to get Eddie and Buck to kiss under the mistletoe and the 1 time they do. Kinda.

ain’t a drop of bad blood by grandpacat (Post-Lawsuit | 2K | General): Buck cries, Eddie apologizes, Eddie cries, Buck apologizes. Post-lawsuit canon divergence.

Hearth by grandpacat (Post-S6 | 6K | Mature): In which Marisol finds out about Eddie's will and isn't happy, Eddie has some realizations, and all the important conversations happen in the kitchen.

Brain Machine Broke by grandpacat (Getting Together, Post-S6 | 1K | General): Buck sees Eddie holding Jee-Yun and his brain breaks.

You and Me Here (underneath the mistletoe) by Bob_loblaws_lawblog/ @buddierights (Christmas, Getting Together | 6K | Teen): It’s fine. It’s just a kiss under the mistletoe. It’s a Christmas tradition, and in this case, just a joke. Not a big deal. He can play along – his only other choice is being weird about it, which sounds too much like revealing his feelings. So, he swallows it down and looks at Eddie who is still standing frozen, staring up at the mistletoe hanging above them. Buck forces an easy smile. “C’mon, I’m not that bad,” he jokes. The tension in Eddie’s shoulders lessens a little and he laughs softly. “No. No you’re not,” he admits. “So, what do we do?” Buck shrugs, trying to remain casual. “I guess we just suck it up and French a little.”

Bottled Poetry by Bob_loblaws_lawblog/ @buddierights (Fake Relationship, Valentine's Day | 7K | Teen): Buck and Eddie take a platonic trip to a winery and everyone assumes they're a couple. Eddie pines.

Home is Just Another Word for You by Bob_loblaws_lawblog/ @buddierights (Christmas, Different First Meeting AU | 10K | General): Eddie misses his flight home to his son on Christmas Eve, and just so happens to get stuck with the handsome man who sprinted across the airport with him.

Dance the Night Away by ReformedTsundere/ @film-in-my-soul (Canon Divergent - Different First Meeting | 7K | Mature): "Just promise me something, okay?" Eddie is brought around to the present, blinking as he wraps his hand around his beer bottle and nods for Ricky to go on, even though he's already half-sure of what's about to happen. "You have to rescue that poor boy over there." Ricky nods over Eddie's left shoulder, and Eddie, even though he knows better, finds himself twisting, hip cocked against the low bar, to follow Ricky's line of sight toward the cluster of round tables in the corner of the room.

Please Don't Wake Me Up by ReformedTsundere/ @film-in-my-soul (Incubus Eddie | 11K | Explicit): "You've been having wet dreams about me." And shit. Fucking fuck. That was not what Eddie had wanted to start with. But the words are out in the open, and Buck is gaping at him, jaw damn near on the floor as he's frozen, blinking quickly and processing what Eddie's just said. "You- how- did Chimney tell you?"

Cat Scratch Fever by ReformedTsundere/ @film-in-my-soul (Cat Hybrid Buck, PWP, Established Buddie | 3K | Explicit): When another cat hybrid on a call accidentally gets Buck hyped on pheromones, Eddie's there to take care of him.

When the Lost are Found by ReformedTsundere/ @film-in-my-soul (Soulmates AU | 3K | General): When everyone seems to have a better soulmate identifying system, Buck can't help but consider his own to be lackluster. How's he meant to find his soulmate with loose change and mismatched socks after all?

Capture Something by ReformedTsundere/ @film-in-my-soul (Percy Jackson Fusion | 3K | Teen): "Let's see," Buck counts off on his fingers, "he just broke up with his girlfriend. He lives in Texas while I'm in Pennsylvania. We have no evidence he's even interested in boys, and, oh yeah!" Buck fake gasps as though this last point has just come to him, "he's an Ares kid."

WIP

They don’t know (your name is already mine) by thewolvesof1998/ @thewolvesof1998 (Post-S6, Secret Relationship, Hurt Buck | 3/4 | 7K | General): Buck gets in a car accident on Christmas Eve Eve and the only ID he has on him is Eddie's dog tags. A case of mistaken Identity, a trip to the hospital and a Christmas Surprise.

Packing Light by devirnis/ @devirnis(Last Holiday AU, Christmas | 1/4 | 8K | Teen): The discovery that he has a terminal illness prompts Buck, who has been stagnating as a sales associate at Kelly’s Department Store, to withdraw his life savings and jet off to Europe. There, he lives like a millionaire at the luxury hotel where his sister works. The only one missing from his new life is his coworker and longtime crush, Eddie Diaz.

Kiss Me Once Cause You Know I Had A Long Night by I_still_dont_understand_13 / @sherlockcrossing (Prompt collection | 19/? | 13K | Teen): 100 kiss prompts.

a foundation of trust and love we cannot see by lemonzestywrites/ @lemonzestywrites (FWB, BDSM, Sub Eddie, Dom Buck | 1/17 | 12K | Explicit): “It’s like I want to explore it and dive into it, but it’s not exactly like I’m seeing someone to try this all out with,” he explains, doing his best to keep down the annoyed huff that threatens to escape him at every other word. Buck nods to himself before steadily going silent. For a minute, Eddie thinks that this is the end of their conversation. “I can show you if you’d like.” Eddie nearly chokes on his beer.

🔥 Right Where You Left Me by hyacinthusbloom/ @thebloomingheather (Canon Divergent, Post-S4, Angst | 89K | 20/? | Explicit | Warning: Rape/Non-con): "Therapy?" Eddie suggests. Buck almost laughs, but instead says, "I'll go if you go." Because he had fully expected him to be chicken shit, to disagree, and instead Eddie, the bastard, replies, "Deal." Or Buck never tells anyone that he slept with his therapist and deals with the butterfly effect years later.

🔥 Precious & Fragile Things by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Small Miracles AU, Angel Buck | 15K | 6/? | Teen): Buck is the Fallen Angel of Petty Temptation, who has been tasked with tempting human Eddie Diaz to sin and enjoy life, but just a little. He thinks the job will be easy - get in, get out, go back to Peru to continue messing around with eternity. But when Buck arrives in Los Angeles, he finds Eddie is harder to tempt than expected, and more compelling than Buck had hoped.

Fractals from the Lightning Bolt by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels/ @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (One Shots Collection | 41/54 | 78K | Not Rated): A collection of oneshots, some originally posted on tumblr. Each chapter is individually rated.

42. Head Empty Just Vibes : Rated G - just more of me being obsessed with the possibilities of Eddie's recovery and Buck being there for him. 43. Phantom Sensation : Rated T - just to be on the safe side for blood and trauma and such. Yet another post-shooting "Buck stays over and helps Eddie recover" ficlet.

[seraphinitegames]

The Wayhaven Chronicles - Update 01/Dec/2023

The next section of the game is written, edited, reworked, and sent over to Nai for her to play and check out! I have one more section, which I’m already a good way into, and then it’s just the endings!!

Hoping I can get all I’ve done over to the editor and readers soon too. Will have to check they can still fit it in with the business that December always seems to bring!

This week we looked at more music ready to add into the background. It has been really interesting to decide what each of the love interest’s ‘sound’ is. Like, I was listening to a potential track for M’s romantic scenes, but it just didn’t work. But then a string type track was perfect for N as strings really work for them!

It was a kind of music-related week as Nai worked on collating the Fandom Playlists for the love interests and getting those published on Spotify! Think I will be taking some inspiration from the songs you guys suggested to add to my own lists for them, hehe!

But mostly it’s just serious full-steam ahead and knuckling down to get this game finished on time! I’m so excited! It’s really having the most chill, cosy vibes to it. A lovely fun, romancey story to warm us up in the winter!

Hope you all have an amazing weekend! We’ll be offline as usual, so I’ll talk to you all on Monday! <3

[cartierre]

ANTIFRAGILE | zg24

SOCIAL MEDIA!AU zhou guanyu x fem!kpop idol!reader

disclaimer: i know dating is a whole "taboo" kind of thing in the kpop industry, but for the sake of this story i'm loosening the whole thing up a bit.

♡ liked by jenaissante, _chaechae_1, 39saku_chan and 938,320 others

tagged: alfaromeostake

yourusername thank you alfaromeostake for inviting me to my first grand prix ever! let's hope for some good results this weekend!

view all 12,982 comments

alfaromeostake hwaiting!! ⤷ user1 this has to be the funniest crossover ever

user2 what in the multiverse is going on??

user3 this is the wildest thing i've seen in some time

user4 i just know for a fact so many kpop stans are going to invade f1 now ⤷ user5 watch the (esp. male) f1 fandom crumble under the kpop stans

♡ liked by yourusername, alex_albon, felipedrugovich and 22,391 others

tagged: valtteribottas, alfaromeostake

zhouguanyu24 last race of the season, let's go! #AbuDhabiGP #TeamZHOU

view all 394 comments

yourusername 祝你好运！(good luck!) comment liked by zhouguanyu24

user6 i want a picture of zhou and y/n together rn or i'm suing some people! ⤷ user7 this is such a weird combination i love it

alfaromeostake let's keep the constructor championship up boys!

♡ liked by zhouguanyu24, alfaromeostake, le_sserafim and 1,109,437 others

tagged: zhouguanyu24, valtteribottas, alfaromeostake

yourusername congrats on P6 on the constructors championship! well deserved, awesome race! #VB77 #TeamZHOU

view all 13,659 comments

zhouguanyu24 had an amazing fan cheering us on on the sides! ⤷ yourusername guess i'm your new lucky charm ⤷ user8 is this allowed?

user9 i'm still not over whatever this is ⤷ user10 it doesn't look real, as if someone edited this together ⤷ user11 i never expected f1 and kpop to be in the same room

alfaromeostakes next time we'll visit you at inkigayo comment liked by yourusername ⤷ user12 ADMIN WHAT IS THIS ⤷ user13 whoever is the admin needs a fat pay check for this weekend fr

♡ liked by yourusername, pierregasly, alex_albon and 32,095 others

tagged: yourusername

zhouguanyu24 안녕 서울 (hello seoul)

view all 985 comments

user14 are you telling me zhou is visiting y/n in seoul during his winter break ⤷ user15 i guess they became friends during her visit in abu dhabi?

yourusername you should've told me you were taking a picture! i wasn't prepared... ⤷ zhouguanyu24 you still look very pretty ⤷ user16 LOOK AT ZHOU SHOOTING HIS SHOT ⤷ user17 the shanghai tiger? more like the shanghai rizzer

♡ liked by zhouguanyu24, jenaissante, k_a_z_u_h_a_ and 1,293,084 others

tagged: zhouguanyu24

yourusername revenge ha

view all 15,298 comments

zhouguanyu24 comedian comment liked by yourusername

user18 y/n posting a photo of zhou where he didn't know she was taking one because he did the same to her and she complained is peak pettiness ⤷ user19 i love her being petty. ⤷ user20 she is me, i am her

user21 ARE YOU JUST FRIENDS OR MORE PLEASE I NEED TO KNOW ⤷ user22 i don't think they're in a relationship. y/n is an idol, she has some reputation to uphold ⤷ user23 she doesn't seem to care much about that

♡ liked by 34,293 people

tagged: yourusername

f1wagupdates kpop idol y/n y/l/n photographed outside her hotel in bahrain on her way to the track for the first qualifying of the 2023 season! it's rumoured that this time she's been invited by zhou guanyu personally. do they look like friends or lovers to you?

view all 1,293 comments

user24 how does she have time to be at the gp ⤷ user25 i mean she's probably just there for the qualifiyng and race and then flies back to seoul

user26 if they're not dating, idk what this is ⤷ user27 they could just be close friends? men and women can be friends without any sexual tension ⤷ user28 yeah but y/n's a girly girl, she doesn't just become friends with men. she has almost zero male friends in the industry as well ⤷ user29 that you know of. she's just showing you what she wants you to see. you don't really know her ⤷ user30 so she wants to be seen with zhou? interesting...

♡ liked by zhouguanyu24, pierregasly, alfaromeostake and 1,382,407 others

tagged: zhouguanyu24, alfaromeostake

yourusername back at it again #BahrainGP

comments have been disabled for this post

[animebw]

I’m gonna be honest, I thought going into Winter 2023 that this was gonna be a bit of a dump season. One of those seasons where anime just kinda sits around farting and we all wait patiently for the actual Good Shit to start coming out again while pretending to catch up on our backlogs.

That... has not been the case.

Bofuri Season 2: Seriously, how does this show get so many incredible action cuts?

Buddy Daddies: Look, it’s probably not gonna be gay, but Spy x Family meets Tiger and Bunny is something we all need in our lives, okay?

Campfire Cooking in Another World: Couldn’t even last a full episode of this one before my eyes glazed over. Dropped.

Endo and Kobayashi Live: Now this is pretty charming! Pity the animation’s such garbage, though.

Giant Beasts of Ars: It’s a damn good season for fantasy anime, y’all.

Handyman Saitou in Another World: Could actually end up a halfway decent isekai SOL if it stops being so goddamn terrible at structure.

High Card: This is exactly my brand of Anime Bullshit(tm) and I am so on board.

Ippon Again: An actually great female-led sports anime? With major A Place Further Than the Universe vibes? Do not sleep on this one, y’all.

Kaina of the Great Snow Sea: Damn. Good. Season. For. Fantasy. Anime.

Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible: As far as Takagi-san knock-offs go, this one is pleasant enough.

The Magical Revolution of the Oh Fuck It These LN Titles are Impossible to Remember Just Call it “MagiRevo”: Buckle up, folks, we might just have another Actually Good Isekai on our hands.

Malevolent Spirits Mononogatari: It’s Noragami but shit. Dropped at 1 episode.

Nagatoro-san Season 2: Yeah, turns out I’m still not above the occasional well made trash.

Nier Automata: Genuine question, is this gonna be an acceptable substitute for the game or will I just be spoiling the experience for myself?

Onimai: I fucking hate the Mushoku Tensei studio so much and I hate myself even more for deciding to stick with this one.

Reborn to Master the Blade: This one might be soon for the chopping block, but I’m holding out hope that its story can overcome its middling production values. We’ll have to wait and see.

Revenger: GEN UROBUCHI’S BACK BABY YEEEEEEHAW

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale: Take notes, Every Isekai: this is how you explore slavery in a fantasy setting.

The Tale of Outcasts: Feels like a 13-year-old’sedgy  Ancient Magus Bride fanfiction. Honestly, though? I kind of really dig it.

Tomo-Chan is a Girl: LET. TOMBOYS. BE. TOMBOYS. WITHOUT. SHAMING. THEM. FOR. IT. Dropped at episode 2.

Tokyo Revengers Season 2: At this point, I’m just watching out of morbid curiosity of how bad the manga’s ending supposedly was.

Trails of Cold Steel: The Northern War: Easily the weakest fantasy anime of the lot. Giving it one more episode to impress me, otherwise it gets the drop.

Trigun Stampede: Y’all are buggin, the CG here is incredible.

Tsurune Season 2: Good god, the glow-up from season one is nuts. KyoAni just does not miss.

Vinland Saga Season 2: Okay, manga readers, let’s see if watching a bunch of sad men farm is as incredible as you say.

[couch-house]

2023 baybeeeee. havent done an art summary in a while since i basically stopped drawing early 2020 and didn't get back on the horse until mid-2022 (i wonder... what could have caused that!) i dont feel like my art has really changed this year, only in the ways that I draw specific sonic characters (looking through my archive is fun bc i can see the progression of the diseases known as Giving Them Big Eyebrows and Drawing The Monoeye) and--more exciting 4 me--my practice with paneling comics! :)

i think the progression is much more noticeably when you line it up with last year's sonic art... i can see all the Milestones.. more talking abt that under the cut

May: couch gets into sonic. June: Yucky Sonic 1.0. this was also the month when i Heard Of fleetway super. July: couch comes back from brazil, having read stc. this is also when i start dong actual short comics. compare may -> june -> july. (also please forgive whatever tf i was doing with skintones. i needed some practice)

august: merger au takes shape. dog invented. also i just really like that speed racer sonic mspaint picture. its fun :) september: deep in the fleet mines. october: i lose a lot of steam and mostly just doodle. another comic comparison for those three months:

november: frontiers comes out. i go crazy mode and make that sonic + knuckles comic with the pretty backgrounds and LOTS OF TINY TEXT. december: winter break AND im tired. january 2023 i come back insane crazy mode and write some fanfiction?? still havent finished that LOL. made some nice cover art :) february: i shift into knuckles mode fora month. make another comic. this one is much better i think :) november -> february

march: i shift into transfem metal sonic mode. also just stick to a lot of doodling. also write more fanfiction. crazy. april: transitory period as i shift back into stc/exit: sonic mode. may: more fanfiction. more comics. i really like how both of these turned out :) while the last two were definitely taking a lot more notes from stc, i think around here i start paying attention to and trying to learn from more creative panelling from artists i admire. like @/superemeralds THOAM and @/starrjoy's pandora au.

june: i play sa2 and it's good. july: i play unleashed and it is both miserable and good. i get in kind of an artistic frustration zone and wiggle my way out. august: idk i think im just chillin. super react dot jpeg happens. it's not even named that, it's named after the other image on the canvas, which was maria holding baby shadow. more comics.

september: i burn out for a bit. get real tired. eventually get back up and make more comics. the goal here and last month has become "try to make more interesting panel shapes. I've noticed other artists don't just use rectangles--try playing with irregular polygons and see where it gets you." well it gets you mixed results as you learn :) also i think after that pause i accept the monoeye into my life. sigh...

october: oc showdown starts and @/neurotypical-sonic asks me to make some halloweeny art :) feels like i dont do much this month bc i focus on those. november: A LOT OF ART?? INSANE. more oc showdown stuff. i play shadow the hedgehog (2005). it's good and i love it. i draw a ton of shit on one canvas for it. Fucking Dember: i have shifted back into stc/EXIT mode. motivation's a little weird bc work's a little weird. doing commissions also makes it weird. well im having fun and being myself :) a final handful of comics from this month:

idk maybe ill do something sicko crazy b4 the end of the year. mayb i'll follow exit sonic's example and #GetWorse. who knows :) well this is fun i love looking at my art and seeing and noticing things. thank u all for your support and I hope we all have a great 2024!

[icey--stars]

Vanserra Brothers (Headcanons)

Headcanons for each of of the Vanserra brothers. All 7, including the ones who passed in the Spring Court incident.

↢ 『 ☾ 』 ↣

Day 1 of @erisweek2023 (Brotherhood / Family)

a/n: welcome to Eris Week 2023 everyone! I have a couple headcanons coming toward you that will include the headcanons that Born for Tragedy is set in as well as other future stories about Eris or Lucien! So... if anyone starts wondering about my headcanons, bOOM. I had too much fun with this one.

So… let’s start with family/brother headcanons. (post-beron’s death because fuck that guy) also I added a bit of dad!Helion in this because in my hopeful heart, I want the Vanserra brothers to have a real dad.

WARNINGS: MENTIONS ABUSE/TORTURE, VERY ANGSTY, TRAUMA DISCUSSED AND BAD TRAUMA RESPONSES

I hope you enjoy it regardless though! This was actually quite fun to make because I can use it for my other stories when I talk about the Vanserra brothers :)

↢ 『 ☾ 』 ↣

So, Eris has 4 brothers that are still alive. I’ve already named them in Born for Tragedy, but I plan to use the HC across many different stories, so let's talk about them.

Jax is the second eldest Vanserra. He’s probably the one who got abused the least because his personality and stoicness is exactly what Beron wanted for a son. 

However, he is widely regarded as having snails for brains, so Eris still got the general position while Beron lived because Eris was more apt in strategy and getting people to do what he wants.

Jax likes to fight and while not too impulsive since his teen years, he tends to be always looking for a fight.

If anyone was going to get him a gift, he’d probably most appreciate armor/weapons. However, make it fancy because he likes to be well dressed and look the most wealthy compared to everyone else.

Jax is the brute warrior of the Vanserras with very little ability to do anything court-related.

Normally, he has quite the cold heart and Eris has struggled to have any sort of relationship with him.

Of course, Eris actually was jealous when Jax was born, as he got more attention than Eris during those times, and Eris wasn’t completely mature enough to realize that the fact he kept seeming to reject Jax, hurt the poor boy more.

So, Eris has the worst relationship with Jax of all and Jax is too standoffish and holds grudges so long that they just can’t find any sort of relationship with each other.

But Eris does keep in mind his brother’s preferences though because he eventually realized his mistake when the now dead, third-eldest Vanserra, Fynn came along.

Now, before we go on about Fynn and perhaps how he died while chasing Lucien to the Spring Court… Jax does know that Eris tries. He does, but he’s salty. That’s all. Salty motherfucker who’s virtually emotionless, but probably the least traumatized of all the brothers.

He was one of the 2 brothers to help Eris chase Feyre into the Winter Court.

Nothing much changes for him when Eris finally becomes High Lord. It’s just a change of seasons for him.

Now, Fynn was kinder than any of the previously born brothers. Beron resented him for it and often punished the boy when he was found being kind to a servant.

So Fynn hardened and by the time he was an adult, he was rageful and absolutely miserable to be around. Such a short fuse and a big boom to go along with it.

Fynn constantly was angry. At Beron, at Eris- not too much at Jax because they mostly ignored each other. Fynn was jealous of Eris.

Eris never did manage to apologize for the whippings that Beron forced him to give Fynn before the brother died.

But in all honesty, Fynn had been broken beyond repair. His kindness cost him and he was angry and rageful all the time. At everyone.

Some say it was a good thing that he died when he did.

The boy was smarter than Jax, but Beron still prized Eris for his manipulation tactics, so of course, Fynn was salty about that as well.

Eris and him often fought, but it was always Eris who cut it short and dismissed his brother. Yet another reason Fynn was so rageful.

He was ignored. A third born meant nothing to everyone. Eris was the prized first born Vanserra. Jax was close enough that they didn’t care. But Fynn meant nothing to them. And worst yet, he was weaker than most of his brothers and had less control over fire than any of them.

In the Spring Court incident, he was one of the two brothers besides Calix (6th born) to die. The third brother chasing Lucien under Beron’s order was Kuhn (5th born). Killed by Tamlin- his rage was at last quelled.

The next brother is Hue, 4th born in the Vanserra line.

By the time that Hue had been born, Eris had managed to get his head out of his ass and swore to protect his youngest brother, helping his mother to raise them in secret and helped his brother deal with Beron’s beatings.

Hue was as kind as Fynn, and he was intelligent as well. He was fascinated by everything. However, Beron called him his “failure.” The boy acted more like a scholar than anyone else in the Forest House.

At one point, Beron ordered Eris to take the boy during some constructive early teen years to a cabin and raise him. Eris had mastered seeming as cruel and manipulative as his father by this point. Eris kept his rage down and followed orders.

Eris fostered his brother’s scholarly heart, but trained him well to never show that weakness to his father. Hue was a more lanky brother, and while training was enjoyable, he preferred reading in his rooms.

But in any battle (which he has been in many, as he was the other brother helping to chase Feyre with Eris), he is very fast. The quickest reflexes.

He’s one of the more emotional brothers, but hides it well.

He enjoys the finer aspects of magic. The beautiful parts– not burning someone’s face off, but using it to make a piece of artwork.

Hue is fascinated by shiny little trinkets that he can collect and either hide or put on his bookshelves to decorate them. His bookshelves are a mess.

But he also enjoys art. Drawing, painting and other various options are some of his favorite pastimes as he tries to capture the beauty of a very simple scene in a canvas.

So, if you were getting him a gift, the best option is a bunch of little trinkets, a lifetime supply of books (which is exactly what Helion does as he gains Hue’s trust. He gives him little trinkets maybe with a little bit of magic from his libraries and then gives Hue free access to said libraries whenever he wishes for it) and maybe some art supplies, but Hue doesn’t need much. He just needs a canvas, pencil and then some paints to be happy.

When Eris becomes High Lord– Hue is very happy when he allows him to explore any and all interests he has. And Eris is very proud of him 🥹🥹🥹

The next Vanserra, the 5th born, is Kuhn. Kuhn is similar to Jax in ways, as they both have quite broad shoulders and enjoy training. Eris is more lanky than Kuhn, but no matter for either of them. Kuhn gives better hugs that way.

Now, seeing as Hue was such a “success” when being raised by Eris, as soon as Kuhn was able to be fed solid food, he was whisked away to the cabin.

Eris promised his mother to care for his brother. Kuhn grew up very similar to Hue– free from Beron’s wrath, but trained to avoid it, and not get either of them in trouble when they return to the Forest House years later. Beron was pleased with how Kuhn acted so warrior on the outside and actually rewarded Eris for his efforts.

Kuhn is like a mix of Jax and Hue at the same time. He enjoys training and is quite apt in his bow skills, but at the same time, he’s also fascinated by particular things– namely animals and the stars.

So… when Helion is giving out gifts, he gives Kuhn a little trinket that shows the view of the stars in the Night Court from the top of some mountains and makes sure to get an invitation for them both to the next Starfall in Velaris. (Kuhn was very happy)

Kuhn enjoys helping Eris with his hounds when he can, learning at least their names and offering advice when Eris off handedly mentions some issue, or that some hound got injured

When Eris is High Lord, Kuhn and Hue are some of the most useful when dealing with the lords and other annoying things.

Calix is the 6th born Vanserra, and according to canon, the last of Beron’s sons. One of the perished ones.

Beron did the same as he did with Kuhn and Hue– have Eris raise him. Calix didn’t seem scholarly at all though and was quite the violent child. But he was better than Fynn, and that was for sure. But they were similar, but Calix lacked the “loss of kindness” that Fynn had.

Calix was inherently violent, often killing frogs and other creatures just for fun and then throwing their bodies around for fun.

Eris did his best to “train” Calix, but the boy was unbothered and ignored him.

So, when it came time to go back to the Forest House, Calix was punished harshly, and with him, Eris. Calix didn’t understand, however, that it had been his fault that Eris was so cold toward him afterward.

Calix looks like almost an exact copy of Eris, so Beron had been hopeful, but quickly found that Eris was much more well trained and so Calix was resented, but not nearly as much as some of the other brothers.

Calix is the other brother that is killed by Tamlin. Beron basically taken the two sons most desperate to please him to chase Lucien to the Spring Court. Calix had been quite desperate, and Fynn, and Kuhn had simply been ordered to go along, as Beron considered him one of the more pleasing sons. Eris, since he refused to go along despite being ordered, was punished severely.

So, Calix and Fynn died, and Kuhn returned with gouges from huge claws in his back.

Hue was banned from helping either of the injured brothers and was barely even allowed to grieve his other two. (Hue had cared for them despite them mostly hating him for being more well-liked by their father)

Now, naturally, Lucien is the last brother we talk about. He was born before the Spring Court incident, and Beron was practically raging at the fact that Eris had failed at raising Calix as he did with Kuhn.

However, Eris managed to convince Beron to give him a chance with Lucien and his mother didn’t even wean Lucien off her milk, she just sent Eris to get him in a panic.

Eris found out why the panic soon after when Lucien was laughing with joy in a cradle in the cabin. The boy was glowing.

So yes, in my mind, Eris did know that Lucien was not Beron’s son, but treated him all the same.

Before Lucien could remember anything though, Eris found a spell to lock that Day Court magic inside the toddler before he burnt down the house with all the heat pouring off of him. After all, Day Court and Autumn Court abilities were similar in that way– heat. And Eris didn’t have a damn clue how to train Lucien to control his Day Court powers, so he locked them away and managed the fire instead.

Lucien was different from any other brother Eris had managed to raise. He was smart, could fight very well, but he was… different. Emotional and very quickly bonded with anything. Animals, most notably. When one of Eris’s hounds accidentally bit the boy in play, Lucien had acted so rejected.

Eris tried his best, and it paid off… mostly. They were ordered to return early from the canon and Lucien wasn’t vicious enough yet and Beron punished them both, finding the smallest excuse to do it to Eris.

Lucien resented Eris after that, and Eris never did try to mend that relationship, nor did he find the time when Lucien fell in love with a lesser fae female. However, he refused to hunt Lucien after he ran for the Spring Court. In the few minutes he had before Beron came after him, he made sure his littlest brother would be cared for and sent a letter to Tamlin.

Also, as an added note as to why Lucien believes Eris is so cruel: he thinks Eris was the one to report Jesminda to Beron- purely to make gain off of it (acceptance from Beron being the goal)

I’m not going to go too much farther into Lucien, as we know a lot about canon past that point and there are other times to talk about all my HCs for Lucien. This is about Eris and his brothers.

Now, if you notice, I’ve done all the Vanserras except the first born. Eris. Poor, tortured Eris.

In my mind, Eris is one of the most traumatized Vanserras, with Hue, Calix and Fynn coming close in second. He was the first to learn of Beron’s cruelty, the first to face it, and the one to face it the longest.

He messed up a lot too. Beron wanted cruel, wicked and manipulative. Eris was none of those things as a child. He was curious, loved cuddling with his momma and loved playing with the hunting hounds people brought around. He loved riding horses-

Basically, Eris wasn’t that way. But he quickly learned to be. Permanently changed by Fynn to be exactly who his father wanted because he was desperate to avoid the whip and the fire and the pain. However, he still managed to keep the pieces of his fractured heart, even if they were slipping between his fingers.

That is probably the only reason he was able to raise his brothers the way he did. Hue and Kuhn care for him deeply in that way, and he is the same way. But they never show it. However, the little fist bumps or secretive gifts were enough for Hue and Kuhn to know that Eris still cared even when he was forced to whip them by Beron’s command.

Oh yes… Eris wasn’t just the abused. He was also the abuser. Even if he didn’t want to be. But he always managed to show enough pleasure in the act to placate his father, because sometimes it was a good feeling. He felt in control, despite not being in control in the slightest.

But without Beron’s command, he always felt guilty for it and knew that in some way, his brothers did hold something against him for it. I mean, honestly, who wouldn’t though? Eris truly seemed like he enjoyed it. And he never came to check up on them afterwards. (He sometimes wanted to, but refused to risk his father’s rage again)

His brothers (especially Lucien because Beron knew he was different than the other pale red heads that were his sons and was punished more, and much more by Eris himself) think him cruel. Even if they saw a softer side when they grew up, he was still vicious with training. Sometimes heartless. And he can't help this because of how he grew up. He's sort of like Fynn in those ways.

Eris isn't completely kind though. Some (like his mother) like to paint him as damaged, but even while he is damaged, he is still not absent of cruelty. After all, Beron drilled it into him. The pleasure in whipping was surely evidence of such.

But he does truly hate Beron. He knows his father is a cruel male- crueler than he. Willing to kill lovers of his own sons and lords whenever. He hates Beron- for everything. For what he did to Eris, for what he did to the Autumn Court, for what he did to his mother, and what he did to his brothers. There are of course, many more reasons, but those are the main ones.

Even after becoming High Lord, he didn’t show much more emotion or care, but he did allow his brothers more freedom and they lived with less fear. It would take a millennia to repair the damage done to them all though.

So, to say the least, the Vanserra family is fucked up and there isn’t much repairs in sight. Even when Helion tries to get closer to them, it's hard. They are traumatized asf and often, lonely because lonely=safe in their mind because there is nobody to report them to their father.

↢ 『 ☾ 』 ↣

Btw, feel free to ask more questions about the headcanons <3

TAGLIST HERE! - see post for specifics <3

Tagged in all ACOTAR Stories: @bunnymallowo, @officiallyunofficialperson, @margssstuff, @rebloggiest-reblogger, @inpraizeof, @graciereads, @eos-princess, @bubybubsters

(please let me know if you'd rather not be tagged in Eris Week or would like to!!)

[shu-glue]

On New Year's Eve (And Day, and the Week Before, and the Week After)

includes Zhongli, Tighnari, Scaramouche/Wanderer, Thoma in which the aforementioned spend their birthdays—and in turn, new years—with their beloved, you.

contains: tooth rotting fluff like no joke i need a dentist, established relationships in tighnari's and thoma's parts, growing relationships in zhongli's and wanderer's, gender neutral and they/them pronouns, spoilers for the Sumeru Archon Quest in wanderer's, spoilers for thoma's character story, lots of physical affection and just touchy-lovey stuff (sfw!), maybe ooc characters omg im so sorry

a/n: i don't think wanderer's ended up fluffy at ALL AHAHAHAH. this is long overdue and it's just in time for thoma's birthday uhu. i had a clear idea for each of their parts but i think i deviated so much, i hope you all still enjoy this EHDJEJS HAPPY NEW YEAR, LETS SEIZE 2023 BY THE NECK /j /hj(?)

✐ He's so old, you know.

✐ And it's not even to poke fun or make jokes; Zhongli really does feel old.

✐ After more than 6000 years of living, those 6000 years all seem to blend for him. Every 'new' year that passes isn't a new year, per se, but a repetition of everything thus far. Spring still comes after the winter, the sun still rises for the farmers and the roosters, the mountains of Liyue still stand tall.

✐ And after the first 1000, the new year became… old for the Geo Archon. He'll stare fondly at his people as they dance and sing in celebration of the upcoming year, he'll partake in the festivities that are sure to take place once the final hour of this year starts to count down. However, if you ask him—a being who's lived for millennia and for more millennia to come—the new year won't bring him as much joy and excitement as mortals feel because he's seen many new years come and go for as long as he's been alive.

✐ The years don't change for him, as everything's always in a state of uniformity for him. He won't even realize that their world has finished another trip around the sun until Director Hu barges into his office in excitement. She's been rambunctious all day, seeing as it's the last day of the year and even, coincidentally, her beloved consultant's birthday.

✐ He had been stubborn, refusing to accept a day off even with these two events transpiring today (he has stopped looking forward to them for years now).

✐ Unfortunately for him, Hu Tao was equally stubborn and equally eager to see this old man (now it's to poke fun and make jokes) enjoy himself for once, especially since it's the dawn of New Year's Eve. And she has the perfect weapon, the ultimate trump card up her sleeve.

"Oh, Mr. Zhongli~!"

It's not uncommon for Hu Tao to come barging into Zhongli's office at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor unannounced, another phenomenon that will likely not change in the upcoming year. A lively little thing despite the nature of their work, that sometimes has Zhongli quite perplexed despite his vast experience with people of all kinds.

He fixes some documents on his desk and looks up just as the current overseer of the funeral parlor enters his office, a pep in her step and a cheeky grin on her lips. Maybe Zhongli should ignore the cheekiness in her grin. Maybe.

"Director Hu. What brings you here at this time?"

"I was wondering why the lights are still on in here, despite it being the New Year and all. I should've guessed it was you, Mr. Zhongli." Hu Tao giggles, clasping her hands behind her back. "Aren't you going to come down to the harbor? Everyone's really going all out in the festivities."

"I'll be there shortly, Miss Hu Tao. I just need to sort out these documents." Zhongli straightens out the pieces of paper, tapping them on his desk.

"Which is going to take hours! You'll be spending the New Year cooped up in this office!" Hu Tao laments, frowning deeply. "Well, good thing I called them then."

Zhongli pauses midway of sorting documents into his desk drawer. "Called who?"

As he says that, a new voice rings out from behind the doorway to his office, one that Zhongli immediately recognizes and knows who it belongs to even before you pop your head out from behind the door. "Hello, Hu Tao. Hello, Zhongli. Happy new year."

✐ As it stands, you may be the only mortal in Teyvat who could shake the ex-Archon's heart like this. A simple server who Zhongli had met while he was ordering food from Third Round Knockout, the new recruit Degui was grateful for when it got busier and busier at the tavern.

✐ A conversation bloomed where Zhongli told you some bits of history regarding Liyue Harbor and it was a rather pleasant surprise when you squeeze in your own knowledge of the place, admitting that you spend a bit of your time at Wanwen Bookhouse on your days off.

✐ It came to the point that Zhongli became even more of a regular at the tavern, if that were possible; and it wasn't because his wallet was suffering this time. The staff there have come to grow used to his growing presence at their establishment and they won't even interrupt your talks when it's a slow day at work. (It's rather adorable, seeing the two of you at a table sitting far into a corner, Zhongli looking up at you with soft eyes as you listen to him ramble about the origin of Slow-cooked Bamboo Shoot Soup with rapt attention).

✐ Hu Tao—bless her soul, really—also caught wind of her consultant's growing affection for you and has been hellbent on devising schemes to get him to admit said affections for you. (Never really works because he always saw through her schemes and as stated before, he's stubborn.)

✐ Alas, he's caught between a rock (heh) and a hard place because she sends the two of you out to enjoy the New Year's Festival by the harbor, reassuring Zhongli that she'll sort out the documents herself for the time being.

✐ Zhongli wouldn't be as chatty as he normally is; he'll still indulge in all the stories you tell him, tell you about the origin of some of Liyue's customs regarding the New Year but you notice his lack of engagement all the same.

"Am I boring you?" You ask, blunt and straight to the point with furrowed eyebrows and a frown playing on your lips, stopping him from walking as you both stand still in the middle of the street.

The ex-Archon's eyes widen at your inquiry, his body stiffening. In truth, he does realize that he's more indifferent today than normal. But he didn't realize that you'd be bothered when he should've picked up on it in the first place.

"Oh no, my dear, you never bore me. It's just," he pauses, looking for the right words to say, "I apologize. I'm not exactly… that enthused by New Year's Eve."

"Oh? May I ask why?"

"Well," he chuckles, awkward if you strain your ear enough, "after so many years, I… believe the notion of a brand new year lost its charm to me."

For all the times Zhongli has enraptured attention from others with his tales of history, he really seldom talks about himself. Granted, this is as much as he is willing to divulge to you. He can't tell you of his time as an Archon, or his time in the war, or what he lost, what he gained. (He'll scare you off; he doesn't want you to see him as bizarre.)

But he wants to. He wants to feed your curious eyes and open his heart to you.

But not now.

"Is that so?" You hum, averting your gaze to the passersby in front of you. "Even when it's also your birthday?"

"How did you know it was my birthday?"

Your cheeks flush red, and you hurry to cover them with your hands. "I… asked Miss Hu Tao sometime ago. I was surprised to hear that it's right at New Year's Eve. And I… wished to spend time with you today, even if it was just for an hour."

Zhongli falls silent at your words, a gloved hand raised slightly in front of him clasped around nothing at all. For the first time in millennia, he doesn't know what to say, what to do with these hands. He doesn't know what to do with himself.

"But I understand if you had other plans and if I was impeding on said plans, I apologize for taking up your ti—!"

"Earlier, Director Hu sent me to Qingce Village." He clasps his hands back behind him, finally regaining his composure as he interrupts you, much to your confusion. "I… the sight was such a joyous thing to behold, to hear them chatter and mingle as they prepared for New Year, and the only thing that I regretted was that I had reveled in the sights alone."

The gaze he sets upon you was heavy with all the feelings he'd been trying to hold back; he slowly raises his hand and takes yours within his grasp, rubbing his thumb over your knuckles. "I had no other plans today, and I'm grateful you came to visit me, and that you're willing to spend time with me. If you would ever be so kind, would you like to visit Qingce Village tomorrow, together?"

✐ The Lord of Geo Rex Lapis has seen many new years come and go. He's seen winter melt into spring multiple times, seen multiple farmers go from generation to generation, stood on top of Liyue's never-changing mountains and watched everything continue in the same cycle like always.

✐ But he forgets; he is no longer the Lord of Geo Rex Lapis, or Morax, but the mortal man Zhongli. The consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, the never-ending fountain of knowledge of Liyue's history. Birthdays and New Year's Eve were trivial matters to Morax, but that didn't mean they had to be trivial to Zhongli.

✐ And if you were to ask him now, as fireworks start to fly up into the sky and bathe it in light, he wouldn't mind entering the new calendar and the new age with you by his side.

⚘ The forest never changes, even when the end of the year is fast approaching.

⚘ Tighnari should know because he's been on forest patrol duty for the past few years even on New Year's Eve. Especially on New Year's Eve. (It's to make sure no lummox accidentally sets the forest on fire with a wayward firework. It has happened once. Or twice.)

⚘ He's the only one willing to do so as well. Not that he hates the fact the people of Gandharva Ville love celebrating New Years, he just doesn't participate in the festivities. No matter how silent they try to make the fireworks, his ears are still sensitive enough for the few sounds to hurt like a forest boar charging right at him; thus, he always sits out on the celebrations to go on patrol instead.

⚘ This year, however, Collei and the rest of the Forest Rangers want to see their local botanical genius take a break from botanical genius-ing and forest watching.

⚘ So not only do they force him to get a day off on New Year's Eve, they also force him to get a day off on his birthday; which to him, doesn't sound very efficient.

"I mean, just look at this logically—"

"Mhm."

"—if I take a day off twice in a week, that would be a waste of two days not tending to my work. I don't even NEED two days off from work unless I have a life-threatening situation that needs two days off from work!"

Your fingers stop their ministrations on his hair and ears, causing said ears to flop slightly as Tighnari glances up at you in confusion. "Maybe, look at it this way, 'Nari," your voice is soft like a flower bed, and sweet like nectar, "Collei and the others just want you to relax from time to time, you know? I have to agree with them when they say you bury yourself in your work too much."

⚘ Meeting you was purely a coincidence. You were an aspiring zoologist, another scholar from the Akademiya with incredibly sharp wit and a brilliant mind. You came down to Gandharva Ville to study the wildlife and he was on patrol when the two of you encountered each other. Now, it would have been a beautiful and adorable first meeting story, truly something you'd expect to read about in a light novel from the Yae Publishing House. However, at that time, an Avidya Leopard was chasing you down and Tighnari could only guess that you prodded at the wrong hornet's nest. Upon successfully diverting the leopard with an olfactory solution that irritated its nose (and unfortunately, irritated his as well), he turned to you—red nosed and teary eyed—and called you a lummox between sneezes.

⚘ Maybe an unflattering first impression but hey, it bloomed into a lasting friendship and now relationship all the same. So maybe calling you a lummox upon first meeting was a good thing (it wasn't, you still pout at him when he calls you a lummox).

⚘ Much like the other forest rangers, you always urge Tighnari to relax and take a break sometimes. You know being the head of the Forest Rangers demanded a lot from a person and you know that paired with Tighnari's love for knowledge pertaining to everything natural, he'd be too stubborn to even think of taking a break. You love him but you'd rather have him call you all the synonyms of a buffoon rather than fish out his unconscious body from under a root after he sniffed some new species of flower but its pollen knocks people out. (If you ask Tighnari, he'll just say that was a hypothetical, detailed example).

⚘ In all honesty, you were the reason Collei actually managed to convince Tighnari to take that day off.

"I don't 'bury myself in my work too much'—" You look at Tighnari with an unamused expression. "Maybe I do get immersed in my work a little too much sometimes."

"You do." You bite the inside of your cheek, averting your eyes to stare at the grass and flowers beside the two of you—wild cosmos, and chicory, and daisies—all fluttering in the wind. "Would it kill you to, I don't know, actually take a break sometimes without complaining about taking a break?"

"You underestimate me." He's being sassy with you, eyes closed and eyebrows raised in a manner you know so well in all the months that you've been dating him.

"I'm not, I know you love your work, it's just that—" You sigh heavily, feeling Tighnari play with the tassle of your Vision that hangs off your chest, lips in a frown as he waits for you to finish your sentence. "I miss you sometimes."

His ears flatten against his head and he sits up slightly from your lap, eyes wide and frown deep when he takes in your crestfallen face. "Hey, hey hey hey," he gently brings you closer to him by your neck, nuzzling his nose against your hair, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry—you're right, you're all right," his gloved hand cups your cheek, "I bury myself in my work and research so much that I forget to focus on us."

"You do." Your tone is just as pouty as your lips as you glare at him through your lashes. It actually makes him laugh as he nuzzles his nose against your other cheek instead, kissing the corner of your lips multiple times. "Wh—'Nari!"

"Stop being so adorable, you lummox." He finally presses a kiss to your lips, soft and chaste. The type of kiss that he knows melts your heart and makes your knees buckle despite the lack of so called "raw passion". You both like it that way. "Come to Sumeru City with me."

"What?"

"Come to Sumeru City with me. Amurta invited me to speak at some of their seminars."

"But," you tuck a piece of hair behind your ear, looking at Tighnari with an unsure expression, "my research—" "Would it kill you to, I don't know, actually take a break sometimes?" He mimicked your words from earlier, nosing at your collarbone as you roll your eyes and sigh. "I don't want to leave you by yourself when New Year comes." (He doesn't want to be alone on New Year's either.)

"You hate celebrating New Year's."

"I hate the fireworks, love," his tail wags behind him, "but I love you more than I hate the fireworks."

⚘ The forest never changes, even when the end of the year is fast approaching, even when he grows one year older.

⚘ But, Tighnari wouldn't mind the jarring booms of fireworks, or the cheers of the people of Gandharva Ville as the clock strikes midnight. As long as you continue to stay by his side despite all his flaws, he'll welcome the new year with open arms.

⚘ (You both hear the sound of a firework randomly going off in the distance, and Tighnari mutters, "Lummox." under his breath before he kisses your forehead and runs towards the culprit, an irritated remark waiting on his lips.)

❅ In all honesty, he didn't expect to live to see the new year, let alone his 'birthday'.

❅ Then again, he didn't also expect to be aided by the Traveler and his floating, somewhat tolerable little companion, and the Dendro Archon he tried to dethrone himself nor to receive his very own Anemo Vision either so really, who was he to have normal expectations?

❅ To say that a normal life living in Sumeru was going to be difficult was, undoubtedly, an understatement. The Traveler already left for Fontaine with their companions, so it only left Nahida, now the sole Archon of Sumeru, as the only one he recognizes as his "friend" in this nation.

❅ He would have been content actually, if everyone else minded their own business and left him alone to his own devices (the puppet doesn't take kindly to being bothered with trivial matters) but unfortunately, his dear only friend is trying to get him to make more friends (who needs more friends? Two allies and talking emergency rations are quite enough).

❅ Despite his whining, Nahida signs him up for some lessons at the Akademiya, hoping it'd break him out of his shell and get him to mingle more with the other scholars and students.

❅ There is the one concerning fact that it's not that he's unwilling to break out of his shell, it's that he breaks out of his shell and stabs everyone close by with the shell pieces (figuratively) before retreating back. His prickly attitude does not help when it comes to intermingling with the student body at the Akademiya, who may, hypothetically, retreat to the far corners of the buildings just to avoid his ire. Nahida has plenty to work on with him.

❅ However, she firmly believes that he can finally be able to make friends and build relationships he can rely on again, as long as she nudges him in the correct direction. New year, new Wanderer, right? Right?

"Stupid," his fingers pull at the grass blades beneath him, glaring forward at nothing at all, "this friend-making plan would have never worked."

He has snuck out of the Akademiya once again, retreating into the forest that surrounded the vast establishment to avoid Lesser Lord Kusanali's searching gaze.

She had accompanied him to the Akademiya today to make sure he did do what she told him to; borrow some books from the library, attend some lectures about any topic he desires, strike up an academic conversation with some scholars that may be wandering hallways. Anything that would include socializing of any kind. But while she had her head turned to speak with Alhaitham, he managed to slip away and escape to the woods.

He does feel bad for bailing on her; Nahida only had his best interest in mind, despite all the things he did to her in the past (no amount of redeeming acts would make up for the mistakes he committed against her). However, surely, with all her knowledge and wisdom, she would have at least guessed that this plan of hers wouldn't work.

This entire thing is a waste of time. No one is as patient as Nahida, who can put up with his snarky quips long enough to see the soft side to him, the side that only a few have witnessed (the time he lost his memories doesn't count, not ever).

He was about to lean back, about to enjoy the sun streaming through the canopy that hangs above him, when someone—the audacity—throws a rock at his head. The force of the rock hitting him sends him lurching forward with a loud grunt. He whirls around so fast his hat almost falls off the top of his head, only to meet your slightly flabbergasted gaze.

"Huh? I thought you were some fungus for a second."

❅ Granted, you were aware that you were going to encounter something when you ventured out to the woods to gather ingredients for your cooking activity. The forest that surrounded the city is not that safe, seeing as you can randomly encounter any carnivorous or fungal enemy at every shrub.

❅ But you never expected to find the Archon's little friend sitting and brooding by himself behind a bush, let alone mistaking him for aforementioned fungal enemy (why your first instinct was to throw a rock at it, you don't know). (you also don't know why you heard a clink! sound when the rock hit him but you guess that you hit his abnormally large hat)

❅ You had heard of Lord Kusanali's companion, a quaint fellow with Inazuman roots but a Sumerian Anemo Vision hanging from the sash on his shoulder, who was also friends with the brave Traveler that came through your beloved nation.

❅ A strange fellow, with a tongue as sharp as he is strange.

❅ Yes, he yells at you for throwing a rock at him, spouting things about 'audacity' and 'not knowing who he is', which you admittedly chose to stop listening to. You really don't have time for any thorny mushrooms.

"Aren't you Lord Kusanali's companion? Where is she?" You ask indifferently, turning your head around as if looking for the tiny Dendro Archon (who is, well, busy looking for the Wanderer in Haravatat sorry Nahida).

"I fail to see how it concerns you."

"My my, so prickly for a mere 'shroom." Instead of leaving, you actually walked closer and squatted down next to him, regarding him with curious eyes. You're an academic, after all; you love to investigate the quiant and strange. "It's dangerous to be in the forest alone. You could be torn to shreds by a leopard for all you know."

He scoffs, propping his chin on the palm of his hand. "Says you. You're wandering the forest alone, just like I am."

"I fail to see how that makes sense, given that we're together in each other's presence."

❅ You're weird, is what he finally concludes. An unknown scholar, who the Wanderer has never seen before; he isn't even sure which of the Six Darshans you attend. Yet, despite his bratty and off-putting attitude, you still sat beside him. And you looked at him with a gaze he never experienced before. He has witnessed ire, he has witnessed pity; but he never witnessed a gaze like yours.

"You irk me."

"Thank you." He blinked when you blinked. "You intrigue me."

A confused 'thank you???' was on the tip of his tongue, ready to tumble out of his lips. You irk him. You truly do. Slapping his palms on his knees, he stands up. Retreating, to him, is a shameful act and must be avoided at all costs but in this case, he's willing to swallow his pride just so he can get away from you and that infuriating gaze. "Forget it, why am I even talking to you—"

"You can join us instead of brooding somewhere crawling with predators." There it is again. That look. He hates it.

"And what makes you think I'd go along with you and whatever crazy group you're with?"

You actually, legitimately think, he sees, as you look up in thought. As if you're actually thinking of—no, calculating the pros and cons of him actually joining you, totally ignoring the fact he insulted you. You are incredibly, absolutely…

"Well, I can only presume that you snuck away from Lord Kusanali for some reason. And you are admittedly the strangest person I've met." He could say the same about you. "I would like to get to know you better so I can see what makes you so weird. In addition, you'd be able to hide away from Lord Kusanali for a few more hours."

…you're so incredibly stupid and strange. But most of all, you've piqued his interest. He hates that look in your eyes, the look of someone scrutinizing a test variable, the look of someone disassembling a chaos device just to look at its contents despite the chance of explosion. But it's not like Il Dottore's, no.

He wants to challenge whatever hypothesis you've come up with about him.

"Fine." He finally scoffs, adjusting his hat before he looks at you expectantly. "Lead the way, scholar."

❅ You're… still clueless as to how you managed to convince someone like this Wanderer to come with you to your cooking interest club. You weren't expecting it; you wholely believed that he would reject your offer with the same snarky attitude.

❅ Your club members didn't expect this either, if the way almost all of them dropped their cooking utensils once you entered the kitchenette with Wanderer in tow was any indication. (They accept him real quick when he whips up a batch of perfectly baked baklava for the first time and helps some of your friends prepare some candied Ajinelakh Nuts. He even cooks his own take on an Inazuman dish that has your friends raving for more.) (He doesn't eat a bite of his own cooking, saying you all wolf it down well by yourselves, mocking, of course. You hypothesize, however, that he is just not fond of making sweets, judging by the grimace he wears everytime you offer him some. Why is he so good at making sweets then—)

❅ He still had a long way to go to make up for all that he did in the past. No amount of wishful thinking or positive attitude would change that. But, if he can accept his new identity as Wanderer (he looks at you, flour on your cheek, standing beside the stone oven waiting for the baklava to bake as you read a document you managed to snatch from the library), maybe he can accept this new year and this new life too.

The Dendro Archon smiles as she merely stands by the doorway, not wishing to interrupt such a warm scene. "Happy birthday, Wanderer."

♡ Sometimes, Thoma found himself missing Mondstadt.

♡ Inazuma is his home; he has found his purpose in this nation, he has found close friends who he'd do everything for and who'd do everything for him. He has a steady job as the housekeeper for the Kamisato Clan, and the people of Inazuma always turn to him when they are in a time of need. He's fulfilled in Inazuma.

♡ However, everytime he stands on the docks of Ritou, looking out into the horizon—when the sun sets, is high above the sky, and rises—he can't help but feel like the salty sea breeze is always pulling and pulling and pulling him. As if tugging him back towards the City of Freedom, the other half of his roots, his origin.

♡ He hasn't seen his mother in years. He also realizes he barely talks to his father anymore because of work, despite being in the same nation.

♡ He's fulfilled in Inazuma, with many friends, but sometimes he felt lonely.

♡ He was busy tidying up the tea room at the Yashiro Commission, making sure that everything was spic and span for when Sir Ayato and Miss Ayaka come back from New Year's preparations in the town proper. It's always rather busy during this time of year, and the two siblings always struggle with maintaining public order when the new year starts approaching.

♡ It makes sense that he must also do his utmost best to help them any way he can—

"Take a break this time."

What.

"But isn't this the peak of like, public disruptions, I don't think it's right for me to suddenly take a break—" Ayato stops his friend from speaking as he raises his hand, a smile on his face.

"You've been loyal to us for a long time, Thoma. You do things for all of us without asking for anything in return. This time, Ayaka and I both decided that we want you to enjoy New Year's without worrying about your duties as our housekeeper." Ayato firmly pats Thoma's shoulder in reassurance. "I'm not asking you as the Yashiro Commissioner, but I'm asking you as a friend. Go, enjoy yourself for once."

"But I—" Thoma doesn't get to finish what he's about to say, as Ayato walks away without another word, leaving the housekeeper alone in the tea room. "…how am I gonna take a break?"

♡ It's obvious that Thoma isn't used to taking breaks.

♡ He's accustomed to the hustle and bustle of his daily life, helping people with their errands, solving some villagers' problems, running errands for the Kamisato Clan, running his own errands. Now he doesn't know what to do with himself.

"Thoma, love," you place your hand on top of his bouncing knee, "you're antsy again."

His leg immediately stops bouncing when he feels your warm touch and Thoma breathes a drawn out sigh, gently clasping his fingers around your hand. "I know, I know, I'm sorry." He brings your hand up to kiss your knuckles, as if telling you that he's fine through every kiss he presses to your skin.

Thoma didn't mean to let his own negative thoughts impede on this date. Just as it's rare for him to visit his father, it's rare for the two of you to be able to meet up like this, having a warm meal at Kiminami Restaurant.

♡ You were a travelling merchant, which means your job demanded that you move around from place to place. You met when you were at Ritou, busy being denied access to travel within the nation despite your past business. Thoma, who was aiding some merchants, just so happened to pass by and managed to calm the situation down, and you got your travel permit.

♡ You guys became closer than ever since that day, until he finally asked you to go out with him. It was hard at first, with both your schedules, but you made it work; love isn't just the happy, fluttering feeling after all, but the effort you put for each other.

"Don't tell me you're bored because you're basically forbidden from lifting a finger, Thoma." You tease, bumping shoulders with him as you giggle when he scrunches his nose.

"Maybe I am."

"That's not the purpose of a break, you know."

"But—" Thoma plops his forehead on your shoulder. "I like helping around Narukami Island."

You frown, patting his blonde hair. You know he was brought up to be a loyal, and kind, and helpful young man (it's why you fell in love with him in the first place). He told you stories about how his father taught him about loyalty, back when you first started going out, and you even met his father one time.

You wished you could take his mind off of work, though, just so he can relax. He should make use of this period of rest, like go on a hike, or do yoga, or trave—

Bingo.

"Do you want to go to Mondstadt with me?" You ask him, momentarily lowering the chopsticks you have in your other hand. Upon hearing the City of Freedom, Thoma instantly perks his head up, looking at you with those green eyes you love oh so dearly.

"Mondstadt?"

"I was going to Liyue for a bit anyway, and I feared that I was going to have to leave you alone this New Year." You say, scratching your cheek. "If you'd like, we can go to Liyue together for the Lantern Rite, and… we can go to Mondstadt after that for your birthday."

You were nervous, asking him something like this. You don't know why but it felt like it was something big, like it was bigger than just the two of you. Thoma stared at you with wide eyes, the sun setting behind him just right, that the remaining rays of the sunlight illuminated your face in a serene glow.

He doesn't register exactly when he made up his mind, or when his mouth started moving, but eventually…

"Yes."

♡ Thoma was nervous when you were about to board the ship that would take you to your first destination, Liyue. But with your gentle reassurance and the feeling of your hand in his, he was able to quell the anxiety in his stomach until you reached the harbor.

♡ As you promised him, you and he enjoyed the Lantern Rite together, with you essentially giving him a tour of Liyue as you both ate the nation's cuisine and experienced their traditions.

♡ A few days after New Year, just before his birthday, you both caught a travelling caravan heading towards Mondstadt.

♡ It finally caught up to him that, yes, he was finally going to come back home after so many years. He'd be able to see his mother again. He'd be able to see the windmills, the people, the lake. He'd be with the other half of him again.

♡ It would be daunting to see just how much the city changed. How everything became different since the last time he was here. But, if you're here with him, on this new journey in this new age, he'll be fine.

♡ And at the back of that tiny caravan, with your hand in his like it's always been this entire trip, the City of Freedom now coming into view as you near…

♡ … Thoma cried in front of you for the first time.

[babycatlix]

hello friends! 🩵 happy new year! i hope 2024 is good to you!

another year gone! last year, when i made a post like this, it was all mushy and i was all sentimental, so i'll try to not be as mushy this time.

i started out pretty strong last year, i was determined to keep up with certain things, but as you might've seen... i did not do that well 😅 my mental health went kind of haywire after spring break, when i didn't have my laptop for a week and i didn't make as many sets as i had hoped. but i'm doing better now and i'm trying to get back into the swing of things. my laptop was also dying a lot more frequently. it would crash, not connect to the internet, and photoshop would sometimes randomly quit and i would lose all my work. so it was difficult for me to stay motivated when i was afraid one or all of those things would happen.

however, over my winter break from work (that was much needed), i got a new computer and i'm feeling super motivated to get shit done! and i am feeling better mentally. even though i was sick for 5 of the 15 days i was off... which pissed me off to no end! i did manage to make at least 20 gifsets during my break, which is 20 more sets than i had before break. i'm trying to be kinder to myself about "not keeping up" and with some silly motivational stickers, i think i'm getting better at being okay with what i can do 🩵

i wanna thank some ppl and some networks for keeping me sane throughout the year. no particular order, just alphabetical. i love and appreciate each and every one of you! even if we don't talk as often as we used to, i still love you a whole lot 🩵

mutuals & other lovely peoples

@agibbangs / @atinystraykid / @boba-skz / @chanrizard / @changbeens / @chanstopher / @cheekyquokka / @foxinys / @freckledbbokkie / @galacticlycoris / @geniaparadox / @ggthydrangea / @hanjesungs / @hanarchy / @hyunebear / @jerirose / @jinniebit / @jisungs / @juiceofmoons / @jisungsjaistandjeekies / @haenglixie / @lee--felix / @leefelex / @dinoboos / @missyedits / @nevoono / @quokki / @snug-gyu / @spuppym / @strayklds / @straykidsgallery / @sunnishine / @winterfloral / @yonglixx

networks

@createskz / @kpopcontentcreatorsclub / @channiesnet / @linosource / @felixleenet / @seungminsource / @dancerachasource / @3rachasource / @bystay / @jypartists / @skzgram

here's hoping 2024 is better than 2023! if you're going out for new year's please be safe, make good choices, and definitely stay hydrated! 🩵 and if no one's told you recently, i'm proud of you and you're doing great! 🥰

[nickfowlerrr]

here is the masterlist for the seven writing event.

all submissions will be linked below.

a huge thank you to everyone who has gotten or plans to get involved with this little event. i’m having a great time working on my own posts and even more, am looking forward to continuing reading and going through all of yours. so thank you, thank you, thank you! 🩵

if you’ve posted your work already and don’t see your submission(s) here, please message me.

to the lovely readers: if you enjoy any of the work listed below, please take the time to leave a comment on them and reblog the posts. it really helps with engagement and can be very motivating, and just so meaningful, to the authors and creators. we all appreciate you so much for diving into our little fantasy worlds with us and interacting with what we share in this community. thank you. 🖤

deadline for submitting: november 14, 2023

last updated: november 17, 2023

Fics

Envy

If I Can’t Have Everything, Then Let Me Just Have You - (andy barber x reader) - @writing-for-marvel

Don’t Blame Me - (bucky barnes x reader) - @buckets-and-trees

Greed

for the hope of it all - (lee bodecker x curvy!reader) - @nickfowlerrr

a bird in a cage - (dark!august walker x reader) - @witchywithwhiskey

Kindness

Weight of My Love - (wanda maximoff x reader) - @moonfaeriebunny

Lust

everything I want… - (bucky barnes x plus size!reader) - @thornsnvultures

All Good Girls Go To Heaven - (mafia!bucky barnes x OC) - @sebstan2020

idle hands are the devil’s playthings - (demon!steve kemp x reader) - @filthycagedsoul

Patience

Please Say, Please - (bucky barnes x reader) - @angelltheninth

Pride

Let All Light Go - (dark!alpha steve rogers x omega!reader and alpha!bucky barnes x omega!reader) - @buckets-and-trees

pride - (lee bodecker x wife!reader) - @thornsnvultures

Pride Goeth Before The Fall - (royal!au nick fowler x reader) - @tumblin-theworldaway

Wrath

Starring Role - (dark!natasha romanoff x reader) - @moonfaeriebunny

Welcome Home, Daddy - (winter soldier/bucky x pregnant!reader) - @winterarmyy

When You Fall on Me Like Night - (alpha!bucky x omega!reader and dark alpha!steve rogers x omega!reader) - @buckets-and-trees

Moodboards

Envy

bucky barnes moodboard - @nickfowlerrr

Greed

lee bodecker and max burnett - /nickfowlerrr

Pride

lloyd hansen moodboard - /nickfowlerrr

Wrath

andy barber and nick fowler - /nickfowlerrr

[1waveshortofashipwreck]

Should've Been Born Later, Nix - Chapter 4: The First Night

Easy Company x Fem!OCs

Chap. Synopsis: What will happen to Easy Company the night of their Fall?

Words: 3,502

Find the fic's navigation page here !!

Have a question/want to be on the taglist? Let me know !!

Author's Note: Hi everyone! Hope y'all are having good days so far~ Also, I want to let you know that I'm open to writing Bonus Content for the series! If there's a particular scene you'd like to be written in more detail, or any specific headcanons, please don't be afraid to let me know! As always thank you a million times over for all the support and I love you all dearly!! 💖

Once at home, the boys all filed out of their makeshift clown cars, Chrys retrieving the black duffel bag she put the men’s things in from the trunk. “I’ll keep these in my room till y’all need them,” Chrys said.

Speirs, Guarnere, and Toye all started to protest, before captain Winters put a stop to it. “Men, we can clearly see that the atmosphere around weapons is different in 2023, I don’t like it either, but we need to follow our hosts on this one,” he explained to his men. The men grumbled but agreed with their CO.

“Alright y’all! Have we got everyone?” Zay asked, her “mom friend” instincts kicking in - she always had an instinct to take care of and protect everyone around her, maybe that is why she went into nursing.

Speirs performed a silent headcount before responding, “Yeah we have everyone, lead the way!” Zay smiled in gratitude at Speirs, turning on her heel before her bouncy saunter could be seen leading the pack. Chrys hung back to talk with Toye, probably about what kind of guns they have - it was a bit of a hobby for her. No one but Winters saw the subtle glare Nixon tossed at Joe after he started chatting with Chrys. Finally, he had something to fire back at Lew the next time the intelligence officer said something about Zay. Everybody, focused on their own conversations, missed Speirs pulling something out of his pocket. Ron inspected the colorful pens he had swiped from the receptionist’s desk, “Sharpie Premium Highlighters” displayed along their sides. Speirs had never seen pens with these colors before, so of course, he needed to have them.

Before they knew it, the group was at the elevator. While this was a larger elevator and could fit all twelve of them, they were once again squished like sardines. While Zay wound up being squished against the back wall with Liebgott, Chrys was squished towards the middle, Nixon on one side, Toye on another. Now, it was Winters’ turn to sit back and enjoy the show. Nixon immediately began to strike up a conversation, causing Toye to return the glare Nixon cast his way earlier. Dick let out a silent chuckle, unaware of the similar situation happening behind him. Joe Liebgott, feeling confident, subtly slung his arm around Zay’s shoulder.

“Sorry, doll, it’s just so crowded in here,” he said in a quiet voice, a smirk evident on his lips. Zay simply snickered and rolled her eyes, letting Joe keep his arm around her. If looks could kill, Luz and Roe would have been accused of friendly fire. They were towards the front of the elevator, turned to the side to help fit everyone in. They were glaring at Liebgott, who simply returned to them a smug smile. When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Zay moved from beside Joe to the front and led the pack on their way, unaware of the situations around her.

As the group filed out of the enclosed space, Roe made sure to wait for Liebgott, “It’S jUsT sO CrOwDeD iN hErE.” He mocked him with a low voice, ensuring Zay didn't hear.

"Hey, I'm the one that got to put my arm around her," Liebgott replied to the medic. The self-satisfied soldier continued walking ahead with the group, while Roe was fuming internally, praying it did not show up on his face. Meanwhile, Zay led the group down the hallway to a door that read 553. The door opened to reveal a modest but comfy apartment. There was a combined kitchen/living area, with the kitchen to the right of the front door. In front of the group was a coffee table with a full size couch against the wall. Flanking the couch was a loveseat and an armchair, framing the coffee table on their respective sides. Directly across from the couch was the entertainment stand, the boys trying to process all the electronics they have never seen before. Across the room was a sliding glass door that led out to the apartment's balcony. To the right of the TV was a small hallway with a door on the left, on the right, and at the end.

"Welcome to casa del Bennett!" Zay cheered as everyone filed into the apartment - there was an eclectic feel to the furniture and decorations. It was easy to see that Zay and Chrys collaborated on the decor, neither of them losing their styles to the other. The decor was a mix of bright, cheerful artwork and trinkets, with posters and models of cars mixed in all around, a perfect blend for the sisters. “Make yourselves at home!” Zay stood beside the kitchen as the boys took a look around, Chrys making her way back to her room, opening the door on the right side of the small hall and disappearing behind it.

“This is a nice place you’ve got!” Luz said, plopping down on the couch in the living area. Toye and Guarnere politely sat down on the loveseat, while the rest of Easy Company gathered to stand in the living area rather awkwardly.

Zay smiled and locked the door, a nervous habit, before walking off down the hallway. “Y’all get comfy, I’m gonna change my clothes really quick.” With her signature bounce, Zay went into the door on the left of the hallway. Easy Company was left to fend for themselves, at least for a few minutes. Roe helped Malarkey sit in the armchair, while the medic opted to sit beside Luz on the couch, close to Malarkey if he needed anything. Bull rested on an arm of the loveseat, while Liebgott took the last seat on the couch, securing Luz in the middle. Winters and Nixon stood off to the side, next to the loveseat, and Speirs rested on an arm of the couch, beside Roe.

“What do you think all that is?” Malarkey asked, motioning to the entertainment center. While someone from 2023 would recognize the twins’ internet router, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and bluetooth speaker as common electronics, the boys had absolutely no idea what they were looking at. As if on cue, the two sisters returned to the group, both having changed their clothes. Chrys was wearing a black sweatshirt with an Alfa Romeo logo the boys did not recognize on the front with a pair of plaid pj pants. Zay opted for an oversized, navy blue t-shirt with the band Queen’s logo on the front, though once again, unrecognized by Easy Company. The shock displayed on the men’s faces came from the fact that Zay seemed not to be wearing anything on her lower half. While Chrys sat on the ground, close to Guarnere and Toye, Zay stood confused at the boys.

“Is everything okay?” She asked, concern thick in her words.

“Um… I think you… forgot something in your room,” Luz mumbled out, bright red and trying his best not to stare at Zay’s legs.

“Hm?” Zay followed Luz’s eyes to the point of confusion. “Oh!” She let out a small giggle, slightly lifter her shirt to reveal her bright yellow pajama shorts. “This is the style for pajama shorts in 2023, helps to keep cool at night,” she explained, opting to sit on the floor - she wound up sitting at the feet of Richard Winters, merely intending to sit beside Chrys. Winters could not help but blush, seeing her so close to him. “How’re y’all feeling?” Zay questioned the group in earnest, looking at the men.

There was a brief pause, as well as a few glances around from the men, before Guarnere spoke up, “Still kinda shocked, I guess… it’s still so weird that this is all happening.”

“To be honest, I’m worried about our other guys,” Liebgott chimed in, his arms crossed and his leg bouncing anxiously. “There’s no way to tell them where we are, and we’re not there if they need us.” Joe said all this while staring at the floor, his jaw clenched. The rest of the men nodded in agreement - the soldiers relied on each other, especially in the winter wasteland of Bastogne. Knowing that they were so far away from the rest of their men hurt their hearts in more ways than they thought possible.

Zay and Chrys listened closely to the group. “I’m sorry y’all have to go through this, I can’t imagine the pain and anxiety you’re feeling right now,” the blue-haired girl said after a beat. “I wish I had answers to your questions, but I can assure y’all, Chrys and I will do everything in our power to help you get back to your men. For now, y’all have had a really long day, and you need to be at your best to-”

Zay was cut off by what sounded like the mating call of the humpback whale. All heads turned to the source of the sound - Nixon’s stomach. Lewis let out a small laugh before speaking, “I sure hope you still eat dinner in 2023.”

“Nope, eating as a concept stopped in the 1990s,” Chrys replied, her face and tone deadpan. There was a beat of silence, the boys unsure whether or not the woman was joking, before Chrys let out a snicker. Zay and Chrys began to descend into laughter, followed by the rest of the boys. The group continued to discuss dinner, Zay explaining the concept of Door Dash to the soldiers. Swears, confusion, and laughter abounded throughout the technology education.

“So we can really get anything we want? And they’ll just deliver it?” Malarkey asked, wonder in his eyes. Zay smiled and nodded her head. Malarkey looked at the boys before exclaiming, “We could get actual pasta!”

“Are you kidding? We could get warm juicy American burgers!” Luz retorted.

“Hey what about Chinese food? That shit’s delicious,” Toye argued back. The group descended into bickering, sounding like child siblings in their tones.

“Men!” Winters scolded, causing everyone to fall silent and turn their attention to their captain. Dick looked down at Zay, “We’ll take whatever you recommend.” Dick had a polite smile on his face, imitating Luz as he tried everything not to look at Zay’s bare legs. The girl looked back up into Dick’s green eyes, a blush rising on her cheeks, as well as a thankful smile.

“How about some fast food?” Chrys offered, “McDonald’s usually has something everyone likes.”

“Sounds perfect!” Zay replied before going to Door Dash on her phone. After what felt like forever while the twins explained the options for food to the boys and take their orders, Zay pressed the “Complete Purchase” button. “Alright! The food will be here in a little bit. In the meantime, would y’all like anything to drink? We have water and soda, but also beer, wine, and some other stuff.” Zay explained with a mischievous grin - she saw how the men loved to drink on the show, save for Winters, and was excited to relax and have fun with them. A chorus of intrigued “ooh”s and whoops came from the men of Easy Company as Zay stood up to go to the kitchen. After getting everyone’s drink orders, Zay headed to the kitchen, not noticing Dick following her.

“Thought you might want some help carrying everything,” he said more bashfully than intended when Zay noticed him. Zay returned his smile as they reached the tile of the kitchen area.

“That’s really sweet of you, Captain Winters,” she responded, blushing as she looked up at the man in front of her. Her mind could not help but wonder, what would he do if he knew how big of a crush she had on him?

Dick laughed quietly and smiled at the girl, his blush matching hers. “Please, call me Dick.” Zay’s smile widened as she shifted her gaze to her feet, praying futily that he did not notice her blush growing. “Doc was right earlier, you know, it is really kind of you to take us into your home like this,” Dick mused, grateful for the girl in front of him. Her eyes immediately returned to meet his gaze with a smile.

“Oh it’s nothing, really! Chrys and I have people over all the time, so it’s no trouble, I promise.” Zay went to the fridge as she spoke, starting to take out the bottles that were requested - a coke for Dick, red wine for Zay, Speirs, and Roe, and beers for the rest of the group. Once Zay had organized the eight bottles and three glasses, she bent down to grab her serving tray from the cupboard. Dick wanted to avert his eyes, he wanted to be polite, be a gentleman, but alas, he was entranced. The captain was just barely able to turn his head away before Zay returned to the drinks, acrylic serving tray in hand. Once Zay put everything on the tray, Winters was quick to pick it up, Zay shooting him a Look. “Thank you,” Zay said reluctantly, trying and failing to hide her smile. Dick simply nodded before following her out of the kitchen.

The night continued to devolve into drunken, chaotic fun, with laughter and Chicken McNuggets abounding. Soon everyone was burping and hiccuping with inebriation, of course save for Winters. “You guys wanna play truth or dare?” Chrys asked with a smirk as Zay clumsily emptied the group’s third bottle of wine into her glass, splashing a couple drops onto the carpet.

“Yeah! Let’s use the bottle to pick!” Guarnere said, gently plucking the bottle from Zay’s hand. The twelve made a circle on the floor, pushing the coffee table flush with the sofa. Zay wound up sitting between Winters and Roe, while Chrys was between Nixon and Bull. “Who wants to go first?” Guarnere asked, placing the bottle on its side in the center of the circle.

“I will!” Chrys volunteered, spinning the bottle. As Chrys leaned forward, shifting her weight to her knees, Nixon could not help but be floored by the dark-haired woman in front of him - she seemed so genuine, so down to earth, he needed her in his life. The bottle spun and spun before landing on, of course, Captain Nixon. A chorus of “ooh”s and chuckles erupted from the group as Chrys asked, “Captain, truth or dare?”

Nixon smirked and looked at the girl, heavily relying on his liquid courage. “Dare, doll,” he replied. Chrys, hiding her blush, smiled and walked to the kitchen, returning with a fresh bottle of beer.

“I dare you,” she paused as she used the bottle opener, “to drink this entire beer in 10 seconds.” She held the beer out to him, intrigued to see if he could do it.

“Done and done,” he replied casually, immediately starting to down the drink. It may not have been Vat 69, but Nixon still drank the beer like it was the best thing he ever tasted. Before Chrys reached five, Nixon handed her the empty bottle, covering his mouth as he felt the carbonation expel itself. The group laughed at Nixon’s belch but cheered as he spun the bottle in front of him. The bottle slowly came to a stop, pointing itself at Wild Bill Guarnere. “Alright Gonorrhea, truth or dare?”

Bill laughed as he finished off his fourth beer. “Truth, Cap’n.” he said assertively, leaning into the circle. Nixon thought for a minute before asking his question.

“Tell us about the worst kiss you’ve ever had.” the captain asked the staff sergeant. Guarnere thought for a minute before his facial muscles cringed with disgust.

“Suzie Watson at my Senior Prom, we were slow dancing and next thing I knew her tongue was licking my lips,” Bill recalled. The group responded with sounds of ick as Guarnere flicked the bottle. The game continued to bring wild revelations and compromising positions to all in the room. At one point, Luz had spun the bottle, and it landed on captain Dick Winters. “Captain Quaker, sir,” Luz addressed Winters, earning laughs all around him, including from the captain himself, “truth or dare?”

Dick chuckled and shook his head. He debated whether or not to participate when the game began, but when Zay plopped herself next to his feet and looked up at him with the sweetest doe eyes he had ever seen, how could he not? The captain weighed his options, considering which answer is more of a risk. “Truth,” he answered, looking over at George.

“You got a girl waiting for you back home? And if you don’t, are you looking for someone?” Dick could see Zay's head perk up out of the corner of his eye; he could tell her head turned towards him, but he was nervous to meet her gaze.

“Can’t say I have someone waiting at home, but I would like to have a family, someday,” Winters replied quietly, his bashfulness and beet red cheeks warming Zay’s heart. In a moment of wine-fueled impulse, she laid her head on Dick’s shoulder as he spun the bottle. Surprised, Winters looked over at the girl, a content smile on her face as she rested on him. Now it was Winters’ turn to feel his heart warming. The game continued on until about midnight, when a few soldiers allowed themselves to yawn.

“Alright y’all, looks like it’s time to get ready for bed. For where y’all are sleeping, once we put up the air mattress, we can sleep four of you out here, then three in my room and three in Chrys’ room,” Zay explained. She wobbly tried to stand up, resembling a baby giraffe learning how to walk, before losing her balance and falling into Roe’s lap with a squeal. Eugene caught her in one smooth motion, looking at Zay with concern and amusement. “My bad,” the girl said between giggles. No one saw Liebgott and Luz roll their eyes at the scene, save for Winters. Roe helped the girl stand back up while they all discussed sleeping arrangements.

“I can sleep out here,” Speirs spoke up.

“I’ll take the couch,” Bull added.

“I can room with Zay, if you don’t mind,” Eugene looked up at the girl, who smiled and nodded her head.

“Hey! I wanna room with her!” Luz cried out, pushing Roe’s shoulder childishly.

Liebgott somehow got involved in the scrimmage as well, while Zay simply smiled down at the still-sitting Winters. “Would you like to stay in my room?” While she has not revealed the fact they would share a bed yet, Zay certainly preferred the idea of sharing a bed with a gentleman like Winters. Dick smiled and nodded, agreeing to her offer. Zay returned his smile before raising her voice to get the men’s attention. “Y’all! Dick already claimed a spot, so the other two spots go to Roe and Luz.”

Liebgott groaned and rolled his eyes, walking over to the loveseat - his bed for the foreseeable future. While all of the bickering was occurring, Chrys agreed to Nixon, Toye, and Guarnere bunking in her room. “Do you guys want pajamas? Our brother comes to visit us a lot, and he usually leaves his clothes here… his memory isn’t the best,” Chrys told the group, quiet laughter making its way across everyone’s lips. Chrys smiled and made her way back to her room, the rest of the men standing from the floor.

“I’ll go grab the air mattress,” Zay said over her shoulder, bouncing away to her room.

Ron stayed quiet until the twins left. “Sir? What’s the plan for tomorrow?” he asked Winters, everyone suddenly remembering the problems at hand.

Dick thought for a moment before responding, “We’ll go back to where we first arrived and see if we can find anything and go from there. If we don’t get any information, we’ll ask Zay and Chrys for input… maybe even watching the program we’re on could help.” Speirs nodded in understanding as Chrys came back into the room with a laundry basket of t-shirts, pj pants, jeans, and other bits of clothes for the men to use. Once Zay returned with the air mattress, she and Chrys set up their respective pull-out couches in their rooms while the boys changed, the clothes somehow being a good fit for everyone, even Bull.

Once the boys were all decent, Chrys and Zay set up the air mattress in the living room, supplying the four sleeping in said room with a plethora of pillows and blankets. Soon, the men were settled in their respective bunks - Bull on the couch, Liebgott on the loveseat, Malarkey and Speirs on the air mattress, Guarnere and Toye on Chrys’ pull-out couch, Roe and Luz on Zay’s pull-out couch, and finally, Captain Winters and Captain Nixon were, in fact, about to share their beds with Zay and Chrys, respectively. Since there was nowhere else for the boys to sleep, the four of them felt their own versions of excitement, nerves, and every other emotion under the sun.

~~~~~

Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

Taglist: @b00ks1ut , @blueberry-ovaries , @bucky32557038ww2 , @claudycod , @dontirrigateme , @emilee1421 , @executethyself35 , @hanniewinnix , @ithinkabouttzu , @jump-wings , @love--persevering , @panzershrike-pretz , @stolen94 , @xxluckystrike

Thank you again for reading!! Be on the lookout for Chapter 5 coming next week!! 🥰✨

[misc-obeyme]

Hi, I hope I’m submitting this correctly…!

Can I please request Simeon for flufftober, with the word hygge? Feminine or gender neutral pronouns are fine :)

Hello there!

I looooved this prompt. I really enjoyed creating the atmosphere of hygge, which is a really great concept that I totally love. Add beautiful Simeon into that and this was really fun to write. Hopefully it turned out okay!

Thanks for submitting a prompt!

FLUFFTOBER 2023

GN!MC x Simeon

Warnings: none it's all fluff

It was a cold and windy autumn day in the Devildom. It had been chilly for some time now as fall began to give way to winter, bringing with it lower temperatures and even more darkness. It was the perfect kind of day to stay inside somewhere warm and pleasant with someone special.

And that was exactly where you were. You were in the kitchen of Purgatory Hall, where you had been baking bread with Simeon. The angel himself added to the atmosphere of coziness, his smile emitting a light all its own. The two of you had the place to yourselves - Luke was with Barbatos at the Demon Lord's Castle, Solomon was at the library at RAD, and nobody knew where Raphael was, but he wasn't at home.

You had been planning this evening with Simeon for a little while, as both of you felt the winter creeping in. You had discussed it at RAD, talking about how nice it would be to spend some time together inside, doing things to bring yourselves some peace in the encroaching darkness.

You had brought the recipes for human world dessert breads and now the kitchen was filled with the scent of a baking pumpkin loaf. You already had a couple of loaves of banana bread cooling on the counter. There was plenty of it for you to bring some back to the House of Lamentation later, too.

When everything was finished baking, you and Simeon made up a tray. It was full of bread slices, two mugs of apple cider, and some cookies Luke had made earlier shaped like autumn leaves. You carried the tray into the living room, where Simeon had started a fire in the fireplace. There were already soft blankets and pillows piled in front of the fire.

Through the windows you could see the sky was grey; a light rain had begun to fall. The living room was filled with warmth and the soft orange glow of the fire. There were a few candles, too, adding a little additional light to the area.

As the two of you settled down in front of the fire, Simeon placed the tray in front of you. There was a stack of books nearby, in case you decided to relax and read in each other's company.

For now, you sampled some of the freshly baked bread.

You took a bite of the pumpkin, finding it exquisitely soft. The flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg filled your mouth and you hummed in appreciation.

"Did it turn out okay?" Simeon asked. "This was the first time I made pumpkin bread."

"It's delicious," you said. You broke some off the piece in your hand and held it out to him. "Try some."

Simeon met your eyes for a moment, then ate the bread from your fingers, his lips brushing momentarily against your skin.

You smiled. "It's good, right?"

Simeon smiled back at you and nodded.

You picked up a mug of cider, sipping it carefully. It was just the right temperature now, not too hot and not yet cold. You held the mug in your hands, letting the warmth of it seep into you.

"I'm glad it turned out so soft," Simeon said.

You let out a content sigh. "This is so nice," you said, your eyes closed as you absorbed that feeling of coziness. "I'm so happy to be here with you like this."

Simeon shifted a little closer to you, his leg now pressed up against yours. "I've never done anything like this before. In the Celestial Realm, the sun is always shining. It doesn't usually get this cold."

You opened your eyes to meet his blue ones. "When it gets cold and dark in the human world, we have to find ways to keep our spirits up. Some of us like to embrace the way winter comes and slows everything down." You put your mug back down on the tray and leaned your body into his, letting your head rest on his shoulder.

Simeon grabbed a blanket and draped it over the both of you. You grasped it with one hand and he held the other side, cocooning you in a softness of fabric. Simeon also wrapped an arm around your waist, holding you close and letting his own head rest on top of yours.

For a moment, all you did was watch the fire crackle, the bright orange dancing and flickering.

"Simeon," you said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Being with you like this makes me so happy," you said. "Is this what heaven feels like?"

Simeon chuckled. He pulled away, using the hand holding the blanket to tilt your face so he could look at you. "This is far better than heaven, my love."

You felt your heartbeat increase, your eyes fluttering closed as he kissed you, the soft press of his lips against yours filling your soul with the same comfort that surrounded you.

flufftober | kinktober | masterlist | Thank you for reading!

taglist: @anxious-chick @t0tallycoolname @libidinous-weeb

[warriorofthought]

Ice Bear

Summary: You always were close to Lindir but he suddenly finds your present disturbing and that hurts you. Can you both come to good terms back again?

Word Count: 2023

Warnings: a bit hurt and sad feelings

Linder X Reader

In the serene woods of Riverdale, amidst the whispering leaves and the soft glow of moonlight, Lindir, the gentle minstrel of the Elves, found himself entangled in an unexpected situation. He had always been known for his kindness and compassion, but lately, he found himself feeling overwhelmed by the attentions of an ardent admirer.

As Lindir strummed his lute beneath the ancient mallorn trees, he sensed the presence of You approaching. With a courteous smile, Lindir welcomed you but his heart sank as You began to speak.

"Lindir," You began earnestly, "I must confess, I find myself drawn to your presence more than ever. Your melodies enchant me, your wisdom inspires me. I... I feel as though I cannot bear to be apart from you, as I was a child I was often by you, I miss that."

Lindir's heart fluttered with discomfort, for while he cherished You as a friend, he did not share the same romantic feelings. With a heavy heart, Lindir gathered his courage to speak his truth.

"Y/n" Lindir began gently, "I am deeply honored by your affection, but I must confess that I feel you have become... too clingy."

Your expression faltered, a flicker of hurt crossing your features. "Clingy? I... I only wish to be close to you, Lindir. Is that not what friends do?"

Lindir sighed, his fingers tracing the delicate patterns of his lute. "Indeed, friends do share a bond of closeness, but there must also be space for individual pursuits and interests. I fear that your constant presence leaves me feeling suffocated, unable to breathe freely."

Silence enveloped them like a shroud as You processed Lindir's words, his gaze cast downwards in contemplation. After a moment, he looked up, his eyes filled with remorse.

"I had not realized," You murmured, your voice tinged with regret. "Forgive me, Lindir, if I have caused you discomfort. I only wished to express my admiration for you."

Lindir's heart clenched with regret at the pain in your voice, but he knew that honesty was the only path forward. 

A flicker of hurt crossed your features, like a shadow passing over the moonlit glade. You stood silent for a moment, your gaze fixed upon the ground, before finally lifting his eyes to meet Lindir's.

"I have understood your words, I'm sorry for disturbing you" you murmured, voice tinged with sorrow. 

Lindir's heart ached at the pain in your voice, but he knew that he could not retract his words. And so, with a heavy heart, he watched as you quickly turned and walked away, disappearing into the depths of the forest like a fleeting shadow.

Days turned into weeks, and still, there was no sign of You searching for him. Lindir wandered the woods of Riverdale, his heart heavy with regret, longing for the familiar presence of his dear friend. But try as he might, he could find no trace of you, as if you had vanished into the mists of his memory.

And so, beneath the canopy of stars, Lindir played his lute, the echoes of his melodies mingling with the sighing of the trees. For even as the silence between them grew, he held onto the hope that one day, their friendship would bloom anew, like a flower blossoming in the wake of winter's chill.

_______________________________________

A few weeks later 

Lindir manage to spot you as you do your usual duty and steps up to you. Your attention is immediately drawn to him as you hear him. You quickly look away and tried to leave but he steps into your way.

"don't you dare to step closer, i don't want you near me" you utter a bit too rough, the Sight of him brings pain.

Lindir stops moving and his heart sinks for a moment. You truly don't want to let him come any closer and it hurts Lindir more than he wants to show. He finally understands that his words had hurted you more than he thought.

"So..." He replies with a mixture of hurt and sadness in his eyes trying to come up with a conversation. "You would have wanted to keep spending time with me and see me and hear my stories like we used to?"

"Have I ever said I don't want that?"

Lindir is quiet for a moment as he lets these words sink in. He realizes how stupid he has been. Maybe things could go back to how they had been. Maybe you are not truly gone from him after all.

"Can I ask you something?" Lindir says as he slowly walks closer to you. "Will you please let me tell you one last story? I still know so many and I was saving at least one for you. You never got to hear it. Will you please let me do that?"

You slowly nod " is it about the ice bear?"

Lindir notices how much you are opening up to him at the mention of a story he wishes to tell you and it warms his heart.

"Indeed it is." He says and looks at you. A moment of silence passes and he then looks at the floor, as if preparing himself. "Shall I begin?"

"yes" you nod and sit down on a nearby bench.

Lindir is quiet for a long moment. He is really glad you want to hear his story, even after he messed up so much. And he wants to make it up to you for it.

"Once, very long ago, there was a group of elves who lived in a far remote area within the forests. And they loved to explore these woods. One day, they stumbled on a cave that was very deep within the depths of the woods. They explored the cave and soon began to be surrounded by a lot of ice."

Your eyes slowly move over to him.

"As they went deeper, they soon noticed that they were becoming surrounded by more and more ice. It was as if the cave was a large freezer. The deeper they went, the tighter the ice became.

But they were brave and went all the way down until they reached a huge chamber that was filled entirely with ice. In the middle of the room, they saw something that startled them immediately."

"the little ice bear?"

Lindir is silent for a second, surprised that you already know most of the story. However, that does not bother him.

"Yes, indeed. It was a tiny little thing, so small that it fit in the palm of your hand. It was lying on its side and barely moving. All the elves were worried that it was going to die because it was freezing.

Then, something unexpected happened. The little ice bear moved its head and suddenly it looked directly at them."

Your eyes slowly show a little bit of your excitement.

Lindir notices a hint of excitement in your eyes. He continues with the story.

"Everybody was shocked at first. But the elf who had been exploring this cave the most got closer with a gentle and cautious approach. He had always loved animals of all kinds and he could not stop himself from trying to save the ice bear. He moved closer and carefully picked up the little bear.

His touch seemed to have an immediate and magical effect, as the very ice that surrounded the bear began to melt. And the little bear regained its breath."

"Wow" you mumble

Lindir smiles at you, realizing that you are enjoying his story more and more.

"Indeed. As the ice vanished, it became visible that the cave was more like a freezer and the ice was like magic frozen on this animal. All the elves were completely astonished at what they could see.

In the end, the elf that had held the small bear in his arms decided to take him with him back to the woods. Since that day, the little ice bear and the elf were inseparable."

"They are friends now?"

"They are not just friends now. They are bonded for the rest of their lives. The ice bear is actually very clingy towards the elf and likes to ride on his shoulders. The elf always loves to pet him and even has given him a name."

Lindir pauses for a moment and then leans a little bit closer to you and speaks softly. "Would you like to know the name he gave him?"

You nod.

Lindir leans even closer, his voice almost a whisper by now. He can tell that this story is hitting a spot in you.

"The elf called the little ice bear 'Icely'. They are so bonded and so close now that it is as if they cannot be separated. Icely is always with the elf and the elf can never be sad because Icely will always be there to cheer him up."

"that sounds nice"

"And what if I told you that that small ice bear reminds me of someone?" He asks you. With a glance, you understand who he is referencing.

"Of who?" You ask, trying to hide your curious feelings.

“It's the one I care so much about and the one that deserves all the kindness and love I have to give. The one I miss every day after you started to avoid me."

"You." He answers softly. "I feel as if we are like the elf and the bear. We cannot be separated. Maybe what happened between us before was so hurtful, but now I am not ready to let you go either. I will never leave you and I will always be here for you whether you wish to admit it or not." He sighs slightly, a bit sad.

"I cannot explain the feeling. Whenever I am with you, I do not feel sad because you are there. Even when I do not have the best day, you make it brighter and happier simply by being there.”

Lindir gets a bit closer to you and he talks softly. His tone is sincere and his eye contact is full of kindness.

“I have told you the story of my friends to tell you this: you are my little ice bear. You are not a burden for me, I promise, i will never tell you something like that so rough, i will be softer."

"Lindir" your voice finally soft again and it drifted through the air like a whisper carried on the wind, "I have missed you."

"Y/n" Lindir breathed, relief flooding through him like a river breaking free from its banks, "I feared I had lost you forever."

You look at him with a hesitant smile, your gaze soft and searching. "I needed time to... to process our conversation, your words were a bit hard for me" you admitted, your voice tinged with vulnerability. "But I realize now that I cannot bear to be apart from you, Lindir."

A surge of warmth flooded Lindir's heart at your words, and he reached out to clasp his hand, their fingers intertwining like the branches of two trees intertwined in a forest glade.

"Nor can I bear to be apart from you, y/n" Lindir confessed, his voice barely more than a whisper carried on the breeze. “ You have always held a special place in my heart, a place of light and warmth amidst the shadows."

Your eyes widened with surprise, your gaze locking with Lindir's in an unspoken exchange of understanding. And then, with a tender smile, he leaned forward, and hug you in a gentle big warm hug that spoke volumes of the love that had blossomed between you both.

Underneath the canopy of stars, amidst the whispering leaves and the soft glow of moonlight, Lindir and you found solace in each other's arms, their bond strengthened not by words alone, but by the depth of their shared affection. And as they danced beneath the silvered sky, their hearts entwined like the branches of two trees reaching for the heavens, they knew that their love would endure for all eternity, a beacon of hope in a world shrouded in darkness.

[ilovescaredysquirrel2]

Was Qubo actually coming back?

So I heard a rumor that's been going around that The Qubo Channel, an American children's tv channel that ran from 2007-2021, was coming back in 2023 and this idiot fan did everything they could to make it seem real, videos and everything but it all turned out to be fake. They said that the company E Scripps announced it but they never did and this random person made an entire wiki page of it too. Qubo is officially never coming back, although I hope someone will have a solution or come up with a replacement kids channel. It's sad that kids have nothing that genuinely teaches them good lessons, besides Bluey. Don't get me wrong, I love Bluey, Bluey's awesome but it's like the only thing that kids can watch nowadays that's good for them. In my opinion, you need MORE THAN ONE SHOW! You don't have to have as many shows as I did growing up, but you can't only just have one show either.

I'll admit I was more of a tv kid, but I grew up in a small, dumpy town in Pennsylvania and I had no siblings or kids in the neighborhood to play with. I also never really had close friends at school who I got to hang out with outside of school, because school days lasted long and we were private people. When I got home, I'd most likely draw, watch tv, or take a nap. I did spend time outside but not in the autumn and winter as much because I hated cold, especially when I got older. I did watch a lot more tv than most kids did but it wasn't an unhealthy amount. I also wasn't really a Disney movie kid as much either. Disney channel? Yes, but I didn't really watch much of their animated movies growing up, especially not the older ones that everyone else grew up with. I had older parents and also was raised by my grandma, and no siblings so it's not like we had family movies nights like some families. Being an only child, I was basically the boss of the tv and my mom grew up playing outside and not much of a tv kid, so she just let me watch the kids shows that were playing on tv. Just to clear things up, I was born in November of 2002 and my mom gave birth to me when she was 42 years old, so a lot of stuff from her time wasn't really meant for kids. So yeah, I mostly just grew up watching tv channels. I was lucky enough to have Qubo, Sprout and the Nickelodeon and Disney channels. Lucky for me, I didn't watch much Cartoon Network, which in my opinion was kind of a good thing because a lot of stuff back then was inappropriate. Thank God I had more relaxing and... less unhinged shows to watch on channels like Sprout and Qubo. I know Qubo had its fair share of weird shows like Grossology and Being Ian, but most of the Qubo shows were good. In fact, some of my favorite shows ever came from Qubo!

Let's have a little talk about a well known Canadian show that was based off a book series, called "Scaredy Squirrel". If you were in Canada, you probably watched Scaredy Squirrel on YTV or Treehouse, but us Americans watched it on Cartoon Network, Disney X.D or Qubo. I was the kid who watched it on Qubo because I ignored the Cartoon Network channel growing up and I think around 2013 was when I started to hate Disney so... yeah. I became a fan of Scaredy Squirrel through Qubo and that show means so much to me. Another show that means a lot to me is called "Marvin the tap-dancing Horse" which originally aired on PBS kids for like 2 years, as part of a block called the "Bookworm bunch" which only lasted a short time and plus, I wasn't even born yet. I got introduced to Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse through the Qubo Channel and I absolutely fell in love with it. Honestly, those are both very underrated shows and deserve an actual FANDOM rather than 3 fans. A few people I know have at least heard of Scaredy Squirrel barely anyone has heard of Marvin the dancing horse (and yes, Marvin is based off a book too). I highly recommend those shows, as well as many others!

Cable tv is kind of shutting down now anyway, and it's sad. All we have now is streaming services and a lot of them just don't have those nice kids shows that Qubo had. A lot of those shows were cute and not too overstimulating for the younger kids, and almost everything they have now is for older kids. Sprout became Universal Kids, which is more for older kids and they didn't need to do that. We need more things for little kids too. Also, as a 21 year old with trauma, I don't like rough adult shows like South park and Hazbin hotel, I want more calming shows like Scaredy Squirrel and Toddworld. (Also, I'll put a list of my favorite shows from Qubo in my last paragraph).

I hope one day I can make my own tv channel or streaming service to replace Qubo or Sprout, but nothing can really "replace" my favorite channels growing up. Also, if you want some relaxing kids shows from Qubo to watch, I'll give you some;

Scaredy Squirrel, Toddworld, Stella & Sam, Timothy goes to school, Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse, Maggie & the Ferocious Beast, Harry & his Bucket of Dinosaurs, Miss Spider Sunny Patch, Babar, Veggietales, Gofrette, I Spy, My Friend Rabbit, Sandra the Fairytale Detective, Willa's Wild Life, Pecola, Turbo Dogs, Sidekick, and Stickin' Around (although there's a trigger warning).

Tell me what you think and if you agree! Are you too a Qubo or Sprout fan?