#it's not about anyone else (even if it kind of is). it's about the trailblazer. it was always about the trailblazer paving their own way +

[idyllic-affections]

i can't STANDDDD the abyss sibling. in my case, it's lumine. anyway i can't stand her. imagine your sibling chasing after you, pushing themselves to their limits JUST to find you--to find answers about you because they love and miss you more than anyone else--and when you finally decide you will see them again, what the fuck do you say? NOTHING OF VALUE?????? and you just go on your way, acting like you don't give a fuck????? when that's literally your only family, you walk away without reassuring that you do care for them and it's just that you have your hands tied or... fucking SOME explanation for why you won't talk??????? the abyss twin does not care about the other at all i swear. like imagine making your allegedly "beloved" sibling stretch themselves so impossibly thin just to find you instead of using your words and, idk, talking to them???? i would just stop looking for them at that point fuck that. anyway this is just a pet peeve about the genshin storyline. it's so annoying.

(i am not an only child btw. i do have an older sister.)

[mirrology]

hihi ! thinking about himeko and kafka being divorced parents to a teen reader that travels with himeko in the astral express!! then kafka visits the reader but himeko gets a lil overprotective of them :3

pay your child support, hsr thoughts.

You were a stellaron hunter. You were found by Kafka on a rogue planet. You played the part of a “distraction” aka leading people away from the other stellaron hunters. You had always followed Kafka around. She essentially acted like a parental figure.

Even though you were useful, Elio thought it was better if you had a normal life. You were still a teen, after all. After many days of debating, it was up to Kafka to lead you to your new home. It was easy to trick you. Your trust for Kafka was stronger than anyone's else’s.

So she dropped you off at the astral express, right in front of everyone. She even gave a little explanation, how nice!

But you felt betrayed. How could she just leave you here with people you didn't know?

You were weary of everyone, even though they looked like they had good intentions. The express was different from the stellaron hunters. They felt more lively, and they had freedom, something that you noticed that the stellaron hunters didn't.

Himeko was quick to welcome you, although a bit reluctantly, but she quickly learned that you meant no harm. She was comforting and motherly when she needed to be, especially when you got into shenanigans with March and the trailblazer (and dragging Dan Heng into it, too)

Himeko once got you to try her coffee and let's say that you couldn't taste anything for at least a week.

You were getting used to the life in the astral express, going on trailblazing expeditions to many different planets with the people you now considered friends and family.

But you did miss Kafka and the others, you wondered what they were up to. Just as you were lost in your thoughts, guess who showed up? Yup, it was Kafka.

Your eyes lit up once you spotted her and ran over to greet her. She claimed to be there because she missed you, you kind of didn't believe her but you still were glad that you got to see her again.

Himeko walked into the parlor car as she was searching for you for your nightly skincare routines. She spotted Kafka and demanded to know what she was doing in the express.

Kafka: Just visiting my favorite child, of course!

Himeko: You mean the one who you left with us?

Kafka: (in a teasing tone) Hm, it was for a good cause, Miss Himeko~

Himeko: (now frustrated) If you're still going to act like their guardian, then at least don't abandon them.

You: … (thinking) they act like a divorced couple…

The two women came to an agreement that Kafka would visit on the weekends, and Himeko would take care of you for the rest of the week.

You find it really funny that every time that the two interacted, they acted like two moms to you, which you didn't mind.

notes: sorry that this took so long to answer.

[yanderehsr]

❰❀🦋✿ . ✦

I would like to place a request, I have seen that you write Paimon Reader, and I have seen some theories that Paimon has abandonment issues, I would like to see how some characters (anyone you want!) react to this

Sure, hope you'll enjoy😄

Trigger Warning: Yandere, Obsessive behaviour, Possessive behaviour, Kidnapping

Caelus: Oh he is just so happy about it, he never leaves your side anyways so isn't this perfect, you don't even want to leave, he will have his companion with him for the rest of his life, and he'll protect you until his dying breath.

The only time Caelus left your side was when he died against Cocolia, and he still remembers your crying to this day, he felt so bad afterwards that he makes extra sure to avoid attack, can't have his companion cry again now can he.

"I'm sorry, I'll make sure to not die again, so cheer up buddy"

Sampo: He is another one who loves it, all he has to do is make sure you come to rely on him, should be easy enough, he is an expert at tricking others. The first step is to sepperate you from the Trailblazer.

Sampo gaslights and manipulates you into thinking that the Trailblazer is planning on abandoning you, of course you don't believe it, but he says so every day, over and over again that you start to question your relationship with the Trailblazer. This is what Sampo wants, now he will just convince you that he will never leave you... ever.

"Well now my little companion, do you still think they wont abandon you, well you are wrong, they have ties to others, I on the other hand have no one but you, so I have no reason to leave"

Lyney: He likes that you have it, he doesn't like that you are so attached to the Traveler. He will try and sepperate you two at every occasion, he does it in a way you wont notice this, he even gets his sister in on this, he just wants you to be his little sister, is that so much to ask for.

If all else fail, Lyney will ask for help from his father, you may cry and beg to be let back to the Traveler but he wont budge on this, you deserve to be safe instead of traveling every day, he acts so kind to you, he hopes that one day you will look up to him as your big brother and be afraid of him abandoning you instead, he never will of course.

"Now please don't cry sis, they weren't as nice as you think, they chose to take you out on these dangerous adventures, but I'll keep you safe, forever"

[fuxuannie]

❥﹒a special kind of love

✦. synopsis — a relationship with dan heng can be a little rocky, but for him? you'd be willing to go through a landslide.

✦. love mail — im alive (i say for the 4th time only to disappear without a trace.. again) but this is inspired by my experience w someone v special to me!! happy 1 month ♡

✦. tags — HSR SPOILERS. noot really? i mean spoilers for dh's identity, dan heng x gn reader, fluff, i havent written for hsr in 6 years (dramatic), not proofread, im sick

"YOU'RE KIDDING!?"

You nearly topple over the trinkets on your desk when you had slammed the table prior to your screaming.

Moments before such a reaction, you had called Dan Heng into your room to discuss a 'private matter', in which you had to talk to him personally with no distractions.

'Private matter' being your feelings, and how bottling them up was making you lose your mind - so to save yourself the slowburn suffering, you had to confess the aching sensation in your chest every time he passed by.

"I, uh.. I like you." Your voice is almost a murmur, staring down at your desk that you stood behind with Dan Heng infront of it.

There's silence, he tilts his head slightly. "Sorry?"

You're about to repeat yourself, already regretting your decisions until you hear him clear his throat.

Looking up, you notice a hue of red on his face as he looks almost as shy as you, a rare sight from the usually nonchalant Dan Heng. "You.. like me?" He repeats for clarity, watching you nod as silence once more fills the room.

"Well.. I like you too. I'm surprised you beat me to the confession."

"...YOU'RE KIDDING!?"

And that lead to the unexpected relationship between the trailblazers who almost never interacted within the publics gaze.

You'll admit the first few weeks were.. awkward. You two didn't have much dating experience, especially Dan Heng, but you see how he tried. He'd always text you if you guys were seperated, you notice how he's much more clingy when you're around, and how he's clearly more comfortable with you than anyone else.

But you'd often times get him 'just because' gifts and letters, told him he was the person you adored most, and constantly reminded him how perfect he is. However, most of the time - especially in public, it still felt like you guys were more or less friends than anything else.

And because of that, there was a bit of overthinking that clouded your mind for a while. You of course, acknowledged that Dan Heng was not at all required to immediately reciprocate affection in the way you do.. but you simply wanted to be reassured that he felt the same way about you.

So on a rainy night, with Dan Hengs arms wrapped around your own frame as the sound of raindrops hitting your window keep you up.. well, not to mention the racing thoughts of insecurities, that played a part too. You looked up at your boyfriend, who was fast asleep with his beautiful and peaceful expression, which made you feel bad for choosing tonight to communicate your feelings.

"Dan Heng?" You whisper, lightly rubbing his arm to wake him. His messy hair is everywhere, so you first wait as he moves it away from his eyes to get a good view of you even in the dark. "..Hm?" He replied sleepily.

"..Do you.." Hesitation was evident, clutching the back of his shirt. "..Ever think I'm not good enough for you?"

Silence.

"Cause-" You sniffled, unable to escape the lump in your throat as you began to share your feelings. "I know I'm not that amazing. I'm not energetic and bright as March, I'm not strong and independent like Stelle, and I'm certainly nothing like you.. I don't get it. Why me? Why me when you could have anyone else?"

You waited for a reply, but you weren't expecting much. You knew he wasn't a talker, and that is something you learned to accept, but you didn't know how to feel about the chances of him responding with "I'm not sure what to respond." or something along those lines.

"(name)," He chuckled, pulling you closer as your tears soaked his shirt. "You don't have to be them, not March, not Stelle, and certainly not me. I fell inlove with you because you're you, and you're more than I've ever wanted in someone."

You didn't know how to respond, you wanted to talk more, but the rears were getting uncontrollable and Dan Hengs firm and comforting arms around you weren't helping your emotional state. So you cried, and cried, and through it all - he was awake till you'd stop crying. It was then you realized how much you really mattered to him, more than you could fathom.

He placed several small kisses onto your forehead,

"I love you, more than you know."

[alwayscorvus]

"You are cute when you get worried about me" - Part 1

"You are cute when you get worried about me" - Part 1

Dan Heng x malereader, fluff

Dan Heng...

Such a peculiar individual. He never spoke too much, never took the lead. Quiet, shy, modest. Living, as if in his own world and constantly seeking peace of mind.

When talking he was always a secondary character.

And in matter of fact, he did it so well that when you first got on train you didn't even notice him.

Yes, you were ashemed of yourself because of that. But in this rush of emotions and questions from new faces, especially March and Himeko, Dan Heng was just a... shadow.

Gradually, however, this began to change.

First, you had to experience shock at the sight of boy sitting next to you (Who, by the way, took his place on red seat in a very soundless way...) And spill a slowly cooling drink at yourself.

When it occurred to you that Dan Heng had been on the train all this time, including the last few days that had passed since your arrival, only then you could begin to calm down. And adventure between the two of you could truly begin.

You started bumping into each other. More and more frequently. You could say that this wasn't a big achievement in a closed space which train was. But with Dan Heng, however, situation looked a little different.

Weird fate brought you two together.

You couldn't get used to new time zone and instead of sleeping, you wandered around the train at night. On the other hand, he was sneaking out late at night to grab some food. Lured with naive hopes of not meeting a single person on his way.

There were more stories of similar kind. You ran into each other by chance in storage compartments. Or escaped together from March's pushiness.

Although Dan Heng tried to avoid people as much as possible, your company was not so bad. And even quite... tolerable. Which was definitely surprising.

You didn't force your presence. Didn't look for a topic for unnecessary chat.

You both were able to stay in complete silence for a long time. It provided a strange comfort to Dan Heng. And you... you just didn't care about creating a forced relationship with the other. Nor did you want to do anything that would make boy feel bad.

Despite that, with each situation you managed to discover new features of Dan Heng. It turned out that he wasn't just an ordinary silent shadow.

And somehow, strangely, you started to convince yourself to him.

So much that when March told you about how Dan Heng was supposed to perform cpr on Trailblazer you gritted your teeth.

You yourself didn't know why. Dan Heng was just so... tender, innocent, elegant. You couldn't imagine anyone reaching up to his level. No one deserved his touch. Even you were not good enough for him. Wait...

Or was it just a jealousy?

Strange thoughts disappeared as quickly as they appeared. And you two started to become just a couple of good companions.

More and more often you dropped by his room to read something interesting. And he frequently recommended something from his collection to you.

In return, you always appreciated him by a cup of something warm. And not only in his room. When Dan Heng was sitting in parlor car with everyone else, you would appear out of nowhere, sliding steaming drink under his nose.

At first March was always throwing a tantrum for not handing her one as well. But as time went on, she began to suspect that you must have added something there. Because Dan Heng began to behave somehow strangely different.

And absolutely, in your whole life you wouldn't even think of something like that! Especially since Dan Heng was only a friend in your eyes (and even to this status there was still a long way ahead).

But indeed, boy somehow began to appear in your company more often. He would approach you of his own want. And when he had to take a seat at a table, he always chose the one next to you. Not to Yang, not Himeko, not Trailblazer, not March, but you. He didn't really say anything at that time. Mostly he was so quiet that after some time you even managed to forget about his presence.

He just felt comfortable in your company, your voice calming him down. He enjoyed listening especially to your speeches. Although you didn't show your wise side at first meeting, over time Dan Heng developed a great respect for you. When you commented on books, analyzed documents and, to his horror, sometimes corrected his diagrams.... you seemed so incredibly smart for such a young age. In terms of eloquence you matched to Himeko or Mr.Yang themself. Even when you were separated by such a big difference in experience.

Before you knew it Dan Heng was coming to you for advice. Mainly wanting to consult plans for various missions. He didn't do this often and certainly wasn't confident enough to ask you directly. His pride and desire for complete independence could suffer greatly from this.

But why do something so troublesome, when he had you just there, so close... That's why in moments of desperation he slipped his notes under your nose. Casually, by accident. He always pointed out that he was in the middle of working on them and that he just took a quick break. He didn't ask for help.

He wanted to create an illusion in which he could handle everything by himself. Where he already had specific steps planned. He just hadn't had time to write them down yet.

He was waiting for you to suggest a solution on your own. And you gladly played along. Even when you finally understood his actions, you couldn't destroy his fragile ego. Put him in hesitation, bring him to a state where he would start doubting himself and claim that he wasn't good enough for this world.

That's why you would just throw some idea. He would only mutter that he had come up with it a long time ago. And whenever you left his room, he would rush to his papers as quickly as possible, noting your solution.

First few months passed and Nameless welcomed you into the family, began to treat you as their own. You were so friendly, warm-hearted and understanding that you won their trust without much difficulty.

In the result, you started going on short, simple missions. With different people. Though probably most often with Trailblazer. Both of you were new on train. Others already had many adventures behind them, so they decided that it was your time.

It was true that by sheer coincidence of fate you spent most of your time with Dan Heng on train. But you really doubted that he would miss you. He wasn't that type. Besides, you also didn't have time to think about him in heat of battle.

Despite that, boy was able to remind you about himself sometimes.

You didn't expect it, but one time your phone made a hazy sound of a notification.

When you saw from who the message came, you couldn't believe your eyes. Dan Heng.

Your conversation wasn't very thrilling. Boy wanted to share some new discovery. So after a not-so-short introduction involving long definitions and some data, he ordered you to visit him in his room as soon as you returned.

"And don't forget about drinking water. Dehydration can lead to dizziness and serious physical damage to your health." - that's exactly how his last message sounded like. After it, his status immediately changed to offline.

To others, this message could have not meant anything, but you have already managed to get to know Dan Heng.

Although the way he showed his affection was definitely... unusual and not very obvious. Revolving mostly around simple things. In you it still caused a spread of warmth.

Your friend was genuinely concerned about you. You meant something to him.

"Cute" - was all you managed to think before shoving your phone into a pocket.

On some missions, however, you had to worry about more serious issues than hydration.

Apparently when Dan Heng found out that u were severely injured, he didn't even wait for Himeko's instructions before rushing to your rescue. But then again, who would trust March's stories...

-So stupid of you, thinking that u could handle this monster on your own - he shouted angrily, at the same time pushing your drained body closer and closer to his chest and rapidly beating heart.

-Stupid, stupid, stupid! -he just repeated, while punching your aching shoulder with free wrist. You only hissed at that harder, but you didn't dare to say anything.

You guessed Dan Heng was really worried.

Ever since he stopped your bleeding, he hasn't left your side. For the first time in so long, stress spoke through him. He supported your torso on bended knees as Trailblazer went to show the way to other Nameless.

Dan Heng probably should have replaced the limping Trailblazer in this situation and get help by himself. But it didn't even cross his mind to lose sight of you ever again. Who knows, maybe you would get some stupid idea again and start fighting an obviously stronger beast without him.

Despite all this situation, he probably didn't lose his common sense. Because as you thought about it longer his punches and shouts effectively kept you from drifting off into unconsciousness...

You didn't think you could mean so much to him. And yet, in that short time, you unintentionally became his biggest support. Someone he could come to, knowing that he wouldn't be bombarded with questions at the same time. It was on your shoulder that he could rest his head when he was losing battle with sleep deprivation. He felt safe because he knew that you weren't one of those people who would forcefully dig into his past. Besides, in his eyes, you were nice, you paid attention to details and as funny as it might sound.... you were simply clever. Even if others saw you differently, even if you had other opinion of yourself.

You were the one who always respected his opinion and you just... were there.

Therefore, at the very thought that he could lose you... That he could lose any of his loved ones again, his heart froze.

-Don't even think that I will ever let you go on any mission alone. From now on we are partners.

You only smiled at that.

-You know, you are cute when you get worried about me?

Dan Heng looked at you startled. And a slight blush appeared on his cheeks.

Before you had time to look at him more, you were thrown on the hard ground with a loud bang.

made while listening to CORBYN "Sorry's Never Enough"

[antimatterz]

when you're offline for a while

dan heng, gepard, blade, sampo, jing yuan x gn!reader

summary: it's been a couple of days since you last logged in, how are they taking it?

cw: fluff, humor, pining, self-aware au

enyo's note: inspired by an ask from a dear anon !

content under the cut | masterlist

dan heng

dan heng might think he doesn't show it, but it's painfully obvious for those who know him a little better. he's more quiet and retreats to the archive room even more than usual, heaves out sigh after sigh while he wonders where you are. as someone who was often online, it was weird for you to not log in for a couple of days. he won't admit it to anyone, but he misses the visits you always pay him during your online time and he misses going on trailblaze missions. when you finally come back online he is the first to approach you, playing it cool but you see the pout on his face and he fails to hide his puppy eyes as he asks you were you've been. he's secretly very happy to see you again.

gepard landau

he is so lost, trying to go on with his daily duties but in his mind constantly wondering where you are. he doesn't get it, you're literally always there and now you aren't? it makes him kind of insecure, too, as he starts thinking that it's because of him that you're no longer online. did he do something you didn't like? had he disappointed you in any way? when you log in again he is so happy to see you but also a bit reluctant to approach you, so please reassure him that you simply had been busy and that it had nothing to do with him! as soon as he's reassured, he'll happily greet you.

blade

really, he pretends not to care at all. maybe he doesn't, but only during the first few days. after that he starts getting impatient, getting moody and on-edge and snappy towards his fellow stellaron hunters. he acts like he's annoyed by your absence but in fact, he misses you and isn't sure what to do now that you aren't around him. it's funny how kafka can see right through him but he has no clue himself lol. blade has gotten so used to you being online all the time and he would not admit it yet but he grew fond of you – and it shows. when you log in again, he asks you where you've been, arms folded and demeanor quite grumpy ( yes, maybe he's jealous that something else got your priority, and not him ) but secretly he hides small smile, happy that you're back.

sampo koski

oh, this guy is so dramatic about it. he openly complains to everyone willing to listen about your sudden disappearance and spends a lot of time just sitting and waiting around, not knowing why you're suddenly not logging in again after being so active before. when you come back after a couple of days, he'll be even more dramatic as he welcomes you with a big ass speech about how he missed his beloved partner in crime and how boring it was without you. he's very extra with his words and touches and doesn't disappear from your sight. he doesn't leave you alone for a second and is sickingly sweet.

jing yuan

the general is pretty chill with it, though he can't help but wonder where you are. you always made sure to stop by his office every time you got the chance, and now you haven't been online for a couple of days. what occupies you? okay, he knows like no other what it's like to get a little extra busy sometimes and he simply assumes that's happening to you right now. so yeah, he waits patiently for your return, even though he secretly misses your presence. as you log in, he warmly greets you, hiding behind a calm smile how happy he is to see you. he instantly invites you to his office, where you update each other on what happened the past few days.

[alivee123]

weird things I've noticed about astrology from my own experiences

this is just my opinion as a person who studies astrology from time-to-time. I'm not a professional and even if I was these are observations not hard-core facts.

Leos suns may not end up famous but they might meet a famous person once in their life, and they tend to give off this vibe...? like it's a vibe that kind of says they'd do great with things like being a influencer or a public speaker....I don't know how to word it exactly but they can be really influential, and without knowing, too! And if they do know sometimes they actually don't care and decide to less flashy things but somehow when they do this stuff it becomes flashy. Not a trendsetter like I've noticed Aires suns to be but more like trailblazers who aren't doing it for anyone else.

Taurus suns are the really sensitive people of the zodiac but they're really sweet, too! Just a bit sensitive to words at times, but still they're pretty solid people. Also Leo suns get along pretty well with them in my opinion, though they do butt heads they can relate to each other most times.

A heavy Capricorn placement can mean you wear pretty reserved clothes but you have taste so it's actually more interesting than a very exposing outfit...this has been more common with people I've met who have their midheaven in Capricorn.

Your IC can point to what style you'd wear IDEALLY and your MC can show what you actually TEND to wear or pull off. So for me, with a Cancer IC, I really would like to wear alot of soft and kinda cottage core outfits, which give me cancer vibes.....but I end up wearing more hardcore/noticeable out fits that still are pretty formal, which I think is a Capricorn thing.

I've noticed that people tend to think like their ASC if that makes sense..? like, I tend to think impulsively and boldly which is like my Aires ASC. And I've noticed people tend to look more like their DSC...but this observation is still a WIP.

Part of fortune could show where you have a natural talent and also things that could interest you.

[my-mt-heart]

Why "Unconventional" Daryl Matters

Daryl is my favorite male character on television. In fact, he was the first male role model I had after growing up with men who were always quick to anger, shouting at others, breaking things, and throwing tantrums. Norman's portrayal showed me that men have the ability to choose kindness, tenderness, and true love even if nobody taught them how when they were kids. 

Daryl’s “unconventional” masculinity is what makes him so unique. He doesn’t make speeches or push to be the leader. Yes, Rick is a strong character, but I love Daryl because he isn’t Rick or any other male character on the show. Daryl is a trailblazer who breaks several stereotypes. Having spoken to so many other Caryl fans, I know Daryl's backstory and his devotion to Carol give them hope that they too can rise above their trauma.

Because of Norman and Daryl, so many fans feel more comfortable opening up about childhood or sexual abuse despite the stigma surrounding it. Daryl's representation is especially empowering to men who were abused or neglected for not conforming. He showed them what it means to be a kind, emotionally intelligent man. He did that. That's something I hope Norman is very proud of. The writers may have created a powerful emotional arc, but he is Daryl. No other actor could've captured Daryl's nurturing side that effortlessly – sometimes with just a simple look or touch or tone of voice – and balanced it with all of his epic moments. That's all him. 

Most people understand that the purpose of my campaign over the past couple years was to demonstrate Melissa's and Carol's vitality to the show, but that's not all. I was advocating for Daryl's character integrity too. His fierce loyalty, vulnerability, and devotion to Carol all make him heroic in my eyes and they all go hand-in-hand, but when Daryl starts questioning where he belongs after spending only a short time with new characters and when his feelings get buried under layers of subtext, then my investment in him starts to feel misplaced, which hurts a lot because of the personal connection I've made with him. It makes Daryl's character growth from a lone wolf to a committed family man seem fruitless if he can just find a "surrogate" family somewhere else. Do I think the story will ultimately lead to Daryl making that choice? No, but my point is, it isn't clear why he could never choose anyone other than Carol and TF. And it needs to be. Norman said Daryl is someone who "wears his heart on his sleeve." That's the Daryl I root for. That's who I want to see more of. I miss him terribly.

Again, Daryl inspired a generation of young men to refuse the toxic male stereotype, and taught them how to choose kindness and how to love fiercely. Daryl’s love for Carol showed so many women that they deserve to be treated with love and respect by their partners. I'm excited to see more of Daryl who knows where he belongs and isn’t afraid to show his love for Carol. I want the trailblazer who stands up for who he is and doesn’t fall into toxic masculine traps – because that ain’t him. 

[comicaurora]

Happy Glorious 25th of May. Thank you for getting me into the discworld books (at least in an indirect way). They have quickly become one of my favorite series of books, even if I've only read a handful of them. As for a question, what have been your biggest takeaways or lessons from the discworld books? Whether it be how you write, how you engage with stories, or even how you look at the world.

we got another one lads

It's a little hard to boil it down! The books cover so much ground, and I read them at such a formative age it's hard to tease out how much of me is made from them.

On the most basic level, I love how angry those books are. Every POV protagonist is seething at unfairness and injustice and this is never framed as a bad thing - just something that needs to be controlled, directed, weaponized.

I like that everything is a joke, but in-universe everybody is absolutely sincere. The characters are charicatures and punchlines because of their sincerely-held beliefs and ideals. Captain Carrot is shiny and literal-minded and perfection personified and it's funny because he really is that good. Nanny Ogg is an outrageously horny and boisterous old woman and it's funny because she's having such a good time with it, especially when contrasted with her stern and serious foil Granny Weatherwax, and it's funny because the two of them know each other incredibly well and deal with each other's eccentricities with the practice of decades. The dwarves are funny because they're goofy little guys with big beards that think about nothing but gold and new songs to sing about gold, and as the books go on, the complexities of a culture that looks like that punchline become the deepest and most fascinating element of the worldbuilding in the entire Disc. The world is mounted on the back of four elephants and we made a book called the Fifth Elephant, how wacky, hey let's casually integrate the worldbuilding consequences of massive deposits of perfectly-crisped organic matter caused by the collision of a planet-sized elephant with a planet-sized planet. The discworld tells a joke and then commits to the consequences with its entire ass, and I love that.

A lot of the characters are in some way one-of-a-kind and unprecedented, or at least appear to be on the surface because nobody like them has even been publicly known, and the stories frequently explore how these unique people navigate their existence without a roadmap and trailblaze the way for the people just like them to someday follow. People who break rules by existing and make the world question what purpose those rules serve if they aren't actually unyielding principles of reality. The dwarf gender cultural revolution, the female wizard, the golem given a voice, the entire existence of Susan Sto Helit. It produces a world that feels like it's absolutely full of protagonists, like every story is one-of-a-kind and every individual person matters and has the right to choose the way they want to live, no matter what anyone else thinks. can't believe some terfs really think these books are for them as if they aren't precision-built to tell them to go fuck themselves

The cast full of protagonists makes the crossover events a delight. All these characters existing in the same universe means they can just run into each other sometimes, and they're all such absolute weirdos that their interactions never fail to be absolutely incredible. The world feels very thoroughly lived-in, to the point where the stories sometimes almost feel like they're telling themselves.

they're just really fuckin good ok

[10pm-cafe-lattes]

thoughts on memory tropes...

ok so i saw a single person talk about this. spoilers for the new genshin 4.7 quest (i don't even play genshin anymore), legend of zelda: breath of the wild, honkai star rail and genshin 3.3 (edited for accuracy, thanks to the person who told me it was 3.3) below!

if you haven't guessed from the choice of games and the title and all, this is actually about memory plots! also known as any kind of memory deletion plotline. and in this mini-essay i will break down how it works and why it works- as well as why the specific instance of it in genshin 4.7 doesn't work AS well as the others listed.

disclaimer: this is purely my ideas and opinions. please do not go after me :"D

what even is a memory deletion plot?

i'm choosing to use 'memory deletion plot' as the term for the kind of plots where there's some kind of memory deletion plot- where characters' memories are erased for whatever reason. there are two kinds- firstly is the player character's memory being erased before the game starts (honkai star rail, legend of zelda: breath of the wild, technically genshin impact). secondly is characters' memory being erased mid-game, so you as the player will know what characters used to/don't know.

2. ok why do they even work?

depends on the impact! memory deletion plots can be a good way to start your game, because they give the huge benefit of immersing the player right from the start. the player and your character know that there is a world they know nothing about, so it's a way of putting the two of you on the same page.

in star rail, this is done with the trailblazer, and kafka explaining that your memories were erased for this purpose; in breath of the wild, you wake up after 100 years into an unfamiliar world, knowing that your memories were also kinda weird after this.

these work because you as the player are aligning yourself with the character- every time you find something out, you and the character are having the same reaction of 'you serious?', and it also lets the developers do their exposition in a way that feels more natural, because yeah. of course someone has to explain it to us. the character wouldn't know this beforehand.

now for the interesting one- mid-game deletion. the sumeru archon quest actually pulls this off really well, in two ways- firstly with the festival/dream/cycle thing, and secondly with everyone's favourite cat, wanderer (who shall be referred to as scaramouche since technically that's the version i am talking about).

these work because you are supposed to understand that something has gone wrong. you, as the player, know you've been through this before, but no one else does- this is really well done with scaramouche. when he tries to delete all memory of himself, it's just plain weird. you (and the traveller) know he existed, you literally saw him, but no one else seems to know about him. it's good because it fulfils the goal of mystery and unsettling-ness that the quest wants to give you. why are you the only one that remembers this one guy/this one day having occurred before, while no one else does?

tl;dr, building atmosphere while accounting for the player being a force outside of the game.

4. why doesn't the genshin 4.7 version work?

now. what are my problems with the genshin 4.7 version of this plot.

number one, it feels like a huge cop-out. if anyone has watched miraculous ladybug, the fandom there has a huge problem with the showrunners coming up with ways to revert it to the status quo. for something as huge as having the twins reunite, it feels incredibly cheap to just revert it to the status quo by the end- oh, this incredibly important conversation for your traveller emotionally now no longer exists in their memory. which doesn't... sit right? it feels like the devs were too scared to commit to properly advancing forward, which is a shame because i genuinely liked that conversation! it was a good way of helping to advance the plot while still making you feel like there's a long, long way to go before you can finish the story.

number two, making the player character (the traveller) forget. this is an issue because it's an RPG- you're supposed to immerse yourself in the story through the traveller. this is i think why they're such a blank slate- you never hear their voice, you name them whatever you want, you choose what they say (this isn't a bad thing, per se, because when games do this, they do it well, and i generally don't have super big problems with the traveller's writing as a whole). but if you make your player character forget, how does the player reconcile their own knowledge with the character's? somewhere along the line, aether and lumine will probably have the same conversation, but now it'll just feel contrived because we already know what they'll say.

number three, the lack of payoff. so this is kinda linked to number one- i know that not everything has to have huge narrative significance and payoff, yes, but in this scenario i'd argue that anything involving both twins together requires some kind of payoff. this is literally part of the overarching goal of the story, so i'd argue that you need some kind of payoff. like, emotional catharsis. it's like if the fact that your trailblazer has the equivalent of a nuke just chilling within them had no payoff. this interaction amounted to nothing except appeasing the people who wanted to see the abyss twin again- i would argue that there would have been more payoff if they kept the memory, had the traveller not mention it because they feel like if they do so it would disappear, and then have things about like the sea of flowers show up in future dialogue, like if the traveler is speaking to an archon or something.

—

but yes, tl;dr memory plots are generally good but genshin kinda dropped the ball with 4.7 by making the traveller forget. thank you for coming to my tedtalk.

[hainethehero]

Oh, I feel like it’s so interesting that Steve (in the movies) has always been portrayed as more or less a more passive person when it comes to many things.

There’s a difference in how he’s portrayed when he gets the serum vs when Peggy gets it in what if.

Peggy is immediately effective and trailblazes her way to getting stuff done.

Steve spends a while being on USO doing performances with the USO girls. He literally is still doing it when he arrives in Italy and the soldiers boo him and throw tomatoes (poor thing). He’s like super sad about it and spends a few hours drawing in the rain until Peggy finds him and convinces him to do something about it.

I feel bad for him because while he is quick to defend others and yes get in fights in alleys, I feel like that only happens if he sees someone else in distress and he feels he should stand up to them despite probably not being super helpful because he was always half the size of whatever bullies he tried to stand up to 🤣.

But as a whole, for himself, Steve more or less just goes through life and does what he has to go on and or what is asked of him.

Nobody appeared to ask him if it was cool that he just woke up from 70 years of being frozen and then had to join and the lead the Avengers initiative. Tony/ironman fans like to give him a hard time because he didn’t react well to Tony in the beginning but Tony has a snarky quick wit that Steve doesn’t really have (lol) so he’s not really able to have much equal banter arguments with people like Tony.

People will clown on Steve in that one scene and say he got owned by Tony but personally I don’t think Steve’s personality is much of a debating and shit talker.

He gets flustered talking to Peggy and she makes a comment that he doesn’t know how to talk to women and he just sheepishly agrees. She is later mean to him after she thinks he “cheated” on her but really he just got ambushed by the other girl - and he’s like 😵‍💫 and I also feel like that was a little unnecessary from her.

The Colonel calls him a chorus girl and basically demeans him because he doesn’t get what it’s like for the guys actually fighting on the field and poor Steve is like 😞.

Then during civil war he actually does get angry and defensive towards Tony but then in the parking lot when he’s trying to explain that there’s more winter soldiers in Siberia Tony just interrupts him and then the rest of the team just basically tells him “do you really want to start this right now?” That scene kind of bothered me because literally no one was listening to him. He didn’t really try to make them understand which was also a choice. I don’t know why sometimes the scripts write him to basically stand there and be a punching bag and yet he’s supposed to be standing up to bullies. But not for himself? Only when it’s other people? So who sticks up for him?

Also - I may add that originally Steve was hoping to go talk to Tony after finding out about the Zeno and other winter soldiers stuff. Sam is the one who tells him Tony won’t believe him and then Steve’s like “we’re on our own 😞” but then Sam suggests an idea that he knows someone (indicating bringing antman in and Clint and etc starting the teams stuff).

Some people claim Steve made the avengers choose sides but he wasn’t even going to ask anyone for help. It’s kinda sad he sometimes gets blamed for this when he was going to go alone just like he was during The whole azzano rescue thing.

Then in endgame obviously Tony is still pissed at Steve even though Steve did apologize and gave him a flip phone to call him if he needed help. Even Bruce told Tony to do it during infinity war but he doesn’t LOL.

Then he blames Steve for not being there and yells at him and Steve is like 😞😞😞

And the whole rest of the film, after they make up, Steve is visibly not trying to get Tony mad. Like you can tell in the later team up scenes between them that Steve is holding back and avoids arguing as much as he can and doesn’t want to trigger more anger from Tony since they had just made things okay. There’s a scene with antman and Tony and they’re arguing and Steve is kind of just there. As he mostly is throughout the whole movie.

I think Steve is a soft hearted sweet person at heart and sometimes I feel they disrespect him a bit too much in the movies. And they don’t really have him do any retaliation that would help justify his case.

I feel like marvel owes him a whole ass apology and also needs to leave him alone forever. Stop bringing him up in later movies and trying to rewrite his history when you already wrote him out of the storyline. And can people stop making jokes about him being a virgin or not? So tired at this point!

This person gets it 👏👏👏

Steve's character design was definitely way more submissive than any other male hero in the MCU. And I think it's a lot of the things you mentioned already.

I'll try to give the whole bullying thing perspective though. (not to get morose & depressing on main) but as someone who was physically ab*sed by their mother, like violently, I often times would not stand up for myself but was the first to step up to protect my friends or even complete strangers. (Maybe that's 2nd nature to me as an aries) but I think it's the same for Steve.

Canonically, his dad was very violent and abusive towards him and his mother. And Steve would ask her "why don't you ever stay down?" so that Joseph would stop hitting her, but she tells him, "bc you always stand up." Or something to that effect. Which is why I think it's easy for him to see bullying when it's other people, but not against himself. It's trauma. And unacknowledged trauma at that, because the MCU never addresses all the things that would've traumatized Steve, not extensively in the Captain America trilogy and CERTAINLY not in the Avengers films.

Also, that whole thing with Peggy shooting at him because of Lorraine kissing him, yeah, she overreacted. In any other circumstance that would be seen as toxic but somehow because it's Steve, that makes it okay. Ugh.

I've always said this and I'll say it again, the MCU wanted to make Tony the ultimate hero of the MCU and they did it at the expensive of Steve's character development. [I'm a Tony fan don't @ me] but it's so obvious they wanted Tony's character to be the ultimate star, which would've been fine if they showed Steve even half of the respect.

J*ss Whedon, who did Avengers 1 & 2, definitely put Steve's character on that trajectory because he was reported saying he "didn't like Captain America" and that came across in the films he did. He's responsible for starting that whole diminishing of Steve's character. The Russos are the only ones who did Steve justice.

And as for Infinity War/Endgame- 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

Those are my least favourite mcu og6 films. Because you're absolutely right! I have no problem with Steve being submissive, but they made Steve almost cowardly compared to Tony when they reunited in Endgame. Like Steve was afraid to challenge him. Like if Steve was wrong in the first place!

Steve was right in CACW! He knew how dangerous it would be to be controlled by the government! He's living proof of why the Accords was NOT A GOOD IDEA! The ONLY thing he was wrong about was not telling Tony about his parents. But even then, it was not Bucky's fault. It was HYDRA.

Tony got emotional and irrational and decided to break up the team over something that was secondary to their main concerns, which was Ross & the Accords. Mind you, the only reason he was supportive of the Accords is because of some lady telling him her son was killed by their actions in Sokovia and how he was reminded of his own legacy as a weapons dealer and the so called "merchant of death." So, selfishly, he decides to make the decision for the rest of the Avengers and agree to the Accords when it should've been a non-negotiable issue in the first place.

And yes, Tony is selfish because Peggy died around the same time they were discussing the Accords and he didn't even care about it. Steve is lost. He's desperately trying to save the ONLY person who knew a damn thing about him from the past, Bucky. And at the same time, he lost Peggy, the only other person who would've known him. Someone who he could relate to. But somehow, everyone else's needs and emotions come secondary to Tony's.

I could go on a whole six hour rant about this😮‍💨

[stuckinapril]

i saw ur post on how there isnt rlly a big arab figure, and wow like. i think that if i had been younger and saw just one or two arab people on tv in a positive way, it would have helped me a LOT. like yeah. There ISNT a big singer or character or actor or model that’s arab. And now im sitting here wondering how many kids are going to be sitting and watching tv and just blocking out their arab heritage and culture because then they wouldnt be like their favorite singer or wtver.

Exactly. Exactly exactly exactly. I’ve full chest said this before, but I wasn’t always as attached to my Arab heritage as I am now. I actually grew up pretty distant from it all around, and it’s only in recent years that I started making a concerted effort to delve into it. And I can’t even blame it on my mom tbh, like I grew up in a lax household that allowed for ample self-expression. It was always the outside world that would make a little Arab girl like me question the worth of her ethnic roots—especially when Arabs are painted as terrorists at worst and as monocultural heathens at best where I’m from (hint: the USA). There is so much to unpack w being raised American but being ethnically Iraqi!! Because that means I literally hail from two countries!! A country that’s thirsty and a country that’s on fire!! But that’s a whole other loaded topic I could write a separate dissertation on.

I’d always have toxic thought loops like “I don’t look Arab enough” “I’m not religious but all the Arab girls I know are Muslim” on and on and on. And like I said in that ask, there was never an Arab American A lister for me to kind of have a frame of reference w. This is specifically an Arab issue too I feel like, bc a lot of brown people do have that star-studded figure to look up to growing up. We do not.

It’s kind of why I decided to be that for myself. I don’t need a cool Arab girl celebrity who’s into fashion or music. I’ll be that. I don’t need an Arab academia girl character. I’ll be that too. There’s no such thing as not looking Arab enough bc Arabs are so diverse. It’s okay that I’m not religious bc Arab culture is not solely defined by religion, and even if it were Arabs are not a hive mind and everyone engages w their culture in vastly different ways (which is okay!! It doesn’t make me any less Arab). I’ll literally just discard other people’s preconceived notions and trailblaze my own path!! I’ll be my own Arab girl representation. I refuse to fit myself into any preexisting mold. I like what I like and the rest just falls into place.

I think that’s why I’ve been so vocal about my Iraqi heritage lately… I’m literally healing my relationship w my roots in real time. Even advocating for Palestine is feeding into that in major ways. It’s legit all coming together for the first time in my life. Now I’m so proud to be Arab—to be Iraqi—that the idea that anyone could shame me for it is as incredulous as it is hilarious. Iraq is literally called the Cradle of Civilization & you want to make me feel BAD for being Arab… for being Iraqi… it’s just impossible bc I can’t imagine myself being anything else. I’m so content to have my multicultural background and to be who I am. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

It’s also cool that I have people following me, that they could also be exposed to diverse facets of Arab culture bc of that, but tbh a lot of this is also purely for me. I want the Iraq tag to be flooded w beautiful Iraqi poetry and beautiful Iraqi art and beautiful Iraqi cinema as I familiarize myself w Iraqi culture more and more, bc there’s so much more to it than the Iraqi War stats that pop up when you look it up on here.

I’m a 21 year old girl AND I’m Arab. That’s literally double the self-discovery to work through. Fortunately I think I’m finally cultivating a strong sense of self, so I really don’t think anything anyone has to say could deter me from my path (whether it be in terms of reconnecting w the beauty of my Arab heritage or legit just growing into my own). It’s not always perfect by any means, but I’ve made so much headway. And absolutely nothing could take away from that.

[pelagaye]

that distant shore

fandom: honkai star rail pairing: gepard landau x reader summary: oceans don't exist on jarilo-vi anymore and there’s really nothing for gepard to change that. but the way how you speak fondly of that distant shore none of you have truly seen influences the affections he holds for you to do something about it. notes: it makes me unhappy that the eternal freeze on belobog might not ever disappear and this fic is just here to comfort me through that fact

there's an abundance of reading materials within qlipoth fort for anyone to delve themselves with.

you're one of the many few, along with pela, who actually takes advantage of this and bronya insists that you pay no mind about the hours that practically glues you to the pages of the novels you read, reassuring the fact that you may actually stay much longer than necessary when your responsibilities are accomplished.

it's not an issue in any way to the newly assigned supreme guardian because aside from the fact you are one of her appointed head officials, she's pretty much aware of the fact that the only thing that can make you pause from your reading is a captain of the silvermane guards who'd lean on the entrance of the door frame with all of his duties finally done to let you know it's getting darker outside.

gathering your things, gepard helps you up from your seat on the floor cushion, his hands lingering onto yours longer than intended before a phrase of gratitude parts from your lips.

it's a routine for the both you at this point. occurrences that you both are secretly thankful for to have in your lives while everything is constant.

such as the wind that caresses your cheeks during the start of your late night walk with gepard, the soft smile you offer to your favorite companion as a conversation makes an opening between yourselves, the consistent cold that envelopes belobog–

ah. the consistent cold that envelopes belobog, the eternal freeze. others would even call it the ice age. but no matter the name it holds, the infamous snowstorm will always leave a bitter taste on your mouth.

because how is that, even when it has ended thanks to a group of trailblazers that saved the planet, its ecological effects remain constant with everything else.

"have i ever told you about the ocean?" you inquire the blond beside you.

gepard gives you a short nod knowing you already had, at least more than a hundred times before already.

you always loved the ocean, despite haven't even seeing it.

so you tell gepard everything you've learned about it.

you’d tell him about the sand that meets with the mass of water on the other side and how its waves, described to be water that moves in rhythm as if they were dancing, would apparently wash up beautiful treasures of various kinds known as shells and possibly corals.

gepard doesn’t fail to admire you as you continue your rambling about the body of water despite the cold that’s freezing your outsides. he listens to each and every detail you continue to share. it does make him wonder if it had ever keep you up at night as you can only yearn for the ocean shore that may serve you as the lullaby you heavily desire for those sleepless nights.

"but if you really think about it, not one person in belobog knows the basics to swimming."

"and you do?"

"is my obsession not enough to convince you?

chuckles dispersed from the both of you and it is enough for gepard to relax himself that despite everything, the ocean is still a source of your happiness. what a tough rival he has before him, indeed.

"when the time comes where i no longer need the novels to tell me about that distant shore, you'll be the first to tag along with me."

the expression on gepard's face changes. nothing too extreme but with one brow rising up, he had to seek your reasons.

you're the only one gently laughing now as you turn to him. gepard feels his ears burning at how precious you appear in front of him before you speak again.

"to see if the rumors are true, of course! you'll be like my second witness, and we'll confirm information together like- like if the sea is really blue! just like the sky-"

just like your eyes.

"and how salty the ocean can be! it'll mean the world to me!"

knowing you'll also be there too.

gepard shakes his head with a smile on his face, he can't just say no to you with every endearment he has saved for the person that you are.

this brings a similar smile to your own and it stays there for awhile, that is, until the cold weather makes its presence known once again, forcing the expression on your face to turn.

"if only we would still be young enough by then to reach it," you sigh. "oh aeons, what a childish dream it actually is."

it is anything but childish, gepard thinks to himself. but you are foolish to say the least because he's more than willing to grow old with you and make that dream of yours come true.

but for now, the both of you can only find such satisfaction with only each other. and in some way or another, it was enough.

—

four days. it's exactly four days after since that night with gepard. he continues to walk you home, of course. with an exception of last night that is, saying he had to run around for some errands.

you, having no need for the blond to elaborate any further, still wonders about it. not that it bothers or anything, definitely not, but eventually the theories in your mind fades upon seeing a tiny box on your office desk.

beside the box is a note indicating it's fragility, the messy handwriting almost too familiar.

and when you do open the gift, the item inside flusters yourself, making you want to treasure the miniature sphere for life.

"oh? another letter?"

to the ocean's beloved marine admirer,

if i had all power in the galaxy, i'd drag multiple body masses of water to where we are today for the sake of your adoration for them, as my adoration for you exceeds that. to tell you the truth, these oceans you speak of makes my heart experience jealousy at times with the way you are so passionate about the idea and concepts surrounding them. still, it has not stopped me from crafting this ornament you hold now. it's called a "snow globe" according to writings but instead of snow, i got help from my sister with assembling it to resemble a sunny bright beach with the distant shore you hope for. may it be to your liking. and oh, do tell me what you think about it the moment we are to cross paths again. you see, i may have been working on it these past days so i apologize if the secrecy had made you suspect badly of me but i have done it with all of my genuine sentiments.

i look forward on taking your offer of witnessing the sun reflecting its rays on the ocean and the irresistible smile that'll loom on your face right after as the scent of the saltiness reaches our noses.

sincerely yours, g. landau

the moment the letter ends, all we may surmise now is an unsuspecting gepard who is confronted by you, his face turning red. gepard, who no longer received a thank you from your lips, instead, it's a soft impact you had on his cheeks. and you, who has fallen deeply in love with the ocean, can say this much: that your heart belongs where it has to be.

[yellowymellon]

If we’re talking about the in-character path that he walks… to be real I think Sunday does not fw Aeons. He wanted to create an Aeonless World where humans can create and build with their own hands without the Gods tampering with people’s existences according to his own words.

In-character I think Sunday respects literally none of Those guys so you’re right when he says the notion of the path but not the Aeon Themselves. You can respect the concept of happiness but think Aha is kind of a jerk I think. Ena the Order resonated to his own world-view more so than Harmony because he is the wettest, soggiest cat, who could not see a world where everyone purposefully held hands and made a better world but he could see a world where someone could an extend a hand, stay at the top of the totem pole, and *then make everyone* work together. That’s how I read it. If anyone else has any takes or you do please feel free because I am character-studying as we speak…..

As for where Sunday goes from here… the letter is so bad I’m not going to lie I read it and I was that one image with the eyes and mouth open. Elio morally greyness is strong here. I’m half-hoping they’re both “end justifies the means”… personally and they join teams and they both have the most awkward silences ever together… because I like to think this means Elio could have stopped him. Tried harder to. Implied it more or used different phases to stop Sunday from going on this path. The “eternal separation” of siblings perchance because I know that if he knew it was bound to fail, if he knew what it’d do it stop… but just told him they were here at the end of the road because this was the way for the trailblazer to be seen by *Xipe.*

It kills me. It signifies how in control of things Elio is. I hate it. I think Sunday will hate it too if I’m not making unseen connections… this is just how I read it. 💀

Oooh I agree! Sunday doesn't believe in any aeon's capabilities to help humans as their needs were never a priority to them, so even tho he did sound like an ena fan boy he was still aware of the destruction they caused to civilizations and that ultimately this aeon won't save them either. That's why he follows the order but not ena, is what I concluded. So I thought, was he creating his own path as he ascends to aeonhood? And would his path be broader than harmony and order or will it clash ? I still can't figure it out....

But that analogy of wet cat? *Chef kisses* I think he unintentionally played God, he said that's not his objective but it was more so of a "fine, I'll do it myself" moment. I just realized that Xipe is being treated as the more righteous even tho they have their fair share of bizarre happenings, meanwhile no one can doubt Ena's contributions to the world, even if they were bad, the order isn't bad. It's just like how robin doesn't represent the messed up side of Harmony, she'll never be the extreme and I don't think Sunday understands what moderation means since he's desperate, and would rather do it all himself so as to suffer alone.

Tbh I didn't read the letter yet since I'm busy T_T but I adored elio's character for it. I'm sure elio is an anti-hero as he's doing this to save the universe, his methods are wicked and he doesn't mind the necessary sacrifice, truly everything happens for a reason. He's playing 5d chess . I'd blab about him forever but I'm making that post some other day lolol

[astrxlfinale]

In moments shared on the fleet, through laughter and silly adventures, it was only a matter of time before Guinaifen would find herself pulling her phone up; " ~ Caelus ! " she'd find herself calling for him, smile as warm as usual but perhaps a little more on the flustered side than usual. What, could one ask, was she up to now ?

Well, a hand would reach for his so she could pull herself a little closer to him, sides meeting as the phone would raise. Golden gaze shifted as finger tapped on the screen to find the camera application, soon displaying both their frames in the screen pointed at them. Guinaifen already knew that March was rather adapt at taking pictures, she had heard so many good things about them, but this... was a different kind of picture, this was of them. Something Guinaifen wanted to cherish in the moments they were apart.

"Would you... maybe want to take a picture with me?" she asked sweetly, thumb grazing his hand. "It's for me ! Not my social media or anything like that, I... want something to look back on whenever we're apart and we can't call each other ! We could also do a couple of silly ones, and I could send them to you ! Or, or -- we could do some cute ones, or with grimaces, like this -- !"

And out came her tongue, poking out for a short minute before breaking into a warm laugh. Anything was good. She just wanted to capture a few moments with him.

"I ~ could also kiss your cheek in one," she'd further tease, nudging their shoulders together, a faint tint on her cheeks.

Strange. In the best damn way strange could mean. It felt like since those days they've spent resting together, gradually building up new defined borders while sledgehammering any prior notes in the name of this new light they've woven together..

Life really has found itself transforming with a branch of the unknown that never felt warmer.

"Shoot, like I'd ever make you ask twice?" The response was enriched with that natural joy that sprung in his step. That mind of the Trailblazer flourished with a pleasant buzz whenever her sweet voice spoke his name. It was a sense of completion to this material world, a force he intends to grip tenderly within his indomitable fist. The way that boyish grin appears becomes a fine note of what she brings out of him, his own shade of gold giving even the finest shades a run for their money.

Things have changed between them. Where the lack of distance felt more natural, where their hands served as a bridge of loving connection, neither of them ever falling short to bask in that very opportunity. Just feeling the way her thumb drew their familiar paths across his rough knuckles led to that soft voltage to course, leaving him all too aware of one fact that kept pounding at the front of his skull.

The Xianzhou Luofu in its entirety had no clue just how blessed it was with Guinaifen's presence here.

An active effort had to be made to reel in his tenderness from spilling overboard. His initial response would be to return the squeeze of her hand, readjusting those fingers amidst her grip in a way that allowed for each one to be laced with the other, solidifying a hold that held no intent of ever letting go in spirit. Once more, another border he felt like was being hopped, that volatile, thriving current of emotion coming to a gradual realization.

...No, rather, he's recognizing what's burning between them with the clarity that always should've been there.

Just a note of that incoming suggestion that found itself playfully, near shyly noted at the tail end after they stuck their tongues at each other (truly picturesque!) had led to the view he's also come to notice a lot more lately.

A look woven for him, the sort that she's never bothered to give to anyone else. More and more did that distance find itself dwindling, and did Caelus absolutely ensure his weight always leaned in to match Guinaifen's.

"Yeah. I'd really like that." The answer was akin to a declaration underneath the light of this artificial sky.

Yet to the one who blazed through a growing number of words, this light was the realest.

For it was the very light that always allowed him to see these heavenly shimmers upon her figure, leaving him transfixed as that rush of heat found itself kicking up within his cheeks. Even then, amidst her saccharine smile, for a fleeting moment that typical, punk like look had settled as the crown expression at first, only to be cosigned by that reserved expression that left him looking bright whenever they shared space with each other.

It clicks the instant he gave her a nudge back, leading her complexion to brighten and steel those nerves in order to 'pay him back' for following that stroke of his heart, and how she repaid it in turn at different times, a constant stream of sharing that always left them feeling invincible and like fireworks were their very basis.

'She.. Really is one of a kind.'

Desire found itself manifesting into a decision.

While the anticipation of watching them through the lens anchored him, witnessing how her eyelids fluttered shut, how the soft warmth across her face hadn't dampened in the slightest in the gradual advance that intends to nail him on the cheek. Caelus would find his courage, allowing that racing heart to center it damn self as within that moment, he'd come to cant his head to the side, allowing those coral tresses to mingle with silvery ash as the direct sight of her expression briefly flickers across his vision, for a golden, sweet moment.

For his own eyes would come to a close. The distance between them would dwindle towards that special brand of nil, for he'd lean in, allowing that pressure to supply an answer of the Heart that Guinaifen long sense earned. No cheeks would find themselves blessed by either of their lips, rather, it'd be that very connection that sends a sublime power flowing through every damn nerve in his veins. The stark realization and surprise could be noted, practically feeling the tension due to his utterly unpredictable move in such an instance.

Caelus was kissing her. There were no second thoughts, no doubts, it showed clear within the way he'd let their lips tenderly mesh for a fleeting moment as an anxious sense of euphoria rocked his entire being in that moment. The idea of a picture was briefly forgotten within his mind, and he assumed the same for that planned picture hadn't found itself cemented in reality with a click just yet.

He couldn't let himself be lost to the sweet scent and creeping dose of an equally sweet taste forevermore, an explanation was due and that's what made him edge apart from her lips as a sudden breath was drawn in.

If she were to peek those eyes open, this time, he wasn't building any distance away from each other. No, the focus found itself devoted directly upon that beautiful face. A particular serenity balancing with that firm look of certainty.

"Would a picture like that work for us too? ..Gui? I want us to take as many as we want." Steady, steel yourself.

Be true to this fire that burns in her name. The answer was so damn simple. A mountain to surprise, but so amazing simple in it's nature.

He knows what he wants.

'I'm yours as long as you want me.'

"I want to be with you."

@avaere

[melon-mastermind]

March 7th and Something Deeper

Warning: This post focuses on eating disorders. Please do not read this if that content makes you uncomfortable.

I’ve had it in my head for a while that March 7th has an eating disorder. Since the trio’s trip to Jarilo-VI, I’ve felt like something was wrong, but I couldn’t exactly explain it. When I searched for information about it online, I was given no answer. I tend to look into things too much. It’s a really bad habit of mine, but I wanted to mention this, especially if one day someone else happens to form the same idea and wants to know if anyone else has thought about it.

The girl is introduced to be someone cute. It tends to happen to characters like her, but she speaks about herself in this way constantly, almost to the fact that it feels a little forced. It certainly doesn’t help that she’s constantly taking pictures of herself. It’s stated that she takes these photos so that she won’t forget the events that occurred, but what if there’s more to it than that? What if she also values the times where she feels like she can call herself pretty, and doesn’t want to lose memory of them?

I could honestly write so many paragraphs on my thoughts here, because I really do like March’s character, but I’ll use bullet points to shorten my additional points.

★ March has an unhealthy attachment to juice, asking Pom-Pom for an unlimited amount of it. She says that she can’t stop drinking it. Those that follow a liquid diet tend to develop this attachment, since the liquid is the only thing their body is really given.

★ On the Xianzhou Loufu, March 7th tries to use Immortal Delight—a drink—at the Matrix of Prescience with Fu Xuan in an effort to gain her memories back. There were many dishes that she could have selected.

★ When March brings up food in her data bank, the girl only mentions eating food that doesn’t taste good. “No matter how disgusting the dish, you gotta summon your trailblazing spirit and face it!” Eating foods that someone doesn’t actually like is a form of self-punishment. Since March doesn’t know her past, she has no way of knowing if she was a good person, and she could feel the need to punish herself for her possible actions. She could also feel the need to punish herself for forgetting her past at all, even if her memories have been tampered with. It’s really just odd that the girl wants to accept challenges that Welt, Himeko, and Dan Heng wouldn’t encourage.

★ When asked about what she had come to learn about photography, March’s answer feels out of place, and her phrasing is questionable. "Number one, when taking pictures of terrible cuisines, all the details must be clearly visible on the pictures because 'Taking pictures of food is equal to eating them. Every detail matters.'"

★ March 7th mentions that she wants to be just like Himeko, a woman who has an unhealthy attachment to coffee.

★ It’s suggested that March gets cold easily. If her ability is not ice, but actually some kind of condensed crystal like she insists it is, then an eating disorder would explain this trait of hers.

★ March 7th has been shown to have mood swings, a symptom of an eating disorder. She’s known to be irritable, suddenly getting annoyed by some people’s comments, and diluting their personalities. For example, she thought that Fu Xuan talked too much. March also has increased anxiety that is easy to overlook, continuing to bring up things in the past, such as how Cocolia had suddenly shifted her demeanor after the trio’s stay at the Goethe hotel. Pom-Pom also states that March, the very girl who is so talkative she’ll talk to herself, seems to suddenly become quiet when organizing photo albums or writing in her diary, only to return back to normal afterwards.

All the same, this game isn’t focused on things like this. This won’t be looked into, and I’m quite aware of that, but I think that the signs are still there.