#its not cute all it does is break the immersion

[echoingspectrum]

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑟'𝑠 𝑃𝑒𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑡

☆ pairing : gamer!streamer!dan heng・character!reader

☆ synopsis : how does it feel to be in dan heng's shoes and vice versa?

☆ word count : 1.1k words

☆ cw : ooc!dan heng・that's all~ here's the headcanon!

⌗ Oh, how the tables have turned~ Instead of the usual gamer you and character Dan Heng, this time it's the other way around, with Dan Heng behind the screen and you as the newest character that developers have introduced to the game in the early version. 

⌗ I imagine Dan Heng plays Honkai Star Rail 24/7, so he knows every lore like the back of his hand. He must have a deeper understanding of the game mechanics and its attributes, creating a sense of career for this game. Like a cute nerd he is~

⌗ Not only is he a gamer, he's also a streamer. He streams moderately, sharing tips and tricks with his fellow gamers, but he is known to stream Honkai Star Rail contents. He enjoys engaging with his audience and discussing strategies, making him a valuable resource for the gaming community. 

⌗ He even streams with his fellow streamers, especially with Caelus. They often get labeled by the viewers as the chaotic duo due to their dynamic and entertaining banter during gameplay. 

⌗ Now, let's proceed to you~

⌗ With version 2.4 approaching, there was a leak of your character saying that you'd be one of the important figures of one of the Xianzhou Alliance, and everyone was suspecting that you'd either be one of the swordsmen or the arbiter-general, similarly to Jingyuan or Jingliu. 

⌗ Do you know the Silhouttes marketing drip that the HSR developers posted? There were eight of them⏤including you. Ever since the new March 7th drip marketing, everyone has been hyped for the following characters that are soon to be released. 

⌗ There are four characters hailing from the Yaoqing, others from the Zhuming, and March categorize in Luofu. One in particular that caught their attention is your silhouette banner, which illustrates your figure with your desired weapon in your grasp, bird crane origami surrounding you, and a subtle winged dragon shadow hovering in the background.

⌗ Meanwhile, Dan Heng, being one of the lore fanatics, has speculated that you may be one of the Vidyadhara species like Bailu⏤Correction. He's not just speculating; he's certain of his theory. Despite the lack of the draconic features in your character, you're somehow linked to the Vidyadhara race.

⌗ The developers dropped an animation where the five high elders of Vidyadhara are shown, and one of them bears a striking resemblance to your silhouetted character. This has sparked even more speculation from Dan Heng about your true identity and affiliation to the Vidyadhara race. 

⌗ Despite you're in a cameo, Dan Heng is captivated by your character design; it's aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The developers must increase their efforts to include more details about your character in future updates to satisfy the demands of players. 

⌗ Although he notices that you lack the draconic features present in the other high elders, this would mean that your hidden role must be disclosed in later updates. 

⌗ While streaming, Dan Heng nonchalantly talks about you and the design itself, even theorizing what unit you will be in the future and the most effective relics that would give you massive damage. 

⌗ Do you guys know those informative videos where content creators break down every aspect of a character's abilities, potential damage, which lightcone suits them, or what pieces of relics would give them a buff? Dan Heng is one of those, except he's quite immersive when it comes to you.

⌗ The audience quickly notices how passionate Dan Heng is, and they labeled him as a SIMP for you. He himself hasn't noticed how well absorbed he is into you, which is terrifying to say the least.

⌗ Imagine the day when the new patch was released and Xianzhou had added a recent interlude story mission, which somehow ties to you and other characters, and Dan Heng immediately logged in to the game with breakneck speed. 

⌗ Do you guys know that every time a new story is added to the game, there's the main cover of the chapter? Where are all the major characters going to be included in the story? Yeah⏤that's basically what Den Heng is seeing right now! There's a midnight-isque backdrop, and the characters are having a smile on their faces, enjoying whatever the heck they are doing. But that's not what Den Heng is focused on.

⌗ In the corner of the cover, there's a suspicious figure in a clay blue colored cloak that seems to be hanging around with several children who are all circling around the figure. Squinting his eyes, he sees a tuff of your hair out of the cloak. He's now certain that you'll be part of the story somehow. 

⌗ During the story, Dan Heng ( he's streaming the walkthrough ) secretly basks at every moment of your screen time; he screamed internally at your first appearance⏤or every time of your appearances; he would take a minute or so to glance at your expression and design every chance he gets. His fangirl moment. 

⌗ Your voice was pleasant to hear. The audience started to spam him with SIMP texts in the chats or even memes due to his not-so-subtle, flustered reactions. Overall, he enjoyed the mission story. Because you were in it.

⌗ Now, he's waiting for anyone who leaks your gameplay.⏤Who am I kidding…HE'S THE ONE WHO LEAKS YOUR GAMEPLAY AND IDLE ANIMATION. He may seem to be a reserved guy, but mentally, he's zealous. He enjoys and approves your gameplay and animation because they are appropriate to your character and your aesthetic. 

⌗ One of your idle animations consists of creating a bird crane origami and letting it fly away, watching it with awe. A unique feature of this is that for each bird crane origami you've created, different colors and patterns are displayed.

⌗ Another idle animation of yours is⏤since in your default form, you appeared to be human. Then clouds materialize and envelope your figure. With a burst of wind, it showed your Vidyadhara form. 

⌗ In your gameplay, however, before entering the battle, you were still in your default form. Following entering a battle, you've changed into your Vidyadhara form, draconic features and all. Similar mechanics with Firefly/SAM. Your author is biased when it comes to dragon-based characters. I'll let you imagine your basic attack, skills, and ult. 

⌗ Once your banner is dropped, oh boy…Dan Heng is going to E6 and S5 of you and your signature lightcone. AND HE FRICKING DID! Giving you the best relic and maximizing your talents. Every battle he encounters, he always wins, and hearing your triumphant voice line, he's proud of himself. This guy is fucking devoted y'all. If only I had money, then I could E6 Imbibitor Lunae. 

⌗ He subtly boasts you and your build to his viewers and his fellow streamers. Caelus lost his 50/50 in your banner and got Bailu instead, but at least it's also a Vidyadhara. Overall, Dan Heng adores your character and loves to see more of you in the future patches. 

[tri-punisher]

old man yelling at cloud moment can u guys stop having vash call wolfwood any variant of nic/nico/nicholas. oh my god. he quite literally Would Not Fucking Say That

[sanjifucker42069]

Calm Him Down- Sanji x Reader

Word Count: 2000

Warnings: mentions of Sora Vinsmoke. Sanji has a panic attack. First ever hurt/comfort lmao, so there's that. Slight OOC as Sanji kinda breaks down, letting people in without costing an arm and a leg, the stubborn bastard. Reader's gender is not specified, but you do sleep in the women's quarters, which like, look at the gender ratio on the Sunny. There's heaps more room in the women's quarters, makes sense to chuck you there. 

It's up to you how you read their relationship here. In my mind they're close friends pining for each other, but it could easily be read as platonic or established relationship.

------

It was a peaceful day on the Sunny; the seabirds were squawking, the ocean lapped at the boat lazily, and Zoro and Sanji were arguing. Go figure. Your eyebrow twitched, where you say at the kitchen table giving you perfect access to the argument. You don't even remember how it started, probably something banal. Beside you, Chopper was reading a book, fully immersed in its pages. You tried tuning out most of the fight.

"You're lucky I don't come over there and kick the shit out of you. I've had enough of your disgraceful behaviour." Sanji growled.

Zoro regarded the blonde with a sneer. “What shit-cook, you gonna cry to mummy about it?”

CRASH. SLAM. 

You whipped your head to the kitchen, seeing Sanji staring down the swordsman with barely-contained fury. Blood turning to ice, your breath hitched. You’d never seen the sweet cook look so murderous. There was a fire in his eyes that broke your heart, like it was a glimpse to the true man underneath. You swear you could catch a hint of vulnerability, but he was stamping that down, waves of violent palpable pain rolling off him.

“You know nothing about my mother, so shut the fuck up.”

The silence that flooded the room was suffocating. You flinched, physically feeling how all warmth was sucked from the air. Sanji growled, deep and furious.

“Get the fuck out of my kitchen. All of you.”

“Hey, I didn’t me-” Zoro started weakly.

“Sanji.” You breathed.

“Get. out.” The snarl that rewarded you knocked the wind out of you. Wordlessly you collected Chopper, taking him by the hand and helping him out of his seat. The reindeer looked shocked, tears threatening to spill. You rubbed small circles into the fur above his hoof with your thumb. Sparing him one last glance, you grabbed Zoro by the ear with your free hand, dragging the hissing man. If you purposefully pinched hard, then who was to say. Surreptitiously you flicked your eyes to the cook, but Sanji had his back to you, arms bracing the kitchen counter. His hands were clutching the wood in a vice-like grip, none too gentle. You sighed, hauling the two out of the galley. Softly, you let go of Chopper’s hand and pulled the heavy door closed. Your fingers pinched Zoro’s ear hard one last time, before releasing. 

Before the swordsman could open his mouth, you shushed him. “I know. I know, okay, there’s no way any of us could’ve known. Just. Go cool down. It does no good, us being here.”

Zoro’s lips thinned into a blank stare. He muttered out a simple “Yeah,” before turning and leaving the immediate area. With a small nod you crouched down to the small doctor, cradling his little face.

“Hey Chop? It’s okay, okay? He’s gonna be okay. Do you think you could tell the others to stay clear of the kitchen for a while? Maybe you could make something to calm him down?” It was imperative you kept Chopper busy. The cute boy nodded, sniffing back his tears. You ruffled his hat against his head. “There’s our doctor! Thank you sweetheart.”

Once the small reindeer had left you leant against the door, heart breaking. In all your time as a crew, from Merry to Sunny, you had never seen Sanji so upset. Yeah, the man had a temper, but not a severe temper. Sanji could always be calmed down or diverted. It was clear. He was hurt. When you thought about it, you don’t think you’d ever heard Sanji talk about his family. You sat there in silence for a few moments before you heard it.

Tears?

No, fuck that. You don’t care if he banned you all from the kitchen, you weren’t going to let him cry alone. As quiet as you could, you crept back into the galley. Sanji was nowhere to be seen. Impossible. You’d heard him. 

“Sanji?” You asked quietly. 

The silence of the kitchen was unsettling. You weren’t imagining it, there was an almost imperceivable sniffle. The room felt suffocating, hurt and panic strangling the air. You began inspecting the room, making your way to the kitchen island. That’s when you heard it, a small voice, deep and rasping, but trying so hard to not be heard.

“Please go away.”

Oh.

You peered over the kitchen island to find him. Sanji was curled inwards, sitting on the ground. His knees were drawn to his chest, head lowered. He looked utterly defeated, slightly shaking as he held back tears. Before your brain could even process you had rounded the island at a rate of knots, sliding to a crouch. You held your hands out like you were trying not to startle him. Sanji flinched at hearing you, no, feeling you so close.

“I said go away.”

“I’m not leaving you Sanji.” 

“Go. Away.” The mumble that escaped his crying form broke you. 

“You would have to kill me for me to leave. Come here.” Sanji ignored you, his arms cradling his own body. A sigh broke its way out of your chest. He looked so small, like a boy trying hard to be brave. The shaking increased in frequency with your words. You couldn’t let him suffer like this alone. “I’m sorry Sanji, but I’m not leaving.”

The man jumped as if electrocuted when you wrapped your arms around him. You took advantage of his surprise, pulling his head against your chest. Sanji struggled, trying to distance himself, but you latched harder. The push and pull continued for a while, until you heard Sanji sigh shakily. He went limp, allowing you to pull him to you, one hand smoothing his hair, the other clinging to his back.

“You don’t have to tell me anything, just let me be here for you.”

That did it. Sanji grabbed at you, wrapping his hands around your back, crushing you. It was a desperate attempt, clumsy and clawing, clear the man was upset. You grunted quietly at the pressure, trying not to startle him. It was quickly apparent you didn’t have to worry about making a noise, as you felt your shirt become damp with tears, Sanji desperately trying to cry quietly. You knew what Sanji was like. It would scare him off if you acknowledged his tears. All you could do was try comforting him, rubbing his back and kissing his hair.

“She’s dead.”

Your breath hitched. No wonder he reacted the way he did. You tried to not feel furious with Zoro, he didn't know, but the anger was still there. Soft sobs permeated the air, each sound chipping at your heart.

"Oh Ji." You sighed, hugging him even harder. He'd have to suffocate soon with how tight you held him, but you noted how he clung to you, as if he was afraid you'd disappear. Sanji's words were clipped and shaky.

"Died when I was a kid. My fault she died, was too weak."

Shock invaded your senses, a freezing feeling travelling through your veins. You weren't sure what he meant, but you knew in your bones there was no way that was right. Sanji always struck you as a sensitive individual, all the more to cement your belief that he wasn't at fault for whatever he was thinking. "No honey, no, that's not true."

“I miss her.” Sanji’s voice was hoarse.

“I know.” You cooed softly, delicately carding your fingers through his hair. "She must have been an amazing woman if she birthed such a wonderful son."

That was the wrong move. It was like a dam burst. Sanji began crying hard, torn between seeking your comfort and escaping. You felt the tendrils of panic surfacing as you watched him struggle to breathe between sobs. Sanji's heart rate picking up, he began shaking in your arms. You watched horrified as he tried to downplay it and seem unaffected, but you knew better.

"Oh, fuck. Ji? Sanji? I'm so sorry. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't your fault, okay?"

Your attempt failed, and you felt Sanji pull away. Shit. Shit, he was having a panic attack. It shattered your heart as you watched him hyperventilate, unable to calm down. Without thinking you cupped his cheeks, forcing him to stare at you.

"Sanji. Honey. Its going to be okay. Breathe with me, okay? In through the nose. Out through the mouth. Try with me. Good." You coached him through, trying to encourage deeper breaths. Sanji's visible eye was bloodshot and frantic, eye flitting between your facial features. You noted his eye was not focused on anything in particular, he seemed distant. His nose was red, no doubt sore from sniffling. Shaky breaths escaped him, and you tried desperately to seem calm. "Eyes on me. Breathe. You're okay, you're here on the Sunny. We're here. You're doing good baby."

Breathe. 

Breathe with me.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Sanji crumpled against you once his breathing was finally steady. You cradled him, rocking the two of you gently. You were certain Sanji would prefer to just exist in the silence, but you couldn't help the word vomit that escaped.

"You don't have to go through this alone Sanji. You have us, you have Zeff and the Baratie. You have Nami, and Robin, and Luffy. Usopp, Brook, Franky, Chopper. Fuck even Zoro!" You were rambling, tears of your own escaping. "And me. I'll always be here if you feel overwhelmed. You can't get rid of us Sanji. We love you."

"Why?" His voice cracked. "Why waste your time?"

Sanji froze as you tilted his chin up to stare at him. You eyes were serious and vulnerable. "Time spent with you is never wasted. You are capable of being loved, and I'll be damned if I let you think otherwise."

You watched as Sanji stuttered out a shaky sigh.

"Your mum would be proud of you Sanji." Anxious, you continued. Sanji's breath hitched. "I'm sure she'd see the man I see before me; who's kind beyond a fault, who is sweet and sensitive. Who can cook the most mouthwatering dishes, who protects and cares for those around him. You're a good person Sanji. You need to let yourself believe that."

You were rewarded with a teary smile, one not reaching the eyes. Sanji looked tired, dark under eyes and pale skin. With a smile back, you gestured to get up. The quizzical look he gave you warming your heart.

"C'mon. I'll kick the girls out for a couple hours. You look exhausted, come take a nap with me."

"Oh, no I couldn't. I need to finish making dinner, a-and it wouldn't be right for me to-mmph." 

You silenced him with a gentle finger to his lips. "We're mostly adults Ji. One night of subpar food from Usopp's cooking is not going to kill us. Now c'mon."

Sanji let you lead him to the girl's quarters, specifically your bed. He watched where your hand held his, it looked like they were made for each other. In any other circumstance he'd blush and coo over the display, but right now he felt beyond exhausted, a weariness deep in his bones. He weakly protested as you took off his jacket.

"Get comfy. I'll be right back." Your voice was quiet and warm. Sanji wanted to melt. Instead, he nodded and sat down on your bed. In another situation, he might squeal and bury himself in your scent, or be embarrassed at how in charge you were. Instead, he removed his shoes, placing them neatly on the floor near your bed. He sat there awkwardly, eyelids heavy from tiredness and crying. 

The door squeaked back open. 

"Got you some water and some painkillers. I know I always get a wicked headache after I cry." Sanji gratefully took the pills, knocking it back with the full glass. He didn't realise how parched he was. Slipping your shoes off, you crawled behind him, making yourself comfortable. Sanji could see you spread out on the small bed out of the corner of his eyes. He watched you spread your arms out.

Wordlessly the lanky man laid down next to you, shuffling into your warm embrace. Sanji lightly startled when you pulled the blanket over the two of you, before you closed your arms, hugging him gently. The feeling of your hand back in his hair was comforting, so too was the small humming of Binks' Sake, lulling him gently to sleep. Before he could pass out he nuzzled against you.

"Thank you (name)."

"Anytime Sanji. Get some sleep."

And sleep he did, soon drifting off in your arms. Once you made sure he was fully asleep you frowned. Poor man. He really didn't know how precious he was. His soft snores rewarded you, and you felt your own lids get heavy. You couldn't help it, and so, cradling your own treasure, you fell asleep tangled around him.

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#19: This Is Good (S6E15)

I mean...do I even need to explain? 😏 I always love this scene for its relaxed, happy, and intimate vibes and for really solidifying that all the romantic sexual tension Rick and Michonne had pre-canon would play out just as perfectly once they could finally act on it and be in love out loud. They do intimacy so well and naturally. The best word to describe this scene is straight-up sensual. And as they let themselves be fully immersed in their Richonne bubble in this scene, I truly believed what they believed - the world is theirs...

I didn’t realize how much opening minutes really used to be blessing us in this series. Cuz in 6.15 we get to see Rick and Michonne cuddled up again for the first time since their canon ep.

And I love that after seeing some couple-y moments with Glenn and Maggie and Abe and Sasha in this episode opener, we get this scene that reminds you there are some powerhouse newlyweds a part of this TWD couple list now. Won’t He do it! 😊 

The scene opens with Judith on the baby monitor, which lets you know this is the bedroom of her parents. Plus the baby monitor made an appearance in Rick and Michonne's 6.10 canon moment as well so it sorta connects the two scenes in a way. And their family truly feels so whole now that Rick and Michonne have embraced that they’re meant to be.

I adore the way they're wrapped up in each other, and Michonne’s smile, and the way Rick's kissing her shoulder and like being as close to her as possible. 😍 They just both seem so genuinely content. And even half asleep they can’t keep their hands off each other lol. When I tell you these two are magnets - all you have to do is watch their body language in this scene to know it’s true. 🧲

And then Michonne takes that apple and bites it, and I love the subtle expression Rick makes when she does that. And then this show said, if y'alls' glasses somehow ain't fogged up yet then let’s just keep serving steaminess and have Michonne feed Rick the apple lol. They're wild for putting this moment in, and I'm here for it. 😋

Just their breaths and laughs in this, I love that in this quiet moment, their love is so loud and clear. And the apple suggests two things - 1) Adam and Eve fall-of-man foreshadowing and 2) that they are the hottest couple in all of television. 🔥👌🏽

It’s additional perfection when she runs her hands through his hair, and he immediately goes back to wrapping her in his arms. Um every second of this scene is a blessing. 😍 And of course Rick kisses her again, and the way she rubs his hand that’s holding the apple...Cup runneth over, y’all. It’s so great how natural and comfortable they are to be like this so soon after making their feelings for each other known.

It really does go to show that now they get to do what they've always wanted to do.

Like this feels like a whole passionate morning routine already and the married vibes are immaculate. It confirms how the physical aspect of this relationship was truly the final piece of their already perfect union. They’re happy and fed, and so are we. 😌

And in Rick’s first dialogue of the scene he says the only fitting thing to say on a blissful morning like this. “This is good.” And Michonne agrees it is and notes how Jesus came through. And did. Won’t he do it. 🙌🏾

Rick is really confident saying, "They all did, and they’re going to keep coming through." Homeboy is feeling really hopeful and confident during this period of the show and part of it is def cuz he’s now officially in a relationship with the baddest chick in the game. IJS. 😌

Michonne mentions how Maggie wants her and Glenn to set up watchpoints and Rick is in that lovely 'take a break' mood so he tells her to 'stick around.'

I love that it’s such a common theme for Rick to always want to extend his time with her. I repeat - the world can always wait when Rick is with Michonne. 

It’s cute that part of his pitch for her to stick around is that 'Judith isn’t even up yet.' Mom and Dad, y’all. And then Rick really makes his pitch enticing when he starts kissing all over her and making her laugh. 😊

The way they can make each other smile and laugh like no other is the absolute best. (and Rick is more hungry for her than the apple ijs) I love that they’re so unabashed in expressing their love and desire for each other. And you know I’m always happy to see Rick and Michonne's playful side.

Like how great is it that we get to watch a couple that's so grown and mature while still having something youthfully energetic in their want for each other too. 🙌🏾

Michonne is disciplined like no other tho so she laughs and says, "wait no." Rick stops and looks at her asking, "yeah, why not?" in that fine voice and idk how Michonne remembered what she was saying with Rick over her like that lol. But, like I said, Sis is more disciplined than most so while her body language is certainly saying she'd love to stay in bed with him, she also wants to keep her commitment to Maggie and Glenn.

I love how she again runs her hands through Rick's hair while saying  Maggie has them on a schedule and she doesn’t want to piss off a pregnant lady. And then Rick’s subtle pout. Every cute choice was made in this scene, I’m telling you. 🥰

Also I was like Michonne, sis, this is your chance to enjoy yourself and maybe even be a pregnant lady too, Maggie will understand lol. Like tell me Maggie wouldn't be like...

But Rick understands and doesn’t want to piss Maggie off either lol so he playfully tells her to go. It’s cute the way he says, "not that pregnant lady," and Michonne says, "right." Always in agreement.😊

And as we know, mornings like this blissful s6 one with Rick will have Michonne also one day being a pregnant lady who's nothing to mess with in the future. 👌🏽

(Side note: I’ve noticed every time Rick and Michonne have a scene chatting in bed together, the one person who comes up each time is Maggie. This scene in 6.15, the bedroom scene in the Sanctuary in 9.01, and their gorgeous bedroom scene in their home in 9.03. Rick and Michonne express care for Maggie's well-being every time, which is part of why it's so unfortunate that Maggie’s relationship with Rick and Michonne ended with a falling out. And the fact that all we know is something vague occurred and somehow Maggie and Michonne grew distant after Rick was gone. It's sad cuz they were shown to mean a lot to each other but then ended on a sour note.)

Rick says go and Michonne laughs as she starts to get up, and Rick again looks so rested and satisfied eating his apple and laying in bed. Michonne be giving that man life, y’all. 😊

Michonne notes that Maggie is worried about an attack and again Rick is confident saying when they come for us, not even "if," but "when," they’ll be ready. He’s extra confident saying this won’t be like before, and "the world's ours, and we know how to take it."

It’s sweet that Rick again takes his time to really reassure Michonne. It’s like he can sense that Michonne too might be having some concern about the looming fight, and so he’s so gentle but certain when he tells her everything they need is inside these walls and they aren’t losing any of it again.

I love that Rick feels they have everything they need, and I know he and Michonne having each other is very much included in that for him. And you can’t fully see it, but you can tell he comfortingly places his hand on her, really wanting her to know, “we’re not losing any of it again.” 

And then I love how Rick says, "I’m not." Basically saying, trust me whatever is trying to take from us is going to have to go through me, and it won’t end well for them. And Michonne knows it too so I love the way she believes him and boosts him up saying, “No you’re not.”

She knows Rick is a fighter and a force to be reckoned with. It’s part of why she fell in love with him, and you can see that in this moment.

Also hearing Rick just eating the apple again lol, homeboy ain’t worried about no outside threats in this moment. He’s too busy on cloud nine. Having good fresh food, a strong community, a healthy family, and a goddess of a wife has Rick like...

And because she’s a fighter too, Michonne takes his hand and also says, "I’m not," cuz they’re cut from the same cloth, really and truly. And you just believe the two of them so much when they say this.

Even knowing Negan is coming, you just feel like ultimately he’ll be no match for Rick and Michonne because those two together are unstoppable. 💯

I love that they got this peaceful morning moment to just fully enjoy each other's presence and affirm to each other that what they have is good and not going anywhere. These at-home scenes always paint such a great picture of why Rick and Michonne make for the absolute best husband and wife.

And again, the sensuality of this whole scene is A1. In every inch of every frame. And I remember loving this scene back then but watching it back now it’s even more sensual and sweet than I remember. Like it’s so good from beginning to end and solidified that Rick and Michonne really do work perfectly as a couple. I love the way they talk to each other and so visibly want each other. I’ll say it 1000 times. 

Two more cute moments I just want to note in this 6.15 ep are Rick ratting out Michonne and low-key himself too, when he reveals to Morgan that Michonne did steal that protein bar back in King County. Like he thinks he's telling on Michonne but also Rick,...

Cuz Rick stayed letting the world know he remembers pretty much every detail about Michonne. 😋 I love that Rick remembers so much from his first run with Michonne in Clear and then Morgan’s smile like 'oh I know your girl took it.' Also, I just love any time Andy and Lennie get to act together. Legendary talents. 👏🏽

And then I really love the Rick and Abe scene towards the end of the ep too. It’s one of the most heartfelt exchanges between two men on the show imo, and I like how Abe was the tf member who always most wanted the Richonne tea. He’s one of us lol. 

It’s always heartwarming seeing Rick ask Abe specifically if Michonne is back yet. Like I’ve said before, some of Rick's Day Ones are out there, but of course, his wife is his utmost concern. And Abe is so compassionate when having to reveal that Michonne is still out there. It’s heartrending that Rick can’t even hide the concern he feels and wants Michonne back home. 

I appreciate that Abe seems to notice this and wants to talk about love when asking Rick if he’s scared to go back to it and let someone in close. We know from the "rules keep changing" scene that letting someone in is big for Rick. So he pauses for a moment and answers "yeah" twice.

Abe brings some levity saying how he’s basically ready to blaze a path of his own (with Sasha 😊💜) even despite this world's penchant for taking things away. And Rick’s amused face at Abe is cute.

Then the way Rick stays standing at the gate, almost wanting to will Michonne home. So sweet. 😭

And extra sweet is Abe kindly saying, "any second now" to reassure Rick while he’s in this state of feeling off because Michonne's not okay somewhere, so even from afar, Rick's not entirely okay right now either. 

Rick had been feeling so unshakeable all ep, but Michonne being out there while the looming threat of the Saviors is high shows that there are still things he worries about, and of course, Michonne and her safety are high on that list.

I love that despite the scary aspects of letting someone in, in that world especially, Rick and Michonne still dared to do so fully with one another. And because of it, they get to enjoy blissful mornings filled with love like this one here. It was giving newlyweds and married-for-years all at the same time, and I'm eternally here for it. 😌

[wherethefireliliesgrow]

Clerestory Rendezvous

Yoo Jimin x Reader

GENRE: bittersweet, fluff

TYPE: One Shot

Karina, her collar pulled up to shield herself from the chilly November air, hastened her steps along the stony road toward the cathedral. The drizzling rain intensified the coldness, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms beneath her thin sweater. She inwardly cursed for forgetting to bring an umbrella, but quickly adjusted her golden locks under her baseball cap and ascended the final set of stairs with determination.

Karina was in France for the week, as part of AESPA's world tour for the European leg. With Gislle's help, she managed to slip away from her manager's watchful eyes and embarked on a solo train journey from Paris to Lyon. While Karina had a genuine love for Paris, she had grown weary of the constant red carpets and the intrusive camera flashes that followed her everywhere she went. Above all, she needed some space away from Winter, her bandmate and former lover. All she longed for was a peaceful escape, where she could remain anonymous for a few days. That was why she found herself shivering in the rain, making her way towards another captivating cathedral that had caught her attention.

Standing in front of the towering wooden doors of the cathedral, Karina drew in a breath in awe.Despite the early hour, the darkness of the approaching night seemed to envelop the limestone structure, enhancing its celestial beauty. The warm glow of candlelight danced on the reflective stone walls, while hushed prayers reverberated throughout the sacred space.

Karina settled onto the smooth wooden bench at the front of the cathedral, her hands instinctively finding their place on her chest as she prepared to immerse herself in a sincere prayer. Her gaze wandered upward, drawn to the mesmerizing play of muted colors that scattered through the clerestory windows above. The ethereal light painted the stone walls, infusing the space with a captivating warmth that seemed to beckon her deeper into the sacred embrace of the cathedral.

With every ounce of her being, Karina hoped and prayed for the solace she so desperately sought, yearning to escape the clutches of heartbreak that had plagued her for far too long.  As tears traced their path down her cheeks, each droplet carrying the weight of her emotions, Karina tenderly wiped them away, her touch gentle against her dampened skin. It felt as though an eternity had passed, time distorted in the depths of her inner turmoil. Gradually, she allowed her eyes to flutter open, and in that moment, she found herself captivated by a pair of soft brown eyes, gleaming with a mix of curiosity and understanding, on the bench next to hers.

Startled, the owner of those eyes quickly averted their gaze, fumbling with the contents of their backpack in a flurry of nervousness. Karina's pulse quickened, uncertainty washing over her. “Does she know who I am?” She muttered in panic.

But before Karina could rise from the bench, the girl timidly approached her, clutching something in her hand.

"I'm sorry if I'm intruding. It's just that you seemed like you needed this," the girl said softly, placing a packet of tissues in Karina's hands.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Karina scrutinized the unfamiliar girl before her. She appeared to be around the same age, her eyes wide and brown, adorned with delicate dimples that graced the corners of her mouth. Dressed in a cozy white fur coat and jeans, she had an undeniable cuteness about her. Karina couldn't help but be momentarily captivated, momentarily forgetting that she may be unintentionally staring at the stranger like a creep.

You faltered under the intense gaze of the mystery blonde, whom you happened to spot crying during your weekly visits to the town cathedral. As an art student studying in France, you often frequented this particular cathedral to capture the enchanting play of light on its walls.

"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable," you apologized again, breaking Karina out of her trance.

"No, it's fine. Thank you for the tissues," Karina responded with a warm smile, causing your heart to skip a beat at her effortless beauty.

With her finely sculpted features, luminous eyes, and cupid's bow lips, Karina seemed like the most magnificent sight to behold in the Musée du Louvre. She appeared almost too perfect to be human, but her gentle smile and tear-stained face served as a reminder of her humanity.

You bit your tongue, feeling slightly self-conscious, and shifted your gaze to the marble floors, averting your eyes from the angelic figure before you. After a brief moment of contemplation, you reached into your pocket and pulled out a small folded piece of paper, placing it in Karina's hands. Confusion flickered across Karina's face as she gingerly unfolded the paper.

To her surprise, it revealed a sketch of her side profile, captured in the act of gazing at the clerestory windows through the lens of her film camera. Though rendered solely in pencil, the drawing was truly captivating. It skillfully portrayed the melancholic expression on Karina's face, capturing her soft features and the essence of her being. The picture seemed to convey a thousand words, telling Karina's story.

"I'm an art major," You explained awkwardly, attempting to justify yourself and prove that you weren’t just a creep but rather someone with an obsession for capturing the beauty of art.

"Usually, I focus on architectural design. Figure drawing isn't really my forte, but you are perfect for it."

Karina raised an eyebrow and playfully smiled, "I'm perfect, huh?"

Blushing, you stumbled over your words, "I m-mean, perfect for capturing in artworks. You look like you have thousands of stories to tell."

"Thank you for the compliment, Miss..." Karina trailed off, expecting you to fill in the blank.

"Y/N. My name is Y/N," you replied.

Karina found the way you said your name so effortlessly comforting. Unlike her stage name, which felt like a heavy burden, the way your name rolled off your tongue seemed light and carefree. It made her realize how much she longed for that kind of simplicity.

"Well, Miss Y/N, can you sign the picture? I'd like to brag in the future that I met one of the most famous artists in the world," Karina grinned, although her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

You laughed and signed your name on the back of the paper. "What's your name?"

Karina hesitated, unsure whether to reveal her true identity. Even though you seemed like the kind of person who wouldn't be affected by her fame, she still wanted to keep it hidden.

"Jimin," she said, opting to give her Korean name.

"Jimin," you repeated with a smile. "I like your name."

Karina had never been particularly fond of her name, considering it too ordinary. But hearing you say it, with a hint of an accent, made it sound more intimate and endearing.

Before Karina could respond, a soft buzz from your phone interrupted the comfortable silence. You checked the message, grabbed your bag, and turned your attention back to Karina.

"I have to go. It's been very nice meeting you, Jimin," you said, extending your hand.

"You too, Y/N," Karina replied, clasping your hand in hers and shaking it gently. "Thank you for the picture. I really like it."

You shyly shrugged and began to walk away. However, after a few steps, you suddenly stopped and looked back at Karina.

"I hope you find your happiness," you said sincerely. "Whoever or whatever is making you cry alone in a foreign cathedral, it will pass."

Karina sat there in silence for an hour, pondering over the words you had spoken. She knew she deserved happiness, and she understood that her journey with Winter had come to an end. The fame that came with being an idol often left her feeling isolated and detached from the world. She was unhappy and lonely, but she had to conceal her emotions behind a mask of makeup and smiles.

It was pouring by the time Karina decided to leave the cathedral. The rain fell relentlessly from the night sky, as if the heavens themselves were shedding tears for her misfortunes. She stood in front of the towering wooden doors, feeling a mix of annoyance and despair.

Finding a place to stay without ending up drenched seemed like an impossible task. Frustrated, she paced back and forth for a few minutes, attempting to call an Uber but to no avail. Just as she was about to give up, a beaten-up faded blue truck pulled up, its headlights illuminating the church courtyard like a guiding light.

You swung open the truck door, umbrella in hand, and rushed towards Karina. She was pleasantly surprised, thinking that their brief encounter earlier in the day would be the last time she would see you.

"I noticed you didn't have an umbrella with you today," you panted, brushing raindrops off your jacket as you shielded Karina from the downpour.

"The rain can get pretty heavy towards the end of the year, so it's always a good idea to have one handy."

"Thank you," Karina murmured gratefully. She was taken aback by the kindness you were showing a stranger you had just met.

"Do you need a ride?" you asked, noticing that she had the Uber app open on her phone.

"It's okay," Karina shook her head, not wanting to impose any further. "I'm trying to catch an Uber."

"Getting an Uber here can be quite difficult. It's quite far from downtown Lyon," you explained, patting her shoulder to ease her nerves.

"Come on, I'll drive you to your hotel."

"I actually haven't booked one yet," Karina admitted, shivering from the rain.

Her clothes were soaked, and water dripped from her golden locks.

"It's fine. I can lend you some dry clothes first," you said, tugging the taller girl towards your truck, hoping silently that you weren't making a terrible mistake.

"Please don't be a serial killer. Please don't be a serial killer," you prayed in your mind.

It was unlike you to offer a ride to a stranger, let alone invite them into your home. But Jimin seemed like a nice girl, albeit a sad one.

You turned up the heat in your truck and reached under the car seat for a blanket to cover Karina. 

"So..." you began, trying to break the silence as you carefully maneuvered through the dark, winding country roads. The rain continued to pour relentlessly. 

"What brings you to Lyon?"

"Just to rest for a few days," Karina replied vaguely.

"How many days are you planning to stay? I can recommend a few places," you offered.

"I'll be here until Saturday, then I leave for Paris," Karina replied.

"Ah, the day after tomorrow," you nodded, squinting your eyes to see the road better. "Are you traveling alone?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?" Karina turned her body to face you. "Are you planning on abducting me?"

"What?" you spluttered, taken aback by the unexpected remark. "No! I just wanted to make sure you'll be fine."

Karina's laughter tinkled like music, her head thrown back in a melancholic yet beautiful display. She seemed like a damsel in distress, but you knew deep down that she was not someone who needed saving.

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After half an hour of driving, you finally arrived at your flat in the city. It was a small two-bedroom apartment near your university, where you spent most of your days drawing until the sun rose, often with a glass of wine in hand as you raced against deadlines.

Karina followed you as you climbed a short flight of stairs to the second floor of the building. Your flat, although small, felt cozy and inviting. Art pieces adorned the walls, and various art supplies were scattered across the kitchen island. A small TV and a gray cushioned couch were positioned near the balcony door, while a large bookshelf filled with books occupied an entire wall.

You led Karina to your room. "You can find some spare clothes in my closet. The bathroom is down the hall."

Karina flashed you a grateful smile and slipped into your room to change into dry clothes.

With a sigh, you shrugged off your jacket and made your way to the kitchen. The exhaustion on Karina's face was evident, with dark circles under her eyes and a melancholic expression whenever she fell silent. Taking a look inside your fridge, you were relieved that you had gone grocery shopping the day before.

You decided to prepare a comforting meal of Bibimbap, guessing from her accent and mannerisms that Karina might also be Korean. Hoping to alleviate any homesickness she might be feeling, you set about making a traditional Korean dinner, accompanied by a bottle of French wine for a unique experience.

"It smells really good," Karina's soft voice echoed from behind you.

Turning around, you saw the taller girl wearing your thick university hoodie and sweatpants. She had removed her makeup, and the tips of her hair were slightly damp from the shower. You couldn't help but stare, finding her adorable and warm in your clothes, creating a sense of home.

"Thanks, I thought you might appreciate something familiar," you replied with a smile. Despite her towering height, she seemed small and vulnerable. The sadness in her eyes never seemed to fade, even when she laughed.

"Feel free to look around. The food will be ready in ten minutes."

Karina nodded and squeezed your arm in gratitude before wandering off to explore the living room. Being an avid reader, she perused your extensive bookshelves until she stopped at the end.

"You listen to Taeyeon?" she exclaimed, holding up an album by Taeyeon. "I thought you'd only listen to classical music or something."

"That's a bit stereotypical," you chuckled. "I actually stumbled upon her singing on the streets of Berlin during a show a few years ago and was immediately captivated by her talent. That girl can sing."

"Yeah, she's really talented," Karina agreed, gazing at the album cover of Taeyeon's album.

It felt surreal to her that she had lunch with Taeyeon just a few days ago, and now she was on the other side of the world conversing with one of her fans.

"And pretty too, just like you," you added. "You both have a similar aura."

Karina felt her face grow warm, quickly diverting her attention back to the bookshelf.

"Yeah, our company has a particular taste," she mumbled.

"Huh? What?" you asked, not catching her words clearly.

Shaking her head dismissively, Karina replied, "Oh, it's nothing."

It was a close call for Karina. She mentally scolded herself for almost revealing her connection with Taeyeon. You seemed observant, likely due to your artistic skills, and she didn't want to inadvertently disclose too much information.

Karina helped you bring the food out to the balcony, where a wooden table and chairs were set in the middle, along with a cozy bean bag chair in the corner and string lights adding a touch of charm.

The food you had prepared was delicious, and it made Karina long for home even more. Despite being extroverted, she rarely felt comfortable opening up to people so quickly. However, in your presence, she felt a calming effect, as if you made her forget the painful things that often plagued her thoughts.

Before she knew it, after three glasses of wine, Karina found herself pouring out her troubles to you. She rambled about a failed relationship, her head resting on your shoulder as you sat together on the bean bag. She waved her glass of wine emphatically as she spoke.

"How could she leave me for someone else when I gave her everything?" Karina slurred, sniffling from both tears and the cold.

You hummed in agreement before getting up to fetch a blanket for the drunken blonde.

"No, don't leave me!" Karina pouted. "Everybody leaves me."

Chuckling, you assured her, "I'm just getting a blanket for you." Her adorableness touched your heart, and the sight of her feeling so insecure and hurt awakened your protective instincts. You couldn't fathom why anyone would intentionally break her heart.

"If you come back safely, I'll give you a kiss," she declared, nodding to herself.

"It's best to save your kisses for someone you genuinely like," you laughed nervously, your heart fluttering at her words.

"I like you. You're so pretty and nice," Karina slurred, tilting sideways and giggling at you. "I'm a very good kisser, so it's a win-win situation."

Laughing again, you bent down to gently tuck her hair behind her ears. "You will find your happiness. If someone makes you break down in front of a stranger, seeking affirmation, then they're not worth your tears."

After rummaging for a spare blanket, you returned to the balcony only to find Karina fast asleep. Her head drooped with a half-empty glass cradled in her chest, her tears glistened on her pale cheeks under the now clear night sky, and the moonlight reflected on her halo of blonde hair.

"It's unfair how someone can be this beautiful even when they're drunk," you whispered to yourself, approaching the sleeping girl and carefully carrying her to your spare room.

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Karina felt the sunlight on her face when she woke up. She kept her eyes closed and hummed in satisfaction at how comfortable she felt. It had been a while since she had slept so well. As she lay there for a few seconds, she suddenly realized that this wasn't her bed, and she couldn't recall going to a hotel. Panic set in, and she sat up quickly, scanning the room for any signs of danger.

The room she found herself in was cozy, with clean white sheets on a soft bed and a fluffy pillow that bore the imprint of her drool (she was a messy sleeper). Despite its small size, the room was meticulously decorated, with a polished desk and mahogany wooden closet doors. The scent of soft flowers and oil paint lingered in the air, a scent that reminded her of you.

You.

Groaning, she buried her face in the bed at the thought of you.

Yesterday, she had lost control and unloaded all her troubles onto you. She couldn't remember much, except for the way your eyes softened and how you wiped away her tears with your warm hands. She recalled feeling a tingly sensation when your eyes met, and she couldn't shake off the memory of wanting to lean over and kiss you. Being drunk was definitely a wrong move, and now she was experiencing a pounding headache from the hangover.

A soft knock came from the door, accompanied by your gentle voice, "Jimin? Are you awake? Can I come in?"

Karina quickly composed herself, sitting up straight and fixing her hair.

"Yeah, come in," she replied, clearing her throat a few times to dispel the sleepiness in her voice.

You entered the room with a plate of food in your hands and placed it gently on the edge of the bed.

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" you asked, your eyebrows furrowed with concern. "I got you some medicine for the headache."

Karina squeezed your hand gratefully as she swallowed the aspirin with the water on the tray.

"Sorry for making you uncomfortable yesterday," she fidgeted, picking at the blueberry muffin you had prepared for her. "I'm normally not such a lightweight."

"You didn't," you assured her with a smile, sitting down next to her on the bed.

"I actually quite enjoyed your impromptu performance of Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance.'"

She groaned in embarrassment, and you couldn't help but laugh at how she could look so much like a little girl at times, especially when her playful side emerged.

Karina was captivated by your laughter, with your head thrown back and the silver frames of your glasses slipping down your nose. She thought you looked incredibly beautiful with your hair tied up in a bun and wearing an oversized sweater with shorts. She enjoyed the way you treated her, so gentle and kind, without a care in the world. She knew it was likely because you didn't know who she was, and she wanted to preserve this simplicity a little longer. Her heart unexpectedly yearned for you, and it left her both confused and happy.

"Spend the day with me," Karina blurted out. 

"I mean, could you take me to some good places in Lyon? I could use a tour guide."

You raised an eyebrow at her sudden invitation. "Where did the mysterious brooding stranger from yesterday go?"

She gasped playfully, feigning offense. "Excuse you, I was not brooding. And I actually just wanted you to be my Uber driver."

You pushed her playfully, causing her to fall back onto the bed.

"Finish your breakfast and get changed. Your bags are in the closet."

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The two of you headed to Parc de la Tête d'Or, your first stop—a beautiful garden with a lake and a small zoo. Karina had expressed her desire to go somewhere she could practice her photography, so you thought this would be the perfect place. It was one of your favorite spots, as you had spent countless hours there during your first year of college for one of your classes.

Karina was like a kid in a candy store, excitedly exploring and jumping around, eager to see everything. She took so many photos that you worried she would use up all her film before noon. It brought you joy to see her mood lifted, no longer carrying that haunting look in her eyes. She looked even more beautiful like this, if that was even possible—carefree and happy. You knew that your friendship was temporary, as Karina would be leaving for Paris early the next morning, but you were glad that you could bring a genuine smile to her face, even if only for a little while. You cared for her, perhaps even more than you should.

"Hey Y/N!" Karina called out from behind you, her voice filled with excitement.

Turning around with a smile, you were met with the sight of Karina snapping a photo of you.

"Hey!" you protested, realizing she had been capturing moments of you throughout the morning.

"What? I like to take photos of pretty things," she replied smoothly, taking your hand in hers and tugging you toward the lake.

You couldn't help but feel your ears heat up at her comment and the sensation of her warm hand interlocked with yours. She definitely wasn't making it easy for you.

After some persistent begging, Karina managed to convince you to go on a paddle boat with her. You had always been hesitant because of your limited swimming abilities, but her pouty face was impossible to resist.

"If you fall into the water, I'll save you," she said with a wink, exuding confidence in her flirting. "You could be my Lois Lane."

Her words sent your heart racing, and you knew you had to get used to her flirty manner. True to her word, when the boat nearly tipped after hitting a rock, her arms instinctively wrapped tightly around your waist, pulling you close. The combination of her breath on your neck and her ear-piercing screams sent goosebumps down your arms. You convinced yourself it was the latter that caused the reaction.

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The next stop was Croix-Rousse. Karina spent nearly two hours tasting everything the market had to offer. It amazed you how someone so slim could consume so much food. You loved the way her eyes lit up with excitement when she discovered a new dish, so you ended up buying even more just to see her happy.

"Look!" Karina called out joyfully, running toward you with two bracelets in her hand. "I got one for each of us."

The bracelets were made of two threads of dark blue string, each adorned with a small silver charm. The charms had the words Le destin décide qui entre dans votre vie, mais vous décidez qui y reste engraved on them.

"Do you know what it says?" you asked, a bit confused about her choice.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "The old lady said it was perfect for us and gave it to me for free."

"What old lady?" you inquired, puzzled, as you hadn't seen any elderly women as you walked through the market.

Karina seemed equally perplexed.

"That... one," she trailed off. "Weird, she was just there."

Shrugging again, she dismissed the thought. "Never mind. Can you put this on? I want to take a picture."

You nodded and helped her put hers on before tying yours around your wrist. Karina happily snapped a photo with her phone, making it her home screen.

"I'm glad I met you," she said, her lips gently brushing against your cheek before pulling you toward the next destination. "I'll never forget this trip."

As the day progressed, you couldn't help but realize that you felt the same way. This encounter with Karina had touched your heart in ways you couldn't explain, and you knew this day would be etched in your memory forever.

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After climbing the hills to see the beautiful sunset, you took Karina to one of your favorite restaurants in Lyon. As you ordered fluently in French, Karina stared at you, captivated by your presence. She couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of freedom and joy when she was with you. The pressures of being an idol and the pain of her past relationship faded away, replaced by the warmth and happiness that radiated from your companionship. She knew deep down that you were never meant to be together, but she couldn't help falling for you.

"What are you planning to do when you graduate?" Karina asked, taking a sip of wine.

"Hmm... I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking of visiting my parents back in Korea before finding a job here," you replied.

"You should! I could be your Uber driver when you visit," she suggested playfully.

"Whoa, I didn't know Yoo Jimin could drive," you teased, earning a light slap on your arm.

Unbeknownst to you, calling her by her real name caused a pang in Karina's heart. She hadn't revealed her career as an idol to you yet, and she wasn't sure if she ever could.

Throughout the dinner, Karina couldn't take her eyes off you. She wanted to capture every moment, every detail of your presence in her memory. While she knew that life would go on after she left, she cherished the time she had with you and wanted to etch those memories deep within her heart. You had unknowingly become a source of hope and positivity in her life, changing her perspective on things and erasing her negative thoughts. Above all, she didn't want to forget the warmth and reassurance she felt when your eyes met, yearning to have you in her arms every morning.

The ambiance under the lamp posts as the evening progressed created an enchanting atmosphere.

Karina's eyes sparkled as she leaned in and whispered, "I really want to kiss you."

Your heart pounded in your chest, and the intensity of Karina's gaze slowly chipped away at your self-control.

"What's stopping you?" you replied, unable to resist the magnetic pull between the two of you.

In that moment, Karina leaned over the table, her lips meeting yours. The connection was electrifying, and a surge of emotions overwhelmed both of you. It was as if fireworks erupted, and the scent of her perfume intoxicated your senses. Karina deepened the kiss, pouring all her adoration for you into that single moment, fearing it might be her last chance to express her feelings.

Briefly pulling back to catch your breath, you couldn't help but let out a laugh as Karina whined and tried to pull you back for more.

"Whoa," she breathed, her voice filled with exhilaration.

"It's way better than yesterday," you said.

Confused, Karina looked at you and asked, "Yesterday?"

"Yeah," you replied with a laugh, "You actually drunkenly kissed me yesterday before throwing up. Can't believe I'm that bad at kissing."

Embarrassed, Karina hid her face in your neck, unaware of her actions from the previous night. "You're a really good kisser," she said dejectedly, feeling apologetic. “I’m so sorry.”

"I liked it," you reassured her, pressing a gentle kiss on her temple. "I'd gladly accept any kiss from you."

Karina pulled away from your embrace and looked at you with a serious expression. Her thoughts raced in her mind as she struggled to articulate them into coherent sentences

"I think I’m falling for you," Karina whispered, her voice filled with vulnerability.

You nodded, your eyes reflecting the same sentiment. "As I am for you."

"But..." Karina exhaled, struggling to find the right words.

"But we can't be together," you finished her sentence, understanding the unspoken obstacles that stood between you. A bittersweet understanding passed between the two of you.

Karina's gaze fell to the ground, her heart already aching at the thought of leaving you tomorrow.

"We can't be together," she repeated, trying to convince herself as well. "At least for now."

"It's okay," you reassured her, gently taking her hands in yours. "Even if we have to part ways here, I hope that I've made your little getaway to Lyon worthwhile."

Karina traced the bracelet on your wrist, feeling the engraved letters on the charm beneath her fingertips.

"You make me feel happy again."

"I'm glad," you whispered, your heart heavy with longing. "You deserve the world."

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The drive home was filled with silence. Karina held your hand on her lap as you drove, lost in her thoughts. The idea of being separated from you, even for a short while, felt unbearable. After bidding each other goodnight, she wordlessly knocked on the door to your bedroom. Without hesitation, you let her in, holding her close in your arms until sleep eventually claimed her.

The next morning was tinged with melancholy and tearful kisses. Karina didn't want to leave, but she had a performance that night. On the platform, she pulled you into a tight embrace, closing her eyes and inhaling your scent. It was likely the last time she could hold you like this, but she hoped against hope that it wasn't.

"I know this is selfish of me, but will you meet me again?" she asked, cupping your cheek with her hands.

"What do you mean?" you inquired, your heart skipping a beat.

"I'll come back next year, to Lyon." Karina had made a promise to herself last night before drifting off to sleep. She would come back to you, no matter what.

"If you want me to."

"Of course I want you to," you replied, a flicker of hope lighting up your heart. The fact that she wanted to see you in the future lifted a weight off your shoulders.

"Promise me you'll wait for me at the cathedral where we first met," Karina requested, her gaze determined.

You nodded, your commitment unwavering. To be honest, you would gladly follow her anywhere.

"Under the clerestory windows?"

"Under the clerestory windows," she confirmed, her resolve unwavering.

With that, she pulled you in for one last kiss, savoring the taste and memorizing the shape of your mouth before boarding the train.

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As Karina rummaged through her bag to find tissues to dry her tear-stricken face, her hand brushed against a rolled-up piece of paper. She unrolled it, and her breath caught in her throat at the sight. It was a drawing of her leaning on the rails, gazing at the sunset atop the Croix-Rousse hill. The beauty of the sunset was perfectly captured with oil paint, the orange streaks scattered across the paper. You had even added jewel-like flecks of gold and yellow on her face, capturing her childlike glow of joy and carefreeness. Was this how you saw her?

Her heart swelled with the feelings she had for you, her heartbeat quickening. She knew deep down that you would be waiting for her, no matter what.

Flipping the paper over, she saw your neat handwriting in the bottom left corner. It was addressed to her.

Jimin,

I hope that when life becomes overwhelming for you, you'll hold onto the memories of the sunset on your face, the echoes of the cathedral bells in Lyon's streets, and the moments we shared to bring you comfort.

You deserve boundless happiness, never doubt that. I'll immortalize you in my art, and perhaps one day you'll come across one of my works when you're feeling down. I'll paint your silhouette everywhere until you no longer feel pain or loneliness.

Le destin décide qui entre dans votre vie, mais vous décidez qui y reste.

Fate decides who enters your life, but you decide who stays.

I hope you choose to stay, Jimin.

P.S. Good luck at your concert. Spicy is my favorite song to work out to at the gym.

Karina dropped the paper in shock upon reading the last sentence. You knew who she was all along, and yet you didn't let it affect your feelings for her.

She grabbed her phone and quickly typed a message to you:

"I'll stay. Wait for me."

"See you during our rendezvous under the clerestory windows."

Jimin was finally happy. 

[leejenowrld]

Heyy can you please do jeno helping y/n out with exam stress😖

- 🐶 anon

word count - 1.5k

genre - fluff smut

The library is a cold haven of solitude, its silence broken only by the soft hum of fluorescent lights and the occasional shuffle of papers. The air is crisp, sending chills down your spine as you huddle over your laptop, you curse yourself for wearing shorts and a flimsy top. You’re desperately trying to absorb every bit of information for the impending finals.

Your hands ache from relentless typing, the tension in the room palpable. Finals week is a storm, and you're navigating it with the determination to succeed. You’re incredibly stressed and so is Jeno but he has different coping mechanisms to you. He relieves his stress by using you, you love it of course, it means he spends hours upon hours with his head shoved in between the warmth and tenderness of your thighs.

The library serves as your refuge, a place to immerse yourself in academia. Yet, there's a secret you've kept from Jeno. He's a potent distraction, and you've deliberately chosen not to invite him to this study session even though you promised him you would. You love him, but the looming deadlines demand focus and all he does is distract you.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifts, catching you off guard. The air seems to vibrate with an unexpected energy. You widen your eyes and release a heavy sigh. He's unmistakable — Jeno. He strides into the library with an audible presence, both in his footsteps and his vibrant voice. Your concentration wavers as you wonder, what is he doing here? The library's quiet facade is disrupted by his arrival, and you brace yourself for the distraction that is your boyfriend.

Attempting to remain inconspicuous, you blend into the quiet backdrop of the library, hoping to evade Jeno’s notice. However, the subtle narrowing of Juyeon’s eyes suggests otherwise. His gaze flickers to you, and a knowing smirk plays on his lips.

Amidst the whispers of Juyeon mentioning “your girl,” the unexpected touch of Jeno flicking his finger against your forehead startles you. His soft voice, barely audible, brushes against your ear as he leans down, “I didn’t even notice you.”

The library’s tranquility contrasts sharply with Jeno’s boldness. While you maintain your quiet demeanor, Jeno’s disregard for the disapproving glances and shushes from others defines his presence. His loudness stands as a testament to his refusal to let people tell him what to do. He’s always so unapologetically himself.

Amidst the predictability of your boyfriend's adorable antics, he enters the scene with a red nose, his cute trademark that never fails to make you smile. His tousled blonde hair adds to the charm, framing soft eyes that hold a world of affection.

As he approaches, the sweet scent of blueberry lingers, a mix of his recent vaping and smoking sessions – his chosen means to relieve the pressures of the day. A mischievous grin lights up his face, and he can't resist kissing your forehead tenderly.

With gentle fingers, he tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, his touch warm and comforting. His accusing words, whispered softly, playfully punctuate the air, "You've been ignoring me." You feign innocence, responding with a casual "Nooo," but his knowing smile suggests he sees through the act.

Shaking his head in mock disappointment, he remains irresistibly dreamy. Closing the distance, he kisses you with an intensity that conveys just how much he's missed you. The kisses are a symphony of emotions – a mix of longing, sweetness, and a hint of playfulness.

Breaking the kiss, he smiles, those soft eyes locking onto yours. The shared glances between you two speak volumes, silently conveying the connection and love you share. He can't help but express, "I missed you, pretty," sealing the sentiment with another affectionate kiss that lingers, creating a moment suspended in the sweetness of your connection.

Just when you think the moment can't get any sweeter, he nuzzles his nose against yours, a playful and affectionate gesture. His warm breath against your cheek sends a shiver down your spine, and you can't help but giggle as he continues to shower you with love. It's a simple act, yet it adds an extra layer of intimacy, making the moment even more special. The shared smiles and sweet kisses become a dance, a celebration of the love that fills the air between you two.

"We haven't had sex in so long." He whispers in your ear. You look at him apologetically; finals have overtaken your time.

"Yeah, it's been quite long." You agree, acknowledging it's been a week – the longest you've ever gone without making love. He coos at what you're wearing – cute shorts and a top.

"You look beautiful, but why aren't you dressing for the weather? It's freezing. Y/N, I always tell you to be mindful about these things, but you don't listen." He says in a calm yet scolding, taking off his coat and placing it over you, fastening it up to keep you warm. You sigh and relish in his scent.

He signals to Juyeon to give his own coat, which he does, and Jeno covers your bare legs with it. You pout your bottom lip, but your attention shifts as soon as his bare hand goes to your stomach.

Teasingly, a playful smirk you love so much playing on his face, he whispers in your ear about how good you always feel, how tight you are, how he wants to feel you clench against his cock. He bites his lips and moans heavily to you, expressing his desire. His fingers graze over your stomach, and he bites his lip, puppy eyes gazing at you. "Don't you want to?" he says in a sexy and seductive tone.

He doesn’t care who’s watching or who looks. His eyes don’t leave yours as he licks his digit, moving his hand to your waist and then easily slipping his fingers through the waistband of your shorts, his finger swiftly thrusting in and out of your pussy, he smiles against your lips when he notices how wet you are. He rubs his finger against your bottom lip and then makes you suck on it, your eyes heat up at the taste of your desire.

“Don’t you wanna feel my lips in between your pussy? Don’t you want me to eat you out? Don’t you want me to cum inside of you?”

"I do." You whisper, and he gets more direct and intimate.

Juyeon goes, "Wow," widening his eyes, having stayed quiet and witnessed the whole exchange. "I guess we're not going to the gym." He laughs at Jeno but you both ignore him.

"But we don't have any condoms left." You make excuses to Jeno who’s looking at you like he wants to fuck you here and there.

"That's not stopped us before." Jeno smirks, revealing he brought loads more.

Jeno's eyes meet yours in a deep, affectionate gaze, his sweet smile conveying the warmth of his feelings. "Have you eaten?" he asks, the concern evident in his eyes. Though you haven't, you lie and nod. You know how he worries about you and you know he’ll tell you off for not eating enough. You believe it to be a believable lie but when he gently tuts at your attempt, you know he hasn’t fallen for it.

Undeterred, Jeno leans in, planting tender kisses on each side of your cheeks. The air becomes charged with the sweetness of the moment as he offers you his water bottle, holding it as he guides you to the straw, shaking his head when you move it after one sip, making you drink more. His touch conveying both care and affection. "You're so dehydrated." he notes, his eyes reflecting worry.

With a soft smile, he reminds you, "I told you to take care of yourself, didn't I? His gaze lingers on you, and he adds, "I can't have my pretty and sweet girlfriend fainting." The room seems to glow as he punctuates each word with a kiss to the sides of your neck, creating an intimate symphony of shared glances, sweet smiles, and deepening connections.

Your arms loop around his shoulders as you whimper softly. Pouting, you meet his gaze, and a deep kiss follows. “Let me take you to mine,” he whispers, hoping for a positive response.

“I need to study, though,” you mumble, expressing your academic concerns.

“You will study,” he promises with conviction. As soon as you sit in front of the desk, a comforting warmth envelops you – his cock. It’s a welcome distraction, you’ve come to realize. Cockwarming Jeno while studying is a game changer.

His occasional kisses are like sweet rewards, warming your heart amid the study session. Whispers of praise and encouragement in your ear make every moment more rewarding. He feeds you water, ensuring you stay hydrated, his care evident in every gesture.

He’s good to you, reminding you to take breaks and even cooking for you. With his support, studying genuinely becomes more manageable, and the room is filled with the sweet symphony of shared moments, making the academic endeavor more enjoyable.

[slytherinshua]

FAVOURITE genre ➳ fluff. warnings ➳ crying. spoilers for weak hero class 1 ep 4. pairing ➳ jihoon x reader. wc ➳ 783. a/n ➳ i was rewatching this scene and it really does always make me cry and then i thought of this fic idea 😭

Your snack bowl had been discarded and you didn’t even remember the last time you had blinked. Your eyes were glued to the screen of your laptop like some kind of hypnosis was occurring. The small teddy bear that your boyfriend had won at an amusement park for you a month ago was clutched tightly in your arms, serving its role as emotional support quite well.

You were in awe at how thrilling the scenes of the drama were. And, though violent, it was quite beautiful the way the fight scenes were choreographed and executed. You had visited Jihoon on set a lot while he filmed, but you never could tell quite how the end result would turn out. The final released version of Weak Hero Class 1 did not disappoint, though.

You were on episode 4 already even though you had only started earlier this evening. You only took one break to get more snacks and emotional supports (your blanket and the teddy bear). The show was already pulling at your heartstrings— or maybe it was your boyfriend’s phenomenal acting. 

The episode was nearing the end and Sooho, Youngyi, and Sieun were in the hospital after the fight with Gilsoo and his gang. An adoring frown etched on your face at the sweet scene. Sieun was very different in character to Jihoon, but there were similarities you could spot and it made your heart warm.

[ What’s your deal? ]

[ What? ]

[ I mean, you… You’re so warm-hearted. Your eyes, how you behave, how you speak, and your face. It feels awfully strange. ]

Tears welled in your eyes, finally escaping and cascading down your cheek as Sieun smiled. The first time he ever smiled. You sniffed and pressed the back button to replay the scene, too immersed in it to hear the sound of the door opening in the background.

And you were still crying on the couch by the time your boyfriend walked into the living room. The episode had finished and the computer screen was black. Jihoon was confused— you had sounded happy and excited just a couple hours ago when you texted him and said you were going to watch the drama, so why were you sad now?

“What’s up?” He asked, moving your empty snack bowl to make a spot on the couch for him. You tried to wipe your tears and turn to him, but one look at your boyfriend and all you saw was Sieun, triggering even more tears. 

Jihoon panicked. “Baby, what’s wrong?” He pulled you closer, holding you in his arms and scanning your body to make sure you hadn’t hurt yourself physically.

You tried to form a coherent thought to answer his question, muffling a response into his shirt, “He’s just…”

Jihoon furrowed his eyebrows, “He’s just what?”

“He’s just… so… cute.” You sobbed, hugging Jihoon tighter.

“What? Who’s cute?”

You paused, a smile slipping onto your lips as you caught a hint of jealousy in his voice. You waited until he nagged you again about who this guy you thought was cute was before you finally told him.

“You’re crying because of Sieun?” He questioned curiously.

“He smiled, Jihoon.” You told him again, this time with even more emotion.

“I know. I acted out that scene.” Jihoon said helplessly. You weren’t crying anymore and his earlier panic had subsided, but instead he was left confused as to why that particular scene had left you in such a state.

“I wanna hug him.” You frowned, replaying the scene again.

Jihoon stayed silent at your comment, not bothering to bring up the fact that you kinda were hugging Sieun right now, since Jihoon was Sieun. But he just smiled and pulled you a little closer to his chest.

“Baby.” He mumbled softly.

“Hm?”

“Am I your favourite actor?” 

You sat up slightly, pulling away so you could actually look at your boyfriend’s face. “No, I think I like Hyunwook more.” You deadpanned.

Jihoon frowned, “But you were even crying over me. You haven’t cried over Hyunwook.”

“Who says I haven’t?”

Jihoon whined in protest at your teasing and you giggled and snuggled closer to him again.

“Isn’t it a bit too violent for you to be watching, though?” He whispered.

You frowned, “You expect me to not watch something my favourite actor is a lead in?”

“Are you sure I’m not your favourite actor?”

“Favourite singer? Probably. Favourite boyfriend? Definitely.”

“I’m your only boyfriend-”

You shushed him with a laugh, “But favourite actor? There’s some competition. But, hey, at least you won the other two categories!”

“I’m your favourite actor.” He muttered as if to convince himself of the fact and kissed your temple.

“Whatever you say.”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ misc taglist (let's be real, it's more like park jihoon taglist): @yeonjuns-redhair

[sugar-omi]

I just thought something really sweet.

Imagine if they were really close, Cliff's grandkid/s would ask him to be their best man. He'd be in shambles.

OMG THATS SO CUTE!!!! also I'm tryna not to imagine cliff like the old man from UP but its tough n idk what to do w myself rn it's breaking my immersion LMFAO

Fluff, grandpa!cliff, K/N = your kids name bc I couldn't decide to name them or not so imma leave that up to YOU🫡

cliff would be so surprised

he wouldn't expect it. he's old, n just figures his grandkid/s would want their friends, parents, or siblings or in-laws in their wedding party

but when they come over one day, or invite him out for a nice meal, and ask him to be their best man/man of honor, he's in tears

with cove, even though it surprised him, the thought did or could have passed thru his head even if it didn't stick

but for the 2nd time? and by his grandbaby?! he's in pieces

"oh."

he totally freezes, eyes wide and he even forgets to breathe for a moment.

"pops?" k/n prods, squeezing cliff's hand.

cliff covers his face, shoulders shaking. he can't help but laugh a bit, and he can't help tearing up.

"pops! are you crying?" k/n exclaims, concerned but also a bit amused since he's laughing.

cliff uncovers his face, his cheeks flushed, and you can see his wet lashes. "i didn't expect you to ask me to be your best man."

k/n smiles, "why wouldn't I! you're great, there's no one else I'd want by my side."

cliff laughs, squeezing their hand. "you're just like your dad."

"so... does that mean you'll do it?"

cliff nods, "I'd love to. I'll make sure your wedding is the best one yet."

"even better than dad and [y/n's]?" k/n teases, grinning mischievously.

cliff matches their energy. "a million times better."

I just thought abt it. he'd prbly faint if all his grandkids asked him

if you have multiple kids ofc

even if you have 5, and they suddenly come visit grandpa cliff, he's still so happy

he's high for days actually

will walk around the house n down the street humming n singing, you can see the rainbows coming off him

still takes charge and makes sure everything is perfect, no matter how big or small the event, or how old he gets

don't even bother teasing him abt how hes glowing or that its becoming a family tradition, bc it rolls off like water on a ducks back

ALSO I THOUGHT ABT IT WHILE WRITING THAT DRABBLE/IMAGINE:

your kid asking cove.

he'd cry like a big baby

he doesn't know how his dad kept it together, bc he can't?!??!

hugs them n promises the best wedding of their life too

also runs around singing and humming n skipping down the halls

doesn't get better if you have other kids that ask him to be in their wedding party too, he'll be happy for weeks, years actually, that his kid/s would want him in their wedding

[not-poignant]

Hi Pia !! I just saw your retweet about letting authors know when you like their work, and I've been thinking about sending you an ask anyway so hereby I shall do both!!! First of all I want to tell you that I'm currently rereading Game Theory. A friend of mine told me about a fantasy world he created in his head and then let me rant to him about how much I love and adore Fae Tales, which then got me back into rereading it. While rereading, I got the notification that you're editing GT. That's so cool!!! My question for you, if you want to answer, is how does it feel to go back to GT after all this time? Besides the question I just wanted to let you know that I REALLY REALLY REALLY love GT and Fae Tales in general. Thank you so so so much for writing it. Its a huge comfort to me <3 I love you!!

is how does it feel to go back to GT after all this time?

Omg anon it's SO WEIRD

It's like getting into a time capsule.

So first up, I haven't reread Game Theory in its entirety for a few years because I find it kind of painful, a few things are out of character, and I know there's a lot of stuff to change to make it better suited as an original story and introduction to the world, and so when I start rereading it I see all the work I have to do and can't just immerse.

And that's been so annoying on a personal level, because I really believe in writing stuff you love - and for a long time I did!!

Going back to it I've found that:

Baby Pia didn't use the word 'cock' as often as I use it now. Which is kind of cute. I think I was still getting comfortable with writing explicit sex, or...something?

It's still better than I remember it. Like, as a follow on from SAL it's solid. I like the dialogue, and I like the 'feel.' I have no interest in changing that and in many ways I'm trying to remove as little as possible. I'm tightening prose/sentences, and being additive. I do know there's at least one scene I will have to remove (like Gwyn masturbating) because it's OOC and I will try and make that up to people somehow.

I really want more...background in the story. Not infodumps, but like...Gwyn actually fighting a fae driven mad because it was poisoned because of Augus' actions. Or Gwyn talking with his family. Gwyn talking to the trows!!! I'm so excited to add these sorts of scenes, things that are fleshed out and hinted at more in COFT and TIP, that I can make really robust now in GT as well. Things that I think will really strengthen the story, but also make it more captivating, and perhaps also make Gwyn more...understandable as a character. He's an extremely cold character to love if you haven't read SAL first.

I actually kind of get frustrated with how long the chapters are. I remember why I made them so long, and it was because I felt so terribly ashamed of how long the story was! So I 'hid' how long it was by condensing the number of chapters down and putting things that really deserved their own chapters into the same chapter and as a result, wrote shortcuts and really squished things that deserved more time and writing. I'm not angry at past me, I was genuinely frightened that people would hate the story if they saw a really big chapter count. And it's taken me a long time to let go of that. I know some people really like long chapters, and I think when it's appropriate it works so well, especially single sex scenes, but like...oof there are some chapters where it's like 'damn Pia you really were just trying to tell this in less than 45 chapters weren't you.'

While some folks say 'I can see how much you've grown as a writer' there's still some stuff I did better then than now. I think there's something to be said for having a long break there. Although I can also see some of my weaknesses a lot more clearly, because they're things I've like mended since then, or have been actively working on.

It's honestly been pretty fun. It's really important to me to preserve the integrity of the original story, because that's the story that got me here, and it reached people for a reason. Even if I'd write it differently now, I want to keep the basic essence of it the same. Ideally it just feels like reading 'Game Theory with some extra scenes' and all the other stuff blends into the background naturally, and doesn't feel jarring or strange.

It makes me so happy that you love Game Theory! Honestly it's folks like yourself letting me know things like this, and letting me know that you'd love to have it as a book one day, which has kept this as a dream in my head for a decade, and while I may be the world's slowest editor, the fact that this could actually come to fruition in 2024 is wild to me. Apparently it just takes me a really long time to commit to something lmao

[spot-splatter-splash]

We all know I love the Storm E. era content for this franchise (Lalaloopsy Girls & We're Lalaloopsy). But! I'm willing to admit that it is flawed. As much as I put it on a pedestal for it's humor, It's only fair that I acknowledge the strong point of the Webisodes and Nick Jr. Series. The animation.

Where I (personally) feel that the later pair adds more in terms of personality for the cast with the dynamic between Storm E. and Jewel being my favorite to watch and explore. The animation in those series does feel stiff when held next to the earliest set of media.

A lot of the time Its because of how sharp the joints are when they bend as opposed to the earlier series rounding them out. That created the ragdoll feel that the later series lack which breaks immersion.

This could have been a budgeting issue due to the declining popularity of the franchise. The puppet style animation bends at odd and sometimes sharp angles. Which breaks the illusion of them being rag dolls.

Mind you there is a way to make that style look good, if im not wrong the earlier series were rigs too. Just designed with more attention to the ragdoll feel. The bendiness of the limbs and squashing and stretching for emphasis when interacting with certain objects. Good examples that come to mind are Mouse and Pix E. In the episode Flight Plan And Peanut. In general Peanut has some of the cleanest animation.

While I hail the later series for the personality they give the characters that is not to say I think the eariler media is boring or does it poorly. I find the Webisodes and Nick Jr. Series really cute and pleasant to watch. But they also had more characters to work with and had to split that attention between them.

I have seen comments about the cast being boring in We're Lalaloopsy. A criticism which is subjective of course. But one I struggle to see. (I also see a lot of people shoot Storm E. down as being too mean. A rant for another post surely).

And while I acknowledge the subjectivness of it. I think Jewel, Storm E. and Spot are really well done in that series.

Spots is still an energetic artist who doesnt mind a mess. But added onto that she doesn't like conflict, struggles to voice her thoughts when frustrated, get attached easily, is eccentric and pleasantly weird, sensitive and forgiving almost to a fault. And yet still stands as her own person capable of putting her foot down when she reaches her breaking point. Shes lovable and I adore a weird girl whos just so comfortable being weird.

Jewel is clearly rising the ranks of favoritism. Shes still 'perfectly perfect' Jewel having a checklist for everything she deems important enough too. But now shes someone who can be easily frustrated, doesn't enjoy her schedule or plans being disrupted or altered, kinda of ditzy yet not entirely stupid. She focuses on herself to the point she talks over others and cant see that shes being an issue and has to be reined in. Perfectly perfect Jewel is actually wildly flawed. Shes not malicious but can come off as hostile or petty. Shes dramatic, a primadonna, self richeous and sometimes holier-than-thou and needs to have others correct her or to fail to learn and better herself. I am wildly enamored by this. She sucks shes my favorite. Her flaws are what makes her so fun to watch.

Finally Storm E. Shes polarizing and due to her being the most recent doll to make it into the animated series theres not much to compare her to. By design shes suppose to be the odd one out. A black sheep. I see a lot of critique about her being too different which is the point. Shes often yeilded as this unlikable asshole by some of the really critical fans but I feel that doesnt do Storm E. justice.

Shes different by design in both media shes in. Shes has a dry sense of humor, isn't as comfortable with affection as the other girls, isn't as open about her feelings as others, tends to fall to the back of the pack and a bit of a loner. But she's not a bad person. She does care about others she just has a hard time showing it. It does bother her when she hurts other people with her behavior.

We're Lalaloopsy handles this with her dynamic with Spot and Jewel. Spot is someone she has a soft spot for. Shes more open to Spot being in her space and feels like Spot kind of gets her as another artist. Spot likes Storm E. as she is. Her personality isn't the problem to Spot, it's certain actions that are. And that soft spot for Spot doesnt stop Spot from getting hurt. Storm E. (like Jewel) doesn't necessarily intend to harm others with her behavior. Intent doesn't negate hurting someone and Storm E. learns that. She does feel remorse and is apologetic. I like that shes never urged to be more like the others just corrected when her actions hurt someone.

Which is why her and Jewel work so well. They parallel eachother. Both of them have a tendancy to focus on and put themselves above others without any real malice behind it. Jewel needs to feel important and Storm E. feels she had to be independent. Storm E. is misunderstood and Jewel is melodramatic. Theyre polar opposites on the serface yet are so similar when cross examined. They clash but also relate to eachother.

The others get unique little peronality quirks too. Crumbs is very particular to an obsessive degree, Rosy will put herself last at the expense of her own well being and is anxious, Dot frequently fails, yet is excited by any chance to invent something.

Tangent oops, this post is getting long. The point is every bit of media for this series has merit and def worth watching for whatever it offers. Could be a good laugh, clean animation, fun dynamics, or a unique take on an old favorite.

Feel free to ask me about characters I can write essays about some of them. I know I haven't talked much about proper reboot stuff and thats because I'm in the process of watching everything I can to get a feel for the extended cast.

[talesfromthebacklog]

Tales From The Frontlog: Princess Peach Showtime.

7/10

Princess Peach Showtime is good. It’s a game I’m willing to bet will be overlooked in the sea of Mario titles that exist on the Switch. It’ll probably be even a bit pricey down the line. The smaller weird titles like this tend to do that.

The best way to describe this game is that it’s a game about a being magical girl who uses various transformations to help people. When you look hard enough almost all the tropes are there and that alone makes this worth a pickup. Because games that are so blatantly like that are rare.

But you really feel like it’s missing something that could’ve made it truly special. Which is weird because it does offer a very complete experience. I guess the best way to put it is it has trouble feeling like a “Mario” world title. And not because Mario is missing. Give me some credit.

I had a fantastic time playing, but we’re about the dissect what I think Princess Peach Showtime is missing.

Firstly I want to get aesthetic out of the way. Partially because there were a lot arguments online if Peach was “fem” enough. Which was peak stupidity. Peach is the fem of fems. It was insane this was even an argument. Also these outfits rocked.

But more importantly her game really lacked that Mario pop. Peach is fun, the premise is great, but you really could swap out Peach for a different magical girl and the premise/world still work. Peach just sells better. And she’s cute. Just look at her.

And I’m not complaining about the absence of most of the Mario cast. Characters as individuals should be able to shine on their own. Peach being the only main cast member used was a great decision. But you don’t feel like you’re in that high fantasy Mario environment. Even when away from the Mushroom Kingdom mario still has a very specific look to it.

Mario is high fantasy in its own way. I wanted to see that better reflected in Princess Peach Showtime. Every once in a while you do see glimpses, specifically in a Paper Mario way. Where the backgrounds are obviously set dressing, the horses have strings, some thorns were cardboard cut out, etc.

I think they needed to lean into this more. In a way I think the environment needed to be less immersive. I get that “there’s evil magic” but I think it should’ve looked a bit more hokey like real plays. Also put some people in the audience watching Peach rescue people. Have curtains close at the end of levels instead of it fading to white and then closing. You’re closing the curtain. You don’t need the fade to white. They’re small details that would’ve gone a long way to really increase the look. Maybe even bring some of the lighting in as part of the platforming where you’re running on the equipment and then reenter on a stage over.

It might be a useless complaint. I think this might’ve been more of a quick budget title for Nintendo at the end of a console life cycle, but don’t quote me on that.

There’s small aesthetic nitpicks I have too.

Like what the fuck is this? And they do this with the green and blue dresses too where they add this clashing purple. I’m not going to sit here and tell you she looks hideous. She doesn’t, but let us have a dress that is completely blue! And they don’t match the shoe color to any of the dresses fyi. Those stay her traditional red. I know that’s a nitpick, like a really small one, but it still… bothers me. I understand why they put it there. I just don’t care. Purple and yellow? And so lazily executed? Hmpf.

And she obviously looks better when everything matches to some degree. Look at that! Why did they restrict the color palette on the dress options so much. I get that pink is her color but… come on. The costumes are allowed to break the mold but the dresses aren’t?

Also just missed opportunity for some simple easter egg dresses. Especially since some of those challenges are tedious as all get out. I did all that to earn this ⬇️ and not something genuinely cool. Fucking ick. It’s not bad looking but not worth doing a frustrating to control challenge for. I’m not even asking for new dress models. But let us put her in a Daisy dress or something. I don’t know.

And the levels… are always fun on a first play through. But if you’re playing without a guide as a completionist you’ll need to run through them more than once because it is easy to miss stuff. And it can be more time consuming than it’s worth. And when you’re on a fourth attempt that shit gets old quick.

Don’t get it twisted though: this game is short, sweet, and regularly mixes up the gameplay to keep gamer’s on their toes. There are no costumes or game mechanics that overstay their welcome. Whenever I walked into a new stage I was uncertain what I would be walking into and the costumes are all equally fun in different ways. They do a good job balancing out the adventure and recreation costumes too. So you get a break from faster paced action by baking instead. Smart. My favorite is you get a magical girl transformation for each new costume you get and only for the first time you get it.

The transformations are fun. Plain and simple.

From a gameplay perspective I don’t actually have that many complaints. It’s not complicated by any means, nor is it hard. But it’s not meant to be those things. Princess Peach Showtime is just a fun cozy game getaway. Maybe even something you play in between other games.

Then there’s Madame Grape. I get what they were going for. They wanted a fruit villain because they have a “fruit” protagonist. (I think there is an homage to Dionysus as well.) But it’s just very eh. I don’t know how to fix that to make it less eh. I think it’s a core design problem. Additionally Madame Grape, despite being mentioned throughout the entire story, isn’t very important. She is a vessel for the plot to exist. Which isn’t inherently a bad thing, a lot of Nintendo villains fill this role, but she also has no iconic qualities to her either. She’s just kind’ve this purple blob that shows up from time to time. I do like that Nintendo didn’t use Bowser though. It keeps the game female centric. So that’s cool.

I can’t get over how she needs to look more grape themed. I know Peach doesn’t necessarily have Peach themes but like… you could’ve told me she was the fucking plum queen and I would’ve believed you. But I’m nitpicking again.

Stella the helper is… nothing. She exists as the vessel to make Peach a magical girl. Stella is the magical girl pet/wand/narrator for the adventure. She’s not bad. She’s just nothing.

The other NPCs (both friend and foe) fall into that Nintendo hole of being the same cardboard cutout person in different costumes over and over too. (At least they had different costumes…) Which is to be expected at this point, they’re just “not Toads”. And I know not every game can have a Mario Odyssey budget but I feel like we needed more visual variety within the NPC cast. Though this is an old ass complaint folks have had about Mario titles for a while so I’m not going to dwell on it too much.

Also while “stars” make sense the little “not toads” should’ve been fruit themed too. That way you could at least swap out multiple colors and call them different “fruits” if you wanted to be lazy about it.

I guess that’s the issue with the game in general. The only real character that has any semblance of personality is Peach. Everything and everyone else is just set dressing so Peach can perform for the player. it makes sense but it leaves the world feeling empty. And I’m not asking for lore. This is not that kind of game. I think I just want more substance. Which is hard to do when you’re boiling down tropes into a 3 act structure for each costume.

And I have a lot of nitpicks here. Almost like I dislike the game. Which was not the case at all. I had a grand time. The costumes are fun, it’s fun to play all the way through, and the levels in the game itself also doesn’t overstay its welcome. At max you’re looking at a 12 hour experience if you’re a completionist.

Under ten if you just want to play it.

Visually the game is beautiful. The music was nothing to write home about.

But. I think because it’s a short experience I’m disappointed it didn’t push itself harder to be high aesthetic. Games that are both genuinely good and girly are hard to find. Often “feminine focused” games like this just fucking suck. You can tell Nintendo cared about this project.

But I think to be an 8 or 9 experience it needed to push its visuals a bit harder.

[blue-tomoshibi]

This isn't no endangered fox! It's Fox-Girl Friday!

The final two parts of the third interlude are now live!!

What is this?

An original story about a boy and his kemonomimi companions traveling through the modern (but magical) world of Riterra. Though it's not always easy as they seek companionship in a world rapidly trying to objectify and commodify them.

What should I expect?

-Kemonomimi story where the cat-girls don't just go "nya" and have actual character to them. -Modern setting, similar though different to real life at the same time -Magic and spell-casting system complete with elemental affinities and other aspects naturally integrated in the narrative -There will be battles; we have "Hunters" and "Duelists" make of that what you will. -Slow building romance, but no smut, we're PG-13 here, most you're going to see is some hugging and maybe a kiss or two -Very cute fluffy slice of life elements to help break up the drama -Currently at 98 chapters totaling over 292k words -Two chapters a week with plenty of backlog to ensure I can keep up that upload pace -If you're looking for something to get invested into in the long run this is your story! -Best part: IT'S FREE

What are people saying?

-"A wonderful world with a clever magic system, solid worldbuilding, and characters that are tons of fun to get invested in!" -"There is a lot to get immersed into, and I think it'll be enjoyed by those it is targeted for, and maybe those it is not." -"I love this story! The author does an excellent job drawing you in with interesting, multifaceted characters in my opinion." -"I believe the author has something to tell us and yet also give us a fun adventure world to explore at the same time. Big respect!" -"Great read so far! The setting, or more specifically, the magic/battle mechanics are incredibly unique and well thought up." I would love to have you as a reader, please check it out! If you already have a Royal Road account, follows are greatly appreciated, just knowing my work was worth clicking that button is worth its weight in gold~

[bikenesmith]

its insane how even with photorealistic ai images that don''t feature human figures, ai art that's just environments or sky/space, my "is this ai art?" alarm still goes off. it's not like i've fine-tuned a skill, beyond my knowledge of how art is made and how art looks - i only learned about ai art in the last 1-2 years.

i don't even know what my eyes + mind are actually picking up on. its different from seeing the errors in say, hyperrealistic cgi environments. its the limitations of the program/medium and human error are peeking out from behind the veil. when i see these errors i see reality. immersion breaks, and im not thinking about the movie or game, but the vfx artist who unfortunately didn't catch some wonky physics before the deadline.

with ai art there is just a very subtle Wrongness. there is no one behind the veil. no person - no medium. (tbf the Wrongness is undoubtedly increased by how many people try to pass ai images off as real photography or human-created art)

i think it's the absence of the golden ratio. sacred geometry? my mind can look and quickly see: "this is not right." these patterns make up the natural world and all the natural world creates, and my eye rarely dwells on them, but when they are absent, i can't look away from the incongruence. "this is not of my world. this does not exist in my world."

(at the same time it's specifically lack of incongruence, imperfection, that can also tip us off to ai. no visible brushstrokes. mistakes look like computer errors and not an unknowledgeable artist making a valiant attempt at drawing hands. etc. but i think this "its not right" thought is specific to images pretending to be photos.)

and this is so interesting, because what it is it about ai art that makes it so unnatural, and what is it about digital art and vfx that circumvents that reaction? is the act of intentional, individual and collective human creation really that powerful? does it show that much in the end product? or is it that the complete absence of that intentional creation that is so powerful? it makes sense that a homunculus of thousands, millions, billions of creations of thousands, millions, billions of people will create something that looks entirely like and entirely unlike anything we have ever created with our own hands. i wonder where this ingrained sense of uncanny valley comes from and why its there. it's like "big eyes = cute" except the purpose of it isn't immediately obvious.

no idea why this post is so long or why im posting it btw

[ffnetstarseeds]

Pretty Sailor Soldier Sailor Moon Legendary Hearts

Pretty Sailor Soldier Sailor Moon Legendary Hearts

By: Kou Kotori 

New Senshi! New Enemies! The Starlights are back! S/U Y/M T/A Mamo/? ^___^

Starting from the start, the title. Repeating the word ‘Sailor’ makes the title trip up, and adding a colon for extra. Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon: Legendary Hearts seems very inline with the Sailor Moon brand. 

The summary is so general in its information. doesn’t really tell me anything. Who is the villain and what is their goal? Why are they dangerous? What makes the OC more interesting than the characters I already know? I also assume that breaking up Usagi and Mamoru is to make room for an OC which always feels like wank to me.

The opening, the chapter title feels in line with Sailor Moon but I’d encourage the writer to make use of FFnets formatting, centre and bolding to make it stand out. 

The weird thing is I think the mimicking of the opening could have worked had they done it for multiple chapters and a simple italics. I think the tone does sound like Usagi enough that it doesn’t need the Usagi’s Voice author’s note. The other stuff, the idents and theme song doesn’t because writing is a completely different medium to anime and feels very out of place. 

Sailor Vanessa is right in that nowadays certain archives allow gifs where it could be a little bit of flourish, but at the time this was published no chance. Use your medium appropriately and in this case FFnet is just text. 

The intro is an overdone trope. Yeah, yeah, Usagi’s late. It’s also jumpy, from the street to Ms Haruna’s classroom? Super weird. I think this highlights how important knowledge of the canon, and making sure you stay within the setting is. When these kinds of details it catapults the reader out of suspension of disbelief. Attention to detail is important.

It’s also a good idea to make sure a scene has a certain length and serves a purpose. The school scene is a handful of sentences before jumping to a different scene in the throneroom of the enemy.  

…. Always a throne room. I know Sailor Moon is known but I’ve always assumed it's to save the animation budget. The best thing about fanfic is you are not constrained by budget! 

I do appreciate that there’s some appearance detail because in some OC fics you get nothing, but it can be expanded on, like clothes, accessories. Her minion, Tiako, got the lion’s share, and I will say that there is something intriguing about an enemy all in bubblegum pink. 

Again, the scene is very… perfunctory? Minion! Do the thing!.... Yes leader, I will do the thing…

And because we’ve watched Sailor Moon we know exactly what the thing is. Again, the scene is so short I don’t have time to get immersed. There’s no atmosphere or emotion, just description.

The dialogue is stilted. I’d introduce the writer to one of those ‘lists of alternative said words’, adverbs and work on combining dialogue with an action to create a more dynamic scene. 

"Apologize," said Ami.

Rei suddenly felt a bad vibe coming from random directions. "Guys, I feel something coming..."

"Don't sneak your way out of an apology!" said Usagi.

"She's right, Usagi-chan," said Luna. "Something is coming."

Is only a little better than scriptfic. Better, but not a lot.

Sailor Moon attacking with pies is cute, it’s a creative touch! Kind of on brand but where did she get the pies?

After what feels like forever because nothing really happened, we get the intro of the OC. In fact we get the ol’ Seven Sue Pileup, where five OCs are dumped at once with only a quick description of what they look like. This is the ol’ telling over showing.

This doesn’t work because it’s like going to a party, around the circle with introductions and you never remember who they are! They are just descriptions, no emotions or personality so character wise they’re stickfigure in depth. 

I think the best way to introduce multiple OCs in a single scene is one at a time, give each a purpose and a way to shine, showing off their personality more than powers. For example if Sailor Sun is the main and the powerhouse, what if Tiako ran? Sailor Earth might be a tracker, using a visor from a distance to keep track of her and warning caution. Sailor Comet might be the fastest, chasing her down and bragging arrogantly. Sailor Macrocosm could show she’s sneaky, she already predicted the enemy to flee and laid a trap with her attacks causing an argument between Comet and Macrocosm showing their rivals. Then Sun plops down to finish the job.

Each OC should have a reason to be there, otherwise they’re just accessories. Because they are the usual generic first choice of Otaku Senshi creators their team feels incredibly incohesive- Sun, Comet, Earth and Macrocosm…

She wanted them each to feel special so they got to pick their names- including a senshi of the whole universe which is a very interesting choice in that group of friends. (I actually thought of this clip https://youtu.be/JPA9bKz2meI from Southpark). 

To review the OC, my guess is Sailor Sun is the avatar OC just because she’s first.

The red pigtails makes me think back in the day she’d be a Usagi recoloured in a .bmp colour scheme with the buns sawn off with a Paint colour palette and plain enough to go on my Sailor Sun Drinking Game page. Apparently she doesn’t wear shoes. 

The only other bit of information we get about her is her attack. ‘Sunbeam.’ Aside from being very basic, only described as a golden beam. Sailor Venus wants her attack back.  None of this breaks the mold. 

So each of these new Guardians spout their attack, destroy the enemy, say something mysterious and vanish back into the shadows leaving the Inners to gasp at how powerful and mysterious they are. Given this is how Uranus and Neptune were introduced, it’s incredibly overused in the Otaku Senshi fandom. Heck, even popular Ocs like Sailor Orion use this trope! But I’m kind of over it and will add it to my own Drinking Game page. 

What might have happened is Kotori and Kasumi had some friends they wanted to share this with. Awesome! That’s a great way to keep yourself challenged and inspired! I can imagine two girls in the 2000s sitting at a computer chatting and laughing as they write together! It’s a cute and fun way to write a fic but it also means there’s not a lot of editing. The best way to improve your work is multiple read throughs. Add some here, rephrase something there and slowly sculpt your fic into something more polished and refined. 

Two girls sat at a computer and typed and posted it immediately. I always want to find something to praise in a writer because writing is hard. Starting is hard, finishing is hard and chapter 2 is the hardest thing of all. 

Unfortunately nothing jumps out at me as unique or original or setting off fireworks in my brain going “Oh! Cool idea! Never seen that before!”  and will fade into the great mush of Sailor Moon fics I’ve read before and forgotten.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

So that was my first review, did with the FSA Book Club to get my reviewing chops back. It feels a little bland, not fun at all to read like the old reviews on Livejournal. 

 I think I’ll also do a little chibi doll to paint over for each of the OCs to give these reviews a little icing. This one was done quick, not chibi enough. Keep an eye out for the next one!

[novantinuum]

The Ballad of Aryll (AU-Verse) Masterpost

I thought it’d be fun to gather up all the scattered asks, art, and writing scraps I’ve done so far for this in-progress fic project, so, a masterpost!

(I’ve also been busy with other hobbies for a bit, so this is honestly just my way of immersing myself back into my story to prime my creative juices for working on it again! :D)

I’ll update this periodically as I share more.

”Jen? What on earth is this whole story even about?”

WHY, THANK YOU FOR ASKING! :D

At its core, this is a story about siblings struggling to find their way in an unfamiliar world- about two people who have long been separated by circumstance having to learn how to be a family again- about the journey of grief, and the sometimes unexpected routes one is led on while grappling with it.

Fundamentally though, the core premise is that Link has a little sister, and that said little sister was also placed into the Shrine of Resurrection 100 years prior to the start of the fic. The sister, Aryll, remembers nearly everything (except why she’s here). As in canon, however, Link does not.

On a functional scale this fic will serve as a sort of written adaptation of Breath of the Wild, but slid just a little to the left. It will feature a few re-imaginings of small bits of worldbuilding and character dynamics to better suit the specific story I have in mind, and then of course an original character in Aryll. I’ve been writing this as POV alternating, switching between Aryll and Link’s perspective from chapter to chapter.

Over the two years I’ve been dreaming up this little story, I’ve accumulated a bunch of little lore notes, art, and other bits and bobs on this blog- this masterpost aims to collect all of them in one handy spot, so future readers can go back and check out some of the earliest posts about this project!

_____________________

The Ballad of Aryll: Song of Time [OFFICIAL AO3 LISTING]

Rating: Teen

Chapters posted: 9/82

Current act: 1 of 4

Words: 37K~

Last updated: August 15th 2023

Next planned update: On posting break to build more buffer!

_____________________

Initial plot sketches/basic story background:

First post about this story

Ask response about focus and themes of story, + art WIP!

Full Google Docs Outline [It’s... er. Very long.]

-

Writing WIPS:

Full Prologue (Early release)

Chapter 3 scene

Chapter 3 snippit

Chapter 7 scene

Chapter 9 scene

Chapter 17 scene

-

Art (both by me and others!):

First concept sketch of Aryll

Child Aryll’s art reference sheet (As seen above) Aryll expression practice

Updated cover art with Hylian lettering + updated Aryll art

Link & Aryll on Great Plateau WIP

Link & Aryll on Great Plateau final piece (As seen above)

Assorted TBoA doodles

Shitpost ft. a Spiderman meme

Singing Aryll by candra-hearts

Aryll art commissioned by shisei11

-

Lore asks:

Aryll + an amnesiac brother: is she the babysitter or the babysat?

Aryll & singing

Childhood friends part 1

Childhood friends part 2

Foraging favorites

Aryll & Paya’s bond

Can Aryll see Koroks/dragons?

Link & Aryll’s favorite/least favorite places

Riju & Aryll’s meet-cute

Aryll’s preferred weapon

Aryll’s opinion of Zelda

Link and Aryll’s opinion of each other

What can’t Link and Aryll admit to each other?

A boatload of Aryll OC ask answers

More Aryll OC ask answers

On Aryll and Link’s sibling relationship

-

Other:

Personality notes for Link & Aryll in this story

A few songs that remind me of TBoA

“6 Secrets” character work game with Link & Aryll

Creating a title for TBoA

Chapter teaser #1

Chapter teaser #2

Chapter teaser #3

Random dialogue teasers

Link & scars

Hero Forge model of Link & Aryll’s dad

_____________________

Pre-TBoA content:

Clutching Destiny [AO3 link, 4/4 chapters.]

Rating: General Audiences

Words: 10K~

Summary: Sir Arwel Haywood, loyal knight of Hyrule's royal guard and proud father of two, has never considered himself a particularly religious man.

Regardless, he can't help but fear the kind of deity who would condemn a mere child to being an instrument of Her endless war.

(Or... the story of how Link's father comes to learn about his son's fateful destiny.)

Writer’s meta about Clutching Destiny

More meta about Clutching Destiny

Aryll questions: Favorite childhood activities?

Assorted questions for Aryll, and her and Link’s parents

Sketches of Link and Aryll’s parents

Recovered Family Portrait art by me! (As seen above)

Ficlet by englandamericaitaly [Canon to this AU, Link’s mother’s POV]

-

Post-TBoA content (Adult Aryll):

Unspoken Upheavals [AO3 link, 1 chapter.]

Rating: General Audiences

Words: 1.4K~

Summary: A dozen days past, Aryll still remembers exactly where she stood at the precise moment of the Upheaval’s rising… at the precise moment she realized something terrible must have happened to her brother and Zelda. (Minor spoilers for TotK initiating events.)

Mini fic + Aryll in Zonai Survey Team garb art

Aryll questions: Regrets, Conflict, Representative colors

ARYLL FOR NEW SAGE OF SPIRIT PROPOGANDA

Aryll, Sage of Spirit art

Adult Aryll’s art reference sheet (As seen above)

Adult Aryll’s character personality sheet

Mock Age of Calamity profile

Musings on post-TBoA Aryll fighting in Age of Calamity

Musings on post-TBoA Aryll and Tears of the Kingdom

Some lovely art by shisei11

More lovely art by Redundantz

[misc-obeyme]

hello hello, its sibling angst anon again ^^ i loved your response so pls dont apologize for the long ramble, bc i get like that about it too!! also, im glad you liked my song recs <3

speaking of those sibling slideshows i mentioned, for some reason tiktok has filtered them out so when u look them up, they dont show up??? you just kinda get them on ur fyp one day. or atleast thats what happens to me. but if u look up sibling webweaving here on tumblr, ohhh boy. its basically an amalgamation of different types of media be it poetry, song lyrics, shows and movies, and book excrepts all packaged as one that pertain to a theme. my fav is those about mothers and siblings, so unequivocally human. its like walking down a museum tbh.

and agh, i loved your thoughts on the demon bros sibling dynamics. plus yeahhh, its kinda hard to take anything seriously since it is an otome game, BUT who says u cant come up with your interpretations and thoughts? whos gonna stop you? anyway, each brother has a level of depth that is screaming to be fleshed out, but its all very surface level on game. belphegors burdening shame and regret from watching lilith die in front of him, and by extension beelzebub having the same feelings and/or his own guilt. (i remember belph talking about his trauma and the immersion immediately breaks off when an option pops up on the scream, "ask him to kiss you." LIKE. place and time!) asmodeus and lucifer, their entire relationship T_T speaking of which, satan and lucifer?! they're brothers, or say they are and the rest just kinda go with it. but does no one else wanna bring up how satan was even brought to existence? he was literally birthed from luci's wrath during the celestial war. thats like, a gateway for someone to write a long philosophical analysis about him and what it symbolizes. aghhudhwdhwhd i wish i could say more, but i'm literally out of words rn. if i was mc, i'd have to fight everyday to keep it together without breaking down and crying about this. espeically having to live under the same roof as them...ooofff

speaking of complex siblings dynamics, have you see succession? its a show on hbo. its about an ultra rich and powerful family that is ultimately, dysfunctional. theres four siblings and their relationship mean sooo much to me. i wont drop any spoilers just in case you dont know anything, but when i say dysfunctional i meant it!! one of the things i like about this show is that it doesnt have any flashbacks or show the backstories for most of the characters, rather they kinda drop pieces of information randomly and you just go ??? that happened ??? youd think it wouldnt be a good storytelling strategy bc how are you going to emotionally connect the story to your audience? but somehow, the show does it really well. for example, one of the brothers, roman, was heavily abused. and sometimes one of his siblings would go, "yeah i remember when dad used to heavily beat the fuck out of you" offhandedly, like its a cute little fun fact. and youre sitting there like....when did THAT happen??? ofc they wouldnt show it, but if you watch how roman and his father interact on show (roman is so submissive and scared next to his father) it starts to make sense. its like the "show dont tell" but they switch around to "tell and show." subtle interactions like that fully exposes a characters psychology. subtle body language goes a long way. theres also the eldest brother connor, whos seen as the father figure bc their real dad is so neglectful. but tbh connot gets shit on a lot and uuyfuefehfe theres more. i would talk about this all day. sibling angst got me on a chokehold.

anyway, sorry if i made 0 coherent sense but heres the end of the ramble T-T have a good day :3

(if i come back, can i be  🧬 anon?)

Welcome back! And of course you can be 🧬 anon, I will add it to the list!

Oh man, so I did a search for sibling webweaving and I was like woah what is all this lol. I had no idea there was a term for stuff like this, but I'm fascinated! I must not be getting the TikTok videos... admittedly my use of that platform is limited lol.

The thing about the otome game not delving into things means that we all get to speculate and come up with whatever we want. It's a blessing and a curse lol. On the one hand, I like being able to come up with my own interpretations. But on the other hand, it'd be nice to have just a little more depth that what we have.

I have thoughts about Belphie and specifically what happened in the OG with him. That was definitely a situation of, there is so much more going on here than they're bothering to get into. I also get that they can't really do a ton of that, partly due to the medium and partly due to the amount of characters they have to deal with. Like I think they can only choose to flesh out certain characters and the rest kind of end up on the back burner. Which is annoying because there's so much potential for so many amazing stories!

I also have a lot of thoughts about Satan and his relationship to Lucifer and everybody. It's like they give us just enough to make the story dramatic, but in the end everybody loves each other and so on and so forth. I'm not saying both Satan and Belphie shouldn't be able to reconcile what happened to them and move on, but it just happens so fast. It seems too easy. So I kind of headcanon it as, they hide everything. Not just those two, but all the brothers have a certain level of trauma that they just bury deep or at the very least don't display in front of MC. I know they make MC out to be the demon therapist, but nobody resolves their issues in one session and that's all they're normally limited to. But of course they don't have time to get into things that deeply in a mobile otome game lol.

I have not seen Succession! It sounds pretty intense. I think it's always interesting when media use different techniques to tell their story. Of course I have very little knowledge of how TV scripts are written, but for story writing, the way a character reacts can imply all kinds of past history, even if you don't know exactly what happened. Flashbacks are helpful, but I think it's interesting to have a bit of a mix. A character is always going to tell the story of their past a little differently than how it actually happened. And I find that it can reveal a lot about character just to see what they change or leave out when telling it. Of course, who they're speaking to can affect that as well. But it's definitely an interesting concept!

No worries, you made plenty of sense lol! You are always free to come back to my ask box if you so desire! <3