#tales from the mountaintop

[jeriafterdark]

May 3, 2022 - 813 - the Reprise Part 8.1/? KEEP CALM and "ZZH"'s new video

Masterpost here

F*ck I have so much work to do but I feel it's necessary to make a post on this.

New video posted on his hacked instagram, check it for yourself.

Zhehanzi has posted an ENG subbed version here.

All right, I will activate my research scientist brain for this. Although I'm out of the field now, I was an NSF Graduate Fellow (National Science Foundation) in the US and was lucky to receive valuable and advanced training in research science (biochemistry/structural biology) in undergrad and during my PhD in a few research universities, I think it's time to use this skill, my one logical brain cell left is for this moment >:(

As background, when looking at a problem, I will lead you through the steps that researchers will ask and take in order to solve a problem. I think in these times of emergency, it's important to force yourself out of your own shoes and look at the big picture, then zoom in on the details, separate yourself from the facts at hand, ONLY then can we actually start finding out what's happening.

For example, if we want to create a new vaccine for a disease, we ask, what is the problem at hand? An example answer, there is a new infectious disease and it's causing deaths in the population. Then we ask, what is the new virus? What is it made of, what is the outer envelope or shell made of? What do we ALREADY know? We compare it to similar viruses. We try to completely understand the virus inside and outside. Then when we have full knowledge of it, can we develop a strategy to combat it, i.e. creating a vaccine (its own long steps).

Let's try it with what happened with this video today.

What is the problem?

How did it happen? Why is it important?

Why did this information come out now? Is it believable? What is the method we should use to break this down? Do we need repeat trials in duplicate, triplicate and what are the statistically significant facts?

What can we conclude and how do we move forward in future directions? Why would someone fake this?

Follow the money.

Let's begin:

1 - What is the problem?

Facts: A video was posted on ZZH's instagram featuring his likeness and vocal affectations. An english subbed video is linked above. He discusses these issues ONLY: the cp fandom, his merchandise, his journey to learning poetry and guitar, and blaming/flaming people for his current state.

2 - How did it happen? Why is it important?

There were three sources of "ZZH" - the WeChat profile of ZSJ (now gone), Li XueZheng Uncle Li (his weibo is now deleted), and this hacked instagram account.

The video was uploaded to his known-to be hacked instagram. We can glean that this instagram is hacked because of QuelleVous2 and various videos debunking each and every new post on his instagram. I, myself, have also made a post debunking the ZSJ (Zhang Sanjian) video that accidentally showed a portion of the guitarist's face/chin - this was posted on the ZSJ WeChat profile that is now deleted.

We know that ZZH's instagram was hacked because Xie Yihua, his ex music manager in 2021's son, Abner, liked to talk up his connections to famous people back then. He made a post saying that many people have access to ZZH's account, and the phone number linked to it isn't even ZZH's phone number. He didn't realize that people would be going through all his comments and posts to find out what he's said.

This is important because he has an ongoing legal case against CAPA. Anything that affects his image will affect public perception, will affect government perception, will thus AFFECT HIS CASE.

3 - Why did this information come out now? Is it believable?

Timing: Today is the fandom's happiest day, the anniversary of the Word of Honor / Shan He Ling concerts. It's also CPF's happiest days. The timing of this video is in itself, suspicious. Why post it today of all days? I have two answers: 1) To have maximum impact against ZZH/GJ's fandom and break CPF's hearts. 2) In having this maximum impact, it was either HIS OWN intention to do so, OR whoever orchestrated this video's intention to use their strongest weapon against us, and therefore, HIM.

Is it believable?

Deep Fakes exist. It uses computational AI to calculate and map out a person's facial features, and in doing so can manipulate those features into different expressions. AI is trained to do this by just going through large databases of human faces and expressions and slowly forms an algorithm that the user can manipulate. One can also do this with voices. Look at this famous deep fake of Tom cruise. I'm NOT saying it's a deep fake, because with sufficient technology, it's hard to actually TELL that it's a deep fake, it's just ONE possibility.

2. Another example of someone using deep fake technology to play around with ZZH's face on a woman's body lol

3i - What method should we use to break this down?

So the next question is, is the video authentic?

First, it could be a deep fake (like above).

Second, since sometimes we can't even believe our own eyes and ears in today's world of advanced technology, I have to rely on what I KNOW from previous years. Compare the data to known data sets, known circumstances.

Facts we know: From LXZ's audio interview, ZZH is very focused on gaining back his name and reputation and his fight against CAPA. This instagram video, however, mentions NOTHING about his case against CAPA. Which we know, for a FACT, that he's filing with the Beijing Police Department against CAPA. Uncle Li showed this. Who could possibly benefit from distracting us, the public, and fandom from CAPA SO MUCH? HM? WHO.

3ii - ZZH's vocal affectations are free-style, but not in this new video.

Also in this audio interview, and previous interviews if you've watched his, ZZH tends to make very deep statements in REAL time. So he's often just freethinking and word vomitting and sometimes it doesn't make sense. lol. He says "uh", "um", "and," a lot. Compared to the instagram video, that insta video is definitely scripted. He's very smooth here and it's like practiced lines, which is against his character to do so.

Just listen to his birthday live stream and compare it to the new insta video, it sounds noticeably different, you don't even need to know mandarin??

Compare ZZH's audio interview with LXZ vs this new video, notice the difference? This is also AFTER the trauma of 813. Why would there be such a marked difference between when Uncle Li posted the video and now?

ZZH himself said in interviews for SHL/WOH that he rarely read his lines before the day of filming, he liked to read them right before or the morning of so he could really get the feeling of what he's saying and not wear it out.

Conclusion so far: This "ZZH" is different from what we know. He's distracting from his own legal case. His speaking cadence is different. He's reading off of a script. It DOESN'T mean that it isn't him, but it casts a lot of doubt on the circumstances of this video, doesn't it?

What else do we know about ZZH? He hates making fans spend money on shit that's out of their comfort zones. He's apologized to fans for his albums costing them money. THIS IS ZZH. In this video, this "ZZH" is peddling his new merch, which is notoriously overpriced and costs a few bucks to make, but is charging like 10x the cost. It's also PROVEN TO BE REUSED DESIGNS from other idols that Xie Yihua has managed.

3iii - Xie Yihua's history: She's been known to have many failed/de-registered trademarks. She's been involved in a company with CAPA's president, and she's lost a lot of money and may be in bigtime debt $$$.

Why would a person who is in massive debt want to suddenly start shilling merch for a cancelled idol? And that idol couldn't speak up or else it would jeopardize his legal case? And the fans are so desperate for his safety and well-being that they'd be fooled into purchasing these outlandishly priced items? Is this not too convenient a case for her to pass up? Free money to pay back her debts? It's certainly a possibility.

In most scandals, most cases, as you would know if you've lived in this world long enough, all you have to do is follow the money.

Follow the money: Let's not FORGET that Xie Yihua and her sister own 100% shares of the company that sells this "ZZH" / "ZSJ" merchandise. THIS IS A FACT. It's public information and listed, check QV's tweets for it. I don't have time to go find it rn. SO, if Xie Yihua is so indebt and attached to CAPA, is it not in her interest to distract us SO BADLY that ppl stop caring about CAPA? That ZZH truly loses his fans for good? That she can use him to make a quick buck to pay off her loan sharks and debtors? IT absolutely is. Always follow the money.

IF IT WERE TRULY HIM, why wouldn't this company be registered under ZZH or his mom? He's said so in interviews that he doesn't even look at his own bank account bc his mom handles all of that. He owes his mom so much, she gave up their house, her job, her life to make sure he succeeded as an actor. Of course he would give her and trust her with his money. It's not even illogical to make this leap, it's just fact?

Other items from this instagram have been debunked:

The handwritten letter was already debunked bc the handwriting style is different, the signature is TOTALLY different, the thumb is photoshopped, the shadows are unnatural. And this video mentions the fake letter as being real, so does it not cast doubt on the authenticity of the video itself? That it tries to make a fake letter real? Then what does it mean? The video itself seems fake, then. Just by the transitive property. A=B, B=C, therefore A=C. The letter is fake, so the account is fake. If the account is fake, the video is fake.

The guitar and phone-drop video was debunked by a sound engineer, and several other people lol.

The photoshoots were probably older and already been debunked. His necklace seemed to be photoshopped on because you could see the reflections in it that didn't reflect the buildings of the Forbidden City. His earrings were probably for promoting Ambush, could've been an endorsement that didn't go through. Also on Bluebirdmuppet's twitter or QV's, go check it.

3 iv - ZZH's character as we know it is different from what this video shows

In an unofficially published set of interviews, ZZH talked about his motivations as an actor and career goals. It was pre-813, last year. He talks about having responsibility to criticism, to shaking off the bad feedback, to focus on moving forward.

This ZZH is consistent with the LXZ Zhang Zhehan. He takes all the hits on the chin, he picks himself back up, he believes in procedural justice, he takes things slowly, and life slowly. He doesn't jeopardize his own case even when his whole world was shutting down in 813. SO why speak up now? He wouldn't. The timing is for MAXIMUM hurt for us, the CPF's. The fandom that Xie Yihua has been trying to break up. The fandom who loves Gong Jun, who Xie Yihua hates, and has been actively goading her ZSJ stans to attack. The Gong Jun who has had to endure cyberviolence the past couple of weeks, who had his private information leaked.

ZZH's character isn't one to point and blame, if he doesn't like you, he just won't listen to you, but he won't call you out on it. He's said so, if the fans want him to do something, he won't listen, he just does whatever and if you like it, you like it, he's not gonna go after you for it. He's a grown man who has real shit to deal with? Not fandom disputes all the time.

3v - Do we need repeated trials of his character? How do we compare this version with previous? How many instances do we need?

If you can't trust your eyes and ears, and you need more information, rely on information that's already been confirmed. On facts that are already out there. In science, if a new virus emerges, we immediately compare it to what we know, what DNA/RNA sequences does it have in common with other viruses? What protein structures? What infection mechanism is it using that's similar? This will guide us on how to analyze the new virus. It's the same here.

We know ZZH wouldn't goad his fans into fighting, wouldn't sell his merchandise vs getting on with his own legal case, wouldn't speak from a script instead of from the heart. These are valid conclusions based on his previous actions, interviews, interactions, and observations of personality. There are HUNDREDS if not thousands of instances that we can compare this ONE video from a DEBUNKED instagram account to. That's how many trials we have, how many repeated observations we've made.

This video is statistically insignificant compared to the literally boundless endless piles of evidence we have that this isn't "ZZH" as we know him.

4 - So then what? What can we conclude? How do we move forward?

So now that we've established the facts:

Follow the money: Xie Yihua is involved in many failed companies and trademarks, and may be in debt enough to manipulate an easy target (ZZH) and milking him and his fans out of their $$$. Why wouldn't his ZSJ merchandise be registered under him and his mother? And why do all proceeds go towards Xie Yihua and her sister?

ZZH's voice and vocal affectations are different from this instagram video, which may mean the video is scripted

ZZH's personality is calm and chill, even after 813 as shown during LXZ's audio interview with him about his case against CAPA

This new ZZH's personality is markedly different: cold, and harsh, and pointed. Especially at CP fans.

Deep fakes exist. It can mimic both faces and voices and bodies.

So the answer to, "Is this video authentic?" can be

1) No, it's not because of all the previous evidence listed above.

OR 2) Yes, it is, and he's being coerced into saying these things as we know how shadowy and corrupt c-ent actually is. His face does not look okay. He doesn't look healthy and happy.

OR 3) Yes, it is real, and he's a changed person, which is a conclusion that is easy to make at first glance, but does not benefit him AT ALL. It only serves to break up his fandoms, drain him of his support in the public eye, and distracts from his case against CAPA.

Point 1 is what I believe. Point 2 is possible. Point 3 is what I believe Xie Yihua and the minions behind the instagram account want us to believe. Point 3 easily knocks out all of her problems, doesn't it?

No one would be around to debunk her shit bc mostly CPF's do it or people who like both GJ and ZZH as individuals like QV/Blue. This shitshow will take over weibo and cause public opinion to turn back, after the leader of the justice for the people movement - Uncle Li - was deleted. It will cause a distraction against the real ZZH's legal case against CAPA. AND CAPA will be let off the hook because no one will be around to care anymore. See? In what way would point 3 make sense? He's actively advocating for his own social and legal suicide? No.

So how to move forward? The journey is the same. I still support him and his case to clear his name. I still support THEM and their love, which after hundreds if not thousands of interactions and so-called "candies" have already proven. This one video is NOT enough evidence to debunk thousands of things, although it may be the MOST emotionally provocative - as it is its intention to be.

Now I have to go do actual work now, I thank you for reading this far and hanging in there. Wait for the next days. I will update as I see fit.

Hold onto your rational brain cells, everyone

[cr4yolaas]

second best (pt 2) — iwaizumi hajime

notes: at last, the heavily requested part 2 to this fic !! i really hope it met a lot of your guys’ standards — i tried my best to take as much of your requests into account ^_^ i rlly dislike m the flow of this … but hopefully u guys still enjoy LOL

tags: angst → (bittersweet?) fluff, depressive episode (reader), swearing (once), a longgg process of grief and healing and whatnot, alcoholism (only briefly), roommate! tsukishima, best friend! oikawa, tsukishima does NOT have feelings for you, not proofread and quite long

taglist (incl. everyone who asked for a pt 2 !!): @altumsomnum @gennaray @romanticandupsetting @multi-fandom-fanfic

it was tuesday.

a frigid air pierced your limbs and left you to rot away, with the windows shut tight and the door locked. there was no mistakening the dark bags hanging beneath your eyes or the flakes of skin peeling from your bottom lip, nor the soft pleas of your stomach or the iciness of your fingertips. you basked in eternal slumber and silence and darkness and whatnot, save for the ticks of a clock that was 14 minutes behind and the hum of the air conditioning.

you were not frightened in the slightest. the warning signs plastered on your flesh were no great concern, and you could not fathom the idea of having to function again. it was horribly consuming.

with a groan, you released yourself from bed, your legs trembling under the mere weight of the air. you avoided the collections of trash and clothes splayed across the floor, being careful not to disturb the peace that had formed over the past handful of weeks. the sight of the kitchen was much more refreshing.

you were locked in stasis. contrary to the comfort these walls once provided, they now served as a a form of imprisonment, designed to allow the grief and the sorrow and the anger and the guilt to coalesce and spill over. it was terribly suffocating — you wished to escape.

gently, you poured a cup of water (not that you drank more than a sip, anyways). a thought passed your mind.

you needed to leave.

sendai was a home you could not find solace in anymore. gone was the youth encapsulated in the mountaintops and the hidden pathways and the convenience stores, and no longer could you feel at ease when faced with the neighborhoods you familiarized yourself with as a child.

your new apartment was shared with an old face — one you had only seen glances of in high school, notorious for his glasses and upfront attitude. he bore no hesitance when taking you in. instead, he was grateful for your presence, as if splitting the rent with him had taken off his life’s burden off of his shoulders.

he was quick to set ground rules — laundry days were on saturdays, trash needed to be taken out on sundays, the dish washer had to be clear at the end of the day, all groceries were shared, so on and so forth. you weren’t sure if you could keep up.

it took one week for him to actually conversate.

“why did you come back here?” he questioned, with a tone that implied he knew of you for years upon years (which would be false).

you picked at the skin of your lip. “why do you ask?”

“no reason. just curious.”

in a burst of energy, you recounted the tales of your past life, one of love and youth and joy; of the old apartment, of your past hobbies, of hajime. his gaze was so distant that you weren’t sure if he was listening at all.

in return, he expressed brief apologies and turned the story to himself — he discussed his volleyball career, his teammates, how he felt somewhat disconnected from his high school friends. he did not care to mention the exhaustion riddled into the pores on your face nor the weakness of your voice. that was all you needed. a conversation, not comfort.

only an hour later did he remind you of his name — tsukishima kei — and it was only then that you realized you had moved into an apartment without taking any precautions whatsoever. he laughed when you informed him of the situation.

this was not yet a home, but it was a house. and that was sufficient.

a month had passed before tsukishima forced you to get a job. he was clearly not a fool — at some point (you couldn’t tell when), he realized you were paying off your share of the rent with your life savings, which irked him ever so slightly.

“do you plan on moving out and dying on the streets when you run out?” he complained, despite the concern laced in the fluctuations of his voice.

you began working at his former high school coach’s family store. the owner himself was welcoming — he didn’t question your circumstances nor your physical state, and merely mentioned in passing that he was “given a token of appreciation from a prized student.”

and so began the cycle. on weekday mornings, you would depart for work and tsukishima would leave for practice. occasionally, he would pack you lunch (“only because i had leftovers,” he’d say) or leave a can of coffee on the counter for you. you would work at the register until the amalgamation of students died down, and once you were left with an empty store, you would take a break and go on a walk (as requested by your boss). then, you would return in the afternoon to serve the same population of children, handing them their ice cream and their sandwiches and whatnot. when they all disappeared, the coach would let you free and dismiss you with a “good work today, let’s do it again tomorrow.”

returning home was your favorite part of the schedule. a majority of the time, tsukishima arrived later than you, leaving you to your own time until he came home with dinner and a drink.

it was a monotonous cycle, but enjoyable nonetheless.

“i’m cutting off the beer for a month,” tsukishima exclaimed one warm summer night. you left your room to see him collecting unopened bottles and discarding them in a trash bag with little regard. you could only frown.

“those are all going to waste, we haven’t even opened them,” you groaned.

there was no response from the man as he continued to clear the apartment of any alcohol, akin to a parent cleansing their child’s home. before you could protest any further, he shut the door behind him and the crashing of bottles against one another could be heard beside the building.

tsukishima re-entered the apartment with empty hands and furrowed brows. “what’s up with the shitty face?” you asked from the couch.

he clicked his tongue at your comment and bore no response, instead letting his eyes wander to the screen in front of you. the morning news was playing, as usual. and yet, it was so wrong.

the screen flashed to a familiar face, one clad with a slight grin and sweat spread over his skin. his hair had grown slightly and his complexion had darkened, evidence of his labor. but most of all, he looked happy. his eyes screamed with a passion you hadn’t seen before, and despite his haggard appearance, he seemed to be content.

you did not see tsukishima rushing to turn off the television. you did not see the screen turn black, and you did not hear the noise diminish. you did not see tsukishima’s face adjacent to yours.

“hey. let’s go outside,” he muttered before moving to pull you up and out of the house

a delicate breeze washed over you both. the sun began to kiss you goodbye, and the noon crept up in its wake, leaving both of you in the dark.

“he looked so happy,” you whispered. “i don’t know what i’m doing wrong.”

you watched tsukishima light a cigarette in your peripherals, his lighter evidently battered and marred from heavy use. he made no move to offer one to you. “you’re not doing anything wrong,” he spoke firmly, although you could tell he was struggling to formulate the right combination of words in his head. “he’s just… going along a different path.”

“it should’ve been us on the same path. i feel so stupid. he’s gone on to do such great things, and i… what am i doing?”

tsukishima didn’t push the conversation any further. you were grateful.

a week had passed before tsukishima told you he had gotten you a new job, one deeper in the city. on an early sunday morning, he presented a uniform and badge to you, your name imprinted on both. the effort made you smile.

at some point, a new cycle formed. the museum was a far cry from the run down family store, and tsukishima taught you how to welcome it with an open mind and open arms. he never did mention the exact reason for the new occupation, nor did he tell you why he was so adamant on enforcing routine in your life. nonetheless, you appreciated it.

the mundanity that your new job encapsulated was slightly more enjoyable than that of your former job. exploring the concrete rooms filled with statues and paintings and whatnot was a sufficient way to pass the time. every now and then, you’d catch your roommate detailing a specific sculpture to a curious visitor, the scene contrasting his typical behavior. not that you would ever mention it to him, though.

a new routine was not unwelcome, but it did not feel impactful anymore. you still burned blue in the night, your bones aching with reminiscence over a lost life. your hands and legs still knew tokyo; they still knew the morning commutes and the bustling cafés and the chirping crosswalks and your own home, one that had been so devastatingly haunted by grief. your heart still knew the morning calls and the evening texts and the handfuls upon handfuls of promises made on once solid territory, and yet, you knew to return to it was to betray yourself.

you missed iwaizumi hajime.

rather, you missed the life that you formulated in his presence, opposed to the shambles you had grown comfortable in now that you were back home. tsukishima had carved a clay pot for your worn soul, and yet you could not help but yearn for the comfort and stability and routine you established in a past life.

the soft padding of feet echoed outside your door. soft strings of light streamed under your door as your roommate entered the kitchen, his actions indiscernible as he maneuvered about carefully. you decided to step out to greet him.

a startled tsukishima turned around to face you. “what are you still doing up?” he interrogated, albeit not in offense. “it’s late. we have work tomorrow.”

“but i don’t want to go to work. i want to go home,” you protested. you felt childish all over again — the thirst for selfishness was one that could not escape you, even now. an overwhelming desire to be in control of your own life.

tsukishima furrowed his brows. “to tokyo?” you nodded. “okay… then let’s go to tokyo.” he paid no mind to the slanted smile that transformed your lips, instead opting to turn away and fill up his bottle. “but why?”

“i need to escape,” you sighed, as if releasing a burden that had been lingering for a moment too long. “i need change. i just- i feel so stuck. i need to live.”

he merely hummed in agreement before uttering a comment about your poor sleeping schedule and ushering you back to bed.

tokyo was a city of hopes and dreams and noise. the shift from sendai’s cicada lullabies and whispers in the wind to the incessant chatter and obnoxious roads of the city was significant — any pedestrian would notice the irritation on you and tsukishima’s faces.

the inn he picked was small, yet slightly more comfortable than your current abode. the owners were kind and your neighbors were quiet, save for the occasional drunk couple. it was a life you remembering living, but not one you yearned for any longer.

in the night, you would both visit various attractions and markets and restaurants, with tsukishima insisting on paying for your meals (“as thanks for getting a life,” he argued). for that handful of days, you bore a smile that you weren’t sure would grace your lips ever again, for there was an adolescence in the evening activities that mended the remnants of your spirit. you felt whole.

on the last day, you brought tsukishima to a ramen house nearby the inn and promised to pay for the meal. it was a tuesday, again.

for reasons you could not discover, that appeared to be one of the busiest nights for the establishment — moments after you had settled, a line began to form, and the tables were crowded with families and friend groups and dates alike.

amidst the composition of metropolitans stood a man you wished you didn’t have to see. as if it were punishment, he locked his eyes with yours, the shock in his complimenting your dread.

you watched as he excused himself from his group while ignoring the cheers and shouts about him “shooting his shot.” tsukishima observed in tandem, seemingly reading the situation from a distance despite sitting right across from you.

you noticed the bold athletic trainer embroidered onto his chest, and the fitted red shirt he wore that matched those of his team. beads of sweat compiled on his forehead — you weren’t sure if it was from the density of the room or his exhaustion or anxiety. a small part of you hoped it was the second option.

“hey,” he began. “can- can we speak outside?”

you could not help but oblige.

hajime seemed to have developed an obsession with fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. you noticed the frayed strands on a spot that aligned perfectly with his hand, and you nearly laughed.

he coughed into his fist before rambling. “i’m sorry. i know you definitely don’t want to see me, and it’s not wrong of you at all to feel that way, but i just- i’ve thought about you- no, i think about you every day up until now. i know i don’t deserve you at all, and me being here is probably super upsetting, but-“

“hajime.”

the way you called his name seemed to deteriorate him and his principles. you finally felt otherwise.

“i really, really, didn’t want to see you at all. i don’t even want the thought of you to pass my mind. i’ve built a life outside of you and i’m tired of you interrupting it.” you witnessed his heart, mind, and body freeze simultaneously.

“i- i understand that, i know, i’m sorry. i’ve been- i’ve been reflecting a lot recently and i’ve known i was horribly in the wrong and i’m ashamed to have done nothing about it, and i know this sounds really, really dumb but i wish i had just stayed with you for that extra day because- because i don’t think i can go any longer without you now that i have you here, in front of me. could we- can we at least… keep in touch?” he seemed to speak without limitations, akin to a leaking clay pot. he was distressed, evidently. but you no longer saw his face and thought of guilt and love and yearning; you held no space for him.

you shook your head gently. “hajime, i don’t want you in my life anymore. you achieved your dreams, and i’m working on finding mine. that’s how it was meant to be.”

if not for the small lamp above the two of you, you would not have noticed the tears spilling onto his face. you bore no sympathy — with a goodbye and a small wave, you left him in the alley with a heavy heart and saline tears.

to witness him before you had awakened the truth riddled in your sinew and bloodstream: iwaizumi hajime was no longer a necessity. a truth that had cowered away beneath guilt and fragility and shame had uncovered itself, and for once, you breathed a full breath.

oikawa seemed so vibrant on the other side of your screen, the argentinian sun kissing his skin almost perfectly. “…i miss you lots!! i’ll visit soon, maybe, and we can catch up and maybe go get coffee and then debrief and then…” he trailed off with an aloof grin, his words spilling out from your phone and reverberating around the living room. tsukishima stood in the kitchen, the sound of his deliberate chopping and washing contesting oikawa’s voice. “but anyways, i’ll see you soon! byebye!!”

you waved goodbye and hung up, leaving only the noise of your roommate’s cooking. a loud groan left his lips in the midst of his mixing, followed by a complaint about how irritable your friend’s voice was. you could only laugh.

gentle strings of moonlight spilled into the apartment through the kitchen window, the songs of the evening falling upon both of you and your shared comfort. tomorrow was your off day, granting you both an opportunity for an actual meal. tsukishima (begrudgingly) agreed to make your favorite dish, with the request that you’d make his favorite dessert next week.

“thank you for the meal,” you whispered. tonight would consist of good food and a relaxing night, and tomorrow would entail a day of rest and a weekly reset, along with another call with oikawa. with marred hands and a porcelain heart, you had managed at last to craft a solid life — steady health, steady friends, and a steady routine.

you would no longer be second best to anything, and that was sufficient enough.

[floweroflaurelin]

So Pixlriffs’ finale is a masterpiece and I’m experiencing a lot of emotions right now ✨🌻✨

For my own reference I made a transcript of the monologue and thought I might as well share it! It's under the cut to avoid spoilers but the whole first 8ish minutes of his video are typed out. I recommend watching at least that much, if you haven’t yet, because it’s really something worth hearing.

We are not done.

Not yet.

Our stories do not begin here, and neither do they end. But before they fade into obscurity, as so many events do, there is one more story left to be told.

[It is the Story

of

the World.]

It’s important to remind ourselves that history is an account of events remembered—and there are so few left who remember, so it mingles with myth and hearsay, folklore and fireside stories. This is the account of just one man, and others may recall the tale differently. Others still may decide to change the narrative to suit their own ends. And this, it must be said, is no bad thing. So it goes.

[Sun setting

over

our Creation.]

—

In a long-lost age before records truly began, our world was built by Titans (or so it is said). The lands they created became home to people who would seek to emulate and even to surpass that act of creation, and that would eventually bring about their destruction. But destruction is simply part of a cycle. Nothing is ever truly lost.

Those who foresaw the destruction fled before it could bring the walls of their homes down around them. And many who had been downtrodden and overlooked saw it as their chance to find a new life for themselves.

Thus began a great migration, leaving behind the old nations of the world and striking out for somewhere new, a life untethered from the follies of their former state. And though the road was long and treacherous, and many fell behind in the wake of such an awful endeavour, new bonds were forged in the fires of adversity.

As time passed, and more joined the great caravan, the host became a nation of its own, a glorious congregation sharing one purpose, singing the same resolute song. Though the road was long, they were homeward bound.

And a home they found nestled in a mountainous landscape, one that might have been carved by the very bones of the gods themselves. There they planted roots, drank deep from the water, and continued to grow. The farmers sowed new fields and raised new flocks. The work of many hands turned to building a new city. And together the architects conceived a castle upon a great plateau that would stand as a monument to their past apart and their future together. To them, the castle itself would tell the Story of the World.

Stone-whisperers from Mythland and the Grimlands, well-versed in masonry of all kinds, sculpted its walls from the abundant rock of the nearby mountains quarried for the glory of their new capital. They wrought rock and iron, carved and timbered their great halls, and raised mighty towers to stand atop the grand cliff.

The mages of the Crystal Cliffs brought knowledge of magic and the beauty of gemstones, and theirs was the sanctum at the heart of the castle, ever-seated at the Ruler’s left hand: their shield and protector.

A tribute was raised to Gilded Helianthia, whose ruler was still revered in the hearts and minds of many, and in time she became their warden against the spectres of the past, carrying the twin burdens of light and shadow on her shoulders; a burden with which the people of Rivendell were all too familiar.

And below, far below, the engineers of Pixandria sought to reproduce the jewel of their empire. A mechanism that would surpass the work of the Copper King himself.

Not all who came to found the Ancient Capital remained for long. Like dandelion seeds, the people of the Overgrown were scattered on the wind, alighting on the mountaintops and valleys. The vast majority of them came to settle in the rolling meadows of Chromia, which was renowned for the richness and beauty of its dyes for lifetimes after.

In the absence of their king, the nation of Mezelea resettled in new badlands, establishing laws and ordinances of their own. Many of them had been armour stands before the king imbued them with life, and some found this a hard habit to shake.

The people of the Cod and Ocean empires, bereft of the waters that gave them life, took to diving in the rocky pools of vast caverns and their affinity for stone grew. Over many generations they adapted, becoming the green-skinned race that folk came to know as goblins—their pointed ears the only remaining vestige of the fins they had once had.

For the gnomes of the Undergrove, this was a homecoming! They had long dwelled here before their exodus through the Nether and the fairy circles of the Evermoore welcomed them with open arms.

And the villagers of the Lost Empire, hiding in plain sight amongst the caravan of peoples, sought to find a place where they would be unburdened by this facade of humanity, standing at last on their own two feet.

But the boundaries of this land were ever-changing, and the nations soon found the cataclysm they had left behind had weakened the walls between their world and others. Waters rose and fell unpredictably; incursions from other realms were possible, bringing chaos in their wake. The tide of history churned and rippled.

None now remember how the Capital fell, only that its remains have lasted: an epitaph to all they had achieved together.

And just like before, new nations would arise. The pirates of Eversea ruled the waters from their secret cove. The inventors of Cogsmeade arrived sailing in from the air on their skyships—only to find whole buildings floating in the golden kingdom of Stratos. Rumours abounded of a Sanctuary hidden in the deepest jungle for those who knew the way.

Their tales are better told by those who knew them well. Our stories do not begin here, and neither do they end. But for this tired historian, it is perhaps best to leave these things in the past and begin to look towards the future.

For whatever comes next, we who have sown the seeds can only hope for a bountiful harvest.

[thesistersarcheron]

Holding Out for a Hero

A cursed mirror captured the Lord of Bloodshed. Centuries later, the myths and tales of his heroics captured his mate’s heart. Can this legendary Carynthian climb out of Nesta’s novels… and into her bed? A canon-divergent, post-ACOSF Nessian AU for @witch-and-her-witcher and @acotargiftexchange. I have had such a blast getting to know you better over the last few months, Cee! I'm so sorry for all the blatant lies in the chat to (try to) mislead you about what I was doing for the gift exchange, but Merry Christmas! 🎄🎁

See the full description and read this story here on AO3, or check below the cut for a snippet!

A smear of black on the horizon stretched as far as the naked eye could see, signaling the enemy’s approach. An army—the King had amassed an army so large and so fixed on claiming Princess Suri’s lands that it had felled the trees and crushed the boulders in its path rather than redirect its furious route around them.     Suri’s pulse pounded in her throat as she watched the swarm creep closer, clutching the crenelated railing at the edge of her mountaintop fortress to steady herself. A century ago, she would have sworn her ancestors’ kingdom would never fall to an invading force. That the lifeblood her great-grandfathers had once spilled to erect Velaris’s wards would always be strong enough to prevent a cruel incursion of their land-hungry neighbors across the eastern sea…  But her family’s protections had faltered in the coldest, darkest hours of the previous night, and though the defensive force her general had gathered in the city below was fearsome, it was not nearly formidable enough to survive an assault of this scale. The legions’ numbers had dwindled battling this army all the way from the Court of Nightmares to the city. It did not matter that they were Illyrian—each and every one armed with wicked steel they had been trained to wield since boyhood, a rainbow of Siphons gleaming on their leathers far below Suri’s perch—because they would be decimated in a matter of seconds.  Oh, gods. Her heart seized, and she turned away, unable to torture herself any longer with the knowledge that her people were damned to whatever horrors the King decided to inflict upon them.  “Suri.” A rough, warm palm cupped her face, a calloused thumb swiping away tears she hadn’t known were falling. “My love.”   “You should go,” Suri murmured, turning her face into that work-roughened palm. She pressed a kiss, a farewell, to it. “Take your people and return to the steppes. It will be safer in Illyria than—”  “I will not.” Cadmus’s voice was as firm as his body as he wound an arm around her waist, anchoring her to him when her knees buckled.  “You must.” She didn’t dare open her eyes. She would lose herself if she met the storm churning in his hazel eyes or bore witness to the protective flare of his great, membranous wings once more. “The wards have fallen, and the High Lord remains trapped in an enchanted sleep. Without his power, we cannot shield the city. Don’t you see? I cannot protect you! I cannot protect them!”  “Then let me.” His hand angled her face upward, toward his own. “Let me do the protecting today. I have fought for our Court for one thousand years, princess. I have served three High Lords in my lifetime, and as long as I have breath in me, I will continue to serve. Every skirmish, every war, every wound—all have led me here. To you, my mate, and to this battle. I will fight to protect these people for you until I can no longer raise my blade, if that is what it takes to— 

Nesta Archeron groaned as her frustration reached a boiling point. With a roll of her eyes, she slammed her book shut.

For weeks, though she couldn’t pinpoint precisely when, every smutty romance she’d picked up rubbed her the wrong way. Each book inevitably scraped something inside her mind raw, tangling in her last nerve until she left it unfinished on top of a precarious stack of abandoned books.

A stack that was growing at an alarming rate. 

If she wanted to fool herself, she might blame the stories themselves. According to Merrill, her taste in literature was a shameful waste of time; her reading list should consist only of the finest high-brow, dusty tomes that the Prythian canon had to offer—and, truthfully, she did read those quite often. After a decade as an assistant in the library below the House of Wind, a recent promotion to a cushy job as a reference librarian demanded that she know the classics inside and out. 

Still, once her shifts ended and she returned to the plush couches in the House of Wind’s small private library, she always gravitated toward the steamier paperbacks she bought—two for a copper—from a hole-in-the-wall bookshop on the outskirts of the Rainbow. 

But now…

Well, now, Nesta might not know when her books started falling flat like stale champagne at Starfall, but she knew why.

It was the heroes.

[aheathen-conceivably]

🎶 This city’s dying by the day, and you know it always will 🎶

Antoine kept his head dipped and his face hidden as he neared the spot where Giorgio had asked him to meet. The secrecy in Gio’s note had been absurd: Meet me at the docks facing the cathedral at eight. And come alone. As he approached, the rhythmic ringing of the church bells told him that he was just on time.

Antoine’s steps crossed from the cracked pavers onto the wooden dock, the hollow sound alerting Giorgio to his presence. He jumped to his feet and nervously took a drag off his cigarette, smoothing down his hair behind each ear. Antoine rounded the crates that he was hidden behind and narrowed his eyes, “Christ, Gio, what’s going on? What’s with all this fanfare and secrecy?”

“Antoine, thank god. To tell you the truth, it’s Jo. She never takes my ideas seriously and I’m sure she’d tell me I’m operating on false information. Plus I don’t want to create a stir, tip off my contacts that I’m sharing this information with anyone on the outside. Sit, please. I think you might need to.”

Giorgio sat back onto the crate next to Antoine, looking over each shoulder before he began, “I’ve got cousins, Antoine, cousins with real business interests up in New York. There’s serious talk that this whole bubble we’ve been riding, it can’t last forever, and the whole economy is gunna tank.”

Antoine shook his head in disbelief, but Gio went on, “I’m telling you, it’s true! Some of them are already pulling out stocks. Your sister will think I’m just as crazy, but I sure as hell don’t wanna be in any city when shit hits the fan. Especially this city. You see, I know I said one job, but once they get their teeth into you, once they know where you are, they don’t let you stop…”

Gio stopped for a moment to let the implication of he and Antoine’s entanglement with the city’s mafia dissipate in the twilight air, “Now I’ve heard talk of riches out west. Railroads or highways being built right through your property and being paid in handfuls. Plus land is cheap, real cheap. I found a plot through some connections with the farm house built. I’ve still got that money from the deal we made, so I can purchase it myself, but if you’re holding onto that cash we can split it equal, go in as co-owners.”

Gio’s proposal made Antoine’s head spin. Leave his home? To go West, of all places? What the hell did he know about the West? About a land he had only heard tales and hyperboles of, a land that seemed unreal, one that still seemed to promise some semblance of the American Dream…

As Antoine tried to focus, to force himself see his choices clearly, a series of images flashed through his head in immediate succession.

First, he saw himself atop a horse, the sun beating down on his his face as the arid breeze whistled through the brush and the blue sky blended into the yellow of the mountaintops. Around him was nothing but land: vast, empty expanses of land without a single rule or expectation to impose upon him.

Then he saw Zelda in a tiny chapel, bedecked in a white wedding dress and her finest pearls. She had a wide smile on her face and a delicate hand extended toward him, beckoning him to the altar at the end of the aisle. Through the windows the desert sun streamed in around them, finally free to walk in the streets however they pleased, finally married, finally his wife…

But with almost an almost visceral sense of vertigo he was transported back to New Orleans, back to the club with Violette, who was now grown as she sang along to the notes he played on the piano he had owned all his life. Her laughter told him that she had always loved it there, just as much as he did, and she would only grow to love it more, to be just as inspired and connected to the only home he had ever known.

Finally, his mind drifted back to Zelda, this time in their kitchen cooking a recipe that his aunt had taught him. He stood behind her in the same place where they had some of their happiest memories, their most intimate moments.

As he pulled her closer to him, he could hear people yelling in French through the doors open to the street below. Their accents sounded just like his own, just like his mother and his aunt, perhaps just like his daughter’s would one day. The sound of their voices drifted into the kitchen, mingling with the scents of cooking and the feeling of Zelda in his arms, telling him that he was already home.

In the seemingly suspended year of 1928, Antoine buried his head in his hands. None of the visions or the dreams mattered anyway; the choice had already been made. The money was gone, long gone. He had spent it paying bills for the club and buying food for his family, just trying to keep the club afloat while the bribes grew larger by the month.

Antoine finally looked back to Gio, making sure the tears in his eyes had dried enough so that they wouldn’t betray his words, “I’m sorry Gio, but it sounds like nothing but a pipe dream to me. Why would I leave when there’s nothing to go on but your word? I’ve got the club, my family, my city; I won’t throw that all away for a rumor.”

Giorgio visibly flinched, as though Antoine’s words had come directly from Josephine herself. Then he swallowed the dismissal, knowing that it was only a taste of what waited for him at home. He shrugged his shoulders and looked back out over the Mississippi River, “Suit yourself then, old sport. I hope it doesn’t come to all this, but I have a feeling it might.”

[catcas22]

Rennala’s Deception

            So this is something I’ve been turning over in my head for a while. This is going to be more of a narrative theory than a hard lore-hunting theory, but feel free to jump in if anybody sees something I missed.

Remembrance of the Rot Goddess

            Remembrance of Malenia, Goddess of Rot, hewn into the Erdtree. ... Miquella and Malenia are both the children of a single god. As such they are both Empyreans, but suffered afflictions from birth. One was cursed with eternal childhood, and the other harbored rot within.

            This seems to indicate that there is a genetic component to Empyrean status. That’s likely not the only factor -- most likely, all “children of a single god” are Empyreans, but not all Empyreans are “children of a single god.” But we can still confirm that Empyrean status is at least partially hereditary.

            We know that Ranni, the youngest child of Rennala and Radagon, is an Empyrean. By the time we finish the game, we, the players, know that she got it from Radagon’s side of the family.

            However... Radagon’s godhood(?) was a strictly kept secret within the world of the game. We get most of our direct information on Radagon from Pastor Miriel, and to hear him tell it, Radagon was just a guy. A general and a champion, yes, but it’s never suggested that he was anything more than a mortal man. In fact, Miriel seems to feel that Radagon married up when he married Rennala, and can’t fathom why he would leave her.

            So did it not raise any eyebrows when two (admittedly very talented) mortals had an Empyrean daughter?

            That was my starting point. And while I continue to believe that Rennala was mortal (possibly part giant, but still mortal), I don’t think that was the official story.

            I’m probably going to make a longer post on this later, but for now grant me the premise that A) sorcery originated in the Eternal Cities, B) the astrologers were descendants of the ECs who fled to the Mountaintops of the Giants after Astel ate their sky, and C) a contingent of astrologers eventually migrated to Liurnia, likely fleeing the early conquest of the Golden Order, and became the iteration of Glintstone Scholars we encounter in game.

            Again, probably going to do a longer post later, but for now I offer the location of the Stargazers’ Ruins, the Heretical Rise, and Founding Rain of Stars (all on the Mountaintops), and the Preceptor’s Set description.

Preceptor’s Big Hat

            Large hat with the movements of the stars drawn on the inside of the brim. Worn by the magic preceptors who served the Carian royals. ... Glintstone sorcerers are the descendants of astrologers, a fact that the Carians remain of aware of. Even if their fate has been long severed from the stars.

            Keep that in the back of your mind. Now, onto Rennala’s official origin story. A note -- all heirloom talisman descriptions cite a “legend,” or a “heroic tale.” I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the lore gained from these talismans being either distorted or embellished, as legends and tales tend to be.

Stargazer Heirloom

            A talisman engraved with the legend of a queen. Raises intelligence. The young astrologer gazed at the night sky as she walked. She had always chased the stars every step of her journey. Then she met the full moon — and, in time, the astrologer became a queen.

Rennala’s Full Moon

            Sorcery associated with the Carian queen. Uses the caster as a vessel to incarnate a full moon, then sends it floating toward foes. ... Queen Rennala encountered this enchanting moon when she was young, and later, it would bewitch the academy.

Remembrance of the Full Moon Queen

            Remembrance of Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, hewn into the Erdtree. ... In her youth, Rennala was a prominent champion who charmed the academy with her lunar magic, becoming its master. She also led the Glintstone Knights and established the house of Caria as royalty.

            So we have a young astrologer. Most likely, either she or her family line originated from the Mountaintops. She discovered the Full Moon, and used it to bewitch/charm the Academy. She was also responsible for raising House Caria to the level of royalty.

            A quick tangent -- the Carian Filigree Crest references multiple Carian princesses. Unless Rennala previously had other marriages with other children, Ranni ought to be the only Carian princess.

            However, if we assume that the Carian’s previously ruled a principality, not the entire kingdom of Liurnia, everything slots neatly into place. The Carians were one noble family among many, Liurnia split between the lot of them. They were a matriarchal principality, thus making the current princess the highest priority for the knights sworn to their house.

            Now back to Rennala... I don’t believe that the Full Moon was an outer god, or a sentient entity at all. I believe it is a school of sorcery developed by Rennala, building upon the foundation of Carian sorcery (just as Miquella’s holly incantations seem to build upon Golden Order Fundamentalism, while not being associated with any outer god -- future lore post pending).

            However, I think Rennala presented the Full Moon as an outer god. Picture this -- Marika makes her debut on the Mountaintops, driving the astrologers to flee to Liurnia. She then proceeds to hit the kingdom of the Crucible so hard that Uhl flees to parts unknown and Placidusax picks up his capitol city and absconds to another dimension. Marika then sets her sights on Liurnia, dispatching Radagon.

            At this point, Marika is fully leaning into her rep the God Queen. Her age is inevitable, no one can stand against her.

            Except for another Empyrean, fighting to usher in her own age.

            Rennala, the inheritor of a tiny corner of a fractured and disorganized Liurnia, declares herself the Empyrean of the Full Moon. An Arthurian figure, she unites the scattered houses of Liurnia, raises up an elite order of knights, meets the Hound of the Golden Order on the battlefield... And wins.

            Rennala is now de-facto queen of Liurnia. The Glintstone Scholars come aboard, the Lazuli Conspectus the first and the most loyal -- they even take up the techniques of her knights. But she knows that, having no true god of her own, she cannot stand against Marika indefinitely. She and Radagon manage to work out a compromise. For a time, it seems everything worked out.

            Then her daughter is born an Empyrean. An Empyrean claimed by Manus Celes -- the Hand of the Moon.

            Rennala knows she made the whole thing up. There shouldn’t be a lunar outer god. Did she Tulpa one into existence? Did it exist all along, and she’s been taking its name in vain all these years? Did Radagon know? Is that what the secret of the Preceptors was about?

            Regardless, now it’s after her daughter.

            Of course we know that Radagon was the true Empyrean. He did not need Rennala to produce Empyrean heirs. But Rennala doesn’t know that. Ranni is the youngest. Radagon left after he had his Empyrean heir. Suddenly, Rennala’s breakdown starts to make a lot more sense.

Queen’s Robe

            Robe indicating the highest order of sorcerer. Worn by Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. When Rennala, head of both the Academy of Raya Lucaria and the Carian royal family, lost her husband Radagon, her heart went along with him. And then, those at the academy realized. That Rennala was no champion, after all.

Carian Retaliation

            One of the sorceries of the Carian royal family. Swing your staff to dispel incoming sorceries and incantations, using their power to retaliate with glintblades. This was the Carian royal family's secret means to prepare against the disloyalty of the academy. The moon and stars would one day go their separate ways.

            The Glintstone Scholars signed on with Rennala because they believed she could be their Empyrean champion against Marika. When she folded, they turned on her in an instant. The description of Carian Retaliation suggests that, to some degree, she always knew that this was a possibility.

            One cannot maintain a lie forever.

[lanymme]

Hey. Kiara sure likes ohagi, doesn’t she?

It’s a cute quirk, but it’s also deeply, deeply tragic in a very subtle way that's hard to piece together unless you know about japanese sweets or Kiara’s personal history.

So let’s learn a little bit about ohagi, and why Kiara loves it so much!

Ohagi, and the very similar sweet botamochi, are traditional japanese sweets made from glutinous rice with a coating of sweet red bean paste and, optionally, a dusting of something else, often ground black sesame or soybean flower.

Here’s some that I made for Kiara’s birthday last year! They’re very doable and pretty tasty.

Higan is a Japanese buddhist festival celebrated around the spring and autumn equinoxes, and ohagi or botamochi is eaten as a ritual food during that equinox. Sources I found indicated that the difference between ohagi vs botamochi is not easy to pin down, but some say that the sweet is called ohagi when eaten for the autumn equinox. (This is beside the point, but the red spider lily, with which Kiara is strongly associated, also blooms around that time.) If you want to know more, check out this article I found on the history of ohagi and its ritual connection.

Kiara was born as the heir and savior to a mountaintop Buddhist cult. Her upbringing was deeply abusive, and despite the fatal illness she suffered from, for which her community and her father gave her no treatment, she was denied any semblance of a normal childhood while she was molded to be their perfect savior.

Nothing that inspires attachment was allowed to her. The book of fairy tales she ended up with was deemed inappropriate and taken from her because she spent too much time reading it, liked it too much.

But, of course, ohagi isn’t just a sweet. It’s a ritual food. So they couldn’t deny her that.

As a child, those 7 days surrounding the equinox twice a year were probably the only time she ever got to have sweets.

And of course, she probably learned to be very careful about not letting on that she was enjoying herself. Not overindulging.

Like fairy tales, it was a tiny piece of happiness that accidentally slipped through the cracks and gave her something to latch onto. And, like fairy tales, she carries it with her into adulthood.

It’s not coincidence that she makes ohagi and tea instead of chocolates for Valentine’s. In this new place where she can heal a little bit from her past and grow, she takes the chance to make ohagi herself, instead of waiting for the proper holiday; and to share them with someone else as a thing she loves, instead of hiding them away.

[noxdont]

LumiHarem & their fave pastimes together

Dilumi

Napping together. Honestly with the amount of things this man has on his plate, it's amazing how still manages to find some time for himself. Although when he does, he'd already be exhausted. One day, Lumine was there waiting for him in the manor and the sight of her just made him realize how tired he was for the day. And so they ended up lying on the large couch by the windowsill, nuzzling in each others' embrace. Since then it's become Diluc's favorite part of the day.

Kaelumi

Stargazing. (Yes I will keep pushing this agenda and I will never shut up about it) Them just finding any comfortable spot that gives them the perfect view of the night sky is more than enough. Before Lumine came into his life, Kaeya would often find himself ordering another drink at the tavern or in some old ruins trying to find more answers to the lingering questions in his mind. These days (or nights) he'd find himself searching for a certain traveler and just settling himself by her side as they silently watch the stars shine and burn above them.

Venlumi

Picnics. If he finds out that his beloved traveler is back in Mondstadt, he'd immediately whisk her away to Windrise and Lumine lets him because being with Venti also gives her some time to relax. They'd most likely be lying underneath the large tree at Windrise, Venti asking her about her adventures with his head on her lap while Lumine catches up with him. They'd have small picnic basket by the side filled all sorts food (Lumine always bakes an apple pie because she lowkey loves spoiling Venti) and a bottle of apple cider.

Albelumi

Reading together. Other than trying out various exercises and experiments, another pastime both Lumine and Albedo enjoy doing is reading books together. May it be fiction, non-fiction, some old documents or a book Lumine found in the midst of her trip, they'd eventually find themselves in their usual position. They're both underneath a warm blanket, Lumine's head leaning on to his shoulder as she reads through a novel recommended to her by Lisa while Albedo leans against her as well as his reads through another book Lumine found during her adventures.

Zhonglumi

Drinking tea and sharing stories (although most of the time Zhongli is the one who does the talking because he likes sharing about various things and Lumine enjoys listening to him). Third Round Knockout, Liuli Pavilion or at the stone table on Mt. Aocang, these three places have become their usual spots. It simply started out with Lumine inviting Zhongli for tea when she'd have some free time in Liyue and eventually it just became their thing. Lumine grew this habit of collecting tea recipes and ingredients from different places so she could share it with Zhongli while he tries to think of the tales he has yet to tell her for their next date meet-up. (He'd always try to choose the longer ones so that they'll spend more time together)

Chilumi

Fishing. Other than beating up each other to pulps like the romantic couple that they are, Childe also enjoys fishing and the fact that Lumine is starting to get more and more into it makes him all the more happier because he gets to spend more time with her. Sometimes they'd chat for a bit and talk about their families, sometimes it gets a little competitive and they'd end up just duking it out but most of the time right after their little activity, Childe would took her hand in his and leads her to the sandy shorelines of Liyue as they watch the sun slowly sink into the horizon.

Xiaolumi

Collecting random things. The word pastime probably doesn't exist in Xiao's vocabulary but if he miraculously does get some free time, he'd instinctively find Lumine and join her with whatever she's doing. And most of the time, he'd catch her collecting things either for personal use or for a commission. Whether it was collecting violetgrass and qingxin flowers on mountaintops, finding starconch shells and some cor lapis, Xiao has gotten used to helping Lumine find these things that he's memorized the spots where they'd mostly find them. Neither of them really needs to point out on how it was starting to turn into their little routine, all they know is that being with each other like this made their day a little better.

Thomalumi

Cooking. Ever since Thoma found out that Lumine also cooks, he suggested they start sharing each others' recipes when they have the time and Lumine happily obliged. From taste testing partners to mini cooking competitions to almost trashing the entire kitchen, Thoma never expected he'd enjoy cooking more than before. Every time he'd hear that Lumine was back in the estate or is at the teahouse, he can't help but be excited as he wonders what kind of dishes they'll make together this time. And as soon as they're done cooking, they realize that they made a feast large enough to feed the entire estate. Making sure that they don't waste any of the food, they'd invite the rest to share the feast with them.

Ayatolumi

Going for a short walks together. Ayato spends most of his time reading and signing papers under closed doors to the point where Ayaka and Thoma worries that he might end up overworking himself. Their prayers were answered in a form of golden traveler who seems to be one of the few people that Ayato can't say no to so convincing him to go on a short walk together was fortunately not that difficult to do. At first it started out as a way for Ayato to take breaks but somehow it became something he'd look forward to even as he works. When he hears three soft knocks at his door, he's already on his feet and ready to leave his office.

Goroulumi

Archery. Here we have another workaholic whose hobby can still be considered as work but then again, Gorou being committed to his job and position are just few of the things that makes him so loveable. Lumine has always been interested to train with the bow although she never really found someone to properly show her the ropes, this little tidbit slipped out while she was having a conversation with Kokomi and Gorou's ears perked up in interest.

"Then how about I teach you?" offered the general with thinly veiled enthusiasm. How could Lumine ever say no to that?

And so whenever they both have the time, they'd find each other on their usual training spot. Lumine making steady progress although she occasionally gets stuck on a problem. Cue Gorou appearing beside her to either fix her stance and explains the parts where she went wrong. Lumine never misses how his touch would linger longer once their eyes would meet. And the happy sway of his tail once she hits the target dead center.

Heilumi

Solving riddles. One would think that there isn't a riddle that the genius Doushin of the Tenryou Commission couldn't solve, Heizou takes pride in that very notion until he came face to face with a riddle that he has never heard before. The traveler sat across from with an innocent smile while a mixture of interest and frustration rung through his entire being. Not that Heizou never got the answer right, it just took him a lot more time (days even) to actually figure out Lumine's riddle. Once his mind managed to come up with an answer, he'd immediately go and find her. Overflowing with excitement, he'd pull her by the side from whatever she was doing and says his answer proudly. Lumine would reward him with a pleasant smile before complimenting him for doing a job well done. She would then present another riddle, another challenge that Heizou gladly takes and by then the cycle continues. Heizou has no problems admitting that he's been enjoying their little exchange but it might take more courage for him to admit that what he's truly looking forward to was seeing her smile every time he gets to solve her riddles.

Kazulumi

Cuddling. Kazuha is a huge cuddle bug (change my mind) and what better way to enjoy cuddling when it's with his favorite person? Cuddling just became natural to both of them and Lumine always welcomes it no matter the occasion. Being in each other's arms, often sneaking kisses on the other's cheek, temple and even lips before nuzzling into the crook of their partner's neck. Either of them can initiate the cuddling session, all Kazuha has to do was to hug Lumine from behind and tell her how much he misses holding her. Lumine on the other simply makes a grabby motion towards the samurai before he's instantly making his way towards her. Cuddling sessions are not and should not be disturbed, Kazuha has made this quite clear towards the others as he holds Lumine tighter.

Ittolumi

Playing with children. Everything with Itto almost seems like a pastime but Lumine doesn't mind. Being with the oni always give her this freeing feeling like she was able to escape runaway from the constant commissions and responsibility to enjoy life even just for a quick moment. Itto has been playing with some kids in Inazuma for quite some time now and Lumine never really had a chance to see more of it other than them having fun. But when Itto literally scooped her away for her to join them one day, Lumine found her perspective changing. Under the playful, almost rash, and boisterous oni that he was, there was another side of Itto that not many often see. Such as him instantly bending down to comfort a crying child, bringing back their smile when he'd notice them frowning all day or him making sure to keep them safe when they were in any sort of danger. Itto dragging Lumine along to his usual routine was unplanned (a spur in the moment decision really) but it surely wasn't unwelcomed. Lumine witnessing another side of Itto and being given a chance to step back from her usual routine offered warm comfort. And Itto being able to enjoy the things that he does best without being judged or criticize made him happier than he thought it would.

[dearsnow]

HERE WE COME

- you begin your journey on dragonbreath mountain with your best friend and a couple of unwelcome guests. (jacaerys velaryon, aemond targaryen, & aegon targaryen x gn!reader)

word count: 1,068

DRAGONBREATH MOUNTAIN: when you decided to become a camp counselor with your best friend, jacaerys velaryon, you never knew exactly what the trip would entail.

You step out of the travel van, your booted feet sticking in a small patch of mud. You thank the driver with a smile and turn around to look at your surroundings, awestruck. The air is fresh, scented with pine needles and wet grass. Every little piece of this place is gorgeous. There are countless trees, stretching far into the distance, and the horizon is decorated with scrawling mountains. Each one seems larger than the one before, surrounding the little clearing with walls of earth and stone. You take a deep breath and turn to the boy next to you.

“Damn, I never knew nature could be this beautiful.” You breathe. “How have you never brought me up here before, Jace? One picture and I would’ve packed my bags.” You can hear the faint rumbling of a waterfall, hidden by the trees and rocks. 

He smiles, eyes darting around like today is the first time he has ever seen the outside world. “First of all, phones aren’t allowed up here. You have to turn them in to the camp leader when we actually reach camp. He’s pretty strict about them. I should know, he’s taken my phone away at home more times than I can remember.” You laugh at that. “And secondly,” He takes a pause, “I remember you saying that you like hot water better than mountaintop views.” He raises his eyebrows in your direction. He’s right, and you know it. That doesn’t stop you from hating the look on his face, though, the one that’s screaming “I told you so”.

He’s been going to this camp since he was seven years old. Every year, he would return home and regale you with tales of hiking trails, hidden beauties, and campfire songs. Camp Dragonbreath means the absolute world to him. When he got too old to be a camper, however, he returned as a counselor. This is the first year he’s been able to convince you to come along for the ride.

You grab your backpack from inside the rickety old camp van, but as you try to pick up your suitcase, Jace stops you. He lifts both your suitcase and his with ease, setting them down on a dry patch of land. You can’t help but notice that he looks good while he does it, his arm muscles stretching against his thin t-shirt. You shake the thought away as another van rolls into the area. He squints, searching for the blurry faces in the windows.

Jace audibly groans the moment he catches a glimpse of the people in the beat-up vehicle. “Wonderful, my relatives.” You furrow your eyebrows.

“Relatives? I thought you had to be between seventeen and twenty-five to be a camp counselor.” Your mind races to Luke, his kid brother, and his parents. His step-father is the camp leader, which you know, but he’s been at the camp itself for a couple days now. You don’t know anyone else that could possibly be in that van.

He presses his lips into a thin line and crosses his arms. “Yeah, my cousins are around our age. Aegon and Aemond. I almost forgot they would even be here. They’ve never taken an interest in this place before, but I guess this year I got unlucky.” He turns towards you, decidedly putting his body between you and the others. “I try to stay away from them, and you should too.”

Now you’re confused. How did your best friend hide his family from you that well? “Why?” You ask, your mind reeling. If a kind, strong, and amazing person like Jace hid people from you, they must be jerks or something.

“You’ll see.” He mutters, closing the door to your van. The driver peels out of the lot, probably going to store the vehicle in some secluded place while the camp goes on. You wonder how many people have sat in the same seat as you, scrunching your nose slightly. Your attention is once again quickly diverted to the other van as the inhabitants open the door.

The first one out has curly white hair and eye bags that seem to reach down into the pits of hell. He’s weirdly handsome, resembling the very tired posterboy for a teen romcom. The other is tall, slender, and sharp. One of his eyes is covered with a patch, his sleek, snow-colored hair falling over his shoulders gracefully. He is also handsome, but in the way a knife is handsome. You suck in a breath.

“Jacey!” The first one calls. “What are you doing with someone as stunning as that? Did a poor soul finally take pity on you?” Immediately, you know why he didn’t want you to meet them. Your cheeks grow warm at the jeer as the second boy looks at the first, mildly disappointed. 

Jace sighs, resting a hand lightly on his forehead. “No, Aegon, this is my best friend. Not like you would know, you’ve never had a friend in your life.” He shoots back. Your eyes widen, a small smile finding its way to your face as he speaks. You never knew Jace was one to fight back like that. Of course, no one had ever teased him in a similar fashion while you were around before.

Aegon looks hurt, turning to his brother with an exaggerated swagger. “I’ve had friends, plenty of them. Right, Aem?” 

He rolls his good eye. “Not that I’ve ever seen.” He mutters coldly. Your small smile turns into a large grin as Aegon deflates, turning to you for support.

“It’s never too late to start making them. Will you be my friend, gorgeous?” He asks. Aemond smacks the back of Aegon’s head.

“It’ll be an incredibly long hike to the campsite if you continue on this way.” He sneers. There’s an icy look in his gaze, though it’s cut with just a hint of affection. They’re definitely interesting people. With the way Jace is staring at them, though, with burning eyes, you think there might be something other than cousinly rivalry present. 

Jace hands you your suitcase. “Let’s get going. The camp is just up that hill, at the foot of Dragonbreath Mountain.” He gestures to a small trail to your right, marked with a sign. “If we’re lucky, we’ll lose those two along the way.” He whispers under his breath. You stifle a laugh.

“Dragonbreath Mountain, here we come.”

Taglist (comment or send an ask to join): @valeskafics @savagemickey03 @bespinnn

[guizhongballista]

may time wait for us [ jingren xianxia au ]

summary: what happens to legends after their tale is told? jing yuan lives a content and comfortable life as a highly respected cultivator in this age, long after the days of the glorious high cloud quintet. as its last living member, he finds that the echoes of the past do not fade so easily.

pairing: jing yuan x blade (ren) but it's mostly just sad jing yuan

word count: 2k

a/n: my second fanfic ever and it's still really bad but !! after not writing creatively for three years (endless oc ramblings only) and finally sharing my first fic back in august, i think i am slowly improving... feedback is always appreciated and loved <3 thank you !

special thanks to: @apopcornkernel, twt/Mushuroom1109, twt/fierycree, twt/naihilan_ for beta reading and comments !!!

*accompanying art will be shared later, I am a slow artist hahahh

read my one (1) other work on ao3 (nagazora kiamei pain 700 words)

---

glossary

xianren 仙人 - celestial or immortal

laoban 老板 - shop owner

xiuzhe 修者, xiuzhemen 修者们 - cultivator, cultivators

jianbing 兼并 - traditional street food with a savory filling, similar to crepes

baozi 包子 - steamed bun with a filling, can be savory or sweet (i had savory ones in mind for this fic!)

xiaqi 下棋 - play chess

ganbei 干杯 - to drink to a toast but literally means "dry cup" because you're expected to empty your cup after (or try to)

shifu 师傅 - teacher or master

---

When the clouds guarding the mountaintops parted, it was always a good day to visit the bustling town at its feet. The sect members would often head down between their studies and training and do everything from enjoying local delicacies to picking up imported goods to simply relaxing.

For one blonde-haired cultivator, though, the highlight of the town was an antique shop. Nestled in a quieter part of town, it boasted an ever-changing selection of fine swords and general weaponry from all corners of the world. Yanqing could chat with the laoban for hours about each sword’s story, and he tended to leave with a lot more than he’d bargained for. As for how he acquired the funds… it was usually thanks to the sect’s resident xianren, a certain white-haired man.

After much convincing, Jing Yuan decided to accompany the youth down the mountain today. Quiet moments in the sect were hard to come by, so when most of the sect members were out and about, he made the most of these moments by partaking in certain leisurely activities. Yanqing was particularly insistent today; Jing Yuan himself hadn’t been to town for a while, so perhaps a change of pace was in store.

The quaint shop was located in the eastern part of the town, a decent walk from the path leading to the sect. Jing Yuan, fan in hand, took in the familiar and unfamiliar sights as the pair made their way through the streets, with Yanqing leading the way.

As with every visit, most things stayed the same. Yet there was always something that had changed.

A new face in town, recently moved in. A new store owner who’d taken over a longstanding business. A new flyer advertising the “best eats in town.”

Or—new things that were now old. An old bulletin forgotten and vandalized. An old kite, beyond retrieval. An old road, still dirt where the others were paved stone.

Such was the passage of time.

The antique shop’s laoban was sitting idly at a table near the shop entrance, polishing a small blade. He brightened up when he saw Jing Yuan and Yanqing approaching, then got up and made his way to them, clasping his fist in greeting.

“Xiuzhemen, it’s been a while.”

Jing Yuan smiled and returned the greeting while Yanqing tried to strike up a conversation immediately off the bat.

“It has! I’ve—ah!” Jing Yuan tapped Yanqing with his fan, and the boy quickly repeated the greeting. The laoban simply laughed.

“We’re all friends here, no need for such formalities.”

Jing Yuan shook his head. “If I let one of our sect’s finest cultivators slack off, what would everyone else think?”

Yanqing rubbed his head, pouting slightly. “Well, as I was saying, I’ve heard really good things about new additions to the collection from my friends. You already know I want a look, and you know what I like!”

“That I do. Please, follow me.”

Yanqing looked up at Jing Yuan cautiously and chuckled abashedly. “Hehe…”

He nodded with a small sigh. “I’ll wait for you outside.”

The man took a seat at the table where the laoban had been and took out a scroll. But he soon found his attention divided between reading and the hustle and bustle of town just a few streets down.

Chatter and laughter mingled with the yells of street hawkers. Delicious aromas wafted toward him—Jing Yuan made out roasted sweet potatoes, jianbing, and… baozi? He smiled. Maybe he did miss freshly steamed baozi after all. He was also sure he’d spotted a vendor selling drinks on the way, specifically zhenzhu naicha. A blend of milk and black tea, plus a chewy tapioca topping. It was very popular among the younger cultivators. The drink had quickly become one of his favorites too, but he would never admit it. After some consideration, Jing Yuan finally put his scroll away. Well, it wouldn’t hurt to look around, if only for a moment.

He began to meander toward the town center, and more and more people filled the streets as he got closer. Soon, he was moving in and out of a sea of townsfolk. Conversations flowed like currents beneath the surface.

…What had he come here for again? The smell of baozi was overpowering now, but Jing Yuan found himself caught in the tides of life, just observing. Everything was constantly moving, constantly shifting; blink, and you would miss something. Life did not really change for one such as him, and so he stood unmoving, as a stone in a river would, mourning the vicissitudes of life. Sinking into mundanity with each passing year. Slowly, yet surely, eroding.

To always want to do something and to not do anything, to have that choice, as opposed to having eternity laid out before oneself and realizing that one can only walk this lonesome path to nowhere for so long.

Everything was constantly moving, constantly shifting; blink, and you would miss something.

A familiar face, one out of dozens, perhaps unremarkable to most, save for crimson eyes that pierced through the soul. A familiar voice, a familiar laugh, almost lost in the thunderous waves around them. At that moment, if Jing Yuan blinked—he feared this would all be but a dream.

It had to be him.

The lone white-haired man was the first to pause in his steps as they strode past each other. “Pardon me, xiuzhe. Have we met before?”

The lone dark-haired man walked a step further before realizing he was being addressed, then came to an abrupt stop. A moment’s hesitation. “No.”

Disappointment flashed imperceptibly across Jing Yuan’s face. “My apologies, then. You… just look like someone I used to know.”

“I see. Good day,” he replied. And there was nothing more to it. The other continued on his way. Time began moving again. The dream shattered.

A quiet sigh escaped Jing Yuan’s lips. As usual, nothing changed. He who had many names, from Yingxing to Ren, and lived many lives, would only remember one life, ever. What was he hoping for? He dared to allow himself this hope—that time could, perhaps, wait.

He had no reason to hope. Time did not wait for him centuries ago, at the precise moment Jing Yuan left everyone behind. Or, did everyone leave him behind? Death is a normal part of life; all would be courted by death someday, though some felt its embrace far too early. And some would never feel its embrace at all.

The same lingering regrets rose to the surface once more. One day, if the man remembered, Jing Yuan would tell him everything, from the long overdue apologies to the dreams they once shared. Let’s xiaqi later, it’s been forever. You owe me that rematch. I’m sorry I cannot be with you now. I haven’t forgotten. The glaive you made for me, I got to show it to heaven’s best swordsmith, and I told them your name. That you were the greatest blacksmith to ever walk this earth. I’m sorry I cannot fulfill our promise.

A promise, made many lifetimes ago, to meet again. The then-white-haired man had made Jing Yuan promise, but at death’s door, he seemed to have forgotten it would always be a one-sided promise.

The cycle of reincarnation wiped one clean, for better or for worse, save for their debt. He who had escaped the cycle watched his friends repay their debt over and over. How cruel of the heavens to spare him.

So he mused bitterly, as Yingxing—or Ren, or whatever he was called now—walked further, and further, and further into the sea. Leaving him behind. It didn’t bother him. He was used to it by now. Used to living through memories. One of the few things he could take solace in was how the choices that the five of them made would never leave him. For better or for worse, he remembered it all. The triumph and defeat. The elation and despair. The way they shook the heavens centuries ago had gone down in history. They were hailed as legends. But even legends die.

Jing Yuan was about to turn around when his eyes fell on a few other familiar faces encircling Yingxing, and his heart skipped a beat.

A young lady with red eyes smiled softly, as she listened to another young man bicker with a fluffy lavender-haired woman. The young man seemed to be motioning animatedly, only for the woman to bat playfully at him.

Their weapons were at their sides. Two swordsmen, an archer, a spearman.

Some things didn’t change after all.

More memories resurfaced now. A call to ganbei, as Baiheng laughed. Frequent sparring sessions with Dan Feng and Yingxing—they were always a delight. Jingliu’s intense gaze and strict training, which often left him panting but exhilarated. Once upon a time, he had made promises with them too. They were all carried away by the currents of time, one by one. When the waves subsided, Jing Yuan found himself completely alone for the last time.

At least in this life, then, they found each other again.

The moment of reminiscence dissipated as their forms blended into the crowd. He became vividly aware of himself, standing in the busy street, as people weaved around him.

This was time. Unceasing, unrelenting, unforgiving. If he didn’t move, time would move regardless.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice shout for him and he turned around. He blinked; he hadn’t realized how far he’d wandered. The town’s busiest street was a far cry from the quietude of the antique shop.

“Shifu… shifu!! I… finally caught up…” Yanqing burst out of the crowd, panting heavily.

Jing Yuan raised an eyebrow at the items in the youth’s arms; they weren’t there before. “Who told you to run off and buy swords?”

“But I didn’t! You were the one who said you weren’t going to go anywhere!” Yanqing pouted. “Besides… these are one-of-a-kind!”

Jing Yuan chuckled but faltered as he observed the swords.

The boy gestured to one sword in particular—gleaming ebony with golden cracks. Its tip was crimson, as though it were frozen in the state of creation.

“The laoban said this one was crafted centuries ago by Yingxing! That famous blacksmith! I’ve read all your scrolls on him. Why do you have so many? Anyway, it had to be re-forged, but it’s even more beautiful now… if you ask me,” Yanqing explained as he beamed proudly. “I can’t believe my luck! I’ve always wanted one of his swords.”

Jing Yuan finally smiled again and ruffled Yanqing’s hair. Yes, he was very lucky indeed. His gaze lingered on the weapon.

This was time. Unceasing, unrelenting, unforgiving. If he didn’t move, time would move regardless.

So he moved, and the hand that penned the past stopped. He’d come back to it later. He always did. It was a history worth writing, a proof that he and his friends were not just legends, but that they had lived, too.

But for now, he had new promises to fulfill. New histories to write. New legends to make.

As he and Yanqing began navigating the sea of people, the curious boy posed one more question.

“Shifu… maybe it’s not my place to ask, but what were you looking for?”

Jing Yuan considered his next words carefully.

“I just thought I saw some old friends.” He would say nothing more. “Come on, you’re too slow. That’s what you get for buying so many swords.”

Yanqing groaned as he picked up the pace. “I know…”

The duo, too, eventually disappeared within the sea.

Time… truly waits for no one.

[jeriafterdark]

JunZhe June Candies from 2021

Let's tune out the noise and focus on some langlangding / JunZhe candies, shall we?

June 6-7, 2021 - Origin of the "Drink plenty of water" lld saying

Gong Jun released a small video saying he caught a cold a few days ago~

And Zhang Zhehan's weibo posted saying: "Drink plenty of water, drink plenty of water, drink plenty of water."

It's implied that he posted this in response to JunJun's post, since it was unusual for him to post something so random. The pictures attached are also just him drinking Perrier Sparkling Water, which he never endorsed :>. Source Below:

210609 - Gong Jun asks the livestream host to speak Zhang Zhehan's name!

The livestream host read out the winners of a giveaway. Some names were CP fans, and one of them was "fan of Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan." But she wouldn't say his name. This is per etiquette bc they should have broken CP already, it was past the WOH/SHL airing period and after the concert. HOWEVER, Gong Jun insisted that she say his name because "it's not nice" to skip it!

From bird app's langlangdinger sourced here:

THEN

June 10, 2021 - ZZH posts on weibo saying: "My mustache/beard has its own thoughts."

It's implied that his beard/mustache may be JunJun, and he can say whatever tf he wants >:).

Also the kadian is 21:46= the same seat number that ZZH was photographed next to during his mini concert~

June 16, 2021 - ZZH sings Unbreakable Love with changed lyrics, LLD handsign, GJ possible background vocals

ZZH sang Unbreakable Love on a show and changed some of the lyrics around.

The song ends normally with

"I walked past the rooftop where I watched the meteor shower with you." - he sang this during the rehearsal as well (3 different times, 3 x the same original lyrics)

During the 4th rehearsal he changed it to:

"where I survived the long rooftop with you"

During the LIVE performance, he changed it to:

"I walked past the rooftop where I survived the long distance and the wait."

He sang the song with tears in his eyes, and after he finished, he wiped his tears off (cries and screams)!!

GJ's possible vocals in the background

There's also a point in the song where he purposely points at his ear piece, waits for the BG vocals to start, and then sings. There's a noticeable difference in BG vocals vs the rehearsal, which also is available on YT. We think that GJ may have provided his vocals for this surprise part of the performance~ Source

June 27, 2021 - GJ and ZZH reply to each other on Weibo with videos

GJ posted on Weibo saying, "This summer, go meet the person you want to meet."

ZZH's studio, on the same day, posted on Weibo with him singing a line from his new song (now unreleased) named, Run To Meet You.

They're definitely talking about each other, and I'm NOT surprised that ZH wrote a whole song about running to meet Gong Jun, considering they were extremely busy during that time and had very few chances to see each other. At least nowadays, I'm sure they can spend lots of quality time together <3 <3

These two really never slowed down hahaha, I miss them!

Ta ta for now! I am STILL working on answering some asks in my inbox, I'm sorry for the delay!!

[fictionadventurer]

Thoughts on the beginning of The Two Towers:

The opening lines of the first chapters are short and focused on action. Almost makes it read like a YA novel, so pretending that it was helped me speed up my reading pace.

This actually started at the end of Fellowship (with Frodo looking out across the world from the mountaintop), but this is the point where it stops being a quest and we understand that this really is a worldwide war.

I love how, even with the huge time pressure, Aragorn takes time to honor the fallen Boromir with a funeral. This respect for the dead really highlights the book's pro-life worldview.

Though given the huge time pressure, he probably shouldn't have stopped as many times later on to sing songs and stuff.

Aragorn dubs them "the Three Hunters". It's so cute.

I think I have massively underrated Eomer as a character. I love this boy. He's wise enough to see things are going wrong, so he's subtly gathering his own loyal followers in case civil war starts up. He's shocked by these people telling him All the Myths and Fairy Tales are Real, but he still takes it in stride. He's willing to let them go and give them horses despite the king's order. He's a good lad.

This is also adorable: "Strider is too poor a name [...] Wingfoot I name you."

Merry is the Experienced and Prepared Adventurer to Pippin's Wide-Eyed Innocent, and seeing their dynamic here makes me upset that Jackson's movie mostly made them interchangeable comic relief.

I was thinking that Treebeard's dialogue sounded like a Narnia book, then I remembered that Treebeard was supposedly based on Lewis. So apparently Tolkien did a very good job.

I love everything about the Ents here. It's like the Tom Bombadil scene combined with Galadriel's scene. The protector of the forest with a long history. The songs of the long past. The loss of the Entwives is so weird and so cool and I love the texture it gives here.

This scene even retroactively makes the Tom Bombadil scene make more sense, because he explains that the forest outside the Shire is the same type as Fangorn.

I'm upset people don't talk about Quickbeam more. I'd forgotten there was more than one Ent with a name. He's the hobbits' other buddy and doesn't deserve to get forgotten.

Tolkien was on-point for recognizing that an entire forest literally marching to battle is one of the coolest things that could possibly happen.

[listening505]

nightcall | james hetfield

part 1: “i’m giving you a nightcall to tell you how i feel.”

other parts

“You took all my breaths.

You left a hole where my heart should have been.”

— a/n: im still not sure if this was a good idea but im doing it anyways, so this was a story i wrote couple years ago when i was bored in math class so the chapters are bit short and i wrote it in my main language so when i translated some parts didn’t really made sense and there’s some grammar mistakes too. I’ll try to fix them. And my only hyper-fixation for last 6-7 months is metallica so im pretty sure i’ll translate the other chapters fast okay that was long sorry for the rant —

Oh, James.

You came into my life at a time when you made me feel so right that I never thought you'd ruin my life.

~

The first time you called me in the middle of the night, you were just crying on the phone. You were crying so hard that when you tried to say the slightest thing, your breaths choked and another coughing fit shook your voice on the end of the phone.

Minutes or hours later, I don't know, the world seemed to stop spinning while you were just crying, and I don't know how long I listened to a big man like you cry like a child, but you stopped and said, "I'm sorry, Amelia." You said I didn't even know what you were apologizing for. I was worried that when he coughed again, his lungs would spill out of his mouth. "I am very sorry."

"James, tell me where you are and I'll come and get you. You need to calm down." You didn't answer anything I asked or said. You were crying, you were crying a lot. Your voice was lisper than usual, you probably overdosed on your drink again, but you've been like that about everything these days.

We were arguing more than ever. You were angrier than usual, but it was not that much of a problem. I was stupid back then and believed that no matter what we go through, we can get through anything. I thought we were the happily-ever-after heroes of a fairy tale. We weren't even involved, James. The end was near, ready to roll over the mountaintop like a growing mass of avalanches and crush us. I just didn't want to see it.

"I swear I didn't mean to cheat on you Amelia. Fuck. I just... Please say you'll forgive me."

Then you fired your first bullet, which opened my eyes as if waking up from an incredible nightmare.

You hit the bullseye James. You learned well how to knock me down.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

A colossal star erupts: Examining one of the largest stars in the Milky Way as it fades from view

Astronomers from Georgia State University's CHARA Array have captured the first close-up images of a massive star known as RW Cephei that recently experienced a strange fading event. The images are providing new clues about what's happening around the massive star approximately 16,000 light years from Earth.

Detailed images and observations along with intelligent algorithms created by the team of scientists suggest a grand eruption that launched a gas cloud from RW Cephei, blocking a large fraction of starlight from view. Experts from Georgia State's CHARA Array presented the new findings at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans. The research is published in The Astronomical Journal.

Scientists were surprised last year by the fading of the enormous star, which is an example of a "cool hypergiant," a star that has grown to huge dimensions as it approaches the end of its life. RW Cephei is so large that if it were placed at the sun's location, its outer layers would reach beyond the orbit of Jupiter.

"We made our first CHARA observations in December 2022, just before the winter weather closure, but the results were so remarkable we decided to pursue additional observations once the star was accessible again," said Georgia State University astronomer Narsireddy Anugu, who led an international team of scientists in a quest to make the first close-up pictures of RW Cephei to determine the source of the fading.

Old stars display light variations that are related to changes in their outer layers. The changes are usually small, so scientists were amazed when astronomers Wolfgang Vollmann and Costantino Sigismondi announced in 2022 that RW Cephei had faded dramatically over the previous few years. By December 2022, RW Cephei had faded to about one-third of its normal brightness, an unprecedented drop. Scientists wanted to figure out what was causing this great dimming.

Despite its huge size, RW Cephei is so far away that it appears as a pinpoint even using the largest of conventional telescopes. To see the star close up required the remarkable abilities of the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array telescopes.

The CHARA Array is a six-telescope facility located at the historic Mount Wilson Observatory in California. The telescopes are placed across the mountaintop to act together like one enormous telescope. The combination of their light beams gives the CHARA Array the ability to see details on very tiny objects in the sky, about 30 times smaller than the largest conventional telescopes, and smaller than a human on the moon as seen from Earth.

The CHARA observations showed that the star did not appear round, as expected, but to make a picture with full details required specialized computer programs created by Georgia State University Associate Professor of Astronomy Fabien Baron.

"The spacing of the CHARA telescopes induces a level of uncertainty in the exact details of the pictures, so we need intelligent algorithms to recover the whole image," Baron said.

The final pictures show a star convulsed by motions in its outer layers that create fainter and brighter patches across its surface. Furthermore, the appearance changed significantly over the 10-month period of observations that coincided with the transition from its faintest state to a slow recovery toward its former brightness.

The final piece of the puzzle came from additional observations of RW Cephei that were made by Georgia State University graduate student Katherine Shepard at the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico. Shepard used a special camera to record the light from RW Cephei from the visible to the infrared, and these measurements showed that the fading was much larger in the visible colors compared to the infrared. This is a tell-tale sign that the starlight was obscured by microscopic dust clouds blocking our view.

Taken together, the observations suggest that RW Cephei experienced a huge eruption that launched a vast cloud of gas. As the cloud moved away, it cooled and created swarms of dust particles that effectively blocked a large fraction of starlight. Now, as the cloud expands away, we are beginning to see the star again and its troubled surroundings.

CHARA Director Douglas Gies thinks that this may be one of several grand eruptions that have wracked RW Cephei over the last century and that such eruptions will continue to play a role in mass loss before the star's demise.

"This one was special because the cloud was ejected in the direction of Earth, so we were in the right place to witness the full effects of the cataclysm," Gies said.

IMAGE....CHARA Array false-color images of RW Cephei from December 2022 (left) and Jul 2023 (right). The patchy appearance results from dust created by a huge ejection from the star. The star is huge but it is so far away that it appears about one million times smaller than the full moon in the sky. Credit: Georgia State University / The CHARA Array

[laurasimonsdaughter]

A supernatural wife never stays…

I’m always extra fascinated by folklore tropes that show up in a wide variety of cultures, so let’s look at another one: the supernatural/inhuman wife. These are usually stories about a man winning himself a wife that is decidedly not human, either through trickery or courtship. But it never lasts, because these stories all seem to have the same ending, the wife leaves:

Almost all selkie stories, both from Celtic and Nordic tradition, are an example of this. A man steals a selkie’s pelt and thereby binds him to her or leaves her stranded on land and in her desperation persuades her to come back with him and become his wife. After many years and many children she always finds her pelt, however, and as soon as she does she runs off to the sea. In most cases it turns out she has a husband and children in the sea too. In most she keeps leaving presents for her children and in some she still feels affection for her human husband, but she never goes back ashore. There are similar tales about swan-maidens.

An Aboriginal story from the Guugu Yimithirr-speaking people called “The forest spirit and his ten beautiful daughters” tells how the great hunter and warrior Gabul, the Carpet Snake, goes to the mountaintop where the powerful Forest Spirit, lives. He bests him in an unarmed fight, demanding to marry one of his daughters as reward before he will let him go. He takes the most beautiful of the ten daughters home to be his wife but starts worrying when she does not eat or drink. Eventually he takes her to the river and there she promptly turns into a fish and swims upstream back to her father’s mountain, leaving Gabul ashamed and broken-hearted.

There are also stories about fairy wives, most notably two from Wales. One, collected as “The Shepherd of Myddvai”, has a shepherd courts a beautiful maiden that dwells in a lake by bringing her bread. She agrees to go with him if he promises not to strike her three times without cause. Of course he promises this, but he taps her once for dallying to spur her into action, once in confusion when she weeps at a happy wedding, and once in disapproval when she laughs at a sober funeral. She declares their marriage ended and flees back to her lake, only returning once her sons are grown to give them gifts of healing. In the similar tale “Touched by Iron” a farmer’s son falls in love with a fairy maiden and the promise he must make her father is to never touch her with iron. One day as he helps his wife off her horse, she is touched on the knee by the stirrup of the saddle and vanishes. But with her mother’s help she does get to visit him sometimes afterwards, by standing on a large floating turf on a lake, so it could not be said she had set foot on human earth.

In a Chinese story called “The Painter”, from the 9th century bundle Wenqi lu, a learned man buys a screen with a painting of an inhumanly beautiful woman on it. The painter tells him of a ritual that might bring the woman to life and the man manages to call her to him. She steps out of the painting and consents to stay with him, they even have a son together. When the child is two years old, however, the man speaks with a friend of his, who immediately suspects the woman of being a dangerous creature and gives him a celestial weapon to kill her. As soon as he arrives home, his companion sobs that she is a mountain spirit who never asked to be painted by the painter and never asked to be called by him. She steps back into the painting, taking her child with her, leaving the man alone with a beautifully painted screen that now shows both her and the little boy.

[astrojulia]

Hi this is for the game!!

My birth details are: July 31st 1991, born at 1:19am and my birth place is Cadillac Michigan USA.

The Emoji: 🐬

My question for you is: What's your favorite thing in life besides astrology?

Thank you for your awesome blog by the way!!!!!

Hello Siren! This is an ask related to my Sirentale game that is already closed! So there's no point trying to participate now, as there are no more "spaces". If there is a good interaction, I may open a new game in the future. Kisses from the Sea!

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In a distant realm where the mystical and the mundane intertwined, there resided a young adventurer named Dani. With an unwavering determination in their heart and an insatiable curiosity in their soul, Dani embarked on a journey that would rival the most captivating of fairy tales.

Dani's birth chart, a celestial masterpiece woven by the heavens themselves, narrated the tale of their life in the most enchanting manner. The Sun, akin to a radiant crown, graced the 4th house of Leo, casting a warm and illuminating glow upon Dani's path. It was amidst Leo's vibrant energy that Dani's courage and passion were ignited. From a tender age, they were schooled in the ways of royalty, learning the essence of leadership and its many facets. Whether they would use their royal prowess for benevolence or dominance remained a mystery, a story yet to unfold. Their inner and outer selves coexisted harmoniously, allowing them to effortlessly transition between the roles of a princess in distress and an indomitable dragon when the need arose. Yet, it was the fear of judgment from others that occasionally hindered them. Dani's greatest adversaries were not the external demons but those that crept into their life sporadically, casting a shadow over their heart and ego.

Beneath the dreamy Piscean moonlight, within the 11th house, Dani's emotions flowed like a tranquil river, connecting them to the collective dreams and aspirations of the world. It was this deep well of empathy and intuition that guided Dani on their quest, enabling them to grasp the hearts and desires of those they encountered. Dani's dreams were timeless, eternally present from their earliest days, be it the aspiration to be a revered queen or a valiant warrior.

Yet, it was the triumvirate of Mercury, Venus, and Mars, all residing in the analytical 5th house of Virgo, that set Dani apart. Their mind was as keen as a blade, their love meticulous, and their determination unparalleled. With the precision of a master craftsman, Dani could breathe life into their ideas and wield their passions with grace and finesse. Their social adeptness was astute, innovative, and at times intimidating, navigating countless "yeses" and "noes" along their journey, all while striving to discern what was best for themselves and society as a whole.

On a remote mountaintop, within the 10th house of Aquarius, Saturn stood as the stern yet wise overseer of Dani's destiny. Saturn presented challenges, sitting on its throne of ceaseless activity, assigning seemingly insurmountable missions that demanded trust in oneself and in others. It urged Dani to shatter conventions, compelling them to follow their own unique path. The rebellious spirit of Uranus, dwelling in the 9th house of Capricorn, echoed this sentiment, fueling Dani's thirst for adventures beyond the known horizon. As the years unfolded, Dani realized that embracing the new was essential to preserving the old, discovering the strengths and weaknesses of their rebellious nature, and witnessing the same transformative journey in their younger comrades.

And so, our intrepid hero embarked on a quest to unearth the treasures concealed within their birth chart. With Pluto's transformative influence in the 6th house of Scorpio, they were ready to confront the shadows within themselves, emerging from each trial stronger and wiser. Challenges with darkness were a daily occurrence, yet Dani met them with familiarity, as Pluto had found its place within them, an integral part of their story.

Dani's journey led them through mystical forests, across expansive deserts, and into the heart of uncharted waters. Along the way, they encountered a diverse cast of characters, as numerous as the stars in the night sky. Some became allies, drawn to the radiance of Dani's Leo Sun, while others tested their resolve, pushing them to evolve and grow.

As Dani ventured deeper into the uncharted territories of their birth chart, they unearthed the true essence of their being. They realized that their purpose wasn't merely etched in the constellations but was a living, breathing adventure waiting to be embraced.

With each revelation, Dani's spirit soared higher, their heart beat louder, and their smile radiated brighter. They welcomed the delightful surprises that life bestowed upon them, savoring the joy of self-discovery and the thrill of the unknown.

Thus, the legend of Dani, the intrepid adventurer guided by the stars, became a cherished tale in the mystical land. Their journey served as a testament to the power of embracing one's unique path, heeding the call of the heart, and uncovering the magic within their celestial tapestry.

As the sun descended on their final adventure, Dani stood on the precipice of the 10th house in Aquarius, gazing into the limitless possibilities of the cosmos. Their heart overflowed with gratitude for the enchanting odyssey that had led them to this moment, knowing that their Sirentale would inspire generations to come.

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