#there are entire 3 books before it 🥲

[simandy]

6 books in the series, book 1 to revise, and all i can think about is book 4 🤡

[midnightbears]

Arranged marriage with Gyomei pls. Kagaya matched Gyomei with Y/N ​​for some reason and Gyomei slowly falling in love with y/n 🥲🥲❤

✿ i love you, and i want to find out what that means together.

#STARRING: himejima gyomei ft. fem!reader

#TAGS: arranged marriage. gyomei is in his early twenties in this one! set before the main events of kny. some invented lore for the sake of the story please just bear it thanks

#NOTES: hello there! thank you for your request <3 tbh I've always had this specific idea stuck in my head and you just gave me a reason to write for it LMAO i actually went kind of crazy with this fic omg i loved to write it let me know if u would like a part two! hope you like it and hope it wasn't too much LMAOOo

your existence could be hashed over with one word.

purpose.

ever since you could remember, your entire life had been mapped out for you: what to eat, what to not eat, what to like, what to dislike, what to wear, your hobbies, your pastimes, your vocabulary—everything. apparently, every inane thing that had been shoved down your throat was only done to make you a dignified woman worthy of whichever lord they married you off to.

you and your family hailed from a long line of priests and priestesses, where the girls were raised to be proper wives and shrine maidens and the boys were carefully taught the profession in hopes of serving important figures throughout japan.

you were helping your mother tend to the flowers one day when a messenger from the ubuyashiki clan—a kakushi, as you heard they were called—appeared before your temple's door, asking your father to choose and provide the clan with one of his daughters.

you were picked immediately, and you had no choice but to stand before your father, trembling, and pretend that you agreed with his decision with a serene expression on your face. you could tell this was just his way of finally getting rid of you.

in the words of your father behind closed doors, if someone couldn't be bothered to have the decency to visit the temple in person and instead sent a mere messenger to request a carefully trained shrine maiden, it was clear they didn't deserve the best of what he could offer.

you smiled, agreeing with him.

when you went to pack what little things you had, nobody was in the shared quarters; at least you would spare yourself of your sisters' cruel remarks over your father's decision. you did not have many things of your own; you packed your hairbrush, a book, and what few things you held dear.

the kakushi was waiting outside when you emerged. trying to maintain a semblance of calm, you offered him a small smile. he looked at you with curiosity but did not say anything. kindly, he allowed you a moment for a brief prayer before the buddha statue at the front of the temple. then, you were off.

no one came to say goodbye to you.

it was alright, you supposed. the only person you could think fondly of was your mother, and a barbed wire of melancholy slowly wound around your heart at the thought of not being able to part ways properly. you knew that she preferred you over her other daughters, but even so, you were aware that she would never hear the end of it from your father if she came to say her farewells. you would write to her.

you were the third of six sisters, and always, one of them was more talented than you were, just a tad bit more attractive, just a tad bit more creative, just a tad bit more charming. sure, you were well-versed in the duties of a useful spouse—okay, all your sisters were as well. what good was that when you had nothing special about you? what was it your father called you? ah, yes, mediocre.

the kakushi did not speak to you for the entire trip, for which reason you did not know. a question hung on the tip of your tongue, although you dared not ask it. at some point, he urged you to wear a blindfold and climb on his back, which you simply accepted, knowing better than to ask.

you didn't make anything out during the journey, only listening to the sound of small pebbles vibrating against the ground as he made his way up a mountain. after what felt like hours, he finally put you down, gently tugging the blindfold off you and allowing your eyes to adjust to the bright light of morning.

once you were presentable, he escorted you toward the estate entrance. you could tell he was a bit off put by the way you were just accepting things, but he didn't say anything about it.

the kakushi stopped before the towering gate of the ubuyashiki mansion and offered you a deep bow. you thanked him, and you could see him smile with his eyes before he left. another kakushi, a woman this time, escorted you toward a graveled garden, a small figure sitting by the engawa.

she knelt on the ground and bowed her head, and you did the same until she picked herself from the ground.

looking forward, you met the gaze of a boy who looked to be around the age of fifteen, with kohl black hair that sat just above his shoulders. he had the most beautiful eyes you had ever seen, so easy to look at, lavender tainting the irises. he had the calming smile of a buddha, and although knowing nothing about him beyond reputation, you felt at ease with him.

"i am kagaya. i trust your journey went smoothly? thank you for your patience, maiden. i apologize for not going to your temple in person, i hope your priest will forgive me. believe me, i wanted to, but i'm afraid my illness would not have allowed me to make the trip."

the boy's voice was unlike any other you had ever heard, fluid and gentle, causing a wave of reassurance to wash over you. you felt at ease immediately, as though something had just taken every burden off your shoulders and instead shrouded you in a cloud of repose.

"it was no trouble, oyakata-sama, truly." you followed this with a deep incline of your head, your own voice remaining serene and mellow, "it is an honor to be in your presence."

kagaya smiled. "your temple is of great renown. my clan has had the pleasure of counting with your priests and maidens across the centuries. there is no need for such formalities, child."

granted, you were sure you were older than him by a few years, but the way he called you 'child' was comforting, and you were not about to question him, simply keeping quiet.

"you are to marry one of my pillars, maiden. he is an honorable man, the lord of stone, i am sure the two of you will get along. he should arrive any moment now."

you willed yourself to say something, yet you simply could not. you were not the first maiden who was given to a lord for marriage, and you certainly wouldn't be the last. still, your heart did a flip at the simple notion of ending up in a similar situation as your mother, forced to produce offspring until your husband found you undesirable.

for a moment, a cold hand wrapped around your heart in fear of what that man would do with you. however, the single thought of the young boy before you lying about the pillar's honor revolted you. he was telling the truth, and if he said the stone pillar was a good man, then you had nothing to fear.

softly, the sound of footsteps reached your ears, and you turned slightly to see a towering figure approaching, his presence both imposing and serene all at once.

the man who stood before you was unlike any you had ever seen. large beyond comparison, clad in the dark robes of a uniform and a green haori. his stature was immense, with muscles that seemed chiseled from stone. he was young, with an impassive face, yet undeniably handsome. his eyes, clouded with a milky whiteness, told you that he could not see, yet he moved with a grace that belied his blindness.

"this is himejima gyomei, the stone pillar," kagaya introduced, "he has been chosen as your betrothed, and i trust that you will find solace and strength in his presence."

gyomei walked toward you, his movements slow and deliberate, his footsteps echoing throughout the garden—

your breath hitched as he knelt before you, reaching his hand out. but instead of what you expected, he pressed his palm against your cheek, his voice reverberating like a chiming bell inside a cathedral. he caressed your cheek as one would treat an injured butterfly.

"maiden beloved," he murmured, tears spilling from his eyes, "i apologize for making you wait."

the ceremony was that same day, quick and endearing.

you were married in front of oyakata-sama, his wife, and other members of the corps as witnesses. before you knew it, the wedding concluded, and your husband guided you to your new home with you by his side.

gyomei was not acting like he had been given you as some justly won right to do with as he pleased. that set your heart at ease, greatly so, and in some way, it was like he could tell, too. he was walking slowly, allowing you to keep up with his large strides. small talk filled the empty silence of the way home as he listed all the things you would assist him with.

you were to cook for him, clean the estate daily and take care of it when he was away, write letters for him and read them when he received any, and...

huh. that was it.

getting used to your routine was easier than anticipated as weeks passed, although you would be lying to yourself if you said that gyomei's patience and demeanor weren't helping you in the slightest.

he had insisted that you sleep in a separate bedroom within the estate, taking into account that despite being your husband, he was still a complete stranger to you. the very moment you reached your new home, he made sure to explicitly tell you that he did not wish to embarrass you or cause you discomfort in any way, shape, or form.

during mornings, you would naturally wake up at the crack of dawn, your training making things much easier. you would dress yourself in the robes gyomei had gifted you for your wedding and make your way to the kitchen to start a big meal for the day. you'd wake him up then, guiding him to the kitchen to share breakfast together.

most of the time, you ate in silence, although you did not mind at all. after that, you would wash dishes, and he trained. the estate was not that big, so having to sweep the floor or dust the shelves daily did not bother you, and you instead found comfort in the repetitive routine. you would finish quite swiftly and urge gyomei inside again for tea time during noon.

you tried to entertain yourself as best as possible during the afternoons and evenings. usually, you would find yourself tending to a small garden you'd created when you arrived. your husband would sometimes join you, captivated by the sweet smell of the flowers and the sensation of the earth beneath his fingertips. you would explain what the flowers looked like and how they were meant to be taken care of, and he, in turn, basked in your every word.

gardening duty was one of the things you enjoyed most back at the temple, and since no one else was willing to get their hands dirty, you were the maiden who would regularly take care of the flowers.

you bought flower seeds during your first trip to the market in the nearby town and took the time to introduce yourself to as many people as possible. the locals were very kind to you, and as you started frequenting the shops more and more, you were always being greeted by folks who wished you and your husband the best.

as months passed, your relationship with gyomei deepened in ways you had never expected. the initial tension and clumsiness of living with a stranger began to fade, replaced by a growing sense of familiarity and comfort.

gyomei, true to his word, respected your boundaries and gave you space to adjust at your own pace. however, small gestures of care and affection started to seep into your daily life. he would often leave freshly picked flowers from your garden by your bedroom door, their vibrant colors and sweet fragrance greeting you first thing in the morning. sometimes, he would assist you with household chores, his presence making the mundane tasks feel lighter and more enjoyable.

he began to pay attention to the little things, like how you offered wounded slayers who stumbled upon the estate a fresh meal and a place to redress their wounds, or how you fed the cats mingling around your shared home every single night, even noticing that you had taken the time to name them and remember everyone.

the town's people, too, played a part in your growing closeness. they would often remark on how harmonious you and gyomei seemed together, their kind words fortifying the bind that tied you together. you started to see the way gyomei interacted with them and how much respect the people had for him—and you couldn't help but admire him more each day.

your conversations, though initially skimpy and shallow, began to flow more naturally. gyomei's deep voice would rumble through stories of his past with the children of the orphanage, his experiences as a hashira, and the lessons he had learned along the way. you, in turn, shared snippets of your life at the temple, your family, your dreams, and your fears. it was through these conversations that you realized how much you had in common despite your different backgrounds.

anyone with a pair of working eyes would see it, or, at least, anyone who had known for at least once in their lifetime what a soul-stirring connection with another human felt like. you found comfort in his presence, seeking him out like a moth to a flame, and he, in yours, only wanted you to tend to his wounds after missions, fix his haori, or wait by himself outside just so he could pray by your side.

eventually, it got to a point where the separate bedrooms became less of a necessity and more of a formality. you often found yourself falling asleep together in the living room after long conversations or shared moments of silence. whenever you did manage to part ways, you always lingered by your door, a dreamy smile encasing your lips.

you could not deny yourself anymore. you were the happiest you had been in years.

one evening, as you both sat for dinner, the familiar quiet enveloping you like a warm blanket, gyomei's voice broke through the tranquility.

"i love you."

the bunch of food you were going to bring into your mouth splattered into the bowl again with a messy splash. oh. oh my god. you whipped your head toward your husband, who stared at you with a soft expression on his face.

"you do not have to say it back if you do not feel the same, but i wanted you to know." then, gyomei went back to chewing his food as if he had not said what he had just said.

"why?"

gyomei shifted his head in your direction with a worried expression, your teary tone and doddering heartbeat doing nothing to mitigate his apprehension. he tried to reach for you, but you jerked away from him. he could tell that whatever you were feeling was not directed toward him, but still, it pained him greatly to know you were suffering.

"g-gyomei, i—"

your hands were shaking, and he reached for them to trace your skin with the pads of his thumbs. he opened his mouth, but you beat him to it as you keeled over, shoulders trembling as sobs left your mouth, your usual calmness thrown out the window.

"y-you said that you wouldn't embarrass me! there is nothing special about me. what is it about me that you could possibly love? you're always so good to me," you were throwing word vomit at this point, and the worst part was you did not even know where it was coming from, "i haven't done anything to receive your affection! i'm just doing the things i'm supposed to do..."

tears slid down his cheeks before he could stop them, and he leaned forward to pull you into his embrace. your body completely froze, an unknown emotion taking over. gyomei had never initiated contact before. most of the time, you had to be the one to grab his hand or tug his collar.

"my little maiden... you have no idea how precious you are to me," gyomei murmured, his voice impossibly gentle and firm. he held you close, his large, comforting presence grounding you as your sobs began to subside. "you see yourself through the harsh lens of your own eyes, but i see the truth of your heart with my own. your unconditional kindness, your strength, your sincerity—these are just some of the reasons i love you."

his words seeped into your cold heart, slowly quieting the tempest inside. you couldn't understand how someone as incredible, kind, and powerful as gyomei could see such worth in you, but the sincerity in his voice and the warmth of his embrace made you want to believe him.

"you don't have to prove your worth to me or anyone," he continued, his voice alleviating your wounded spirit. "you are enough, just as you are. your presence in my life is a blessing, and i am grateful for you every single day."

"gyomei," you whispered, your voice trembling but no longer with fear. "i… i love you too. i was just scared. scared that i wasn't enough for you."

he smiled softly, wiping away your tears with his thumbs. "you are more than enough, my love. and i will spend the rest of all my lifetimes showing you just how much you mean to me."

© midnightbears on tumblr, july 2024. please do not repost to another platform, plagiarize, translate, use for AI-related purposes or claim as your own.

[makncheese12]

Top Shelf

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Jenna Ortega x fem!reader

Masterlist

Summary: being the kid of a well-known book store owner was easy, so was running into famous people. But being book smart doesn’t make everyone people smart.

Warnings: my writing, language(bad words😯), my attempt at being funny, mention of gun shots and head shots, mentions of my favorite book(literally love Ruta Sepetys sm omg.

A/N: part 2? I am going to make you all suffer through the most oblivious slow burn. R if going to be so dumb/oblivious it’ll hurt you all🫶🏻

Word count - 3.6k

Credits: @novmoth (my friend from school who feeds into my delusions and gives me more ideas for this story🫶🏻)

(bare with me English is not my first language🥲 I’m getting help from my friend to edit it)

You were born to it.

The books. The films. The music and video games.

It was your life, literally. With your parents being owners of the infamous establishment called ‘top shelf’, you had no choice but to.

And you wouldn’t ever change.

Books upon books, movie after movie, games old and new and music that could last you weeks. Who would want to change such a life?

Your father was the first to start it.

He was poor man in Washington but had just enough money to buy it from the man who owned the small movie shop before he retired. He slowly started added book shelves and video games to the mix. Getting few customers but enough to survive day to day during the time of his early years

Your mother was a wealthy run away. Wanting something different and new in her life when she met your father. The man was playing on his game boy behind the counter before he saw her.

The poor boy and his run away wife, a classic really.

The rest after that is history.

As soon as they found out your mother was pregnant with you, they used the rest of her money they saved and went to New York where they bought the huge abandoned apartment complex.

They broke all the insides down and built what you now know as your second home. Hundreds of video games, films and music in one section and thousands of books in another.

Thus, Top Shelf was born only two weeks after you.

You met many friends there in the comfort section where students and business people worked as you all goofed off.

Your had also met your small friend group during your younger years, the four of you all never letting your father have the peace he wanted and dragging him all over New York.

With the thousands of books and hundreds of video games and films your parents sold, you had money. Lots of it.

But your mother made sure you never let that get the best of you, never. It went against everything she went for when she ran away.

She would make sure you would work for and earn everything you got, always.

She never let you have too much online activity, in case her family found you and made sure you were both street smart and book smart.

Your neighbors made sure you were street smart more than anything but you still gave her credit for trying.

Though, the book store was beautiful in every season. Winter was a favorite and when it was busiest. It was too your favorite.

Your father lighting the public fire place, your mother setting soft seasonal music, hell even the cheesy Christmas cartoons on the TV’s set the mood for the perfect bookstore vibe.

The lights dim just enough to where it almost felt like dark academy yet the plants that grew down the upstairs railing made the entire place feel more alive.

————

“Bullshit!” You yell out as you throw your head back onto the head rest of your chair, groaning loudly as the photo sound of your death snapped in your ears.

“Man, he’s fucking using cheats!” Dru calls out through the mic before his name pops up above to yours in dark red on the screen as you respawn.

“Of course he is, he’s a pussy.” Mj says, as her name, too, pops up on the screen.

“Oh come on, guys!” Lyle says through his staticky mic. “You all just suck.” He laughs

“Now I know your cheating, dude. Your mic is acting up again, just like last time!” Dru says, the sound of his voice booming louder than needed and you roll my eyes.

“DD, just because you like to replay games without using cheats doesn’t mean the rest of us do.” Lyle says in a matter-of-fact tone.

“It’s multiplayer, stupid! It’s meant to be fair for everyone!” Dru says making you snort. “Says the guy who chases around little kids and steals their horses making them cry.” Mj says making Dru blow into his mic making loud, unnecessary noises.

“Quit that!” You say taking one head phone off your ear. “Tsk tsk tsk,” Lyle starts. “Such a sore loser.”

“I’ll show you sore loser, get on Elden ring and we’ll test your irritation.” Dru says, mic now muffled by his own spit.

“Your tank build is not enough to stop me, comet azur will always save the day.” He says in a sing-song voice.

“And you call me a try hard, yet you’re the one always using a broken spell.” Dru complains. “Theres nothing I have to try hard at when I can just hold a simple button.” The sound of Dru’s groans become louder as his spit clears out from his Mic. “Same thing!”

You laugh once again before picking up your phone and looking at the time.

“Shit!” Your eyes go wide at the sight, 8:48 AM.

You quickly throw the head set off and push yourself out of the chair, opening your closet grabbing a quick pair of jeans and a hoodie before rushing to put it all on.

Your cat skids across the floor, startled by your sudden movements before a crashing in the your pile of books and out the door.

“Shit, shit, shit,” you mumble as you jump up and down to put on your shoes, failing at not falling and race toward the door. “Sorry!” You call to your cat who yells at you next to his food bowl.

You grab your keys and rush out the door before slamming it shut and locking it.

“Ay, y/n!” Your neighbor, Rosa, shouts from beside her door. “Quiet will you! I just put Nona to sleep!” She yells raising her news paper tapping your head with it.

“Sorry! sorry, Señora Rosa.” You whisper yell as you try to push her weaponized hand away. “I’m just a little late.”

“And I just got a moment of peace! Quiet!” She says giving you one last wack making you try and shrink away from her as you rush toward the stairs.

“You got your pepper spray, right?” She calls and you raise your key chain to show her the attached small can. “¡Buena niña!”

You rush down the stairs and push passed the glass door, almost slipping on the ice before running down the street.

Your phone buzzes in your pocket making you quickly take it out.

“Hello?” You ask without knowing who it was.

“Arthur Morgan would be very disappointed at your sudden disappearance from an important mission.” Lyle says before sighing.

“It’s multiplayer, there are no main missions.” You say, trying to avoid the ice on the ground before stopping at the red hand across the street. “Plus, we were in the middle of four way 1v1. He’d be more upset that we were going against each other.”

“Loyalty is everything in such a game,” he says, sarcasm in his voice and you imagine him shaking his head. “Of course he would be upset at my bullet in DD’s head.”

“Why’d you call me exactly?” You ask watching the hand turn into a green man walking before taking off again.

“Well, you just yelled ‘shit!’ Before disappearing on us, had to make sure someone didn’t break in and kill you.” He replies casually as if he knew that weren’t the case. “But after hearing you continue on your ‘shit’ rant and the door slam I figured it was okay, just had to call and make sure, y’know?”

“Ever heard of a text, loser?” You ask, barley missing a man walking and looking down at his phone. “Gross,” he says before making a gagging noise. “why waste such time typing when I can simply just hit one button?”

“You’re so lazy.” You laugh out loud as you run across another street. “Work smarter not harder, Y/N. You should know this with that big brain of yours.”

“What if I want to work both smarter and harder?” You ask, running up to the glass window to see the books lined up. “Well, then your just weird.” You roll your eyes.

“Just kidding. I guess you can do both, I just personally prefer the alternative.” He says as the sound of guns shooting fills the phone. “Yeah, also sorry about leaving.” You say pushing into the store being greeting with the familiar smell of books and the warm smile of my mother.

“I forgot I had to get ready for work.”

“You’re at top shelf?” He ask and you reply with a ‘mhm’. “I might stop by later to say hello actually, I need a new game anyway.” He laughs as the sound of Dru yelling in the back ground becomes more prominent.

“Sounds good, see you loser” You say as you take your sweat shirt off, leaving you in your tank top you hand before leaving. “Later,” you hear him say before hanging up.

“Good morning,” you hear your mother say as you pull the staff sweat shirt over your head and pull up your sleeves. “Mornin’,” you reply before kissing her cheek.

“Wheres dad?” You ask looking around before your eyes setting on the woman stack a pile of books into one pile.

“He’s going to be out of town for a few days,” she says carrying the pile to the check back station. “A vacation, I insisted as I continue your training.” She says making you smile.

“We both know he needs it, he’s getting older.” She says and your smile fades as you nod. “So are you.” You mumble and she, too, nods.

“You know him getting old is different from me getting old.” She states, sighing quietly.

“What’s todays task?” You ask, quickly changing the subject at the sight of her sad frown. She looks at you for a moment before smiling once again.

She moves to storage closet and unlocks it, allowing you to see the boxes upon boxes along with stacks of different other things.

“To be a good store owner, you have to know your customers.” She says returning with a large box that you quickly take from her.

“Just put it on that table — and to know your customers, you must socialize and help them throughout the store.” She finishes as you take the box to the table noticing the label romance written across it.

“That also means having to work while helping the customers, so you’ll be on stock duty as well.” She says with a smile.

Yes.

You mentally say to yourself. Stock duty required work of you finding the places of different books, movies and games which also meant finding new things you didn’t know about before.

“One more thing,” you mother says as she walks behind the counter to finish opening up the store. “No head phones.” Your eyes go wide.

“But ma!” You call out to the lady who switches the sign from closed to open. “What else am I supposed to do when I stock!” You call, holding onto the white cords and swinging them around.

“Help the customers and socialize.” She laughs out making you frown. “I should call CPS.” You mumble carrying the box to the sorted area before hearing the woman’s laugh.

“Sure, call ahead but don’t be disappointed when they decline a twenty year old.”

You roll your eyes before continuing down the aisle.

“And after you sort those, get the others out of the storage closet!” You huff quietly as you glance back with a small playful glare on your face.

“If I wanted to work out, I would have gone to the gym.” You say and she rolls her eyes. “You’ll be just as sore in the morning, trust me.”

————

Hours hand passed, since you last seen the romance box having moved on to the horror section of the films.

You search through their placement areas, looking at all the old cinematic master pieces, the many Dracula films placed neatly next to each other, in order of both year and name.

Horror was one of the favorites when coming here, your father being a collected through his years he had many people couldn’t get their hands on.

Sure you could watch it online now but where’s the fun in that when you have a real copy with the static noises and written voices on screen. Some people still had some class left in them.

You hear a book hit the floor making the library echo as heads turned toward the cause of the sudden interruption of their silence.

“Shit—” You hear someone say quietly, making you roll your eyes as you place the rest of the CD’s in their rightful places before making your way toward the aisle the noise came from.

You subtly make your way toward the aisle while acting like your checking the books before taking a peek around the corner.

You see a rather short girl — shorter than the third shelf — craning her neck to look up at all the books in front of her.

Just to your luck, your mother placed a box for that genre next to the end of the shelf and you picked it up.

You make your way down the aisle and set the box toward the middle before looking up the girl who was already staring, and boy was she something.

Freckles littered across her tan skin, strands of her short hair fell from her half up half down style, her eyes — damn her eyes — they were the prettiest brown you’ve ever seen.

You smile lightly before picking up the first book and reading both the authors name and the title while trying to slow down your racing heart.

Who was this girl? Matter of fact, what was she? She wasn’t a regular, that’s for sure but you always get random people coming in so it didn’t exactly matter.

After putting away a few books, you glance up to see the girl a few feet away and on her tippy toes, reaching for a book on the fifth or sixth shelf.

You snorted quietly catching the girls attention making you quickly look away to keep yourself from laughing.

“You think this is funny?” She asks and you begin shaking in quiet laughter.

After a few moments, you compose yourself and stand shaking your head.

“No, not at all. Would you like some help?” You ask taking step toward her. She narrows her eyes. “Are you making fun of me right now?” She asks, both amusement and annoyance in her voice.

“Why would I do that? It’s poor customer service.” You say with a smile before watching her own smile grow.

“It’s poor customer service to laugh at a customer.” She mumbles before stepping back. “Please.” You walk up and grab the book.

“Look how easy that was.” She says, taking the book you held out for her. “Being six-foot-two does have its perks.” She says looking over the back of the book.

You roll your eyes but your smile only grows. Looking down at the book you nod and raise your eye brows, “that’s a good one, read it a few years back.” You say, making your way back to box of books.

“I’d hope so, for all the work I had to do to try and get it.” She mumbles making you smile and shake your head. “Anything else good?” She asks, looking down to you.

“You’re asking me if there’s anything else good in here when there’s just by the look of it thousands of books here?” You ask, smirking at her when she rubs the back of her neck.

“Yes, there is, I’ve read more than I can count. My recommendation board is up by the front desk if you want to check it out.” You say before placing crave by Tracy Wolff into the slot.

“You must have come here a lot before working then? If you’ve read so many books from here.” She asks, following hot on your trail with the book tucked between her arm. “Oh, for sure,” you say nodding. “The owners and I are real close, we were together a whole nine months before I was born.”

Her eyes widen slightly at the information. “You’re parents own this place?” She asks, gesturing to the entire book store and you nod, smiling.

It felt like you were a teenage boy, flaunting his muscles to a girl he finds attractive.

“Wow,” she says looking around once again. Book still tucked tightly into her arm as she did so. “Just wow. Your parents have taste.”

“More like their people pleasers.” You say shaking your head. The real other reason why horror is so popular in the movie section is because of their request.

Every week they check their request list and buy everything people ask for. New books, new movies, new music and games, there’s always something new. You’re surprised there’s still room, then again the place would be as big you supposed.

“They like having their customers choice their number one priority. It’s good business.” You say looking up to the girl who had a look of wonder in her eyes as she stared down at you but there was also something else. Something you couldn’t quite place.

She stares at you for another moment before speaking again, “do you.. know who I am?” She asks and your furrow your eye brows in question.

“Should I?” You ask tilting your head. She stares for another moment again, eyes scanning your face and it’s features as if searching for something.

Her smile then grows, as she shakes her head. “You shouldn’t, or rather shouldn’t have to. It’s just a surprise.” She says, tucking her hair behind her ear.

You knit your eye brows together in confusion.

She walks out of the aisle and you catch the light smile on her face as she does.

What the hell? You wonder to yourself as you place the last few books away.

You were pretty sure that was the last section, unless your mother put out some more stuff you didn’t notice. You’d just check out the to-do list.

Your mother and father always had one for both you and their own sake. Adding things so no one would forget.

As you made your way to check out, you see the girl walking in the general distraction as well.

“All set?” You ask, placing the box inside the others, moving past the small door attached to the low counter.

“Yep,” she says once again staring at you.

You take the book you got for her earlier along with another you recognize almost immediately. “Between shades of gray?” You ask, looking at her as if she were serious.

“Your description seemed trust worthy enough to make me interested.” You glance over to see your board clearly flipped through before nodding.

You scan both books. “Careful, it’s sad, dark and traumatic. It’s one of my favorites though.” You say looking up at her, she pauses for a moment, staring at you once again and just smiles and shakes her head.

“I think I can deal with a few of those.”

“Bartering or buying?” You ask. “Bartering,” she replies and you nod. “Good, I need to get a review on what you think.” You say with a smirk and you see a glint of something in her eyes.

“Name?” You ask and she looks at you a little confused. “We have to know whose using our books, how else do you think we send emails threatening to charge or get them back?” You snort.

“Oh, your totally right.” she says quietly before taking out her credit card.

“Jenna Ortega..” she says and you nod, typing in the name before reaching for the credit. Her grip on the card tightens at your lack of response.

You pull the card gently but her grip is to hard for you to take.

“Can I… get the card?” You ask, looking around slightly uncomfortably with the stone like stare she was giving you.

“Are you sure you don’t know who I am?” She asks letting go allowing you to swipe the card.

“Again, should I?”

You both stare at each other, both confused and entrapped by the other.

You find is strange how she thinks you know who she is or why you don’t know her.

Maybe she was some big deal somewhere off and you still have yet to hear about her.

Her name did ring a bell but you weren’t sure. Was she a person you knew from your child hood? An old friend trying to reconnect? Maybe some relative on your moms sent by the older ones to investigate if it was really you.

“Miss Ortega?” You’re both broken out of your thoughts as two large men stand behind her. “Time to go.” he says gesturing to a few people who were standing and staring in your general direction.

One grabs the bag off the counter before quickly walking towards the door.

“Looks like I gotta go,” she says, smile now suddenly shy with others watching. “Don’t worry, I’ll return your book Y/N.” She says before walking toward the door, one of the men right behind her.

“Yeah, you bet-“ you pause after the the realization hits you. “Wait, how’d you-?” You begin to ask before watching her gesture to her chest.

You knit your eyebrows together, you look down to see the name tag right under the library symbol.

She was strange.. cute.. but strange

Read next sort here!

A/N : Some parts once again rushed🧍🏽‍♀️This is just an introduction I suppose, the details will get better I tried my hardest🥲

[minghaoslatina]

1:03 pm ✰ WOOYOUNG

now playing 🎧 sure thing by miguel

You carefully make your way through the aisles of the cozy bookstore where you work. As you scan each shelf, you can't help but feel a sense of pride and ownership over the store. You've worked hard to ensure that every book is neatly organized and properly placed, and the result is a beautifully curated collection that any book-lover would appreciate.

Your passion for literature shines through in everything you do, and you're always eager to share your thoughts and opinions on your favorite books and movies. However, there are times when you worry that you might be too talkative, especially when meeting new people. But all those concerns fade away when you're with your boyfriend, Wooyoung. He adores your chattiness and always encourages you to be yourself.

As you navigate towards the classic section of the bookstore, you spot your all-time favorite classic, Little Women, and decide to take it out for a nostalgic read. In the process, you catch sight of a familiar mole near someone's eye and squint your own eyes to get a better look through the gap between books. Your heart skips a beat in surprise and delight as you realize the person on the other side is none other than your boyfriend, Wooyoung.

"Wooyoung?" you giggle, not expecting to see him here.

"Hi beautiful," he smiles and disappears from view, heading around the corner to greet you properly. Your heart flutters with excitement as you realize he's come to surprise you. As he approaches, you notice he is holding a brown paper bag and a steaming cup of coffee. Before you can even question him about why he's here, he wraps his strong arms around your waist and pulls you close, planting a sweet kiss on your lips. You can't help but smile back at him like a schoolgirl in love, feeling grateful for this unexpected moment together.

Unable to hide the adoration in your eyes, your heart races as you ask, "What are you doing here? I thought you had practice?"

Wooyoung releases his grip on you and shows you the contents of the paper bag and coffee cup he's holding, "I stopped by your favorite café to grab lunch for you. I know how much you love this place, and I wanted to make sure you ate well. Plus, I really wanted to see you." You can't help but feel touched by his thoughtfulness and attention to detail. Moments like these remind you why you fell in love with him in the first place.

"Aww, Woo, you're the best boyfriend ever," you say as Wooyoung lets out one of his signature giggles. Your words seem to have made his day as he grins widely and pulls you into a warm embrace. You can feel your heart racing as he holds you close, and you quickly set down your lunch in your book cart to focus on him entirely. You lean in to kiss him all over his face, savoring the feel of his skin against your lips.

Despite your love for books, you realize that there is something even more important to you.

"I love you, Wooyoung."

"I love you more, angel."

🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

a/n 💌

hi :)) this is my first time writing fan fiction so I’m sorry if it’s bad 😅🥲 I am currently writing a one-shot for seonghwa, but I don’t think it’s any good 😭 I might post it on Friday 👀 let me know ur thoughts 💭 <3

[loth-creatures]

8 11 15 30 ask game! :))

Rebels ask game

If you could've added an episode/story arc to the show, what would it be about?

I think the entire Mandalore plot could be greatly improved with at least two extra episodes. First I think Legacy of Mandalore needed to be two episodes, it just feels really crunchy to me. Like there is just a lot happening and its so speedran that there are parts that feel borderline contradictory to each other and they could makes sense if there was just a little more time. And more importantly at least one whole episode dedicated to Sabine and Bo-Katan working together and detailing whatever Bo went through between then and the end of tcw, and a little bit on Bo and Ursa's relationship in Death Watch. Because frankly there was just not enough reason given to why Bo-Katan deserved the Darksaber in Sabine's eyes imo. I would have to rewatch all the relevant episodes from tcw and rebels to go into detail, possibly I'm forgetting details that make it make sense but idk.

As for an entirely new story arc? I do wish there was some kind of arc in which Kanan, Hera and Zeb reminisce about the crazy shit they got into when they were young, before they got kids lol. And it could include some hints about how the crew came together, how they found Zeb and Sabine (can you tell that I would kill a man for a book or comic after a new dawn 👁👁)

What is one joke/moment from the show that always makes you laugh?

What is your favorite Kanera moment?

Ough probably their last hug in the sunset on Atollon before it all goes to shit 🥲

Most under-rated episode?

Honestly I have no idea. I rarely see discussion on any specific episodes that aren't twilight of the apprentice and trials of the darksaber so its hard to say. Besides like. Every single episode that doesn't have Ahsoka in it. When looking through the lens of the wider sw fandom 🫠🫠🫠

Thanks for the ask <3

[khepiari]

LawLu Fic: Hi, I updated Luffy and Law: Freedom’s Call after two years!

🫣🤗🥲

Chapter 3

Runs away, chapter 4 comes out in another 2 years. Bye!

After Six had vomited out his breakfast, a shivering fever broke out in his little body and a terrified Luffy had called for Corazón and the best doctor of the kingdom, Dr. Kureha.

The adults and the ancients had arrived not long after. Six was crying—whimpering to be precise. He was curled up and clinging to Luffy’s waist.

Luffy had never paid much attention to people’s appearances; it was hard for him to distinguish people just by their faces after one or two interactions, among the handful of faces he remembered well; Dr. Kureha was one of them, her deep-set wrinkles and white snowy hair and a high nose made her scary, she looked like a picture book witch. She was known as the Ancient One, the Scowling Witch of the North, and The Miracle Doctor, and she was also the resident doctor of the King and as well as Chopper’s mother.

Dr Kureha thoroughly examined Six’s body. The little boy was in pain and didn’t even have the basic vocabulary to explain his troubles. Her eyes were trained, hence, she didn’t anyone to tell her what had happened to the boy.

“I thought he was recovering.” Luffy finally broke his silence and looked at Corazón who was standing in the farthest corner with worry painted on his face and Dr. Kureha who was manhandling Six’s face scowled at Luffy. Her glare made Luffy speak of crimes he had never committed. “Before his breakfast, he drank the water from the bathing pool. Do you think that did something to him?” Luffy wanted to continue his questions, but another stern glare from the ancient one shut him up.

Dr. Kureha opened Six’s mouth and pulled out his tongue and that’s when Luffy and Corazón noticed Six’s tongue had turned white like porcelain, and so had the inside of his mouth; pristine shiny white.

“Amber lead syndrome?” Corazón asked, and Dr. Kureha nodded. Luffy had not paid attention to the white patches that covered Six’s entire body when the first time he saw the boy naked. Luffy had assumed they were bruises with discoloured dead skin, but in reality, Six’s copper-brown skin had stopped producing melanin and turned into a patchwork of melamine.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22433974/chapters/138387598

[presidenthades]

Once again, I am doing a series of my behind-the-scenes thoughts for The Golds while I do light edits for formatting, typos, and continuity. Here’s Chapter 3!

For this chapter’s title, I chose the Smith lyrics from “The Song of the Seven” because Jace is so busy busy busy with her work, even though she is suffering horrible from morning sickness.

I didn’t set out intending to make the entire chapter one scene, but it just ended up that way, and any scene breaks would’ve felt forced. I like how it ended up though. We basically get “a day in the life” of a pregnant Targ princess, and I end up mirroring the one-scene-only style in Chapter 6, where we get “a day in the life” of a Targ detective prince (only it’s the worst day of Aegon’s life 🥲).

I’m pretty sure I’ve rambled about ladies-in-waiting (LIW) before in other commentaries, but you’re getting another ramble, sorry not sorry. We don’t see Alicent or Rhaenyra with any LIWs on the show, except Elinda Massey (and only book readers would know she isn’t an ordinary maid, since she dresses like everyone else). The show probably has to cut extras like this for cost reasons, but Rhaenyra definitely has more ladies in the book and I presume Alicent does as well. Still, GRRM doesn’t go into a lot of detail about LIWs, so I can headcanon as much as a want 😎.

I think it’s reasonable to presume show!Alicent was one of Rhaenyra’s LIWs when they were younger. We know Rhaenyra felt very betrayed when Alicent married Viserys, so I imagine Rhaenyra didn’t want to hang out so closely with any of her other LIWs afterwards. She still has LIWs because it’s expected, but she doesn’t confide in them like she confided in Alicent, so her LIWs act more in a service than companion role—and I think Rhaenyra comes to deeply value her privacy, so she doesn’t want LIWs always hanging around and possibly spreading gossip about her. So I imagine her LIWs are all from smaller houses like the Masseys, who wouldn’t even dream of being buddies with the princess.

Meanwhile I think Alicent uses the LIW system as a way of securing her position at court (nobody expected her to become queen) and winning friends/alliances. She probably picks ladies from powerful houses like the Lannisters, so in contrast to Rhaenyra, Alicent’s ladies act more in a companion than service role (handmaidens like Talya would do the servant stuff like helping Alicent dress). But none of these friendships can compare to the friendship she once had with Rhaenyra, so there is still some distance. Alicent would have these LIWs attend to her at formal events, charity outings, and embroidery circles, but she probably isn’t inviting them for private hangout sessions.

Jace grows up with a bunch of sisters whom she’s close to, so she has all the intimacy and confidantes she wants. There are a lot of princesses at court in this universe, but if anyone is expected to have LIWs, it’s Jace as the future queen and a newly married woman. So she needs LIWs. She sees how Rhaenyra and Alicent use/fail to use their LIWs and learns from their actions. LIWs are very useful for soft alliances, but they have access to their mistress’ personal life so they have to be chosen with care.

Rhaena is an obvious choice. It’s not uncommon for relatives to be LIWs, and as much as I hate to say it, Rhaena is lower status despite being a Targaryen. She’s super far down the line of succession, and even if Daemon had anything to bequeath to his children, Baela would inherit. LIWs can certainly be highborns (they SHOULD be to serve a princess), but they’re serving their mistress so they shouldn’t be equal status (e.g. it’d be iffy if Helaena, the king’s daughter, were asked to be LIW to Jace). Rhaena has a lot of traits and skills valuable in a LIW (organized, knows fashion and etiquette), and Jace trusts her deeply. In return, Rhaena gets status and income (LIWs get paid by their mistress I think) independent from her father, and she enjoys doing LIW things so it’s a win-win.

There would be an unspoken expectation that Jace picks a Baratheon girl as a LIW. They’re her cousins (second cousins once removed, not too close but still a relation) and a great house, and Borros is easily offended, so Jace does her best to pick a daughter. Birth order is important in this society, so the eldest Cassandra is the obvious choice, especially since she’s the same age as Jace. But as mentioned in Chapter 9, Jace knows Cassandra is vying for Aemond, and as a Luce/Aemond shipper, she doesn’t want to give Cassandra potential opportunities to get at him. Maris is second oldest but she was very rude to Jace at her wedding, and Jace doesn’t want that unpleasantness in her life. I believe Floris is the third daughter (she marries before Ellyn in the book, and usually you marry daughters oldest to youngest) so she’s next in line. She’s only 9/10, but young LIWS are fine; Margaery in ASOIAF has an 8-year-old LIW (or somewhere around that age). Also, you don’t want all your LIWs to be the exact same age. If they all get married at the same time and ask to leave your service, you have to be quickly replace all of them. So a mix of ages is better, and Floris proved herself to be very pleasant at the wedding.

Nepotism is to be expected in this kind of job application pool. If you have a trustworthy and capable servant, the first place you look for more candidates is their families, because surely they’ll be just as trustworthy and capable. Elinda has been a good LIW to Rhaenyra, and the Masseys have been a trusted vassal to the Targaryens since pre-Conquest, so Elinor gets an advantage just for her family. She also genuinely has useful skills for a LIW, and before the sept, she is shows herself to be reliable, efficient, and averse to gossip because she’s so quiet.

Bethany is another example of family connections, as Aegon’s second cousin. Jace picks Bethany partly to demonstrate that she doesn’t want the Black versus Green divide to continue into the next generation, and as a sort of olive branch to any Hightowers who might still feel friction. Bethany has some obnoxious traits (she’s a spoiled only daughter, no surprise there), but I imagine her as the most “fun” of Jace’s LIWs. She knows all the good games, stories, songs, etc. And Jace definitely needs to have more fun.

Sabitha isn’t much older (early 20s at most), but she kinda serves as the maternal figure in the group (even though Rhaena is officially in charge of the LIWs). She already has her own child, so her experience is valuable as Jace undergoes her own pregnancy, and she’s been running the Frey household for some time. She’s described as bold, sharp-tongued, and willing to take up arms, so I think she reminds Jace a bit of Baela. This is also a way for Jace to make a connection with the Riverlands, since the Tullys don’t seem to have any eligible daughters. Sabitha’s birth house is Vypren; there isn’t much information about them, but they seem to be a less important Riverlands house. Her husband Forrest is a younger son, so he wasn’t supposed to inherit the Twins, which means he probably didn’t make a super advantageous marriage. So I imagine Sabitha never expected to become the lady of such a powerful house or holding (and the Twins ARE an important holding), and now she wants to prove she deserves to have that position. Becoming a royal LIW boosts her status immensely, and if her son is able to become friends with a prince/future king, even better.

I explain in this chapter that Jace picks Sara for several reasons: a favor to Baela, to win favor with Cregan, and because she genuinely likes Sara. This is a tricky decision because the court doesn’t look kindly upon bastards, and this is a society where the people you hang out with strongly reflect on yourself. But Jace decides the benefits of having the only Stark girl (even if she’s illegitimate) in her service outweigh the cons, and this may be the beginning of bringing the North further into the fold. I, as the writer, also wanted to drop a little Easter egg to book!Jacaerys’s purported relationship with Sara, but in this universe they definitely aren’t lovers. (I’m sure Mushroom has other thoughts.)

You can see little hints of Elinor’s secret crush on Aegon. (He’s pretty, he dotes on Jace, Elinor has probably accidentally seen him shirtless a few times, and all the ladies have overheard Aegon and Jace having really good sex at some point 🙈.) Here, Elinor reacts strongly (accidentally pulls Jace’s hair) when Bethany mentions Aegon. Bethany knows about Elinor’s crush (she’s picked up on Elinor blushing, and the two of them spend a lot of time together because they’re very close in age and have very similar backgrounds as unwed, trueborn ladies) and she teases Elinor about it sometimes, so Elinor worries that Bethany might spill the beans one day. Whatever Elinor’s other flaws, she wouldn’t actually try to seduce Aegon (despite Bethany’s angry accusation in Chapter 6; Elinor is too timid for that), but other people don’t know that, and a reputation as someone trying to be a royal mistress could be disastrous. If Jace knew about the crush, she wouldn’t intentionally hold it against Elinor, but she’d probably be extra wary about Elinor’s contact with Aegon thenceforth. If Jace were a different kind of person, she might even fire Elinor for crushing on her husband.

I made up a list of hour names besides the few that GRRM gives us in canon. Hour of the pig is 10PM. Not super late for people to still be up, especially at court where somebody is always awake, but late enough that morning people like Jace are already in bed.

Jace doesn’t react well to people hiding information from her “for her own good.” We see it here with her LIWs and later with Aegon. TBH she does stress and catastrophize a lot, so the occasional information diet is a good idea, especially when she’s pregnant (and it ends up being a high-risk pregnancy). But everyone has flaws, and this is one of Jace’s.

I deliberate set the scene so it’s “obvious” Aegon is visiting brothels, and I was very happy when so many commenters had faith that my version of Aegon wouldn’t cheat on Jace and there had to be another explanation 🥰. Quite a few people guessed about human trafficking and helping the girls at the brothel, which was very close to the truth! I had fun setting up the “mystery” of what really happened, and I hope people enjoyed picking up on the details on rereads.

Ah yes, typical Jace blaming herself and her lower libido for Aegon potentially straying (although she never seriously thinks he did). If she can blame herself for something, she will 😛.

Helaena loves her bug references (fireflies, buzz), but that’s nothing new.

“If Aegon hunts for green snails, so can we.” Green snail = Green Tyroshi (Tyrosh is famous for its dye made from snails). A reference to Aegon’s current adventure rescuing Gyles—but maybe also Jace’s kidnapping later?

In this verse, Jace and Helaena are one year apart, so they’re rather close. Helaena seems pretty isolated as the only royal girl in canon, but she has Jace and Luce, and eventually Joff, in this AU. So I like to think that with more female companionship, Helaena comes out of her shell a bit more 🥰.

The reason Joff blushes, which is revealed in Chapter 4: Daeron accidentally steals her first kiss 🫢. I actually wrote out the scene for the “sisters’ reactions POVs” I originally planned to include. I might recycle it for when I eventually do a Joff and Daeron POV fic. But basically, Daeron has been acting weird around Joff since she kissed his cheek at the end of the Handbook, Joff got really fed up and told him to kiss her cheek to make it fair (and so he realizes it isn’t a big deal), but he accidentally kisses her mouth instead. Then she pushes him into the garden pond. True romance ❤️.

If you’ve read the modern Yule AU, you know that Joff comes out as demisexual, and I think that’s true in this verse too, even though they don’t have the word or concept in Westeros. If it were anyone besides Daeron, I think Joff would’ve been very annoyed by being kissed but moved on fairly quickly. With Daeron, she’s actually flustered.

Laenor shipped Jace/Aegon. He was a romantic (he never really moves on from Joffrey Lonmouth), and he wanted his children to have the marital love he could never have. I also think he genuinely liked and identified with Aegon: they both like adventures and partying, they aren’t fond of responsibility, and they feel like they’re always disappointing their fathers. Laenor and Rhaenyra generally got along in their marriage, but I think they clashed a lot over Rhaenyra’s resistance to a Jace/Aegon match. Jace is aware that Laenor supported her and Aegon, so I think that’s another reason Jace wanted to try honoring her father when she was picking baby names.

But Joff! Poor Joff never got to experience that indulgent side of Laenor 😢. There IS a reason Laenor treated her so differently, and that will be revealed in Joff’s fic. Laenor got her gifts like her sisters so he was trying not to show favoritism (or lack thereof), but he was more awkward and less cuddly, and Joff noticed 😞.

Joff is also aware she only exists because Rhaenyra and Laenor were hoping for a boy 🫤. In this verse, they needed help from Harwin to have kids, so there was a lot more family planning involved. They had Jace and Luce pretty quickly because they needed an heir for the throne and Driftmark. If it were up to Rhaenyra and Laenor alone, they would’ve been content with just daughters, but this is a society that strongly favors males so they felt pressured to try again for a son. When Joff comes out as another girl, they take it as a sign that they’re only getting girls and three is enough.

Helaena compares Rhaena to a flower because many insects (especially butterflies) are attracted to flowers 🌸. And Rhaena loves looking pretty and colorful, like flowers, so she enjoys this comparison.

Notice that Joff asks “what about Aegon?” when Jace and Rhaena start talking about out him. If only they paused to ask Joff what she knew, she probably could’ve saved Jace a lot of stress and heartache that night 🥲.

Dying of childbirth was a lot more common historically, but again GRRM really dials it up for the shock and tragedy. I won’t get into it too much because there are already a lot of theories out there about Targaryens, magic, and childbirth. People have the usual concerns about Jace’s pregnancy, but if she and the baby die, there’s a high chance the Black/Green conflict resurges. In this sad alternative universe where they die, if both sides wanted to continue making peace, one “obvious” solution would be to marry Rhaenyra’s new heir to Aegon…but that new heir would be Luce, and Aemond would have a lot of thoughts about this, and honestly Aegon would probably try to drink himself to death after Jace is gone. Rhaena and others are aware of the major issues that could arise if Jace dies (other than the personal tragedy to them), so it’s doubly important that they ensure the pregnancy goes well.

If Jace hadn’t gotten pregnant so quickly, I do think she would’ve had a better work-life balance. Pregnancy can take A LOT out of you. But it is what it is, and both she and Aegon are trying to figure out how to adapt after the honeymoon period. They have a solid foundation for their marriage, but they’re still young and they’ve been apart for three years. No marriage is perfect. The important thing is that they figure out how to communicate better and adapt together to change 🥰.

Rhaena is confident that Aegon isn’t cheating because she’s had to deal with so many of Jace’s ruined clothes thanks to Aegon 🥲. Aegon’s also probably given Jace a lot of hickeys that Rhaena had to cover up. She’s pretty sure a man like that isn’t going to just waltz out on his wife. But “men are strange,” so who knows?

Jace’s feast dress is strongly influenced by Cersei’s early season dresses here and here. The costume designer Michele Clapton describes them as kimono style, so I added it to my headcanon of Essosi fashions seeping into Westeros. Jace’s signature color is gold but she also likes other warm colors, like pink and red. Black makes her think of mourning, so even though it’s a Targ color, she tries not to wear it unless she has to. Rhaena shares this preference for color; growing up in Pentos, I think she would’ve been very used to vivid colors in clothing. Daemon wears this in Pentos, and I suspect it’s brighter in person than it looks in that still.

Jace’s jewelry is usually tasteful, but Aegon couldn’t resist giving her an over-the-top Sunfyre necklace. Only for bedroom activities though 🙈.

If you decoded the anagram, you know that the smutty author is actually Saera Targaryen. The Septa Lucinda story is her dramatized version of her own story after she was sent to Oldtown. But I LOVED people’s theories that Aemond wrote it about Lucera and I’m tempted to write a cracky scenario about that 😂.

As for who left the book behind, I have two scenarios in mind. One is that Elinor secretly enjoys reading trashy smut, forgot it one day, and was too embarrassed to take it back. The other is that Bethany wanted to share the book with the other ladies (except Floris who’s too young) and purposely left it so the others could take turns paging through it.

The LIWs are eager to incorporate gold into their wardrobe to show that they’re part of Jace’s faction. Still an unofficial and fledgling faction, but a newlywed princess in line for the throne is always going to be popular at court.

Alicent first noticed that Daeron was nowhere to be found, then quickly discovered Aegon and Aemond were also gone soon after that. So she’s been trying to find her sons for a while, and then Rhaenyra sees Daemon’s note, because Daemon is experienced in the art of sneaking out and has learned by now that it’s best practice to let his wife know he’s gone out of the castle.

I think Daemon has his web of informants in the castle, so he knew when all three of the Targbros left. He probably also knew Aegon previously took Joff out, and that Aegon has since gone back to the docks a few times. By this point he doesn’t automatically suspect Aegon is out whoring (especially with Aemond and Daeron going along), but he definitely suspects mischief, and Daemon hates being left out of mischief. He’s also not fond of formal feasts so he doesn’t mind missing the event, and he figures if anyone gets in trouble for being absent, it’s Aegon.

I made Rhaenyra and Alicent’s dialogue about what to do about the absences intentionally ambiguous re: who’s saying what, again to highlight that they’re more similar than they think. Right now, they’re both in exasperated “what are the menfolk doing” mothering mode.

I felt sad excluding Luce and the Velaryons from the feast, but I wanted to save Luce’s big return for later. So I manufactured the fire in Hull to keep them in Driftmark. And who knows, maybe Luce will encounter certain Hull residents while she’s there 👀.

Jace has always been aware that Viserys ignores his children. In this verse, she’s very compassionate and cares about Aegon, so this bothers her a lot more than in canon. But she still has a relatively rosy view of her grandfather, who indulges her, until Chapter 9.

The feast and the aftermath are supposed to contrast with the wedding in Chapter 1. At the wedding, Aegon is by Jace’s side, but here he isn’t. Jace leaves the wedding feast feeling very happy, but leaves this feast feeling humiliated. When she undresses after the wedding she’s very meticulous, but here she rips everything off because she’s too emotional to be careful.

In the show, Viserys tells Corlys and Rhaenys that Rhaenyra and Laenor’s firstborn child, regardless of gender, will sit the throne. In contrast, when Rhaenyra tries to get Rhaenys’s support for the Driftmark petition, Rhaenys says Jacaerys and Baela’s sons will inherit the throne. I’ve seen some people say this means Viserys is more progressive than Rhaenyra, or that it’s a writing continuity error. Currently, my belief is that Viserys said what he said to Corlys and Rhaenys because he wants to shore up Rhaenyra’s position as heir, which means outwardly supporting absolute primogeniture—but in reality, I think he would’ve expected Rhaenyra’s firstborn son to inherit. Meanwhile, I flesh out Rhaenyra’s stance in this chapter: she was more idealistic in her youth, but like many people, she becomes more pragmatic and a touch cynical as she ages. And in this AU verse, as a mother to all girls, she’s even more conscious of the sexism they’ll face (whereas in canon she was more worried about the perceived bastardy). Rhaenyra wishes for a better world for her daughters but knows they’ll have a hard time getting there.

We get more Aegon & Rhaenyra interactions later, but here we glimpse Rhaenyra’s lingering doubts as she double-checks that Jace is happy. I think Rhaenyra has a particular grudge against Aegon specifically that she isn’t entirely aware of, because deep down she still has that feeling of Aegon being the son that her father truly wanted, and maybe some lingering resentment from when he was a baby getting the attention of Viserys, Alicent, and other courtiers. I imagine when Jace was born, Rhaenyra had a blissful period where she was Jace’s entire world (guest-starring Laenor)…and then one night toddler!Aegon suddenly usurps all of Jace’s attention 🥲. So yes, I do think Rhaenyra has been harboring some petty animosity against Aegon for most of his life 😂. Then he grew older and she became concerned about him going out on the town. She has no brothers her age to compare him with, and the only time she went out to party with Daemon, she almost ruined her reputation and position, so I think she feels strongly negative about Aegon’s partying ways.

Yes, that brothel madam worked FAST to get her money from the Red Keep. But it’s a life-changing amount of money, so why wouldn’t she?

Baela and Rhaena are confident Aegon wouldn’t cheat on Jace, but they have reasonable grounds to doubt after everything that happens today.

Jace trying but failing to take off Aegon’s necklace is definitely symbolism 🤭.

I can’t find the citation for it, but I’m pretty sure I picked marjoram as Aegon’s bath oil scent because it’s traditionally believed to lift spirits, and that sounded like the kind of aromatherapy Aegon would go for.

In the original draft, Rhaena sleeps on the sofa in Jace’s solar to help keep Aegon out, and she threatens him with a fireplace poker when he climbs through the window. But I realized Jace would prefer to be alone while she’s recollecting herself, so Rhaena gets to sleep in her own bed in the final draft.

Jace has never locked the door to her chambers before, so Aegon is very alarmed when he can’t get inside, especially when she doesn’t respond to him. He’s also just been in some very exciting and dangerous situations so his blood is still running hot, and the kidnapped women are definitely on his mind.

Chapter 4 commentary here

[hughungrybear]

15 people, 15 questions

I got tagged by @telomeke (the link to their post is here). Thanks for the tag! 😊

1. Are you named after anyone?

I came from a predominantly Catholic country so it is common to name babies after saints. Ironically, despite my saintly name, I was a real Tasmanian devil to my parents, teachers, and peers 😅

2. When was the last time you cried?

The last time that I sincerely cried was when my Dad passed away. I was eleven. After that, every event that made me "cry" barely wet my eyes 😅

3. Do you have kids?

No, and I don't plan to have any. I like kids - especially when I can hand them back to their respective mothers 😅 I don't have anything against motherhood, but I can barely support myself. Under the circumstances, it is not wise to bring another life into this world that I cannot support.

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

Oh boy. I used to do track and field, basketball, and soccer (football) when I was still in elementary (grade) school. However, my conservative home country deems these sports as too "manly" and therefore not appropriate for a growing 'lady'. So, they made me switch to cheer dance😤. Well, let's just say I have never danced again ever since lol.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Let's just say that sometimes, using sarcasm is the only way to retain my sanity 😅

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

The tone and shift of voice when they talk. Not entirely sure why though 😅😅😅

7. What’s your eye color?

Hazel brown with hints of darkest grey.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Definitely happy endings. I will not subject myself to torture by watching horror films/series no matter how critically acclaimed it is. That's because I have a very vivid imagination and I really love a peaceful sleep 🥲

9. Any talents?

Does mixing chemicals and formulating new adhesive products count? 😅 I can play the keyboard, and write poems and short stories (although, it's been a long time since I wrote my last one). I also do embroidery during my spare time.

10. Where were you born?

Funny story. I was born on the eve of our town's patron saint's day. Before the feast day, the town's roads are closed in preparation for the upcoming festivities. Unfortunately, my mum's water broke during an intense cleaning session of our house on the eve of the feast. Since the roads were closed, my father and grandma (my mother's mum) were forced to call a midwife and perform a home birth. Curiously, I did not cry as my mum pushed my small baby form out of her womb. Fearing that I was a stillbirth, the midwife had put me near an electric stove to help warm me up. It was only then that poor baby me started to cry (to the relief of everyone around)😅

TLDR: I was born at home but only showed a definitive sign of life in our old family kitchen.

11. What are your hobbies?

Reading books, scrolling through various socmed (Nowadays, though, it's mostly Tumblr and Reddit), and listening to some brand new music.

12. Do you have any pets?

When I was still living in my home country, I used to have dogs. However, moving to Australia, I was forced to leave them behind with our trusted relatives. We still Facetime though, so there's that.

13. How tall are you?

Sadly, I'm five feet flat, I am still hoping for some (miracle) growth spurt even in my thirties lol

14. Favorite subject in school?

I love history. I love reading about the beginning of things. I also had high grades in literature simply because I am an advanced reader (that is, I have already read the books on my teacher's list even before they have released them to the class).

15. Dream job

Somewhere where deadlines are a mere suggestion lol

Onward tagging (I know some of you have already done this, but give this poor hungry bear a break, I'm running out of people to tag: @lost-my-sanity1, @sparklyeyedhimbo, @imlivingformyselfdontmindme, @waitmyturtles, @dimplesandfierceeyes, @plantsarepeopletoo, @actually-yikes, @dribs-and-drabbles, @ablazenqueen, @alan-apologist, @ellasaru12, @queersouthasian, @lamonnaie, @rei-the-head-shaker and anybody else who wants to play😊

[jayflrt]

im back to talk about the chapter ! before that i would like to say, my math exams went well than i thought but what the fuck was the last question. i think i need to mention my friends now know the basic of what yfi786, i was screaming yelling losing my mind reading the screenshots part. i even explained the gta 6 joke. i was too curious so i read the smau part during break of my math practice and then treated the written part as a gift for finishing the exams !!!

i have nothing to say (in a good way) the way they both were yearning for each other. the self control (most) jay had cannot be me, i would lose myself ngl. this part:

“I shouldn’t do this,” he whispered—a failed attempt at forced conviction. His lips were inches from yours, and he couldn’t keep his eyes off you. With little self-restraint, Jay leaned in once more, leaving gentle, chaste pecks that grew more and more fervent, his hesitancy ebbing away as he did. “No, no, no, no—I really shouldn’t be doing this.”

this had me on the edge i could not, i felt so bad for jay i felt bad for yn. they both really want each other and because of the circumstances, it is so hard.. it is like yn has any idea, just kill me instead i don't want to be reading anymore im not ready for the angst can i skip it and then suddenly they live happily ever after <3

“We can’t, or you won’t?” “We can’t,” he insisted, firmer this time, although his eyes were unfocused, “but I’ve never been good at standing my ground when it comes to you.”

when i tell you i blushed hehehe. ahh i wish i can quote everything like its an actual book (i can but do not wanna make my ask that long). their whole intimate moment had me blushing, had me asking myself should i be reading this... am i interrupting something ??? maybe i should give them privacy... the way you wrote it i just was screaming inside and yelling on my private story like some insane person. wait this long let me continue rest on other ask

theory anon.

always the last question that makes you rethink life,, i'm glad the rest of it went well though !! 💗 or there's always that question that takes up an entire page and makes you wanna die <//3 ALSO HELP YOUR FRIENDS 😭 Do They Know You're The One And Only Theory Anon i hope they dont mind the lore 😁

their circumstances are absolutely horrible 🥲 like jungwon said,, the universe is against them but they still found each other 🙂‍↕️ (okay maybe the universe isn't against them?? wait)

AHAHAH honestly i can't read the chapter back after posting it like 🫣 i was reading it from a critical viewpoint while i was writing bc it was just writing and editing,, but now that it's published it feels so Exposed like omg let me not interrupt you two 🤚 i'm so so glad you enjoyed it though ! and honored to provide something to indulge in after your exam 🥰

[epcot-anthony]

More Disney Parks questions! Thank you so much for all the info you've provided, I'm planning my vacation now if you can't already tell :-)

Do you think park hopper passes are worth it? I've heard it sometimes can take hours to get to one park to another, not to mention walking through each one.

Is there one park that it is possible to see/do everything in one day? If so, which one?

Have you every done Drinking Around the World at Epcot? Is it fun or just leaves you with a bad hangover?

What's one thing you think one must do their first time at Disney?

What's the best time of the year/day to avoid large crowd?

1. ok i’m gonna assume it’s your first time going based on #4 haha. hmm if you’ve never been i probably would not park hop for magic kingdom at least. the others, i would research what you’re interested in. i like park hopper as someone who’s been there tons and tons of times. but i also can’t physically do a full park day without a nap anymore LOL. i would personally say you probably only need park hopper on your animal kingdom day, whatever park you want to pair with that works. i love the vibes of the parks at night and do think park hopping is worth it for that. but park hopping doesn’t take hours typically, you just gotta plan it out! lmk if you need recommendations based on what parks you wanna do! i’ve done a lot of silly travel methods but it gets you there quick.

2. depends when you’re going! right now, epcot isn’t super plentiful because a big ride is getting refurbed right now, but if it’s festival season you may want to do a full epcot day and maybe park hop to it another day. animal kingdom is a one day park, if not half day (that hurts me to say🥲). hollywood studios can be a one day park..if you don’t want to do EVERY single thing. magic kingdom you will most likely need 2 days

3. i’ve done a modified version where i shared with a friend! gonna be honest with you, it’s probably worth it for the novelty..but i didn’t love it. (but possible tmi i am a girly who cannot drink a ton and if i do i just feel so nauseous the entire day and that’s how i felt). i think it’s fun to share drinks and do it if that’s your vibe! wouldn’t say its worth the money to do individual drinks

4. ugh this is a hard one since there’s so much to do. i think the firework shows are really special. i think another thing is the general mindset you have. while yes, you 100% need a game plan for the rides you want to ride, i also think it’s fun to not research EVERYTHING. go in a little blind and it’s more magical because you’re not expecting it. if you like characters, i’d possibly book one character dining for the vibes. rides wise, def need to do guardians in epcot.

5. hmm good question. i believe the january-february time is still a little less busy AND the weathers usually lovely. a few weeks before christmas is also pretty nice. spring before you hit the spring break crowds is nice. i’d avoid summer because it is so unbearably hot. time of day, i’d say nights are lovely tbh

[mickeys-malarkey]

Summary of the book thoughts across my analyses because my gosh.

Begging the Bendy fandom to stop declaring that all of its juicy, lovely books have gone to waste. You know it's getting ridiculous when they give a character a line about it that's so weird it can't be ignored, rofl.

(Sidenote: I'm actually really proud of this summary cause I suck bilgewater at those and this is literally the most condensed and sensical one I've ever managed. 😝)

Dreams Come to Life parallels TIOL and TMATM as a cry for help written from: someone having his mind edited, to: his best friend.

The Illusion of Living showcases how abusive of Joey+ and manipulative of the public's perception Nathan Sr. is. Hints that sepia = Nathan Sr.'s lies while black-and-white = Joey's truth.

Bendy: The Lost Ones is an interpretation guide to TIOL, with Bill, Constance, and Brant becoming personifications of Joey's fear, anger and shame.

The Mug and the Maiden is a full-series interpretation guide explaining Wilson's entire life story, including how he and his dad were involved in DCTL and TLO.

The Employee Handbook is a scrapbook of Nathan Sr.'s favorite parts of orchestrating JDS's downfall.

Bendy Crack-Up Comics contains hints at Nathan Sr.'s erasure of anyone who might be a liability and the perceived vs. true natures of his and Joey's relationship.

All are pointed to by the official Bendy shorts, especially Tombstone Picnic and the context around it (sepia thumbnails vs. black-and-white animation? Hint at Nathan Sr.'s editing. Supposed to be musical but mostly lack music? Hint at Sammy's Nate-y fate in DCTL. Missing Henry ending? Hint at Henry's Nate-y fate plus it being good that Bendy's tryna stop the Nate-y time loop. All but Tombstone Picnic ending with Bendy scared, frustrated, or sad? Hint at Bill, Constance, and Brant in TLO. Audrey's colorizing Tombstone Picnic at the beginning of BATDR? Hint at TMATM).

It hurts my soul that most of the fandom is convinced that everything before BATDR is retconned and/or the writing is terrible when I'm seeing so much gorgeously mind-blowing interconnection. 🥲

(NEW!) Bendy: Fade to Black is an interpretation guide to BATDR, confirming that the Memory of Joey = Nate Sr., Ink Demon/Bendy = Real Joey, most new Gent people = Children of the Machine, etc. as Audrey explains both her own and other people's trauma/recovery-&-relapse/etc. cycles, and more through Rose and company.

(NEW 2!) The Employee Handbook: Updated Edition is what's left of Nate Sr.'s scrapbook after he chopped out anything that both contradicted the narrative he's been carefully curating since Joey's death (which includes the TIOL excerpt because he's realized what everyone was doing with their books and decided it's better if the public ignores them entirely) and didn't hold too much sentimental value for him to let go (it's the wedding invite. I'm talking about Allison & Tom's wedding invite)… with some chime-ins from Wilson, once we get into the new material that's been added.

(NEW 3!) The Dreams Come to Life graphic novel is Nate Sr.'s maliciously butchered retelling of Buddy's story, meant to either deceive its readers into misunderstanding what Buddy was saying happened or discredit his reliability as a source of information entirely.

[toomanyfandomsthings]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

OOOO thank you so much for asking, I've never been asked that before! ✨️😃✨️ It's not a top 10 in any particular order (except for number 1, that one is number 1 😂), but mostly the characters who have impacted me a lot or have a special place in my heart right now. Also I'm terribly ineloquent, so please bear with my while I try to make sense -

1.) Aki Hayakawa (Chainsaw Man)

Oooooh my God, where do I start? XD This one was easy because Aki is like my favorite of favorite characters in anything 😁 Such a sweet, caring, protective figure who doesn't see himself as any of those things. He's such a heartbreakingly realistic portrayal of how someone can be self-destructive and I love seeing his dynamics with the cast start to change the way he views and values himself. I love how his instinct to be a big brother shows itself in small ways that don't get directly pointed out - to avoid manga spoilers, I'll point to the scene with Denji in the hospital where Aki makes him the apple bunnies - and just the little ways that he shows he cares for people. I think stuff with him later on in the story is some of the most well written and heartbreaking stuff I've ever read, and I genuinely think he's a wonderfully different take on the revenge plot line. I also have like...way too many figures of him...and plushies...and acrylic stands...and key chains.....and a snow globe I got from Hot Topic- I just love him a lot! 😂💕

2.) Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul)

I have a little less to say on this one because I haven't read Tokyo Ghoul in a long time so I'm a bit fuzzy on plot details. 😅 But I read Tokyo Ghoul in college at a time where I really needed it and saw a lot of myself in Kaneki. He's such a sweetheart and such a deeply lonely character, and the ways he changes over the course of the story, for better and for worse, are absolutely brilliant and tragic 🥲💕 And I love how, throughout all of these shifts in personality and role in the story, he still feels so distinctly Kaneki. Like, in spite of how cruel and difficult things get, the sweet, book-loving college student is still recognizably there. Kaneki Ken did nothing wrong 😂 Also I wrote a far more eloquent 35 page paper on Kaneki as my final thesis paper for college, soooo that speaks to my affection for him 😂

3.) Felix Hugo Fraldarius (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

There's gonna be a lot of Fire Emblem characters here, I'm so sorry XD But I love Felix so so much! He's a tough personality and admittedly can be incredibly harsh when it's not called for, but he's given so much reasoning as to why he has this attitude and it makes him such an engaging character to watch. He cares so much for everyone around him and just for the life of him cannot communicate that, nor does he want to admit it to himself for fear of losing them like he did his brother. He works so hard to be stronger than his brother so he can protect everyone, to the point where, definitely post-timeskip, he's long since reached that goal but still refuses to believe it. He's a caring soul who's taken on a lot at a young age and has suffered a lot more than he cares to acknowledge. He's also insanely smart (which he is never given credit for in-game which is a crime) and an absolute monster of a unit and is good at basically anything you try to teach him, so he's also just objectively cool 😂

4.) Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Same as Felix, I love Dimitri so so so much 🥲 I think his character arc is so beautifully written (if you couldn't tell, I favor the Blue Lions quite a bit XD) and he's just such an absolute sweetie who's been through entirely too much. I love how protective he is of his loved ones and how the weight of all that he's been through wears on him in big and small ways (I think of little things like his lack of a sense of taste, which you only find out in his support with Flayn, which then recontextualizes little moments like Felix commenting on Dimitri acting like he dislikes the food at meal times and ahhh the character writing in 3H is so good). Also, I am partial to sweet characters becoming absolutely unhinged (see #2 😂) so I knew I'd like Dimitri almost immediately XD Didn't know he'd break my heart as much as he did though 😂

5.) Kaoru Sakurayashiki/Cherry Blossom (SK8 the Infinity)

Cherry is so great, what a truly insufferable person (affectionate) 😂 He's such a brat and I love his dynamic with Joe so much. They argue in the kind of way you only could with someone you've known your whole life, and they clearly love each other and always look out for one another. Also, the interviews with Utsumi which say that he's also anxious and a generally lonely person break my heart, and also inform why he's *always* at Joe's restaurant. He also clearly cares for the little skateboarder family they've made and i love that he takes on a sort of mentor/parental role for the kids. Also what an absolutely chaotic idea for a character - a formerly emo/punk, professional calligrapher who also designs robots and helped establish an illegal skating competition to which he attends in a ninja costume with his AI skateboard - I love him 😂💕 He's also got an amazing character design, like, I want to be him 😂

6.) Zelkov (Fire Emblem Engage)

ZELKOVV I love him so much, he is the character currently occupying my brain the most. 💕 Much of what I've said before, such a sweetheart. I love the way the portray his mental health struggles through his need to constantly have a pursuit or task or hobby to keep his mind occupied, and how it eventually resolves with him opening an orphanage (which is such a perfect resolution for his character 🥲) He's such a caretaker at heart, and I think it's so interesting how that is juxtaposed with his past as an assassin. Plus I think coming into a revenge plotline 10 years after the revenge has been had is just such an interesting take on it. I dunno I just love him so much I could go on for ages but I'll stop here...kinda

7.) Kagetsu (Fire Emblem Engage)

And I say kinda because Zelkov and Kagetsu are inseparable in my mind 😂 I love Kagestu, what an absolute cinnamon roll! 💕 Such a sweet, silly little friend! He's so eager to make friends, almost to a fault. I'd hazard a guess that after leaving his family, not knowing if he could ever go back or if they'd even want him to come back, the eagerness to make friends is sort of a coping thing - trying to reaffirm that he's not alone and that there are people who like him. I love his dynamic with Zelkov and Ivy - he draws the two of them out of their shells and gives them the direct and clear love and affection they need, and in turn they reassure him that he is cared for and give him a place where he is truly content and happy 🥲 He's just a genuine ray of sunshine with more depth than you'd think at first glance.

8.) Yuki Soma (Fruits Basket)

Yet another character that I feel directly called out by 😂 I love him so much, I love that he's such a kind person but doesn't view himself as such because he way overthinks about the nature of what "being kind" is. I love his arc about learning how to better yourself little by little and taking small steps to change; I really find it so inspiring 💕 His backstory episode ruined me for the rest of the day, I literally couldn't sleep that night after I watched it.

9.) Lukas (Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia)

This is my weird pick, but I still think about Lukas and the game came out when I was just starting college XD So kind and so caring, but still very pragmatic and reliable. I think his self reflection on how he feels he may be emotionally broken is so fascinating and relatable, and I love how his support with Python and his ending resolve it in a very satisfying way (I teared up when I saw his ending when I beat the game, though I also may have been going through something at the time XD) His big brother energy to Alm and the kids is also very endearing (especially him and Alm in the Drama CD oh my God) I'm not explaining it well, but I need to give this sweet depressed fellow a hug! 💕

10.) Megumi Fushiguro (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Ahhhh my son, my sweet boy who can't catch a break 🥲 So kind, so caring, so unable to see his own self worth 🥲 Like Aki, I like how the show points out his character flaw maybe once or twice, but it's showed off in dozens of more subtle ways if you pay close attention. I love how kind he is, how much he cares even though he struggles to display it, how he's got a self-admitted flawed sense of what justice is and how, like Kaneki and Dimitri, he's also sliiiightly unhinged XD

Hugs, hugs for all of these characters 😂❤️ Also sorry, I kind of went off, iiiiii got excited 😂 I also left out a bunch of characters because I didn't want it all to be Fire Emblem characters 😂 Thank you so much for asking!!

[spookyserenades]

I gotta give you props, kudos, a big round of applause! I have read fics and books where you see the plot twist and the cliffhanger from a mile away. You blew me away with the ending because I. DID. NOT. SEE. THAT. COMING! At all! You did a great job distracting me with the cookout, the merrymaking, the joy of having all the guys trying to socialize with others and ofc being civil with each other. Bravo, bravo.

I understand why there’s only one update a month now, instead of two. But goddamn, this whole chapter has me wishing we had 2 updates/month just so I wouldn’t be left wondering about what’s next for an entire month 🥲

Big hugs! 🫶🏻

!!! AHH THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!!! I LOVE a good plot twist or a shocking ending, they always keep me engaged especially when they seemingly come out of nowhere. Thank you, seriously for such a sweet compliment <3 A lot of the chapter was domestic, seemingly settling into a friendly groove... BAM all hell is breaking loose (in the next chapter tooo wink wink!)

EEE I can't wait to start updating twice a month again, likely in September! I've got some classes this summer that are taking up a bit of time, so my writing has slowed down and I want to make sure I'm consistent :) Chapter 7 is all done, but I've been heavily editing it, and Chapter 8 is nearly done... I like to have a couple done before I post so I'm not scrambling to reach a deadline (I'm a Libra, I don't do well with deadlines LOL)! Big hugs to you too honey, thank you for reading and supporting me! <3

[onlyswan]

what is the lover boi thinking about???👀👀

i would sell my kidney to pet his hair

of course that boi loves to torture his senses joon said it years ago 💀💀

poor bam's sleep and oc's sassiness lol

“these days, there’s something i’ve been thinking of a lot… i’ve been researching here and there, too…” ma boi u sound like 18 year old me trying to convince my parents about my dream since 7 years old to get piercings

YES SHE SO SLAY FOR THAT PROMISE DRIVE SAFE EVERYBODY BTS SAID SAFETY 1ST, SAFETY 2ND COOLNESS 3RD

“yes. because then doesn’t that mean you no longer care about me?” they are so in love im shitting tears

your outspoken interest makes jungkook’s face light up like a christmas tree. ma parents thought i couldnt smile more bigger until the day of piercing, they still laugh about it

“why me?!” i can imagine his tone and face and im cackling oh god WHAT IF GET BORABIKE??? THEN HE IS RIDING ARMYS HJGTNDRV HCLISCLIU SHUT UP I HATE (love) MY MIND

bend over ... right now BOI SAY WHAT

OMG THE SURPIRSE YEEHAW

“nope!” you reply without a second to spare. “for fashion, i never get cold.” A HOE NEVER GETS COLD SLAYYY BITCH BE HOT AND NEVER GET COLD BE A MATERIAL GIRL AND THE COLD NEVER BOTHERS YOU ANYMORE

hold on this sounds like a possible jingle/ad if a slay clothing line

“how about let’s wear one each?” thats soo cute and FUCKING SMART

the contrast of his black t-shirt with the rainbow makes you crack a smile, reminiscent of the countless memes you’ve seen on the internet YES LIKE HIS BIG BAD STOMPER BOOTS AND CUTE SOCKS OR TOUGH BAG WITH CUTE SPEAKERS, BOX, POUCH LIKE AAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

“why is everyone breaking up all of a sudden?” cuz rose met them IM SORRY I HAD TO LOL

i love the way the man just loses his train of thought, for me i still have the train of thought but the trains get suddenly empty leaving me miming words out or just saying rest of the words lol

brb taking a bath with my lovely date, toaster

your positions are switched before he can comprehend it— you’re now on all fours on top of him. his head is trapped in between your arms and your gold necklace is dangling over his face and you’re straddling his lap and now it’s getting harder to breathe and not picture obscene images that involve you worshipping his body. OHHXHDVZSTV MY CA FUCKING LORD IM NO BETTER THAN HIM mommy, i doubt he can concentrate right now

WHERE WILL MY FIC/BOOK LOVING AND DAYDREAMING ASS GET MY BIKER LOVER

he lifts off the helmet, ruffling his hair to tame it. and as he brushes his stubborn bangs away from his eyes STOP U THIRSTY HOE DONT THINK ABOUT IT *thinks about it and remembers all similar gifs of kook AAAH

oh no she got me worried *sends hugs

oh she was soo worried about him *tears up

THE PUPPY IN THE BASKET AAH oh no they could have done it with bam NO BAM IS TOO BIG AAAH wait he could have but baby bam on bike BUT THEN BIG BAM WILL BE SAD CUZ HE CANT GO ON BIKES ANYMORE 😭😭😭 tiny baby bam with tiny googles and jacket AAAH TOO CUTE IM A PUDDLE

SAY IT MF JUST FUCKING SAY IT PUSSY EVERYONE HE IS A PUSSY * says another big sad pussy 🤡

this was soo lovely and amazing i think this is my new fav aaah take care bye im going to bed now

OHHXHDVZSTV MY CA FUCKING LORD IM NO BETTER THAN HIM mommy, i doubt he can concentrate right now

FUCKDJDJDJJFHF MY FAVORITE PART OF THIS REVIEW. MY WORK HERE IS DONE

the ramblings and reactions to every scene lmao this seriously made my entire day i can’t stop giggling. i fucking love you

ma boi u sound like 18 year old me trying to convince my parents about my dream since 7 years old to get piercings

LMFAOHDKSHDJD LEAVE HIM ALONE HES NERVOUS. but also me when i told my mom i’m movinf out

YES SHE SO SLAY FOR THAT PROMISE DRIVE SAFE EVERYBODY BTS SAID SAFETY 1ST, SAFETY 2ND COOLNESS 3RD

i’m so glad we are on the same page <3

“yes. because then doesn’t that mean you no longer care about me?” they are so in love im shitting tears

same 🥲🥲🥲

THE PUPPY IN THE BASKET AAH oh no they could have done it with bam NO BAM IS TOO BIG AAAH wait he could have but baby bam on bike BUT THEN BIG BAM WILL BE SAD CUZ HE CANT GO ON BIKES ANYMORE 😭😭😭 tiny baby bam with tiny googles and jacket AAAH TOO CUTE IM A PUDDLE

STOPPPP UR SO CUTE IM IJBOLINF 😭😭😭 justice for tiny bam and big bam </3

this was soo lovely and amazing i think this is my new fav aaah take care bye im going to bed now

love how you made me laugh then cry at the end 🥹 ahhhh yay i’m so happy it’s your new fav !! love you smmmm !! 💜

[ramadoodles]

Grave errors: Or how to learn an entirely new art movement in 30 days or so

Hi guys. Sorry about the month-long hiatus.

I have several excuses prepared for it which I will not bore you with, because I have figured out the reason why I was delaying my posts.

The reason I have been delaying the cubism series, is because cubism is hard. It's like an expanding book, the deeper i dive into it, the broader the field gets. And considering the attention span of people on the internet, I don't want to dive too deep and make the post too big, because I have grown attached to the amount of likes and reblogs I receive on these posts.

So finally I gave up and asked a proper professional for advice about how to go about learning an entire new field of art with almost prior knowledge. Here are the tips that I learned from them, which I hope I can pass on so that you do not make the same mistakes that I have made.

(Also in case the professional in question is reading this- in case I got anything wrong, please let me know!)

Tip 1: There are multiple levels to understanding an art movement.

Level 1- Conception

This level is achieved by the original artist or artists who start thinking "what if I take these disparate concepts and combine them into something entirely new and never before seen?" Think Picasso combining African masks and impressionist paintings (or, as it was explained to a nerd like me, think of Einstein wondering what light would look like if he travelled alongside it, a precursor to his developing the theory of relativity.) Understandably, we students can't achieve this level of understanding of an already developed movement.

Level 2- Style development

After Brach and Picasso developed their first line of funky new cubist paintings, a whole bunch of artists decided to copy them and understand how they were made. They were really focused on the nitty-gritties- a cubist painting is made of multiple distorted perspectives of an object, but how many perspectives? How much distortion? How much of the object is still understandable?

After they learned the exact technique that pucasso and brach had used, these artists started experimenting with the rules by adding more distortion, fewer perspectives, more color, removing all semblance of the original object, etc. From this level, two subcategories were developed, Analytical and Synthetic Cubism, but that's not really as important.

What's important is understanding how we, as students, can achieve level 2 understanding of any art movement- by understanding the exact rules of how these paintings are made, and then experimenting with them. That requires copying (ideally) many different paintings of a variety of subcategories inside the art movement. I'm currently doing this, and progressing much faster in three days than I have in the last three weeks.

Level 3- Mannerism

The basest understanding of an art movement. Imagine if you simply added a bunch of geometrical faces to a drawing of say, an apple, and claimed that it was a cubist drawing🥲. (I'd link my own apple drawing as an example, but I'm not going to shame myself that much.) To come back to my Einstein example from level 1, imagine if someone told you "Einstein is famous for inventing the theory of relativity, E=mc^2" and could not tell you what E, m or c were supposed to be. And the level of visceral rage a scientist would feel at that remark, is probably what an artist feels every time they hear about cubism being a bunch of blocks stacked on each other. I feel deep sympathy for artists now🥲.

Moving on from my self-pity, if you want to avoid falling into the trap of this style of art, then you need to draw as many paintings of your chosen art movement as possible. They need to be of a large variety, and also not too difficult for you to get discouraged. (Trust me, I learnt it the hard way.)

I'll put up a list of paintings that I'm going to start copying tomorrow morning. I should churn out one every two days if I regular about this, so hopefully you can expect regular posts from now on. Let's see how it goes.

Tip 2: Art movements tend to be reactionary.

That is, they tend to oppose whatever art movement came before them. To make it more understandable, you know how fashion always cycles every twenty years, and whatever was popular ten years ago is hated today, only to be loved ten years from now? Art has a similar concept.

How is this useful to us? When you're looking at an art movement, it's always a good idea to look at the movement which came before it, which it is now opposing. It helps you to get a better sense of the movement you're trying to understand. I haven't gotten far enough to try this out yet, but i'll make a post on it when I do.

That's all for today, i'm dead tired. Goodnight y'all.

[hekateinhell]

"Like "Awww, that's how he sees me?" while Daniel's somewhere dying of liver failure" LMFAO. "Daniel, listen... yeah we'll stop by the drugstore later LISTEN, this is how he's seen me ALL ALONG 🥰🥰🥰" followed by the implications of it SINKING IN which ofc results in a whole existencial crisis. That's why Daniel didn't see him in 6 months lbr. "but I feel like so much of how he expresses himself is through clothing" exactly, he tries on different pieces of clothing like he's trying different personalities/versions of himself. "so not blue, Marius's color for him, but his own color" pls I'm crying. He really said "not blue, not red, but a secret sluttier thing". Also SMUTTY POLL IDEAS I've been waiting for this my whole life! 1. Armand's preferred nicknames in bed (your field of expertise I meaaaan... I feel like "kitten" should be there tho), 2. favorite kink, 3. favorite way to degrade Lestat, we have so much work to do here 🧠 xoxo DA

NOT THE DRUGSTORE 💀💀💀

Tbh the TVL book release in-universe happened just a few weeks before the concert, it was very fast!

I absolutely believe Armand was visiting Lestat regularly during his entire time with Daniel, there's just no way he wouldn't -- the obsession runs too deep. 😔 There's a darker, more desperate element there for sure, but still something very innocent and almost childlike as well.

I love this exchange between Lestat and Armand in MtD, like Lestat's subconsciously aware of how Armand sees himself in relation to him, and then Armand confirms it.

"You're looking for trouble again," he [Armand] went on, in the same slow manner, without anger or meanness. "The whole wide world isn't enough for you and never will be. This time I thought I'd try to speak to you before the wheel turns."

"Aren't you the most thoughtful of guardian angels?" I said sarcastically.

"Yes, I am," he said without so much as blinking.

I think Armand spent those six months in knots over Daniel, struggling to come to terms over the inevitable decision, and at some point he goes to Lestat's resting place again to check in on him and perhaps soothe himself. Only there's no trace of him and Armand has no idea where he is.

But I don't think he was in a full-blown panic over finding Daniel until TVL came out, and it likely occurred to Armand that Daniel might try to find Lestat all over again in an attempt to persuade him to turn him. 🥲

OKAY POLLS YES I LOVE ALL OF THOSE SO MUCH 💖 LMAO WAYS TO DEGRADE LESTAT god there's so many ways 🥹🥵