#i'd make more of a connection if they had the same eye colour and if the other circus's resembled the glamrocks in some way | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tosomeonessomeone · 3 months

Text

Entwined.

words・ 4.1k /pairings・ OT8 x Reader / genres・ fluff and funny? / warnings・ intercourse, minors DNI.

Chapter I - Despierto

As I strolled through the streets of Sydney, my gaze inadvertently collided with a stranger's. At that moment, something peculiar unfolded – colours danced before my eyes, and I sensed that the man, now mere steps away from me, experienced the same phenomenon.

"Hey," he greeted with a gentle smile. "Hey," I reciprocated, returning his smile. "I'm Christopher," he introduced himself, extending his hand. Accepting the gesture, I replied, "I'm Y/N."

As we shook hands, a strange sensation washed over me as if our connection was more than just physical. Christopher's eyes sparkled with an unusual intensity, and I found myself drawn to him despite the oddity of the situation.

"Nice to meet you, Y/N," he said, his voice soothing yet strangely hypnotic. "Would you like to grab a coffee?" he asked, gesturing toward a nearby café bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun.

I nodded eagerly, my heart racing with excitement and curiosity. A comfortable silence enveloped us as we walked, allowing us both to digest the revelation that we were soulmates.

The world around us seemed to fade into the background as I marvelled at the newfound colours dancing before my eyes, each hue vibrant and alive in a way I had never experienced before.

Twenty-seven years of seeing the world in monochrome suddenly felt like a distant memory, replaced by the kaleidoscope of emotions swirling within me.

As we settled into our seats, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the sweet scent of cake, creating an atmosphere of warmth and comfort. I sipped my cappuccino, savouring the rich, creamy taste. At the same time, Christopher enjoyed the bold flavour of his espresso.

"So…" he began, his eyes twinkling with wonder as he gazed at me over the rim of his cup, "I didn't know the world could be so colourful." His laughter was infectious, and I couldn't help but join in.

"Me neither," I replied, grateful for this unexpected journey into a world filled with vibrant hues and endless possibilities.

We discussed our newfound connection, sharing stories of disbelief and amazement at how fate had brought us together.

Christopher recounted how he had spent years searching for meaning in a dull and lifeless world, only to discover it in the depths of my eyes.

I, too, shared my journey of self-discovery and how meeting him had filled the void I never knew existed. As we spoke, it became clear that our souls had been yearning for each other long before we met.

"I can't believe this is happening," Christopher said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I never thought I'd find someone who sees the world like I do."

"Me neither," I admitted, tracing patterns on the table with my fingertip. "It's like everything suddenly makes sense."

Christopher reached across the table, gently taking my hand in his. "I feel like I've known you forever," he said softly.

I smiled, feeling a warmth spreading through me at his touch. "I feel the same way," I replied, squeezing his hand gently.

And at that moment, we sat together in the cosy café, surrounded by the buzz of conversation and the aroma of coffee.

We ended up sharing a cake, indulging in its sweetness as we continued to open up to each other.

Christopher asked if I was from around, and I shook my head, explaining that I was in Sydney on vacation. He chuckled at my attempt to pass off my English accent as local, knowing it was distinctly different.

I laughed, feeling a warmth spreading through me. "Well, I'm actually from [the reader's country]," I admitted, feeling vulnerable and excited at sharing this part of myself with him.

"Your accent is quite charming," Christopher said with a smile, his eyes twinkling as he noticed my blush.

"Thank you," I replied, feeling a rush of warmth at his compliment.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I asked, "Are you from around here?"

He shook his head. "No, actually, I was born in South Korea. I moved to Australia when I was young, but now I'm back in South Korea again."

My eyes widened in surprise. "That's incredible! But why did you move back?"

Christopher hesitated momentarily before revealing, "Well, I'm a K-pop idol. I'm the leader of Stray Kids."

I gasped, unable to contain my astonishment. "Wait. Oh my! I can't believe it! How did I not recognize you?"

Christopher chuckled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at me, his newfound soulmate. "Oh, I'm sorry for my outburst," I said, still slightly embarrassed.

"There's no need to apologize," he said warmly. It's refreshing to meet someone who doesn't recognize me immediately."

I nodded, feeling a sense of understanding pass between us. "I have to blame my little sister," I explained, "she's quite the Stray Kids fan. She will be speechless when she finds out I was sitting here having coffee with you."

Christopher laughed, his tone light and genuine. "Well, maybe one day she'll get to meet me, too."

As we continued to talk, I couldn't help but marvel at the unexpected twists and turns life had taken, leading me to this moment with Christopher, my soulmate and a K-pop idol. It was a story I never could have imagined.

"So, do you work?" Christopher asked, his eyes curious as he sipped his coffee.

I nodded, feeling a sense of pride as I replied, "Yes, I'm a preschool teacher. But my true passion lies in the arts."

His eyes lit up with excitement. "That's amazing! I have another soulmate, Hyunjin, deeply rooted in the arts. I have a feeling you two would hit it off right away."

I blinked in shock at the revelation that Christopher had another soulmate. "Another soulmate?" I repeated, my mouth hanging open in disbelief.

Christopher chuckled nervously, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, it's a bit complicated. All the boys from Stray Kids are actually soulmates, too."

I sat there, trying to process this newfound information, feeling a mix of astonishment and intrigue swirling within me.

"It's okay, don't worry," I reassured him with a warm smile, feeling a sense of understanding over me. "I would love to meet all of them. And I'm happy you were not alone all this time."

Christopher's expression softened with gratitude as he nodded in appreciation. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "It means a lot to me."

As the hours passed, Christopher and I were engrossed in conversation, discussing anything and everything that came to mind. Curiosity got the best of me, so I asked him about his age, only to discover we were the same age. I was older by just a couple of months. "97 babies," I joked, feeling a sense of camaraderie.

Christopher chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, my other soulmates never let me forget it," he admitted with a playful grin.

"Well, don't worry anymore," I replied, a mischievous twinkle in my eye. "I'm older by a few months, so I'll gladly take the teasing. It'll give you a break."

We shared a laugh, our connection growing stronger with each passing moment in that cosy café, surrounded by the comforting hum of conversation and the aroma of coffee.

As we reluctantly realized how late it had become, we glanced around the now dimly lit café, realizing it was nearly closing. With quick apologies, we hurried to settle our bill and bid farewell to the cosy atmosphere.

Christopher insisted on walking me back to my hotel, his presence a comforting reassurance in the bustling streets of Sydney at night. As we strolled along, he asked about the duration of my stay in Australia, his earnestness evident in the way he hung on to my every word.

"I'm here for another week," I replied, smiling at his genuine interest. "I would love to spend as much time with you as possible."

His smile widened, and a spark of excitement lit up his eyes. "Great," he said, his voice filled with warmth. We'll make the most of it then." With that promise lingering in the air, we continued our journey through the night, knowing our connection was just beginning to blossom.

We exchanged numbers, the promise of future conversations lingering in the air, and said our goodbyes. Our hug was long and comforting, neither of us wanting to overstep the boundaries of our newfound relationship. But as Christopher pulled away, I couldn't resist planting a gentle kiss on his cheek, a silent expression of the connection we had forged in such a short time.

With a giggle bubbling up inside me, I retreated to the comfort of my hotel room, feeling lighthearted and giddy, like a teenager experiencing their first crush. It was a feeling I hadn't experienced in years, yet here I was, completely swept away by the magic of it all.

Meanwhile, as Christopher returned home, he couldn't contain his excitement. He called his members individually and shared the news of our meeting, their voices filled with happiness and anticipation at the thought of meeting me.

And as they exchanged excited chatter about the possibilities ahead, I couldn't help but feel grateful for the unexpected twist of fate that had brought us all together.

Couple days later

As I stepped into the park, the morning sunlight filtering through the trees cast a golden glow over everything, including Christopher, who stood there looking effortlessly handsome in his white button-up shirt and loose pants. His curly hair danced in the gentle breeze, adding to his charm.

"G'morning!" he greeted me with a bright smile, his eyes lighting up as he spotted me approaching.

"Morning," I replied, returning his smile as I saw him and the adorable little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel at his side.

"Oh! This is Berry. She wanted to come along to meet you," Christopher explained, reaching down to pat the small dog's head affectionately.

I couldn't help but giggle at Berry's excited, wagging tail, feeling a warmth spread through me at Christopher's thoughtful gesture. "She's adorable," I remarked, bending down to scratch behind Berry's ears.

As I got up, Christopher's smile widened, revealing a small bag and two cups of coffee. "I bought breakfast," he announced cheerfully, "Thank you," I replied gratefully and kissed his cheek.

He handed me Berry's leash, a simple gesture that spoke volumes. As I took hold of it, he extended his now liberated hand, silently inviting me to intertwine our fingers. Eventually, we stumbled upon a charming bench nestled beneath a canopy of trees, and there we settled down together, just like couples in classic films.

As we enjoyed our breakfast and Berry's company, the morning sun cast a warm glow around us, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over me.

We enjoyed each other's presence in comfortable silence; the only sounds around us were the occasional chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.

"Y/N…" Christopher's voice broke the silence, and I looked into his eyes, curious about what he had to say.

He paused, a hint of hesitation flickering before he continued, "Oh, don't look at me like that. it makes me want to kiss you." He chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood with a playful flirt comment.

I couldn't help but smile at his words, feeling a rush of warmth spreading through me at the thought of his lips on mine. Without hesitation, I leaned forward and quickly pecked his lips before turning away to sip my coffee, leaving him frozen in place.

"So… what did you want to say?" I asked mischievously, turning back to him with a playful twinkle in my eye. Christopher cleared his throat, a sheepish grin spreading across his face as he looked at me like an idiot.

"Well…" he began, his fingers intertwined with mine, "When your trip here ends, where do you plan on going?"

I pondered momentarily before replying, "I'm not sure yet. Classes don't start for another month, so I considered travelling more."

Christopher's eyes sparkled with interest. "Oh, where to?" he asked eagerly.

"Maybe South Korea," I replied with a playful smirk. I just found out my soulmate lives there, and I would love to learn more about where he's from."

Christopher chuckled at my playful jab." Oh, I'm pretty sure he will be thrilled to have you there," Christopher replied warmly. He brought my hand to his lips and gently kissed it. He then met my gaze with an affectionate smile, his eyes filled with love and warmth.

I couldn't help but feel the excitement in my chest at his words and the tender gesture. "I hope so," I replied softly, returning his gaze with equal fondness.

As we sat there, hand in hand, lost in each other's eyes, I knew that no matter where my travels took me, Christopher would always be there, a guiding light in life's journey.

Later that day, Christopher invited me to have lunch and meet his family. Soon, I found myself bonding with his sister, Hannah, and his little brother, Lucas. His parents welcomed me with open arms, and I felt a sense of belonging that warmed my heart.

As night approached, Christopher drove me back to my hotel once again. However, when we arrived this time, I hesitated momentarily before inviting him into my room. Without a word, he followed me inside, and as soon as the door closed behind us, the air between us crackled with anticipation.

We both knew it had only been a few days since we met. Still, the connection between us was undeniable, and the longing was palpable in how our bodies gravitated toward each other.

Unable to resist any longer, we surrendered to the magnetic pull between us, our lips meeting in a passionate kiss that ignited a fire.

As our kiss deepened, I felt his hands begin to explore my body, sending shivers down my spine. I moaned softly as he trailed kisses down my neck, his hands slipping under my shirt to caress my sides. I arched my back, pressing myself closer to him, wanting nothing more than to feel his skin against mine.

He lifted me up effortlessly, carrying me to the bed, where he gently laid me down. His hands roamed over my body, igniting every nerve ending as he slowly undressed me. I watched as he removed his own clothes, revealing his toned, muscular body.

Christopher's hands continued to explore my body. "You're so beautiful," he whispered, his lips trailing down my neck. "I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be with you."

Feeling a rush of desire wash over me. His fingers traced the outline of my bra, and I felt my breath catch in my throat as he unclasped it, freeing my breasts. His lips followed his hands, kissing and nibbling at my skin as he made his way down my body.

I smiled, feeling my heart swell with affection for him. "You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself," I teased, running my fingers through his hair.

Christopher chuckled, his hands moving lower, slipping under the waistband of my panties. "I can't wait to make love to you," he said, his voice low and husky.

My breath caught in my throat as he began to stroke me, his fingers moving in a slow, sensual rhythm that made my toes curl with pleasure. "Oh, god," I moaned, arching my back as the sensations washed over me.

Christopher's fingers slipped inside my panties, his touch sending sparks of pleasure through me. I gasped as he began to stroke me, his fingers moving in a slow, deliberate rhythm that drove me wild with desire. I felt myself getting wetter and wetter, my body responding to his touch with every passing moment.

Christopher's lips found mine again, and we kissed hungrily, lost in the moment's passion. I could feel his hard length pressing against me, and I knew that I wanted him more than anything.

"Please," I whispered, breaking the kiss. "Take me."

Christopher's eyes met mine, and I saw the desire burning in his gaze. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

I nodded, my desire overwhelming any doubts or fears I might have had. "Yes," I said. "I want you.". In a blink of an eye, we removed any fabric left between us.

With a groan, Christopher positioned himself between my legs, his eyes never leaving mine. Slowly, he pushed inside me, and I gasped at the sensation of him filling me up completely.

We moved together, our bodies rocking in perfect harmony as we chased our pleasure to its peak. I cried out as I came, my body trembling with ecstasy, and Christopher followed soon after, his own release washing over him in a wave of pleasure.

We lay there for a while, catching our breath and basking in the afterglow of our lovemaking. Christopher's arms were wrapped around me, holding me close, and I felt safe and content in his embrace.

"That was amazing," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

I smiled, feeling a warmth spread through me at his words. "It really was," I agreed.

He leaned in to kiss me, and we kissed long and deep, our bodies entwined once again. I deeply connected with Christopher as we made love a second time. I knew without a doubt that he was my soulmate.

Afterwards, we laid facing each other. "I can't believe how perfect this feels," Christopher said, his voice filled with wonder.

"I know," I said, tracing circles on his chest.

Christopher's fingers traced lazy patterns along my skin as we watched a random movie playing on TV, the sound as a soothing backdrop to our shared moment of intimacy.

"This is perfect," he whispered, his voice filled with warmth and affection as he gently kissed my forehead.

I smiled, feeling a rush of happiness at his words. "Yes, it is," I replied softly, snuggling closer to him, knowing that everything felt right in the world. The week had flown by in a whirlwind of laughter, shared moments, and stolen kisses.

SEOUL, KR

Now, we stood side by side at the gates of Incheon International Airport. Christopher and I were masked, sunglasses shielding our eyes and hats pulled low to conceal our identities. We tried to blend in and attract as little attention as possible.

"Are you ready for this?" Christopher asked, his voice slightly muffled by the mask as he glanced at me.

I nodded, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness fluttering in my stomach. "As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, reassuringly squeezing Christopher's hand.

We took a deep breath and glanced again to ensure we weren't drawing unwanted attention. Then, we stepped forward, embarking on the next chapter of our journey together.

Christopher led me to a sleek black car waiting outside a private airport. Despite my protests, he insisted on helping me with my luggage, his hands warm and reassuring as he loaded it into the trunk.

As we settled into the backseat of the car, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nervous excitement building within me. Christopher's manager was already seated inside, and as they engaged in conversation, I felt grateful for his thoughtful consideration, especially when he took the time to translate essential details for me.

The car pulled away from the airport, the city lights blurring past as we made our way to the dorms. Christopher turned to me, his expression severe yet filled with warmth.

"I want you to stay with me in the dorms," he said softly, his eyes locking with mine. "It'll be safer that way."

I hesitated momentarily, uncertainty gnawing at the edges of my mind. But as I looked into Christopher's earnest gaze, I knew I could trust him with my safety and well-being.

"Okay," I replied, giving him a small smile. I'll stay with you." With that decision made, I settled back into the seat, ready to embark on this new adventure with the man I had come to love.

As we rode through the streets of Seoul, my stomach twisted and turned with anticipation. I couldn't shake the nerves that fluttered inside me, wondering how Christopher's other soulmates would perceive me. Would they like me? Would they accept me into their circle?

Sensing my nervous state, Christopher reached for my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before bringing it to his lips to kiss it tenderly. "Everything will be fine," he assured me gently. "I'm 100% sure they will adore you."

His words brought a slight sense of comfort, and I couldn't help but smile at his unwavering confidence. Nodding in agreement, I leaned against his shoulder, finding solace in his presence as we made our way to his dorm.

As the car pulled to the dormitory, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the new experiences and challenges. But with Christopher by my side, I knew that no matter what happened, everything would be okay.

As Christopher led me to the entrance of the Stray Kids dorm, my heart pounded with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. This was when I would meet some of Christopher's soulmates—Hyunjin and the members of 3racha, Chanbin, and Han.

He opened the door, and a wave of anxiety washed over me, but it wasn't my own. I tried to push aside the unfamiliar feeling, focusing instead on anticipating meeting the people who meant so much to Christopher.

Stepping into the dorm, We were greeted by the sight of Hyunjin and Chanbin cuddling on the sofa. Their faces lit up with joy as they spotted Christopher, and they quickly got up to greet and hug their lover and bandmate.

"Chris!" Hyunjin exclaimed, pulling him into a tight embrace. "It's been too long!"

Chanbin echoed the sentiment, wrapping his arms around Christopher with a warm smile. "Yeah, we missed you," he said, his voice filled with affection.

I stood back, watching the joyful reunion unfold, feeling a sense of warmth and acceptance wash over me. Despite my initial nerves, I knew I was surrounded by people who cared deeply for Christopher, which made me feel right at home.

As I stepped out from behind Christopher, Chanbin noticed my presence and froze, his gaze on my chest. Confusion washed over me as I followed his gaze, only to find a soft glow from our chests.

My heart skipped a beat as I realized what was happening, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief wash over me. This wasn't how I had imagined our first meeting with Christopher's soulmates.

Hyunjin's reaction was no less shocking. He gasped loudly and bolted off to his room, leaving the rest of us stunned.

"Well, that's certainly unexpected," I muttered ironically, trying to lighten the mood as I glanced at Christopher, who looked just as bewildered as I felt.

Christopher reached out and took my hand, his touch grounding me in the surreal moment. I looked at him and pointed to Chanbin, trembling as I uttered, "Our hearts are glowing."

Chanbin relayed the same message to Christopher in Korean. For a moment, the three of us stood in disbelief, trying to make sense of the inexplicable phenomenon unfolding before us.

As we struggled to process the glowing hearts and the unexpected revelation, Hyunjin emerged from his room, clutching a sketchbook in trembling hands.

With a visible effort, he opened the book, revealing dozens of drawings of me. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the sketches, each capturing my likeness with stunning accuracy.

"I've been daydreaming about you for some time," Hyunjin said shakily, his voice filled with emotion.

It hit me like a ton of bricks, realization dawning instantly. My eyes widened in shock as I gasped, barely comprehending what Hyunjin had just revealed.

"Oh my…" I whispered, my voice trembling with disbelief. "You're the one in my daydreams?!"

We sat in the living room, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions that had engulfed us. Hyunjin asked hesitantly if he could hug me. Without hesitation, I nodded, feeling a sense of warmth and connection in his presence.

Chanbin, not wanting to be left out, playfully whined that he wanted a hug, too. I couldn't help but chuckle at his antics, marvelling at the surrealness of the situation. Two more soulmates added to the mix—honestly, life surprised us most unexpectedly.

Christopher couldn't contain his laughter at the absurdity of it all. "And you were nervous they would like you too," he teased, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he glanced at me.

To be continued ✨

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idkwhatimdoinghere1655 · 8 months

Text

The Carnival - Charles Leclerc

<word count - 2554> |part 1 - The Elevator|

Sunday rolled around slowly, and you couldn't have been more excited. It was a cold winter's night, so you wrapped up in a scarf, beanie and the largest coat you owned. Charles said he'd be there soon, and you expected to meet him in the lobby downstairs.

Just as you were about to leave your apartment, there was a knock on the door. You rolled your eyes, not having the time to deal with anyone right now. But when you opened the door, you were greeted with a sight for sore eyes.

"Sorry, I'm a bit early," he smiled, standing in front of the door with his hands in his pockets. He had glasses on and a black turtleneck on under his jacket. He looked incredible. "Don't worry, I was just coming downstairs to meet you,"

"Well, I came to you. We're taking the stairs, right?" he chuckled, stepping aside to let you out of the door. "I am never taking that elevator again," you responded, earning a further laugh from Charles.

"I can wholeheartedly agree on that," he said, starting to walk with you down the hall, and then down the stairs. As you walked down the street, you were itching to ask him all different kinds of questions. But, he got there first, "Would you be alright telling me a bit about yourself? Like, what kind of things to you like to do?"

"Well I really like reading, and I love baking, even if I might not be that good at it. You?" you smiled, walking closely by his side as your shoulders occasionally touched."I love driving and cars and that kind of thing. I can take you for a drive someday," he said, enjoying the fact that you didn't know who he was.

It permitted this freedom with you, and there were no expectations to be whoever she thought Charles Leclerc was. He could tell her whatever, and she'd believe him because she didn't know otherwise. He was a complete stranger to her, just like she was to him.

He didn't have to live up to whatever image she might have had in her head, because there wasn't one there. This was one of the few chances he got to sculpt his own picture out of a fresh lump of clay.

"I like cars too, I might not have one, but I like driving them," I said, looking at him. The sun had just set in the sky, leaving a dusky haze over the street you were walking down. The street lamps were on now, and even the harsh yellow glare looked good on him.

"And I'd like you to take me for a drive, that'd be fun," you nodded, "Where are you from? You have an accent that I can't quite place," you asked.

"I'm from Monaco, and I spoke French growing up, so that's probably what it is," he smiled. You like the accent, there was no point in denying it. You should have guessed it was French. "That's really cool," you said.

As you rounded the corner, you were hit with a barrage of brightly coloured, flashing lights coming from the parking lot where the carnival was. Your eyes lit up at the sight of it, and it reminded you of when you were a kid.

Charles adored the way your eyes twinkled as you saw the lights, and the pure joy that spread across your face was priceless to him. "Come on!" you squealed, grabbing his hand without thought and dragging him towards the lights.

The joy and happiness that was on your face was unlike anything. It was the kind of joy that couldn't be captured in the most heartfelt words of a poem, or the most perfectly calculated brush strokes of a renaissance painting.

As the colour reflected on your face, it painted it in all the shades of glee over your skin. It was a look that was so infectious, that spread the same amount of contention to whoever was lucky enough to lay their eyes on the sight.

You pulled him through the entrance, and your mind couldn't make up where to go first. "Where do we want to go first?" you asked, wanting him to tell you where to go.

"Food first? I'm pretty hungry," Charles said, pointing towards the line of food carts and stands that were all connected by strings of warmly coloured fairy lights. "Sure, sure," you said, itching to go on all the rides and play the games.

"How do hotdogs sound?" he said, spotting the hotdog stand and deciding that was what he wanted, and nothing else could hit the spot like that could. "Great, yeah, that's good," you said, walking with him to the stand.

"Which one do you want?" he asked, fishing his wallet out of his pocket and getting ready to order. "Oh, a classic, please," you smiled, getting your purse out of your bag. Charles ordered the hotdogs, and you stood to the side to wait for them to be ready.

"How much do I owe you for those?" you asked, rifling through the notes in your purse.

"Nothing, nothing. My treat," he smiled, pushing your hands away and back towards you.

"Well thank you,"

"No problem," he said as your ticket number was called out. Charles stepped forward, plucking the cardboard containers out of the person's hands and handing one to you. It was topped with relish, ketchup and mustard and it was to die for.

"What do you want to do after this?" Charles said as you wandered around, munching away at your hotdogs. "Is that even a question?" you laughed, and he already knew the answer. As if on queue, the popcorn stand appeared in front of you as you pushed through the crowd.

"OK, OK, popcorn it is," he smiled, finding a bench for you to sit opposite each other on. You hadn't even seen his face that often, since you had only ever really sat next to him, never in front of him. His side profile was nothing to turn your nose up at, but getting to see the full thing was wonderful.

He just had those eyes that had a quality about them. It was that tiny glimmer within the deep green that told you that you had found someone special. Maybe he was just destined to be a friend, but whoever he was supposed to be, he was someone who you wanted to keep around.

"Are you ready to embark on a journey through taste and take on an adventure of the senses?" you said, finishing off your hotdog and standing up as if to usher him along. "If by that you mean the pick your own topping popcorn stand, then yes, yes I am," he giggled.

You put the cardboard containers in the bin and skipped beside him as you approached it. You both scanned the menu and you had trouble deciding what you wanted. "What are you getting?" you asked, hoping it would give you some ideas.

"I'm thinking melted chocolate and brownie pieces," he nodded, also thinking the hot sauce sounded interesting. "OK, I'll get salted caramel and whatever the heck 'marshmallow fluff' is," you said, stepping forward to order.

"I've got it," he said, standing in front of you.

"No, you got the hotdogs, I'll get these," you told him, smiling at the person behind the counter. Before you knew it, the both of you had the classic red and white carnival popcorn containers in your hands.

"And now, the reason we came here in the first place," you excitedly smiled, standing out of the way of the people. "Maybe I actually just wanted to spend some more time with you," he flirted, watching as a pink blush tinted your cheeks. "As if, popcorn comes above everything in life," you said, and he shook his head at how wrong you really were.

"On three," Charles grinned, picking up one of the pieces that was covered in melted chocolate and had brownie bits sprinkled all over it. "OK, here we go," you said, excited to try the famous popcorn that had been recommended to you over and over again.

The both of you took your piece, and you tried not to let out a squeal of happiness. The salted caramel perfectly combatting the near overbearing sweetness of the marshmallows. "This is the best thing I've ever eaten," you said, immediately going for another piece.

"Oh I definitely agree," he smiled, adoring the look on your face. The elation that you had just over a little thing like popcorn. "Can I try some of yours?" You smugly smirked, your fingers slinking closer to his popcorn.

"Absolutely not," he said, swatting your hand away and stepping away from you.

"Come on, you get a piece of mine, I get a piece of yours," you bargained, shuffling back next to him. "Well you never said I could have some of yours," he told you, stealing a piece of yours. You took one of his, and it was pure chocolate heaven.

You had had chocolate and popcorn before, but this was somehow better than the salted caramel and marshmallows. "I kind of prefer yours to mine," he said to you, and you nodded in agreement. "And I prefer yours to mine," you said, and the both of you swapped.

"This is better," he smiled, leaning against the fence behind you. After some time, you had both finished and were ready to play some carnival games. "Time for the coconuts," you said, stopping in front of a stand that had aluminium cans stacked up high.

"You don't have a chance here, Y/N," he challenged, picking up a coconut to throw at the cans. "You're sure about that, Charles?" you teased, also picking up a coconut.

"I have never been more sure of anything in my life," he winked, throwing a coconut and knocking off the top cans. "That's how you think you're going to win?" you mocked, knocking off the top three cans with a smug grin.

"Right, you may have had a better start, but it's all about the finish," he smirked, knocking off the rest of the cans in a second throw. You just side-eyed him, knowing you had to clear off the rest of the cans to beat him. "Not so cocky now, are we?" he teased, folding his arms, unable to wipe the proud smirk off his face.

"Just wait, just wait," you said, aiming for the dead center of the cans and throwing as hard as you could. But you had given it too much power, and you missed the cans completely. "I'm waiting," he mocked, and you whacked him playfully in the arm.

"Keep waiting," you said, setting yourself up for the third and final shot at the cans. You sent a few more cans clattering to the ground, but not enough to win. "You'll have to do better next time," he teased, adoring the way you pouted and stomped up to him.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Now I want to go on the waltzers," you said, strutting away from him, and you gave him no choice but to follow. "What if I don't want to go on the waltzers?"

"Then you'll have to stand and watch as you hold my bags," you pouted, standing on the steps of the waltzers. "You coming?" you said, crossing your arms as the bright strobes of the ride danced around you. "I guess I have to," he playfully rolled his eyes as he stepped on with you.

You got comfy as they started bolting around the track, spinning uncontrollably. You kept on screaming, and Charles could have sworn he was going to go deaf. As the car span round, you gripped onto his arm as you clung onto him for dear life.

The hand attached to the arm you were clinging onto found your thigh and grasped it tightly. He felt grounded, even if he was spinning so fast he thought he might puke when he got off. As the ride slowed to a stop, you both sat there to catch your breath for a second, not making any effort to move.

You fully rested your weight onto him as he turned to his side, seeing the look of excitement on your face. "You enjoyed that?" he asked, gently squeezing your thigh.

"Yeah, I love it! How about you?" You laughed, sitting up properly, still holding onto his arm. It was really loud in there, so you were both shouting at each other, and your voice felt hoarse. "It was great," he smiled.

Sure, the ride was good, but the best bit was you feeling comfortable enough to grip onto him and let him rest a hand on your thigh. "I think the fireworks are starting soon," he said, standing and holding his hand out to you.

You took it as he helped you out of the car and walked you over to the fireworks. "It's kind of cold out here, or is that just me?" you asked, wrapping your arms around yourself to try and warm up a bit. "You are always cold, huh?" he asked, draping an arm over your shoulders and pulling you close to him.

You wrapped an arm around his back, allowing yourself to move into his embrace. You wandered to a good spot to see the fireworks, and you noticed how you blended in with the couples, who were all pressed close to each other.

You didn't stick out in the slightest, the pair of you cuddled close as the countdown to the fireworks began. Before long, the dark night sky was lit up in shimmering golds and bright colours, the light casting down onto your faces.

Charles watched you as you gazed up in bewilderment, your eyes following every flash of colour in the sky. You felt eyes on your face, and you turned to your side. You noticed Charles look back up to the sky as you caught him.

"You OK?" you asked, ogling his face.

"Yeah, I'm brilliant. I just-" he started, cutting himself off out of embarrassment. He didn't want you to think he was moving too quickly, but he just couldn't resist saying what he wanted to say to you. "I just wanted to say thank you for tonight, I have had the most wonderful time and I'm really glad I met you," he blushed, and your heart skipped a beat.

"Well thank you for tonight, I haven't had this much fun in years," you told him as he slowly leant forward. He stopped, waiting for you to initiate something. He needed to know you wanted it, you wanted him.

There was no doubts in your mind as you closed the gap between you and sealed his lips in a kiss. It was soft, loving, near on passionate. You could see the reflections of the fireworks in his eyes, and it accentuated the colour of them.

Neither of you said anything, you just gazed into each others eyes as he tugged you impossibly closer to him. As you snuggled under the glittering night sky, you knew you had found the most specialist of someone's in the most inconvenient of situations.

Charles knew it too, as if your minds were thinking in sync. He planted an affectionate kiss on your forehead, and now that he had you, he was never going to let you go.

A/N - If you have made a request that hasn't been fulfilled yet, just know that they are all I am working on now! And if anyone has anymore, feel free to submit them! 💖

|masterlist|

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sygni · 7 months

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colouring tutorial from sygni aka sima

DISCLAIMER 1. eng is not my native language 2. i am using techniques of a realistic art so it's not for everyone! but you may find some tips interesting tho

big text screamer

so obv 1. making our sketch (and after lineart if you're using it bc im not) 2. filling up background, then character. think about what atmosphere you want to create in result, try to use different background colours for your characters for diff effects in result. i've had a small post with a little explaining for choosing colours, you can use that too! i suppose i can make a post about emotional effects of different colours if someone interested bc that's really a HUGE part of final effect on viever. actually i can tell and explain in art so much feel free to send questions <:D so like that! (tbx i changed it like 3 times so it's okay to change your colouring desigions mid-drawing if you're feeling something feels off)

3. time to get some basic shading going! don't skip that step i swear to god you can think bruh sima for what do you they added overlays that i can use after i finish the art? are you a caveman or what please just trust me it'll add so much charm in your art so how to do it: 1. choose where your light sourse is. on my art it's in front of griande 2. use a CONTRASTING colour for each big part of a character (hair, clothes, face etc) and make shades with that. REMEMBER dark colours going next to light ones, light to dark. please don't use black for shades for god's sake. also shades are cold coloured most of the time thats important too ig 3. if you're confused where you shall place shades then find a ref or make a photo of yourself OR use a mirror (preferable!) and this things can help you understand face shading better too \/

don't feel not good enough that you need to study sth or use refs it's fully okay every good artist using that!

so i know this looks like mess BUT what did i do (guys trust the process): 1. desided i want a face to be a centre of viewer's attention so made everything else darker 2. put a light on a face, the most light shade on the parts which are closer to light sourse - at my art it's nose and a bit of forehead. and exact same thing but backwards with eyes remember face isn't flat! so even if forehead is in the light, it slowly goes back, so it won't be light all the way (you can see it on previous photo of the gypseous head)

then the longest part goes: we're using semitones (colour which are simmilar to base shade) to connect shades to light parts, to add volume to the art make sure your brush moves according to .. ehh.. face shape? just take someone and weirdly touch their face to understand how it goes and with your brush cope that example (look closely to the strokes):

so i've did something

i know this looks like "let's add some details" type of thing but: i've added semitones to the shadows to correct their forms -> to suit the relief of the face added a contrasting (to pink of the base) orange as blush, a dark blue to show the farthest spots from light added a basic reflects on the sides of the noce (orange spots), chin (peach). reflections on things are sooo important and add so much life in your art! yet it's easily done: you just create a little light blended line on the bottom of your shade. if next to thing you're making a reflection on is the diff-coloured thing, then pick a colour from it and mix them. example \/

made an edge on a forehead (dark-red line) yet i'd make it more accurate later, and will add it on the chin and sides of the nose to highlight them and separate from other parts of the face. actually this edges are just the darkest spots between the light of the item and reflection on the bottom of it. i like to make it noticible, yet someone tend to blend shades in. if you're just studying how to shade i'd reccomend starting without using blending yet you can notice how colours going more dull from forehead to chin to make her look like she's angling her head forward, i guess i'll make it more noticible later

AND i'm going to sleep but i have more to tell + i need to finish the work later anyway so put some feedback for part 2

#my art #sima talks #art tips #art tutorial

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berryflyy · 4 months

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YUMA MUKAMI AESTHETIC IRL

His aesthetic is masculine cottagecore

The colours I'd associate him with are Green, Brown, Black, and Red

Green stands for his love for nature as we all know his hobby includes growing vegetables and fruits

Brown is an earthly tone that matches his vibe when it comes to his masculinity and his overall tall athletic physique

Black stands for his dark past

Red is the colour of apples and has a deep symbolism of his connection with Shuu Sakamaki as a child

Masculine, intimidating, beautiful

Earthly, tall, hot,tempered

Sugar cubes, gardening, rebellious

Yuma Mukami, the third sibling in the Mukami household. Despite being the third sibling, he gave off another aura. He seemed more responsible, mature, and in many ways, manly. It came as a surprise sometimes that he was the younger sibling of the popular idol Kou Mukami because of their contradicting personalities. While Kou, on one hand, was cheerful and bright. Yuma Mukami is seen to be hot blooded and hot-headed. However, his good looks make up for it. Being a third year student, he surely gave off the vibe for being a senior, perhaps because of his strong build, but his mind is always wondering somewhere. He's mysterious, handsome, yet you're drawn into his dark world of mysteries and lies. Makes you wonder what he's been through and what lies behind his tall and strong exterior

Defiant, ponytail, mesmerizing

At a glance, when you see yuma walking around in the hallway, you often can't help but think about how different the brothers are. Yumas' tall build makes him intimidating. His rough look, although scary yet, makes him the most conventional strong male. Everyone is scared to pick a fight with

One of the most surprising things about Yuma is that although he's a third year student at a reputed academy, his accent is very different from that of a typical aristocrat, which is ironic considering the Mukami family is one of the top aristocratic families alongside Tsukinamis and Sakamakis. This shows that he is humble and, to a great extent, independent, which is shown by his ability to grow fruits and vegetables.

Yuma, although it is rebellious and hot-headed by nature, there is a hint of pervertness surrounding him by the way he looks at some girls at his academy. This could be for 2 reasons

A) they've got a nice figure

B) Predator looking for prey

In both cases, because yuma has the conventional good looks and the nice figure like the rest of Mukami siblings, he's popular amongst the females at academy

Yuma is also fair. While the Mukamis are sitting and dining together, we see that yuma takes Azusa's side by making sure Kou doesn't take Azusa's share of food and shows his humbleness. Which makes you wonder that behind the stone-cold facade lies the notion that beneath his fiery temperament, a warm heart may beat.

Yuma Mukami, someone you don't want to annoy. Of course, being in a prestigious academy and being part of the Mukami's naturally made him untouchable. You didn't want to be the cause towards his anger. You didn't want to be just another prey in his hunt. So you kept your distance, but once he saw you in the knee-length socks just gripping tightly against your thighs. Something awakened inside him. He had decided you're his prey, and of course, being his prey meant that he had to hunt you down no matter what the consequences. You tried to ignore him. Every time you crossed paths, you tried to move in the opposite direction, ignore eye contact, but deep down. Part of you wanted him. One night while at the rooftop, you're having your lunch, you encounter him, and you're about to leave. He tosses you an apple and tells you to eat. You know better not to take anything from strangers, especially apples, but you couldn't turn him away. Surprisingly, this apple wasn't poisoned, and the fact he grew it himself made it all the more special for you. At the same time, it was time for class again. You shared quick eye contact before going your own way since then you've seen yuma around you a lot. Sometimes munching on sweet sugar cubes, which you found unusual for someone so hot-headed,sometimes near your classrooms. In some ways, he's always there surrounding you. But, who were you to refuse. After all, the predator is bound to hunt his prey down at all costs

"Using force is useless, you know. You're not a person to take me on."

#yuma mukami #diabolik lovers #love #sakamaki ayato #sakamaki laito #sakamaki reiji #diabolik lovers headcanons #sakamaki shu #sakamaki subaru #kou mukami #sakamaki brothers #ruki mukami #azusa mukami #yui komori #diabolik lovers cordelia #diabolik boys #diabolik brothers #diabolik lovers fandom

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tackytigerfic · 3 months

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Hi! I hope I'm not a bother. For the word excerpt ask game, hoe about the word "feral"?

hi yume! always such a pleasure to see your name in my notifs. Thank you for this, I was intrigued to see if I'd find one and I did. It's from my long multiverse WIP, and in it Draco is showing Harry some memories of other worlds. They have a mental bond in this fic and they're sharing the images through the bond link.

Before Harry could start mentally stretching himself around all of Draco’s memories, Draco shoved another vision into the link between them; this time, Lucius (still in his barely convincing glamour) was quietly backing away along a dark corridor. Through a gaping archway, Harry could see some sort of version of Draco, though his hair was a shining weight of waistlength silver, and he had a rather dashing set of ragged gossamer wings. Harry didn’t quite know what to make of this unDracoish Draco, who was graceful and somehow feral in a way that real Draco never had been, and then he got distracted by a weird version of himself—inexplicably, bafflingly, here in Lucius’s memory—with his hair snarled up like after a Quidditch match, chest bare, and his own set of wings which were more hawkish, less ethereal than Draco’s, fine-feathered and swooping out wide from the strong ridge of his shoulders. He was smirking at the winged Draco in a decidedly unnerving fashion, and something about the two of them made Harry hope that he might get to see them fly, but then the vision faded as Lucius Malfoy reached a distant corner. Then Draco tweaked at the link, presenting Harry with another memory; some bar, curved oak lines glowing like lamplight, bottles glinting with promise, this Draco with piercings studded in a lovely line up his whole ear. Harry, looking tired, reaching for the drink Draco poured for him, their fingers grazing around the glass.

The memories that followed were quieter and softer-seeming, Lucius Malfoy tiptoeing around the edges of unsettlingly domestic scenes, a Harry with his sleeves rolled up, flour-kissed, in the Manor kitchens; Draco in the distance at the end of a long polished parquet floor, gliding on rollerskates, almost liquid in motion; Narcissa Malfoy asleep on a blue chaise longue in a blue-papered room with a blue sky beyond blue curtains, a copy of the Prophet on a small side table near her, her hand tucked sweetly under her cheek. The date was 21 April 2006—just a few months ago—but the headline that Harry peered at through the weird filter of the Legilimens had a headline that read The Boy Who Died, and in much smaller typeface below, something about the beloved Saviour of the wizarding world perishing in an Auror mission. There was only a brief mention of the fact that his partner, the Malfoy heir, had also been involved.

“I don’t know about you,” Draco murmured through their mental link, sounding wry even in Harry's mind, “but I don’t feel very dead. Certainly not after I’ve had my morning coffee, anyway.”

“These are… other worlds?” Harry thought wonderingly, and it was only when he sensed Draco’s approval that he remembered they were still connected, and he smiled and gave Draco a little mental prod of his own.

“More?” Draco thought at him, sounding amused, and then a rapid patter of memories came raining down, Harry barely able to keep up, grasping at the thread of one before it slithered from him and melted into another, each one bright and intriguing and very, very real-seeming.

Draco looking pensive in the snow, outside the Manor beside the very folly Harry could see from his bedroom window, two long black hounds moving like waves through the drifts towards him; Draco in the ballroom of the Manor, seeming to glitter under the lights of the chandelier in some sort of silvery robe the same colour of his eyes, Lucius Malfoy glamoured and hidden by the crowds of partygoers, watching Draco who was in turn warily watching a tense-looking Harry across the room; a small boy Harry didn’t recognise, blue hair falling into his eyes, scowling at Draco across a chessboard as they sat in the small sitting room near the Orangery; Draco, seen in secret through the half-open study door, in what looked like a very expensive Muggle suit, talking into a mobile phone, huge tv on the wall mutely tuned into some endlessly scrolling news channel. “My constituents won’t stand for it,” he was saying, though he was smirking in a sort of fond way that transmitted into his voice, and Harry was sure whoever he was talking to could hear the affection in his voice.

#drarry #drarry wip snip #tacky's fth #asked and answered #rowing and chatting

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heartofstanding · 1 year

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I saw a post going around about Henry V's looks, so I wonder if you happen to know the hair colour of his siblings? I know the hair colours of some Plantaganets, but frankly I've never looked for those of Henry's siblings before.

Hello! So, there's really only information about what colour hair three of Henry V's five siblings had and only one case where I feel we can be 99.9% certain of the hair colouring.

I'll go into a lot more detail (with photos! and my trademark rambling!) below the cut but basically:

Thomas, Duke of Clarence: unknown

John, Duke of Bedford: dark brown

Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester: probably dark brown

Blanche of England: possibly blonde or red

Philippa of England: unknown

John, Duke of Bedford's hair is depicted as brown in two extant manuscripts that belonged to him. Depictions in manuscripts are problematic as far as "true likenesses" go. The artist might not know what their subject look like so they cannot make a true-to-life likeness even if they wanted to. Or they might be making an idealised or generic portrait where what's important is more what the figure represents (i.e. status as king, queen, duke etc.) rather than what the figure really looked like.

But these two manuscripts depict John in what appears to be an effort to depict a reasonable likeness of him (you can tell by the nose). The Bedford Hours has the most detailed and fine portrait, where he has dark brown hair, an aquiline nose and it seems grey eyes (the weird five o'clock shadow around the side of his face and under his jaw is probably the result of pigment wearing off, though).

The portraits in the Salisbury Breviary are overall less detailed but are still personalised enough (see: the nose) that we can say that they were probably made to resemble him:

And if that's not enough, his remains were discovered in 1860 and his hair colour was noted as "dark" or "black". The remains themselves were noted as being blackened so I'd guess the processes of embalming/decay probably darkened his dark brown hair to black.

The flip side of the manuscript problem is Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, where we have four different depictions from four different contemporary/near-contemporary manuscripts, where his hair ranges from light brown (or dark blond, if you'd rather) to dark brown to black, including one where he looks bald but if you zoom in close enough, he has a very short crop of dark hair underneath his crown.

The first is from the Talbot-Shrewsbury Book (made in Rouen, 1444/5), the second from the presentation copy of John Capgrave's Commentary on Exodus (made in England, c. 1440); the third from the Psalter of Humfrey of Gloucester (made in England in the second quarter of the 15th century, before 1447) and the fourth from the St. Albans Benefactor Book (made in St Albans monastery, begun 1380 and finished c. 1540). All of these can be connected with people who knew Humphrey and thus knew what he looked like (though it's not clear when the fourth was made, it may have been long after his lifetime), though as with all manuscripts, he may have been represented as a generic royal duke/patron/donor instead of an attempt being made at a reasonable likeness.

What is striking about them is how different they are not only from the uniform likenesses of John but from each other. If second and third have the same type of hair colour, the faces are noticeably different. None of them resemble the copy of Humphrey's portrait that closely either (though, of course, a portrait has a lot more room for detail and personalisation).

However, the second and third are the most interesting in terms of hair colour because they both depict Humphrey with dark brown hair and were both made in Humphrey's lifetime by English illuminators - the third was almost certainly commissioned by Humphrey himself - so they have the best chance of being reasonably true to how he looked.

But in case that sounds too easy an answer, Humphrey's corpse was also rediscovered in the 1700s and his hair is said to have been yellow. Elizabeth, countess of Moira and a "proto-archaelogist", took some of the hair, noted the colour and that it was strong enough to be woven "Bath rings". She also suggested that the colour of the hair was not as it had been in life but it was "the nature of hair to gain that yellowish hue in the grave" - in other words, Humphrey may have been grey- or white-haired at death and the materials used in embalming bleached or discoloured his hair.

Although being the most obscure sibling, Blanche of England is the perhaps the only other sibling where there's any information about her hair colour. We have this image which I believe is a copy of a near-contemporary image of her (in the centre):

I can't remember or find where I got the information about it being a copy of a near-contemporary original, though, so I might be wrong. As we can see, she appears to have hair that is somewhere on the blond to red spectrum (I read it as ginger but though this is the highest resolution I can find, it's clearly poor quality (cf. the lines on the faces) so the colours might be distorted). The painting might represent Blanche as an idealised queenly figure rather than an attempt to represent her truthfully - though the fact it depicts her with a crown similar to the Palatine Crown she brought as her dowry is suggestive that they were trying to depict her in a way that made her easily identifiable.

Her name, "Blanche", might also be suggestive, as she was named after her grandmother, Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster (daughter of Henry of Grosmont, the first wife of John of Gaunt) whose hair was described by Chaucer as golden:

For every heer upon hir hede, Soth to seyn, hit was not rede, Ne nouther yelow, ne broun hit nas; Me thoghte, most lyk gold hit was. (The Book of the Duchess, ll. 855-858)

Of course, it's possible that Blanche was merely named in honour for her grandmother and there was no resemblance. But given Blanche means "white", it's possible that she was named in honour of her grandmother and because her hair was a similar colour.

I'm not aware of any contemporary surviving contemporary images of Philippa of England, though we have an image from 1590 that shows her with blonde (reddish-blonde?) hair and an stained glass window from the 19th century that shows her with dark hair:

We do have a near-contemporary image of Thomas, Duke of Clarence but... it's his alabaster tomb effigy and he's shown wearing a helm and is without moustache and beard so we have no idea of the colour of his hair.

But the Lancaster siblings probably every hair colour in their gene pool. Henry IV was said to have had "russet" hair when his tomb was opened (though we can't dismiss the possibility that his hair only appeared russet due to the way that red pigment can decay slower than others). Mary de Bohun is depicted as blonde in donor portraits in her psalter and Book of Hours (though it might be an idealised portrait than realistic). Their paternal grandmother, Blanche of Lancaster, was blond, their great-grandparents Philippa of Hainault and Edward III appear to have been black-haired and blonde respectively and red-hair is strongly associated with the Plantagenet line. So while Henry V, John and Humphrey all seeming to have dark brown hair is perhaps indicative of a family trait, I don't think that means Thomas, Blanche and Philippa must have had it too - and Blanche may well have been blonde or ginger.

#thomas duke of clarence #john duke of bedford #humphrey duke of gloucester #blanche of england #philippa of england #text posts #yoghurtbattle #asks #(as for the spouses margaret holland has blond hair in some manuscripts #catherine de valois's effigy had strands of brown hair #and there's a lock of blond hair said to be taken from jacqueline of hainault's tomb though they also said they couldn't find her tomb)#(no information about eleanor cobham or anne of burgundy or jacquetta of luxembourg i believe)#lancasterlings

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no-face-no-shame · 1 year

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"His face had an expression of calm, as though almost glad the end had come"

I've just finished watching the Netflix adaptation of "All Quiet on the Western Front" and I have some thoughts. The first one being - I haven't seen such marvelous screen adaptation in a while, despite the changes introduced to the plot. So if you're any interested in what I have to say, let me elaborate.

I'm a big fan of anti-war literature, though "fan" might be a bit of a strange way of phrasing it. But I've read enough of the "genre classics" to have some general knowledge of how those stories are usually developed (might be just me being Easter European. Specifically Polish. We know something about wars.) And AQotWF is one of my favourites, alongside "Catch 22" and "King Rat." Throughout the whole movie I was in awe of how well it translates the atmosphere of the book. How well it establishes the characters, especially Kat (I'll talk about the characters later.) You immediately submerge into their world, you feel for them and you're anxious whenever they go into battle. My big problem with modern movies is how they just don't let you connect with the characters by rushing the plot. Here it's not a thing. AQotWF says exactly what it wants and how it wants.

The visuals are spectacular. I took some screenshots I'm planning on redrawing due to how beautifully filmed this movie is. And, finally, it's not too dark!! You can see what's happening even in scenes located in bunkers or taking place at night! I freaking missed that so much. The same goes for sound - you understand what the characters say (my knowledge of German is VERY limited, still I often didn't need the subtitles because the dialogues were recorded clearly.) The lighting does miracles, it perfectly supports the mood. The usage of colour is great. I'm a big fan of close-up shots (details can add so much) and I love how this movie delivers the best of it, with focusing on the faces and especially eyes.

The music deserves its own paragraph. Scarce, used only when needed, but what an effect it gives... Again, one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a while. There wasn't a single scene where I thought to myself "can y'all cut the damn music", which happens to me more often than I wish it did. Especially the main theme uses a lot of sounds that remind of metal, of shots and explosions, perfectly matching what you see. And the music in the very last scene is just beautiful and gentle. I heard something similar in my head while finishing the book. Peace and relief.

Costumes? So damn good. Finally a movie where the costumes are well-made, with precision and care. Another reason why it's so easy to immediately get into the presented world - you just believe it's real due to what you see. Hairstyles, clothes, make-up. Everything is very realistic.

The same goes for the special effects, both in terms of explosions/shots and the corpses. The scene with tanks and flamethrowers was a shocking experience even to me, someone used to war movies, due to how real it seemed. The tanks emerge from the mist like animals, some kind of monsters. Mind you, WW1 was the first time tanks were used and they weren't as common as in WW2. The absolute hysteria of the soldiers is so real because they indeed had no idea what to do while facing a tank. The sets are very detailed, the bleak views of the battlefield and faded, winter forests are again a visual masterpiece.

Now the changes. To me the most questionable change done was Kat's death. I prefer the book version - it was more moving. On the other hand, the nonsense of his death in the movie creates his own quality. He survived a war waged by adult men just to be killed by a boy over a few eggs. Eggs that for both sides might mean either survival or death of starvation. It wasn't the stupid generals, bullets and tanks that were his end - the poor farmer boy who knew his family will starve was. Still, I'd prefer to see the book version of events. While reading I was touched by Paul's desperation and dedication to saving his friend, and by Kat who wasn't able to tell Paul that he's been hit in the head, meaning that the wound was fatal. Paul's endeavour in carrying Kat across the battlefield, at some point already a dead body, was a great summary of how during war your effort might mean nothing just because you happen to be unlucky. If it was about skill, Kat would survive. From all of them, Kat should. But he was unlucky that one damn time. When the war was basically over, he lost his own.

Another difference was the fate of Tjaden. In the book, it was Kemmerich who was shot in the leg and died because of an amputation. Here, we have Tjaden who got shot, though he doesn't let the wound kill him - he commits suicide using a fork. A pretty brutal scene I was kind of expecting at the very secnd I saw the way he looked at the fork in his hand. Interesting take on human desperation - he didn't want to live as a disabled person as it would make it impossible for him to work as a policeman (his biggest dream.) This change is quite alright with me. I know it was probably done to not introduce more characters (Kemmerich), though I'd like to see the motive of the boots being taken by Müller and then given to Paul when Müller died as well. The conflict between not wanting your friend to die and such a down-to-earth matter like wanting better boots, in the end turning out to be meaningless, is an important thing to include. Still, the change wasn't that significant and it certainly wasn't a negative one.

And then Paul's death. I really appreciate the fact that the main character of the story dies because that was the only way for his story to end. And he dies at the very end of the war, as if because he had nothing else to do. He wasn't able to return to his old life. There was nothing left of it - at that point his mother was probably already dead due to her illness and he couldn't just go back to his town and live like nothing happened. Especially surrounded by people like his father, who didn't understand the changes done to him by the war. Paul's friends were dead. He'd be able to live with that, even though there was no one left of his class. Who would he study with? But Kat was gone too and that was too much. Paul gladly accepts his death because he's died already a long time ago, during the first time on battlefield. What was left after that was a moving body that didn't have much in common with the joyful student who'd once inhabited it.

The gesture of climbing up the stairs of the bunker, into the light of the day, is a beautiful visual metaphor. We walks around the trenches and in the background we see soldiers of both sides just sitting or gathering their dead. A second ago they were killing each other. But now it's 11 o'clock. Now it's peace. And the young boy, so similar to Paul from the beginning of the movie, takes his scarf, a scarf that has once belonged to someone else, someone who had died way earlier and who was known by Paul, not by the boy. The object is carried on even though the memory died. One of my favourite things added to the movie.

To sum things up - spectacular movie. Very worth watching, even if you're not into this genre. And if you haven't read the book, do yourself a favour and read it. It's not very long and I believe it's one of the stories you just should know.

If you read all of that, here is some warm soup -> 🥘🍲 and some bread to go with it -> 🍞

#all quiet on the western front #movies #movie review #netflix #faceless #yeah remember that one peter rabbit review i wrote? i might be back on that bs even tho like 2 ppl read it #im westen nichts neues

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lukas-crowsong · 2 years

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so i had an sso dream.

i want to preface this by saying that i'm a natural lucid dreamer (no ritual, no sleep paralysis, it's the way i've dreamt since i was born). i dream almost exclusively in third person, and i always know when i'm dreaming.

this dream was in first person: me at my laptop playing sso. i could feel myself and my actions the way i would irl. i could even see my reflection. very strange and new sensations considering that i've dreamt first person maybe once before a long time ago. is this why so many people fail to realise they're dreaming? if not for the absurdity of this dream i would've struggled to realise, and even then it took picking up my phone to take a picture only for it to respond with a blank, uncracked screen for me to affirm this was a dream. the game had no special effects or misty skies or race checkpoints or npcs to indicate this was part of some special event -- i was simply riding through the changing landscape of a part of jorvik i'd never seen before

tw mention of spiders!

it opened on (i believe) my new account alexis galloping along a dirt path on a horse from my main account lily (alexis only has two horses and it wasnt either of them, but i dont know which as i was too preoccupied) (in hindsight it mightve been my bay andalusian?). my surroundings were mountainous: through gaps in rocks i could see a mountain range below, so i must've been high up, but not at the peak for the easy slope of the land. it was similar to riding through the red string trail, but without grass, with dead weeds, and with fossilised structures of giant spiders. some half-submurged in soil but clearly huge arachnid bodies, other legs so disfigured and discoloured they could've been gnarled trees. this area was devoid of life but clearly had once harboured it. i didn't pause, eager to leave the ominous atmosphere, following the dirt path.

this dirt path eventually led away from there (i dont know how, my brain didn't fill that in) to much greener pastures -- literally. the path connected to a cobbled road much like the main roads through jorvik. it looked much more like jorvik as well. a sign similar to those of sso shops or irl pubs depicted a simple image of oats, sso style. when i passed the sign, one item of oats entered my inventory as would a quest reward. i have no idea why. i stopped at the road to take in my surroundings. the road came from the north to where i stood then meandered to the west. the rest of the road seemed lacking anything but green grass as far as the eye could see, so this location was the focus. there was a little thatched cottage at my side of the bend of the road with a care station frame attached to the side, typical props of buckets and tools and such lying around. on the other side of the road a perfectly normal oak tree stood on a small mound of dirt. along the western road on the same side as the tree was a group of four jorvik wild horses of different coat colours (im not sure that all of them are present in game but i havent looked at jwh for sale in a while). they were lined up in a row as if for sale, slightly at an angle southwest-facing from the road, but had no indicator as to their purpose. i trotted around them then decided to click on one. its coat puffed up (comparisons i would make would be a fluffy pufferfish, that post about a jwh getting a blowdry, or a fluffy pombom ball). at the same time, a tutorial-type box of text popped up and instructed me to click on each jwh to fluff up their coats, then i had to dismount and click them again to have my character hug them before time ran out. a strange quest, but not one i was going to refuse. hug fluffy jwh? yes please!

it was here that i tried taking a picture on my phone (so that i could post about it/show ssoblr this new quest lmao) only for it not to turn on and apparently be uncracked, which confirmed my suspicions that i was dreaming. also i believe the quest title to have been something to do with lisa peterson being warm and cuddly? four words, i think. with how much i adore her that makes sense

with nothing else to do here, i rode northwards down the road

this final part of the dream made the most sense of this unseen jorvik. my brain didn't bother to fill in changing scenery here either, so i next found myself in a magical forest at the threshold of a village. it was signposted as (my memory fails me) something along the lines of 'jorvik lost vala'. i was standing at the signpost just before a wooden bridge which led over a narrow purple river. not a sickly, threatening kind of purple -- rather one that simply seemed to fit with the theme/colour palette of the village. it glowed faintly. the village itself was much like valedale in design. individual small thatched stone cottages lined a dirt pathway deeper into the forest. on my side of the bridge, there were two cottages either side of the path, more over the bridge and out of sight. each window emanated purple light, but again it was not obviously malicious -- more like ambient lighting, i suppose. moss and other plants and fungi grew around the houses. to sum up the environment, i would say 'magical mushrooms'. the trees were draped in hanging curtains of moss instead of leaves. it was nighttime now, so anything that could glow was glowing. while the trees obscured the surrounding forest in darkness, the village did not feel like a safe haven. it was simply a location within the forest. from what i could see, any residents were not out of their houses. magic hung in the air like potion fumes. the dream ended before i could ride across the bridge

and that was my strange, slightly unnerving but also enjoyable sso dream! did not happen the way i expected an sso dream to manifest, but brains are weird :)

i, for one, would love to see this lost vala village in sso ;>

#ssoblr #star stable #star stable online #sso #sso dreams #sso dream #sso spoilers #sso vala #lucid dreaming #tw spiders #my dreams #ooc mateo speaking

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mercedesdecorazon · 1 year

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LITG Ficlet - S1 (Rachelle)

~~~

Author's Note: I had to write this. I'm trying to fight off this block.

TW: Mentions of colourism and racism. If this is triggering, please click away.

~~~

Allegra was angry.

She was coupled up with Mason, and she was getting to know him. As far as she knew, Mason was smitten with her. That's the thing with some black men. They liked the exotic women like her. Mason even ignored Erikah.

But when she saw Rachelle pulling Mason to the side on the third night at the Villa, she was pissed.

So, of course, she went to confront her.

~~~

Rachelle was a light-skinned black woman with blonde braids and hazel eyes. She spoke with a sultry Irish accent that captured anyone's attention.

She was sitting with Talia and Erikah by the firepit, drinking champagne, when Allegra walked up to her.

"Can I talk to for a second Rachelle?" Allegra tried to keep the hostility out of her voice but judging by Rachelle's raised eyebrow, Talia's side-eye and Erikah holding her laughter in, she was doing a very poor job of that.

"Sure, we can go," Talia gave Rachelle a look before she and Erikah walked off.

Allegra sat across from Rachelle and began to speak.

"Look, I know you made a pass at Mason!" She snapped.

Rachelle looked confused, "I only pulled him aside for a chat. I'd hardly call that a 'pass.'"

"So you wanted have him for yourself!"

"I simply wanted to know if we had a connection. I mean, that's why we're here; to find a connection with someone." Rachelle's voice was calm. "I pulled him for a chat-"

"A connection?! What connection?!" Allegra screeched.

"Are you two boyfriend and girlfriend?" Rachelle smiled condescendingly at her.

"No."

"So you're not together then?"

"Mason and I are together-"

"But you're not boyfriend and girlfriend."

"I think it's rude and disgusting to do that. And you have no right to talk to him like that! He's mine and you need to check yourself-!"

Rachelle barked out a laugh, looking amused.

"You really are so insecure, aren't you?" Rachelle smirked.

"There are other boys that are available and yoy should just focused on them-"

"You aren't my mother, so you can't tell me what I can or can't do."

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST STAY IN YOUR LANE?! CAN YOU JUST BACK OFF?!" Allegra's shout caught everyone's attention.

"Why? Did you not kiss Levi and Tim today in the challenge?" Rachelle asked calmly.

"YES! BUT-"

"So why can't I get to know the guys as well? Why can't I be interested in more than one guy? You get to run around here and have flings with several guys-"

"EXCUSE ME?!-"

"So why can't I do the same? Why can't I have the opportunity to get to know the guys as well?"

"You know what? I'm done with this! You can just go screw yourself!" Allegra stood up and stomped off from the firepit.

Rachelle chuckled and sipped her champagne.

~~~

When interviewed a year after her season about her confrontation with Allegra, Rachelle says:

"Most of the times black women on Love Island never get the opportunity to look at their options. At that time, I felt that I should get that opportunity, and I went for it. I think it's hypocritical that these non-black women get the chance to make connections, but the black women can not. It's unfair and wrong. We, as black women, should have that privilege."

~~~

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Thank you @noahsthottie for helping me to unlock this ficlet. Your portrait for Rachelle opened this box.

#litg #litg mc #litg mc: rachelle #litg allegra #litg mason #litg erikah #litg talia #litg s1 #litg season 1

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pedanther · 2 years

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why *is* your avatar a mallard duck anyway, i'm not sure i've ever known? i have a vague memory that the username is a portmanteau of "pedant" for obvious reasons (/affectionate) and "panther" for pink panther related reasons that are completely opaque to me, but none of this seems relevant to ducks at first glance.

The avatar and the username are not connected, except in that they date to the same early years of my online existence. The username derives from an old joke about the Pink Panther's career as a pest exterminator, but that's another story.

The story of the mallard begins many years ago, when I was Very Young, and a relative gave me a toy duckling, with pale blue down on the outside and a squeaker on the inside. With the originality of the Very Young, I named him Donald.

I used to imagine Donald going on adventures, and in particular, once I'd latched on to Doctor Who, Donald going on adventures through space and time in a toy car which I had decided was a disguised TARDIS.

Years passed, and I went to college, and started hanging out online in the places where we hung out before Tumblr had been invented, and made some of the friends I still hang out with now. One of them was @capricorn-0mnikorn, who founded a Doctor Who flavoured online roleplaying-collaborative storytelling thing that ran for several years. When it came to the point of inserting myself into the story, I couldn't quite make the leap to considering myself interesting in my own right, so I revived Donald the intrepid space-time adventurer and his TARDIS and cast myself as his sidekick.

When I wanted a picture to represent Donald, I picked one out of a picture book I'd also had since I was Very Young. The colouration isn't really right, but it seemed appropriate to use something that I'd also had for a long time, and in the full sized picture the mallard has a mischievous twinkle in his eye that is very Donald.

More time passed, and online spaces came and went, and it became common for user profiles to expect an avatar image. I started using the mallard picture at first because I was still hanging around with many of the same people who'd been there for the collaborative storytelling thing, and I've kept using it since because I'm the kind of person who finds it easier to make a choice once and then consider it done with unless and until I have some reason to change it.

#not a reblog #i talk about myself #donald the duckling

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dashielldeveron · 6 months

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Okay Shy Anon from before back here, I’ve been re-reading in anticipation and I so want to know!! Who do you imagine Shinsou got off with during the villain attack (trying to be as vague as possible for anybody who hasn’t read it yet)?

Touya’s prosthetic!! It seems like he has complex functional use of it and reader couldn’t tell it wasn’t the arm he was born with when appreciating him shirtless. Was your idea that it was some specialized quirk-enhanced prosthetic? Did Enji abuse his power to get his son top of the line technology from a support item company??

Also!! It seemed like Touya had control over the soulmate bond sometimes, the connection stopping or starting at extremely convenient times for him. Is it just extremely lucky coincidence? Does he have an innate control over the bond? Or maybe because he’s technically had half of the bond going for presumably longer than reader (it seemed implied to me that he was exposed before and when reader was exposed both pieces snapped into place)? Like a muscle he’s subconsciously been exercising, when everything connected he was already practiced and given enough time reader will be able to turn it on and off at will?

Also also, I don’t think I properly conveyed this im my first gush, but the remnants of his shrine still existing is so devastating. A constant reminder in his eyes that he’s dead to them. They got Dabi back, but the Touya they used to love is still dead, like he can’t be good enough now after what he’s done (whether that’s true or not). Sorry to keep blowing you up, you just occupy so much of my brainpower lately.

i am throwing flower petals on your head. i hand you a jug of wine and loaf of bread. we spread out our blanket for our beautiful picnic.

answered below cut, bc spoilers (?) for aizawa's/shinsou's/dabi's routes of soulmate trope

shinsou and seredipity: there's a line in shinsou's route said by aizawa along the lines of "just be grateful you were trapped alone" in the aftermath of the airport stuff. i imagined shinsou to have been separated from the group in a place where serendipity's quirk didn't even leak into. this is mostly bc

1) i think shinsou wouldn't've had the energy to have that conversation with ito if he'd had to deal with serendipity's quirk already, and

2) lololol if shinsou were in the same place as the rest of them, it gives them all an easy way out with his quirk--and in my head, i think it's funnier if bakugou says "i'm not gonna suck icy-hot's dick" and then he does. (i actually think it'd be more in character for bakugou to get one of them to give him a handjob but critique their method the whole time, but the dick sucking thing is funnier).

touya's prosthetic: i like to think that such prosthetics are available on the market for everyone. unrealistic, i know, but it's my fic, and i have high hopes for humanity. but since there's quirks specific enough to, say, matching colour palettes to complement skin tone, why shouldn't there be quirks to make lightweight but mechanically complex prosthetics? if endeavor interfered, i'd like to think that it was only to get an exact skin tone match made or perhaps as a rush order.

touya's control over the bond: FUCK that's so good that's SO good. i wish i had thought of that. the reason it cuts at convenient times is bc i needed it to cut for the plot lololol. in my head, yes, touya breathed in the dust first, but since his assigned soulmate hadn't yet breathed it in, it's like the quirk sat dormant, like a sleeper agent, until reader was affected. but fuck the idea of him practising with it is so cool!!! i bet that he and reader could use that to practise with the link now that they're together!!! that would make it safer when, like, one of them is driving or something lololol. and could lead to adorable shenanigans.

touya's empty shrine: urgHUGHrughrughhgurhg you're the perfect reader. you're exactly whom i want reading my bullshit. because yes yes yes it's fucking devastating that touya has to walk by essentially his grave!! and since his fam has cleared it out, they've clearly been, like, "yes this is inappropriate bc touya is living," but since they've left the shell, it still leaves the message that they're still mourning whom he used to be!!!! screams

my beloved picnic-companion!!! don't apologise!!! i am so achingly desperate to talk about this stuff, esp. bc my beta reader doesn't even like anime and thus doesn't catch detail work!!!! but i am tickled pink that you've been thinking about the fic so much!!! i'm so glad it can fill some of your time and make you happy :)

i am working hard on shigaraki's route!!! i hope you like it, too!!! xx.

#dash it all

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casspurrjoybell-22 · 10 months

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Master - Chapter 36d

*Warning Adult Content*

- Kalem -

Opening his eyes, Aias lets me see the golden shimmers inside there that he only showed sometimes but I didn't think he could put them away now because they stayed even as the rest of him seemed to settle down.

"That connection is something we are taught as changelings, child," Arias continues, his voice deeper than the one I was used to but it still felt nice and smooth to hear.

"We're taught not to think of ourselves as a separate thing from what is around us, but as a factor of it. Unfortunately, you missed that but I can teach you to find it now."

"The connection?" I ask and he nods.

"Its already there, we all have it," he says encouragingly. "You just need to find a way to latch onto it, and once you do... the possibilities will be endless."

Arias runs his fingers over the grass we were sitting on.

He only touched it, only just a little but the parts he touched followed his fingers like there was a string pulling them out.

All the little leaves came out with their even smaller roots and the dirt beneath it, all of it following after Arias' fingers every way he went.

"We are no separate entity from nature, there are no lines between us," Arias says as he brushes the back of his hand against some of the dirt that was following him in the air.

The smooth skin that was always there quickly turned into the same rough surface as the dirt, in colour too, making it look like Arias' skin was dirt too.

"Only a single, whole thing," Arias repeats as the dirt turned the colour of his skin like they changed places.

"I'm scared," I say honestly, wanting nothing more than for Arias' skin to go back to normal.

Arias chuckles as his skin goes back to normal and the dirt does too.

"Its only a matter of what you want to do with it."

He settles the dirt, grass and little roots back into the ground like if he'd never taken it out at all.

They fit back into their little spaces perfectly before pulling closer to each other until I couldn't tell which part had bene following Arias.

Arias said lots of big, fancy things when explaining the connection elves had with nature but I think I got it, maybe.

Some of it made sense but then some of it just made me really confused.

Like all the parts about reflection and entity, I didn't get any of that.

But I did understand what he said about not separating myself from nature.

He meant that I should think of myself the same way I thought of a sunflower... I think... I was almost completely sure.

"When you learn to feel and use what is around you," Arias says as he looks down at me.

"Then you will truly have the world at your fingertips young one."

Before I can reply, Arias stands to his feet which made him seem like something greater than any other person I'd ever seen.

He was so big and tall that I felt like a baby next to him but Arias' light smile was the same as the one he sent me from across our cell in the slave house so I wasn't afraid.

All around the castle was the hard, brown thing that Master called rockface, it was the thing that made up one of the sides of the castle and also the thing that went so high that I couldn't see the top.

The sunlight that came down on the castle were the streams that slipped through the open part of the 'rockface'.

Master said it was because we were underground that there was so much of it and that the castle had been built into it.

Arias faced the rockface now as he lifts his hands and pulls his arms back with clenched fists as if he was dragging it towards us.

Cracks like the spider webs I found in the untouched rooms started to spread all through the rock as Arias pulled the pieces of it he wanted out, making it shift and move into the picture he wanted.

His silver hair was glowing now, like the stars in the sky, a bright white light that was hard to look at for more than a few seconds.

But I kept staring, not wanting to miss even a second as Arias twist and turned the rock to his will.

I couldn't tell what he was doing.

Not until he stepped back and opened his palms, pushing them forth in a motion that made bright light glow between all the spaces Arias had carved out through the cracks.

It was light was shining through them all, the colour the same as Arias' eyes as it lights up the picture he'd made inside of the rocks above the castle.

"T-That's me," I stammer out but the words were barely a whisper.

Somehow Arias had put me into the wall.

He's gotten my eyes, my nose and my smile too.

It was like my face was in the rock now like a pretty picture I couldn't look away from.

"I put in one of your new bows," Arias comments.

I lift my hands to my mouth to stop a squeal of excitement when I lay my eyes on the perfect bow in my hair that matched the one I had in my hair now.

"My bow," I repeat breathlessly.

"I know you fear using your magic wrongly," Arias says gently as he pulls me to my feet to wrap his arms around me from behind while we looked up together.

"But I wanted to show you that you can use it for nice, pretty things as well."

Arias presses a kiss to the top of my head while he squeezes me a little tighter.

"Every time you get scared of your magic, I want you to remember this. Never forget what you can do with your magic.

""Create nice, pretty things.."

"Precisely," Arias says with a laugh. "So, do you think you're ready for your first lesson?" Arias had never said or asked anything stupid until now.

The answer was obvious but still, I turned my head enough to show Arias a smile that matched the one he made in the rock as I answered...

"Yes."

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private-bryan · 10 months

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15 Question Tag Game | OC Edition

Cheers for tagging me @queer-cosette - I don't have many OC's tbh (Shea is the only one I can think of that's named, and he's a Sidhe so some of these qestions wouldn't apply), so you'll have to do with one from my oft-mentioned but never shared NaNoWriMo from last year.

Said OC is named Simon Trevethick, a "Weaver" who has had a rather unfortunate past (which both is and isn't his fault - at the same time, for the same reason) and he is the deuteragonist of the story and the mentor of the protagonist.

Rules: answer the questions below as yourself and/or your OC. (I'd also add that you make your own post).

Are they named after anyone? Not really. The surname is mutated a bit from someone I knew at school, but is otherwise just plucked from the ether.

When was the last time they cried? That depends on whether you're asking him or not. According to him, it would be the day that he and his husband separated, about seven years prior to the start of the story; in actuality, it was much more recent, only a couple of days before he's introduced.

Do they have kids? Simon and his partner had adopted two kids, a girl and a boy named Olivia and Jack. It's a fairly major plot point as to why he no longer has them, and should I ever be able to pluck up enough courage to edit it and post it I don't want to spoil it by explaining why now; suffice to say I fridged them as part of a time paradox.

Do they use sarcasm? Sparingly, but he's rather biting with it when he does use it. He's a rather depressed man, for reasons, and tends to shun most social interactions anyway.

What’s the first thing they notice about people It's really how curious people are. In his line of work, you wouldn't even get to meet him unless you had the setting's gift, and he's a researcher of sorts into it. He likes to see if people take notice about the weirdness around them, and what exactly they focus on.

What’s their eye colour? Very dark brown. Simon's eyes are rather thin and hooded as well, so the pupil and iris take up a lot of the space that you can see, and makes the eyes look almost black.

Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings. The poor boy suffers enough with his day job and a rather sad past to want to watch horror.

Any special talents? Simon is a Weaver, which is essentially a magic user in modern times - technically he's manipulating the fundamentals of reality, but we'll go with magic. He's also a nifty sword fighter (again, "job" related).

Where were they born? Like me, he was born in Portsmouth and so has a special connection to the place. He's a bit older than I am though, having been born in 1976.

What are their hobbies? Simon lives an almost monastic life (by choice), and doesn't really do anything outside of his day job to be honest. The only hobby he really has other than that is rock shaping, but that's mainly to keep him in practice for his research. He does do recreational maths, but even he knows that's rather geeky and keeps that to himself.

Do they have any pets? He and his husband had a dog (a Springer Spaniel named Irene) when they were married, but Simon made sure his partner took it when they separated; unfortunately Irene had passed away before the story started.

What sports do they play/have they played? Simon used to play Rugby at school, and also fenced/sword-fought with his co-workers regularly until he retreated into his work.

How tall are they? 5'7" - He's a short king

Favourite subject in school? Maths. He's always liked now neat and predictable maths is, and the man finds solace in numbers where he can't in people as an adult.

Dream job? He has his dream job now, being a Weaver, but if he wasn't one he'd most likely want to be some kind of accountant or computer programmer.

Tagging @imstressedx, @areseebee, @derrygirlstrash @notactuallyerinquinnfromderry and anyone else who would like to talk about their OC

#tag game #ocs

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timothystillopf1 · 1 year

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Fundamentals Week 7 - Adobe Illustrator outro.

This week in Fundamentals we were tasked with creating two drawings in adobe illustrator, demonstrating our capabilities with the program that we had been taught over the last Term. The first of the two works was to be of a silhouetted subject, focussing on shapes and bezier curves.

I drew this Ghost which i chose due to the fact it involved a lot of curves of which I have not been very confident with in the past. I began by scanning my image into Adobe illustrator and setting it to it's own layer. I then turnd the opacity of the image down to 20% so I would be able to use it as a reference point while creating my shapes.

I was quite suprised with how this turned out considering my confidence levels coming into this, especially coming off of a two week break where I didn't really use Illustrator too much. Un-hiding my sketch layer, I then adjusted my cuves to better fit my original sketch. I then moved onto the arms.

I began with the inner arm. Removing the fill and setting my outline colour to white, I began by making a singular bezier curve, holding command to create a broken point, and created the second curve. I was very happy with this as it seemed I was able to achieve this quite effortlessly as it pretty much turned out exactly how I wanted it!

I repeated this process on the outer arm except this time, I removeed the outline and set the fill to black so that it would appear connected to my subject. I then opened the Stroke pallette and adjusted the weight of the inner arm outline to 4 pt, also adjusting the Caps and Corners of the shape to appear smoother and more rounded.

To create the mouth of my subject, I made use of the eliptical tool to create a circle of which I adjusted by selecting the middle point and dragged it upward to create an arch like shape.

looking more like a moustache in its current state. I then adjusted the nodes on either side of the shape, bringing them inwards to make a more satisfactory shape that closer resembled my sketch. I after this I then changed the Fill of the shape to white (no outline) and placed it onto my subject.

Using the rectangle tool, I created a shape on my subject that would become the eyes. With the shape selected I clicked on the top left node (located inside of the the shape) and dragged it inward, smoothing out the corners and creating a more pleasing shape.

I then changed my fill to white (again, no outline) and deselected it. I then created a copy of this shape by holding the Option key and dragging the shape across to the otherside of the face.

I also went back to the other arm and my main body shape, using the same corrections as I did to the inner arm (with the stroke palette). Making them match up with the inner arm by changing the Caps and Corners to appear smoother and more rounded. I then made a few more minor adjustements to the mouth and eyes to better represent my initial sketch as i wasn't quite yet happy with how it looked in terms of it's features. I continued to adjust the points around the mouth and slightly rotated the eyes to make them less uniform to eachother.

I am very happy with my end result and find it a very strong improvement to my initial sketch. I found it very enjoyable getting lost in the detail, granted there wasn't a whole lot of it, but I think thats what made it fun by the end. given the simplicity of the work, I personally found it more important that I got the features correct or to a standard I was happy with to achieve a satisfactory result. I had a lot of fun during this task and I feel that I blew myself away with just how much I remembered and was able to achieve without too much help. This whole module has been very informative and eye opening to me as an artist/designer and I am very glad to Have this as apart of my tool belt as it was something I'd never considered picking up in the past and I have had a blast getting to know this program and just what it can do for me. I look forward to using these skills in future projects both personally and professionally.

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arcane-temp-fandomblog · 2 years

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Arcane plotlines / Fissures, illness & mines

One of the most disjointed narrative lines in Arcane is the air and the mines in the fissures. So I guess season 2 setup? Or is it window dressing? Because nearly every character is connected to it

This is not first time fissures are mentioned but Silco's story is most put together so I'll start with that. And I think it connects to reasons for rebellion he and Vander wanted to do against Piltover.

So Silco came from the mines., Vander did too (Sevika maybe didn't? she needs breathing aid). This must have been the economic situation in the undercity pre-rebellion. We know that since Vander even had hanged the mining gloves in Last Drop. But the chembarons can't handle the air.

Look at the glee of this self made working-class man, Silco is an aspirational figure some of the time. I'd be Silco.

So since Powder's and Vi's parents joined the rebellion, they must have been in similar circumstances to Vander & Silco, right?

Then there is the disaster man himself, Jayce and his not-sister's not-girlfriend. Which is first mention of fissure mining and the story starts like this:

Ah, the good old times right? I really wonder if 'mining colonies' is not like idyllic version going around Piltover of what was happening, looking at Silco, Vander & Vi's parents all deciding to rebel against their city-state. Vi and Powder probably don't remember it thou. But good old days Arcane wise. Everything seemed so simple.

It continues like this: I'm not sure Jayce has right idea where Viktor's illness comes from 'coz I don't trust Jayce asks people before jumping to conclusions.

and that's how it ends. And one maybe small thing - both of them can kind of breath there. So maybe the air has improved. Maybe not? I think this is also the moment the idea how 'mining colonies' work dies alongside the Hextech dream plans. And Piltover's idea of Progress. If I assume correctly 'Snakes' is Jayce's pov/context song.

Then there is connecting piece in council archives because I think Council Archives are for now accessible only till time they're introduced. So aside from Jayce's, all of them cover the time skip. For Caitlyn, it's infuriatingly all from time she's still an enforcer - so she believes enforcers are good and right. So we can't trust her notes. But it's the In Plain Sight chapter.

It starts with a young girl missing from Zaun report to the enforcers.

NAME: ██████████ SEX: FEMALE DOB: █████ HEIGHT: SHORT WEIGHT: THIN EYE COLOR: BROWN HAIR COLOR: BLONDE

[Edit: And since the name must be a spoiler, the only young girl in LoL Lore that matches that description is Amaranthine from Jayce's short story - since we know it's more popular in Zaun to name children after colours or terms: Sky, Powder Blue, Violet, etc. - so Amaranthine could fit right in. Caitlyn's "The Grand Conspiracy" everyone, it's real. We're going there in this post LoL Lore and Arcane are same universe, most PvZ LoL Lore bios (+ short stories w/o author or not in 1st person) = Arcane - Council Archives that is censorship so Piltover keeps being the city of Progress. You play as the archivist exploring The council archives, and at the end this is your message 'But alas, our ongoing efforts to protect Piltover must be kept secret. There are those that wish to destroy the very foundations that make our city of progress, well... progress!'. Yes... I probably sound just as insane as Caitlyn to Jayce.]

Anyway, on saner plain of mind, a lot of files are written by Marcus, so even more confusing since he covers up stuff. But most importantly these 3 pieces. It's about a hospital - of sorts. I'll colour what imo. is important:

REJECTED BY ORDER OF CAPTAIN MARCUS ██████████PILTOVER ENFORCER DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE Abduction Ring in the Undercity On ██████, a Piltover enforcer on a routine patrol was alerted to strange noises coming from the sewage tracks running between the Fissures and the streets above. Backup was deemed unnecessary, and the enforcer proceeded to investigate the disturbances. Entering the pipes, the enforcer followed the noise - a sort of mechanical whirring (ADD THAT HE HEARD CRYING, TOO). The enforcer gave a verbal warning that he was marching forward. There was no response. The enforcer continued deeper down into the lanes. They reached a wall obstructed by a large metal gate. The enforcer brute-forced the gate open and proceeded down a dark passage in the waste-management system. Some time down the path, the enforcer was alerted to a bright light coming through a crack in the wall. Moving several bricks aside, they entered into what appeared to be a make-shift hospital. In the hospital, several children were sat at (CHANGE TO STRAPPED TO) beds and hooked up to machinery. Syringes at the arms, legs, and neck injected a greyish-green liquid into their squirming bodies. At this time, the Piltover Enforcers suspect that the children were part of scientific experiments. Upon safe return to Piltover, one child was identified as ██████████, a missing child reported over a month ago. They were reunited with their mother, a citizen of Zaun. The other children have yet to be identified. The illegal operation has been shutdown and all equipment confiscated for examination by Piltover Enforcement. Any potential leads should be reported to authorities.

So firstly this is the rejected version of Piltover Press release, was it silenced by Marcus forever or just rewritten to be published, we don't know. We also - from the edits - can't be sure if the story was already changed. We know that enforcers usually make very grand claims about resourcefulness and bravery on their part from the funeral of dead enforcer's scene with Marcus. So how the enforcer stumbled upon it, we don't know - seems implausible.

These are Caitlyn notes:

Were the children there voluntarily? Why was it shutdown? How did the officer just stumble on the hospital? Tipped off? WHO IS RUNNING THE OPERATION?!

The second piece comes from what allegedly was happening from child that was admitted to the 'hospital', interviewed by the enforcer (but we should already know from Viktor's lore that children aren't best witnesses):

LOCATION: OFFICE OF PILTOVER ENFORCEMENT PURSUANT TO CASE #4435 (...) ENFORCER Good. If you cooperate with the enforcers, that's how we can help you. BGWI know. ENFORCER You seem like a smart kid. ENFORCER Start at the beginning. BGW I have trouble breathing. A lot of kids in the Fissures do. BGW They, um, they offered me a chance to be healthier. ENFORCER ██████████ BGW ██████████ ENFORCER ██████████ BGW ██████████ BGW *coughing* ENFORCER So you're saying that they lied? ENFORCER The chemicals… What did they do? BGW I don't know. ENFORCER Was it shimmer? BGW Not like any shimmer I'd seen before. ENFORCER How was it different? BGW It powered their machines. ENFORCER These illegal experiments. BGW...Yes. ENFORCER And did you ever catch a glimpse of who was running things? BGW She wore a suit- UNKNOWN Officer, stop the recording.

I think the unknown voice is Marcus who recognises it's Renni. But that in a second.

The 'not shimmer' shimmer can only be either still in development chemtech or the 'orange substance' that is also in Jinx's weapons. But I think the orange one is the variant of shimmer that Singed developed later for Warwick (since there are more than one). Chemtech seems to be powering machines like the suits in the mines and firelights' boards. Can't wait to see if it's a moral issue for Ekko that he chose chemtech over shimmer, not knowing that's how it was 'developed'.

Then we also get that many children in the fissures develop breathing problems, which loops back to Viktor. And they may agree to for example very unfortunate experiments to alleviate those health issues from very shady 'hospitals'.

If anyone ever doubted why Hexcore "healing magic" may be actually important to the plot and not only Viktor's one man quest to heal himself. I'm pretty sure that story-plotline would look much different if the technology development was happening in Zaun.

Unless these illegal hospital experiments are something Viktor was involved, which idk - maybe? One never knows, the archive for now is redacted. That's the thing - since Marcus is the person compiling that file, we can't be sure if it's not ie. some errant organisation or a hospital run by firelights. But much more probable that Marcus was gathering dirt on all of the undercity's chembarons - just like he kept Vi in prison just in case. A security.

Anyway, then there's connecting 'evidence':

And this suit looks eerily familiar to one from Jayce and Vi fight, but the second piece of evidence has note it was manufactured for Renni. Which would make sense since her child was a "shift overseer" - mask and all. Family business (no that doesn't make his death better, lol, just everyone has to work in Zaun).

But that may mean it wasn't a shimmer mine, shimmer was there to give children strength to do 'chemtech' mining. Maybe? Like with Jayce and Vi - it's the issue of blind leading blind. He was in the undercity last time around the same time as Vi. It was probably Renni's mine, not Silco's.

[Edit: I forgot to add what started this whole post - Caityn's LoL Lore bio since I was playing with Caitlyn's "The Grand Conspiracy" theory - the truth staring her in the face. From bio: In just a few years, she made a name for herself as someone who could help with matters mundane and… more esoteric. After a particularly traumatic case involving a missing hextech device and a series of child abductions, Caitlyn was summoned by the Wardens. She had been recommended by one of their number who had also developed something of an affinity for stranger cases—and their battle with a host of rogue chimerics in the employ of a lunatic chem-researcher driven mad by his own concoctions led to her being offered a formal position as a sheriff. ] That must be Jinx' one time or the other stealing stuff from Jayce's lab and the other must be the case In plain sight. Which made me think this case must be connected to some wider plot - and since she ends up as a sheriff at the very end - makes it feel suspicious in the light of Arcane. Yep, I don't blame Jayce calling it "The Grand Conspiracy".

Anyway, now much more of conjecture link, from Powder's journal of what happened to all the children at the hospital that someone didn't issue 'Missing person' report. Or the one that did.

Entry #4

██████████████

Lined up all the little duckies in a row

Why did they look so sad?

They'll be together after

Wherever people after go

Entry #5

There has to be an after

Vi and I will go there

Entry #8

██████████████

They stared at me

I closed their eyes

But I still see them

I'm really not sure if that's connected, but seems like some sorts of cover-up. Either for 'hospital' children or the one that had family that could start spreading rumours in the undercity about the 'hospital' experiments. Anyway something Jinx witnessed and drew in that timeskip span.

So now the last bits and pieces, Viktor:

Who most probably has the same issue as the child interviewed by the enforcers, from the 'hospital', because he grew up in fissures. Maybe, that's the root of his illness - if that's information they spoke about with Jayce it was infuriatingly in that timeskip part which Jayce's journal doesn't cover since it was published before timeskip.

But I assume yes.

And then finally this connected part maybe:

It kind of points that Singed's daughter he speaks to Silco about when Jinx may die, and for which he most probably started research into Shimmer for, is Orianna (as resemblance in the locket). Since this poor girl had to undergo a lot of painful surgeries and augments, which shimmer would allow to survive. And Orianna in lore:

News of disaster in the undercity of Zaun made its way to their shop. An explosion had ruptured a chemical line, venting clouds of poisonous gas. Orianna insisted they help the victims, but Corin forbade it. Zaun was far too dangerous. So, with as many supplies as she could carry, Orianna snuck away in the night and rode the hexdraulic descender into the depths. The devastation was overwhelming. Debris still filled the streets, and Zaunites walked through the toxic haze, faces covered with little more than oily rags. Night after night, Orianna repaired respirators and installed esophilters. She even gave her own mask to a child who could scarcely breathe. Her father was furious, but soon after her return, Orianna fell gravely ill. Her lungs were ravaged past all hope of recovery. Refusing to accept this, Corin threw himself into his most ambitious project yet: a fully functional set of artificial lungs

Which if it is Orianna, it will be very interesting, because that Piltovian girl went to help people in the undercity and died for it in a manner of speaking. That is why congregation of the 'Gloriously evolved' is aligned with the Grey Lady - matching Orianna's new body appearance.

And him and Orianna both working on body augments trying to save her life, would be the thing against Piltover's ethos that Singed parted ways with Heimerdinger for.

And probably how he crossed pathways with Silco.

Singed why you speak in riddles, if it's 'love & legacy' vs 'Progress', then if your daughter is Orianna - you're the 'love & legacy' part of the equation, and you weren't ready to sacrifice that for Progress. Between you and Heimerdinger that is. Is that your issue with Piltover? They were unhappy with you not letting your daughter waste away due to chemspill in the undercity? Was you both trying to save her against ethos too? Is that how you ended up in Zaun, saving all random daughters like Jinx and Vi with your shimmer invention?

That would be a funny twist, wouldn't it?

Anyway, a lot of disjointed plot along most characters is connected to this few points - mines, fissures, lung illness caused by pollution. And I guess all of that was somehow connected to the first rebellion we see.

Also mandatory, hexcore is evil and under any circumstances shouldn't be researched. Heimerdinger said so.

“Piltover the land of progress, equality, innovation.” What did you do that your own people rebelled against you?

Edit: Continuation of this theory:

Arcane plotlines / Shimmer & Chemtech - Zaun’s national exports

Arcane Symbols of change / Firelights, Crow, Butterfly and the “Bastion of Enlightenment” that is beacon to all the Moths

Is this plotline why we don't have Caitlyn and Viktor talking to each other whole season? or why Caitlyn and Vi separate because Cait would know it's Renni's mine?

Other posts by me - Arcane meta analysis posts - mostly politics, tech and character parallels

How the fuck am I supposed to tag this, that's most of the cast.

#arcane silco #arcane caitlyn #arcane jayce #arcane vi #arcane viktor #arcane singed #arcane jinx #arcane analysis #arcane meta

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