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#I'm hoping releasing these thoughts into the world frees me from them so i can sleep lol can you tell
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Tossing and turning in bed plagued by visions (Ed Edgar headcanons that are definitely just me projecting my cowboy ass autistic interest in strange animals onto him bc he too is a strange southern man with autistic swag)
#atlas speaks#i think he keeps exotic animals. not in like a joe exotic tiger king 'I'm raising endangered mammals that could kill me in my bedroom' way#but like. he has a bunch of venomous snakes and weird spiders. his living room is just lined with shelves and shelves of terrariums#i think you see him interact with his strange and dangerous pets and it's like meeting a whole new person#he is so much less of an asshole the second he is looking at a weird bug#i think he would love camel spiders in particular. those fuckers are so weird he'd love it#and bold jumping spiders. bc they're native to where he grew up#you take him out hiking or some sblhit and he starts acting like that guy on tiktok who hunts for pythons in the florida everglades#he's picking up snakes with his bare hands like#'oh yeah this is a black racer! they're totally harmless but they've got a lot of personality ^-^' while it aggressively bites his arm#he tried showing Bim the David Bowie Huntsman once. he's like 'Bowie is a gay icon Bim'll love this' and quickly learns Bim is arachnophobic#he's waving around cane toads like 'oh my god guys look at the poison glands on this thing!!!'#i feel like he'd love eastern hognose snakes too he loves the silly fucking way they play dead#anyways what I'm saying is give him a educational nature show let him do some weird shit out in the wild it's his natural habitat#he's the types of guy to stand barefoot on the asphalt next to a diamondback to get it to cross the road so it doesn't get run over#I'm hoping releasing these thoughts into the world frees me from them so i can sleep lol can you tell#anyways he absolutely handles like black widows and brown recluse with his bare hands like a madman#he would love eel pit guy#anyways this is his one redeeming quality he is still the worst in every other way 👍
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flametrashiraarchive · 10 months
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Hi, it says your requests are open! Can I request a nsfw scenario for Giyuu and his crush going to a public bath house, and the receptionist mistakes them for a couple so they have to share a bath.. hehe.. and he gets a boner and tries to hide it?
thanks and feel free to ignore im kind of embarrassed aaaa
AAAAA THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN! Thank you for being my very first ask! I hope you enjoy!
I'll try to work on the other asks tomorrow too! Thank you so much!
NSFW under the cut...
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Bathing with Giyuu 💦
You've traveled with the water hashira long enough to know when his quiet stoicism slips into panicked silence. 
To the uninitiated, Giyuu's facial expression is one of dead calm, but his deep blue eyes give away far more than he realizes, and right now he's shitting himself. 
"It'll be fine," you sigh, standing shivering in your yukata. It's morning and the sun has barely begun to warm the world up. "I won't peek. We'll just bathe, get out, and never speak of this again."
You're mostly trying to assure him, but there is a little part of you that's nervous too. It's just a simple mixup; the lady running the bathhouse just mistook you for a married couple and sent you to the same private onsen. And if the pair of you weren't so damn introverted you could probably have the mistake rectified fairly quickly, but the thought of the awkwardness and the apologies... no this is somehow simpler.
Giyuu is already in the bath, submerged up to his shoulders, the steam and clear water doing very little to obscure his… everything. 
He sighs as you shiver and says flatly, "Fine. Get in. But if you tell anyone about this, especially the other hashira…"
"My lips are sealed… turn around."
He does as you ask, turning his back and lowering himself until his chin is touching the water. He stares at the rocks surrounding the edge pool as if they're the most interesting thing in the world.
Your heart races as you slip off your yukata and leave it hanging from a nearby tree. As desperate as you are for this bath, and as much as you tried to brush it off, it is a little weird to be naked with Giyuu.
You quickly get into the water. It only reaches your bellybutton, but you can crouch and fully submerge your body just like he's doing. "Okay, I'm in." 
You expect his shoulders to relax but if anything they get more tense. What little you can see of his face is bright red. "Ugh this was a bad idea."
"It's fine! Come on Giyuu, we've been traveling and fighting demons for days without a break. Everything hurts. I need this bath. If it's so awful sharing with me then you can always get out."
He shakes his head firmly, still looking away. "No. Absolutely not."
"Okay well… let's not make a big deal out of it." It is pretty fun to annoy him so you tease a little. "We're just two unmarried friends, bathing together…naked. Nothing weird about it."
He brings his hand out of the water to pinch the bridge of his nose. You brace yourself for his exasperated reprimand, but in the same heartbeat as he opens his mouth to speak you hear something. You sense movement behind you. 
He hears it too and the pair of you instinctively stand, both on high alert. After days of fighting for your lives against demons, neither one of you can fully relax yet. It takes a moment to realize it's daytime. The demons are all hiding from the sun. You're safe. Your yukata just slipped down from the tree branch.
Breathing a sigh of relief, you turn your head to face him. "Probably just a squirr- oh god!!"
You're naked. He's naked. The water is waist deep on you but he's taller…
And God, he's rock-fucking-hard.
He doesn't speak. He just releases a panicked grunt, attempts to cover himself with both hands, fails to conceal it fully, and dips down to hide beneath the water. 
And you just freeze as your heart lunges against your ribs. That image is burned into your mind forever; his lean, muscular body… the way it curved. The veins…
"Sit down!" He says finally. 
You bring up your arm to cover your tits. "Oh! Right."
As you submerge your body in the water. You're facing each other, both bright red, unable to make eye contact. Your heart is racing and you're pretty sure his must be too.
You're the first to break, your eyes sliding across to him. The corner of your mouth tugs upward.
"Not a word," he whispers.
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Giyuu's eyes flicker to you and then away again. 
You can't hold it anymore. A laugh sputters out of you. "We're so ridiculous."
His well-practiced stoicism starts to falter, and a faint smile curves his lips. "Yeah. We are, aren't we?" 
It feels good to laugh; days of tension and exhaustion slip away, rising with the steam of the onsen. And it feels even better to laugh with him. 
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auroravictorium · 1 year
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lavender haze (k.b.)
Summary: when the reader is injured and kaz kills someone for them (oops), they come to a realization of their feelings.
Pairing(s): kaz brekker and reader Word Count: ~1.8k Warnings: mild violence (stabbing, mentions of gunshots, physical fighting), blood, mentions of death Genre: a bit of angst, but with a fluffy ending
Author's Note: this is part of the midnights saga (inspired by taylor swift's midnights ofc) but can be read as a oneshot or as part of the series once i've written more :)) send me requests for kaz if you so desire. only 54 days until season two of sab releases let's goooooo
“This was not the plan,” you shouted to Jesper, dodging a fist hurtling toward your face. Your muscles burned with exertion, and your skin ached with bruises from being shoved down the stairs by the targets who somehow knew you were coming. It wasn't your most graceful moment, getting pushed down hard, splintered wooden stairs. You landed at a guard's feet, to boot. An excellent start to what seemed like such an easy heist: get in, grab the rolled-up canvases of forged paintings and get out and back to the Slat before anyone could notice anything amiss.
"I think I know that," he snapped back, ripping his pistol from its holster and using it to bash his attacker in the head. The guard groaned and slumped to the wooden floor, dazed. Jesper took the chance to aim his pistol at the man trying to lock you in a chokehold. "Can you get him to stop moving?"
"I'm going to kill you if you shoot me," you snarled, bringing your knee to the man's gut and bashing his temple with your pistol. He crumpled, and you kicked the man's chest once he was on the ground. It seemed fair after shoving you down the stairs and possibly breaking your ribs. It ached horribly to breathe, and your wrist throbbed when you flexed it. Sprained, no doubt. There was no time to worry about that because another idiotic guard thundered down the stairs right toward you with two lackeys behind him.
Where were Inej, Kaz, and Nina?
You pulled the trigger on your pistol, taking a nonlethal shot at the first guard's thigh, sending him tumbling down the stairs with a shriek. See? That's how it feels, asshole.
Jesper handled the second one, and you went for the third, going for the arm this time. He howled in pain and clutched his arm, nearly tripping over his feet.
"Where's-?" you began, then your hair prickled on the back of your neck. Spinning around, you were greeted with a bash to the face. You collapsed to the ground, and your head hit the floor with an impact that rattled your teeth. You gasped for air, and black spots danced across your vision. The world spun too fast on its axis. Nothing was in focus. Distantly, Jesper shouted. You thought he was fighting the man who hit you.
Pain blossomed between your ribs, and you screamed. The world snapped sharply back into focus long enough to glimpse your attacker's face, concealed by a black scarf wrapped tightly around his head. His eyes were black as coal and filled with pure rage as he stabbed you, twisting the blade to inflict as much damage as possible.
You sobbed as he pulled the dagger free. Something sharp and metallic was bubbling in your throat, threatening to choke you. It bubbled out of your lips, painting them red and sliding down your cheek. The world around you disappeared, and you floated on nothing.
People talked, there was shouting, then more burning on your chest. Someone apologizing. A hand pressed between your ribs over your wound.
"No more," you thought you said. "Please."
You were dying. You could recognize that much.
As the chains of death fastened themselves around your wrists, cold metal biting your feverish skin, you thought of Kaz. His piercing blue eyes, how his coat looked against his pale skin, the way he brushed his fingers through his hair as he concocted heists. How he said your name so softly that you wondered if he felt the same way you did about him. Fluttery, light, hoping to give him a smile and have him smile back. All you wanted was a smile from Kaz, even if he didn't feel that same fluttering as your eyes caught.
Now you wouldn't even get that.
The world disappeared. 
And then it came back.
You woke with dry lips and a pounding head. Your throat burned from a lack of water, and everything around you was blurry from unconsciousness.
You looked around at your room in the Slat. How did I get here? Shouldn't I be greeting the Saints now, not feeling like shit with water leaking from the roof onto my head?
Someone leaned forward in a creaky chair beside you, and you saw his cane before you saw him. He was sitting in a chair haphazardly shoved in the corner. It hadn't been there before you'd died, nor had Kaz. He'd never even been in your room before.
"Hi," you rasped. Internally, you winced. Hi? That's the best you could say? You died while thinking of him, and you can only muster 'hi?' Maybe you could be stabbed again and start this over.
Kaz looked you over, his face carefully arranged into a mask of neutrality. But his hair was greasy and falling into his eyes, and he had dark shadows under his eyes that made him look like he'd been punched in the face. "How are you feeling?" His voice was almost just as blank as his face. But underneath his words was.. concern. He was worried. About you.
Where the hell had you gone after you died? In what world did Kaz Brekker, Dirtyhands, the Bastard of the Barrel, show any emotion?
"Am I dead?" you asked him. You experimentally tried to sit up, but your chest screamed at you in pain, and Kaz's cane shot out. The tip pressed against the wall beside your bed, and you were blocked from getting up.
Kaz was silent for a moment. Finally, he said, "What were you thinking? Why did you try to take all of them at once?"
"Jesper and I had it handled." Your throat throbbed, and Kaz seemed to realize that speaking was difficult. He held out a glass of water, and you lifted your head. Carefully, he tipped some of the liquid down your throat. You swallowed and sighed in relief.
"You nearly died," Kaz said. He placed the glass of water on the ground and stood, removing the cane from where it blocked you and thumping it against the floorboards. "It was reckless." His voice was lined with anger.
Anger sparked in your chest. "I woke up after being out for?"
"Three days," Kaz gritted out, whirling to face you. His eyes were ablaze, and you nearly shrunk under that look. It was so unlike him, usually so cold and stoic, that having that emotion directed at you was startling. But you didn't back down and forced yourself into a sitting position despite the searing pain and stiff bandages around your chest.
"Three days, and the first thing you do is decide to yell at me? I'm sorry I almost died, but I would appreciate it if you could wait to lecture me until I'm not about to keel over from pain."
His jaw flexed. He was furious. Much more than you realized. His eyes closed, and his chest expanded and contracted as he took a deep breath. "You nearly died," he said again. His voice was calmer now, and you found yourself softening. "When Inej and I found you nearly bleeding out while Jesper tried to stem the blood, I wanted to kill the person who did this to you." He inhaled again and turned his back to you.
He was silent for a few long moments. "Kaz?" you whispered. He was within your reach but felt so far away. Especially since he didn't like to be touched, and you didn't dare push that boundary to get his attention.
"I did," he admitted. "While Nina worked on you, Jesper and I followed him, and I killed him."
You didn't prompt him to continue this time. He so rarely shared his thoughts. You didn't want to ruin this.
"Killing him didn't keep you from nearly dying," he said quietly. "Your heart stopped. I thought I'd never..." The words died in his throat.
Your hand twitched with the urge to reach out to him. He was trying to say what he felt, but Kaz Brekker wasn't good with emotions. He hadn't been since he nearly drowned in the harbor.
"You said my name while you slept," he said roughly. He turned back to face her, his blue eyes on fire with something you struggled to identify immediately. Later, you recognized it as desperation.
He needed you to say it. He worked so hard to keep all his emotions beneath the surface that they refused to come to him when he called. He felt them all, burning beneath his skin, pleading to be shared, only to disappear when summoned. 
You didn't struggle as intensely. "I thought of you when I was dying," you breathed. The words were quiet, shy. Almost ashamed that you hadn't thought of someone else, like your best friend from home. "I thought of you smiling."
Kaz nearly laughed out of sheer amazement. "You've never seen me smile."
Your cheeks flushed, and you looked down at your hands. "But I want to. And I thought I would die without seeing it at least once."
The room was so silent your ears almost started ringing. Then the floorboards creaked, and Kaz sat in the chair beside your bed again. You exhaled slowly, relieved that he didn't open the door and disappear. It was the worst-case scenario that had haunted your dreams. But he hadn't, and he was back beside you again. It was closer than you'd ever expected to be to him.
"Don't die on me again, and maybe you will see it," he said. He rested his cane against the wall and stretched out his legs. Behind his words was relief. You understood what he was trying to say and felt the same, and you were alive. He had the chance to say this to you. For the first time in a long time, Kaz found himself nearly thanking the Saints.
Your heart leaped into your throat as you looked over and met his eyes. A silent understanding passed between you, and his lip quirked up in the corners, ever-so-slightly. You smiled back and looked down at your hands.
You were on the precipice of something new. It was something you'd wanted for so long that you couldn't believe this was real. 
"I'm still going to lecture you for almost dying," Kaz said, breaking the silence. He looked at you seriously, but a glimmer of something danced in his eyes. Despite the threat, you couldn't help but wheeze a quiet laugh.
"I expect nothing less, Boss."
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nineteenninety-six · 1 year
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Hi! can you do chishiya and his s/o in the jack of hearts of game please? Have a good day!
A/N: I don't really think this is all that good but I hope you enjoy it anyway.
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The unmistakable sounds of people fucking greeted YN and Chishiya as they walked into the Jack of Hearts game venue.
YN couldn't help the grin that grew on their face, "Seems like they have the right idea."
Chishiya hummed in agreement as he slipped the collar on, "Indulging in pleasure in a world of death... makes sense I suppose"
"Interested?" YN asked as they slipped on their own collar. "I'm sure we'll manage to find a free space on our calendar to fit it in, you know between running for our lives from the King of Spades and trying to find our group again."
Chishiya didn't respond, simply waving YN upstairs to the guardroom where a few other people were waiting. All of them looked uncomfortable from the noises coming from one of the cells. one of the older ladies gave them a judging look as they walked by as if expecting them to go off to a cell as well.
Chishiya finds a shadowed corner for them though YN can barely wait a couple of minutes of silence before they speak up again, "Do you think they came to this world together and were a thing before or do you think that they're just making the most out of a bad situation?"
Chishiya gives them an incredulous look." What difference does it make?"
YN shrugs, "None I suppose. I just wanted to gossip... I miss Kuina, she was always willing to gossip with me"
"You two spent more time gossiping than doing anything else." Chishiya engages in conversation. "A miracle you managed to clear games."
YN rolled her eyes at his derision, "It's not like there was much else to do. Most people aren't making DIY flamethrowers and backstabbing people, believe it or not."
Chishiya releases an amused huff and the conversation dies off again, at least until the noisy couple comes out to join the growing group of players filling the room, when chishiya whispers to YN, "They came together. Boss and secretary, perhaps?"
YN nods, "Uh-huh, the power dynamic must be crazy..."
┆彡
YN looked around at the players as the rules were explained, they weren’t exactly worried as they knew that Chishiya had their back but figuring out who the Jack was, is going to take an insane amount of time.
Heart games were psychological and YN had heard of heart games that had been designed so that only one person survives but this game seemed to be one that focused on backstabbing and creating suspicion amongst its players. 
There was no time limit, unlimited food and visas weren't going to expire. Putting scared and nervous people in this environment only caused these people to get caught up in their thoughts and paranoid.
Whoever the Jack was, they designed this game to be a massacre. Picking off people whilst disguised as a player. A smart way to design the game but every player had a secret and putting someone in a situation like this may bring out a new side of them.
“So, what do you think?” Chishiya whispered as they watched groups being formed around them.
“To early to even make a guess, give me a couple more rounds”
Chishiya nodded before the young man next to them asked if they could team up, as YN watched two men interact on the floor below through the floor grate. The smaller man seemed to be establishing dominance to create an uneven partnership.
YN looked away from them as a young girl in a blue dress walked over to them with her group following behind her,
“Say, would you like to join our team?” She asks, “It’s okay if you don’t want to”
The guy that Chishiya was talking to quickly responds before looking over at Chishiya who looks at YN.
YN gives a nod and shrug, so Chishiya turns back to the girl and nods, 
“Okay. Let’s work together.”
┆彡
YN watched Chishiya as he watched other people. He always had some sort of plan in motion at any given time and during games, he had backups to his backups.
YN had given up trying to guess whatever was going on in his head and usually went along with him though, they never relied on him a hundred per cent, making sure they had at least one plan because if something ever happened to Chishiya, they’ll be fucked.
Rounds kept on passing with at least one person dying each round and YN was over it, the smell of death permeated the air and no amount of free food and stay could convince them to stay any longer than necessary.
There were six of them left now, YN, Chishiya, Bada, Matsushita, Bada and Kotoko and just after the previous round ended with two more dead bodies, YN followed Chishiya to beg for him to set whatever plan he had in motion to end this game.
“You know who it is, right?” YN asks as they follow Chishiya around the food room.
Chishiya hummed as he picked up a packet of cookies and began snacking on them.
“You do?” YN huffed at their boyfriend, “End the game now. We can be done with this and look for Kuina.”
 Chishiya offered YN cookies which they refused with a roll of their eyes, “The plan is already in motion.”
“How long have you known who the Jack of Hearts was?”
“I wasn’t certain until this round” Chishiya took a bite of his cookie, “Satisfied now?”
YN bit their tongue, it was no good to start an argument now, especially since Chishiya was never a fair person to argue against, he had a tendency to use personal things against whoever he was fighting against to win the argument.
┆彡
YN speed walked out of the prison after the Jack of Hearts was defeated and they had cleared the game. Though ‘defeated’ was a strong word when you remember that Banda and Yaba had tortured Matsushita to the point where he could no longer talk so when the round concluded and he couldn’t say his suit, his collar activated and killed him.
“Are you still upset?” Chishiya asked as he followed them out, jogging at times to catch up to YN’s fast pace.
“No” YN grumbled, their pace not decreasing, “Let’s just focus on finding Kuina and the others.”
Chishiya saddles up to YN’s side and doesn’t say a word but he does reach out and take YN’s hand in his. His version of an apology.  
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nocasdatsgay · 15 days
Text
Baby of Mine A Spring Time Affairs Fic
Day 7 of @polyacotarweek Free Day
Pairing: Tamlin/OC/Elain/Lucien | Rating: T| Word count: 3778
Master List | Poly Week Masterpost | Read on AO3
Summary: After Calanmai and forgetting to take the tea, Flora is pregnant. The problem is, she doesn’t know if Tamlin or Lucien is the father.
Warnings: Pregnancy, Anxiety, base level childbirth mentions, a baby
AN: WE DID IT FOLKS! Last day of the week. I can’t want to go through the Masterlist and read what I have missed while writing. Thank you for all the likes and comments. PS: Can you catch the Beast of the Briars call out?
Tagging: @saltedcoffeescotch @ysmtttty
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Tamlin said he did not care. 
Lucien and Elain both said they didn’t care. 
But Flora did. 
The stress was evident on her face as she turned in front of the mirror, gaze dropping down to her bare stomach. She was starting to show. New clothes would be in soon, her old ones already feeling snug. She didn’t want to despise the babe in her belly but gods it was hard to not let her worries get to her. 
She was Tamlin’s wife. She had a duty to him to have his heir. What would the court do if her babe came out with red hair or russet eyes? Their relationship wasn’t a secret. Everyone knew. But they’d been so careful and then Calanmai came and the one time she forgot to put contraceptives in her system, she ended up pregnant. 
She hoped it was the first undiluted magic that conceived this child. Tamlin took her into the cave. They made love on that stone and released all that magic back into the world. What happened with Lucien and Elain after wasn’t under the same pull of ancient magic. But doubt plagued her. Her plants showed her there was no difference between the first wave of magic and after. It could easily be the same with her. 
“Flora?” Tamlin’s voice dragged her out of her thoughts. Her gaze met his through the mirror. “Is everything alright?” 
Tamlin stayed nervous about her condition. She knew why. He was worried she would fall into a depression or worse. He was constantly encouraging her to engage with the court, to go outside with Elain. It warred with his want to keep her inside and safe. His mistakes in the past haunted him. Even after all the time that passed. 
“I just-“ she looked back at where her hand rested on her stomach. “You know I worry.” 
“I don’t care what others may think. You know this.” 
“They’ll talk, Tamlin,” tears built in her eyes. Her worries she had been holding in came tumbling out. “What good am I? If my first born is not your heir? This is a child, Tamlin. What if it is Lucien’s? What if it triggers something in Elain? They’re mates.”
“Flora.”
“I’m sorry.” Her voice cracked and tears spilt. “It’s awful to think these things, I know. I'm horrible.”
“You’re not horrible, my wildflower.” Tamlin came up to her, wrapping his arms around her. One hand splayed over her stomach. “How long have you felt like this?” 
“Since I found out.” 
She grabbed one of his arms with her hand to mentally steady herself. She hadn’t spoken out loud how she felt. She feigned excitement; they were so happy when her scent changed. She didn’t want to take that away from them just because she worried. 
“Honey.” She winced at the sadness in his tone. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?” 
“I didn’t want to upset you.”
“You’ll never upset me.” She felt him kiss the back of her head. “I know you worry but our babe is so loved already and that’s all that matters.” 
She nodded and leaned back into the embrace of her husband. Tamlin was the most excited out of all of them. She just hoped she could match his enthusiasm sooner rather than later. 
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She officially was showing and barely made it out alive from the Court announcement party. So many congratulations, each one meant well but still grated her. She was a perfect Lady of Spring, faking her smile and when someone did notice, it was explained off as hormones. Tam watched her the whole time, ready to scoop her up and out of the room if needed. She finally feigned tiredness and excused herself. 
It was a relief to enter the empty hall. Though she was not alone for long. She made it up the stairs before running into one of the two people who put her in this predicament. Lucien’s gold eye clicked rapidly as he came up to her, studying her face. She had not seen him since his return this morning from visiting Day Court. 
“How did it go?”
Flora rolled her eyes. “I swear if I hear one more congratulations I am going to vomit.”
”So it went well. Good.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “And how are you? How’s my little one?”
”I am tired and annoyed. And you don’t know for certain, if this babe is yours,” she snapped. She regretted it the second the words left her mouth. “The baby is fine, Lucien. I didn’t mean- I’m sorry. That was unkind of me.”
“It was.” He didn’t hide the hurt on his face. 
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t mean that. I’m sorry.”  She looked down in shame. She’d never spoken to Lucien like that before. She was horrid. 
“Flora, look at me, I do forgive you.” He reached his hand under her chin and tilted it up so she would look at him. “I get it and I’m sure the announcement party didn’t help.”
Her eyes watered. “It really didn’t. None of them have any idea. They all just assume this was planned. They all just assume this is Tamlin’s and when I try to correct them, they just -” She took a shaky breath and her hand went to the small bump poking out from her dress. “Tam says stress isn’t good for the baby.”
”It’s not,” Lucien replied. “If they’re mine, they might come out looking grumpy and be mistaken for Eris if you aren’t careful. Try explaining that to the court.”
That made her laugh. “You’re right.” She gave him a soft smile. “He’s a boy, by the way. Don’t tell Elain, she doesn’t know yet.”
Lucien’s grin beamed with likeness of the sun. “We’re having a boy?”
“Yes. We are having a boy.” She paused and bit her lip. She knew the answer but after the party, her worries continued to fall from her lips without warning. “If this is Tam’s baby, are you sure you aren’t going to be mad?”
Lucien sighed. “I’ve already told you, it doesn’t matter if he’s mine or Tam’s, he will be ours.” Lucien tapped his finger on her nose. “Get those thoughts out of your mind. Don’t let the courtiers get to you. And go tell Elain before I find her first. I won’t be able to help myself and she’ll be livid you told me first.” 
Flora nodded and smiled again. Lucien always knew how to make her feel better. She stood on her toes and gave him a quick kiss before setting off to find Elain. He was right on that part; Elain was going to be livid she was the last to know. 
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tamlin made her nap in a guest room citing he ‘had a surprise’ for her. She was too tired to question it. Five months in and between being either absolutely insatiable and exhausted, she took his word for it and laid down. It wasn’t until after dinner that night, he escorted her to their rooms, grinning the whole time. 
“What did you do?” She asked, not able to suppress her own smile. 
“Come see.” 
They entered through the sitting room and into their bed chamber. Nothing looked different; Tamlin guided her forward into the next room and she gasped. The nursery was finished- and fully finished. Her hand went instantly to her stomach, where she felt the flutters of life moving inside her. 
“It’s beautiful,” she blinked back her tears. “Oh, Tamlin.” 
She called out things as she noticed them. The walls were painted a pretty light green. A bassinet in the middle and an oak crib against the wall near their room for later. Even the rug was beautiful- her favorite flowers stitched in throughout. Other furniture filled the room, all a deep oak like the crib. There was even a rocking chair and bookshelf by the window. 
“Do you notice anything else?” 
She frowned, looking up at her husband’s knowing smirk. She looked around the room again- everything was new. The room even smelled of wood still. She frowned harder; that wasn’t right. She glanced around the room again and finally noticed it. A new door opposite their own. 
“Where does that go?” She asked. 
“To Lu and Lainy’s rooms.” 
She jerked her head towards him again with her mouth open. “They’re moving? Really?” 
They talked about it so often before that Flora thought it was mute at this point. She desperately wanted them to be closer than where their rooms were now on the other side of the manor but didn’t want to push them. They deserved their own space. Even with the baby- especially with the baby. But knowing they agreed to move closer- she started crying. 
“We’ve been waiting for time to put the door in so they’d have access to the nursery too if needed.” Tamlin reached up and wiped her tears. “These are happy ones, correct?” She nodded. “Good. Come, I want you to pick out the curtains for the window.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Three more months to go and Flora was ready to evict this baby now. Sitting was a little uncomfortable, her belly becoming rounder by the day. It didn’t help that her babe started to kick daily, for no other reason than to make his mother uncomfortable. 
Even outside in the garden, where the chairs could lounge out to prop up one’s feet weren’t comfortable. It was Elain’s idea to take their tea outside today. Flora shuffled about in her chair while Elain poured tea into a cup. 
“Drink this,” Elain sat the tea cup and saucer beside her. 
“What is it?” Flora was scared to sniff it. Last time she smelled anything but black tea she nearly hurled. Though that was early on in her pregnancy. She avoided it ever since. 
“Raspberry mint. I made it for Feyre and it seemed to help with the second pregnancy.”
She took a hesitant sip and her eyes widened right before she downed more of it. She sat back her chair and made an inappropriate noise. 
“This is the best tea I’ve ever had.” She took another drink from the saucer. “Thank you Elain.”
“You’re welcome. Hopefully it calms the little rascal.” 
Flora nodded and resisted the urge to down the rest of her cup. She set aside and watched Elain take a sip of her own tea. 
“How are your sisters?” 
Elain contemplated for a moment. Flora didn’t know if that was a bad sign or not. 
“Nesta has taken on a writing project.” Elain cut her eyes to Flora with a knowing look. “A romance novel.” 
Flora sat up straighter. “Really? On a scale of what I read and what you read, how smutty is it?” 
“What you read. You know Nes adores those Drake books. Stands to reason she would write something equally scandalous.” 
“You know you love those books too,” Flora playfully rolled her eyes. “I hope she completes it. Tell her I look forward to having a copy on my bookshelf.”
Elain grinned. “I will make sure to let her know.”
“And Feyre? How is she?” 
Flora held no ill will to the female. What happened between her and Tamlin was in the past. 
“She’s good. The twins are giving her hell.” Flora laughed at that. “She handed off her workshops to local artists. So now she’s only supervising the ones in Illyria and Hewn city, occasionally hosting an event.” 
“I thought you mentioned she planned for that?” 
Elain took a sip of her tea. “She did. She’s just been putting off for decades. She’s worse than Lucien, having her hands in so many pots.” 
Flora couldn’t disagree. She picked her tea backup and drank the rest before it was too cold. It was only minutes later when she realized she could still feel the baby move but his kicking stopped. 
“By the cauldron I thought he’d never stop. You’re a lifesaver, Lainy.” 
She only smiled and took another sip of her tea. They settled into a nice silence but Flora’s mind spiraled. No longer focused on her baby’s excessive kicking, she couldn’t help but wonder further about Elain’s sisters. She hadn’t had time to ask. Or even think about it but now…
“Elain?” She hummed in acknowledgment. Flora smoothed out the fabric on her belly idly. “Have you explained to your sisters he might be Lucien’s?” 
“I have.” She replied. “They are aware we have a different relationship, the four of us. They are understanding. You don’t know them as well as I do, but I promise they will not care. If they did, I would never let them hear the end of it.”
She accepted that response. Elain studied her for a moment, then reached over, placing her hand on Flora’s stomach. 
“No matter what, this is our baby. We’ve been over this. I will love him no matter who fathered him.”
“I know, I know. Thank you.” 
Elain gave her a soft smile and pulled back her hand to stand. She came over and gave Flora a quick kiss. She patted Flora’s shoulder. 
“Come, let’s clean this up and go bother our husbands.” She said with a grin. 
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The time finally came and Flora labored off and on for days. The whole time Tamlin never left her side. Lucien kept the court running and Elain took over the kitchens by cooking. She’d brought all kinds of food every few hours to see if Flora would eat. Flora took most of the pastries. She joked the baby had a sweet tooth but they all knew it was just Flora’s preference. 
It felt like an eternity passed before it came time to push. Their healer in the room supervised as planned. With Lucien and Elain flanking her sides, and holding her hands, Tamlin caught their child as he was pushed out into this world. Flora should have known the second she felt the head crown and Tamlin’s widened, what was about to happen. Of course she was too focused on screaming her own lungs out from the pain and pressure to realize it for what it was.
Their healer beside him cleaned out the baby's mouth and wails filled the room. Flora was finally handed a baby boy with the brightest red hair she’d ever seen in her life. And she laughed. She laughed and cried as she pulled her baby to her chest. All those months of worry, all the love for this tiny little being she grew in her body, and all the stress from labor hit her at once. 
It was bittersweet but not in the way she expected or planned for. She didn’t realize Elain had moved off the bed until Tamlin was right beside her, hands cupping her face as he kissed her forehead then her lips. He was crying too but there was no sadness in his eyes. No words were exchanged; they weren’t needed. It was their healer who finally intervened, moving Tamlin so her assistant could take the baby to clean up and she could take over for the rest of the process. Flora looked over to see Lucien and Elain still by her side. Both of them had red eyes also. 
“We have a baby,” Flora choked out, tears renewed. Both of them grinned at her. 
“We do,” Lucien laughed through his tears. 
They both gave her a long kiss each before the healer shooed them out to give Flora some space. They all agreed when she first became pregnant that no matter what, she wanted Tamlin by her side during the first few hours of recovery. She still felt guilty sending Lucien out, knowing what she knew now. 
The guilt didn’t last long when she felt like she had to push again. 
Tamlin was utterly smitten. Flora watched him cradle their baby in his arms while the head healer made certain everything else was gone and felt around her stomach. He was so gentle, like he was afraid he would break him. The healer finally took the baby back to show Flora how to feed him. Once he was settled, they cleaned up and Flora moved into their room. 
After some time with just her and the baby, Tamlin came back to join her on the bed. She also finally realized how exhausted she was. Being back in her own bed, with her baby calm had relaxed her heavily. Tamlin put their son in the cradle by the bed and crawled up next to her. They were silent for a long time, so much she almost fell asleep with Tamlin rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. His soft voice pulled her back from sleep. 
“Flora?” 
“Tam.”
“How do you feel?” He was still stroking her knuckles nervously. 
“Exhausted.” She knew that’s not what he meant. “Numb. I worried so much. I was so anxious. Now it’s over and I don’t feel anything.”
“Look at me,” he pulled back and tilted her chin up gently. His sad green eyes pleaded with hers. “The second you start feeling upset or overwhelmed, you tell me. Because you will- you just had a baby, our baby. Your body might be in shock.”
He let go and she nodded. “I know. I promise. I love you.”
“I love you,” he kissed her forehead. “Do you want to bring Lu and Lainy in? Or do you want to rest?” 
“They can come in. They need to meet their son proper.” She grinned when she said that. Their son. The four of them. 
“I’ll get them.” 
Tamlin went through the door to the nursery and shortly came back with Lucien and Elain right behind him. After a few exchanges of kisses with Flora, Lucien took the babe first. Elain came and sat by her while Lucien stood, rocking the baby gently in his arms. 
Then his brows furrowed, confusion etched in his face. “Are we sure he’s mine?” 
“That’s exactly what Beron said when you were born,” Tamlin replied immediately, causing Flora and Elain to snort with laughter. 
“No, I mean it,” Lucien replied through his own chuckles. “His eyes are green.” 
“No, they aren’t,” Flora replied. 
She had stared at her son the whole time she had him and fed him. Not once did she notice his eyes being green when he opened them. Elain got up and Lucien lowered him for her to look. Shock went over her face. 
“Flora, they’re green.” 
They brought their son over to her. She frowned as she took him and he grunted from being passed around. It took a moment for him to open his eyes again. Flora’s mouth fell open. Her son’s eyes were green. Tamlin’s green. 
Tamlin looked down at their son with a soft smile. “The Mother has a sense of humor. When we said our baby she knew we meant it.” He sighed and looked at his wife. “Do you still want to wait? Before we tell your parents he’s here?”
“Gods yes.” Flora’s parents always meant well, but were so overbearing sometimes. “I need a few days before my mother descends upon the manor. I’m also going to need all three of you here to explain this.” She smoothed her son's red hair gently. 
Along with overbearing, they weren’t understanding of her relationships. They only kept their mouths shut thanks to Tamlin being High Lord. Elain’s sisters understood. Lucien’s parents understood a little too well, considering who his father was. Flora was going to have to mentally prepare for the explanations she’d have to provide. Elain pulled her from her thoughts, moving her mate to sit beside Flora. 
“Have you picked the name?” 
Elain looked between her and Tamlin with her big doe eyes, innocently trying to hide her excitement. She’d been begging them to tell her what they picked for weeks. A small list was made by the four of them and from there, her and Tam picked two weeks ago. 
“Yes Lainey,” Flora bumped her forehead gently against Elain’s. “We’re going with Ezryn.” 
“Not the grumpy one,” Lucien exclaimed albeit playfully. 
Before Flora could even scold him, Ezryn grunted and shuffled in his swaddle. It would have been perfect timing if his hair hadn’t changed from bright red to brown. Her eyes widened as she just stared at her baby, silence between the four of them deafening. It was finally Elain, who said something. 
“Oh he’s going to be a rascal.” She covered her mouth and looked at her mate. 
Then Flora laughed again. Laughed and cried like she had when she held him for the first time. The whole time she was worried about his hair and he changed it. Which meant her worries, her acceptance of her fate, was all a waste. Tamlin was laughing too, his head on her shoulder. 
“He’s worse than you,” she wiped her eyes, turning her head to her husband. “By the mother he’s only a few hours old.”
“I still think he’s Lucien’s,” Tamlin chuckled, which sent Lucien howling. 
Ezryn did not like that. To be fair to him, his little fae ears could only handle so much. Tamlin took him, rocking him gently in his arms. Lucien and Elain both made their exit, promising to come back with dinner later so Flora could rest. By the time he was settled again, Flora was also nearly asleep. 
“He’s going to be a menace,” she whispered after Tamlin put their son in his cradle. 
“He’s our menace.” Tamlin got in the bed with her. “His powers are just fluctuating because he’s a newborn. They’ll taper out in a day or so.” 
She nodded and yawned. She then snuggled up to Tamlin to try and rest, though her mind raced. 
“Will you check on Lucien later?” She whispered. “I’m worried. We all thought…”
“I will, I promise.” He took her hand that laid on his chest and gently squeezed it. “I think he’s fine, but I will ask Lainy to keep an eye on him. Today was a lot for all of us.” 
“It was.” She yawned again. “Thank you.” 
Silence fell between them. She let Tamlin brush his fingers through her hair until she finally fell asleep.
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meimi-haneoka · 6 months
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Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Chapter 79: Comments + JP-ENG translation differences
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Welcome back to our monthly appointment, CCS fans! This chapter comes right after this month's full moon, the Hunter Moon! (lol yes I will feature the name of the relative full moon till the end of the story). And speaking of the end of the story, I will start this analysis and translation post from the end of the chapter, where I found the confirmation to the rumour that had been going on for hours before the official release on Comic Days:
yes, dear readers, this is not a drill, Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Arc will end with chapter 80, after 7 years of serialization! 🎉✨ When *the last chapter* is announced, there's no turning back! No more sudden announcements of extensions! 🥹 But at the moment of writing this post, no mentions have been given about any "epilogue" or extra chapters that might be serialized in the upcoming months leading to the big release of volume 16 on April 1st!
On the translation side, I have to sigh in relief because no major misunderstandings happened in the ENG version, just some minor inaccuracies! I was kinda scared because this chapter is pretty important and complex in itself.
And let me say that what happened in this chapter 79 definitely marks the end of the climax, so I can totally see it ending in next chapter. The chapter tackled some very important thematics regarding the presence of "evil" in this series, that I will talk about extensively in my analysis.
The announcement today made me already a bit nostalgic and sad, but I want to strive hard to accompany myself and all of you towards the end of this arc with excitement and a smile, therefore I won't let myself be prey of the sadness yet and introduce you immediately to the gif of this month, because there's a lot we need to talk about and analyze and we can't waste time!!
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This is entirely dedicated to our protagonist and heroine Sakura-chan, because damn, she really slayed this chapter!!! Under the cut to see what miracles she made happen!
The Color Page
My dear readers, after years of countless pleas on my social media, after being let down month after month, CLAMP FINALLY GRANTED ME A COLOR PAGE SOLELY DEDICATED TO KAITO AND AKIHO TOGETHER ON THE SECOND-TO-LAST CHAPTER!! Yaaaay!! Excuse me while I celebrate this event here in my little corner, especially after having a rough month! 🎉🎉🎉 I hope my followers thought of me when they saw it? Like "finally she'll stop asking for it" (breaking news, I'll keep asking for more even after the series is over) 😂 It took them 79 chapters to do so and honestly I'm laughing because....yes, I admit it, I expected another vibe for such an important color page coming after such an important emotional scene in chapter 78, but honestly the first thing I thought when I saw it was "....they had to wait 79 chapters for this? 😧" 😂because it's very very "regular", I think it would've been ok for this to come out long ago. LOL I'm being brutally honest here, I hope no one gets offended, especially because that pet peeve aside, OF COURSE I love this precious color page to bits, and I know under its "normalcy", its got a very important meaning to the both of them.
Akiho and Kaito are depicted together clearly during one of their travels....but the question is, is this from the past? Or the near future? I'd daresay they look the same age they are now, so this might probably be a foreshadowing for the future...? They'll keep travelling the world? But seeing the content of the chapter, this might also be just a call-back to their memories together and everything that they experienced during those travels, tightening their bond. Travelling the world is, after all, really their thing, their element. I really like Kaito's expression, with his usual smile that almost turns into a smirk, he gives off a vibe of being finally free to express his emotions. He looks carefree, and that's really something for him. Akiho, on the other hand, is always so much more expressive than him and you can literally feel the joy and excitement emanating from her delighted expression. Travelling with him makes her happy, so yes, should this be what awaits them in the finale, it's fine by me as long as they're happy (I'm rooting for the other option though, the "stay in Tomoeda with your newfound support network" route).
But as you know, I always have to analyze the color pages a bit deeper, especially when they're about these two. And since I had to keep myself distracted, I made a bit of research. Other than the "travelling" vibe, this illustration gives off also kind of a "vintage" vibe (which is another strong element to Akiho and Kaito). It seems Akiho is dressed in a sleeveless coat with cape and wearing a bonnet fully inspired by those worn by children in the second half of the 1800s, in the Victorian era.
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(pic courtesy of Etsy) This is a model from 1896, for example. When I pinpointed the period, I immediately thought "uh, the Victorian era is also the period when Alice in Wonderland came out", although that was more towards the 1860s. I found it really interesting and a nice touch for this illustration with a retro flavor (the suitcase and purse also look kinda vintage).
But another thing that immediately caught my eyes were those cute birds landing on Kaito's shoulder and Akiho's bonnet. I immediately tried to look what kind of birds they are, and it seems like they could really be eastern bluebirds, typical of North America. Searching further, I found out that in several cultures bluebirds are harbinger of happiness and symbols of hope. I couldn't honestly have thought for a more fitting symbolism, for these two. Especially cause birds often are associated with an imagery of freedom, and this is something else that these two need, after being hunted by evil people for so long. They really do look free, in this color page. Also, the presence of the birds in this color page immediately brought me back to the color page of chapter 62, where we can see baby Kaito in a wintery setting, sitting on a lamppost, extending his little hand to a swallow coming to him. Swallows are a symbol of hope and bring a message of "spring is coming", and continuing from that message of hope, of "spring is coming for you too", we can finally see here in chapter 79 our Kaito with his true happiness, symbolized literally by the birds most associated with happiness. Another thing that caught my eyes is of course the lily depicted on the cover of the book Akiho is holding, a nice callback to Akiho's mother and Kaito's torment, Lilie. She's always going to be with them ❤️
The Japanese editorial text over the picture is an excerpt of what Momo was musing to herself in chapter 39, while imagining to talk to Kaito: "You traveled with her, and spent time together with her". I think CLAMP chose to feature this line to indicate an important thing that will be restored at the end of this chapter.
Everyone Is Doing Their Best
The chapter starts with a panel showing some light coming off Yukito's house, and we find out that even Touya fainted, exhausted by the effort to keep time stopped as much as possible. Ruby Moon is cradling his head on her lap trying to assist him and "recharge" his magical power, in hope to be able to maintain time "stopped" a bit more. In fact, if you notice, the "black covering" that symbolizes the time-stopping spell isn't completely destroyed yet, but only riddled with "holes", an indication that the spell is still somehow active, even if feebly. I imagine this might "slow down" the attacks, which are still coming but probably not at full speed like they would if the spell came undone completely. I have to point out immediately a mild inaccuracy in the ENG version, that I want to specify in order to dispel extreme theories before they're born: no, Ruby Moon didn't give up all of her powers to Touya, the verb used here is simply 補える, "can replenish (your magic)", not "give all".
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Touya doesn't lose his sense of humor even in a dire situation like this, and comments sarcastically "What are you, a battery?", a clear recall to the whole "batteries" matter that came out in the un-rewritten world. Touya isn't supposed to remember about that, and he probably doesn't, but this is just a way from CLAMP to show that even in a situation where memories have been rewritten, some things will be unconsciously said again, because they're just meant to happen.
Ruby Moon calls for assistance from her "brother" Spinel Sun (love how even in these true forms, she still calls him "Suppy"), whom rejects the appellative of "battery" but agrees to give her a hand with "recharging" Touya to keep the spell up a bit longer. Everyone looks outside, only one thought in their minds, which is voiced clearly by a serious Tomoyo: "Sakura and everyone else are fighting with all they've got". I have to point out a typo here in the Japanese version (nothing serious, it can happen and will be surely fixed in the tankobon version): Tomoyo calls Sakura "Sakura-san". I loved the "sparkles" around Tomoyo's eyes, as if indicating that her extraordinary intuition is "at work" and just telling her that, even if they can't see them because they're quite far away, Sakura and the others are doing whatever they can to stop these attacks. And the fact they can see the attacks, but not their friends and their condition, must be really hard to witness, for all of them. But no worries, there's Touya nii-chan who's always ready to lighten the mood even in this challenging situation, joking that "If they don't get back before the curfew, they won't be getting their snacks tomorrow!". Here the ENG adds "squirt" to make Touya refer specifically to Sakura, but truth to be told, in the JP there's no subject, so he might be referring to everyone. It's amazing how he's able to keep his spirit up and be sarcastic even in this situation....he really believes in his little sister so much!
I'll Make Them Forget About You
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Back where our heroes are, the attacks keep coming relentlessly, countered by Syaoran, Yue and Kero in tandem. Sakura reflects on the fact that the only transparent Cards she's got left are these two she's holding in her hands (Time and Rewind) and Flight. This statement leads me to believe that when Record transformed into that crystal that entered her, that meant that the Card completed its duty and disappeared inside of her. But Sakura isn't worried at all, because she knows that she can create more Cards. Yessss, this development that I've been anticipating since quite some time is finally here! ✨🎉 Sakura seems to finally have a concrete plan, but before proceeding, she needs to ascertain something. She asks directly to Kaito: "The people who are using these spells were trying to hurt you, right?". Kaito, with a pensive face, answers affirmatively.
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But it's when Sakura asks again "Were they trying to hurt Akiho too?" that his expression turns really painful, the background after him portraying well his raging emotions and, while Mokona-sensei chose to leave Akiho hidden by Kaito's black wings in the previous panels, now she finally shows how both she and Kaito are holding onto eachother, while our boy answers with a "...Yes" dripping with sorrow. It really squeezed my heart with pain, this scene. Because as long as Sakura was asking about him, his expression was pensive but almost as if it's something he's used to, that didn't shake him too much. But when Sakura mentions Akiho, god, that wrecked him. Any mention, any reminescence of what those bastards did to her and how they were chasing after her to put their filthy hands on her again wrecks him even now, and it's like Mokona with her visual skills is showing how Kaito seems to be holding Akiho a little bit tighter, while he answers Sakura's question. I also have to point out something that I had noticed already from last chapter, but a panel tricked me into believing I was just seeing things: CLAMP here use a dark screentone for Kaito's eyes, that he never had before (actually, no other character in CCS got this effect in their eyes). This effect will be used on him for the entire chapter.
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And it seems like it's the very same screentone that was used for the dragon. I think this might be an indication that the wings aren't the only reminescence of his dragon appearance!
Sakura shows once again an incredible empathy that allows her to go right to the heart of the issue without investigating much. If Kaito rewrote an entire world, and if it's true that Akiho in the previous world didn't have all the love and familiar support she's got now, it means that she was probably in danger too. And seeing as these people are attacking them now because they freed Kaito from his "punishment", Sakura doesn't really need much to make 2+2 and understand the situation. Sakura believes in Akiho, therefore she believes in Kaito too, and knows that if he came to this point it's because they were in a desperate and dangerous situation.
Showing an incredible insight, Sakura shocks both Kaito and Akiho by asking:
Sakura, JP: "In that case, can I make those people forget about you both?"
Because our girl needs to make sure that the plan she came up with won't have any undesired consequences. But most importantly, she needs to have their consent. She reiterates this once again, actually she will make sure to ask Kaito and Akiho's consent 3 times in total. She says: JP, lit. "If going back to before the world was rewritten will put you through hardships once again, then, can I just make them forget?" Kaito is even more shocked, because he finally understands Sakura's intent. A generous, selfless intent born from a loving heart. Our girl wants to make sure that these two will be safe and sound once she fixes this situation. She can't take risks, because their happiness is all she's really caring for right now. And in his shocked expression, I can also see some kind of "omg YES, PLEASE" vibe. Because probably, having those terrible people forgetting all about them is everything he ever wished, but couldn't achieve. And I think it's really funny how we berated Kaito so much in the past chapters for making Akiho and the others forget facts that happened before and forgetting about him, but here Sakura just takes "inspiration" from him and actually decides to use that same "trick" in the right way. Because it's not fair that it should be them, the abused people, to forget about their most important person, in order to achieve a happy life for at least one of them. It isn't fair and it isn't right that Kaito was driven into making all the mess that he made, pushed by desperation. The abusers, that clan and Association of magicians, should be the ones forgetting.
But this is Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card's finale, and Sakura definitely hasn't finished with being amazing yet, she actually just started. Her very strong power at this point allows her not only to see things that were difficult before, but also to connect the dots more easily thanks to that renowned instinct that I've always talked to you about, and that she learned to finally listen to.
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As if she were seeing through him with X-rays, she confidently affirms that there's a book inside of him, a white book where you can inscribe magic on. And she also knows that that same book was inside Akiho, once. I guess this might be even coming from past memories of the unrewritten world (do you remember when, before the play started, Sakura said that she could feel something inside Akiho?). Akiho of course is shocked to hear that, and from her expression you can almost feel the chill that went down her spine in that moment. Sakura affirms that this book knows both Akiho and Kaito (thanks to the fact that it was inside both of them - something that I've always found painfully heartbreaking but also quite moving, for my ship), and it's got a very strong power inside of it. These will be two crucial things for Sakura's plan. In fact, our heroine is hellbent in attempting something pretty arduous: utilizing that artifact's power to create a new Card. For impartiality, I have to point out that the ENG added (completely on their whim) a "you, her special person" that isn't there in the JP version! Of course it's all the better for me, since they repeat (finally with the right adjective) that Kaito is Akiho's special person, but it's kinda funny that they messed it up so much in the previous chapters, and now they're adding it where there isn't any mention of it!
Sakura will be using a tool that knows the both of them, therefore she is sure that her plan will succeed, because the Card will know what it will need to erase. Sakura asks for Kaito and Akiho's agreement one last time. After hearing how those people wanted to hurt them both and even implanted the same magical artifact inside of her, Akiho is quite resolute and doesn't have any doubt: on with the wiping off! It doesn't matter who those people are, they've tried to harm her most important person and her too, so she doesn't really seem to give a damn about proceeding with this plan. Kaito, on the other hand, seems to be giving a more lackluster affirmative reply, but it's not that he's uncertain: he's just still riddled with guilt for all the mess that he's done, and he's probably realizing that now Sakura will need to put herself on the line in order to fix this and protect both of them, hence his sad face.
Still surfing the confidence wave, Sakura guesses that once those people have forgotten about Akiho and Kaito, then the magic arrows will stop too, and Kaito confirms that: forgetting about the person who had the Seal of D enforced on him will be equal to "undo" both the activation of the Seal itself (when Kaito removed the book from Akiho) and also the rescission of it (what Sakura did when she freed Kaito from the cage). This will therefore stop the arrows too, because the Seal wouldn't have been triggered in the first place. However, Kaito warns her that, although time is still barely "stopped" (because the time-stopping spell is still weakly on), it's necessary an enormous amount of power in order to do what Sakura wants to do. I have to point out another inaccuracy in the ENG translation in this part, which makes Kaito say "before things could get worse" and I have the feeling they misunderstood the word 辛うじて, "barely" or "narrowly", which is also written with the kanji of 辛い, "hard" or "tough". So Kaito isn't saying "before things could get worse" but actually meaning "although time is barely stopped".
Sakura doesn't seem to be scared by Kaito's warning, and activates her wand without a second thought, and immediately we can see that her task wil NOT be easy, as she can feel the strain almost right away.
Here we go with another inaccuracy of the ENG translation:
Sakura, ENG: "Great book, please show yourself! My power alone won't be enough...!" Sakura, JP: "The book....doesn't want to come out. (it's too difficult to pull it out) with just my power..."
Basically, Sakura isn't begging the book to "show itself", she's actually actively trying to pull it out of Kaito, and she's aware that it's opposing a lot of resistance, and her power alone isn't enough to take this damn book out. Sakura refuses to give up, because everyone else is doing their best too. Yes, everyone else.
And that's when CLAMP decided to bring us a big surprise for this finale.
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A pair of hands seem to be appearing next to Sakura's, as if a spirit is hugging her from behind. We can see the famous fan that we learned to recognize so well ever since her first appearance in Movie 1. Sakura feels immediately the same magical power of Syaoran surrounding her, and with her instinct she finally recognizes her: it's Syaoran's mother, YELAN!!! We can see her, sweating and all, in her sacred chinese pavilion, lending her power to help in this difficult task.
What a great, welcome surprise for this finale!! You might have heard me saying on Twitter that Clear Card is really a celebration of motherhood, with this constant presence of mothers and mother figures who try to help these kids growing up without removing their right to choose for themselves. And since Yelan is the only mother figure who can concretely help Sakura in this moment, with her immense power, I really loved to see how this woman didn't hesitate to assist her future daugher in law. For any SyaoSaku fan, this scene here is a huge thing. We have seen in the anime how Yelan doted on Sakura ever since she met her in Movie 1, even before her own son realized his feelings for this girl. Yelan and Sakura haven't met in the manga yet (and hello, CLAMP, now this is a good chance for letting that happen, after the madness is over), but the woman didn't hesitate a moment to lend her power. I can really imagine how along these two will get, in the future. ❤️
Sakura thanks her aloud, while her eyes show that she's really really tired. Yelan's assistance is finally effective in summoning the artifact book out of Kaito, and we see again those countless book pages that we saw both when Akiho used to go "berserk", and also in the most heartbreaking scene of chapter 70. Kaito, still holding onto a worried Akiho, seems to suffer physically from this removal, and I can't understand if it's because removing something magical from inside is naturally painful (we've been shown something like that before, Syaoran crouching to the ground in pain while the Sakura Cards were being removed from inside of him) OR if the removal of the artifact also triggered his poor health conditions in which we left him, before he disappeared in chapter 70.
Sakura tries with all she's got and finally manages to turn the artifact into its "true form": a book filled with countless of spells written in strange magic runes.
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You have spotted it, right? ☝️ I haven't seen many fandom reactions yet, but I guess this "cameo" made more than one person scream: it's Fay D. Fluorite's tattoo, yes! This page of the "book" is probably describing the procedure to cast that tattoo (which was also a kind of "seal", if I remember correctly). So that spells exists in this CCS world too! 😅 The magic Sakura is weaving starts "working" on the book, literally removing the spells from its pages and turning them back to their original form of magical books (remember that the Squids used to say that they would inscribe "magic books" and their power onto Akiho?).
Then, solemnly, we hear probably for the last time ever the magical incantation that accompanied us in the beginning of the story, used by Sakura to secure the strange manifestations of power into a transparent Card:
ENG: "Force without master, heed the call of my Staff of Dreams and become my power! SECURE!"
The countless of books and all this tremendous amount of power get secured into the birth of a new Card: BLANK!!!
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Blank got the human appearance of Akiho, but also the protective wings of Kaito. The girl is holding a book (of course, how perfect for her) which is the representation of the artifact that was inside both Kaito and Akiho. This card is really so meaningful for someone like me who loves Akiho and Kaito. It's representing them united in their suffering (the artifact) but also in the hope for a better future (Akiho is smiling and the Card will be used to grant them safety, away from their abusers). I've always imagined that one of the last Cards Sakura might have produced would have Akiho and Kaito's elements, and here it is.
Also, how AWESOME is that Sakura managed to dispose of that damn artifact and succeeded to use it for Kaito and Akiho's sake, and turned it against the monsters who created it??? HOW. AWESOME. IS. THAT!!!!
Producing the very first consciously created transparent Card sucked almost all of Sakura's power and strength, and she's close to fainting, under the terrified eyes of Akiho, who lets go of Kaito for a moment in a gesture of going towards her "sister". But Sakura isn't done yet, no. She can't give up yet because her job isn't done.
And I Will Make Them Remember About You
Sakura wants for Akiho and the people who care about her (the ENG decided to translate this with "the people SHE holds dear") to remember who Akiho really is. She wants basically to "undo" what the rewriting of the world caused on the people who know Akiho, making them believe that she was born into the Kinomoto family and that she was Sakura and Touya's sister.
After pondering for a while and discussing with my friends over at my Discord server, I decided I'm not gonna go out on a limb and assume things from this decision, because I definitely NEED to read the next chapter to see how much Sakura intends people to remember, with this move. It's really not clear at all, as of now.
Anyway, other translation inaccuracy incoming!
Sakura, ENG: "I'm going to make another new card for that...and I might not have the power to do it alone" Sakura, JP: "It might probably be really difficult to create one more new card with my power, right now..."
As you can see, the nuance is different, because Sakura in the JP addresses how it's almost impossible for her to create another new card in the situation she is in right now, exhausted and all.
That's why, very cleverly, she's going to do something different. (My gosh how proud I am of this girl!!)
Saying "But these two Cards will surely help me", Sakura skillfully manages to merge Time and Rewind to create a new Card, not from scratch (which requires more power) but using what she's already got: and that's how the REMIND Card is born!!! The name of the Card originated by just replacing the "W" of Rewind with the "M" of Time. Ingenious, isn't it???
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And as the two Cards merge, they give us lots of flashbacks, like the "effect" used here resembles a lot the one that used to happen when Sakura was changing the Clow Cards into the Sakura Cards back in the old arcs, or how the merging of two Cards seems to also be a callback to how the "card without name" and the "Nothing" merged to create HOPE in the very last minutes of Movie 2! What a nostalgic trip down the memories lane!
And the appearance of this Card is even more touching, because it features Syaoran (with his current age) holding Nadeshiko's pendant watch. I found that so sweet, especially coupled with Yelan's assistance to Sakura in this chapter. Yelan associated with Sakura, and Syaoran associated with Nadeshiko. How sweet. And when you think that even Lilie, Akiho's mother, was associated with Kaito, you really can realize that this is some kind of "theme" that CLAMP seemed to be wanting to portray in this story.
I Can't Be On Everyone's Side
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And now, the scene that I think is worth the whole chapter, but probably the whole Clear Card Arc in its entirety. As usual, with important scenes, I'll use the literal translation from Japanese:
Sakura, JP: "It might not be right that there'll be people who will forget things (after this), but....I can't be everyone's friend/ally/can't be on everyone's side. So I won't go back...but actually, along with the people important to me... I WANT TO GO ON"
Wow. Let that sink in.
Sakura, of Cardcaptor Sakura, just came to the realization and spelled out clearly that she cannot be on everyone's side. That she cannot be "everyone's friend", like in a cheesy fairytale.
And I really, really, want to thank CLAMP-sensei for this scene and this line because for a period, long time ago, I was worried that this story would go down the "let's be friends" or "let's show sympathy to them" route. But as the chapters continued and the things CLAMP told us about the Association and the Squids were more and more cruel, and they made me more and more sick, I started to realize that there was simply no way CLAMP could've had Sakura try to justify or compromise with them. Because when cruelty is real, there's no compromise to be made.
This scene also shows how Sakura realizes for the first time ever that in her world, contrary to what we all believed previously, evil exists. It might not touch her or her "entourage" directly (and she's really blessed for that), but it exists out there and it's hurting people, people who can also become really important to her. And she decides to not stand idly by, blessed as she is with the luck of not experiencing that evilness, but actually using whatever it is in her power to bring those suffering people to safety.
Sakura cannot fight those people on equal terms. She's just 13, and although her power is very strong, she's still inexperienced. Moreover, she cannot really bring herself to deny her current nature and use violence on other human beings. That's not Sakura. I want you guys to reflect on this because I know that one of the favorite things expected for this finale was to have a direct magical confrontation with the true villains of this arc, defeating them and restablishing the peace. And I am sincere when I say that I would've wished for the same too, because you know how much I love Kaito and Akiho, and how much I was disgusted to read about what they did to them. I've spread my "burn the squids" gifs all over the fandom. I wanted someone to vindicate them. But not here. Not in this manga. I realized that after the initial satisfaction, I would've probably felt like the series would've been "defiled". And that's exactly what happens when you answer to violence with more violence.
Sakura just could not go hunting those bastards down and defeat them in a magical battle. Because, powerful and corrupted in their greed as they are, the only way to "fix" this situation would've been to exterminate them. I just could not picture this story to cross that boundary, no matter how much the bar had already been raised well over what we initially thought.
So, if someone out there is disappointed by this outcome, I'm sorry for you, but it was just not meant to be and I'm actually really glad that this series kept true to its fundamental values. Of course it would, CLAMP really do care about this series and they know very well how far to push the plot, and when to actually stop.
So what is the role of Akiho's clan and the Magic Association in this story, especially considering that we never saw their faces at all? Talking with lots of fans in these years, especially Japanese, I've come to the conclusion that they are not in this story to fill the "villain that needs to be deafeated" role, but actually they're a representation of abusive families that smother and suffocate their children with expectations, completely disregarding those children's natural inclinations, and abuse them when they do not meet such expectations, but also the society as a whole, that looks at you only basing on how it can take advantage of you. Which is exactly what happened to Akiho and Kaito, driving them to very dark places. The absence of faces for those characters makes it possible for the readers to see the Squids and the Association as the representation of whatever environment they relate the most to. It can be family, society, school, workplace etc... It also helps us focusing on their actions, rather than their faces, and not attribute any prejudice to them (because of religion, race, skin color, or whatever other attribute they could have).
Seeing as the story treats them more like a concept, than an actual entity, it's basically impossible for Sakura to defeat them (and their great power is an indication of that impossibility). Just like in real life, darkness will always exist, along with light. Good and evil will always be side by side. It's bigger than any of us. Then, what can we do, in a situation like this? What Sakura is choosing to do, here, is not to confront directly with violence these people who are way out of her league, and not even to sit back and look, but actually finding a way to make them forget about her friends and keeping her friends safe, granting them the possibility of living a happy life, finally away from the darkness of the past, healing the wounds on their souls together with the people they love and who love them back. Because even if you've been abused in the past, you can still hope for a happy life.
The focus here is all on helping the abused people. And Sakura, in order to do that, is okay with coming to terms with the fact that she can't be on everyone's side, and she needs to choose. In the end, the thing that really matters the most is to GO ON with your most important people. Not going back to what is lost, but going forward. And I know that this is such a CLAMP theme, and I'm glad that they reiterated it in this arc. When I say that Clear Card brought Sakura so much more closer to what's usual for CLAMP, I mean this.
The panel with Sakura raising her staff and shouting she wants to go on is absolutely beautiful, with those wings growing so big and unleashing Sakura's power in a storm of cherry blossom petals.
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Sakura is exhausted, she finally reached her limit by using her ultimate magic. As she faints, her eyes just make it in time to catch a glimpse of her prince, the love of her life grabbing tightly his girlfriend's hand, to not let her fall, while the watch of Remind and the book of Blank do their job in the background. And I really loved this spread too, because even if it's not a conventional romantic scene made of physical display of love, this in my opinion is even more powerful. Many were reminded of Tsubasa, but I was also reminded of the long time those two spent unable to touch one another, and this scene here seems like a catharsis for that hardship they went through. Syaoran will always catch Sakura everytime she falls, he will always be there to grab her hand, no matter if he can really touch her or not. Cause his love is stronger than any kind of impediment. He will always be by her side, no matter what. When she's exhausted by her heroine's duties, she knows that she can always count on him to support her.
And speaking of "always be by her side", I just can't avoid mentioning how Akiho and Kaito stayed "glued" to eachother for the entire duration of this chapter, protecting and supporting one another. Kaito, in particular, kept holding Akiho even as Sakura's magic was hurting him like hell, because it was extracting the book from him. Even in excruciating pain, he did not let go of Akiho, intent in protecting her and keeping her safe in his hold. Akiho let go of him just for a moment when she was scared out of her mind for Sakura, but went back to him when she saw that her "sister" was hellbent in completing her task no matter what. Kaito, as the good "moon boy" he is, is someone who shows his feelings through his actions rather than words, just like Syaoran. And his constant grip on Akiho in this chapter, such an opposite act compared to how he used to stop his hand everytime it started reaching out to her, told me all that I needed to know about him: she's his most important person, and he will never let go of her, ever again.
Sakura wakes up in her bed. The scene is a direct parallel with an almost identical scene in chapter 3, as you can see here:
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Kero is next to her and is relieved to see her awake, so he goes to shout in the hallway, directed to Touya, that Sakura is finally awake. Sakura seems a bit surprised to see Kero talking so nonchalantly with her brother, and he tells her that he chatted with him back at Yukito's house, together with Suppy, so I guess now he finds it "natural" to talk to her brother too! 😂 I'm kinda glad to know that, I like this "change of relationship", compared to the old series (and it was also kinda long overdue).
Sakura opens the palm of her hands and she finds the Dream Key, still intact and all. She also asks about Remind and Blank, and Kero confirms to her that she was able to use them successfully! Sakura is absolutely delighted to hear that, and says "We were able to go on!"
And thaaaaaaat's how the second-to-last chapter of Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card ends! Solving a lot of the pending situations, but still leaving some secondary questions that will surely find a (more or less) detailed explanation in the final, next chapter. And well, we also have to prepare to not have ALL the answers to ALL the questions we might have. This is usual for CLAMP, and especially in their Spaces they never made it a secret that they love for their fans to wreck their brains over theories and imagining the characters' future after a series is over. They love for the fans to give their interpretations to things, they encourage that a lot (also because it creates more long-lasting engagement with their series).
Alas, I expect they'll leave something in particular to everyone's interpretation, but we'll see. 😅
Overall, I really loved this chapter and it was really emotional for me. I think it's fitting for a "climax". Sakura was ABSOLUTELY running the show and after this I dare anyone to say that she isn't the main character of her story. She pushed her limits, and even questioned her own morality in doing so. What a wonderful thing. She reminded me so much of Sakura-hime when she shooted all those monsters in order to take the precious egg, back in the Acid Tokyo arc of Tsubasa. She knew she was doing something bad, but her wish to do everything needed in order to "have him back" was stronger than anything else. And she made her own choice. Here, Sakura, on a smaller scale, made her own choice too.
Now, I hope in the last chapter we'll be granted the possibility to delve a bit more into Kaito and his thoughts, I need to see his character development, I need to see that he learned something from this. That he -at least- started to interrogate himself over the nature of his feelings for Akiho. I know it's reasonable to think that with him, things will take looooong time, but as least show me the signs. Because I need to know that Akiho will be truly happy with him (I know she will!), and she can only be if he's learned to be honest with himself. And learned what Lilie meant with the last conversation we saw between them.
Also, WHERE'S MOMO, I NEED TO SEE MOMO BEFORE THIS ENDS!!
Okay, this is probably the longest post I ever did but I think as the second-to-last chapter it deserved to have some big thematics explored in depth, because they're very important. I'm still pondering if I should divide the post of the final chapter in two because, in addition to even more pages, I expect there'll be soooooooooo much to talk about (cross your fingers with me that there won't be any translation mistake).
I also hope there'll be room for an epilogue or a couple of extra chapters, to help us coping with the separation in a more gradual way, cause after 7 years it's quite hard. I was curious to see the end, of course, but also not entirely ready to let this wonderful story go. I really, really enjoyed it and I say this from the bottom of my heart. I don't care what everyone else thinks, I can only be grateful to CLAMP for Clear Card Arc. 🙏
Chapter 80, along with all the tears that will come with it, is expected to be uploaded on November 29th on CLAMP's Youtube channel. Yes, it's less than a month away! I also expect some news about the anime (BLESS THE ANIME!! Something to cling onto when the manga is over 😭).
Well, see you at the end of November (please come to hold my hand cause I cannot do this alone, lol) !!!
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rainymoodlet · 1 year
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Or, how an otherwise incredibly private man came out to the world because when I play-tested his first challenge he physically refused to flirt with women.
Kiss Me in Komorebi 🌹 New Save+
Below you'll find an explanation of why I'm starting this Challenge from the ground up, an apology for my former applicants, and the form to follow for your submissions! Thank you for indulging me for so long in my obsession with this blorbo of mine.
Why the plus? Because otomes will smack lil' plus signs on updated versions of their dating games, and I'm a dork.
Deadline for applications is April 1st! 🌸
Let's be real - I bit off a little more than I could chew the first time around! This new version of KMIK will feature gameplay-heavy storytelling with posed scenes in-between!
I want to make it up to the applicants who waited so long to see this Bachelor Challenge come to fruition, and I genuinely want Daniel to have a fair shot at meeting someone truly meant for him - so I'm opening twenty one slots: seven for my former Contestants (two of which are taken by Daithi Calloway and Josiah Bolton), seven for my former Outsiders, and seven slots for new sims! Of course, the final number will be decided by the number of slots filled!
These three houses will rotate group dates and challenges with Daniel as he whittles down the numbers. In-universe, Dan hates the spotlight of fame, and was an incredibly private man (bar his new cult following on SimTok) before being influenced to be the star of his own Bachelor Challenge by his (well-meaning) agent and siblings. He went into this in the hopes that the contracted work would mean he'd not have to worry about his mother's health bills or his nieces and nephews' college funds for a little while.
However, when he got actual applications in, pictures of real sims who had applied just for the chance to meet him, to fall in love with him... well, it gave him a cold shock of reality. After a period of radio silence, the studio released a statement that said Daniel was deeply sorry, but that he wanted to give this a fair shot, and that meant he'd have to be more open and honest about himself than he was ever comfortable being.
🌸 THE APPLICATION 🌸
Name: Age: (lifestage and number, please) Traits: Aspiration: - please feel free to include any fun facts about your sim that you'd like to list! - i'm a dork and i love writing prompts based on the autonomous actions sims choose in-game. developing your sims' skills and likes will help them act more like themselves! - i will be using height sliders when i can, so feel free to include your sim's height! (for posing/gameplay purposes)
Please tag your application with #kmikapp! 🌸
Though I am excited for this clean start, I do want to apologize to all of my former applicants - both for the time it took for me to go through the acceptance process, and the time it took you waiting for me to get back to my desktop... only to learn that the sims you made weren't even going to be used. Believe me, I am no stranger to the loss of a Challenge sim: and I hope that by offering you all an automatic spot in this new save, I can make it up to you a little!
The two existing male contestants (Daithi Calloway by @buglaur and Josiah Bolton by @retro-plasma) will remain in the competition, seeing as they were already written to participate as contestants. But given that I'm forgoing the Outsiders concept for the ease of the Bachelor Challenge format, I thought I would offer all of my Outsider applicants the chance to make contestants! As some of my former participants are inactive, I thought this was the best way to reach out - I am really going to be better about talking one-on-one, though.
ANYWAY, I'm so excited to go on this journey with Daniel, and I can only hope you guys are as eager to see what awaits us as I am! Thank you for reading this far - let's try this again, shall we? 🌹
@hauntedtrait @kawaiishitty @wastelandwhisperer @occultpuppy @gothoffspring @foxsimthings @king-tower @morrigan-sims @akitasimblr @wormsimblr @10000and1dreams
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peachymilkandcream · 19 days
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Fraud | Part 10 | Yandere All Might x Hero!Reader
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(A/N: We're already at ten parts, if things keep this way we might have a series that rivals Break Me Slowly. If this series gets past 40 chapters then we'll know which one I've been enjoying writing more. XD Hope you enjoy and comment to be added to the taglist!)
WARNINGS: noncon, dubcon, manipulation, domestic abuse, yandere themes, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, stockholm syndrome, graphic depictions of violence, mind breaking, misogyny, power imbalance, age difference, cheating, forced orgasm, suicide, etc.
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When All Might was finished with Shade he left her there shaking and drained. His superior strength meant she didn't stand a chance against his advances, he would always take what he wanted. Her tears and pleas fell on deaf ears when he finally found his release.
He adjusted his clothes and started his daily routine, as if the night prior he hadn't kidnapped an innocent woman and had his way with her. Business as usual.
Part of this routine was keeping up to date with the world outside, ensuring that his daily activities weren't found out and that he could continue to hide in the shadows.
Unfortunately the media was biting him in the ass.
News of Shade's disappearance had begun to spread like wildfire. Apparently the fool had made several social media posts about her involvement with All Might, as well as that nosy pro who had invited her over wondered what happened to her.
He had been a fool.
So far what the police had told the public is that she had been seen leaving her apartment, there were no signs of a struggle and yet she was gone. Probably taken from a back alley. They were searching them now for any clues as to who this mysterious attacker could be.
Hopefully this would all blow over, it always did. He was even more popular than before now, there was no reason his connections would fail him now. No matter what they found, it would never come back to him, right?
His phone rang.
"All Might." His voice was more stern than he would have liked.
"All Might, this is the chief of police, we'd like you to come in for questioning."
Beads of sweat dripped down his neck. "I'm on my way."
===============================================
Shade felt numb all over, but her insides were burning with pain. Images of the man she looked up to most in life violating her over and over. Her body was filled with his cum, leaking out and making her feel disgusted.
With broken bones and the fear of the fastest hero alive in the next room all she could do was stay still. Hopefully he would come to reason and let her go, if he promised to stay far away from her for the rest of her life she probably wouldn't even press charges. She could live with him roaming free if it meant she'd be safe. But the chances of that she knew were slim.
However in the next room as she waited for his inevitable return Shade could hear the television going. A spark of hope shot through her, they were looking for her. People wanted her to be found and already knew she was missing. If All Might had been careless and left any evidence at the scene where he took her, maybe this whole ordeal would be over sooner than she thought.
She could go home.
Just then the door opens and the man of the hour enters, his face dark and grim. She tries to hide it but the faintest of grins comes to her face, he should be sweating bullets right now, knowing all of this would be brought to justice.
"I'm going out. I'll be back shortly. Don't try anything and I'll see about letting you up to clean yourself."
"Okay, I won't- I'll wait right here- but uhm, where are you going can I ask?"
He doesn't look at her as he responds, resolve and determination etched into his features.
"The Symbol of Peace is needed."
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curio-queries · 3 months
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FACE, LETTER, & CLOSER THAN THIS
Disclaimer: The following post is full of my own opinions and interpretations. I do not share this with the intent to convince anyone else that this meaning upholds for all. My interpretations are also limited to English and that is an important distinction to make when accessing art from another language and culture. There are absolutely intentions and meanings that won't translate. Art is beautifully subjective, and I hope you all find your own reasons to love Jimin's music.
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This is quite a lengthy post. Thank you to anyone who reads. I'd love to hear your thoughts as well, so don't feel shy to share! 💜
So FACE has been out for nearly a year, why am I making this post now? Honestly, it's all because of Closer Than This and the few nuggets we can glean from the music video. The very first clip of the mv is of Jimin's team discussing the lyrics and then Jimin's recording session. Honestly, I was quite surprised CTT was written at the same time as all of the FACE songs.
So the question then rises: Why wasn't CTT included in FACE? The answer I've arrived at is because CTT is not part of the journey Jimin was describing with FACE. More on CTT below but first, we need to revisit FACE:
TIMELINE
(US dates - I have to do too much timezone manipulation in my job, I'm not spending the time here):
30 DEC 2018 : Promise Release on SoundCloud
21 FEB 2023 : FACE announcement
16 MAR 2023 : Set Me Free pt.2 Release
23 MAR 2023 : FACE Release
22 DEC 2023 : Closer Than This Release
And here's the FACE schedule:
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MOTTO-THEME-GUIDE
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These phrases are ALL OVER the FACE project! They're in the digital media that was released, on pretty much every side of the physical albums, on the back of the photocards and postcards... They're pretty much on everything official connected to FACE. They're not just fluff included to fill up space; these words have MEANING in this project. I've been using these phrases as guide posts to help me interpret some of the meanings behind FACE recently, and I would encourage anyone interested in Jimin's deeper message to do the same. I've highlighted my references below.
Circles of Resonance Reflection of vulnerable minds and unexposed wounds. An echo, tremor and small movement to reach you. Face of facing the deepest part of inner-self. Face, the reflection of myself in an unfamiliar appearance. Waves originated from the deepest invisible inner world, pass through the face on the surface and reach others to resonate while transmitting the inner voice. Waves spread beautifully, finding its own flow despite wounds and distortions from a smallest scratch. The face of unwavering effort despite repeated falls and pain.
When asked what the album was about, Jimin freely shares that it relates to the events during the pandemic...and then the conversation usually moves on without any deeper discussion. This interview is probably the most verbose Jimin was any time he described the meaning behind FACE. If you haven't watched it recently, I highly recommend it.
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We know that Jimin rarely shares the problems he's having whilst he's going through them (with us at least). He always waits until after he's moved on so that he can tell us not to worry, that it's in the past. (This concept comes up again in this post so keep it in mind.)
The distinction that I think is important to make is that, yes, FACE is about the pandemic, but it's not a straightforward diary of events. It's about how those events affected him. How the waves caused by the pandemic RESONATE, ECHO, and TREMOR through him - effecting the UNEXPOSED WOUNDS. Jimin found something in himself through this experience and had no choice but to FACE it. There were no distractions anymore, no pushing it to the side to deal with later. And he was able to share that journey with us in such a tragically beautiful way.
THE TRACKS
I made the below gifs for each track but I think they look best as a set without the tags so you can get the full effect of the differing ripples. Check out this post to see what I mean. ☺️
FACE-OFF
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I know everyone likes to meme about Face-Off and trying to find who hurt Jimin to make them pay...but I really don't associate Face-Off with an external person. You can betray yourself in much worse ways than anyone else can because you know exactly all of your own weaknesses. You know exactly what pretty lies to tell yourself. And honestly, the source of the event doesn't really matter in the context of FACE. I view Face-Off as the initial incident. The SMALLEST SCRATCH that pushes the waves to spread.
There's also a lovely bit of foreshadowing with the lyric "Like crazy, everyone shout out, yeah yeah". CIRCLES OF RESONANCE. Not singular, multiple; we are in for a bumpy ride.
INTERLUDE : DIVE
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I admit, I only listen to this track when I'm doing a full album listen. I love instrumental tracks but this isn't instrumental to me, it's sound effects. And I just personally have a sensory issue that comes out to play here BUT it's important to include in our discussion so don't skip it when you're trying to delve into the meanings!
The message I glean here is just how pervasive the issue is becoming. Jimin can be going about his life, trying to disregard it but the UNEXPOSED WOUNDS are there lurking underneath it all.
The pretty music overlaying the track may sound like glitz and glam, but this is just the beginning of the WAVES SPREADING BEAUTIFULLY, FINDING ITS OWN FLOW DESPITE WOUNDS AND DISTORTIONS...
LIKE CRAZY
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I've been promising a post on Like Crazy for ages and this may be the closest I get to it. Let me know if any of you are interested in a more in-depth discussion on how the movie and the song work together. My short summary for both is this: there are moments when you willfully take actions that you KNOW are against your best interest. Not in a fleeting eats-too-many-cookies way. In a I-know-putting-my-hand-on-the-stove-and-turning-it-on-will-burn-me way.
I hope none of you experience this to such a damning extent. I have. Despite being the kind of person who I thought would never venture down such a path. It's not something I wish upon anyone. This is the WAVES ORIGINATED FROM THE DEEPEST INVISIBLE INNER WORLD, PASS THROUGH THE FACE ON THE SURFACE...
ALONE
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Have you ever repeated a word enough that it starts to sound bizzare? What if you got the point where you thought the weird sound was reality? And then you were confronted with the truth. This song is that point. Where you are left with the sober understanding of yourself. FACE, THE REFLECTION OF MYSELF IN AN UNFAMILIAR APPEARANCE.
SET ME FREE pt.2
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The rise! Jimin was able to find a way to push himself beyond the betrayal of himself. It absolutely wasn't easy and there were setbacks, but this is a clear call to any who find themselves in similar circumstances: you CAN overcome. THE FACE OF UNWAVERING EFFORT DESPITE REPEATED FALLS AND PAIN.
Remember when I said earlier that Jimin only tells us about his struggle once it's over? I honestly believe that's why SMF was the pre-release track. He needed us to know that there was a happy ending before he would tell us about the pain he went through.
LIKE CRAZY (English Version)
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As I mentioned my sensory issue above, I cannot talk about Like Crazy without mentioning the whispered English at the beginning/end. I HATE it sooooo much! It just twigs my brain in all the wrong ways. It's a huge part of why it took me a long time to appreciate LC. As much as I hate it though, it's absolutely necessary for the interpretation of LC. It firmly gives us a landmark into where and how the song relates to the movie. It also creates a bookend structure that gives the original and the English versions their own rightful places to exist.
LETTER
My very first post on this blog was a simple comparison of the lyrics in Like Crazy from the translation on the original music video to the english version. There is absolutely a difference here and I think it's a very important distinction that there are two versions of Like Crazy in the album. One is AN ECHO, TREMOR AND SMALL MOVEMENT TO REACH YOU. This phrase is for us, the audience. None of the other phrases use "you". Even though Jimin has set himself free, there are still CIRCLES RESONATING.
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If you have seen any of my posts prior to this, you likely know how obsessed with Letter I am. I have the hardest time naming anything as a favorite (even favorite colour, there's just sooo many good uses of different colors) so I hope you understand how revolutionary it is for me to unequivocally state that Letter is my favorite song. Like ever. For all of my (cough*decades*cough) of music-listening, opinion-having life. Letter is THE ONE. Letter is it. I probably have stronger feelings about Letter than any relationship I've been in (but I'm aspec so take that with a grain of salt...)
I listen to Letter A LOT (sometimes on literal repeat - there's a video on YouTube that loops it for over an hour and I've definitely contributed several of those listens) and while working on this post, I would still get emotional hearing it at the end of FACE. This song is the absolute definition of the beauty that can only truly be understood after utter tragedy.
To me, Letter is about how this experience has effected Jimin to the point where there's a noticeable difference in the way he interacts with and appreciates those he loves, in all interpretations of the word love. WAVES...REACH OTHERS TO RESONATE WHILE TRANSMITTING THE INNER VOICE.
I am not using this post to debate the merits of exactly who Letter is for: a significant other, ARMY, or Jimin himself. Frankly, I don't think it matters to the meaning of the song. Use whatever flavour most appeals to you. That's the real genius and gift of Jimin's music imo. He creates it in such a way that we can fold it around our own personal stories and needs.
WHAT WAS THIS POST ABOUT AGAIN?
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Right, so rewind to the release of Closer Than This. I'd had very little sleep as I traveled for the holidays and was absolutely feeling the timezone difference. But I stayed up to hear Jimin's new song. I listened to it first in Spotify and thought it sounded like a beautiful, happy, well-produced gift of a song - perfect for the end of the year and to comfort us with his departure for military service. Then I watched the mv to read the subtitles... Y'all, I absolutely was NOT expecting to see clips from the time covered in Jimin's Production Diary! I wouldn't have been surprised if it was the same team that Jimin worked with before but at a later time - he trusts them artisically after all. BUT these clips were the same angles and same conversations we saw from the development of FACE.
So I started my due diligence. Is it possible CTT was supposed to be part of FACE but they held it specifically to release when it did? I listened to FACE multiple times trying to insert CTT into the narrative. And it just doesn't fit this journey...at all. Like not in the slightest. I thought maybe immediately after Letter or even replacing Letter but no. I even tried inserting Promise as a bridge and it just doesn't work in the context of FACE.
CTT has a pretty literal storytelling narrative. It describes the journey WE have been on with Jimin. It lists his promises to US going forward. The music video being an album of memories, supports the nostalgic and loving viewpoint of the song. It has absolutely nothing to do with how Jimin was affected by the events of the pandemic or anything he found inside himself because of it.
Both songs have been described by Jimin as a 'fan song' and as I described in this post, there are many reasons that support both of them falling into this categorization. To me, Letter is more about Jimin having a deep intimate conversation with us because he trusts us. While CTT is literally about the relationship between ARMY and Jimin.
Anyway, I think that's all I've got to say about it for now. What are your thoughts? Should Closer Than This have been included in FACE? Was it just a marketing ploy to keep generating our interest after Jimin left?
(BTW I'm really happy with those FACE gifs and how the ripples look when they're together. They took some time to figure out. I just wish I had some better software to turn them into gifs so the colours display better, but alas, beggars can't be choosers. They look really great in the ppt that I made them in but I guess that's just for me to enjoy!)
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Shang Tsung x Witch Reader: I've Changed
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Context: After finally escaping the void, Shang slips from supervision briefly to meet and request the help of an old friend. (Shaky ass friendship ngl) ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The old wooden clock on the wall ticks, filling the only sound in the empty shop. The short hand lines with the tenth hour, making you relieved to flip your sign close. Another easy day done at your little potion store. Despite the little shack being a bit older and you get few customers each day, you were always proud of your progress.
You were proud to say you changed, once a typical barbaric witch, anew to a positive person. You stopped damning people with cruel spells and toxic potions, now you sold mostly healing/soothing ones, along giving spare lessons to those who wish to learn witchcraft. Sometimes, it's the other way around. There's always new things to learn.
Sweeping the dust off the creaking floorboards, you were startled as you were about to trip over a black ball of fur. "Oh- Raven! Jeez, I didn't see you." A meow was in response, your kitten peeking up at you, the only eye he has shining.
Gently you shooed him away so you could finish sweeping. "I'll give you a snack once I'm done, go on now." You tapped his bottom and chuckle when he runs off.
The welcome chimes of your door ring, abruptly distracting you. "Store's closed!" You groan out. Ugh, can't they see the sign? You kept your thoughts to yourself.
Slow footsteps sounded closer to you. "My, just look at you." That voice! You peer up to see an old face, literally and figuratively. Your hand released the ratchet broom, letting it hit the floor. You felt some sort of nostalgia, yet confusion. "Shang Tsung? All these years... where have you been?" You step closer to him.
The old man explains. His disappearance was caused by the Titaness Kronika after having no use for him any longer, casted outside the realms in some prison. All those years in his absence, you missed him prior to your change, but now he's here. The sorcerer grabs your hand, kissing it gently. One of his ways on showing affection to you when you both were still a duo of despair. "You've aged well." He comments.
Now, he focuses on the old shop. "So while I was missing, you put your devotion into this worn down hut?" The sorcerer asks. You can hear the hidden mockery in his voice. He looks at the potions on the shelves, and you knew he would find them comical. None of them were labelled poison or dangerous, all such themed beneficial items. Part of him was worried you would go soft.
"Yeah, business is well." You state, defending your dignity. "The store's closed, and I still have errands tonight, so I can't quite catch up with you at the mome-"
"I came here for your help, Y/n." Shang Tsung interrupts. Picking up a pinkish elixir, he glances at you with tease. "Love potions?"
"That's for serotonin releases." You remove the bottle from his distrustful hands. You knew he's joking, but it's distasteful. "Love potions are vile. It's no better than going to a bar and spiking someone's drink." You explain in disgust, yet Shang still carries his smirk.
He hasn't changed, of course. I miss him, but I need him to leave. "What do you need?"
"I need your spells, your power, Y/n. The ones that always brought great suffering to those. But great amusement to us." He rubs his gray beard as he requests apathetically. "I plan to keep working with Raiden and Fujin up to Kronika's Keep. If everything goes as my plan, I can rule over many worlds. We can rule over many worlds."
"No." You shake your head immediately. "I'm past all of that. I use my powers and knowledge for good now and I hope that is something you respect. Feel free to do whatever you like, but count me out."
The man is unsurprise, but presses on with you. "Changed for the better? What happened to you?"
"I found faith in the Elder Gods." You shrug. "Along with that, I feel disgusted with my former self. Not that you'd get it, but all those people we hurt..." You cringed and turn away from him in utter shame.
"I assume you're disgusted with me too?" Shang asks.
"Well, yeah, but it's not like you'd stop. And I can't stop you neither."
He agrees with you. Harming others was like his number one hobby other than evil schemes. But if you really have a change in heart, he wouldn't force you. "It saddens me to see that wicked heart turn gold. Oh well. When I get Kronika's throne to myself, I'll have your place beside me - if you want." He offers, circling you with his charming glance. You gave him an annoyed look like he didn't actually heed you.
"You don't have to hurt anyone." He raises his hands. "But you could end up the best enchantress across universes, or better yet, a titaness beside me."
"No, sorcerer." You sigh and deny him again. "I'm happy here. You're my friend, but I don't think I'd be comfortable on the side of a villain. It's fine enough if I just focus on my own thing."
"Very well." He steps back and bows. "I shall be going now before someone notices my disappearance. After my goals, I will return to you just for friendly measures. We didn't speak for a long period after all."
"Okay." A huge part of you wasn't rooting for it, but you were fine with chatting with a friend time to time. "And if you don't and end up fading out of existence, it was always nice having you - minus the malicious activities."
"Likewise, my friend. You were always a fantastic woman." ~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N for both Wattpad/Tumblr. Mostly just a vent but:
 1. I feel the writer's block coming :') future writings are expected to have less quality as I'm running out of ideas and motivation. I literally had to go back to posting every 6 days instead of 3 so I don't end up running out of posts.
2. A friendly reminder - I'M NOT TAKING REQUESTS.
 Not trying to pick at anyone but there's 2 places on both Wattpad + Tumblr that says I'm not doing request, yet people will still request a fic. I admit, I will leave those on read until they message me more times which makes me more annoyed. 
I'm down for fun questions/ discussions when I have the time, like if someone wants to talk about our lord and savior, Fujin. But I repeat one last time, I'm not making fics for anyone. You have better authors that will be happy to write for you.
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quartings · 2 months
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Legends Z-A Thoughts and Theories!
Okay, I was pretty quiet on my opinions for Scarlet and Violet, but I'm confident enough to be very pleased and optimistic for this! Legends Arceus was the strongest Pokemon game we had in a decade, and to see them continue this, bring back Megas, and take an extra year to hopefully make it non-buggy? Makes me so so excited!
On Megas:
It's a bit of a surprise to see Megas back, but honestly? Not too much of a surprise. Even ignoring the inevitability of Kalos remakes, Megas are the only gimmick Pokemon kept around in their spinoffs. It was in Mystery Dungeon, Shuffle, Smash Bros, Pokemon Go, and probably more I'm forgetting! So it was always in the back of Gamefreak's mind and I'm glad it's truly back again!
With Gens 8 and 9 bringing back cross-gen evos, I think they'll focus on only giving Megas to three-stage lines, to not quash the potential of 2nd stage Pokemon getting regular evolutions. So starters and Pokemon like Flygon can get Megas since they can't evolve further, but Pokemon like Tropius and Chimecho probably won't, in case they get evolutions in Gen 10 (That then get Megas)
I also don't think we fully grasp how many more Pokemon can get Megas now, too. Barely any of Gen 5 and 6 had Megas (Seriously only 2 Pokemon between the 228 Pokemon in those gens) and we've had THREE more generations since then!!
Note: We went from wanting a Dunsparce evo, to wanting a Dunsparce Mega, to getting Dudunsparce with mixed fan reception. Now I'm going to be a selfish deluded clown bitch and get my hopes up for a Mega Dudunsparce.
Speaking of starters and Megas, do we think we'll get a mish-mash of older starters for this game that then get Megas (Say, Piplup, Snivy, and Scorbunny) or will we get Megas for the three Kalos starters?
Megas may mean Mega Stones return as held items, and held items weren't in Legends Arceus- new gameplay advancement?
Legends Arceus gave us 7 new Pokemon (most of them cross-gen evos) and a dozen new regional forms. Do you think we'll still get regionals this game, or will the design team be focused more on making new Megas instead?
On the world:
It's been confirmed the whole game is only in Lumiose City- how big is the map?? Hopefully we really do get lots of sidequests, biomes for wild Pokemon, and traversal options.
When is this? We're redeveloping Lumiose City, but are we in the past developing it into its current state, or are we in the present/future developing it into a new solarpunk city? Or neither, and this is a "Paradox" game set in a timeline which doesn't quite match ours?
This doesn't have to be an isekai (as in, we don't have to be time travellers again per se), just keep that in mind!
The "Z" in the logo represents Zygarde, with the black color and green hexagons. So who's the "A"? It's green with green scale/leaf patterns on it. What does it represent? The "Chaos" to Zygarde's "Order"? Is it a 5th Zygarde form or is it a whole new Pokemon?
Meta thoughts:
This further confirms my theory that Gen 9 will last until 2026, where they announce Gen 10 on that year's Pokemon Day for their 30th anniversary, and that's great! I'm glad they aren't overworking themselves too much compared to Gens 6-8.
On them "skipping" Unova remakes: I don't see this as skipping. We've been long overdue for a Z version since Kalos is literally the only Pokemon region to only appear in one release (no third version, no remakes, no sequels, no ultras, no DLC). So we're simply making up for the "deficit" of a third version here, and we can go back to focusing on Unova remakes for Gen 10.
Do you think we'll get any final updates to SV to tide us over until the next LegendZ trailer around August? Maybe a small DLC, mythical reveal, or free update?
Pokemon Adventures skipped the last Legends game, so they'll probably skip this one too? I'm fine either way- at least by skipping it, they won't be too rushed and stressed, and they'll actually have the time to flesh out SV and catch up with ORAS/SM/USUM/SwSh in the full volumes.
But on the off chance they do adapt Legends Z-A, do you think we'll get dexholders named Z and A??
Note for the future- the Yoasobi Pokemon song BiriBiri has a part where they namedrop all the game titles- one part has the lyrics "ABC to the XYZ". Long shot, but if Legends Z-A does indeed have an ABC theming, this could be a crazy bit of either coincidental or intentional foreshadowing!
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maxislvt · 1 year
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Low Blows
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Summary: After what happened between you and Carol, Wanda makes a plan to help you cheer up. Though she denies
Warnings: Smut, vaginal fingering, shitty relationships, sorry to the vision enjoyers
A/N: I'm very sorry to those who were interested in this series only to watch it flop and die in the span of a month! I do plan to release the next chapter either towards the end of March or early next month! Hopefully I won't be dog tired and then forget again
Series Masterlist
Wanda had always been bad at hiding things from people. Her parents had raised her to be as honest as she possibly could be. That meant if she did have to lie Pietro was always the one covering for her, but now Pietro was back home in New York City playing PaRappa The Rapper and trying to beatbox for his YouTube subscribers. Never would Wanda have thought that the absence of her brother would lead to her getting into almost cartoonish levels of trouble.
A heavy sigh fell from her lips as she sat down in the confession chair. The last time she was here they asked her how she felt about Carol after the situation with the shack of secrets. Now they were expecting her to explain her recent purchases and the huge box of beach toys. 
"I just want to get Y/N out of the house for a few hours…" The confidence in her plan dwindled as the crew raised their eyebrows in suspicion. "Okay fine, an hour…at least a few minutes! I just don't want them to sit there and rot away in their sadness. That's just not them." Wanda pulled out a bag of sand molds and grinned. "I found this set of molds at the store yesterday. They were overpriced, but they had this cute little zebra one so I couldn't pass it up!" 
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
The house had been pretty tense after what happened between you and Carol. Everyone avoided Carol like the plague and almost all attempts to get you out of the bed and back into the real world failed. Not even Monica and Mr. Strips could get out into the light. 
Wanda had originally discouraged any attempts to force you to talk about what happened in the Shack of Secrets. You needed space and the others had to learn to respect that. So Wanda decided to take up your chores and cook for everyone while you come to terms with everything. It wasn't easy, but your comfort was more important to her 
But when days turned into nearly a week, Wanda had no choice but to intervene. With a little help from Monica, she hatched a plan. First, she needed to make breakfast. blueberry jelly and marshmallow fluff toast with bananas for a face, a bowl of fruit, sausage, eggs, and pancakes. She made a little extra with the hope that you'd share, or at least make up for the lack of a full meal. 
Wanda knocked on your bedroom door. "Hey, buttercup. I know you're not feeling all that well but I made you breakfast." She leaned against the door. "We don't have to talk about…that, but I just wanna check in on you." A frustrated groan could be heard from the other side of the door. For a moment, she considered giving up and going back downstairs. "Okay. How about if I can guess what you're wearing, you have to let me in and eat breakfast." 
You frowned. That was such an odd bet to make, but it softened your heart a bit to see that she was trying. "Okay, but you're probably gonna get it wrong." You snuggled into the bed. Another sad nap waiting for you at the end of the conversation.
"Is it my off-white and purple NYU hoodie and the black Van Cortlandt shorts you swore were tacky and overpriced?" 
You let out a defeated groan and got up to open the door. "You're such a cheater," You grumbled before grabbing one of the plates one had balanced in her arm. "How'd you even get this up here without spilling?" With your free hand, you moved the comforter over so you could eat without getting crumbs and jelly on it.  
Since you were too busy crying and wallowing in regret, your room had become a mess. Dirty clothes and clean laundry just sat in piles with nothing to tell them apart, your incense holder had gone uncleaned and unused, and your bedside trash can was nearly overflowing with snack wrappers and tissues. 
"And you're a clothes thief," Wanda said affectionately before kissing your cheek. She sat the remaining plates down on the bed and then snuggled up beside you. "I just took a bunch of extra slow steps, I spent like three minutes getting upstairs. " She excitedly grabbed the toast off the plate and presented it to you. "Look, I made Mr. Strips! He's so cute. " 
You leaned forward and let Wanda feed you. It wasn't until you finished chewing the piece that you realized what had happened. Wanda didn't give you a chance to apologize. She forced you to take another bite before you could say anything. "Oh, is this blueberry jam? I love that stuff!" 
Wanda affectionately wiped the corners of your mouth before kissing your cheek. "I was gonna take all the credit for it, but Monica did help me figure out some of the stuff you liked." Wanda continued to feed you. She found more pride in it than she expected. The last few times Wanda had seen you, you just looked miserable. She hated it. Now, you were relaxed and happy again. Wanda would do anything to protect that happiness.  
Once you finished eating, Wanda stacked the plates on your nightstand. "Hey, I found a really nice spot on the beach the other day and I was wondering if you'd like to go." Her smile faded as your face began to shift into one of uncertainty. One of her hands reached out to hold one of yours. It felt right. Your skin was soft like it was made for her to spend hours kissing. Wanda probably would if you let her. "I just want you to get out…an hour?" 
"Fifteen minutes." 
"Forty-five minutes from the second we get there."
"I'll do thirty minutes from the second we leave the house." 
"Fifty-five and I get to make dinner just for us."
You let out a defeated sigh. Arguing with Wanda was impossible. "Fine, an hour but you're not cooking dinner…That's still my job."
Wanda let out an uncertain hum before kissing your cheek. "We'll see how our date goes. Now shower up and put on that swimsuit, make sure it's the cute little Cabana set with the flowers on it. You look cute in it." She gave you a playful spank on the butt before collecting the plates and silverware. 
A blush spread across your face. Being the center of Wanda's attention felt so good. She always knew just how to make you. "Wait, what do you mean 'We'll see'? Come here!" You turned around to face Wanda, but she had already left your room and made her way downstairs. Even though you were apprehensive about facing everyone again, the idea of Wanda worrying about you made your heart melt. You wondered what she had planned for you. 
While you were waiting, someone knocked at your door. 
It was Carol. Her mere presence made you uncomfortable. She stood tall and commanding. A couple of months ago, you would've found it attractive. Now it just made you dread whatever she was about to say. Carol raised her eyebrows expectantly and sighed when you did little to acknowledge her. Then she sighed. She made you feel ashamed without even saying a word. "Look-"
"Are you ready to go, baby?" Wanda asked just before Carol could finish speaking. She extended her hand out for you to hold. Wanda could feel the daggers Carol was staring into her soul, but they meant nothing. All Wanda cared about was you and your happiness. A smile brighter than a thousand suns spread across her face as you slowly stepped forward and grabbed her hand. "You look so handsome in your little sweet swimsuit," Wanda cooed as she guided you down the stairs. 
You giggled. "You told me to wear it." Neither her proud smirk nor possessive grip was lost on you. Jealousy and possessiveness usually weren't things you enjoyed. But you were more than willing to make an exception for Wanda. 
"Well, you're adorably obedient for wearing it," Wanda whispered before placing a soft kiss on your cheek. "Now come on, I spent all this money on beach toys and we have to use them at least once." The walk to the beach was quick. Wanda wasn't going to risk anyone else intervening in your adventure. She whisked you out the door and down the shore without any interruptions. 
After a couple of minutes, Wanda brought you to a cave with nothing but a blanket and another basket. 
"Is this some crime of passion set up? If so, this isn't the best place to do it!"
Wanda simply rolled her eyes and pushed you towards the blanket. "Monica was right. You do read too many murder mysteries. Go play!" She sat down next to you and began pulling out the little molds, shovels, and buckets she bought earlier. "I got one of Mr.Strips!" She placed the tiny sand mold into your hands and smiled. "I wrote your name on it so no one can steal it." 
You smiled and gave the mold a small kiss. "Well, I'll make sure to take good care of it." 
The rest of the date was spent in comfortable silence. Wanda would walk back and forth between the cave and the shore with buckets full of water so you could build your castle without worry. When the buckets weren't sandy and in need of a refill. Eventually, your sandcastle had gotten too complicated for Wanda to help so she decided to sit back and watch you build instead. And when you finished your castle, you snuggled up next to her.
"I'm proud of you. It's not always easy doing what's best for yourself," She whispered. 
"Are you proud of me for prioritizing myself or are you just happy you're the better option?" You giggled. 
"I don't think those things contradict each other." 
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
"I don't even really like Zebras all that much," You confessed the very second the cameras started rolling. "I only keep Mr. Strips because Monica bought him for me as an apology for our kindergarten divorce." You jiggled the bracelet on your wrist and showed it to the crew. "This is like the ninth piece of zebra-related jewelry she's given me and I don't have the guts to tell her…Anyway, what were you guys gonna ask me?"
"So, how was the date?"
"It was nice, but I don't think it was a date. I mean I would've loved for it to be one, but I don't wanna put any labels on anything!" For the sake of the footage, you opted not to say anything about the knowing looks the crew shared. "Okay fine! I like Wanda a lot but I'm too shy to make any moves…I don't wanna scare her off." You slouched in your arms like a petulant child. "I just don't wanna rush anything..leave me alone."
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
If you learned anything from being on a reality TV show in the past few weeks, it's that time moves fast. One day, Maria and Natasha were getting close again then the next they didn't even want to be in the same room as each other. Time moved even faster when you weren't directly involved with whatever drama plagued the house for the day. You were known to break up fights or stand up for some of the more soft-spoken cast members, but most of the issues in the house seemed to be above you. There were even times when you slept through the introductions of new people. 
"Why do you care so much? You're more in love with them than you ever were with me!" 
This is to say you had no idea what Vision and Wanda were arguing about. They had been called down to that dreaded shack, that much you could figure out.
"I care because I wasted two years of my life with you! I don't love you know but I'm allowed to be upset that I wasted time with some half-assed loser that got with me over a dare!" 
Oh. Okay, things were much worse than you thought. 
"Okay," You shouted to silence both of them. "Why don't you two go to your rooms for a bit before talking about this? That stupid shack is designed to piss you off and start drama, just take a break!" 
Wanda took a deep breath. Her expectations for her ex were already in the dirt. Why was she shocked Vision had disappointed her yet again? "You're right. I'm not letting myself get worked up over this anymore. I'm going to my room." Before you could praise her maturity, she grabbed your hand and led you up the stairs. 
Had you been thinking with your brain, you would've voiced your concerns about leaving Vision alone when he was just as upset as Wanda. But since you were thinking with your heart, you didn't bother looking back to check if he was okay. Your heart only cared about Wanda. It soared when you were tossed into the bed and Wanda possessively snuggled into you. "Baby, what…what happened?" 
She huffed out and buried her face into your neck "Don't worry about it, alright? Let's just forget about him for a sec." Wanda littered kisses along the side of your neck. They continued upwards until she reached your jaw, then she started leaving heavier marks. "Where's my needy little baby, hm? It's been so long since I've touched you, I bet you're just aching for me to touch you." When she finally graces your lips with a kiss, it was greedy. Her tongue slipped into your mouth and stole your breath without a second thought. Wanda didn't let up until the both of you were in desperate need of air. 
And despite the buzzing underneath your skin and throbbing between your legs, you were still worried about Wanda. You put your hand on Wanda's chest to stop her from distracting you again. "I- You…you gotta talk stuff out first," You stuttered out. You rubbed your thighs together to ease the heat, but Wanda was quick to spread them apart. 
Your desperate whining was music to Wanda's ears. "You heard it already. Now, why don't you lay back and let me fuck you?" Her frustration was starting to slip through the cracks. She squeezed your thighs, but they didn't move an inch before getting your permission. "I bet you're so wet and just waiting for me to stretch your little hole out." 
You were trying so hard to focus. But that's hard to do with Wanda staring down at you like you were fresh meat. "Would it make you feel better?" You asked with a meek voice. Your body was on fire and Wanda was making it worse. 
"Only if you tell me how much you want it first," She whispered as her fingers lightly rubbed your cunt through the cloth of your shorts. "Don't be shy, baby, no one can hear it but me." She laughed at your shyness. You were too cute not to tease.
You laughed back nervously. "You're joking, right?" Wanda only raised her eyebrows. You'd never been in this position before. Forced to beg and follow someone else's orders. "Please don't be mean," You whispered. For that, Wanda only began rubbing your cunt. It wasn't even close to enough with your clothes in the way, especially considering your clit remained neglected.
"Oh, I know you can do better than that." Her thumb pressed down harder, but only for a second. Wanda could almost feel your slick seeping through your underwear. "It's no fun denying yourself. Just tell me what you want and I'll give it to you." Her free hand slid up your thigh and began unbuttoning your shirt. "You're just so desperate for me, but I can't help my baby if they don't talk to me." 
You could only whine as Wanda's fingers continued to tease every part of your body. "Touch me please," You whispered.
"But I'm already touching you, baby." 
It was embarrassing. How could Wanda be so cruel to you? After all, you've given her.  You've been nothing but kind to her and yet she repaid you by shattering your pride. "Fuck me, please. I need you so bad!" The worst part was that you enjoyed her cruelty. By the time Wanda had stripped you of all your clothes, your slick had leaked onto the bed. "Please, please, I need you so bad."
"Awe, baby you're a mess." One of her fingers began rubbing tight circles around your clit. Your desperate whimpers and moans were like music to her ears. "That's what I like to hear. You sound so cute." Wanda began sucking on your nipple just as one of her fingers slid inside of cunt. "Oh, and you're just so tight. I bet you've never been fucked right, huh?" 
You shook your head without a second thought. Pleasure had taken over your senses. "More!" and "Please!"  were the only words you could say. Each thrust of Wanda's fingers pushed you further and further into a sea of bliss.
"God if I knew I was gonna fuck you, I would've brought my strap with me." 
The thought of something more than Wanda's fingers was so overwhelming it made you whine. 
Wanda curled her fingers as they rubbed against your g spot. "Don't worry, baby. Once this stupid little show is over I'll take you home and fuck you right." She buried her face in your neck and began leaving soft kisses over the heavy marks she'd left earlier. "I have this big one- oh you'd just love it! It'd stretch out that hole and fill you up with cum. Doesn't that sound fun?"
It sounded fun, but your body answered before your brain could. Your walls fluttered around Wanda's long fingers. Cum leaked out of your hole like a fountain and Wanda was quick to lick it up.  Her fingers and tongue worked in sync  to drag out your orgasm as long as she possibly could. "No, no more," You whimpered, desperately trying to push Wanda's head away. 
Wanda kissed your thigh then rolled over to lay next to you on her bed. She watched as you struggled to catch your breath. "Think you could give me one more?" She asked as she played with the strands of your hair. 
The offer was tempting, but you'd never recover if you let Wanda have her way. "Um, I think we'll have to work up to multiple rounds. I think I'm all fucked out for the night." You buried your head into one of Wanda's pillows and watched as she got off of the bed. "Noo, stay, please? I can take a shower later." 
"Fine, but if you wait too long I'm turning this into a bubble bath." Wanda laid back down. She pulled you closer so your head was properly buried into her chest. Her fingers toyed with the  hair at the base of your neck as you two began to relax and let go of the sexual energy. 
"...what happened in the shack?"
Wanda let out a heavy sigh. "You're really bad pillow talk, you know that?" She ruffled your hair and looked down at you. "Do you want to know that bad?" Denying you was hard already, but when you looked up with the softest eyes she'd ever seen, saying no was impossible. "It's not that I don't wanna talk about it, I just don't want you to think I still have feelings for him or something like that." 
"You dragged me upstairs and fucked me instead of talking things out with him, I know you don't have feelings for him anymore." You leaned away from Wanda's chest. "I'm much more worried about you bottling up all those nasty feelings in here," You said, poking Wanda's chest to accent your point. "Just say whatever is on your mind, I'm all ears."
"It's just…god, every time I give that fucker a chance he turns around and steps all over me! We broke up and got back together three times before I stopped forgiving him. You think he would've said something between that and just ripped the band-aid off instead of letting some stupid reality show find out first!" Wanda continued to ramble. The minutes continued to tick by but she just couldn't stop herself. Maybe she'd pause for a few minutes because she couldn't figure out how to put her frustrations into words, but you were always there to help her. 
Eventually, Wanda had nothing else to say. Her anger fizzled out into slow acceptance 
She let out a heavy breath before nuzzling back into the side of your neck. "Thank you," She mumbled exhaustedly. Wanda, never one to miss the chance to praise you, began smothering your face with kisses once again. "Ah, you're just the cutest aren't you? Always making me so sappy and mushy!"
You whined playfully and pushed her away. "Maybe you're just made of mush and full of sap!"
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thrandilf · 10 months
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do you have a guide as to the extra materials for The Dragon Prince? i keep seeing stuff about comics or books but idk where to start
Not on hand but I can make one here! :D
There are two, soon to be three, canon graphic novels.
Through the Moon takes place between seasons 3 and 4, like a little season 3.5 It isn't Necessary to read it before watching S4 but the story is cool and the extra information is neat. It feels like we might get more info regarding what happened to Rayla while she was gone later in the show
Bloodmoon Huntress takes place when Rayla is a child around when her parents leave. Lots of Runaan and Ethari, also introduces Kim'dael who will be in S5. Again, not Required reading but a fun extra story.
Puzzle House is coming out August 1st and is about Claudia and Soren as children, and we also get a look at younger Viren and other people. Harrow's father, King Atticus is still king in this one so interesting Katolis lore, SUPER hyped for when we get to read all of this one. The Scholastic link has a 15 pages preview if you wanna take a peek.
There are novelizations for Dragon Prince Season 1 and Season 2, they add a bit of introspection and small extra details. Viren in particular gets more of his internal thought processes laid out and for me it just Confirmed a lot of things. Season 3's novelization is coming out April 2nd, 2024. I'm sure all 7 seasons will eventually have novelizations.
Tales of Xadia is the ttrpg book and it's gorgeous and is probably the most lore heavy supplemental material as far as world building goes. The system also looks fun! The website has a character builder too for OC making. As a writer, it's been a great help as far as seeing some aspects of the world laid out. The system looks fun and there are videos of some of the cortex(?) team playing ToX official tales/campaigns but I haven't watched them yet. The campaigns are also available to look at online too.
I think that ToX is getting an expansion at some point since the base game doesn't touch much on Ocean or Star magic, I imagine due to spoilers for the seasons we're coming up on.
There's also a tabletop game called Battlecharged which I haven't personally played and I don't think it Adds lore but I've heard it's fun.
Also, it will likely be a long time before we see it, but there's a video game in the works as well that's in alpha testing right now called Project Arcanum. Wonderstorm is pretty busy!
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE
The Free Stuff:
Reflections are official short stories hosted on TDP's website and all of them are excellent and provide little extra scenes. Some of them are quite impactful, and the ones in this second batch are promising an absolutely wild S5. The first batch was released pre S4 and the second batch is being released now pre S5 as we count down to the new season. They aren't Required reading since the most key information from them will be in the show (going by the S4 ones) but I highly HIGHLY rec reading them all. Banger after banger. As of posting this there may be one more coming.
There's also little 4 panel comics called Everyday Xadia that have been also released during countdown mode and they're just fun/cute. Volume One and Volume 2 (still coming out). Sometimes when people say comics they might mean these, or the graphic novels lol.
Thank you for the ask, I'm always happy to share the TDP love and I hope this was helpful to you and anyone else who'd like a ref!
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When Lex winds back with an open palm to slap her, Lena sees it coming and refuses to flinch. As a result, she gets to see his utter bewilderment up close and personal when long fingers reach out and grip his wrist before the blow can land.
His confusion only grows as he traces the offending hand up the arm to where it connects not to Lena, but her counterpart. Lena catches her eye, and sees her own smug smirk enjoying the rarity of a befuddled Lex.
His consternation shifts to a sudden shout of pain when the grip on his wrist tightens, snapping bone. Satisfied, Lena's doppelganger releases Lex with a shove, allowing him to shuffle pitifully back to regain his composure.
As his gaze quickly bounces between them, Lena's counterpart comes to stand beside her, shoulder to shoulder.
"We'll make it easy for you," Lena drawls. "We're both real."
"Impossible," Lex hisses. "The multiverse was extinguished--"
"But not alternate realities." Lena's double tsks. "I would have thought you'd be smart enough to figure that out." She turns to Lena. "Perhaps your Lex has dimmed, somwhat."
"Dimmed!" Lex scoffs. "That isn't what the public says--"
"Come now, brother. We all know how quickly public perception can shift. After all, weren't you the first to call me a monster?"
Lena's counterpart tugs her black coat open to expose the kryptonite in her chest. Lena sees Lex's gaze light up at the sight of it. Disgust fills her.
"It's almost a shame you won't survive the hour," Lena's double continues. The stone in her chest slowly grows brighter as her smile turns predatory. "I think you would have liked what I've become."
Lex scoffs again, though the sound is clearly weaker than he intends. He looks to Lena. "You would kill your own brother?"
Lena looks at him coldly.
"They say the first time's the hardest."
------
Kara is too late to keep Lex alive. She doesn't know if he deserved the rescue, but she also isn't sure he deserved the immolation that has left him a charred and smoking husk.
When she arrives at the warehouse she finds both Lena's standing before their brother's corpse, their features identically indiscernable as they look long and hard at the consequence of their actions.
It's her Lena who turns to look at her first.
"Feel free to judge, as I'm sure you will," she says coldly. "But we both know he never should have been resurrected."
At that, the doppelganger turns as well. "Let's hope this time it sticks." Kara spots a flutter of motion at the edge of her vision, and looks down to see the doppelganger's fingers brush softly against Lena's. "If it doesn't, you'll know where to find me."
In the days that follow, Kara keeps her distance. She wrestles with the feeling in her chest the comes from seeing the Lenas so gentle with each other, yet so cold to everyone else. But still, when she catches wind that Lena has found the way to return the doppelganger to her own reality, Kara swoops into the lab just as the portal springs to life.
To do what, she isn't sure. To stop her from returning? To ensure she goes through?
"Your world has suffered enough," she ends up saying, hands on her hips.
The doppelganger meets her gaze undaunted. "You know nothing of my world, or the structure it requires to recover from the destruction you wrought."
Kara doesn't know how to respond. In the end, she simply doesn't. They stare at each other for long moments until Lena cuts in.
"She can't stay here," she clips out. "If she does, we could both experience entropic cascade failure."
Kara cuts eye contact with the doppelganger to flick her gaze towards Lena. Sensing her confusion, Lena fails to hide the roll of her eyes.
"It would be bad. For both of us."
So the doppelganger can't stay here. Kara is relieved, because she can't stomach the thought of keeping her here, so close to Lena and so full of rage and kryptonite. She can only hope that her friends in that other reality have survived, and can continue to fight against this Lena's tyranny.
When she says nothing, the doppelganger turns towards the portal without so much as a goodbye to her counterpart. But as she nears the event horizon, Lena herself calls out to her.
"Lena!"
The doppelganger pauses.
"Remember what I said." Lena holds her counterpart's gaze. "The future is yet unwritten."
The doppelganger remains silent.
"Your measure isn't taken by the love you receive," Lena continues. "It's measured in the love you give."
The doppelganger says nothing, but Kara can almost swear sees something about the woman soften.
Without a word, the doppelganger turns and disappears into the glimmering portal. When it shuts down behind her, the lab is thick with silence.
"Lena--"
"I gave you everything I have. Everything I am," Lena's gaze remains locked on the portal's control panel, but her jaw is sharp with restraint. "And you gave me nothing in return."
Lena's last words to herself ring in the silence between them.
It's measured by the love you give.
Lena finally meets Kara's gaze.
"So what does that make you?"
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blouisparadise · 10 months
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Here are some amazing bottom Louis fics that were posted or completed during the month of June. We really hope you enjoy this list. Happy reading!
1) All This Time | Teen & Up | 1046 words
Louis Tomlinson had been best friends with flower shop owner Gemma Styles for years. It wasn't until she suggested he date her alpha brother that he ever thought of Harry that way. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea...
2) On The Borderline Tonight | Mature | 1470 words
Note: The main pairing is Louis/Ethan Hawke.
Louis is an artist in need of inspiration. He finds it one sunny afternoon in a Brooklyn coffee shop.
3) Everything Is So Fine, Little Bit Of Sunshine | Not Rated | 2,009 words
Fluffy PWP of catboy Louis and his boyfriend Harry.
4) Soulmated | Mature | 2046 words
Niall forces Louis on a date. Ends differently than both of them expected.
5) Beauty And The Beast | Explicit | 2216 words
A virginal Louis is ‘sacrificed’ to the Beast to ensure the safety of his village. Dressed in ceremonial attire, Louis is locked in the stocks at nightfall and offered up to the Beast.
6) Darling, Just Hold On | Explicit | 2481 words
“I’m actually dying for a piss, but I don’t really know what to do about that. Here’s COACOAC.”
7) Thank You Five! | Explicit | 2719 words
It’s fifteen minutes to the start of Harry’s set and he is nowhere to be seen, much to the stress of everyone else……it might be that he is a little busy with a certain blue-eyed Doncaster lad.
8) Obey Your Alpha | Explicit | 3413 words
Harry and Louis are mated, but Simon isn't happy about it. He ends up separating them from each other. All is good though.
9) Don't You Know That I Am Right Here? | Mature | 4314 words
Louis is proud to be an Omega but his journey hasn’t been exactly easy so far. There’s nothing technically “wrong” with him, or so his doctor likes to remind him when he goes to see him every year since he was 15. His situation is more unusual than a medical problem, but it doesn’t mean most alphas will see it that way. When yet another inconvenient heat threatens to disturb his grad school move-out date, he sets a plan in motion. Enter best friend and gentle alpha Harry Styles.
10) I Can't Get You Off My Mind (I Still Crave It) | Mature | 4519 words
"You're an idiot," It was Lya's time to interrupt. "Why would you want another guy when you already have yours? Don't you ever get tired of those silly games?" "It is different!," Louis defended himself again, mouth open. "How come it is different?," Lya asked again. "I love Harry," it was easy like breathing. "He's the love of my life, I'm going to marry him," Louis looked around, until his eyes looked with Harry's, glossy and vibrant. "That guy was just a hook."
11) The Way to My Heart | Teen & Up | 6516 words
Louis' having a bit of a dry spell, until he bumps into an attractive alpha in the supermarket and leaves with his number. It was a hard bump. Very... muscular. The only problem is, said alpha asks Louis to cook for him - which is not exactly his skill set.
12) New Alpha | Mature | 6841 words
Request: Can you do omega Louis goes into heat and Harry finds him. They mate and Louis get's pregnant. But with more story behind it. Thanks (I know it's standard. But I really love werewolf stories.)
13) Rock My World | Mature | 14238 words
Harry threw the burly guy off the hot, clueless man in seconds. Harry turned his back to the pit of rowdy men and planted his feet to keep them steady. “Are you okay, kid?” The man he saved was even more beautiful than Harry expected. His tiny, elfish nose crinkled at the pet-name. The black lines around his eyes made his blue eyes even more striking. His cheekbones were prominent, making his overall frame even more small. “My name is Louis and I’m fine. Get off me, perve!” Harry hadn’t realized he’d kept his free hand against the small of his back or that it kept the man pressed directly his chest. Harry hated releasing him even in the slightest; Louis was much safer here. “Can you not see I’m security? That it’s my job to save idiots like you?” “Idiot?” Louis shouted to be heard over the man currently screaming his head off into the microphone. “Well, I’m sorry for being small, you dick! Not my fault they slammed into me!”
14) One Day I'll Come Into Your World And Get It Right (A Relaxing Afternoon.... Or Is It?) | Explicit | 14652 words
Zayn treated Louis to an afternoon massage with his friend Harry. They meant well. But Louis was sensitive, and Harry found him too much for his taste and... They're going to send Zayn a fruit basket.
15) What's Left Of My Halo's Black | Explicit | 22464 words As Harry sucks lovebites into Louis’ neck, Louis hopes that one day those marks will cover the way he can still feel Alex’s handprints burned into his flesh. As Harry’s nails drag scratches along Louis’ back, Louis hopes that one day the scabs on his heart will heal and drop away just like the scabs on his skin. As Harry fucks him down into the mattress, the bed shaking with every thrust, Louis hopes that one day his mouth will forget the shape of Alex’s name, won’t trace it over and over as the heat builds inside him, won’t want to scream it when he comes. Maybe one day he’ll open his eyes, as he slowly floats down from his post-orgasm haze, and won’t expect to see Alex’s face smiling back at him. But today is not that day.
16) True Blue | Explicit | 23409 words
Louis has always prided himself on making plans. His freshman year of high school he’d spent the entire night color-coding a five-year plan to get him to the exact career that he’s in today. When his parents wouldn’t let him and Zayn see the midnight premiere of the final Harry Potter, he’d crafted an intricate slideshow mapping out each outcome that his parents were worried about and countering every argument they’d tried to give. Just last week he’d sat down with Harry and forced him to listen to his ten-step process for them to secure the front row at their favorite artist’s show. It’s with this experience under his belt that he starts to devise another plan. One to start pulling his weight and also to prove to Harry and everyone that he is very much capable of fending for himself, thank you very much.
17) Hope Your Life Leads You Back To My Door | Explicit | 56709 words
“What’s the matter?” Louis asked quickly, eyes wide in alarm. “I’ve never done this before. I’ve never gone anywhere alone like this,” Harry whispered, his voice shaky. Louis didn’t look surprised, but there was something really fiery about him as he spoke again. “Then come now,” he insisted with a grin. “Just trust me. Get on this train with me and I promise you’ll have so much fun.” Louis Tomlinson wasn’t ever someone Harry thought he’d trust or look to with such open admiration for having the spirit to do things like this, but suddenly, he did. He trusted him and he wanted this. He was going to do it.
18) Where I Burn To Be | Explicit | 143346 words
There were very few people who managed to get under Louis’ skin as effortlessly as Harry had, and even fewer who had done it in only a day and a half. It was quite an accomplishment, really. They’d only interacted a handful of times and yet Louis had the insatiable desire to slam the locker into that frustratingly well-defined face that never seemed to hold any expressions other than contempt and arrogance. “That’s right. I do own the skies. And you wanna know why?” he sneered. Without his boots on, Louis was a fair bit shorter than Harry, his eyes pretty much level with Harry’s chin and his socked toes bumping into the boots of the other man, close enough that Louis could make out the tiny scar on Harry’s brow and the individual shades of emerald in his irises. He was handsome, but that only made Louis hate him more. Heart thumping heavily against his sternum and his hands balled into fists, Louis lifted his chin defiantly and plastered a coldhearted smirk across his lips. “Because I’m the best goddamn pilot here.”
Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.
You can find other monthly roundup fic rec lists here.
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a-strange-familiar · 2 years
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HIS MEMORIES - HS
A/n : Oh my god! This is the first time I'm ever writhing. I always enjoyed writhing. I used write journals and small stuff but never posted because of my insecurities. But today I wanted to throw all of them aside and do it.
Please forgive me if there are any mistakes, this is my first time. Please feel free to send your feed back and It would be sooo great of you reblog.
Warnings : lil swearing, angst , mention of sexual intimacy.
Pairing: Actress!Y/n and Harry
Summary: you and Harry broke up few months back but still love each other . And after all these months you see him again in a party. All memories you tried to push back in your head came back with a powerful speed.
(*The paragraphs in between in italics are flashbacks *)
part 2. part 3
HOPE YOU ENJOY . <3
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You released a sigh and took another sip from your drink.
Industry parties can be fun, at the same time they can be a exhausting and overwhelming, especially for a introvert person like you. You came to the party like an hour ago. First fourty minutes you tried to socialize and stuff. But that's your limit. Your social battery drained and you have no more energy to socialize, but still you have to. Till date you wonder how the hell did you ended up here with your introvert personality. But that's what fate is.
You have been in the industry for a good three years and you did amazing job to prove your self. You got few awards and got nominated to few prestigious awards , amazing following on social media and a good reputation in industry. But still you feel like a new comer when it came to these kinds of situations. You feel so intimidated by all the famous actors, singers and other industry members. You feel so little while comparing to everyone. That's one of the thing that your manager Taylor don't like. She always tells you be confident and believe that you deserve everything you have now and don't belittle yourself.
That's one of things you like in Taylor. She is really confident, and you want atleast ten percent of that.
" Y/N !" your thoughts are immediately got cut by hearing your name from a familiar voice.
You turn and see the person who called you. And you spot none other than of one of your close friends in the industry, Gemma Chan. You smile at her and she gave you big grin back and gave you a big bear hug.
Gemma is one of your first friends in the industry, you did a film with her 2 years back when your new and from then she is your friend and a big sister.
"Look at you girl, you look amazing " she said by giving a once over and looking at your black sheer drees your wearing which have a slit on left which is showing your entire leg perfectly .
You giggled " Thank you, but look at you Babe. You look stunning" She is really stunning, she is wearing a beatifull tight pink bodycon dress.
"So Y/n , how are you? "
"I'm good, I'm amazing actually. "
"I hope I can believe you." She said In a sad tone.
You released a sigh "Gemma , I'm really good. Look at me I'm fine , totally. "
She looks at you in disbelieve but didn't prolong it." If you say so."
"Soo, you ready? I thought you wouldn't be comfortable for this yet . But here you are ."
You had no clue what she is talking about. You chuckled. "Gemma , what are you talking about,? Am I ready for what? "
Her eyes went wide . She opened her mouth to say something but closed again. After few seconds she asked " You didn't know? Shit ! " It was more like she is saying to her self.
" Didn't know what? " you asked in confusion.
"He is going to be his tonight. He will be here by any minute from now."
And with that everything around you came to a halt. All the memories you kept buried in the back of my mind for 6 months hit you back like a flood.
He is going to be here? Of course he will be here . After all he is HARRY FREAKING STYLES. It's your dumbness for thinking that he won't be here. He is one of the biggest and famous singers in the world, obviously HE WILL be in a big party like this.
You look back at Gemma " um... I- I didn't know that"
"Obviously you don't know, or why you'll be here? So now what are you gonna do ?"
"What will I do ? I'm not gonna run from the party because of him ."
" No , not like that . Are you gonna talk to him?"
" I don't know Gem , I genuinely don't know. This is so... fucked up."
She kept her hand on your shoulder "I know Babe. It'll be fine . Don't do anything that you'll regret later . Just do what your heart says"
You looked down at your feet "yeah" you said in a defeated tone.
Then you heard a loud voice calling Gemma . You both turned your head and looked at a guy who is one of Gemma's friends.
She looked back at you and said " Look, I'll be back . Or you can come with me near my friends .I don't want to leave you alone in the corner. "
You shook your head "No ,no it's fine . You go, I'll be fine. I'll come after a bit."
"You sure?" she asked in disbelief.
You just nod.
She just nod back. Give you a small peck on your cheek and left.
With that your alone again with your own thoughts. But this time your more dreadful.
You are going to see the person whom you loved with your entire soul. Your boyfriend for 1year 3 months. A person whom you thought you will spend your entire life with. A person who you still love , and maybe you will love forever.
You are going to see your ex boyfriend whom you still love , after 6 months for the first time after you broke up.
You and Harry met each other for the first time in a premier party of one of your very first films. He was the guest. That's where you met him. You had an undeniable crush on that man for so long. You are a big fan of him . That's one of the reasons why he was there at party that night. Your director know that you love him , so he thought it would be nice gift for you if Harry came.
And it was amazing . Harry is an amazing person not only on stage and infront of camera but also in real life. That night you saw him entering into the party , while giving everyone his signature dimple smile. And it was hard for you to not to fall on your knees at the sight.
*
You were looking at Harry who is walking into the party. There are many other celebrities around but still he stood out. He is just spreading his charm around. And you feel all the eyes around are on him . I mean can you blame them ?And just like that he was in front of you .
Your director Christopher Nolan. Introduced you to him . Harry worked with him too in past. They were so close and that the reason why Harry came to the party without a second thought.
Once you were introduced to Harry your eyes immediately met with his beautiful jade green eyes . People were right, he has some kind of magnetic attraction in his eyes. He extended his hand towards yours , you hesitantly gave yours. You both shake your hands and instead of leaving your hand he bought your hand to his lips and kissed the back. And all this happened while he is intensely burning his graze on you.
" Nice to meet you Y/n , I saw the trailer and it's fantastic " he said with a smile.
You blushed like an idiot and you mumbled a thank you.
And you both are having a small talk and people around you are also joining in between .
At one point in between the conversation he leaned in near your ear and his soft, delicate, pink lips are almost touching your ear and he said " you look so beautiful, you really are so pretty and I love your drees. " and he leaned back with a smirk plasterd on his lips.
You stood there all stunned trying to hide your blush and shock.
*
And after your first meeting you both kept in touch and both liked each other. And after a month you both went on your first Date. He came to your place and you both cooked dinner together, danced in the kitchen, and watched a film. In simple words you had a best date ever.
After 2 more dates you were both a couple . He asked you to be his girlfriend and you said yes in a heartbeat. And from then everything is a fairytale until it's not. You both kept your relationship in private, and it's a mutual decision. You were new to the industry and you are doing soo good with everything and breaking this news will give a big unnecessary attention. You both didn't want it . You wanted to be known for your work , not for being someone's girlfriend. So you both thought it would be good to keep it private for now and later after few days you can make it public. And only yours and his family members along with some of the close friends know about you both.
You both were madly in love. He said 'l love you ' into the 5th month of your relation. And you said it back immediately because you wanted to say those words for a long time but you thought you will freak him out. So you kept to yourself.
And suddenly you came out of your thoughts . And you realised that your drink is empty. And you want to refill it.
You just started to look around seeing everyone socializing and having fun . And you smile to yourself while looking around.
And then your entire world stopped. You met with those pair of beautiful green orbes that you were love in with once . You still are in love with.
He was looking at you. He is not just looking at you, he is looking into you. Like he is looking into your soul. His expression is unreadable. You can't figure out what he was thinking.
How long has he been here ? Is he looking at you for so long? Are you that lost in your thoughts that you didn't even see him.?
Whatever it is, now he is here. Standing a few feet distance from you looking at you while having a conversation with someone.
You can't take this any more. You just can't.
While looking at him all the memories came back. All His memories came back.
You remember the days when you both made love . When he was deep inside you , his lips to your ear breathing heavily and wishpering sweet nothings into your ear.
You remember the days when you both used to cook together and dance in the kitchen.
You remember the lazy Sunday mornings when you both were lazy to get up early. He used to refuse to get up and you both ended being in bed till noon.
You remember taking showers together, and baths. You remember him massaging your scalp with your favorite shampoo.
You remember when he said 'I love you' for the first time.
You remember the times when he used to sleep on you chest and your hand tangled in his curls gently massaging it. And the way he used to whine and complain when you stopped.
You remember the the way he used to sleep on your chest and suck at your nipples even when your not having sex. It helped him to sleep better.
You remember the way you both used miss each other because you were far from each other at the other end of the world for work.
You remember your late night talking in the balcony, because he knew exactly how much you love it.
You remember breaking up with him , both of you crying and bawling. You asking him to not to leave you. Begging him to be with you.
You remember you first kiss and your last one. And all the once in between. You remember each and everything you did together.
You remember everything, because you didn't forget anything.
Fuck . Seeing him now you can't take it anymore. All those memories are coming back.
You waited for him. You know why he broke up with you . He thought he did what's best for you, but that's not his decision to make. You waited for him all these months , you thought he will come back and take you back to him . But that never happened.
Actually you still are waiting.
You tried to move on but couldn't. How are you supposed to move on when a piece of your heart will always beat for him , no matter what ?
All the pain and sadness turned into anger. You can't take it anymore. But there is one question in your mind .
'If he come and apologise now and asked you to come back , will you? '
And you can't be here, you made your way to the balcony, which is your spot at any party. If anyone wants to find you they should first come to the balcony.
Once you entered into the balcony cold winter air hit your face. And you stand there admiring the nature. While you stand there you can't help but think about him.
*
You and Harry are sleeping on his bed. You are sleeping on your back and his head on your chest just the way you both like. His hands are wrapped around your waist and your hands are in his beautiful chocolate brown curls , massaging .
You both are in comfortable silence, you can hear nothing other than your soft breathings. The room is dimly lit , but you can still see his features very well.
"Baby? " He was the first one to break the silence.
You hummed back in answer.
He lifted his head so that your eyes are meeting , you give him a small smile.
"I want to tell you something, but you can't freak out" He looked nervous.
And you were nervous too , you don't know what he was about to tell you.
"What is it baby? You can tell me what's wrong "
He looks soo nervous, like he is about to break down. But he took a long breath and said those three words which you are dreading to say for soo long and wanted to hear for so long.
"I love you , Y/n"
You were so shocked to hear him say that. Tears are already building in your eyes. He got more nervous by the lack of your reply . He quickly got up and tried to loosen the situation.
"You don't have to say it back , I just wanted to say you because I mean it .I wanted to say this for so long but didn't have enough courage. But you don't have say it back. Take your time. I'll wait, I'm right here. I-"
You cut his rambling by slaming your lips to his , your action caught him off guard but quickly he reciprocated with same amount of passion. You both kissed for so long and you both were out of breath. You rested your forehead against his . You both are looking into each other's eyes and breathing heavily.
"I love you too , Harry . I love soo much. " You confesed out of breath.
"You do ?" He asked you in disbelief.
You just nod and pecked his lips.
He grins ear to ear " say it again, please baby I want to hear it again "
You smile so wide "I love you Harry , I love you soo fucking much"
He closed his eyes let a deep sigh in content. "I can't get enough of you , I love you, baby"
*
Your thoughts are abundantly stopped by the sound of a pair of foot steps. You don't even have to look back to see it's him. You know it's him. And by every step he takes his familiar perfume is hitting your nose. And you swallow the lump in your throat.
You are going to do this . You are not weak. You can face him and talk.
And when the foot steps came to a halt. You can feel a presence behind you . You took a long breath and turned around to see your Harry. Maybe not yours.
You met with his beautiful face and magnetic green eyes. Again you can't read his expression. It's not cold , but its not warm too.
He opened his mouth and it felt like heaven to hear his voice for the first time in 6 months .
" Hey Y/n".
~~~
A/n : I felt it here as an open ending, you can imagine what ever you want or if you want a part 2 please let me know . I have idea but don't know if you guys want to read or not.
Thank you for reading this. It meant a lot for taking your time and reading it. Please don't mind my mistakes. This is my first time writing. Feel free to send feed back. It means a lot for me if you hit reblog.
~~~
Please like and reblog. It will give me motivation to me to write more.
Thank you. Lots of love <3
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