#and of course i am. very very honored to have been selected for such an incredible project

[ravenxbones]

guns, guns, guns, huh? war, war…war…🪰

#mcr #gerard way #mcr alpharetta #mcrswarmzine #mcr art #my chemical romance #my final piece!! from last june! presented to you at last!!! #this was one of my shows!! i saw philly and alpharetta and i had a BLAST working on this zine with all of the incredible artists and writer #and of course i am. very very honored to have been selected for such an incredible project #i hope y’all get to hold your physical copies soon and enjoy the fruits of our labor! especially the mod team!!

[i-cant-sing]

I'm not sure what I want to write about but I have this very overwhelmingly strong urge to write about Platonic Yandere Gojo Saturo x teen/adult reader. And not like just light fluff, I'm talking about unhinged yandere Gojo- the one from the latest panels where he was fighting with Sukuna- that Gojo.

Like that Gojo just radiates "buffed up cool dad finally puts his foot down and is now actually low key scary".

Hmm, I mean I could see unhinged Shibuya arc Gojo just going absolutely feral as he drags you away from Toji (your dad) and begins to actively kill him, no matter how much you beg and grovel to spare your father's life. How you can't bare to see your dad taken from you again.

But Gojo? Nah, he doesn't care. He was serious when he took you in (kidnapped u from Naoya/Zenin Clan) and told u that he'll be the father you need.

And he doesn't even have any qualms about knocking you out either, he doesn't need u interfering mid battle and getting injured in the process. He might even hand u over to Yuta and others and cheerfully threaten them to keep you safe while he obliterates Toji, because yes Gojo is 100000% jealous of Toji and you bonding/being closer to each other than u are with Gojo. How fucing dare you??? Does he need to do the speech again?

"Through heavens and earth, I alone am tge honored one" or whatever 🙄🙄🙄

OR OR OR

Listen to me- Romantic yandere UNHINGED Gojo with reader who'd been selected by his clan, trained and raised by them for you to be Gojo's bride. Obviously, growing up Gojo was like "yeahhh, you're not good enough for me" and well treated her like absolute trash (he insulted her) which them lead the clan to be even more harsh on you because why the hell are you still not able to seduce Gojo????? So, basically poor reader is just being absolutely miserable throughout her life until one day the Gojo Clan is finally like "Alright, we gave it our best and Saturo still doesn't like u, so you can work as a maid in our house" and like instantaneously her life turns much better now that she doesn't have the pressure to be the trophy wife/heir producer for Gojo, and reader now can even leave the house to run errands.

But then Gojo notices that there is one less person who was constantly fawning over him, vying for his attention, and he's trying to figure it out who it is when he realises its you! And when he asks his clan about you, they tell him that they demoted u to a servant instead of future Mrs Gojo and Saturo is like "hm. Okay." And it doesn't exactly hit him how much this affected him until he saw you giggling away with some man.

He doesn't react immeadiately, still treating you like you're just nonexistent to him, but deep down, it eats him up the way you were touching that man's arm, the way you looked at him like he hung the stars for you.

Why tf weren't you like this with him?

Whatever. You're just... so beneath him. Why even bother thinking about you?

And then Shibuya arc happens. This man gets trapped in the prison realm and most of his thoughts are occupied by you, and how after be defeats Sukuna and the gang, he's gonna date you and you'll be touching his arm, looking at him with goo goo eyes.

Except when he comes out, for whatever fucking reason, you're fucking clinging onto some guys shoulders, acting like you're a damsel in distress, and if things weren't worse before, they certainly were when you kissed the man in front of him (okay but like u didn't know Gojo was watching u two. Like you were with your man in alley, kissing and hugging each ither lovingly after just barely escaping death from curses and then mf Gojo is just hovering in the sky above you)

Of course, now it's instantaneous death for your man, and then Gojo is just dragging you screaming and crying, and you're like "WHY? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME??" And Gojo very cheerfully tells you, as if he still wasn't covered in blood from your man-

"I don't want my wife-to-be cheating on me."

Like whoa! Where tf did that came from???? And you're all like "What are u talking about??? Your clan ended our relationship- if you could even call it that?? Besides, you're the one who always said that we're not compatible because I'm beneath you."

And Gojo doesn't even bat an eye, as he goes "doesn't matter. You were born for me. You were made for me to marry, play with, discard, do as I please. So don't you ever even look at another man again, or I will be the one to rip your eyes out." And you know that he's capable of doing that after u just witnessed the live demonstration of your man being murdered.

Anyways, jealous Gojo, be it romantic or platonic, is dangerous unhinged Gojo.

Look at him, the tiny waist, the Toji Fushiguro fit.

#yandere gojo #yandere gojo satoru #yandere gojo saturo #yandere jujutsu kaisen #yandere jjk

[sgiandubh]

An intimate lunch

Coming back to this particular C pic, which has sparkled endless comments, today (still very busy days for me & I gave in and binged TCND - this explains the ungodly hour):

Dots have been connected (there are, after all, alternative Keepers of the Dots, a sobriquet I am therefore relinquishing, thanking again the friend who gifted it to me). And comments -ranging from stan blindness to unreasonable conspiracy theories - have been written too.

Tellingly enough, the wording of the Finch and Partners IG post was quite suggesting: 'an intimate lunch' means more than promo, almost a personal get together with, at the very least, carefully selected people.

Was she coat-tailing? Very probably, to the extent she is understandably interested in getting more acting (directing?) projects after OL. And to make it clear: there is nothing bad to it.

Did she know Cooper before? There is no way in hell to confirm it with 100% accuracy, but my guess is no. Someone, as it has been pointed out, obliged. These are the simple, expected minimum benefits of a PR agent, a Rolodex and of networking. And it is true: she has been consistently on Finch's list and invited at many of their events since at least 2016. Which is to say, since IFH? Oh. OK. No further questions, Your Honor.

Was it a reward for dragging along McIdiot at that Netflix gala, the day before? Even taking into account her visible lack of enthusiasm, I am afraid things are not as simple and mechanic as alternatively dangling the proverbial carrot and stick. It's a quid pro quo, not a reward. A part in a movie would be a reward - not a lunch in town: that would be selling herself very cheaply.

But of course, we are all idiots, as this reaction from a particularly ungifted Mordor pundit would like us to think:

This post is not about S, of course. And the posited question is a superb logical fallacy: S is 'never invited to any of these events', because his side projects are different and his social media communication strategy is different, too. She was not there because of S and no one on this side of the fandom seriously suggested it.

Also, let's not show more idiocy than you are naturally able of, denizens of Mordor: Cooper did not really need her 1 (one) Academy Awards vote. And do you know why? Well, her vote would not make any serious difference among the 7,999 others, this is why:

Yes, the Britannica: I know it pisses you, and many other people, mightily off.

But perhaps she was there also because of this?

Enlighten me, please, since I am such a forgetful idiot, what on Earth might have happened to The Cut? You know, the project she was shooting just before the SAG-AFTRA strike began?

Crickets. And, which is more alarming...

If proven correct, this IMDb info is not very good news and I would be bereft for her. Honestly. Check the link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26697087/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cl_sm. It lists the entire crew, up to the last best boy. Whatever happened to C's part? Whatever happened to C? The movie is now announced in post-production. Surely we'll know very soon, one way or another. But if her part has been slashed out, it's only normal to be more active and scout any possible project opportunity.

Ultimately, the core problem remains unchanged: since she did not post this picture on her socials, she is still as uninterested in them as she's always been. Always. And sorry for repeating myself, but spare some scarce mention about make-up and attire (presumably to be nice to personal friends), she does not engage with this fandom. At all. That does not leave her stans with many options but to write their own fanfic, while accusing us (who may know a bit more than them, at any rate) of doing the same.

Smart girl, C. I am sure S&C divided their respective roles in the 'Coping with the Narrative' in-house production for a very long time and this is the most important thing of them all. The rest is babble, including this post.

#fandom

[cornertheculprit]

okay. obviously it seems like everything at the end of 2-4 leads to phoenix declaring matt engarde guilty. and that of course comes with all these big heroic-sounding lines:

Phoenix: ...Matt Engarde.

Engarde: ...!

Phoenix: Even though I am a lawyer, I cannot make your crime disappear. I think a guilty verdict is appropriate here.

Engarde: M-Me!? My wonderful self...!? G-Guilty!?

Phoenix: Even if you got an acquittal, the instant you set foot outside the detention center, your life would be in danger. No matter which way you look at it... You can't run away from your crime anymore!

but no matter if you select guilty or not guilty, the same thing happens: matt engarde declares himself guilty to avoid being killed by shelly de killer. but phoenix's dialogue if the not guilty option is selected.....i LOVE it:

Phoenix: Congratulations, Mr. Matt Engarde.

Engarde: ...!

Phoenix: Please make sure to savor every moment of what little time you have left. Your Honor! As always, the defense pleads not guilty.

Judge: Very well. This court finds the defendant, Matt Engarde...

Engarde: P-Please wait...

Judge: What's the matter?

Engarde: If... If I get a not guilty... I'll... I'll be... killed...

Judge: ...?

Engarde: I... I'm... I'm...

it's not heroic. it's VINDICTIVE. it's already been established by edgeworth between all the relevant parties what will happen if engarde is declared not guilty: de killer will hunt him down and murder him himself. and the fact that this option can be selected without getting the bad ending or a game over since engarde will declare his guilt at this point no matter what makes it as equally likely of happening as phoenix being the stereotypical protagonist and going with the guilty verdict. at this point, maya is safe. there is no danger to her. phoenix looks directly at matt engarde KNOWING that no matter what he says engarde is done for and instead of choosing the slightly kinder option of convicting him (to life in prison, presumably, seeing as it's implied he'll only be killed if he's acquitted) he chooses to plunge the knife in and TWIST. he looks at engarde and says, congratulations! you're free! and watches in silence as engarde starts stammering on the stand, eventually leading to his confession. MUCH different than the "guilty" option, where engarde just says a stereotypical villain line like "my perfect self????" or whatever. like overall i think the "not guilty" option is a THOUSAND times more interesting than the "guilty" option ESPECIALLY when you consider what mia said immediately before the choice had to be made:

Mia: Whether he's convicted or acquitted, there is no escape for him now. Go on, Phoenix. Plead whichever way your heart tells you.

Phoenix: Right, Chief.

phoenix can plead whichever way his heart tells him and he can make the choice to twist the knife. and when he twists the knife he TWISTS it do you get me

#'please make sure to savor every moment of what little time you have left' ULTIMATE PHOENIX WRIGHT POWER MOVE. GODDDDDDD

[starshine-hockey-girl]

This blurb is for PrincessPhilly's lyric challenge in honor of her birthday. I selected lyrics from Heaven Sent by Keshia Cole for Brandon Tanev.

It is a reader insert and just under 1500 words.

@princessphilly @pattiemac1 @penstxgal1968

Bellevue, Washington

You listened as Brandon walked in the door of your shared high rise condo. The brief serenity while your loves- both human and furry- took their unending energy and activity for a walk ended abruptly. You smiled as his baritone voice boomed through the condo and he animatedly spoke to the excited pups. He talked to them as if they understood his words.

On the surface, the two of you made no sense as a couple. You, the quiet and reserved one, and he, the loud and bodacious one, seemed like polar opposites. However, you had one common characteristic that made it work- passion. You both had a passion for your work and an even greater passion for each other.

The relationship took both of you by surprise. When you joined your Seattle Reign teammates for a ceremonial puck drop at the Seattle Kraken hockey game, you were nursing a broken heart from your first and only serious relationship. You were the very definition of “not looking for love”. However, when you were introduced to Brandon Tanev and he pulled you into a hug with a loud proclamation of “YN! I am a big fan”, you felt the electricity almost at once. You stumbled back and smiled nervously. Then he flashed his bright smile and you were hooked. When he asked for your number before you left, you gave it without hesitation.

Eighteen months later, you stood in the bathroom listening to him speak to the dogs- Jett and Messi. His one request when you moved into the condo over the summer was to get a dog. Yes, that was the plan to adopt one dog. However, as you walked through the rescue adoption event, he went straight to the pair of adorable Yorkie terriers who chased each other through an enclosed play yard.

“What do you think, Y/N?” he looked back at you as you observed.

“You want a small dog?” you asked incredulously, “You have been searching for labs for weeks.”

“I don’t know. I think a smaller dog would be better in the condo,” he bent down to pick up the bigger of the pair. He held him up to his face. “Cute, eh?” he asked. You knew instantly that he was hooked and there would be no talking him out of the tiny dog.

“Baby,” you smiled as you bent down to pick up the smaller of the pair, “He has a little buddy. Someone needs to adopt them as a pair.” You had hoped that would serve as some sort of deterrent to the selection. It had the opposite effect.

“Someone being us, Y/N” he smiled. You opened your mouth to object when he started to plead his case. “Think about it. They already know each other and they will have a built-in playmate. They won’t be so lonely when we are at practice. I’ll have one for each side of me when I watch your road games and you watch mine.” He took both of them into his hands. He started speaking to them. “Yes, do you want to come live with us? We’ll teach you all about hockey and soccer,” he spoke animatedly before putting them down to start chasing them through the play yard. You groaned. He looked up and flashed you a smile. “Come on, YN- you know you can’t resist this cuteness.”

You smiled. He, of course, referred to the dogs but it was infectious energy that you could not resist. “Fine,” you said as you climbed into the play yard and picked up one of the pair, “But only if I get to name them.”

“No way,” he laughed, “You name one. I’ll name the other one.” He picked up the other dog and examined it closely. “What’s your name, buddy?” he asked if the dog would answer. “Jett?” he grinned as he bestowed the name of his first NHL team on to the Yorkie.

You looked at Jett's partner in crime, “Well okay, Messi- let’s go home.”

You were lost in the memory when you heard him bounding up the stairs. His footsteps were loud as he lept the stairs two at a time. The pitter patter of tiny paws tried their best to keep up with him. “Come on boys. Let’s go see YN,” he called as he reached the top of the steps, raced into the bedroom and slid on his sock-covered feet into the bathroom. You looked up at him in the mirror reflection. He held out a cup from your favorite coffee shop- the one he took you on your first unofficial date. “I thought you could use the extra caffeine tonight,” he smiled as he handed it to you.

You smiled and accepted the drink from him. “He knew,” you thought to yourself. He knew that the gala would require all of the social energy you had in you. Being in large crowds, entertaining and charming people came naturally to Brandon. To you, it was an effort. One that would need to be fueled by caffeine and his boisterous love. He walked up behind you, wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his chin on your shoulder. You shared a look in the mirror. The words were unspoken, but you heard them all the same, “I got you,” he spoke with his eyes, tender with emotion.

Then the moment abruptly ended when he swatted your bottom playfully, “Don’t worry. I got myself a triple espresso so I will be bouncing off the walls soon.”

“Brandon!” you laughed, “You do not need caffeine. Please tell me that you are joking. The world does not need a caffeinated Turbo.”

He looked back and smiled, “Oh, but I think it does.”

You went your separate ways. He went into the large, walk-in closet to get dressed in his suit. You stayed in the bathroom to put on your final touches of your hair and make-up. After you dressed in your dress with a slit cut high enough to emphasize your toned leg, you wandered down the stairs. The caffeine from Brandon’s drink had kicked in and he raced around the room in an elaborate game of chase with the dogs. He looked like a cross between a twirling tornado and Tasmanian devil. The game was getting out of control and he came dangerously close to knocking over your favorite floor vase as he sped by the fireplace. “Brandon,” you yelled as his hand knocked the vase over, “Why do you have to run around like a Tasmanian Devil? You are going to break something!” He used his lightning-fast reflexes to catch the vase before it hit the floor.

He swung around the couch and caught sight of you from the corner of his eyes. He stopped suddenly and stood with his mouth agape.

You looked down at your dress nervously, “No good?”

“Oh, it’s good,” he finally choked out, “It’s…..ummmm….. Yeah….. It’s uhhhhh” He searched for the words but could not find them. “You look like an angel,” he whispered when the words finally bubbled up in his brain, “You look like an angel sent from heaven.”

You blushed as he walked over to you. He looked at you in wonder, “just like the song.” He pulled you into a tight embrace as he instructed Alexa to play your song. https://open.spotify.com/track/2E90KUsor4U2abOJGFKtfx?si=1773701ad44c4836

He spun you around as the music filled the room.

I wanna be the one who you believe

In your heart is sent from (sent from heaven)

“You are, YN, you are,” he whispered as he gazed into your eyes, “I may be a Tasmanian Devil, but you are my angel sent from heaven. I love you so much.”

“Brandon….” you spoke softly, “I am no angel.”

“Yes, you are,” he kissed you softly before whispering against your lips, “You are my angel and I am so lucky to have you.”

“We’re lucky to have each other,” you whispered back. Suddenly he lifted you over his shoulder and carried you toward the door.

“BRANDON!” you squealed, “What are you doing you devil you!”

“I see you are embracing my identity, my angel,” he laughed as he grabbed your purse, “The sooner we get to this gala, the sooner we can come home. I can get that dress off of you and show you just how devilish I can be.”

“Is that a promise?” you laughed.

“It’s a damn guarantee,” he swatted your bottom and carried you out the door.

#brandon tanev fiction #brandon tanev x reader #nhl imagine #nhl fic #nhl fiction #seattle kraken fiction #nhl x reader #seattle kraken x reader #seattle kraken imagine #princesspbdaychallenge

[scaredpigeons]

More than you can chew. 1 (sfw edition)

Authors note: I’ve been wanting to create some lore for my Genshin impact oc, Elirah for so long now. The other night I had a rare shot of inspired adrenaline and mashed this out in the span of two evenings. This is the SFW introduction, but there are scenes and suggestive moments that allude to the NSFW companion piece, which I will release as soon as it’s finished. Something to keep in mind is that this is an x OC series, and while I don’t think I’ll explicitly say this, Elirah is polyamorous. Elirah is also the type of person to genuinely be able to have casual relations with friends and it not affect their friendship whatsoever.

The main relationship in this series will focus on Elirah, Kaveh and Alhaitham. But because I’m a fan of letting my girl get around, you can expect to see in this series and it’s nsfw counterpart:

x Venti

x Wanderer

x Lyney

x cynonari

And of course the final chunk of this piece alludes to a group Elirah x haikaveh x cynonari scene.

Possibly more to add later, as I am insatiable.

CW: SFW. Swearing, loosely depicted violence, kissing, slightly suggestive scenes but no straight up nsfw. Consumption of alcohol, sex pollen scenario (again, no actual scene yet, just the intro to keep it pg.)

These are a series of short tales that depict important pieces of Elirah’s life. Please enjoy.

If you would like to learn more about Eli, please look here.

Word count: 8.9k (a lot)

In the Dendro Archons gilded cage sits a small child. The air around her thrums with energy, though very few get close enough to realize this for themselves.

The ornate door to the sanctuary opens, and the being appearing to be a young girl only looks up when she hears the soft coo of a baby. 

“Halima, is that you?” 

A woman walks the bridge from the entrance of the sanctuary to the platform dedicated to the containment of one seemingly fragile little girl. The field around the platform thrums with about as much energy as there is within it, a prison created with the power of its own prisoner. 

For hundreds of years, only a small group of very select people have been able to pass through the field of power containing the dendro archon within. 

Five hundred years ago, after the fall of the Greater Lord, the grand sages knew not what to do with this seemingly powerless replacement, not understanding the significance of the child that lay where their archon perished. Only a small group, who came to be known as the ‘caretakers’ understood the importance of the lesser lord. 

This woman is a direct descendant of the very first, and though she was now the last, the bundle in her arms provided solace that she was not the very last.

The woman, Halima, passes through the barrier, the last of her people and the last citizen of Sumeru to be able to do so freely, without permission and without consequence. 

As she kneels in reverence, Her long, luscious pink braid falls over her shoulder, strands delicately framing her face, contrasting beautifully with her light brown skin. She wears no Akasha terminal, yet is wise beyond her years.  

“My lord, I hope you forgive my intrusion.” 

“Hush, Halima,” the young girl huffs. “The sages aren’t here, and you know I hate it when you speak to me so. You are always welcome here, to me.” 

Halima laughs softly, rising to her feet once more. “My apologies, it's been many moons, I just wished to honor you once more.” 

The dendro archon notices that despite the soft dark circles beneath her yellow-gold eyes, Halima looks wonderful, happy, and healthy.

“I’m happy to see the birth went smoothly, and that you are still in good health.” She states, a warm smile crossing her lips. 

“And you, my lord? Have you been faring well? Have they been treating you with kindness?”

The girl smiles, though it doesn’t meet her eyes. “As kind as they’re able.” She says. “They bring me books from the House, food if I feel like eating, though nothing compares to your cooking.” 

The woman smiles. “I’ll bring you some fresh candied ajilenakh nuts as soon as possible, my lord. I know how much you adore sweets.” 

“Mostly just your sweets, but yes, I’ve not experienced a sugar rush in quite some time. I look forward to it.” The girl waves a small hand dismissively before peering shyly over her shoulder. “Enough about me, please. Can I…meet the baby?” 

Halima's smile could not have been any wider as she stepped closer and sat on the raised dias next to her god. 

The bundle of fabric in her arms coos once more, and Halima moves the soft cloth aside to reveal a small pale face, topped with tufts of pale pink hair. Large, golden yellow eyes stare up at the archon, empty and unknowing of the significance of this moment. 

“I see she inherited her fathers complexion,” the girl says, running a hand just above the baby's skin, not quite touching yet wishing to, all the same. “But her eyes are yours.” 

“That they are. We thought for so long that she would be a boy, so the name Elijah was all we could think about. But when she came, we knew it didn’t suit her.”

“Elijah.” The archon said. “A name of reverence. I would have been honoured. What name did you go with instead?”

“Don’t laugh,” Halima said. “But we chose Elirah instead. Similar, yet the meaning changes with that one letter.” 

“Oh?” 

“Loosely, it means freedom bringer. I thought it was fitting, as I pray that she will be the one to help free you from this… cage, you seem to keep yourself locked in.” 

Nahida smiles softly, her eyes filled with a sadness no one else had ever taken the time to notice. “I’ll continue to let my people do what they think is best.” 

Halima’s face falls, serious and stern. Nahida supposes that happens when you become a mother. “And I’ll continue to have faith in your wisdom, my lord.” 

—————

“FOR FUCKS SAKE, LET ME THROUGH!” 

Lyney holds the young woman’s arms, keeping her from the door to the House. 

“I’m sorry Eli, but I’m under strict orders to keep you here, you have to understand.” 

“Fuck you, Lyney. You lied to me! I thought….” She pulls back, running her nails through her scalp, eyes wild. “I thought we were friends! I thought we… I thought you liked me!” 

He steps closer, though he tries not to feel much about the way she steps back like he burned her, like he was a threat.

“I’m sorry Elirah, it’s not… it’s orders from Father, I don’t even know why—“

“Fuck you, and fuck your Knave, Lyney. How dare you keep me from my duty. How dare you keep me in the dark when my archon is in danger.” Something in Elirah snaps, and her face falls, all emotion draining from it— the same mask she had before he and his siblings wormed their way into her heart. 

“The Fatui have already taken everything from me. I should’ve known better than to trust you.”

Lyney would be a monster if he said what was left of his heart didn’t break a little at her words. But even still, he had his own duty to fulfill. 

“I cannot let you leave Elirah.” 

As soon as the words left his mouth, the air in the room started swirling, as if a vacuum had appeared. His lungs grew strained, and he found himself choking and gasping for the air that was no longer there, that was instead swirling towards the woman in front of him, wiping around her like a vortex. 

Her eyes were hard as she watched him fall to his knees, choking and shaking with the need to breathe. 

“You cannot keep me, Lyney. I will never be anyone’s prisoner.” 

She walks calmly towards the door, and as soon as her hand touches the handle, the pressure drops, and oxygen fills Lyneys lungs once more. She opens the door, and walks out, completely disregarding Lynette and Freminet as they rush in to Lyneys side. 

Lynette takes one look at Lyney on his knees and turns to rush after Elirah, but Lyneys strained voice calls her back. 

“Wait—“ he coughs. “Let her go. We’ve done what we were asked. Two months. Keep her for two months, longer if possible.” 

“But Lyney, she-“ Lynette starts, fury clouding her normally neutral expression. 

“It’s fine,” Lyney breathes shakily, sitting back and looking at the ceiling. “It’s nothing I didn’t deserve.” 

————-

“Remember that favor you owe me?” 

The rest of the Harbingers had shuffled out of the meeting, though the Doctor lingered, and his eyes bore through that mask directly at the Knave, so she too lingered, if only to keep him from following her to pester her about it later. 

“You’ll never allow me to forget it, Doctor.”

His wicked grin spread across his face, sharp teeth gleaming in the light of the crystalline chandeliers. She could never tell if this one was the original, or just a copy so perfect it was impossible to tell. 

“I’d like to cash it in now, if you do not mind.”

The Knave rolled her eyes. “You speak as though you’re giving me a choice. Skip the pleasantries, just tell me what you want.”

The Doctor inspected a non-existent loose thread on his immaculate gloves. “I need your children to take care of a problem for me.”

“Absolutely not. I will never have my children carry out one of your filthy misdeeds. Their hands will stay clean for as long as I’m able to keep them that way. Why don’t you have one of your beloved assets take care of this, why my children?”

The Doctor tuts in disapproval. “You didn’t even give me a chance to explain! I don’t need them to get their hands dirty, which is precisely why I cannot send one of my assets to do it for me.”

The Knave seemed to release the tension from her shoulders, and so the Doctor took that as approval to continue. 

“I need them to… distract someone for me. Two months, more if possible. She’s a hindrance to some plans I have, and I cannot allow her to get in my way.”

“And why don’t you just take her out? Isn’t that more your style?” 

The Doctor kissed the front of his teeth, staring around the grand meeting room as if it was far more interesting than whatever explanation he had to give. 

“I may have been the downfall of the girl's parents, and in the interest of not invoking any more potential wrath from a certain adversary of mine, I’d like to leave the girl be, for now.” 

The Knave deadpanned. “How generous of you.” 

“So, is this task clean enough for your precious children? Or will I have to take other measures?” 

“It’s fine,” she said. “But how will you get the girl there? What will be the excuse? My twins can only distract so much, and if this one is a problem, I don't want them to have to work more than necessary.” 

The Doctor sighed, walking towards the door. “I’ll have the sages at the Akademiya send you a proposal. Orphanages or whatever sparks your interest. A collaboration between Sumeru’s brightest and the House of the Hearth, for the betterment of Fontaine's children, all with this problem girl as the Akademiya’s most willing representative.”

He waved his hand dismissively, “I look forward to working with you again in the future!” 

—————

The air in Lambads tavern was thick with tension, and the other patrons tried to no avail to avoid hearing the argument that had broken out at a certain table in the back.

Elirah, normally calm and collected, was showing various amounts of emotion normally reserved for the people she was closest to. Somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, she supposed these people were who she was closest to, but right now, she wanted to strangle Alhaitham with her bare hands.  

Kaveh watched in abject horror as the argument between them went back and forth, poison dripped words lashing out, and though Alhaitham maintained that irritatingly calm and collected demeanor, he could see a couple veins straining in his forearms, like he was holding back quite a bit. 

Alhaitham and Elirah never saw eye to eye, but this was new. Elirah was on edge after returning to her home only to find out that a plot to overthrow her archon had formed directly under her nose, and that she specifically had been sent away and kept in the dark to prevent her from doing anything about it. 

Kaveh doesn’t remember how this argument started, all he knows is that now, Elirah is stood up out of her seat, leaning across the table and pointing a rather accusatory finger at Alhaitham’s chest, keeping it there even as she let him strike back.  

“My apologies, freedom bringer,” Alhaitham sneered the honored name as if it was a slur, as he gestured to her anemo vision. “Apologies— that I was the one who had to organize the freedom of your beloved archon, maybe don’t flit off on vacation and next time I won't have to do your job for you.”

Now, everyone knew that Elirah never wanted to go to Fontaine. Elirahs father was from Fontaine, and even before her parents were killed, Elirah never wanted to travel far away from her archon, from her duty. Especially to Fontaine, where she would be reminded of her father everywhere she looked. 

Alhaitham knew it wasn’t her choice, and he also knew that she hadn’t been on vacation. Later, when asked why he said what he said, he’d say that it was a mistake, a snap decision made in anger. 

Alhaitham knew all this as the venomous words slipped from his tongue, and so when Elirahs hand raised to slap him, he allowed it to connect to his cheek with a crack that resonated throughout the now silent tavern. 

Maybe he’d said it because he resented her. For a woman who never set foot in the Akademiya other than to bring books from the House of Daena back and forth, she was the Archon's most trusted advisor. And she was so goddamn intelligent it hurt. Alhaitham conceded (in the deepest, darkest, most shameful parts of his mind,) that Elirah held the kind of wisdom that couldn’t come from books, lectures, or even from a blessing from the dendro archon herself. Elirah was smart because she listened. Watched. Observed like a hawk and acted instinctually, and usually, those instincts were spot on. It was like she didn’t ever have to work for it, it just came so naturally, and he despised that. 

So as he watched her down the rest of her drink, and rub her now stinging hand on the fabric of her sash before storming out of the tavern, something inside him shifted a bit as he watched her leave. 

——————

“I take it Lord Kusanali told you.”

Elirah looked at him as if she was seeing him for the first time. 

“So, have you come to take your anger out on me?” He asked. 

“What?” She scrunched her nose in confusion. 

“Everyone who knows you even a fraction knows that you harbor a deep resentment for the Fatui, especially its Harbingers.” He stands from the edge of the cliff he was sitting on, spreading his arms out wide. “I was directly responsible for the threat against your archon, one of the Harbingers you so desperately loathe. My only conclusion is that you’ve come to kill me, or at the very least make a decent attempt at it.” 

Elirah crossed her arms and leaned her weight into her left leg. “I don’t want to kill you.” She looked him up and down. “In fact— at the expense of your pride, I’d actually like to say I pity you.”

An arc of sharpened wind flies through the air and she barely dodges it, curving her body just in time. Her attention flicks back to him just as he ascends into what she later found out to be called his ‘windfavoured’ state. (“That’s rather cute,” she’d said, teasingly. “Say that again and I’ll kill you,” he’d said, with no true malice behind it.)

He rose through the air and she couldn’t help but think he looked rather ethereal, even as he raged at her. 

She summoned her sun spear with ease, knocking his attacks as quick as he was throwing them. He was fast, and she found herself breaking into a sweat within mere minutes. 

“You were a victim!” She yelled over the raging winds surrounding them. Their shared elemental power thrumming around them. She parried another strike, and called upon the winds to throw him out of the air. 

He screamed as he fell, anger and fury slathered across his expression as he caught himself at the last minute, charging towards her. 

“You were a victim just as much as the rest of us!” But he wasn’t listening. 

He came at her, blinded by emotion, and if she'd had the time to stop and assess, she would have made note about the tears forming in his eyes. 

She dodged a few more strikes before swiping her polearm in a wide arc at his feet, knocking them out from under him with the blunt of it. (Though she felt rather bad, even though it wasn’t the bladed edge, her polearm was quite ornate, and that couldn’t have felt great either way.) 

She launched herself atop him as he fell, bringing the pointed tips of her spear into the ground just beside his face. Her hand fell to the other side of him, caging him in as she sat on his abdomen. 

His eyes were wide, frozen in shock, and the tears started to flow freely as she spoke in labored breaths. 

“You are a victim of him, just as much as me.” Elirah said, sweat dripping down her throat. “He took so much more from you, though.”

She searched his eyes, watching him calm and realizing what it was she was really saying. 

“I don’t pity you, I’m sorry for saying that. You’ve done a lot of wrong things, and you made mistakes, but if I had been through at least half of what you’ve lived, I think I’d have made the same mistakes. Worse ones, even.”

It’s only now that she realizes she has him pinned at the very edge of the cliff, and she can see the drop below if she looks just above his head. 

She drops her head to his chest, still leaning her weight on her polearm. 

“I… I’m sorry you had to go through it all. I want to… be there for you. I want to be someone that doesn’t leave you, because I need someone who won't leave me either.” 

As she huffs out a few steady breaths, they hitch when she feels his arms wrap around her, and she squeaks a bit when he pulls her entire weight into him in a hold both desperate and gentle. 

She relaxes once she realizes what’s happening, and wraps her arms around him too. 

They’d been quick friends after his existence had been erased, though she surmised that you can’t really erase someone’s existence, just others' knowledge of it. After Nahida had told her the truth she was mad at first, but the look in Nahidas eyes made her calm down and re-evaluate. 

She didn’t want to lose someone who finally understood her pain, and she didn’t want to abandon someone who so desperately needed anyone— anyone to understand his own. 

“If you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill you in your sleep.” 

And she giggled. 

———

“When were you going to tell me you’re the anemo archon?”

Venti spit out his wine in shock before staring at the puddle in his lap with a pout. He tried to play it off, scratching behind his ear with an exasperated smile. 

“What are you talking about? Everyone knows I’m just a humble bar—“ 

“I’m not an idiot, Venti.”

He drops the mask, resting an arm on his knee to lean his face into the heel of his palm, gazing at her with lidded eyes. 

“No, you’re not. You’re rather perceptive, actually. So tell me, freedom bringer,” (and oh how he loved the way she cringed when he called her that, knowing what she knows.) “how did you come to such a conclusion?”

She leans closer to the trunk of the tree they were lounging on, closer to Liyue’s borders than she’d been in a long time, just so that if she squinted, she imagined she might see the peaks of Dragonspine from their usual meet up spot. 

The wine in her travel cup sloshes against its container as she scoots closer and rests her head on Venti’s shoulder. She’s barely old enough to have purchased the wine, but had been doing so from the very beginning, back when she thought this really was just a budding friendship between two bearers of the same elemental power. 

“You’re an anemo vision bearing bard from Mond, and at first I thought maybe you were just a very dedicated follower of Barbatos, what with your braids and all,” she reaches up and tugs on one gently, making him snicker. “Very subtle, you know.”

“But the energy around you feels… different. It’s different from any vision bearer I’ve met before.” She looks up at him, and he suddenly seems much bigger than before, a little more distant, untouchable, despite her body pressed against his. 

“It feels like Nahidas energy, and when I came to that conclusion it all fell together for me.” She smiled at him, wine warming her cheeks. “And when that happened, I remembered.”

He took another sip of his wine. “Remembered what?”

She nuzzled closer to him, looking out at the landscape once more. “I remembered a voice,” she said. “Soft and comforting. A presence like a warm hug holding me, making me feel safe in moments where I felt most trapped.”

“Hmm.” He wouldn’t meet her eyes, but she could see a flush along his cheeks that pointed towards the obvious. 

“It’s the same feeling I have whenever we meet, like this. I thought such kindness was reserved only for the people of Mondstadt?”

He scoffed a little then, wrapping his arm around her. “The anemo archon’s benevolence isn’t reserved for the people solely of his nation, Elirah. Anyone who bears the mark of anemo is automatically guaranteed his love and comfort. Hence why anemo vision bearers tend to be those who need it the most.”

She hummed, resting her full weight against him. “I see.” 

“Don’t go treating me differently now though,” there was a lilt to his voice again, his bright humour trying to break through the seriousness. Elirah couldn’t tell which version of him she preferred. Maybe both. 

“If that's what you want, can I do something I’ve wanted to do since before I realized?”

“Of course!” He giggled. The bright tone was back, the mask slipping back on just as easily as he let it fall. “Whatever you desire—“

Her hands slid up to his cheeks, and before he could process what was happening, Elirah was kissing him. His eyes widened in shock before he let them slip closed, letting his near empty cup fall as instinct took over, and he pressed deeper into her embrace, meeting her kiss with passion. 

He let himself lay her back to loom over her, their lips only parting when he realized what it was he was actually doing. 

“Wait—“ he pulled back abruptly. “I can’t. I can't take advantage of you like this.”

“You’re not, Venti.” She said, shaking her head and attempting to pull him back to her. 

“I…” he shook his head, half heartedly attempting to pull from her embrace. “I know you’ve never… I couldn’t possibly be the one to take that from you… knowing what you know— it feels like I’d be taking advantage.”

She laughed, and he couldn’t help but smile. Her laugh sounded like the softest bells, like twinkling starlight. If he wasn’t careful, he could get himself into some serious trouble with this one. 

“Seriously, Elirah.” He shook the grin free. “And I can’t… I cant be yours, not completely, not the way that humans do. I can’t—“

“Who ever said I wanted that?”

He blinked at her. 

“I’m not stupid, Venti. Your loyalty is to your people, and mine is to my Archon.” She grinned at the way he inwardly cringed a little. “I’m not asking for your hand in marriage, I’m asking you to let me have my first time with someone I trust, and who I know won’t hurt me.”

“By the seven, can you get any more perfect?” He cussed under his breath as he stared at her in bewilderment. 

She quirked an eyebrow at his choice of phrase, and he couldn’t help but break out in a fit of giggles. 

“Sorry, it's a bad habit of mine.” He snorts. “It comes with pretending for so long.”

She shushed him with a grin, and he let her pull him back into her.

“Shut up and kiss me, Barbatos.” She said against his lips. 

“As you wish.” He grinned. 

—————-

“Never have I ever… been skinny dipping.”

Eli laughed. “Seriously, Kaveh? Never?” She took a sip of her drink. 

Kaveh chuckled, his face flushed. “I’ve never had the opportunity!” 

“Well, we’ll have to rectify that,” Elirah said with a smile and a wink. It was only until after Kavehs flush spread down to his chest that she realized the sexual connotation behind that comment, but it was too late to take it back. Besides…. Kaveh, naked, splashing around in the water, laughing and glistening in the moonlight? Yeah, she wouldn’t complain about that one bit. 

To no surprise, Tighnari and Cyno both took a healthy sip of their drinks, but even Elirah gawked when Alhaitham took a sip. 

“You?” Kaveh beat her to it, exclaiming in shock. “You’re so uptight I’m surprised you even shower naked, let alone swim where anyone can see you!” 

“You and I both know I’ve caught you staring at me fresh out of the shower more than enough times for you to realize there really is nothing beneath that towel, Kaveh.”

Kaveh sputters, face now the attractive shade of a tomato, while everyone else laughs lightheartedly. Though she and Alhaitham aren’t on the best of terms still, even she can admit that Alhaitham’s physical appearance would be… distracting to say the least, especially having to see it every morning and night. It’s a shame it came attached to such an infuriating personality. 

The Wanderer returns from the kitchen with another platter of drinks, setting them down at the low coffee table they were all sat around. 

“What did I miss?” He asked Eli. 

Eli absentmindedly takes another sip of her drink, despite the round being over. “Hmm. Kaveh has never been skinny dipping, though surprisingly Alhaitham has, and we all learned that Kaveh is indeed human, and immune to the charms of ‘Haithams rippling pectorals.”

If she noticed Alhaitham’s subtle flush at her choice of words, she didn’t make a comment. 

The Wanderer smirks, sitting down next to Eli and raising his cup in Kavehs direction. 

“To Kaveh’s humanity.” He said dryly.

They all raised their glasses in mock cheers, laughing with Kaveh as his neck returned to its normal colour. 

They’re all a little looser, more pliant, many rounds of drinks and laughter being the best explanation. Maybe its also because at their core, these people are friends. Despite their differences, past fights, present grudges, they care about each other, and a chance like this to unwind doesn’t come by very often. 

Kaveh turns to Cyno, nudging him with his arm. “Hey, I think it's your turn.”

Cyno rubs his hands together excitedly, his helm long been tossed aside so that Tighnari may play with his hair freely, as he tends to do when inebriated. 

“Never have I ever….” He hums, thinking on his choice. “Ah! Never have I ever had sexual relations with someone of a higher status than me, be it social, financial, political status, or otherwise.” 

Elirah watched as Tighnari took a sip from his glass without ever breaking eye contact from Cyno, and she supposed that the general Mahamatra was of higher status than most people in Sumeru. She held back a snicker at the way Cyno’s face twisted in fluster. 

Both Kaveh and Alhaitham looked away from each other as they took their sips, and Elirah attempted to do the math on that one. 

They had to have slept together at least once, their chemistry was undeniable, despite the bickering. For Alhaitham, he would have had to sleep with Kaveh during their akademiya years for Kaveh to count as someone of a higher status, and for Kaveh, he would have had to sleep with Alhaitham….

Does the scribe count as a higher position than the light of kshahrewar? Or does that mean… if he’s slept with him recently, the acting grand sage certainly has a higher status than most everyone in Sumeru. 

Or perhaps she’s reading too far into things, they could be drinking for entirely different reasons, and she’s just a pervert for thinking about this so much. 

Finally, she realizes she has to take a sip, and as she does, everyone turns to her in their own respective shock. 

“…what?” 

Kaveh coughs, and Cyno looks to Tighnari in a silent plea. The fox sighs, and sits up to speak. 

“Well, its just that you are a very dedicated person to your archon, Elirah, I don’t think any of us would have expected you to uh… even have done something like that.”

She scoffs, taking another absentminded sip of her drink. 

“No, seriously, I have to know,” Kaveh said, leaning over the coffee table. “There’s not many people who have a higher status than the dendro archons right hand. Except maybe her left one,” he looks to The Wanderer, whose cheeks flush. 

“Certainly wasn’t me.” 

Elirah laughed and nudged his shoulder, which only deepened his flush. She found this curious, but let the matter be. 

“Who…” Kaveh looked around, glancing to Cyno before shaking his head, and then pointedly looking between Elirah and Alhaitham. 

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop right now, because you couldn’t be farther from the truth.” Alhaitham said, with zero emotion. 

Elirah scoffed, As if I would sleep with him in the first place. But in the deepest, darkest parts of her mind, a tiny voice whispered. “As if he would ever sleep with you.” 

Kaveh laughed, “yeah I knew that was a long shot.” He slammed his hands on the table, “seriously, Eli, Who!?” 

She flushed, fiddling with her vision on her hip. She stared at it a bit longingly, and debated whether or not she should tell the truth. 

The Wanderer beat her to it. “You didn’t.”

She turned inwards on herself, her cheeks warming once more. 

“Ugh, you did, didn’t you?”

“What?” Kaveh nearly screeched, “who?” 

Everyone was watching her now, waiting for the Wanderer to elaborate. 

“She fucked the goddamn bard.”  He sighed softly, shaking his head with his fingers pressing to his temples.  

Kaveh’s nose scrunched up in confusion. “What?”

“The Anemo Archon, you numbskull, Elirah slept with Barbatos.”  

All hell seemed to break loose as both Cyno and Tighnari immediately broke into a flurry of rushed questions, and Kaveh started waving his hands in the air while he screeched in drunken stupor. 

The only person who wasn’t surprised seemed to be Alhaitham who— when their eyes met for the briefest of moments, only gave her a slight nod, as if to say “well done.”

“What was it like?” Kaveh’s question broke through the noise, and she laughed a little. 

“It was just like sex with anyone else? Although, the archons have this… intensity about them. I’ll admit, I was extremely upset when I received my anemo vision. I had prayed endlessly for a dendro vision to feel more connected with Lord Kusanali. But after spending… time with the anemo archon, I think I understand why I was chosen for the gift of anemo after all.” She was rambling to cover her embarrassment, but every word was true. 

“Wow… you’re kind of incredible, Elirah, do you know how many people dream of having a singular encounter with a god like that? I mean—“

“Singular?” The Wanderer scoffed. “Knowing what I know, that air headed bard took one look at our girl, and decided once just wasn’t enough.”

Elirah tried no to think too terribly hard about the way he said our girl. Was she truly theirs? What was in this alcohol? 

Her flush must have been mistaken for confirmation, which wasn’t inaccurate, and Kaveh slammed his fists on the table once more. 

“WHAT?!”

——

A small cloaked figure stands on a hill, overlooking the valley below. 

The rain pours down, hard enough to soak through to the bone, and to anyone else, it would have been enough to rack shivers throughout one's body, causing that dreaded internal ache that one feels when a sickness is creeping upon them.

The figure stood deathly still, waiting for movement in the encampment below. It had taken her many weeks to find this place, but at last she stood before it. 

A flicker of movement caught her eye, and she could almost hear a faint whisper, as if someone was trying to call her away, away from her mission. 

She charged through the moonlight, more silent than the windless mare jivari and just as deadly. 

The movement that had caught her eye was none other than her target, and she reveled in the destruction she would bring him. 

This fatui grunt and his fellow sinners weren’t the ones who gave the order, but they were the ones who carried it out. She’d find the one who’s made the decision to slaughter her parents soon enough, and they too would know the sharpest edges of her spear. 

Her vision burned at her hip, and in the back of her mind she noted how that was a strange feeling, that anemo never burned before. 

The whispering grew louder, more voices, more warnings, more attempts to pull her back, but the blood rushing in her ears was too loud. 

Though she had not yet reached 16 years of age, the girl spent the majority of her waking hours honing her skills for the day that she may have to protect her Archon from imminent danger. This was her duty, and she lived and breathed it. 

The camp stood no chance, really. 

In the aftermath, she looked around with heavy breaths as the memories of what she had just done flashed before her eyes. She’d never stolen the breath from someone’s chest before, but watching that man's eyes widen in panic as his hands clutched his throat brought a joy to her soul that she’d never known before. 

The whispers and warnings had died the moment blood touched her spear, and now she stood alone, only the sound of the rain to soothe her racing mind. 

She should feel relieved, she felt joy when taking that man's life, she enacted her revenge. So why did it still hurt? Why did the hole in her heart still throb with the emptiness she so desperately tried to fill? 

She looked around at the destruction she’d created. 

No, this isn’t what she needed. 

The mask began to slip, and she felt the first tear fall down her rain soaked face. 

She crumpled to the ground and began to sob, clutching at herself desperately as if she was going to fall apart. 

She didn’t want this. All she wanted was to feel the loving embrace of her mother again, smell her sweet padisarah perfume, hear her fathers booming laughter and see the twinkle in his eyes as he held the two people closest to him. 

Her body ached now, and the gut wrenching sobs continued as the rain poured harder. It felt as though it would never end. Like she would be trapped in this state of agony forever more. 

Suddenly, and much to her surprise, a warmth spread from her chest outward, seemingly wrapping her in an embrace that felt much like her mothers, only this one was ethereal. 

It numbed her all over, ceasing her shivers as she closed her eyes and basked in its glow. 

It was comforting, smelled like the dandelion wine her father loved to have imported, like a cloudless summer day. It felt like a warm breeze was caressing her skin, and she found herself slipping into it, slowly losing consciousness. 

“I know, I know.” A soft, melodic voice said, though seemingly far away from her as her eyes grew heavier. “You didn’t listen, we tried to warn you.” 

Warm hands held her aching body, and she fell into this ethereal presence and its embrace, too exhausted to care anymore. 

“Not everything must be a lesson to learn, but you’ve certainly learned yours, haven’t you, little one?” 

She found herself nodding, tears still streaming silently as her consciousness truly began to slip away. 

“Let’s get you back to your patron,” the voice said, warbled and fading. “She’s awfully worried about you.” 

——

“If you weren’t so godsdamned irritating, I’d actually have to commend you on your work fixing up the akademiya, Acting Grand Sage.”

She’d come here to drink with Kaveh. She’d come here to gossip with her best friend and unwind and not think about how much she loathed Alhaitham, but yet here she was. 

“Elirah—“

“No, really. If I didn’t know you were such a control freak, I actually might have guessed that you’d been slacking off on your duties, maybe letting everyone else handle your job for you.” She took another sip of her wine. “But we all know that despite your laziness, your arrogant need for complete perfection outweighs anything else.”

“Eli, I—“

“The akademiya has always been a cesspool of proud, ignorant know it alls who think that they’re better than everyone else, solely because they’re more well off than most. At least with you at the helm, maybe they’ll actually have some merit behind them!” Sarcasm dripped from her lips, her fury at him knowing no rest. 

She usually kept herself together for Kaveh’s sake. Tighnari and Cyno too. But Kaveh was running late with a potential client, and Alhaithams house was quiet and dark save for the candle lighting up the living room where they sat. He at least got her some of his expensive wine, which is half of what she came here for in the first place. 

She opened her mouth to speak once more, but he cut her off this time, silencing her with two words. 

“I’m sorry.” 

She blinked at him, and looked down at her cup. What was in the alcohol this man buys? Was it hallucinogenic?

“I’m sorry, Elirah.” He said once more. 

She narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion, though her traitorous heart fluttered in her chest. 

“Why?” She said simply. 

“Why am I sorry?” He seemed like he wanted to quip a less than appropriate retort at her, but caught himself and took a deep breath instead. 

“I shouldn’t have said what I said that night in the tavern.” He sighed. “It was wrong, and incredibly cruel of me, and I apologize.”

“Why did you say it?” Her voice sounded smaller than she wanted it to, and she cursed herself mentally, thrice for it. 

He looked pained as he searched for the words, and she found that rather ironic, considering his area of study. 

“I… was frustrated.” He said slowly. “You were angry, lashing out at me, and even though I knew your emotions were valid, something about the way you were acting had me feeling so… irrational.” 

She stayed silent, not wanting to spook off this rare and honest Alhaitham. 

“You had no where to place your anger, and I knew tossing it in my direction was your easiest choice, but…” he paused, and for a moment she thought his face might look a little flushed in the candle light. 

“Seeing you so angry with me set off this deep, disgusting emotional reaction inside of me, and like a child, I acted out, wanting to give you something to truly be angry about.” 

His words hit her with the force of a charging sumpter beast. 

Alhaitham made a bad decision based purely on emotions? No fucking way.

“You…”

“Yes,” he said, taking a healthy swallow of his wine. “For some reason, you are one of the few people in this world able to set me off in ways I find completely illogical and unacceptable. Much to my dismay…”

He trailed off, watching as Elirah stood from her seat on the couch and walked around the coffee table towards him. In the low candlelight, she stood before him, much closer than they had been in months. 

She was so small compared to him, stood between his relaxed legs, she was still able to meet his gaze head on, watching his eyes search hers for answers she didn’t even think she had. 

She raised her hand, and for a moment he thought she might strike him again. 

His breath hitched when her palm cupped the side of his face with a gentleness he was not expecting. 

The warm glow of the candle bounced off her long pink hair, backlighting her with an ethereal glow. It reflected in the warm orange rimming his pupils, and she stared at the glimmer there for longer than she meant to. 

“You make me act irrationally, Elirah.”

“As you’ve said, Alhaitham.” 

“I’m only reminding you because I’m not entirely certain what I’ll do if you keep touching me like this much longer.” He breathed. 

“Oh?” Her face was serene and neutral, with a slight quirk of her brow now. “Like what?”

Her other hand slid to cup the opposite cheek, a gentle kind of touch he’d not allowed since archons know when. 

“Like this?”

She applied the slightest bit of pressure, raising his head ever so slightly, and something snapped. 

His hands rushed her hips, pulling her into his lap with record speed, and brought her face so close that their noses brushed against each other. 

His breathing was heavy and labored as his gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips and back up again. 

“Tell me to stop, tell me you don’t want this.” His hands squeezed at the flesh on her hips, like he was begging her to do anything but. 

“No,” she said. “Never.” 

“I’m serious, Elirah.” Their lips brushed now, and she swallowed a whimper. “Push me away and tell me never to touch you again. Tell me you don’t want this or I don't know what I’ll do.”

Her hands slid from his cheeks to the back of his neck, and he groaned, deep and low in his chest as she ran her fingernails through the trimmed hair at the nape. 

“I want this,” she whispered into his open, panting mouth. “I’ve wanted this.” 

The fraying cord inside him truly snapped, and he devoured her with a desperation he’d not known since… well he didn’t have time to think about the last time he felt this way. 

Not with the way she met his kiss with fervor, consuming like he was a shining oasis and she was a dying traveler wandering in the desert. 

She ground herself into his lap and moaned into the kiss, panting as his right hand moved from her hip and wound itself in the hair at the back of her head, holding her to him so that he may take from her mouth as he pleased. 

He could feel his control ebbing away, and his mind felt like a wetland after a cool evening of rain, a deep fog rolled over and cloaked his senses in her, her, nothing but her. 

The front door slammed shut, and the moment broke as they turned and saw Kaveh standing wide eyed in the foyer, the key he always seemed to forget dangling in his limp hand as he stared at the two people on the couch.

“I mean….” Kaveh swallowed hard, tongue darting out to wet his lips as his eyes flashed between them. “Don’t stop on my account.” 

——————

“Some of my Watchers found it during their last tour through here, and thankfully they had the sense to wait and tell me about it before they went too deep.”

Tighnari led the group deep into the northern parts of Devantaka Mountain, sidestepping plants and jumping gnarled tree roots with practiced ease. 

It was a brief lull in everyone’s respective responsibilities, and Tighnari suggested a group trip to explore a cave opening that had recently been discovered, with interesting flora and elemental energy thrumming within. 

“To bring us closer together as friends,” the fox had said. Surely he had no idea how close she, Alhaitham and Kaveh had become over the span of a wine fueled night, but that was irrelevant. 

Elirah shook the thoughts from her head, earning a quirked eyebrow from Cyno. She smiled sheepishly at him and continued her trek through the marsh, avoiding deeper points in the water and suspicious looking plants as Tighnari did. 

Kaveh rushed up to the front of the group where she was keeping pace with the fox, and linked his arm into hers. 

“I need your support right now, or I’ll fall and ruin this cloak.” He said with a chuckle. 

“Why not lean on Alhaitham?” Tighnari called out behind him, jumping over a fallen tree. “Surely he’s more sturdy than poor Eli.”

She tried not to roll her eyes. “I’m perfectly sturdy!” 

“Yeah!” Kaveh said defensively, though his grin was still present. “Plus, I can’t guarantee whether ‘Haitham would just let me fall or not!” 

Behind them, Alhaitham grumbled something to Cyno, who in turn just shrugged with a smile. 

“Haitham, huh.” Eli grinned, voice low enough just to tease Kaveh. 

“Shut up!” He hissed under his breath. “You started it, it's just in my head now.”

“Mhmmm.” Eli said, walking a bit slower to make sure he didn’t slip. 

“So,” he pulled her a bit closer as they walked. “Are we going to talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” Elirah genuinely asked. 

Kaveh groaned. “Please don’t make me say it.”

“Oh,” she said, looking up at him. “If you don’t even want to say it, what’s there to talk about? I’m fine if you are.” 

He looked down at her, their respective height differences more evident now than ever, it seemed. “I’m fine, its just—“

“What are we talking about?” 

They screamed, jolting apart as Tighnari was suddenly in front of them, having stopped his trek ahead to let them catch up. The fox lived for drama and gossip, and his tail swished subtly as he looked back and forth between the two of them. 

“No, nothing.” Kaveh said. “We’re not talking about anything.” 

Elirah blinked at him but said nothing, following Kaveh’s lead despite not understanding why he was so adamant. Tighnari was extremely perceptive, and would definitely find out eventually. 

“Alright, well we’ve made it.” He said, gesturing at a disturbed pile of rubble. The entrance was just large enough that Elirah could crouch through if she ducked, and she snickered a bit thinking about how Alhaitham and Kaveh were going to fit through. 

“I’ll go first, just to make sure it’s safe.”

Tighnari flattened his ears to his head and ducked into the hole, squeezing his shoulders tight before disappearing into the relative darkness within. 

After a few tense moments, the group outside heard a faint “Clear!” Before they all released a relieved exhale. 

“After you,” Alhaitham said, gesturing at the tight squeeze. 

“Yeah,” Kaveh scoffed. “You just want us all in first so we can’t watch you struggle to fit!” 

Alhaitham crossed his arms over his broad chest, the faintest glimmer of a smirk hinting at his lips. “What, like I struggled to fit in—“ 

“AHBAH BAP BAHHH!” Kaveh blabbered, quickly shoving his hands across Alhaithams mouth. “Shut the fuck up, right now. No.”

Cyno looked to Elirah. “Do I even want to ask?”

She deadpanned, looking at the two who were still silently bickering with one another. 

“No, you probably don’t.”

“That’s it!!” Kaveh nearly screeched, pushing Alhaitham back a bit. “I’m going in, you can do and say whatever you please when I’m out of earshot, thank you.” 

Kaveh grabbed the loose ends of his cloak and tucked them close to his chest as he muttered about potential stains, and crouched and shoved his way into the entrance— albeit less than elegantly. 

“I’ll go so I can help you through, it looks like there's a bit of a drop.” Cyno said, taking off his helm before tucking it under his arm and shouldering his way through the entrance. 

“Thank you,” she said as he walked past, eyeing Alhaitham pointedly. “What a gentleman.”

Alhaitham rolled his eyes and watched as Cyno disappeared into the entrance. 

Elirah stepped up towards the hole and paused, suddenly feeling a bit nervous, despite knowing Cyno was on the other side of the darkness, waiting to aid her through. 

Warm hands appeared at her sides, and Alhaithams warm breath brushed against her ear as he leaned behind her. 

“Scared?”

“No.” She said, “Just taking my time.” 

“Well, don’t take too long,” he said, the faintest smile slipping through his tone. “They might wonder what we’re doing up here.” 

“You’re awfully bold these days.” She said, ignoring the heat pooling south. 

“You have that effect on more than just me these days, Elirah.” 

She scoffed. “He just wanted support through the marsh, Alhaitham. No need to be jealous.” 

“He wanted his hands on you somehow, Elirah.” He said, squeezing her waist. “I'm sure he’ll find more opportunities to keep them there. As will I.”

She huffed, rolling her eyes at the insatiable nature of the two men these last couple days. Like horny teenagers. She thought. 

She steadied herself and ducked into the entrance, finding it to be a small tunnel that dropped off into more darkness, but cynos electro vision glowed faintly just a foot below her eye line, 

“Here,” he said, holding out a hand. “I’ve got you.”

Elirah took his hand, feeling the warmth of his other support the small of her back as she jumped down from the small ledge. 

What was with these men and treating me like glass these days? She thought. It’s not as if she’d never been exploring before. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, but despite that, some part of her was enjoying the attention. 

“Go find those two,” Cyno said, his hands slipping from her. “I’ll wait and make sure he gets through.”

She nodded, using the sound of Kaveh’s voice to guide her through the cavern. 

It was thin and tunnel-like, jagged, wet rock lining the walls, and the humidity was surprisingly high—making her feel uncomfortable just within the minute she’d been down here. 

The tunnel widened out into a deeper opening, and she stopped to gawk at the beauty of the sight before her. 

A natural underground reservoir, water crisp and clear in a deep pool surrounded by hundreds of what were the most beautiful glowing flowers Elirah had ever seen. 

Kaveh stood at the edge of the water, he too seemed enraptured by their beauty. 

They were a deep, luscious shade of pink, almost the very same as Elirah’s hair. Five large petals that looked as if they were made of rich velvet, just begging to be touched. The core of each flower had three large stem like protrusions, each tapered off and coated with what looked like an obscene amount of pollen, so much so that it clumped in light, fluffy balls around them. 

Elirah followed Kaveh to a bundle of the gorgeous flowers close to the waters edge. They illuminated the entire cavern, casting everything in a perfect pink hue, and she giggled when Kaveh looked at her with bewilderment in his eyes. 

Tighnari was kneeling at at patch of the flowers on the other side of the water bed, murmuring to himself. 

“Bioluminescent, and such a vibrant pink. Where have I heard of this before?” He scratched the back of his head before pulling a book out of his satchel, presumably a guide on rare flora. 

Kaveh and Elirah turned their attention back to the flowers in front of them. 

“They look so soft…” Kaveh said, his hands shifted as he reached for the velvet petals of the flower closest to him. 

Just as his fingertips brushed the petal, Tighnari called out a startled, “SHIT! WAIT!”

The flower curled in on itself, petals closing up before they launched back outwards with a soft *poof!*

And the chain reaction started. Each of the hundreds, if not thousands of delicate flowers all curled up and shot their pollen into the air, one after another, until the air was so thick with it that they couldn’t even see. 

It coated their lungs as Tighnari screamed for them to get to the water, but at that point it was already too late. 

The three of them rushed to the reservoir, throwing themselves in the water and submerging completely. Elirah stayed beneath the cool water until her lungs burned with the need for oxygen, and she risked rising up towards the surface.

Tighnari and Kaveh were already standing, coughing water and pollen from their lungs, dripping in pink pollen and soaked to the bone. 

“Are you both alright?” Tighnari asked, stepping closer. 

His overshirt was soaked, clinging to his upper body and showcasing the lean, lithe torso that Elirah had never noticed before. 

She turned to Kaveh, who’s white shirt was doing absolutely nothing to cover his torso after being soaked through, and she could see the faintest marks still decorating his pectorals as his shirt clung to his chest and abdominals. 

Elirahs skin grew hot, so very hot. They looked divine, and her knees felt weak. Wait, what is happening?

“Tighnari?” Cyno suddenly appeared at the opening of the cavern, Alhaitham in tow. “What happened, I heard you yell!” 

Tighnari’s eyes raked along Cynos entire body, and he slowly came to the bed of the reservoir, gripping the natural stone edge until his knuckles strained against his gloves. 

“Coolielust lotus.” Tighnari’s breath grew heavy, and his voice was strained. “A shit ton of Coolielust lotus pollen just exploded in our faces.” 

“What the hells is a Coolielust lotus?!” Kaveh exclaimed. 

“It’s an extremely rare flower thought to be extinct, it normally grew in desert oases, not in the jungle!” Tighnari said. 

“It’s also the most powerful aphrodisiac in the world,” Alhaitham said emotionlessly. “And you were just exposed to what looks to be enough to dose an entire city.” 

——-

#genshin impact #alhaitham #kaveh #cyno #tighnari #genshin #genshin impact oc #genshin oc #alhaitham x oc #eventual smut #genshin impact smut #genshin oc lore #idk how to tag this to make ppl see it #i also dk how to get ppl to read this #I’m so proud of it but I know x oc isn’t usually popular

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for selecting my "classmates" to befriend my beloved sister?

Now, this will be an interesting one. I don't really care if I am "the asshole" or not, but I am most curious what opinion will be formed of me when exposed to exclusively my own perspective...

So, let me begin.

My sister (you may call her "S", if you please) has been the most important person in my life for as long as I can remember. She has encouraged me, supported me— she always has, and always will, be there for me. So it is only natural to wish for the best of friends for her, is it not?

Naturally, this has been an aspiration of mine — I don't wish for her to get lonely, so I have been working towards a careful selection of one hundred friends for her. Of course, only the best of people can be allowed to befriend her, so it has been slow — and unfortunately, I will never reach this goal, as I am about to die.

This past week or so, I obtained two new friends for my dear sister— both "classmates" of mine at this fascinating "school" that has abducted us. It is absolutely intriguing, and I deeply wonder about the rationale and significance that this "school" theme has to our abductors... But that is somewhat irrelevant, I suppose.

My remaining classmates that were not chosen are quite furious and distraught with my choices. I understand, of course, that they will miss these two that I have chosen to meet my sister, but I believe that their lives will be richer for their grief. Mourning is a natural and universal experience, present in every culture, is it not? And it's truly an honor, that these two lovely girls will get to befriend someone as great as my own sister.

So, from what you've heard... Would you deem me the "asshole" of this situation?

EDIT 1: My my, accusing me of obscuring details.. Well, alright then— I never did say that my sister was alive. She is, of course, still with me. But no.... Very much not alive.

EDIT 2: These responses have been most delightful. Yes, very well then, another bit of information for you all— no, I did not ask permission before sending my classmates to my sister, and no, my remaining classmates did not know that I was behind their deaths.

#aita #am i the asshole #unreality

[throughthetwistedmirror]

First Unbirthday Together ~ *Heartslabyul*

Summary: You’ve been invited to an Unbirthday party at the Heartslabyul dorm! This time without all the overblot nonsense!

Pairing: N/A

Genre: Fluffy Drabble

Word Count: 520

Warning: N/A

Masterlist

Taglist: @savanaclaw1996 @goseew

It was Riddle who approached you, with encouragement from Trey. With fiddling fingers and wandering eye contact, he said, “Prefect, on behalf of Heartslabyul, we would like to invite you to our next Unbirthday party.”

When you agreed, Riddle merely nodded before rushing off. Arriving at the dorm, both him and Trey mobilized the Heartslabyul students to create the best Unbirthday party in the history of the dorm. Cater gathered ideas from social media and both Ace and Deuce were in charge of manual labor. Trey was head of baking and Riddle oversaw all of the preparations, being the Housewarden and all.

The whole dorm was in a frenzy. Everything had to meet Riddle’s impossible standards. If anything, he got even more demanding! Ace complained frequently behind his back, eventually earning himself a scolding from Trey. Cater documented everything for Magicam. And Deuce almost spoiled the surprise before Ace could stop him.

Finally, the day of the party rolled around. You arrived, smiling and carrying a small parcel. It was Trey and Cater who met you at the front of the dorm. While Cater was live streaming, Trey asked about the bag in your hand.

“Oh, well, where I come from, it’s customary to give the host a gift.” You explained.

“Well, that’s very sweet of you. Thank you!” Trey took the present before escorting you to the gardens where the party was taking place.

Riddle, Ace, and Deuce greeted you next. Riddle led you to the seat of honor and presented you with a tray full of a wide array of tarts. “Take your pick, Prefect. They were made especially for you.”

“For me? Oh, you shouldn’t have!” You exclaimed, before selecting one of the delicious sweets.

You ate with the students, laughing and sharing both tea and stories. You seemed to be having such a good time, the Heartslabyul boys couldn’t help but beam with pride. They were glad they could share such a joyous afternoon with you in the gardens.

As the party started to wind down, the six of you were finishing up a card game and some more tea. Setting your cup down, you asked, “So, why did you guys invite me out today?”

Cater frowned. “Because you’re our friend of course! Why wouldn’t we invite you?”

“Well, Deuce said that this party was going to be extra special. I assumed it was because I was coming. Am I wrong?”

Trey smacked the back of Deuce’s head as Ace muttered a “nice going”.

Riddle cleared his throat. “I’ll answer that. We know that you’re far from home, yet you try to share your culture with us. We thought we should do the same. So we tried to make the best Unbirthday party we could, just for you.”

“Aww, you guys!” You gushed, eyes watering. “Thank you! Thank you so much! No one has ever done anything so nice for me before. I really, truly, sincerely appreciate all of your effort and kindness.”

Each of them blushed in varying shades of red from your gratitude. It’s safe to assume none of them will ever forget today.

#Twisted Wonderland #Twisted Wonderland Fanfiction #Twisted Wonderland Drabble #Anime #Anime Fanfiction #Anime Drabble #Heartslabyul #Riddle Rosehearts #Riddle Rosehearts Fanfiction #Riddle #Riddle Fanfiction #Ace Trappola #Ace Trappola Fanfiction #Ace #Ace Fanfiction #Deuce Spade #Deuce Spade Fanfiction #Deuce #Deuce Fanfiction #Trey Clover #Trey Clover Fanfiction #Trey #Trey Fanfiction #Cater Diamond #Cater Diamond Fanfiction #Cater #Cater Fanfiction #Reaction #Fluff

[littleragondin]

2023 Recap - Songs from (QL) Dramas

I've been tagged by @troubled-mind to make a list of my favorites songs from this year's QL dramas (thank you so much 💕) and of course I can't resist. I liked a lot of music from shows this year, which is great but made the selection harder so it will be a little long, I hope you'll forgive me.

OST I've been milking in full

I don't very often go through full OST unless someone does a background music playlist i can put on (Like this one for La Pluie by troubled-mind, and this one for To Sir, With Love for example) but two stood out for me this year.

My School President OST - I knew in advance I would enjoy a musical show, and I have to say I was NOT disappointed. My favorite though is ฟัง by Fourth, Ford, Satang, Winny, and the fantastic Pijika Jittaputta. Have a go at the original too!

Unintentional Love Story OST - This one came late this year for me, but i have been listening to the whole thing again and again. My favorite is Beautiful Day by Cha Seowon. I really enjoy his voice a LOT, and I'm weak for a nice, so soft it's even a little mushy love ballad.

With those two out of the way, let's go through the list country by country I think.

From Thailand 🇹🇭

ลางสังหรณ์ by Teng Tachaya from The Sign

This one is just a banger! It literally rocks, and I keep belting out the chorus every single time i listen to it. I love everything about it, even the spoken words. Also, not music related, but that costume!!

เงา by Lazyloxy from Shadow

I like Lazyloxy's voice a lot, as well as the rhythm/bass line (?) during the verses. There is an edge in that song that fits the show very well, too.

พรุ่งนี้ by Ford Arun from Moonlight Chicken

Ford's voice, do I need to say more? Tbh I got a little teary the first (ten) time(s) I listen to it.This ballad is so very touching, it's gentle and hopeful, I can never tire of it.

Honorable mentions >

รักคุณยิ่งกว่าใคร by NuNew's cover of Got Jakraphan from Cutie Pie 2. I loved this one so much I got myself a video editor so I could post it there. Only honorable because it's a cover, but it got me into luk thung so it deserves to be here.

เพลง รักนี้มากับดวง by Bmine & Near from Lucky My Love. This one is just because it's goddamn cute, sweet and peppy, and it makes me smile and bop my head. Sometimes I don't ask for more.

From Japan 🇯🇵

U&I by Hi-Fi Unicorn from Kimi ni wa todokanai

It's just a perfectly crafted pop song imo. It's cute, fresh and lively, fitting the show perfectly too. Since it came out, you can catch me humming "kimi ni waaa todokanai hmm hmm hmm" all day, every day, so it deserves its place on the list!

Yoruwazura by osage feat Ishino Riko from Kimi to nara koi wo shite mite mo

This one got me the second Ishino Riko started singing. The harmonies between the two are SO good! I really like the guitar in this one, and the little claps in the background. It's also really easy to hum so it stays with me a lot.

Bitter by Royce from Utsukushii Kare season 2

The contrast between the energy of the melody and the nearly bored sound of the voice (the singer sounds like their mouth does not open fully) works reaaally well for me. It's catchy and fun, and well, the lyrics are just so perfectly Hira...

ふたたび Futatabi by HIROBA & Otsuka Ai from Bokura no micro na shuumatsu

I was very surprised when I saw it was a feat with Otsuka Ai (who I only knew for her sugary pop in early 2000). The melancholy of the lyrics and the melody are beautiful, I am a huge fan of the way their voices mesh together, and I can't resist a piano + violins combo like that.

Honorable mention > Go Sign by Billy Laurent from Ameiro Paradox. The little piano, the rhythm, that chorus, it makes me shake my ass every single time.

From Taiwan 🇹🇼

'痛苦擁抱 (Painful Hug) by Ozone from Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

(I won't hear anything about technicality and it being a QL show or not =3) Had not realized it was from a boy group before checking the clip for this list. I like the way the melody rises for the chorus, their voices are pleasant, and it carries both power and some sort of melancholy that reminds me very much of Pu Yiyong.

Honorable mention > Come With Me by K6 from Marry My Dead Body. The whole OST of that movie is great, but I somehow got completely obsessed by this one from the gym scene at the start. It also features Austin Lin (I think as backup on the chorus).

From Korea 🇰🇷

IoU by UTOPI from The New Employee

It's a sweet, simple one that never fails to put me in a good mood, and sometimes that's enough to listen to a song non stop over months =3

Natural by Young K from A Breeze of Love

This one is also sunny, light and joyful. I like the guitars and I am especially fond of Young K's voice - it got me looking into him which I do not regret. A nice little surprise for the end of the year.

Thank you if you made it all the way through it, otherwise...

Tl;dr you can find all songs under this playlist (´꒳`)♡

i'm not sure who would have fun doing this, maybe @iguessitsjustme if you fancy it? Anyone who see this and want to do it, please tag me so I can have a look at your faves! <3

#f i n a l l y managed to go through this one! #after rearranging it three times #but yes here are this year's favorites <3 #music #(Kat you're stronger than me I would never have managed to keep it to 10 lol)

[theresa-of-liechtenstein]

art by em year in review 2023!

for the fourth time, i present to you a selection of the art i did this year! this definitely was the Year of Understanding Procreate, and i think it paid off. as usual, reflections under the cut.

january: i saw @malcolm-f-tucker tag a picture of abigail thaw with a comment about a theresa faceclaim and it left no survivors, i.e. i decided that theresa should have greying hair and did not look back. this was from when i was still trying to figure out what brush to use for lineart in procreate. luckily i had learned my lesson from the sketchbook learning curve and realized that what i liked for lineart would most likely be in the pencil section. however i wasn’t a huge fan of the brush i used in this one, so i didn’t use it again. instead, for later pieces, i decided to customize the 6b pencil brush to my liking, and…

february: …this came out of it! this is still one of my favorite things i have ever drawn, and it’s my favorite thing i’ve drawn yet for herc and linda. this piece really convinced me to use overlay layers more in my art, and the amount of detail i managed to capture in this one still amazes me now. and before anyone asks, yes, they are doing specific things in the startup procedure for an airbus a320-family aircraft, except linda is doing things off the CM1 checklist and herc is doing something off the CM2 checklist, which i learned later is not really something that is done. let’s just say herc is not the tightest stickler to convention.

march: one half of an intended two pieces centered around the f1 au (which, regrettably, i have yet to continue… i just reread what little of the second part is on ao3 and god, it slaps actually, i really need to continue it so bad) depicting a pivotal scene from around the outside, where theresa and linda decide to put aside a childhood feud at the top of the banked curve at monza. at sunset. on theresa’s birthday. i know, very meaningful, incredibly homoerotic. read the fic to see how well that turns out!

april: i always knew i wanted to redraw the first filipino!hercolyn thing i did back in 2020, the one that completely solidified in my mind the notion that These Characters Are Filipino, Actually, and when i got comfortable in procreate i quickly jumped on that. (if you notice, a lot of the stuff i did this year were redraws of old pieces i really liked but wasn’t fully satisfied with.) of course i wanted to draw them in the traditional clothes in my parents’ and grandparents’ wedding pictures. the implication of this being, of course, that this is the soft shoe shuffle wedding. i have a fic planned centered around that, from douglas’ perspective. now that grad school apps are basically done, if my honors thesis doesn’t kick me too hard, i’d love to get on that as soon as i can.

may: YOU JUST GOT COLINED! SEND THIS TO A FRIEND TO TOTALLY COLIN THEM! ah, colin fairbairn: the figure whose presence haunts all of newcastle but is never actually. named. (much to the chagrin of a lot of people who genuinely thought linda’s dad was named colin bc i Wouldn’t Shut Up About It) i just love him so much and i love this piece, i wanted to depict the wistfulness of an older colin whose airline is on the verge of collapse, who has been secure in his job as chief pilot of air cal, who looks out over glasgow airport (that’s glasgow’s runway in the background) and wonders if it’s time to put himself out to pasture. wondering what he could have done differently. it’s okay bby. there’s no way that you could have prevented this. but he’d never believe it. he’s too duty bound. he lives in my head rent free.

june: another redraw, this time of a piece from 2021. i was so happy with this one, and i am very happy with it still! everything about the older piece i loved was improved massively by this redraw: the poses, the proportions, the line work, the coloring. honestly, just thinking about the two of them just existing in the airport, overlooked by bustling passengers, just part of the landscape, but having such a rich history and relationship between them… it’s something i think about a lot and i love it.

july: this comprises the third part of an unofficial trilogy of drawings i did centered around douglas/martin/theresa. in each one, i centered a different member of the ot3: i did one centering martin last year, one centering douglas in the spring, and this one centers theresa between douglas and martin. i really enjoy how i did the expressions in this one: martin, looking out toward the planes; theresa, following his gaze, eager to share in the passion they both have; and douglas, looking down at both of them (yeah i think they’re both shorter than him. i think it’s cute). i feel like when i draw these three, where they look and how they look is very important to me.

august: can you believe before this point i had never drawn herc and douglas together? yeah, me too. anyway, them 🤍 i’ve literally only ever drawn them as older men so trying to draw them younger was. lowkey kind of hard. i’m hoping to revisit air england herc and douglas in the future, especially since i didn’t intend for this to be anything more than a quick bit due to those bisexual divorcee brackets (which i don’t know what became of them in the end except that douglas got through and herc didn’t, lmao)

september: unposted self-portrait done as a part of my aerospace fellowship application i wound up getting rejected from because they required me to do a creative component. not much to say here. anyways.

october: yet another redraw, this time of a portrait of herc, carolyn, linda, and arthur i did a year prior, in october of 2022. i like to think that lfeu!herc carries pictures of linda, arthur, and carolyn in his wallet: he had never wanted to be the family man for most of his life, but in his new life, this new form, he can play it well. something about the coloring seems a little off to me: i think i may have to go in and adjust arthur’s skin tone because i think it doesn’t look 100% right. but i love this one too. i hemmed and hawed for ages over what they should be wearing but in the end i put them in what they’d wear for work bc i couldn’t think anymore. but it turned out super cute and i think it emphasizes what brought the four of them together in the first place: aviation.

november: a cute little doodle of young!colin with baby linda, from a bigger piece. something i generally feel like i’ve gotten stronger with this year has been drawing a larger variety of poses. i discovered that procreate allows you to import reference images in a smaller window that can be very easily dragged around and resized, which was a massive improvement over my previous strategy with sketchbook, which had been to import reference images as their own layers. often, moving it around or resizing reference images resulted in some loss of quality. anyways there’s something just so tender about colin and linda and i love to revisit them.

december: last but not least, we finish off the way we started, with theresa (and an added douglas lol). and boy, how different does december look from january? granted, it’s a different angle, but i personally think there is so much more dimension at the end of the year compared to the beginning. i was less afraid of using overlays to enhance the coloring. and the brush i wound up settling on for lineart really ended up serving me well this whole year, culminating in this piece. not much to say on this one, i like it a lot :)

overall thoughts: i didn’t think i drew as much as i wanted to this year, but looking back i still think i made really good progress and improved a lot from last year, so i’m still happy. definitely want to draw more next year, explore new subjects, and maybe work on redrawing more pieces from previous years because those projects have been very fun to undertake.

once again i want to say a big thank you to everyone who’s ever shared or commented or left a like on anything i’ve drawn: it will have been 10 years next year since the end of the show i primarily create fanwork for, and to still have people out there who like what i do is such a gift. yes i create for myself, but i do also like receiving feedback from others and sharing it with others, so thank you thank you thank you. and happiest of new years to all :)

#em draws #em retrospects #art by em year in review

[messinwitheddie]

“Umm….excuse me? Are you the tallest, Arugula? Sorry for walking in on you, but my name is Naeba, and I’ve came a long way to speak with you. Your guards weren’t happy with me trespassing, so they brought me to you. I have heard many things about your hive, my liege. Is it true that you have a harem of females in your chamber? How many are there? Are they doing well? Are they allowed to return to their duties? *Clears throat * I mean….I’ve heard you took in many females who are birthing drones from other hives. You do so without turning any of them away, despite being from enemy hives. I was hoping if you’ll be open to….have me stay as well?

*Takes out a bunch of gold pearls* “I do not know the formality of your hive but I’ve brought you some of my personal pearls as a offering, my liege. It is all that i was able to bring with me while I escaped. Are you aware of tallest Magnus’s condition? He’s in a dark place right now. After the mysterious death of his co-leader. His health has been declining as well as his mind. On his 300th celebration, Magnus gathered man female drones into his chamber. Along with selected males from his personal staff. He wanted us to….breed. My tallest expect all of us to be pregnant but only got half of that. This disappointment made him very angry, so he punished everyone. Mostly the females for not conceiving. *Shutters at the memory*

“Forgive me for ranting, tallest Arugula. The journey here was not easy for me. I don’t know why Magnus chose me to be a part of the group breeding. I was told I was ugly. With my short antennas, thick arms, unattractive eyes color and that I’m short.

*Shows the claw marks on the back of her shoulder.* “I’ve got these from him. It’s a mark of my rank and his ownership over me, and so many others like me. Magnus has lost it and I couldn’t stay in my hive anymore, so I ran. I found the hidden passage that was underground and long been forgotten by everyone. It lead me on this far side of your territory. Tallest Arugula, I beg of you to let me stay in your hive. I may not look like it now but I AM pregnant. I’ve never asked for this but I had no choice in the matter.

*Offers up her pearls* “Take my pearls. They are worth a lot of monies! I know I trespassed into your hive but please don’t send me back to mine!😥

Two sentinels crossed their battle axes, blocking her path. A lanky drone in a casual waltzing robes looked her over. His height directly indicated he was in fact the tallest, but beyond that, he was nothing Naeba had expected. He presented a sense of sincerity that she previously found lacking in most other tallests. He wore no binding under his robes, exposing his natural teardrop belly. An unsightly scar crossed over a glass eye. No attempts were made to hide the lines around his eyes or the corners of his mouth. Somehow, none of this took away from his natural elegance.

He stopped, glanced her way and flashed a friendly smile. "The one, the same, the only." Arugula confirmed. "Guards, that's enough; at ease... To what honor do I owe the upward gaze of your lovely fluorite eyes? You must excuse the hostility. My sentinels take their duties very seriously as I command of them. Isn't that so, my good sprites?"

Guards "Sir, yes sir!"

Arugula lead Naeba down the hall, sipping his coctail. "There will be no further trouble from them. So tell me, what drove you to brave the war torn, sun scorched surface lands to speak to me?...

A harem?? You shelter over 700 birthing drones and suddenly you're running a harem. T'HA! Too funny. Ask any of my birthing drones how they're getting along here. I like to think they're content in my company. At this point in my reign, nothing makes me happier than to see my "harem" happy." He smiled, beaming with pride as he took a long sip of his cocktail.

"They are free to return to their former duties after they birth their swarms-- once their bodies have recovered from the strain of labor of course. You know the toll giving life can take on a body. I do encourage them to stay here, at least second and third time successful swarm birthers. It is their right to lounge with me after all. I have grown very attatched to most of them, but the heart is one thing a tallest cannot demand of his drones. My heart is theirs indefinitely, but many have given their heart to other drones or their occupations prior to becoming impregnated." His antennae perked to the next line of questioning.

"You heard correct, my pretty little pixy. I will not turn away a birthing drone. Have not yet once. All are welcome in my chambers. My hive needs a future and the future is only secured by my smeets. There is room for you in my chambers, if you're interested in such an arrangement."

He gently waved his hand, signaling for her to put them away. "What a stunning collection... and a lovely gesture, but proprieties are of little concern to me. I cannot in good conscience accept your only possession as my own."

The warm smile faded as Naeba continued. His antennae drooped. "That IS troubling. Very unlike the Magnus I knew. Perhaps I shouldn't be too shocked. I attended Spectra's funeral. I watched Magnus carry her to the right hand of the Colossus. His wails of sorrow echoed over NoDrone's land. He returned the the ground an altered drone. It escapes me, an accurate word to describe the look in his eyes when I approached him to give my condolences... It was as unsettling as it was tragic.

But grief does not justify the mistreatment of his drones. If he wishes for better success with his hive's fertility festival, he needs only to follow my example. No one ever listens."

Arugula listened to his guest carefully. His brow knitted, lips gradually bending downward. "Naeba, hear me well and deeply, deeply internalize what I'm about to tell you. YOU are NOT ugly. You cannot be ugly because, by default, the Irken form is beautiful. Perfect in all it's variations and imperfections. Those insults were hurled at you to break your spirit, nothing more. They carried no truth with them.

With one eye I can see a resemblance between you and the beautiful, fallen Spectra. Magnus must have noticed himself."

Arugula squirmed internally as Naeba continued to explain her situation. Her scars made his spooch turn. "Oh... oh, you poor thing. The resemblance must have torn open his heart all over again." He winced, ashamed of himself for making excuses. Arugula didn't want to believe his ally had committed these acts, but he knew such misconduct was all too comon. He couldn’t simply dismiss Naeba's story. He took a calming breath.

"How shameful it is when a tallest willingly makes his drones suffer. I will investigate the matter further, but I fear there is little I can do for your fellow hive-citizens. I have my own hive to rule and my own drones to protect. I will attempt to hail Magnus and appeal to his better senses, but I doubt he will listen to anything I have to say..."

His warm smile returned. "If you salute me as your tallest, I will gladly offor you shelter and protection. A tithe is not necessary; you have a secure place here in my hive. If you like, I will keep them on display in my personal treasure stronghold. You may retrieve them upon request.

Stay here; I will send for some service drone to escort you to the lounge and bring you a snack platter. A medic will arrive shortly after to examine you. You and your swarm will be well cared for. To warn you, my hive's fertility festival is fast approaching. Things get wild in my chambers.

Now, you must excuse me. My presence is needed in the war room. Thank you for keeping me informed. Enjoy yourself, Naeba. It was a pleasure..." He marched past her.

[Hope the dialogue isn't too confusing. Arugula is a talker.]

#invader zim #irken #ocs #ancient irk #au #tallest #arugula #magnus #spectra #naeba

[blackberry-bloody]

Meet My Ocs: Berkley

Berkley lay motionless on the floor, the only signs they weren't actually dead were subtle twitches and the occasional rise and fall of their chest. Though after some time those twitches became more frequent as they were beginning to wake up. Upon such, their breathing became more frequent, and they slowly pushed themself up. They looked around the room and let out a long, drawn out groan. They stood up, assuming they had been “summoned” again. A very unfortunate side-effect of being a creature of the somewhat occult. They looked at the mirror and leveled their gaze, waiting for who was so obviously on the other side to make the first move.

—

Hello there.

“Hello. And to what do I owe the honor?” Berkley placed their hands behind their back, avoiding looking at the mirror now that they had established contact.

I just wanted to ask you a few questions.

They let out another loud groan. “No I cannot see your death, no I cannot see your enemies death, no I cannot-”

Nothing like that, trust me. I want to know a little bit about yourself.

“About myself? What for?” Genuine surprise and curiosity were clear in his voice.

For… Record keeping. Surely a man of science and knowledge like yourself can allow that?

They hummed, turning away but nodding. “I suppose so. But firstly, I must correct whatever records you may have that I am not a man. Very recently I have come to the realization that I am… what you humans refer to as Trans Feminine? Though I’m not strictly a woman either. I’m still figuring it out to be honest. Please refer to me as She or Them.”

That will definitely be noted, thank you. As for my first question, could you tell me your name?

“Indeed. I go by Berkley. Though a very select few have been known to refer to me as Lee. Though I am unsure of how I feel about nicknames such as that.” She nods and begins pacing the room. Thank you Berkley. Now… What exactly are you? Species-wise of course.

“I am an angel. Though to be more specific I am a Reaper. And a fallen one at that.”

A fallen? What does that mean?

“It means I can never go home. Not that “home” means much to me anymore. Heaven was… Not kind to me. I much prefer the home I have made here among the humans and the like.”

Before you fell, could you tell me a little about your life? And perhaps a little about your new life as well?

“I suppose… Before, I was a scholar. A teacher and mentor to next generations of reapers. Only one truly had immense potential though. Unfortunately she succumbed to the same issue I almost did. Heaven runs on efficiency and she cared far too much. When she died I saw no reason to continue supporting the system, nor what talent-less flop would join my ranks.” She paused. “As for after, I established myself among the humans fully and began studying them. As well as the occasional angel and demon. Currently I am back to my research after an… Unexpected, extended break.”

What do you mean by caring too much? What did you do to avoid it?

“In our line of work you were expected to be efficient. Feelings are not efficient, they are complicated.” They shifted uncomfortably. “As for what I did? I was always good at messing with the physical for efficiency. I carved out as much of my soul as I safely could, and placed it into a mirror to store.”

You mentioned “generations”. How old are you?

“I was the best of the best and my own talents have granted me extreme longevity. Even by angel standards I am ancient. In human years I am close to 350.”

What made you want to research humanity, among others.

“It just… Fascinates me. And though I can’t fully engage in the job I had prior, this allows me to do what I loved. It also allows an outlet of… Care… Not previously open for me.”

Well I suppose I’m glad for you then.

“Thank you, I suppose then.” She smiled slightly. “Is that all?” For now, we may call upon you again. But for now you are free to go.

—

Once given permission, she nods once to the mirror and vanishes into a burst of light.

#nightingale sings #nightingale writes #meet my ocs #berkley oc

[theclearblue]

Can I ask your top 5 favorite moments each from Dungeon Meshi and Blue Lock? And your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters from each series? Thanks 🌷

For Dungeon Meshi I am just currently watching the anime (which I do love very very much) but idk if there's enough content yet to elaborate on top five moments :( If I had to choose a favorite character, it would be Marcille (second place to Laios) and my favorite moments so far have been the fight against the living armor, Laios mimicking a siren song (lmao), and of course Falin's resurrection! I can elaborate a little bit more on Blue Lock though (under the cut)!

Favorite Characters (no order really)

Honorable mentions: Oliver Aiku, Nagi Seishiro, Hyoma Chigiri, Rensuke Kunigami, Michael Kaiser (he's probably the most likely to move into the top 5 in the future tbh)

Yoichi Isagi

Big thing for me in every series is to make sure that the main character is someone I want to follow, and Isagi is one of the strongest characters in Blue Lock. I think it's fun to see his two sides where he's so sweet and genuinely kind to the people around him, but he also doesn't let people walk all over him, especially when it does come to soccer. Barou, Kaiser, Rin, even with the very first conflict with the kid that he entered Blue Lock with (forgot his name, the guy that gets eliminated first lol), people consistently underestimate him, and that usually follows with him crushing them lmao. Both of those sides are real and genuine, and I like how they don't really conflict with each other too, there is a time and place for kindness, but also a time for him to achieve his own goals and feed his own ego. Never disappointed with any screen time he gets.

2. Meguru Bachira

Probably the character that stood out to me first, and one that I'm really happy with how he's developed, I'm obsessed with insane energy. In a sea of really angsty and serious characters (which, I'll talk about some of those later too lol) Bachira just comes off as such a breath of fresh air in every panel with his demeanor and friendliness, and it's genuinely fun every time to see him play, whether as a friend or enemy (love when characters have unique dribbling). And I think the reason 2nd selection remains such a consistently strong arc is in large part thanks to Bachira and his character arc there, where he's grappling with actually playing with people and not just "the monster" and in turn, also dealing with the loneliness he experienced growing up. Another thing being that even after his big character arc, he's still being developed after in the Neo Egoist League (Rip Chigiri you deserved the same treatment) where he's learning to incorporate the monster back in, and the new dribbling he's developed. He's just such a fun character to watch.

3. Rin Itoshi

Yeah it was so over for me when they introduced the tragic siblings, especially when Rin is the younger brother. I wasn't super into him when he was introduced, I'm not usually a big fan of really stoic characters, but he won me over big time in the U-20 match. To see how much he looked up to Sae and was so excited to see him come back home just for Sae to try and crush his dreams, ohhhh that got me good, I felt so bad for him and everything made sense with his character. And then him going absolutely feral in the U-20 match, playing at his very best, just to get hit with this?

This is...maybe still the saddest moment for me in the whole manga, my jaw dropped when I read this. I haven't seen much of him since this match, but I'm excited to see him show up in the Neo Egoist League eventually, I think his rematch against Isagi will really really interesting!

4. Reo Mikage

If you asked me a few weeks ago, Nagi probably would have been in this spot instead, but I think Reo inched him out of that spot in the Manshine City match for me. He's an incredibly messy and flawed character throughout the series, but undoubtedly the most human out of everyone. On the surface level, I like the development of the chameleon play style he has, everyone is such a specialist but I really like the jack of all trades master of none style he has, and think it fits his character perfectly. His character development has been a little bit more in the background, but I really like how he has developed his relationship and his complicated feelings towards Nagi. He is kind of an asshole in the beginning and so codependent with Nagi, that he lashes out at everyone, but a big part of him wanting to play football is to play it with Nagi! He needed to grow separate from Nagi, and when they finally were in a place to work together again in the Manshine City match, it was REALLY satisfying. It feels earned and Reo working through both his bitter feelings but also his want to play with his boyfriend. I like how human of a character he is (especially in comparison to most of these characters lmao) and he's always an interesting player to watch.

5. Yukimiya Kenyu

Yeah you knew this one was coming if you've seen my blog in the last week lmao. The thing is out of the new characters introduced in third selection, he intrigued me the most. Declaring he's a pacifist while having one of the most aggressive play styles lmao. But then he kind of fades into the background, the only one in the top five not to score a goal...until the match against Manshine City. His backstory just added so much depth to his character and all the moments we saw before, his introduction, his polite nature, him being upset at Isagi after the last match, him praying to God, it all just clicks and it's really tragic to me how he has this timer on his dream. And then him getting that goal, despite how irrational it seemed, despite him getting into a fight with Isagi about his assist in the last game...God it's maybe my favorite goal in the series so far (well, tied with Isagi's goal at the end of the U-20 match actually). Maybe a little recency bias with him but I'm utterly obsessed with this guy, I think he's got so many layers that you can just pick at for forever.

I kind of talked about a lot of my favorite moments throughout this lmao, so I'll show you some of my favorite panels so far!

#probably missing some panels i love lol #but these are the ones i got saved #blue lock #asks

[stereax]

Hello! I am writing a paper for a law school class on transnational courts about the IIHF and NHL-Russia player transfers. I’m starting with the Fedotov mess and looking for a thesis from there. I have found great stuff on litigation from the early 2000s and player transfer agreements with other leagues under previous CBAs but very little current info. I’m also looking for any updates on Fedotov since the IIHF’s ruling in August and Russia ignoring it. I know he’s playing in the KHL now. Did the Flyers just let it go because there isn’t anything they can do? Any help/ideas/resources would be much appreciated!!

I love you for this, so so so much. You've combined just about all of my interests in one ask. I'll give you the very concise version of it here, for public consumption. You might know most of this already, and I'm sorry if this doesn't help that much - but DM me for more info. I can and will go searching with you. Hell, if you want, you can "interview" me via Discord or via DMs here and cite me as a source. (I've done that a lot with my friends for papers hahaha, asked them their thoughts and then cited it.) Under the cut, as always! 💜

As you're probably aware, the IIHF is the leading organizer of ice hockey stuff around the world. I believe it's them that organize the Worlds and World Juniors, and they also have international standards for things like rink size. (Of course, the NHL plays on a nonstandard rink, so...) Importantly, however, the IIHF has very little legal power. It is difficult for them to fully enforce their decisions - especially when it comes to a country that won't listen.

Ivan Fedotov was a seventh-round selection of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015. He has been playing primarily in the KHL since. In 2021-22, he backstopped CSKA Moscow to the Gagarin Cup (the KHL's version of the Stanley Cup) in what was widely considered a "breakout" year. Following this, in his last year of eligibility, Philadelphia signed him to a one-year entry-level contract (ELC), with the intent of bringing him to Philly and seeing if he could be a good enough goaltender at the NHL level (presumably to be the backup to Carter Hart) or even the AHL level. This is where things get screwy.

Fedotov is arrested shortly after the ELC is signed under the "charge" of avoiding the Russian army draft (understand that this was most likely a politically motivated arrest). He spends the next year at a fairly remote Russian military base, only communicating with the Flyers once in this entire year. He was allowed to continue training part-time, but not to the level he could otherwise have. So the ELC slides one year.

In the summer of 2023, Philly tries to get Fedotov overseas again... only to find that he's signed a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow. Now, the NHL and KHL used to have transfer agreements, but the NHL cut these agreements after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, Fedotov has two contracts, and he clearly can't play in two places at once. What happens?

The IIHF steps in, and decides that Fedotov's ELC with Philly should be honored - and that he and CSKA Moscow were not allowed to sign a contract with the ELC in place. They ban Fedotov from playing for 4 months and CSKA Moscow from being able to sign non-domestic players (international transfers) for one year.

Before I continue, something to be aware of with sports in Russia: certain teams are sponsored by the state and oligarchs far more than others. This is true with Russian soccer and also true with Russian football. CSKA Moscow, in particular, is one of the most-supported teams and is notable for its ties with the Russian army. Its dominance during the Soviet era was because it could literally draft the best hockey players (and I mean draft as in draft like for the army). It's currently owned by Rosneft, an oil company that's majority owned by the Russian government. (SKA Saint Petersburg is another of these highly-supported teams, for what that's worth.)

So CSKA Moscow, sort of predictably, flips off the IIHF. And starts Fedotov. In their first game. The IIHF can't really do much - it hits CSKA Moscow with a 5000 CHF fine (laughable) and threatens to refer it, and Fedotov, to the IIHF Disciplinary Board if they keep doing it. They keep doing it. Of course. The KHL's president claims that the 4-month ban threatens Fedotov's Russian constitutional right to work and that they will thusly disregard the ruling. As of November 2nd, Fedotov is still playing in the KHL - he just recorded a shutout, actually.

The Flyers really can't do much, outside of pressure the IIHF, which has little concrete power, to levy more punishments (and the IIHF has gone quiet about this too). Philly could try to, theoretically, smuggle Fedotov out of Russia a la Malkin, but you can only imagine what the Russian government will do to Fedotov and his family if he tries to defect. Especially because Fedotov's what, 26? 27? And goalies don't tend to have a long shelf life. Even if he came to the States, and played some games in the NHL, would those precious few years be worth the wellbeing of him and his family? Probably not. Again, since the NHL and KHL no longer have a transfer agreement, Philly and CSKA Moscow would have to come to terms on their own - and CSKA Moscow isn't keen on giving up their current star tendy to play in likely the AHL.

And remember, Philly also has Matvei Michkov now. Whose father recently died under "mysterious circumstances". And it's rumored those circumstances had to do with Michkov's father trying to terminate his son's KHL contract to send him to America sooner. That's also a factor here that must be considered - is it better to play nice with the KHL now and give up on Fedotov to be able to bring Michkov stateside?

The situation is incredibly complicated; unfortunately, there seems to be no easy end in sight, and probably very little chance of Fedotov seeing NHL ice in his career. The war in Ukraine also complicates this, and that is currently locked at a stalemate, so... good luck there.

Alright, that's my little lecture. If you need anything else, do DM me! I can see what else I can do as well :)

#stereanswers #stereanalysis #stereducation #ivan fedotov #philadelphia flyers #cska moscow

[the-eldritch-sorcerer]

[💙] Hi, I'm Star, and I was wondering if you'd like to accept a new character in your multiverse!

My OC's name is Amelia Evelyn Hunter, played by Crystal Marie Reed. She's been living in Kamar-Taj since she was 5, but her mother died when she was ten. Only she and The Ancient One knew of the reason - as a child, she had gotten emotionally too excited and caused an energy burst while in her mother's room, killing her.

Speaking of energy bursts, Amelia later realizes that she has what is called an energy transference ability - she can transfer pure energy from one form to another, including from and to herself. Someone in her line of ancestors was a being of pure energy, and their powers had selectively passed on to her.

Amelia is a bubbly and (sometimes) sarcastic person, obsessed with Keanu Reeves, and loves gardening.

The two meet in the first movie, Doctor Strange, and the timeline continues till date, including IW, Endgame, NWH, and MoM.

P.S: The two had initially met on the streets of New York, when Amelia had bumped into Stephen and spilled her coffee on his suit. It's sort a meet-ugly, which is why its funny.

Thanks a lot! Hope you're doing well <3

Please feel free to send me asks (I will do so as well!) to my benedict blog, @eggsbxnedict !!

A pleasure to meet you!

I apologize for the very late reply, but I've been very absent as life has tangled me in quite a mess as of late. But I am indeed welcoming people into the Multiverse, of course! I'm very happy and honored that you chose me of all the other players of Doctor Strange.

Please, come have a look around if you haven't already and as soon as the holiday is over, I will be happy to start a story with your character. She sounds quite amazing.

Welcome to the Multiverse!

#doctor strange #stephen strange #romance blog #a new branch of the multiverse #a new mutual? #perhaps #origional character #mcu #marvel cinematic universe

[justin-chapmanswers]

Hi there! So I needed to find someone I idolized for a project, and guess who was my first choice? You! But now I have to write and I have no idea what to put so….help. Please and thank you :)

Oh golly I didn't realize the new ask-answering system doesn't let you respond to just the question-asker instead of the public. Wellll let's just roll with it.

ANYWAY. Firstly, super duper honored thank youuuu you you. Hope I'm not too late on this. Whatchaaaa gotta write about? Just personal facts? Professional journey? Commonalities between yourself and the selected person?

I have plenty of trouble with the same prompt when I would send out job resumes haha. Who the heck am I? I'll Wikipedia it a tiny bit?

My name is Justin Chapman, born February 4th 1997, age 25 (just double-checked!). I am a writer, director, voice actor, and audio engineer on the hip YouTube animated web series, Inanimate Insanity. I would follow Adam Katz's Total Drama camps on YouTubeback in middle school, got excited when he posted auditions for Inanimate Insanity, and I've stuck with it ever since- here we are 11.5 years later. Fun-ner than ever! When I started I just voice acted, but eventually more and more tasks started to open up. And every week is something different! Right now the items on my desk are music pre-production notes/guides, video editing (not for the main episode, that's Brian's job), production oversight, and episode writing. At my core I love writing and I love voice acting, if I could focus on doing those two things every day forever, I'd be an extra happy guy. Everything else is a fun bonus.

Outside of II, I went to a Hollywood Arts-esque media-focused high school and then went onto Emerson College with a focus in Visual Media Arts, aka filmy stuff. I always knew I wanted to work in some area of storytelling, but need quite sure where exactly. Going into college I thought I'd be working in audio engineering, but after a variety of courses I shifted focus to screenwriting, where I specialized for the second half of my college journey. During college I interned at Valhalla Entertainment, a development studio, where I primarily gave script coverage/reports for the higher-ups. Very fun!

After graduating in 2019, I started working at DDO Artists Agency, a talent agency in their voiceover department. I started there as an intern, moved up to part-time audio engineering assistant, and now work as a full-time assistant to the agents. Been there since riiiight before the pandemic, transitioning to remote work has been a wild wild ride.

Now I work on contracts/invoices while helping voiceover talent with auditions by day, and do my ever-changing II work by night. By no means am I naturally a workaholic, I'm quiet lil introverted guy who likes plenty of nothing............. buuuuut over time, the habit of consistent work does leaving me feeling odd whenever I hit the rare moments of not having something pressing on my plate. I'd take a breather, but it all continues to be fun.

Ain't that just the way.