#dawn long locs

[my--moon]

WAIT! why did I jusr figuire out requests are open? If it’s ok with you, can I request Jason x female reader (daughter of Eros) and it’s making up with one another after an argument which was mainly consisting of reader being slightly jealous and was afraid Jason would leave because she has severe abandonment issues? Thank you! (Also, I always love your aesthetics)

❝ A Thousand Times Prettier ❞

Pairing; Jason Grace X Fem!Reader (Child of Eros) Warning; Fluff, Angst, Comfort! So sorry if your name is Maddie :( Y/n's also a little bitch at the start A/N; Aunty Juno's got an idea. . . I LOVE THIS IDEA, sorry if your name is Maddie btw

What does that whispy little brat have that you don't have double? (Y/N) thought to herself.

That little bitch Maddie Prescott. Child of Apollo, is she now? So prissy and perfect! With perfect golden locs that shimmered down her back, rosy cheeks and thick glossy lips! Such a... fucking slut!

You couldn't help but hate her... Actually why did you hate her again?

Maddie didn't do anything wrong. She wasn't a bitch, brat or a slut. She was just failing at training and asked Jason to help her out or give her some tips. She wasn't flirting with him or being seductive in any way.

But (Y/N) couldn't help but feel jealous. Was this lady trying to take Jason away? No. No. No. No. No! Too many people have left, she couldn't lose another!

(Y/N) sat in the Zeus cabin. Sitting on a beanbag, flicking through a magazine Piper had given her. Grumbling over how pathetic a certain Apollonian was.

The cabin door opened up, Jason walked in with a bit of dirt on his face from the training grounds. “Hey, hun. Whatcha reading?”

His smile was sweet and gentle, he was never a rude man towards (Y/N). Not ever! But (Y/N) was still mad.

“A magazine.” She replied flatly, keeping her hard gaze on the pictures. Something about the latest scandal on Olympus.

“Ooo, anything interesting, dear?” Jason asked, wiping the dried blood off his chin and taking off his boots.

“No.” A cold reply came out of (Y/N). Jason thought she didn't mean the first cold reply, but a second one? That wasn't like his lover.

“You.. You alright?” He asked, hesitantly walking towards the daughter of Eros. (Y/N)'s cold gaze glanced up from the magazine.

“Oh I'm fine. Maybe you should go and hang out with the Prescott girl, hm? Maybe she'll be nicer than me.” (Y/N) rolled her eyes.

Jason cocked an eyebrow. “Who?” He asked confused. “Wait, Maddie?”

“Yea, considering she's got all your attention lately, just go off and love her! I know you want to.” The child of Eros replied with a icy glare.

“Babe, what?” Jason was dumbfounded. “Why would I love Maddie? She's just been needing help with her training, I don't love her.”

(Y/N) looked him up and down with a glare. “Mhm. And I'm Hera's concubine.” She said sarcastically.

“Don't mention Hera, I've had a long day, I don't want to hear about her.” Jason groaned in annoyance at the mention of her.

“And I don't want to hear about Maddie either. But that's all I hear!” (Y/N) added, with a scowl on her face.

“Look at me, (Y/N).”

She didn't want to look at Jason. She wanted to be and at him, but he had done nothing wrong; why was she so upset then?

“No.” A defiant response answered from (Y/N)'s lips.

“Look at me, honey.” Honey, a nickname that made her melt. Especially when it came from a lover of hers.

(Y/N) reluctantly looked up and stared back at Jason, who had a hard expression. “Why are you so mad at Maddie?”

Tears threatened to spill from (Y/N)'s eyes. Her eyes went glassy and her lips turned down in a pout. “She's a bitch, that's why.”

“What's she done to be called a bitch?” Jason asked back. A quirked eyebrow dawned on his face. “(Y/N). Answer me.”

(Y/N) didn't want to answer. “...”

“Honey.”

“...”

“Dear.”

“...”

“Sweetheart.”

“...”

“Babe, c'mon,” Jason sighed. Her defiance was annoying. “Just tell me.”

A tear ran down her cheek and slid down her throat. “She's taking you away I just know it.” Her voice was still angry and her body was curled up in a ball.

“Are you jealous?” The son of Jupiter asked gently.

“No! I'm not jealous! I'm a child of Eros, not a pathetic.. jealous.... mortal.” (Y/N) hissed out.

“Why are you even jealous of her? You're a thousand times prettier than her!” Jason bit back. His words made more tears spill from her eyes.

A silence filled the room, muffled sobs from (Y/N) were the only present sound.

“Do you want a cuddle?”

The Jupiter son asked, which the child of Eros didn't verbally answer to—but she did get up from her seat and bury herself in his chest.

Jason caressed her hair and held her tightly against him. Comforting her as she sobbed. She hated feeling abandoned, and he knew that.

But he was loyal to her, why would he leave a girl that he saw as a goddess?

#jason grace x reader #hoo #jason grace angst #jason grace x y/n #jason grace x you #jason grace fanart #pjo FANFIC #hoo fanfic #child of Eros #son of Jupiter #thalia grace #thalia pjo #Jason pjo

[ride-thedragon]

Now on to something entirely too personal. HBO, please hire black women to do black hair. Like the Bailey sisters have been on this earth long enough for you not to hate crime Rhaena and Laenor. Baela and Laena suffer from the white mom with mixed daughters' agenda. Corlys has his buss down, side part, lace front but it sits that way because Steve, the actor, is bald. There isn't a clear part in sight for the richest house in Westeros. I don't understand why the Velaryons have ash-gray roots. With Addam, Alyn, and Nettles dawning on us soon please do better. Some thoughts for your labour ahead.

Utilize the Bailey sisters and their contributions to styled locs for Rhaena’s sake.

2. Cut Baela’s hair. For her sake focus on braids and beads.

3. Allow her to usher in a wave for the girls with her appearance. Nettles would gag them.

4. Our last girl. The Princess Dianna of Westeros. Lady Laena deserved better while with us. Walk with me.

5. In a bigger step towards the right direction and with the pride black people have when it comes to hair, why would we not style the men's locs. Corlys will guide us.

6. Laenor sweetie I'm so sorry for the helmet wig they gave you.

7/8. The Of Hull boys will bring us hope and prosperity. Marilda won't have them looking messy on the Hull shores.

All in all, I hope the stylists use their time off to hire black people. Entire stories could've been told with Laena, Rhaena, and Baela’s hair on the show, same with Corlys and Laenor but instead, we went with inspired choices that fell flat with the execution. Locs are some of the most versatile styles and curls are stunning. Hair, especially textured hair care and styling is a labor of love and I hope it's shown in upcoming seasons.

#house of the dragon #hotd #nettles #nettles asoiaf #netty #house velaryon #laena valeryon #hotd rhaena #baela and rhaena #baela targaryen #rhaena of pentos #alyn velaryon #addam velaryon #laenor velaryon #corlys velaryon #it girls #black hair #black hair in fantasy #a song of ice and fire #house targaryen

[mypimpademia]

I love to see black lady fan fics but they never have hair like mine can I ask you to write the main 4 and how they would react to a girl with locs

— Locs

Bakugo x Fem! Black! Reader, Izuku x Black! Fem! Reader, Todoroki x Black! Fem! Reader, Shinsou x Black! Fem! Reader

TW: Swearing

— BAKUGO

⇶ Locs are hands down Katsukis favorite.

⇶ He loves how they look amazing all the time even without styling them

⇶ So when you walk into class on the first day with a fresh retwist, you catch his eye

⇶ He acts disinterested, per usual, but you can feel him staring at you as you introduce yourself to your other classmates

⇶ If you go up to him and say something, he’ll mug you and then ignore you completely

⇶ Izuku pulls you away from him and tells you that the blonde is rough around the edges, but he didn’t cuss you out or yell so that’s a good sign for you

⇶ Later that day, you get paired with him for an assignment

⇶ He hardly speaks to you, and when he does his answers are short

⇶ It’s irking your soul, honestly. The only thing that’s keeping you from asking him what his problem is is remembering what Izuku said about him

⇶ You think he’s just being an asshole, but you’re really trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. And as long as he doesn’t start anything with you like Izuku told you about, you’ll be chill

⇶ It doesn’t even dawn on you that you’re making him insanely nervous

⇶ It’s such an unfamiliar feeling to Katsuki, hence his strange behavior

⇶ He doesn’t care about the length of your hair, it could be above your shoulders or down to your ass and he’ll still think you look incredible

⇶ Will he tell you that? No. Let’s be serious.

⇶ He’s cool with whatever your natural hair color is, but dyed locs do something to him

⇶ Katsuki loves skunk stripes and peekaboos in any color, and fully dyed hair is a close second

⇶ Don’t even get him started on if you have it dyed orange, ginger, or blonde.

⇶ For styles, anything half up and half down is 🔛🔝

⇶ And if your locs are long, he likes to see you switch it up by making them into a bob

⇶ Katsuki will warm up to you eventually, once he gets over how nervous you make him first

— IZUKU

⇶ Anything with natural hair makes him melt, so to say he loves your locs would be an understatement

⇶ One of the first things he does, after introducing himself, is tell you that he likes you hair

⇶ Can’t stop staring at your locs while he talks to you, they’re just so pretty on you

⇶ Anytime you come into class with a different style or a retwist, he makes a point to compliment you

⇶ If you ever ask Izuku to pick a style for you to try, he’ll be more than happy to do so

⇶ You’ll scroll through Pinterest together until you find one you both like

⇶ Shit, he’ll make an entire board just for loc inspo and share it with you

⇶ Loves any style with a ponytail/pigtails, or in a bun

⇶ Thinks curly/wavy locs are the cutest thing ever

⇶ Adores locs with beads and charms on them, they’re so pretty to him and you’ll almost see stars in his eyes if you put any on yours

⇶ Doesn’t care about length much, but he does really like shorter locs (shoulder length and shorter) because they show how much you can do with locs regardless of how long they are

⇶ For dyed locs, he likes really bold and bright colors. Doesn’t care about if it’s a skunk stripe, peekaboo, fully dyed, just the ends, etc

⇶ Pink, purple, and of course, green are his favorites

⇶ If you let him try to retwist your locs, it won’t go terribly, but you most definitely will not ask him to do it again😭

⇶ Even though he can’t retwist to save his life, he’s great at styling so if you’re ever struggling he’ll enthusiastically help you

⇶ Truthfully, Izuku might enjoy your locs more than you

— TODOROKI

⇶ Sho thinks locs are sooo pretty

⇶ He won’t say anything to you, but you’ll catch him taking glances and immediately looking away when you meet eyes

⇶ Has a very awkward smile on his face when he does so, and it’s honestly the cutest thing ever

⇶ When you go over and say hi, he’s a bit shocked but quietly says hi

⇶ Shoto is naturally quiet, and you got that off rip, but he’s very obviously nervous the entire time you talk to him

⇶ Shoto is very blunt, so when you ask him what’s wrong he just tells you he thinks your hair is pretty

⇶ Doesn’t care about length at all, but for styling he likes when you just let them be, and any ponytail style

⇶ For dyed locs, he likes darker colors

⇶ If you have a split dye, he’ll think it’s cute that you and him are matching

⇶ Locs with charms, specially crystal charms, are heavenly to him. He thinks you look like an angel with an assortment of crystals dangling from your locs

⇶ If you ask him to do your hair, he’ll be fine as long as you give him guidance

⇶ Lovesss to play with your locs if you’ll let him

⇶ Always keeps a hair tie on his wrist for you in case you need one to pull them back, as well as clips

⇶ Just thinks you’re so pretty with your locs, he could look at them for hours

— SHINSOU

⇶ Natural hair lover to his core but locs will always take the cake

⇶ Hitoshi doesn’t even say hi when he first sees you, he tells you he likes your hair

⇶ It catches you off guard, but he likes watching you sputter out a thank you

⇶ Admires your locs pretty much everytime he’s talking to you, and even when he’s not

⇶ Doesn’t look away if you catch him, just gives you a smug grin

⇶ Even though he usually keeps his hair up how it always is, he Carrie’s hair ties and pins just in case he needs to put it back. He’ll let you borrow some if you ask

⇶ He likes any length, but sways towards shorter locs more

⇶ Hitoshi lovess barrels and twists, and believes that you can never go wrong with a good pineapple

⇶ For dyed locs, he’s likes peekaboos, skunk stripes, and scattered dyed ones in any color

⇶ If you have all of your hair dyed, Hitoshi likes vibrant colors, pink, blue, and purple being his favorites

⇶ Likes touching them, if you’ll let him

⇶ They’re hardly ever prolonged touches, most of the time he’ll tangle his fingers in your locs when coming up behind you to get your attention

⇶ But if your locs are long, he’ll play with them while talking to you or sitting behind you

⇶ Twists them, braids them, curls them around his fingers, etc

⇶ Hitoshi is actually good at doing hair, so if you ever get tired of styling it on your own or retwisting, you can count on him to get you right

⇶ He might scare you a little by watching a tutorial on YouTube or TikTok first, but surprises you by doing a nice job with little to no guidance from you

⇶ Hitoshi is a loc enthusiast through and through

—

Taglist: @megurulvr @miirene @planetlunaa @pnkweb @szaplsdropthealbum @dreampurpledreams @goldenglow149 @gender-queery @roaringlion @chocolateochaco @tatiquichi

Send in a ask or DM me to be added to all taglists, or fill out my form to be added to select ones.

—

Thank you for reading, comments and reblogs are appreciated!

#mha #bnha #mha hcs #bnha hcs #mha headcanons #bnha headcanons #bakugo x reader #izuku x reader #todoroki x reader #shinsou x reader #katsuki bakugo x reader #izuku midoriya x reader #shoto todoroki x reader #hitoshi shinso x reader #mha bakugo #mha izuku #mha todoroki #mha shinso #katsuki bakugo #shoto todoroki #izuku midoriya #hitoshi shinsou #mha fluff #bnha fluff #mha x black reader #bnha x black!reader #bakugo x black reader #izuku x black!reader #todoroki x black!reader #shinso x black reader

[saturnville]

I. Inaugural Veil

→ pairing: Coriolanus Snow x Lyra Ravenshroud (blackfem oc)

→ summary: President Coriolanus Snow introduces himself to the Capitol Senate, where he meets newly elected Reform Advocate Senator Lyra Ravenshroud.

→ tags: @snowlandsontopp @babyzzlove @hlstead @rosewine-5 @unicornqueen05 @thegabbyh @neeville @fastlikealambo @urfavesim

→ an: depending on how y'all like this, I'll continue it. if not, it can stand as a standalone.

→ reminder: reblogs and comments are much appreiciated!

President Coriolanus Snow, a towering figure of authority, ascended the grand stage with an air of regal confidence. His platinum blond hair, meticulously styled in a sleek comeover, caught the glint of the spotlight, emphasizing the sharp angles of his aristocratic features. Dressed in a crimson red suit that spoke of power and ambition, a single white rose adorned his lapel—a symbol of both purity and calculated charm.

Icy blue eyes, cold as the very name he carried, scanned the crowd with an analytical precision. He caught the green eyes of a young woman as he spoke to the Capitol Senate. She was a cute woman, he noted. Her fair skin was beet-red as she attempted to maintain eye-contact wit the President. The corners of his mouth raised as he attempted to mask his smirk.

His smile, a masterpiece of beauty and charisma, played effortlessly upon his lips. It was a weapon, finely honed through years of navigating the intricate web of Capitol politics. The allure of his charm was unmatched, a force that had won over even the most skeptical hearts in the Capitol.

The Capitol Senate room was carefully crafted by the strong hands of Capitol engineers and architects. Similar to the Academy and the University, the ceilings were as high as skyscrapers with long windows that welcomed the fall sun. The room was held by large Grecian-like columns, sanded to perfection. On the marble floor, which lacked dust or grime, was the symbol of the Capitol in red. An addition made by President Snow.

He stood before them on the podium that was built just for him. At the front of the room, he was the center of attention. All 300 Senators, leaders, and other political figures gawking at him like he was a peacock who just showed his beautiful array of colorful feathers.

On the Senate floor, newly elected Senator Lyra Ravenshroud observed the spectacle with a discerning gaze. Standing at a mid-size stature, she emanated a quiet strength that belied the challenges she was prepared to face. Her dark skin exuded a richness that stood in stark contrast to the opulent surroundings. Sister locs, meticulously arranged, framed her face and cascaded just below her shoulder blades—a testament to both tradition and individuality.

Lyra's eyes were trained on the President as he shifted his footing. There was a seat behind him, white as snow, that he had not sat down in since it arrived. A million questions floated in her mind as she watched him interact with members of the Senate. He came from newfound wealth through his father's military strength, therefore, it was not easy to recover after the rebellions. But, for him to graduate from the Academy at 18 and become the president of the nation, from zero to hero in just five years, was something she struggled to wrap her mind around. It even kept her awake at night.

As the President spoke of unity and progress, his charismatic words weaving through the air, Lyra listened with a gaze that saw beyond the surface. The crimson-suited president and the reform advocate senator—their worlds collided on this stage, setting the tone for a new dawn in Panem's political landscape.

President Coriolanus Snow concluded his inaugural address with a flourish, the applause from the Capitol elite echoing through the hallowed room. As the crowd erupted in admiration, he stepped down from the podium, his crimson suit a beacon of authority amid the sea of admirers in neutral clothing. A stark contrast indeed.

Meanwhile, on the Senate floor, Lyra Ravenshroud rose from her seat, her dark eyes following the President's every move. The air seemed to hum with an unspoken tension as their eyes locked across the expanse of power.

The Presidednt, drawn by an invisible force, made his way through the crowd. His steps were deliberate, every move a calculated display of charisma. He apologized to those who tried o get his attention, promising to circle back shortly. As he approached Lyra, the air crackled with anticipation—a collision of two worlds on the precipice of collaboration.

"Senator Ravenshroud," he spoke, his voice carrying the weight of authority. His icy blue eyes met her warm brown ones, and he found himself captivated by the dance within her gaze. "A pleasure to finally meet the advocate who promises to reshape the Capitol's destiny."

Lyra's sensual smile played upon her lips as she extended her hand. "President Snow, the pleasure is mine." Her voice, a sultry melody, resonated in the air. Coriolanus found himself liking the sound of it, the way her words carried a depth that transcended the usual political pleasantries. "Your words inspire change, and I am eager to be part of that transformation."

Their handshake, a symbolic gesture of political unity, resonated through the crowd. Unbeknownst to them, this moment marked the inception of a collaboration that would shape the course of Panem's future. As the applause continued, a subtle undercurrent of uncertainty lingered—a foreshadowing of the shadows yet to unfold.

Coriolanus, ever the tactician, couldn't help but be intrigued by the woman before him. The way her eyes, brown like rich earth, danced with the gaze of his icy blue ones hinted at a complexity that both fascinated and unnerved him. Her physical presence, a mid-sized woman exuding a quiet strength, contrasted sharply with the opulence of the Capitol.

The title of President seemed to roll off her tongue effortlessly, a dance of words that added an unexpected elegance to the occasion.

"I'm glad to hear that," Coriolanus spoke softly. "I hope you're looking forward to the new Senator orientation tomorrow. I'll explain your new role better tomorrow during our one-on-one. My assistant will pass over those times to you."

Lyra gathered her purse over her shoulder and nodded. "Of course. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Mr. President." She smiled gently.

Coriolanus tilted his chin up and nodded once, slowly. "Likewise, Ms. Ravenshroud." Little did they know, as the stage was set, the delicate dance of power had truly begun.

#saturnville #original content #black!reader #fic inspo #black reader #coriolanus snow x black reader #the hunger games #tbosas #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #coriolanus snow #president coriolanus snow #young!coriolanus #young!coriolanus snow x lyra ravenshroud #coriolanus snow x lyra ravenshroud by saturnville #sejanus plinth #lucy gray baird #coriolanus snow smut #coriolanus snow fic

[thatblackravenclaw]

Fresh Morning Dew

Blog Details | Let’s take a trip

Poly!Marauders x Black! fem! reader (house neutral)

warning(s): not tooth-rotting fluff but pretty fluffy

word count: 1k

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Owls sing their song in the early morning. I woke up a couple of hours ago to soak in the silence of dawn. It’s one of the most perfect times to be awake. No one wants anything of you because no one is awake. It seems as if for one moment the world just stopped. Sometimes I wish it could stay like this.

This has been a tradition of ours ever since we became close. On the last day of summer, right before sunrise, we get a blanket and go to the highest and safest hill and watch the sun rise together. We kept up the tradition when we started dating. Now, no matter what is going on in our lives we make sure to keep this tradition alive. 

The routine is the same. Sirius and I are always the last to wake. We are more of moon rise people. Sometimes whenever there is a full moon, we’ll just stay awake and stargaze while lying on the same blanket that we lie on during sunrise. I’ll point out his star and he’ll point out my Zodiac constellation if they are visible in the sky. We then end up heading to bed around 2:30 in the morning when the moon has shifted out of sight to another part of the city behind the buildings. The following morning, James and Remus struggle to wake us from our slumber. It doesn’t take long until we realize why they are forcing us up and we decide to cooperate with them. Exactly what happened this morning. 

The soft plush rubs against my freshly shaven legs. Most of my weight was being put on my arms while I leaned back with my hands on the blanket. I’m only sporting my blue, striped cotton shorts and white tank top; thankful for the slight humidity that fills the summer morning air. My locs are pulled into a ponytail, but due to the length, it’s a moot point. They scratched against my back and arms, but it’s a sensation I’ve grown used to. No longer jumping when I think it’s an insect that has found its way onto my limbs. My shoes were on the grass next to my legs so as to not get the blanket dirty and wet with the morning dew. The sun peeked from behind the horizon. The lovely dark blue transitions to beautiful auburn. Not a single cloud was in the sky. Once the Sun was in full view, I transferred my gaze to my boys. The orange hues looked beautiful against their faces. Remus’ eyes were closed as he soaked in the morning. His long lashes fluttered against his cheeks. His scars were highlighted against the morning light, making him 10 times more gorgeous. Sirius’ sat next to him. His eyes weren’t closed, but they were squinted as he stared at the Sun full-on. His brown eyes shone brightly as the light hit them. His hair was up in a bun. I assume it was due to the humidity. Last was James. His head laid upon Sirius’ shoulder. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and wiped off the perspiration that found a home on the bottom of the bridge. I looked back at the Sun and mimicked Sirius. The darkness of the sky is behind us, indicating the day has truly started. Without moving my gaze, I picked up Remus’ hand and kissed the back of it. A content sigh slipped through my lips. After a moment, I placed his hand back in its original place on my thigh and reached over to get my shoes.

That was 3 hours ago. Once we got back inside of our flat, the boys went back to our bed. I smiled as they laid back down and held each other in their arms. You never get used to it. Finding the love of your life is an incredible feat and I have 3 of them. I should be considered the luckiest woman in the world. I do consider myself the luckiest woman in the world. I’m not rich nor do I have a big, fancy job. I’m rich in the fact that I have something that not many others have. These men are my world and I wouldn’t trade them for all the stars in the galaxy. I am however happy that they decided to go back to sleep. I’ve been trying to read this book, but lately, everything has been so hectic. We all have to be on the train to Hogwarts tomorrow. Only Remus and I have packed and we still have to get school supplies today. My mind is racing with all that we have to do as I pour tea into one of our novelty mugs. This mug is in the shape of a snowman and whenever the mug gets hot, the cheeks turn a warm pink. As the water rises in the mug, the colour slowly starts to emerge. While I wait for it to steep I can’t help but be drawn back to my boyfriends. I walk across the room and up the two steps that lead to the platform that our bed is on. James is Remus’ little spoon while Sirius faces James. Remus and Sirius's fingers are interlocked. Soft snores fill the area. I tiptoe over to the left side of the bed where Sirius is. My lips meet his cheek and his lips absently pull into a small smile. His eyes flutter open. First, his eyes see our boyfriends sleeping figures before his body slightly turns towards behind him where I stand. 

“Come lay down, lovely.” His fingers slip from Remus's and he holds his hand out to me. I open the cover enough to be able to slide in. Sirius scooches in to give me room. Once I’m lying behind him, I gently cover his hand with mine. I press myself against his back and with a kiss on the back of his neck, the tea is quickly forgotten about and my eyes shut to sleep through the rest of the morning.

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Marauders Masterlist | United Kingdom

#poly!marauders #poly!marauders fluff #poly!marauders x reader #poly!marauders x you #poly!marauders x fem!reader #ravenclaw reader #ravenclaw!reader #hufflepuff reader #hufflepuff!reader #slytherin reader #slytherin!reader #gryffindor reader #gryffindor!reader #marauders fic #marauders fanfiction #marauders fluff #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter fluff

[sister-dear]

Maybe 19 or 26 from the soft prompts for Link/Groose/Zelda if you feel like it?

Alsdkjfsdfs. 26 (bed hair) immediately made me giggle so I had to go with that. XD Thank you for sending in a prompt! (For this soft fic prompt list!)

Fandom: Skyward Sword Pairing: Link/Groose/Zelda Other tags: fluff, established poly relationship Wordcount: 639

People expected, of the three of them, for Sky to be the sloppy one. It wasn’t an entirely unfounded assumption. After all, he wasn’t the most put together during his teen years. Always waking late meant always running out the door as fast as possible, clothes half on and boots undone and hair in whatever state he woke with it in. 

He’d gotten better over time. The unstructured nature of days on the surface suited him more than the strict schedule of the knight academy. It helped, too, to have not one but two people around with kisses and delicious breakfast smells to make getting out of bed more appealing. 

He’d also kept the locs he started wearing after those painful first few trips to the surface. Much easier to take care of it all that way down here, with the added benefit that he can do the maintenance it requires later on in the day when he’s feeling more awake and still have it look neat.

Zelda braids hers every night without fail. Sharing a bed with two men, she declared, was nowhere for loose, long hair. It did have more of a tendency to get caught under heads and stray elbows and Zelda’s own shoulders when it was loose. 

But Groose. 

Groose woke an absolute disaster every morning. Link knew he must spend at least some time on his appearance every morning. He hadn’t realized just how much until they all started sleeping in the same small house together.

It wouldn’t be so bad if he’d wrap his hair in a sleeping scarf like Link, or use less grease to keep the sides smooth. But he didn’t, and so of the three of them, Groose was the one who woke with the worst bedhead more often than not. 

Link just usually didn’t get to see it, because he usually woke long after Groose was up and looking his usual self. 

Not today. 

Today, light tinkling giggles invaded his dreams. Link smiled. Burrowing his face further into Zelda’s bosom, he let the gentle shaking of her chest lull him back down towards sleep, less concerned with whatever she laughed at as much with her being happy. 

But a light, persistent jostling kep him from sinking back into dreams. 

“Link,” she whispered. “Link, wake up. Look.”

Still groggy but curious now, he lifted his head away far enough to see her looking at something behind his back. 

Twisting around to see took a bit more effort than it might have, sandwiched between the two of them with Groose’s heavy arm flung over his waist, his hand on Zelda’s hip. Link got himself turned just far enough to see and promptly clamped a hand over his mouth to muffle his snort. 

Groose’s hair. 

Somehow he’d managed to nudge the pompadour entirely sideways in his sleep. On his side with mouth open and drooling onto the pillow, his brilliantly red hair still stuck straight up into the air off the space just behind his ear.

“Do you think it would stick straight out to the side if he sat up?” he wondered, just loud enough for Zelda to hear. 

“I think it would.” Soft laughter followed her reply. 

Smiling, Link shuffled around until he could settle back how he’d been. 

“You’re looking a little messy, yourself,” he observed, smoothing down the flyaways that worked themselves free of her braid in the night. He yawned, feeling the siren call of sleep. It was still early. Too early to be awake. 

She smiled, soft in the dawn light. “You can brush it for me when you wake up.”

“His too?”

“That mess will need more than brushing, but you can try.”

“Sounds nice,” he mumbled, blinking heavy eyelids. The feeling of her lips pressing to his forehead chased him back into pleasant dreams.

#skyward sword #sksw #groose #zelda #link #myfic #groozelink #hopefully i got the spelling of that pairing name right laksjdfsd

[yourbelgianthings]

taz november celebration fic four: prompt bakery au

sorry this is a day late but i'm also kind of not because of how long it is it evens out, i went with modern taakitz (feat. some other balance peeps) and may or may not have gotten a bit carried away, but i hope y'all enjoy the fluff! ~3.8k words @taznovembercelebration (in fact it's so long i will have to post in multiple parts oops)

Before the sun had even begun to dawn in the sky, Taako was starting all the different doughs and batters for the day and preheating the large double oven. He loved working in the early morning quiet and solitude, every measurement memorized and every movement second nature. His bakery was called Sweeten It Up with Taako, and it had become a popular fixture in the city. In the beginning, he just made things for his friends, then had a stand at the farmer's market, and finally saved enough to buy a brick and mortar shop. On either side was a dog training school and a combination plant/metaphysical/book store. A big buff guy with reddish hair and a beard named Magnus who was a bit younger than Taako ran the dog store, and a short, older white-haired gentleman with medium brown skin named Merle was the proprietor of…whatever the deal at his store was. Taako himself was tall and slim with long platinum blonde hair and sandy brown skin, he always thought the three of them must look straight out of a goofy buddy comedy on the days they took their lunch breaks together. They were pretty funny, and he didn't mind the company sometimes, but he was there to work and hone his craft, not make friends.

That morning, like every other, Taako made sure the display case was set up perfectly before flipping over the open sign. Croissants, muffins, éclairs, lemon bars, his signature elderflower macarons, and every other enticing treat imaginable were arranged in layers on cake stands and in trays. "Once again, perfect," he said to himself with a smile, now open for a day of business. The first customer to arrive, opening the door with a little jingle of the bell, was Lucretia, the curator of the city's art museum. She had dark skin, and her gray natural hair was cut very short. Even wearing just the museum uniform polo shirt, nametag, and khakis, she exuded a sense of elegance and grace. "Morning, Lucretia!" Taako greeted her cheerily. "Let me go grab your order, one sec," and he was gone before she could reply. She gasped when she saw the box of cutout cookies frosted to look like watercolor paintings. "Taako, these are gorgeous! I don't know if you can make it to the opening we're serving these at, but there's a ticket for the exhibit with your name on it at the front desk whenever you're free." Taako and Lucretia weren't necessarily close personal friends, but they talked a lot about art whenever they got the chance, and that can tell you a lot about someone. They thanked each other and he promised to be over soon. After Lucretia left, the rest of the morning passed normally, with a steady stream of business people, parents and children, and retired folks.

Around noon, though, a customer he had never seen before caught his eye as soon as he entered. He was a little shorter than Taako, dark-skinned with cool undertones, his locs up in a ponytail and wearing a long black coat. Taako was stunned, but he quickly blinked and snapped out of it. "What brings you in today?" he asked. "This is a bakery, yeah? Presumably I'm buying some of your baked goods," the stranger replied, with a twinkle in his eye. "Yes, yep, it definitely is!" Taako was not used to feeling flustered, let alone at work, where he was at charge and could do what he was best at. All of a sudden, it seemed much warmer, and he quickly freed his hair from the braid down his back and swept it up into a bun with a purple scrunchie. The stranger asked which muffin was best, paid in cash (and tipped!), and left, but waved as he turned to go at the door. Taako waved back dumbfoundedly, kicking himself for not having thought of anything witty to say as he watched the door close. What on earth was that, anyway? He saw plenty of hot guys every day, there was no reason to waste time thinking that this might be anything different. Still, his mind kept wandering back to the stranger the rest of the day.

After he locked up, he called Lup, and she picked up right away. "Hey, Taako! Are you off?" "Yep, just heading out. Your place or mine tonight? I will have you know I don't feel like cooking, so don't let that influence you." Lup laughed. "No worries, carryout is fine, but we're redoing the bathroom, so yours is probably better." "Got it, see you at 7." click Taako didn't want to cook?! There's another point for the list of reasons she'd been worrying about him lately. She sighed as she headed to her car from the studio, brushing dust and bits of dried clay from her hands and clothes as she went. Lup looked a lot like Taako, except her hair wasn't as long, and she dyed it starting at the top of her ears red, and then orange halfway down. She often wore it in two Dutch braids so it was neatly out of her face while she was working.

Taako was secretly disappointed he was hosting. He always felt bad that his apartment didn't live up to Barry and Lup's cozy little house that actually felt like a home. His apartment was just where he crashed when he wasn't at work, the only room with any effort actually put into it was the kitchen. Even though it had been a while now, it was still hard to get used to the idea that he wasn't going to have to leave soon. He loved that he and Lup and Barry regularly spent time together though, so it was worth it to have them over.

"Barry?" Lup called as soon as she walked in the front door. "One second, honey, let me just get off the ladder!" A pale chubby man with light brown hair and a beard wearing glasses and paint stained jeans and a tshirt emerged with his arms outstretched for a hug. As they embraced, Lup exclaimed, "You didn't need to work on the bathroom after school, care bear!" "I don't mind. Really anything quiet after the day I had with those middle schoolers is fine by me, and of course, they still don't even understand the weather cycle!" They laughed and headed to their room to get changed for Taako's. Barry pressed the buzzer in the lobby, the speaker crackled and then projected Taako's voice: "Welcome to Chez Taako, darlings, let yourselves in." His apartment was on the third floor so Barry and Lup took the stairs, opening the door to see Taako flopped on an armchair reading a book. He put iit down as soon as he heard the door and ran over to hug them.

"Ooh, whatcha reading?" asked Barry. "Some book Merle gave me, I don't really get what it's about. Most of the stuff at his shop is weird, but all the plants are somehow always in perfect condition." "That reminds me," said Lup, "I was going to ask if you wanted to invite Magnus and Merle to hang out with us sometime. They seem pretty cool, and we have more spots open in our video game tournaments." Taako bristled and glared at her. "Fuck no!" he snapped. "They're two guys that happen to work next to me that I eat lunch with sometimes. Hardly the same category as my sister and my brother in law, don't you think?" "Jesus, Taako, you could just say you don't want to, calm down." He collapsed onto the armchair again. "I'm sorry, Lulu. I guess I'm just a bit on edge."

Lup went to sit criss cross on the floor next to the chair, and Barry sat on the futon. "Why, what's up, bud?" she asked gently. "Why not?" He gave her a tired smile. "Shit, I was supposed to order food for us already, wasn't I? Sorry, guys." Barry stood up and grabbed his phone. "No worries, Taako," he reassured. "We all have those days, I'll do it. How's Chinese?" The twins nodded gratefully, as much as the three of them were a family and Barry and Lup were a couple, Barry was good at reading when they needed their own moments as well. "Hairbrush, Taako?" "Should be on the dresser."

Returning with it, Lup scooted Taako off the chair onto the floor right in front of it, and she sat in the chair, putting her legs around him. She silently began to brush his hair, and when it was perfectly soft and smooth, she braided it too. They had done this a million times, it almost always worked to help Taako relax. When Lup needed the same, her and Taako sat across from each other on the floor and held each other's hands, and he instinctively knew how much pressure he needed to squeeze with. But Lup was helping him right now, so he got up, still without a word, and sat on her lap. They held each other until Barry said the food was good to go and asked if they wanted to play Mario Kart. The rest of the evening passed like it always did: easy, comfortable, and filled with laughter. The next day at the bakery, the stranger returned, and did so for the rest of the week. He and Taako chatted every time; Taako learned that his name was Kravitz and he worked at some kind of therapy place nearby. On Friday, he slipped a business card in the paper bag, but it had his own phone number written on the back.

"Have a good weekend, Kravitz! Hopefully I'll see you again!" he called as his new favorite customer opened the door to leave. Kravitz smiled. "You too, Taako. I'm sure you will." As soon as he left, Taako ran into the freezer and screamed. "I'm sure you will"?! What did that mean? Was it good? He thought so, but he wasn't quite sure, and now he had all weekend to worry about it. Or not, honestly, this was ridiculous. He wasn't a middle schooler with a silly crush, he was just providing good service at his job and a new regular said he would be back, that was all it was. Definitely just that for sure. He took a deep breath, realized he was still in the freezer, and quickly left it to warm up and continue his day. When the bakery closed, Taako texted Lucretia: exhibit tonight? always more fun when you can show me around <3 We already have an event booked tonight :( Tomorrow at noon? sure thing, thx lucretia!

Well, that was something for tomorrow, but he was left with no plans for tonight. He thought back to what Lup said, maybe it would be a good idea to hang out with Magnus and Merle more. It wasn't like he had to tell them his life story, but the amount of time he spent alone probably wasn't great, as much as he liked to try and convince himself otherwise. Did he even have their numbers? That could be a goal for next week Taako, and apparently tonight Taako was going to get drunk alone. A classic Friday night activity. He just needed to get home and make it to tomorrow. You'd be surprised how hard that could be. However, to his surprise, after his first glass of wine, he got a text from an unknown number. It read: Do I have Taako? This is Kravitz "Holy shit, that actually worked," he thought. yep it's me ✨ You know you could have just asked for my number i figured a little surprise would be more fun! Taako couldn't believe this was happening, he pushed the bottle of wine aside and laid down on the futon. He definitely did not want to end up drunk texting right now. His instinct was to tell Lup right away, but he decided to wait and see where things went. You're right, I think you're very interesting, Taako um thanks?? Yes, it's a compliment, I don't get to choose who I talk to all day at my job, so I'm quite selective outside of it huh well that's something in common i don't talk to a lot of people either but idk if we're coming from the same place on that one…anyway what's your job like, what happens at a therapy place? Well, I'm actually specialized in grief counseling, so I help people through a lot of heavy stuff dude how do you deal with that i could never You just have to be able to leave work at work, it was hard at the beginning but I've had a lot of practice impressive that makes sense though you seem like a good listener hey i need to go make dinner ttyl? Yes, I'll be here, this was nice

Success!! Texting wasn't the same as real life interaction, but this was a good start for sure. Taako suddenly felt full of energy, he practically skipped around the kitchen getting everything out for beef stroganoff. In his apartment, several blocks away, Kravitz was in a similarly good mood. His roommate, Lucas, saw him looking down at his phone and smiling and asked, "Talking to someone, are we?" with a knowing smile. "None of your business," he retorted, and jokingly stuck his tongue out at him. Taako's text reminded him that he hadn't eaten yet either, but he honestly hadn't even been thinking of that. All day, as soon as he had seen the card left in his bag, he had just been waiting to be able to get home and send that first message. He was rarely so distracted, especially with his line of work, but there was just something about Taako that stuck in his mind and stayed there. His reverie was interrupted by Lucas's voice from the kitchen: "I made stuff for tacos, but if you don't get in here, there won't be any left!"

The next morning, Taako woke up excited to go see the exhibit with Lucretia. He had actually forgotten what it was even of, but that would just get to be a surprise! Once he had selected his museum outfit (a pastel pink fuzzy sweater with a long swishy pleated skirt in an eggplant color with heeled boots and several gold necklaces) and gotten dressed, he sent a picture to Lup, as they often did with their fashion choices. lulu, fit check! ooh love it 🤩 you're up early for your day off though what's up? museum with lucretia yay that's great! have fun tell her i said hi :3 "Taako, you look gorgeous!" exclaimed Lucretia when he arrived at the front desk. "And perfect timing, things aren't too busy yet. Let's go!" They strolled through the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition, marveling at bones, flowers, and desert landscapes, all painted in bright colors and blue strokes. "Which one is your favorite, Lucretia?" "I like the bone paintings the best, I know the flowers are her most popular works, but I love how she also found beauty in the morbid and unconventional. Most people would consider an old bone too boring to even give it a chance as their subject. What about you?" Taako paused to think.

"Probably The Sky Above The Clouds. The different perspective is oddly peaceful." Lucretia nodded. "So much of her work has a sense of solitude, but not loneliness," she observed, and he knew what she meant, but not what the feeling was actually like. When they reached the end of the gallery, Lucretia had to go give a talk, but Taako had nothing else planned, so he wandered to the sculpture garden and sat at one of the small tables. He absentmindedly pulled out his phone to check his messages, and then decided to text Kravitz. hey handsome are you free at all today? Ten or fifteen minutes later, a reply came. Oh, handsome? Thank you very much, and I'm going to a concert later tonight if you want to come? yeah i'm down! who is it? My friend Johann's band, they're called Voidfish and he's the violinist oh, i've never heard of them but that sounds cool Kravitz sent him a location and time to meet, and he figured this was probably enough to tell Lup about now.

luuuppp guess whatttt what taako? i think i'm going on a date? i'm not sure if it's a date but this guy i've been talking to invited me to a concert tonight! omg! you didn't even tell me you were interested in someone, rude, but i'm so happy for you 🩷 hey now! i was waiting to see where it went and it still might not be anything that's true, but taako, you deserve to have fun with someone you like, it's been a long time, so try to just stay in the moment and take it as it comes, okay? what are you lulu, our mom? oh wait lmao haha very funny, seriously though i'll try, love you love you Not sure what to do with the rest of his time before meeting for the concert, Taako took the long way back to his apartment, enjoying the feel of the air and taking in his surroundings in a way he never really had before. When he got back, he decided to take a nap so he would be ready for the potential late night out.

At his apartment, Kravitz was also carefully selecting his outfit for the evening. He wore the same thing to work every day: black pants, a white button down, and a red tie, so he never had to worry about it getting ready in the mornings, but this was a weekend and a special occasion at that. He settled on a band shirt Johann had given him at the last concert and his dark blue denim jacket covered in a large collection of raven patches and pins. The dark and eerie birds had always fascinated him. Sitting on his bed, Kravitz took a deep breath. Normally, he wouldn't make plans like this so spontaneously, but there was something about Taako that oddly put him more at ease. It was certainly a new and strange feeling, but not an unwelcome one. He quickly texted Lucas saying that he would probably be out late, and headed for Bumbershoots to meet Taako. Since Kravitz lived closer, he arrived first, but he only had to wait about five minutes for his companion.

"Hey, Kravitz!" Taako called. "You look stunning!" "I could say the same for you," Kravitz replied as he took Taako's hand and they entered the bar together. Voidfish played a great show, and Johann was amazing on the violin, but the baker and the therapist spent most of the evening simply focused on each other. They sat at a table in the back drinking cocktails (old fashioned for Kravitz, blackberry bramble for Taako) and talking for the whole show. Kravitz told Taako the names of the different songs as they were played, and Taako critiqued the band's outfits like he was a famous fashion designer, which made Kravitz laugh more than he had in a while. When the show ended, they paused outside the building, unsure what to say and neither one wanting to leave. Taako looked at Kravitz and asked, "Was this a date?" "I think so," Kravitz smiled as he replied. They both started laughing and pulled each other into a hug. As he continued to visit Taako at the bakery, Kravitz started to find extra items in his bag, usually new recipes being tested out. No matter how wild something sounded, it always ended up being delicious. He recommended Sweeten It Up with Taako to all his clients and Coworkers. One Friday afternoon, he got an unusual text from Taako.

hey krav, do you want to come over? my place is nothing much, so don't get your hopes up, but i'd love to have you It would be my pleasure, Taako, and don't worry about any of it okay? Taako sighed with relief. He still hadn't had anyone but Barry and Lup over to this apartment, but this could be the chance to make what he really wanted of it. Some of the decorations from his last place were still in a box, and he decided to get them back out; stringing the fairy lights up around the living room, hanging the pride flag on the wall, and putting the vase of fake flowers on the coffee table. It almost looked like someone lived here now, and like someone else would want to visit. He smiled and went to the kitchen to start getting dinner ready. When Kravitz arrived, he brought a fancy bottle of champagne with him, which he offered to Taako upon opening the door. "Kravitz! You didn't have to do that! This stuff is really nice too, oh my gosh…but since we have it, I think it'll go perfect with dinner. Since I forgot to ask what you wanted, I hope pizza is good." "That's excellent, yes." They had a delicious meal of Taako's signature homemade pizza, including dough made by hand (of course) and fresh mozzarella cheese, and glasses of sweet, refreshing champagne. Afterwards, they watched some terrible movie that was on TV, cuddling and making fun of it the entire time. As the credits finally rolled and Taako reached for the remote, Kravitz stopped him, taking both of his hands and staring into his warm brown eyes. "Can I kiss you?" he asked in a low voice, serious and sincere. "Yeah," Taako whispered without hesitation, surprising himself. The kiss was perfect, tender yet intense, warm and hungry. It wasn't just one either, they pulled away, smiled at each other and agreed with just their eyes, and then they were making out the best either of them had ever experienced. Being in one another's arms and pressed into each other's bodies was such a comfort that it more than made up for the old futon they were on. For a moment, there were no clients or macarons or roommates or sisters or anything else in the world but Kravitz and Taako and their hearts and bodies. Finally, Taako rested his head on Kravitz's shoulder, lazily looking up in his direction. "So, are you my boyfriend now or what?" Kravitz just smiled and pulled him in for another kiss, and they both understood that meaning perfectly.

#message from mirph #the adventure zone #taz november celebration #mirph's manuscripts #taz fanfic #fanfic #ship fanfic #canon mlm #mlm ship #taakitz #taako taaco #taz kravitz #lup taaco #barry bluejeans #taz lucretia

[niniralin]

Introduction to Ninirāte!

Ninirāte oyhlolwa

Ninirāte is a conlang I've been working on for about one and a half years (on and off), and the oldest and most complete in my conworld Korná. It's spoken mostly by Ninirakxa in the empire of Ninir, but there are a *lot* of L2 speakers, since so many people trade or otherwise interact with Ninir. Today, I'll introduce it here!

Ninirāte on in onusik nirul, zakwak far matil, za lekaluzazhon hla sulur konawāyrāro kwil, za lekame kolungāro Koranāk fi uksikats mul, līr. Nihazil, Niniraluk Ninirakxāk nankwimāts, wirik korāma Niniratun venawasar hlen zwiwar matil tunlāzo, tintuts nankwin wir zāmāk. Txasil, singūl, za ilholwalushuns!

First, phonology

Zwik miral, onawāyrāro

The phonology of Ninirāte is rather unremarkable, but it does have a few quirks, such as a lateral fricative and affricate, bilabial instead of labiodental voiceless fricative, and nasal vowels (kinda). Here are the phonemes (I wish I could make a table):

Consonants

Nasals: m, n, ɲ , ŋ , ŋʷ

Plosives: p, t, k, kʷ

Fricatives: ɸ , v, s, z, ʃ , ʒ , x, xʷ , h

Affricates: ts, tʃ

Lateral Fricatives: ɬ , ɮ (ɮ is very rare)

Lateral affricate: tɬ

Approximant: r (allophone of z), l, j , w

Vowels

High: i, i: <ī>, u, u: <ū>

Mid: e: , o: (these are short in certain environments

Low: a, a: <ā>

Every sound is romanized with its IPA symbol unless otherwise specified, the generic nasal coda is romanized as <n>. Now, a few notes on the phonotactics and allophony:

The maximum syllable structure is CCGVGCC. Any phoneme can cluster with glides, but the only other permitted consonant clusters are voiceless obstruents. A generic nasal can take the spot of glides in coda clusters.

Vowels are nasal before nasals consonants. If these nasals are codas, they aren't pronounced and the vowel is long (except at word end). I still consider them codas, and nasal vowels as allophones, for various reasons (one is that the nasal reappears when a suffix is added. I.e "ilhan" in accusative is "ihlaman", where the m is pronounced but the n is not).

All word-final vowels are pronounced short.

The long vowels e and o are pronounced as short in semantically weak prefixes, such as augumentative ko- and 3rd singular inanimate possessive o-, unless stress falls on that vowel.

An open syllable with a short vowel is on mora. A closed syllable with a short vowel (this includes any syllable with a nasal coda) or an open syllable with a long vowel is two moras. A closed syllable with a long vowel is three moras. Stress falls on the third mora from the end of the word.

Glides are not permitted word-finally. Neither is x, h, or v.

Between vowels, ts becomes s, s becomes z, and z becomes r.

Various things happen to consonants word-finally, but it's irregular and I don't have the energy to figure out what's actually going on so I can explain it. The most important is that -z becomes -r after oral vowels and -s after nasal vowels.

A sample of randomly selected words:

Txor [txo:r] (noun, animate, -a conjugation): fire

Tsūngwi ['tsũ:ŋʷi] (noun, inanimate, -ī conjugation): dawn, morning

Ut [ut] (noun, inanimate, -i conjugation): a year

Tsawirutakxa [tsawiru'takxa] (noun, animate, -ā conjugation): an uncivilized person, a violent person, an unmannered person, an unhygienic person

Zir [zir] (number, -u conjugation): twenty (Ninirāte uses a vigesimal number system)

Nganyūts [ŋã'ɲu:ts] (adverb): still

Ihlolwa [i'ɬo:lwa] (noun, inanimate, -a conjugation): an introduction

An [ã:] (noun, inanimate, -n conjugation): a Niniran potato

Txakwin ['txakʷĩ] (verb, dynamic, -n conjugation): to open one's mouth

Lakizo ['lakizo] (noun, inanimate, -o conjugation): a dead fish

Grammar

Nyakal

This will be a very concise overview, skipping many things, because I don't feel like sitting here for ten plus hours figuring out how to describe everything.

Syntax

Ninirāte is an SOV language. Modifiers, such as relative clauses, possessors, and adverbs, are generally put before what the modify. Locatives generally come first in the sentence, except when the locative word acts as a converb.

Tsūngwīl, zur maten zhwal latekwin aripan nganyūts matilūx = morning-LOC 1p eye-ACC use-CONV be.green forest-ACC still see-ABL = In the morning, we can still see the green forest with our eyes

Nouns

Nouns have two genders: animate and inanimate. Pretty much only demonstrative pronouns change depending on the gender of a noun. Nouns inflect in a few ways, primarily case, tense (yes, tense on nouns), and possession. The cases are:

Accusative -an (only on animate nouns)

Ergative -s (only on inanimate nouns)

Genetive -k

Dative -tun

Locative -l

Locative-genetive -luk

Tense includes future -ngwi and past -zo. The tenses imply meanings like "what will be x" and "what used to be x". For example, the past version of "lak" (fish) is "lakizo" (dead fish).

Possessive prefixes are:

1s z(a)-

2s t(a)-

3s animate m(a)-

3s inanimate o-

1p zur(a)-

2p tut(a)-

3p animate yo-

3p inanimate iw(a)-

Possessive prefixes are used in cases of inalienable possession, whereas the genetive case is used in cases of alienable possession.

To express the meaning of "to be", the copula is used as a suffix on the second noun.

Ninirāte Ninir okonawāyrāro = Ninirāte Ninir 3S.INANIM.POSS-language-COP = Ninirāte is the language of Ninir

Verbs

Verbs don't inflect for person, but they have a number of inflections for tense, aspect, and mood, and can also be used as converbs. The unmarked form (usually ending with -r, -k or -n) is present tense, the ending is switched out for -me in past tense and -ven in future tense. The ending can be switched out for the copula to imply gnomic aspect. The last non-converbal suffixes added directly to the stem are the reflexive -apar, the passive -matir, and the desiderative -lans. Negation is done with the preverbal particle "hla".

If the ending is removed entirely, a verbal noun is created, to which case suffixes (including the now archaic instrumentative suffix -ts and the noun-tense suffixes that used to be locative case suffixes) can be added to create various converbs. Compare:

Za matil, yawār = I see, and I understand

Za mātun, yawār = I understand for the purpose of seeing

Za māts, yawār = While I see, I understand

Za matizo, yawār = Because I see, I understand

Za matingwi, yawār = Until I see, I understand

The converb suffix -l (-u is added at the end when another suffix follows) is used as the base for all hitherto unmentioned TAM conjugations. These are:

Experiential past -kwin

Immediate future -shuns

Continuous -zak

Causative -war

Perfect -zhon

Abilitative -ūx

Optative -siven

And a bunch of combinations of those. Also btw adjectives don't exist, stative verbs are used instead.

Writing

Hloles

Ninirāte uses the native Niniran writing system, an abugida derived from the old Niniran logography. It still has logographs for some common grammatical functions, such as cases and aspects. These are the consonants (the unlisted consonats are written as digraphs or, in the case of r, as z):

The grammatical letters are:

Vowels are written as diacritics to the left of the consonants. They are written as such:

The old logography is still used in super formal situations (mostly by religious and magical organisations). A full text (the first paragraph of this post) would look something like this (the writing direction is top to bottom, then left to right):

So that was it for this introduction! Thank you for reading!

Singūl, shun ihlolwa hloshuns. Ta nawanyawāzo zaloro!

#conlang #neography #linguistics #conlangs

[nevada-got-screwed-over]

Taglist: @averagejoey2000

Original Inspiration / Masterpost

Chapter 19 / Chapter 21

Theta!South AU. I Guess.

Chapter: 20

Words: “if you know me you can guess what character makes a cameo this chapter" (2,274)

Hargrove backed off – at least while she settled into the Staff of Charon, as much as she could, given the circumstances. He had only briefly acknowledged Theta, asking her to ensure no such...mishaps happened again. She promised, as much as she could given the circumstances.

She was assigned a barracks and nothing else – no commanding officer to report to, no soldiers not-so-subtly shadowing her. South was starting to get optimistic about her chances of getting her hands on a proper weapon when she heard there was a shooting range on board.

Perhaps a little too optimistic.

“Psychological evaluation?” South scoffed, half growling in frustration at the stony faced soldier in charge of distributing arms.

“It’s standard protocol.” She shrugged, clearly having had this conversation with trigger happy recruits. There was a shine of apprehension in her eyes as South glowered from behind her helmet. “Dr. McCormick is on deck 4, same wing as medical. Their office is number –”

South had already started to stalk away, more dejected than offended that she was still weaponless long after Hargrove had stopped hovering over her shoulder. For all his paranoia, he took her word that she would be cooperative so long as she had Theta. And, partially to her own surprise, they were cooperating. There was no logical reason to antagonize him without proper escape routes.

The routine of bunking in barracks, running solo-drills in the training room – even the unease of the other soldiers who interacted with her was fading to something she could ignore. There was a sickening comfort in the familiarity of the cafeteria food. Even the rare rumble of mongooses on the boarding deck reminded her of the MOI. Of the Project.

Staring down the door of a psychologist only reinforced the warped deja-vu that blurred her thoughts.

“I don’t like this…” Theta was nestled safely in her mind, his presence somehow lighter than she remembered it being the last time they had synced. He was echoing her own doubts and irrational fears.

“This isn’t Price. This is just the guy Hargrove hires to make sure his private army isn’t plotting a mutiny.” South breathed slowly before raising a hand to the door. “Given the state of the food in the mess hall, I’m surprised there hasn’t been an uprising yet.” Theta’s giggle gave her the reassurance she needed to knock.

“Come in!” Their voice was muffled, but the lock clicked, allowing South to step through the door. “Oh – you, just a second, I’m – lunch break.”

She wasn’t sure what she expected, or how she felt about the tone in which the person behind the desk addressed her, but something in the woman’s nonchalance was dangerously disarming. It did not hurt that she was, admittedly, quite lovely to look at. Dark eyes smiled at South between black locs, and it took a moment for her words to register as Theta thwarted his host’s... distraction.

“I said take a seat, there’s an intake form on this clipboard. I’ll be finishing up my lunch if you don’t mind.” She waggled the clipboard over her desk impatiently, but her words held no malice.

“Oh.” South gingerly took the clipboard, realization that she was staring dawning the same moment warmth crept up her face. She decided to keep her helmet on for this meeting. “Oh. Okay.”

“Smooth.”

“Shut up.”

The intake form was, thankfully, a good distraction.

As far as she knew, Charon was covering her bills and so she made a note of such in the insurance section of the form. That usually took the most time, so she moved down the piece of paper

The medical history was easy.

A family history of heart disease on her father’s side, some rare genetic condition he didn’t inherit from his own father. South and her brother were still supposed to have echocardiograms every five years. She was several years behind on that recurring appointment.

Her mother’s side had arthritis and allergies to anesthesia that South lacked. She was, however, allergic to methadone and as a precaution avoided other opioid painkillers. She flipped the paper and frowned.

The psychological history was not going to be as easy.

“Do you want me to tell you what you clinically have, currently qualify for, or…?”

“No.”

“Yeah, I figured.”

Depression? Probably. Anxiety? Maybe. PTSD? Not that she would admit. There were dozens of other conditions she hesitated to move on from, but she plowed ahead. The final section of the paper had a few blank lines and ‘Reason for visit:’ in blurred black ink. She scrawled in her own smudged response ‘shoot range eval.’

“All set?” The psychologist took the clipboard back, eager eyes scanning over the form as South let her own drift to the desk. A framed photo she couldn’t make out from this angle, probably family. A name plate, cheap, that read: Sherry McCormick in faux gilded lettering.

“Alrighty then,” South leaned back in her chair as Sherry shuffled her paper into a filing cabinet behind her desk. “So, how are you doing?”

“Fine, I guess.” Sherry’s eyes were soft and her smile was playful.

“That bad?”

“Just, wishing I could relax in the shooting range.” She bit her tongue, even though she wanted to say: ‘Your boss is an extortionist blackmailing me into working for him, so I would rather not be on this ship at all.’

“You find that relaxing?” There was something sharp but not hostile in Sherry’s words, subtly probing deeper.

“More so than pacing around unarmed.”

“Do you feel unsafe?”

“I’m a soldier on a destroyer in the slipstream in deep space. Better to have a weapon and not need it than to be caught without one.” The answer prompted Sherry to scribble something on her notepad.

“Did you participate in armed combat, during the war?” South rolled her eyes, grateful for her helmet.

“Yes. Who hasn’t? I doubt Hargrove is staffing this place with greenhorns.”

“There’s a few,” Sherry laughed softly, shaking her head. “But fair enough. I wasn’t sure how involved the Freelancer project was in terms of combat.”

South’s blood ran ice cold and Theta grew restless in her mind. Sherry must have noticed the tension in her shoulders; she held up her hands in relaxed surrender.

“Hargrove doesn’t have any helpful records from your project, all I know is that you were an agent, unlike most of the scrubs working here.”

“There are others?” Theta’s voice was small, radiating anxiety and anger and steady calculation to South’s racing thoughts. Others could make it easier to coordinate an escape. Others could complicate any escape plan, no matter how foolproof. South’s own voice was half strangled in her throat.

“What?”

“Oh, um, after the war the, the project’s termination, Charon absorbed a lot of its workforce. Mechanics, pilots, cooks – those sort of people.” Sherry’s eyes flickered to her notepad. “Most of them had limited direct combat experience if any. You’re the only agent I’ve processed.”

A shudder ran through her, realization dawning. The other soldiers weren’t uneasy and tense around her because Hargrove had flaunted her presence or let slip her spotty history. The faceless suits of armor that loaded Pelicans and cleaned blood off the training room floors had traded Freelancer colors for Charon’s. The half-truths and rumors they knew about her were worse than any leaked reports. No wonder half the ship treated her like a time bomb.

“I’ll clear you for weapons, South.” Sherry said after the silence had a moment to settle. “But Hargrove has requested that we keep in regular contact. In case something comes up or you need to talk –”

“Thanks.” She didn’t mean to snap as she snatched at the approved form the moment Sherry offered it, only to have the paper yanked away at the last second.

“I mean it.” There was an intentional snap to Sherry’s voice, commanding but gentle. “I know the others aren’t giving you a particularly warm reception, correct?” South’s nod was stiff and slow, conceding to her point. “Consider me an impartial party. Hargrove may be my boss but he doesn’t have access to my records. Not to mention this room is a black box.”

South checked the corners for cameras, and Theta’s sweep for connected devices illuminated her HUD with a bolded message: ‘No bugs detected.’

“That’s...dangerous.” South finally said, though she would be lying if it wasn’t a reassuring piece of information. No recordings. No traces except for door access logs and Sherry’s filing cabinet. Not a bad safe room to hole up in, if she ever needed one.

“Danger is putting too much control in the hands of one man.” Sherry offered a shy smile, holding out the approved form with careful confidence. “You can trust me. I don’t report to Hargrove directly, none of the medics do either; that’s what the medbay supervisor is for.”

“Doctor-patient confidentiality and all, huh?” South gingerly took the slip of paper from the psychologist’s hand, her gloved fingers numb to its thin weight.

“Completely confidential.” Sherry nodded, gesturing to the door. “If you want to drop in just knock, or you can set up an appointment – you have a datapad, correct? Good – the UI is horrible but I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“Thanks.” South said again, softer this time as she stood and walked to the door, Sherry’s eyes following her. Watching the glow her neural implant.

“It’s my job, Agent South. I look forward to getting to know you better.”

---

Never had the weight of a semiautomatic felt so good in her hands. The muzzle fire sang a chorus as bullets cut through target after target, bullseyes drilling through the skulls of phantom soldiers. She would have to check out a personal weapon in the armory, but the loaner from the range was enough to satiate that itch in the back of her mind.

More than once Theta did her the courtesy of making an overlay of Hargrove’s smug face for her HUD to project onto targets.

“Are we going to talk to her again?”

“I don’t know.” She put a bullet through the center mass of a target, taking a moment to reload the weapon.

“...What if she wants to talk to you about me?” Theta’s expected spike of stress was soft, a dull blanket of resignation. “What if she wants to talk to me? What...what are we going to do?”

“That’s up to you.” South winced, a few centimeters shy of a perfect shot at the 500m line. “Do...do you want to stay synced? Talking to her or, or just in general?”

‘I don’t want to lose you again’ wasn’t a coherent thought, but something Theta shared in her mind. If they were separated, there was a risk he could be captured again. Used as leverage against her, or she used against him.

“I want to stay synced. Is that, are you’re sure that’s alright? Will Sherry think it’s alright?”

“Who cares what she thinks?”

“You do.” Theta’s accusation was followed by a childish smirk South could feel in her bones. “You want her to like you.”

“Us.” South corrected. “She would be...a useful ally.”

“Hm, an ally?”

“That black box room could be useful.”

“You’re allowed to want friends besides me, you know.” His teasing tugged at a memory of her brother’s voice, his words from another time. The ache was enough to make her lower her weapon for a moment.

“I shouldn’t make friends here.” South’s eyes wandered from her shooting lane, the Charon soldiers making a point to use the lanes at the opposite end of the room. They certainly didn’t want to make friends with her either. “Painful to leave behind at best, liabilities at worst.”

“Yeah, but –”

“Besides, patient-doctor relations are best kept professional.” South reset her firing stance and went back to obliterating targets. “And there’s always a chance she was lying – she could be Hargrove’s lapdog for all we know.”

“She’s not.” Theta’s voice held a familiar but ill-fitting cadence she couldn’t quite place. “Based on her body language and vitals during your meeting, there’s only a 2.4% chance she was lying at any point, the most probable being her mention of never assessing another agent from the project.”

“Wait, so do you think she was lying? That there’s another agent working for Charon?” The thought turned South’s stomach, a brief flicker of Illinois’ face replacing the target she aimed at. It wasn’t one of Theta’s HUD overlays, it was purely her imagination. Her shot barely clipped the edge of the target.

“No – like I said, only a 2.4% chance overall. If she was lying, that was just the most probable statement.”

“Maybe she’s trained to avoid AI lie detection.”

“That’s borderline conspiratorial.” Theta scoffed, though there was a laugh in his voice. “But we’ll only know more about her if we see her again. I’m still banned from accessing the ship’s systems, remember? I can’t just pull up her file, or any of Hargove’s data on the project…”

She could feel the puppy-dog eyes from behind Theta’s helmet, like a kid begging to play in traffic.

“Let’s try and keep Hargrove off our backs a little longer – I did promise you’d keep out of the system.”

“Yeah, long enough for him to install some competent security software.” Theta huffed, arms crossed in childish frustration. “But, but, we have to meet with her in person if that’s the case. Even if we did have access to her files, you know as well as I do that formal documentation rarely tells the full story.”

“Of course.” She couldn’t argue with that logic, being legally dead.

---

wrote this in its entirety the day after I posted the last chapter but waited a month to post this one because. idk man my mind is an enigma even to myself.

#rvb #red versus blue #theta!south au #rvb south #rvb theta #agent south dakota #theta ai fragment #like. one or two more chapters on the ship and then we're planetside with our favorite mercs again

[moonsdancer]

#MelJay AU Week | day four: movie au - the mummy (1999)

Art historian, Mel Medarda is slowly but surely building a career for herself as the assistant curator of the Nashmarae Museum of History in Shurima. Ever since she was a little girl, reading about the histories of her dead father's people, she's dreamed of exploring the mysteries of Shurima first hand. Of course, cataloguing an endless pile of precious objects and translating ancient texts isn't always so thrilling. But she's content, albeit ever searching for something truly special, revolutionary even.

Then, her brother Kino shows up toting a strange ancient box covered in hieroglyphs she has the wherewithal to translate. What the glyphs and the box's contents promise is world-changing, a fragment of a map to the Lost City of Gardens, a mystical place thought long buried beneath the sands of history and time. 

Before she knows it, an obnoxious disgraced inventor and ex-mercenary, Captain—no, Mister Jayce Talis, the only creature alive who claims to have seen the Lost City in person, joins their motley crew on the hunt for treasure and glory. But, they aren't the only ones on the trail, with greedy competitors and explorers pouring in from all over Runeterra to plunder a new discovery.

Even worse, something terrifying and ancient, awakened from beneath the dunes, arises to hunt them all.

Read a snippet from the story, tentatively titled, dawn of the chalicar, below + twitter here

(If you are familiar with The Mummy, then this scene's inspiration should be obvious. I had a lot of fun writing it, hope it's vaguely fun to read. Sorry for any mistakes in it, nothing is beta'd yet. The story will also ft. Akshan {the hottest bae in Shurima - Kino AND Jayce know}, Ezreal and others, currently trying to include as many P&Z faves as possible lol.)

dawn of the chalicar

Bel’Zhun Prison, Shurima

“Are you quite certain this ‘associate’ of yours is on the up-and-up, Kino? I’d like to escape this adventure with my head still firmly attached to the rest of my body.”

Mel looked askance at the prison yard in which she now stood, very much against her will, ignoring the salacious jeers and disturbing invitations being thrown her way from a motley crew of inmates. The absurd warden had trundled off with a pair of lackeys to locate a Captain Talis—the individual she was using a good chunk of her savings to bail out from his sentencing. All on the assurances of her brother who claimed he would prove somehow useful in reaching the location of the very first clue that had been embedded in the glyphs she’d deciphered a few nights ago. 

Kino was a poor judge of character at the best of times so Mel held little hope that this nefarious individual would be of much help. But Kino had insisted. 

“How are you acquainted with this Captain Talis, anyway?”

“Oh, we’ve done some business in the past, you know, a bit of this and a little of that.”

There was a shiftiness to Kino’s eyes, and he was fidgeting with his shoulder-length locs a little, his usual tell. Mel’s gaze narrowed. Either this Talis person was a criminal associate or Kino had conned the man, both possibilities boded ill.

Before she could interrogate him further, the warden of Bel’Zhun Prison, a portly gentleman draped in blindingly colourful robes, returned. He dragged a dusty, scraggly-haired giant behind him. Without preamble, he kicked the chained prisoner to the ground in front of them and said, “So, how much for the criminal?”

Frowning, Mel opened her mouth to remind the man of the five hundred crowns they’d already agreed on but Kino beat her to the punch with an offer of one hundred-and-fifty. Really? Was now the time to haggle?

The warden grinned, revealing a sizeable snaggle tooth that was a fascinating shade of orange. “Ah, my friend, you must be joking. I guess you don’t need our dear, disgraced captain that much after all.” He pulled on the prisoner, who’d stayed hunched over as if in pain, clutching the locks of his scraggly hair. “I feel the need for an execution today, maybe I can start with him. He’s something of a troublemaker anyway, always starting fights with the others, and pestering me for toothpaste, it’d be good to see him die.”

Mel gasped in horror. “You can’t—we need him to find the treasure—!”

“…Treasure, you say?”

Oh, blast it. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud. 

Kino, always swift to act when something threatened his potential money-making schemes, piped up in denial, “Don’t pay attention to my sister. She’s mad, barely literate, and recently released from an asylum! This time yesterday, she was plucking her own underarm hair out and eating it.”

Mel looked at him out of the corner of her eye. Surely that was a bit over the top. But now that he’d set up such lofty expectations, oughtn’t she do something to play the part? Perhaps start scratching at her armpits? Oh, the indignity of it all. She was going to kill Kino. 

“Listen,” the warden half-whispered. “I know you’re probably telling the truth about the treasures—I will keep it quiet, and release the prisoner into your hands, in exchange for maybe a special gift.” He smiled at her, his tangerine tooth fairly glowing in the midday sun as he leaned in close to rub his finger along her elbow. “And sixty percent of your treasure.”

Mel shoved him away in disgust and fury. Mostly disgust. “Excuse me, you foul-breathed miscreant. You are not—."

“Twelve percent!” 

Mel cut herself off and faced her brother who had apparently rediscovered his desire to barter. Over her!

“Fifty-five.”

“Fifteen!”

Affronted beyond belief, Mel stepped aside while the two men went at it, both of them becoming increasingly shrill as they got thoroughly invested in their negotiation. 

The prisoner, this Captain Talis, was sitting up on his haunches. No longer hunched over as if in pain, instead he was looking straight at her, his whiskey-coloured eyes only barely visible between locks of dank, near-black hair. An unkempt beard covered his chin, and what she could see of his face beneath smears of filth and gods knew what else, wasn’t particularly remarkable. And yet still, for some inexplicable reason, she found herself arrested by his steady gaze.

This man couldn’t be worth all the trouble they were going to to get him out of jail. She had to double check.

Stepping closer to him—but not too close for he stank like someone who’d spent the better part of a year in a Shuriman port prison. 

“Captain Talis, I must implore you to tell me the truth, can you truly tell us how to find the Lost City of Gardens?”

When she spoke, the captain tilted his head, watching her with the wariness of a very large and very dangerous, and likely rabid animal. She noted, with an artist’s eye, that even though he’d probably lived through all manner of harsh deprivations, there was still a rangy power to his frame, his shoulders were broad—almost absurdly so—beneath the tatters of a faded doublet and shirt. The threadbare trousers he wore did little to hide the sturdy trunk-like thighs beneath, hugging him to an almost improper degree. Mel jerked her eyes upward away from inappropriate territory only to find him scrutinising her with a crooked smirk.

“Mister Talis, actually,” he drawled, his voice rusty. “Why do you want to find the Lost City? Fancy lady like you wouldn’t survive more than five minutes on the journey.”

Stomping her foot in frustration, Mel informed him in no uncertain terms that she was more than capable of an expedition across the Great Sai. She was much hardier than she looked.

He didn’t seem to believe her but he still asked, “Why take the risk?”

“Because—anything worthwhile involves risk, Mr Talis. I was told you are the sort to understand that.”

He snorted. “All right, I might be willing to consider telling you how to get there but it’s a tricky thing.”

Sensing an opening, however minute, Mel shuffled closer. “What… would convince you further?”

He lifted his filthy chained hands, and gestured at her to come nearer, as if to tell her a secret, a conspiratorial slant to his head. An excellent idea given the sensitivity of their subject. Mel moved forward until she was less than a foot away, intrigue percolating in her breast. If the man told them how here and now, then maybe they could just depart from this foul place and be on their way.

“Come a little closer, I can’t holler this kind of thing out in the middle of a jail, or your little expedition’ll be over before it even starts.”

He was right, so Mel sidled in almost scandalously close. So close she could see the glints of gold and flecks of green in his surprisingly fetching eyes.

“All right, thank you ever so much for telling m—hmph!”

Whatever she was about to say was muzzled by a pair of chapped lips pressing against her own in a rough kiss. It wasn’t like any kiss she’d had before. None of the too-soft chivalry of warm candlelit evenings in the teak-panelled gallerias and posh soirees during her university days in Piltover. No, there wasn’t a trace of gentility or sweet questioning here. It was demanding, and a little bit mean, a bite of teeth that made her whimper. In protest. Mostly.

But then, almost in a flash, the contact shifted. The sly swipe of a warm, wet tongue that tasted a little sour and yet had her opening her mouth to grant it entry, a curious lap of her own as she moved to meet it. 

He reared back and growled in her face, “If you want to know how to get there, lady, get me the hell out of here!”

Before she could respond, one of the guards clubbed the captain over the head and he dropped onto the sand with a thump. 

Shaken, as much by the easy violence as she was the kiss, Mel reached up to touch her stinging mouth watching as Captain-Mister-whatever-he-called-himself Talis was tugged away. More like Captain Cretin! Or Monsieur Libertine! Or—

“You know, if I’d known you were willing to dole out kisses to sweeten negotiations, we could’ve gotten a deal much quicker, little fox.”

The warden loudly agreed.

“Oh, do shut up, both of you.”

Hope someone enjoyed. Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

#meljay au week #mel medarda #jayce talis #meljay #arcane #my fic #snippets #akshan #kino medarda #ezreal #otp: nothing feels impossible when i'm with you #i tried

[ecmlol]

I have been working on this for a while and I feel like this is the right time to post this .😭

The days are long on Pabu but Tech doesn't seem to mind it. From dawn to dusk Tech has been working on a house of a elderly women with Phee. They don't speak to each other often but they do move as if they are dance partners on a invisible dance floor. There are slight brushes of random body parts touching against each other and the rubble around them. For Tech it's a intriguing experience. His skin feels like it's on fire with every touch from her and he is surprised that he likes it.He's not sure if it's accidental or deliberate that he finds himself being touched by her . And more surprising he wants to touch her back. When the bell goes off for dinner tech is washing his hands in the sink that he just fixed. He leaves to go find Phee in the other room who is sitting on the floor spackling the crack in the floor. Tech offers his hand to her. She takes it and neither one lets go of the others hand.

You have some dust in your hair may I remove it for you. Tech says while still holding her hand.

Go for it brown eyes

Tech heart skips a beat .

He uses the back of his free hand to dust her locs off.

There much better.

He looks down at her and she's smiles back at him.

He can't help but to smile back.

The suspense is killing me kiss her already. The elderly woman say

I beg your pardon tech say

You like her right? The older women say

Hey enough out of you let's go get something to eat tech Phee drags tech out of the elderly woman's house with their still joined hands

Do you not wish for me to initiate a show of affection?" Tech say

Phee stops in her tracks

I would like for you to come to that conclusion on your own I don't want you to be influenced by a gossip starve old women.

They are still holding hands and are now face to face talking with everyone walking around them.

I do not mind a gentle instruction in the matter of romance . I have not had any  instructions or guidance on the subject. All I have is my datapad

So are you admitting that you are clueless right now.

Tech thinks about it for a split second.

Yes that is exactly what I'm stating

Ok so you don't mind me taking the lead then

No I don't I rather Perfer it actually until I get a grasp on it.

Alright then but you have to tell me if I ever do anything you're not comfortable with ok?

I believe I can do that for you.

And if I do something you like remember and do it back to me ok

Affirmative

Good.

Phee look up at him and she hugs him. She's not sure what his reaction would be but she was hoping for a good one. At first he's ridged and then he relaxes and then sighs and then hugs her back.

This is kinda nice Phee say

It would be more pleasant if I wasn't concern with my body odor being offensive to you .

Phee let's go after she thinks about hers. She pulls away checking herself.

Your odor does not offend me. It is rather alluring to me .

Ready Phee thinks to herself

Phee frowns for a second

Did I offend you ?

No no your fine let go eat. Phee walks off leaving tech standing there. For a split second. He watches her walk away and he feel lost without the warms of her hand in his.

Tech what are you waiting for hunter say from behind him

I am not sure tech starts walking when hunter passes him and gets in line behind him. Hunter pushes tech infront of him causing him to bump Phee infront of him

Pardon me

You never have to apologize for brushing against me.

Are you informing me that you like this form of physical contact?

Yes you have been informed.

Phee leans back on tech a little.

He clears his throat and stands a little straighter as he accepts she body weight against him

They grab their food and tech follows Phee to a table that wrecker is sitting at with omega. Tech deliberately brushes his shoulders against Phee as he sits. Wrecker notices and smile hunter does too.

I forgot my bread Phee say placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Tech watches her leave.

You really like her don't you. omega asking

Yes i can confirm your suspicions omega.tech say

Have you kissed her yet?omega ask

Tech turns and looks at omega

I have not.

What are you waiting for ? Don't you want to? Omega say

The correct time I suppose .

It doesn't have to be that deep tech. hunter say

So what did I miss.

Farther inquiry in to our relationship and how far our physical one has progressed or the lack of progression on my part.

So they wanted to know if we kissed yet huh. Phee say

Yes that tech says

Phee sighs

She starts to eat and so do tech. Omega looks from one to the other. Then frowns

After dinner everyone goes to their separate sleeping quarters. Phee is camped out next to the ship along with shep and his daughter who omega is having a sleep over with. Tech leaves the ship to check on omega .

Tech taps on the tents

Come is Phee says

I wanted to inform omega that she needs to get her rest.remember you promised to help with breakfast in the morning.

Ok I promise we will go to sleep in a few minutes

I will relay that to hunters.

Goodnight then

Tech nods to Phee then leaves. Phee gets up and follows him outs.

Tech? Tech turns.

Phee hugs him

I figure we try hugging again now that we are both clean.

Tech's shock wears off quickly and wraps his arms around her. He breaths in her clean fresh scent and sigh constantly. He thinking that her scent is so pleasant to him compared to his brothers's.

I hope that's a good sigh.

Yes I believe it is.

She squeezes him a little harder and he melts into her burying his face in her hair

I never knew that I would ever enjoy being this close to anyone. Tech say

Phee pulls away and looks at him.

When you were growing up did anyone hugged you.

Wrecker but his hugs can be unpleasant due to his brut force of them.

Ah I see. Well your pretty good at it . you should hugs should hug more often if you like it.im sure omega is outdone like it.

Dually notes tech says with a small smile

He lets her go and walks away

Good night. Tech

Good night phee

Tech couldn't sleep that night he tried . He was the last one to go to bed and the first one up for breakfast. He spent the night with Phee scent in his nose and his body feeling like a live wire all night. He spent most of the night researching how to have a relationship on his datapad. In the morning he welcomed the cold shower and the relief he found with it.

As tech puts his boots on hunter is sipping on his caff

Rough night?

My study in relations with the opposition sex has left me restless.

I can tell you tossed and turned all night

Apologizes hunter

Wrecker groans as his feet hits the floor

Tech hops up and he heads to Phee tent.

He knocks

Come in.

Tech walks in and see Phee in bed

Oh I assumed you would be awake and ready to go .

Oh I am

She pulls the blanket off and shows she was just relaxing under the covers

I'm ready let's go .

Tech just stands there just looking at her.

You ok?

Yes I'm quite functional this morning

Oh ? So why are you staring at me like that.

I was trying to figure out if hugging you right now is a good idea.Phee steps towards him and hugs him.

Tech smiles .

Let's go brown eyes I'm starving.

For the Next week tech hugs Phee every morning and every night.

This week tech surprise her by adding hand handing to the two hugs.

Well this is new. Phee says as she raises their joined hands

Is this a confirmation of your dislike?

No no I like it

Dually noted

They pass the ship as wreck and hunter walk out.

They both grin at them as they head to the elderly women's house to put the finishing touches on her porch.

They finish before dinner and spend the rest of the day working on the neighbors steps.

At dinner they walk hand to hand and are meet by omega.

She smile at them holding hands. They get their food and head to the table. Wrecker shep and hunter are all waiting for them.

Tech leaves because he forgot a fork.omega walks up with her food as Tech leaves

So how's it going with tech shep ask

Yeah he seem pretty happy wrecker says

Nice it's really nice a real gentleman. Phee say

Glad to hear it hunter say

Has he kissed you yet omega ask

We are taking things slow

Tech comes back and sitting next to Phee. Wreck and hunter notices there is no space between them and smile.

Tech careful you might just suck out all of Phee air out sitting that close to her.Wrecker teases

Tech starts to get up.

Big guy mind your business and where do you think you're going brown eyes. Phee grabs his arm and pulls him back.

Tech smile

It is statistically impossible to do that but I thought I might have missed a sign of your discomfort.

The only discomfort I'm having is me feeling that cool breeze when you got up.Phee say with a smile.

tech sits back down and makes sure there is no space between them.

Better? Tech ask

Yes Phee say with a smile.

The week after.

Phee decided to try something new.

They have finished work on the neighbor steps patios and most of the house. After work Phee take Tech by the hand and heads to the food line for dinner.

As they walk they talk about the next steps to the build.

Phee pulls her hand away and slides it around Tech waist.

At first Tech was going to complain and then he settles and puts his arm around her. He gets the little sigh he was looking for and Phee relaxes against him. They separated when it's their turn to get their food. They find their way to their usual table with the kids and his brothers.

You two are looking cozy hunter say

As tech and Phee have a seat. Phee free hand is on Tech back and tech free hand is some place hunter can't see

I am content Tech say

I swear if you don't kiss al ready the suspense is killing me wrecker say

Before Tech can say anything Phee say

Who says we haven't.

Tech turns toward her she puts her hand on his chest.

Tech types a message on his pad and show it to her

" but we haven't"

Phee types back

" let them keep guess it has nothing to do with them."

Tech types back

I see

What's going on omega say.

For the rest of the dinner Tech and Phee enjoy there food and make small talk about a metoer shower that can be seen tonight

They excuse themself and take a walk around the island to find a quiet spot to relax together before the shower.

They pick a small corner of the beach on the east side of the island.

This spot should give us optimal viewing of the meteor shower.

Tech says

Alright I'll met you back here in two hour. I'd like to freshen up and get a blanket to lay on.

Affirmative they leave and head to freshen up. Two hours later Tech is back and dressed in some clothing the elderly women gave him. He's the first to arrive.

He watch as Phee strolls towards him with a large blanket.

Wow look at you brown eyes! Phee say

You approve of my attire?

Yes very much so but do you like it . Phee says and she looks him over twice

Wrecker thought the same thing.I do not know if it suits me yet. Tech say looking down at himself.

Well as long as your comfortable that what counts in my books .

Tech notices that Phee is in a dress.

You are looking particularly well this evening.

Oh this old thing . Thank you.

Phee walks a way and lays out her blanket .

Phee see the bottle that tech brought

Oh you brought something to drink good thinking.

I figure we might need a refreshments

Phee lays down and pats the space next to her .

Tech hesitates for a second and then sits down

You don't have to lay down if you don't want to .

I can adapt

Phee smiles

Tech lays back with his hand behind his head. The tunic he's wearing rises up to show his stomach . Phee notices

I always wonder what you look like under all that gears

I'm afraid the clothing doesn't fit me properly my apologies

Don't apologize

Tech hearts starts to bet a little faster.

So are you ticklish?

I am not sure.

Before tech knew it Phee runs her fingers up his side he squirms and then smile from the sensation. His stomach has butterflies and his can't help but to squirm and smile from her touch.

That wasn't so bad? Phee say

No it wasnt it was different

Let try the other side Phee say as she reaches over and does it again.

She smiles down at him as he wiggles and gets goosebumps on his skin.

Ok I'm sorry but I want to see where this goes. Phee say

She tickets both sides of Tech bare skin. One minute he's squirming and before she knew it tech laughed and she found her self on her back with her hands above her head with a hard breathing tech above her looking down at her . Now it was her turn to have her heart race . She looks down where their body meets and finds that tech is pressed in between her legs. Her dress is bunch up at her thighs. Tech follows her eyes and see what she see.

Oh pardon me my tactical skill have actived Tech say

You don't have to move. Phee say quickly

I do not like that you look compromised tech says as he extracts himself from between her legs

You saw me as a threats?

The sensation's of you tickling me is foreign and I didn't know how to process it.

Oh dually noted tickling is out Phee say

Hey what are you doing. Omega ask

They look up and see omega hunter and wrecker.

We are enjoying our evening.

Phee is straighting her dress and rubbing her wrist as they walk up to them.

Hey guys Phee say with a smile .

Hunter kneels down and looks at her and tech closely

Tech .. hunter say with a warning tone.

Do we have a problem wrecker say

Tech looks to his brother then back to Phee

Bad timing Phee say

Yes they do I told you that you looked like I compromised you. Tech say

Boys before you get your panties in a bunch I was goofing off and .... tech didn't do anything wrong.

What did you do to him ..? Hunter ask.

I was tickling him. Phee say

Oh is that all wrecker say with a laugh

Yes that is correct. Tech says

Hunter smile and shakes his head.

So your ticklish huh Tech wrecker say and he walks closer

Phee can feel tech tense beside her.

She runs her hand down his back to soothe him.

I fear that I may need to run tech whispers.

Before he can explain tech stands up and runs across the beach with wrecker and omega on his tail.

I don't know why we are running but I'm running too omega says

Hunter laughs. Phee can't help but too start to laugh too.

After wrecker catches Tech and slams him on to the beach wrecker tickles tech with the help of omega. Tech tried to get away but he couldn't . Phee almost felt bad for him.

I hope you two had your fill of humiliating me . Tech said as he tries to dust the sand off as he walks toward a smiling Phee.

It's good to see you guys having fun.

Being chased by a man the size of a baby rancor and being tossed to the ground like omega doll is not what I call fun. Tech say

Well what if we Turn the tables how about it hunter omega how about we turn the hunter in to the prey . Phee kicks off her shoes

Tech looks at hunter and omegas.

Phee square off with wrecker.

Run big boy Phee says

Let get him omega yells before she starts to run towards wrecker. Wrecker turns and starts to run

Oh no I'm so scared wrecker says with a laugh.

Hunter follows and then tech . Phee runs and kicked wreckers knees so he stumbles and and falls to his knee

Impressive hunters say

I have been impressed by her.

Omega tackle him from behind

We got you

They struggle to flip him over until hunter and tech gets there

Hey hey wrecker shouts as he tries to get away.

Nope your not going anywhere big boy . Phee say

Yeah! Get him! Omega say as she follows Phee lead and tickle wrecker.

As soon as Phee straddles wrecker's waist. tech felt a Spark of jealousy surge through him.

Hunter watches as Tech comes up from behind her and scoops her up and he rolls them on to the ground. In a blink of the eye Phee went from strattling wrecker to laying on her stomach with tech on top of her tickling her back.

She's laugh along with wrecker as they both are trying to get away from their "attackers"

White flag I give up brown eyes. Tech throws his hands in the air

Me toi me too wrecker say. Omega stops and hunter lets go of wreckers ankles.

Everyone is smile or laughing or both.

Tech slides backs so Phee can turn over.

She smiles up at him and sits up. She looks past him and see the meteor shower.

It  spectacular Phee says.

Pardon?

The meteor shower

Tech turns and looks up with the rest of his family.

Everyone settles down around tech and Phee for the show .once it over . Phee and tech make there way back to the blanket.

Hunter and wrecker excuse them self and insist that omega come with them.

That was a nice surprise don't you think. Phee ask tech

I suppose can we just enjoy stars now tech say as he lays back on the blanket because he didn't want to go back to the ship just yet

Phee and Tech stare at the stars and Tech tell Phee everything he knows about meteors until Phee falls asleep with her head on tech shoulder.

The next morning Phee wakes up with her leg over Tech's thigh and her arm flung over his chest with her face buried in he crock on his neck.

Morning Phee says

Your awake good we need to get back so we can get ready for work. Tech say

You should have woke me up.

You looked comfortable I didn't want to disturb you. By the way you have extremely smooth and hairless skin on your extremities.

Ah thanks. That made her notice where tech's hands are. One is around hand the other is on her knee.

I hope you don't mind your leg and arm where wrapped around me.

I don't mind at all. Touch a way. Thank you for a out of the world date.

Date ?

Yes you invited me to watch the meteor showers I would classify that as a date

Ah I see then I too had a enjoyable time with you. They gather their things and headed back to camp. Phee walking with her shoes in her hand and tech with the empty drinking bottle.

Phee walks him to the ship and tech hugs her . Before she steps away Phee rise on her toes and kisses his cheeks. She pulls back creasing his face with her free hand and looks him in his eye

Tech eyes widen

See yeah later brown eye

As he watches her walk to her tent a few yards a way. The maurade ramp open and at the top wrecker and hunter are waiting for him

Looks who walking the walk of shame wrecker say

Tech straighten his goggles and step in to the ship.

What's the walk of shame? Omega ask as she hopes from her room.

It's when ...tech gets cut off by hunter

It's nothing techs just getting back from his date.

No wonder it's called a walk of shame he broke curfew shame on you.

And someone got kissed too

You got kissed?? Omega says

Yes she kissed me on the cheek. Tech say as he adjusted his goggles

Hey omega check it out here the video.

Wrecker leave Tech alone. Hunter say

Aww hunter i want to see

Tech sighs and not in a good way as wreck replays the peck on the cheek so omega can see it.

She really likes you.

Omega go get ready please hunter says as tech takes his towel to the refresher.

A few minutes later tech is finishing up and heading to the ramp to leave.

Tech they mean no harm you know that right. Hunter says as tech walks pass him to leave.

I know their curiosity is getting the best of them. Tech says.

The rest of the day Tech has been quiet . He is trying to process all the attention he has been getting from his brother's and Phee.

On the walk to dinner tech forcus is on his datapad

A credit for your thoughts are you ok? Phee asked with her hands in her packs for the first time in weeks.

They are getting their food while they talk. It takes a few minutes before he answers

I am just trying to categorize out my... feelings.

Oh would you like me to leave you too it ? Phee asked

If you don't mind may I catch up with you later

Of course Phee say as she tries hard to not sound disappointed.

Before he can say turn to gage her feelings about it she was gone. Tech walks by himself to the table where everyone is sitting beside Phee.

Where's Phee shep asked

I have no clue . Tech say.

You two have been joined at the hip for weeks is everything all right. Hunter asked

I am well aware of her missing presents at the table everything I suppose is all right I am not sure.

What happen? Wrecker asked

I merely told her I was trying to process my feeling and I would see her later

I bet she thought you broke up with her. Hunter say

Tech kept looking at the extra seat and then looks at hunter with wide eyes.

I don't not know if I am even in a relationship much less break away from one hunter.

Who is the first person you think about when you wake.shep ask

I haven't slept well in weeks

Why's that ?hunter say

She consumes my every waking thoughts hunter it is hard to think about anything or anyone else.

Hunter and shep look at each other.

How are you feeling with her not being here.

Well at the moment I feel surprisingly anxious. Why?

What do you thing would make you feel better? Shep say

A ....hug I have to go. Tech gets up and heads to Phee tent

He knocks

Come in Tech

Tech finds her eating alone on her bunk

Tech didn't expect to see you here.

We did not part way properly and that has me perplexed.

Oh? Phee say

Tech offers his hand to her .

She sets her food to the side and takes it.

He hugs her.

She giggle and turns to kiss his cheek but is meet by his lips to hers . It surprises both of them. They pull away and stare a each other with tiled heads .

You informed me to do it back if I like it . Tech explained.

Phee bites her lip as she looks at his lips being so close to hers. She has wanted this for weeks.

Did you like what just happened yes or no tech?

It was...

Yes or no Tech Phee says firmly

Yes Tech say

Tech found his lips coved a second later.the kiss was hard and gentle some how and it completely consumed tech like a fire. His whole body felt like a blaster after a fire fight. He couldn't think right. He blood rushed from his head to other places in a heated race for relocation. Her hands are on his face and neck. His heart is beating so fast it reminded him of his very first mission in the field. He was learning quick how to move with her . He keeps thinking do what she did that you like. As she kiss him he found his rythm no not his their rythm. His hand found it's way to her face and neck just like hers. When they finally pull apart they both has swollen lips and are breathing heavy.

My apologies for not knowing what to do.

Phee throws her arms around his neck

You know what I don't mind practicing

Excellent is now a good time

Now is a excellent time .

#star wars #tbb #sw tbb #tbb tech #tbb phee #tech phee #tee #the bad batch #tbb fanfiction

[abaca-xi]

dawn long locs ! 🗯

^__^ 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗕𝗢𝗬 ★ ꩜ らしい人です いしいブーいルメ ?! 𝗗𝗔𝗪𝗡 🧷 % ☆ )/ カス # 🦴 タムアンョン PRONOUMS HERE !

✿ . . . 💤 𝗟𝗢𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 よりもけん zZz ファンドロ # ★ 𝗗𝗔𝗪𝗡 🌀 とてもかわいたがとても . . . READ THE CARRD BYF !

. . #🩹❔__^ 𝗠𝗬 𝗕𝗢𝗬 ブロックボール ☆★ チキン セ ジルマ 🗯 𝗗𝗔𝗪𝗡 とてもハンサ

luv2deku on twt ! like or reblog if u save.

#messy layouts #messy packs #kpop bios #kpop icons #bios twitter #dawn #dawn bios #edawn layouts #edawn icons #edawn bios #dawn long locs #long locs twitter #packs twitter #twitter layouts

[swhun]

si solamente fueras mía..

#kpop icons #kpop moodboard #aesthetic #indie moodboard #messy moodboard #messycore #random moodboard #long locs #hyuna moodboard #hyundawn icons #hyundawn #hyuna icons #dawn icons #hyojong moodboard #black moodboard #alternative moodboard #grey moodboard #white moodboard #edgy moodboard #kpop matching icons #grunge moodboard

[kindofsmol]

When you become your lifestyle. 🤎

(Manga I wanted, but didn’t have the 1 volume or 2. Because I’m addicted, i neeed (to buy)more than one. :((((

#me #my uploads #manga #anime / manga #amiab #alternative black girl #locs #sailor moon #sailor moon usagi #yona of the dawn #wotakoi #i hear the sunspot #bl manga #alternative black women #alternative poc #freeform locs #dyed locs #grungy style #grunge #long locs #women with locs

[magic-is-something-we-create]

Weekly Writing Update Feb. 23, 2022

Progress made: 5.6k words of drafting (and 1.2k of very loose scripting, ~1k of attempted Planning that i decided was a bad idea bc i much prefer pantsing) WIPs worked on: Echoseers (total wc: 43.3k) Writing streak: 194 days (shooting for 200!) Current chapter + POV: Chapter 8, its a mess of different POVs as basically a series of vignettes setting up each person's arc during the party split that takes up the majority of the book

Favorite line(s) since last update (the last bit of an Ember POV nightmare sequence; Trigger Warnings: references to and significant description of pain, corpses, unreality, being buried alive, and body horror; deep ocean- and eldritch-inspired horror; brief unwanted touch and subsequent discomfort):

“Have you seen the depths of this world before, Elder?”

A bright, uncanny light washes over me. My shadow is two, one recognizable and struck through with lacing cracks of fire, and one stretched and bent in all the wrong places, a hole cut straight through the chest. A hole, a triangle. A rib, leaned on as a walking stick.

“Have you seen the ruins of what you’ve done?”

The voice hisses as if on air, as long, bony fingers grip my shoulder and the silky silhouette of the second shadow’s hair spreads like a net over both of us. Like a sheet, like a veil. Like mine has never been able to, for the tight coils and the frizz and the natural twisting of my locs.

“Have you seen the bodies still screaming in the chasms of Eqia?”

Another hand, clawing and desperate, grabs onto mine buried beneath the ocean floor and pulls, mixing drawn blood with salt and sand.

“Have you forgotten your promises?”

Grit and silt and rot join the water that has seeped into my being as I’m buried, the creature behind me tracing my spine with its distended finger as I’m tugged ever-further beneath the ground. Dust scrapes against my throat and cuts at my lungs and burrows into my stomach. Rock squeezes around me, as unbearable and immovable as the weight of the ocean above, and clamps down further.

“Have you forgotten that this world isn’t yours?”

Heat blooms, searing and endless and bright and liquid. It envelops me and brands every inch that already itches with blisters. It bleeds into my soul and bursts in a heavenly Fire before it begins to eat away at what is left. The voice follows as my skin melts from my flesh and my flesh slips from my bones and my bones char and my screaming goes unheard, unspoken, unforgiven.

“Have you forgotten what happened the last time the ocean ran red?”

I’m left to drift in the magma, shrieking myself hoarse as the choir of an entire planet’s suffering joins me.

Scene I'm looking forward to:

the end of this chapter is when the first of a series of love letters is found hidden in someone's luggage and im very excited for it 🥰 also im going to get to write a bunch of nightmares like this one and introduce lore and history that's referenced in them and im SO PUMPED.

This week's soundtrack:

Found (Jim Perkins rework) by Marika Takeuchi and Jim Perkins, シンシャ by Yoshiaki Fujisawa, and Spellborn by Sham Stalin. (yes that second one is from an anime ive never watched. yes it came on recommendation from a friend who has also not watched it. yes we exist)

Notes/Thoughts:

honestly? no thoughts head empty, just fun vignettes and excitement to write the next pair of interludes, since this is the last chapter of part one i think <3

still debating who will be narrating the first interlude (im bouncin between introducing more of the arc 2 POVs a la the dawn interlude vs shipname emphawis backstory) but the second one will be titled "the king" in accordance with Preestablished Narrative Symbolism Things and will be from actaea's POV :)

#weekly update #echoseers #snip #the millennium saga

[zintranslations]

Kaleidoscope of Death, Ch. 65

Kaleidoscope of Death by Xi Zixu Link to Chinese / Link to ongoing Taida Translations

Chapter 65: Doctor

Lin Qiushi could tell Ruan Nanzhu was furious, and typed: calm down, they're not worth it.

Ruan Nanzhu went silent, but then flashed a cold smile. He didn't reply to Lin Qiushi. It seemed he'd thoroughly taken down these people's names in red—come the appropriate opportunity, he'd be ruthless about getting revenge.

Feng Yongle stood beside them, looking at the 502 door tag in Ruan Nanzhu's hand with a look of fright. He stammered, "are we keeping that thing here?"

Ruan Nanzhu, coolly, "of course we can't keep it here." The tag would probably draw something over; though it wasn't on their door, it still wasn't safe.

"Then what do we do?" Feng Yongle asked. "It's almost eight." Once it was eight, they couldn't go out.

Without speaking, Ruan Nanzhu left the room with the door tag in hand. He went across the hall.

It was an empty room across from them. Nobody was staying inside. It was locked, but Ruan Nanzhu easily opened the lock on the door. After putting the door tag inside, he closed the door again.

"We'll keep it there temporarily," Ruan Nanzhu said. "And get it out when it's useful."

Feng Yongle let out a breath of relief. "Those people were too much. How could they think to do something like this?"

If it hadn't been for Lin Qiuqiu's sharp hearing, they'd likely have been a goner here.

Ruan Nanzhu eyed the dawning night outside, and said, "let's sleep."

It was eight; though it was still early, the sky was already completely dark.

There wasn't a single rustle in the entire sanatorium, as if even the patients who were so restless by day had grown afraid of this darkening night.

Lin Qiushi lied in bed playing on his phone. Ruan Nanzhu, in the bunk above, was quiet—it sounded like he was asleep already.

After playing for a while, Lin Qiushi grew drowsy. Just as he set his phone aside to get some sleep, he jumped, whole-bodied—he’d heard the sound of knocking.

Feng Yongle wasn't asleep either, looking frightened. Clearly, he'd heard it too.

Dong, dong, dong. The knocks were loud, coming from the door across from theirs.

Lin Qiushi and Feng Yongle's gazes met. They both saw relief in each other's eyes… Good thing they'd put the door tag back. Whatever was stood there knocking, it definitely wasn't human.

Dong, dong, dong! The knocks grew fiercer and fiercer, before finally, there was the sound of the door breaking. Lin Qiushi very clearly heard the door across from theirs open, and then—perhaps after discovering there was nobody inside the room—three or four minutes later, the sound of high heels sharply clacking along the hallway floor.

These noises came near from afar, then gradually disappeared. Lin Qiushi's heart in his throat also slowly lowered.

Sleep, sleep… Lin Qiushi didn't dawdle this time, shutting his eyes to force himself to bed. But no matter how he turned he just couldn't sleep. Maybe his tossing and turning disturbed Ruan Nanzhu in the bunk above, because Ruan Nanzhu suddenly spoke: "can't sleep?"

Lin Qiushi looked at the upper bunk, not knowing how to respond.

A moment later, Ruan Nanzhu climbed down in his night clothes. Then he very naturally lied down in Lin Qiushi's bed.

He wore a long sleep shirt, and seemed a bit pale. When he lied down, his waterfall of black hair fanned out over the pillow. He turned his head, black eyes silently watching Lin Qiushi. This look made Lin Qiushi's heart skip a beat.

The Ruan Nanzhu in this moment seemed, at a glance, perfumed with fragility. But closer observation would reveal that fragility to be nothing but a hoax.

In those dark eyes was a profundity like a deep, serene lake, as if just by meeting his gaze, the heart was calmed.

Lin Qiushi felt a pair of hands hook around his waist. As he was still self-consciously shifting about, Ruan Nanzhu's face was already buried in the nape of his neck.

"Stop moving," Ruan Nanzhu said. "And sleep."

Lin Qiushi thought for a second, and stopped struggling. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep again.

Three minutes later, the two slipped to sleep in succession, leaving Feng Yongle alone with a woebegone expression… He wanted to squeeze in with them as well.

But squeezing in was impossible; if Feng Yongle really dared a squeeze he'd likely not survive the night. Though he had to note that the sight of the two young women entwined in sleep was lovely to behold.

Ruan Baijie had a sophisticated air, and seemed the mature type. But despite her pretty face, that air of hers made her seem hard to get along with. Lin Qiuqiu, on the other hand, was the completely opposite type. Her appearance wasn't top notch, but was still plenty eye-catching. Feng Yongle thought for a while for the adjectives: Lin Qiuqiu carried on her an aura of delicacy and worldly compassion. Her face was very small, and looked like a cute little animal. Compared to the dazzling Ruan Nanzhu, she was obviously harmless at a glance. Plus, with her disability, she couldn't help but attract some people with particular agendas.

In the middle of his thoughts, Feng Yongle grew sleepy as well. He closed his eyes, and his breathing evened out.

At midnight, the sound of heavy falling once again came.

But they'd learned their lesson from the night before; after everybody had been woken up, they lied calmly in bed without much movement. Lin Qiushi woke for a bit, then closed his eyes again and returned to sleep. Ruan Nanzhu the Sleeping Pill Fairy was indeed impressively effective—there was no concern of sleeplessness at all.

They slept all the way until the next morning, when Lin Qiushi got up refreshed and energetic.

As soon as he got up he was met with Feng Yongle's plaintive gaze, and startled.

"Good morning," Feng Yongle said. "Didn't you hear anything last night?"

Lin Qiushi nodded to signal he did.

"Then why didn't you two wake up?" Feng Yongle asked. "That thing was scary as shit. It just kept jumping, I couldn't sleep at all."

Lin Qiushi was silent. Really, his hearing ought to be better than Feng Yongle's. But if he'd been fine with something Feng Yongle had been woken up by, the credit had to go to Ruan Nanzhu.

Ruan Nanzhu lazily said, "it's enough to be alive isn't it? You're asking for too much." He cuddled over and kissed the shell of Lin Qiushi's ear. "Time to get up, baby."

He kissed Lin Qiushi into shivers. Lin Qiushi's ears were very sensitive—a single touch made his whole body tense up. But Ruan Nanzhu seemed to have discovered this, and just got worse in his teasing.

Lin Qiushi condemned with his eyes: you're taking advantage of me not being able to speak.

Ruan Nanzhu replied with his eyes too: you're wrong. I'd do this to you even if you could speak.

Lin Qiushi: …

He was speechless. Ruan Nanzhu beamed as he got up to wash.

Feng Yongle couldn't tell the turbulent interchange between them, and was currently feeling moved by their "deep sisterly love."

Lin Qiushi sighed, and gave up on pursuing the matter.

As the three ate breakfast in the dining hall, they began to discuss the sounds from yesterday.

Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu both expressed they hadn't heard, so only Feng Yongle, grimacing, could say, "I think I know what's the deal with that door tag."

"What is it?" Ruan Nanzhu took a bite of a hard-boiled egg.

"The jumping sounds came from across the hall," Feng Yongle said. "So I'm guessing, maybe the nurse will jump once from whichever room that has that number." As for what happened before she jumped… It didn't take much thought to know it would be nothing good.

Ruan Nanzhu, "oh, I see."

Feng Yongle, "aren't you shocked at all?"

Ruan Nanzhu, oddly, "we already know you'd die, it's just a different way of dying… Why be shocked?"

Feng Yongle was speechless.

Indeed, that 502 door tag clearly meant death. As for how you died, that did seem less important.

Leaving after their meal, they bumped into Jiang Yingrui and his team. Among them was the trembling Xue Zhiyun, who'd been caught red-handed yesterday doing something nasty.

Lin Qiushi thought he'd be a bit awkward—but unexpectedly, he still greeted them with a shameless grin.

But this time, all three of them ignored him, just passing him by like air.

Considering Ruan Nanzhu's expression however, Lin Qiushi had cause to believe that were it not for the fact that murders made ghosts here, Jiang Yingrui would already be dead by Ruan Nanzhu's hands many times over.

Feng Yongle muttered under his breath about these shameless fucking bastards…

Faintly, Ruan Nanzhu smiled. But there was no humor in his eyes. "There's no rush. Plenty of days ahead of us yet."

The sanatorium was too big. Yesterday, they'd only roughly browsed a few floors, and hadn't managed a detailed search. They planned to continue that today.

But after walking into the sanatorium, Ruan Nanzhu stood on the first floor and contemplated a while. "Have you guys discovered this sanatorium is missing something?"

Lin Qiushi: missing what?

Ruan Nanzhu, "we didn't see a single doctor all of yesterday, did we?"

As soon as Ruan Nanzhu said this, Feng Yongle clapped in realization. "That's right, we really didn't see any doctors, only a few nurses—" And those had all been indifferent, looking to have not seen them in return at all.

"So what about the doctors," Ruan Nanzhu said.

Lin Qiushi thought over the building's zone map they saw on the first floor yesterday, and typed: I remember the sixth floor's the doctors' offices, right?

Ruan Nanzhu, "yes."

Lin Qiushi: they'd seemed to be all locked. We'll take a look upstairs again?

"Sure," Ruan Nanzhu agreed with Lin Qiushi's suggestion.

The truth was a large majority of the rooms in this sanatorium were locked. Wanting to search room-by-room was pretty much impossible. So they could only look for a targeted room, then unlock it for inspection.

Lin Qiushi counted himself lucky to have Ruan Nanzhu at his side, and began to seriously contemplate learning the art of lock-picking once he was out…

Most of the other floors were populated by patients. They wore hospital gowns, some wandering idly through the halls, some sitting silently in the corners. Some mumbled to themselves, as if in conversation with something nonexistent. A place that was meant to treat lung diseases seemed more like one large mental hospital.

But the sixth floor was quiet. There were no patients and no nurses. The entire hallway was steeped in a kind of dim lighting, like a reel from an old movie.

Once he reached the sixth floor, Ruan Nanzhu first found the Dean's office.

The Dean's office was in the center of the hallway. The door was closed, and they couldn't see inside.

Ruan Nanzhu, "move."

Lin Qiushi and Feng Yongle both turned their shoulders to let Ruan Nanzhu open the door.

Two to three minutes later, the lock before them opened with a click. Ruan Nanzhu didn't immediately push the door open, instead very carefully cracked it to inspect the situation inside.

The room was quiet, and seemed harmless.

He searched the wall beside the door and found the room's light switch. With a soft clack, a ghastly pale light illuminated the entire office.

Lin Qiushi followed Ruan Nanzhu inside. Once inside, his gaze was immediately caught by the wall.

The wall before him was packed with a constellation of memorial portraits. Every figure in the portraits looked cold and rigid, their chilly gazes shooting right out the frames. And they all seemed to have one thing in common: they were all wearing doctors' scrubs.

Lin Qiushi very quickly noticed that on the highest point above the wall of portraits, there was an empty photo frame.

The three stared at that frame and sank into silence.

"Who's it left for?" Feng Yongle laughed humorlessly.

Nobody knew the answer to that question.

After examining the picture wall for a while, Ruan Nanzhu turned his gaze elsewhere. The three began searching inside the room. It quickly yielded results. In the corner of a drawer, Lin Qiushi discovered a photograph. In the photograph was a middle-aged man, handsome enough, with a head of short blond hair. He had on a calm smile. Most notably, he wore a doctor's scrubs.

Lin Qiushi held this photo, searched the wall, and indeed, couldn't find this person's portrait.

"It's not here," Ruan Nanzhu concluded.

"So the empty one was left for him then…" Feng Yongle said. "What if the key's in the frame?"

Ruan Nanzhu thought this over. "Take the frame down and see."

Feng Yongle nodded, found a chair, and climbed on. He reached up, took the frame, and lifted it off the nail.

"It's just an empty frame," Feng Yongle said. "Doesn't seem anything special." He turned it over, back and forth, and didn't see anything noteworthy on the frame.

Lin Qiushi had been looking down at the frame as well, but all of a sudden felt a buzz in his body—he'd sensed a strange line of sight. He looked up in suspicion, following the sightline. When he got a good look at its source, a chill ran down his back.

Because what was staring at him was the memorial portraits on the wall.

The gaze of these portraits went from looking ahead to peering askance. Practically every portrait was staring at them out of the corners of their eyes. With their stiff pallor and lifeless gazes, Lin Qiushi got an unpleasant feeling. He immediately reached out and gave Ruan Nanzhu's sleeve a tug.

Ruan Nanzhu noticed the change in Lin Qiushi's expression, and looked where he was looking, immediately noticing the change in the portraits.

And that change was intensifying as well.

The eyes of the portraits slowly began to move, like the dead inside the frames were coming back to life. The frames had begun to shake as well. Lin Qiushi stared with wide eyes—he could see a person in a portrait slowly lifting its hand, looking like it wanted to climb right out of the photograph.

For a normal person, a sight like this would definitely cause panic.

But Ruan Nanzhu was very experienced. He glanced at the frame in his hands—and then his next move was to climb up on the chair and return the empty frame to its original spot.

Once the frame was back in place, all the changes stopped.

The people in the portraits returned to those indifferent expressions, eyes gazing lifelessly forward. It was as if everything they'd just seen had been an illusion.

Feng Yongle wiped at the cold sweat on his brow, and swore, "fuck, that scared me."

Fright lingered in Lin Qiushi's heart as well.

Ruan Nanzhu, "the key might be in the frame."

"But didn't we just check?" Feng Yongle huffed. "There's nothing in the frame at all..."

Ruan Nanzhu glanced at him. "Isn’t the frame's missing something thought?"

Feng Yongle startled.

Lin Qiushi knew what Ruan Nanzhu meant. The frame was indeed missing something—missing the portrait that should be in it.

"It's missing the portrait?" Feng Yongle figured out as well.

Ruan Nanzhu nodded.

"Then where are we going to find the portrait?" Feng Yongle's chuckle was pained. "The sanatorium's so big…"

"We'll find it," Ruan Nanzhu said. "Let's get out of here first."

They left the Dean's office, and Ruan Nanzhu closed the lock behind them.

They seemed to have a clue about the key, but still none for the door. They browsed through the entire floor, searching in every corner, but they didn't find any hint of any tunnel.

Just as Lin Qiushi thought they weren't going to have a breakthrough, Feng Yongle made a new discovery: he found a room.

That room had been locked, but somebody had broken that lock. And so Feng Yongle pushed the door right open.

That push was enough to terrify him—in that big wide room were piles and piles of black bags. From the shape of the bags, they were clearly body bags for holding corpses.

"Fuck—" Feng Yongle called for Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu in a hushed shout. "Come look, hurry!"

Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu came to the room door, and saw also these piles of stacked bodies.

"Don't they take care of these bodies?" Feng Yongle mumbled.

Ruan Nanzhu frowned. "What did you just say?"

"I said, don't they take care of these bodies at all—" The stench of rot had already permeated the room, and smelled particularly nauseating. "What is it?"

Ruan Nanzhu said, "maybe this is a way out. If they have to clear out the bodies…"

Lin Qiushi understood: you mean what that tunnel's for?

Ruan Nanzhu nodded.

Lin Qiushi: there's a thought.

In the background from the hint, the tunnel was where bodies were gotten rid of. If the stacks of body bags before them had to be taken care of, then they'd have to be brought to the tunnel. All the humans would have to do was follow.

Though this was now a possibility, it wasn't easily implemented, since they didn't know when the bodies would be cleared out.

Ruan Nanzhu continued his analysis: "The lock here's been broken, so it's likely somebody else has also found this location. If they're smart enough, they'd have figured out the hint here as well."

There were lots of ways to take care of bodies, primarily burial or cremation. There was no crematory here, so it was likely the former.

But there were no grave sites around the sanatorium, so anybody smart enough was apt to understand there was another site for corpse disposal here.

And if anybody had figured that out, they were competition.

"I'll go ask the patients around here first, see if they know anything," Feng Yongle said. "We can't just wait around, after all…"

Ruan Nanzhu nodded in agreement with Feng Yongle's line of thought.

Then Lin Qiushi signaled that if they needed, he could guard this place on his own. He couldn't talk after all, and couldn't question anybody.

Ruan Nanzhu, "alright. We'll be around. If anything happens, make some noise and we'll come right over."

Lin Qiushi nodded in understanding.

The two went off nearby, while Lin Qiushi stayed put in a corner to see anybody else coming. After standing there for a while, Lin Qiushi saw the unexpected approach of a familiar figure. It was the one who'd tried to trip them up earlier, Jiang Yingrui.

Lin Qiushi froze a bit upon seeing him. Just as he tried to hide, Jiang Yingrui had already seen him from afar.

"Miss Mute." Jiang Yingrui approached Lin Qiushi, wearing a peculiar smile. "Is it just you here?"

Lin Qiushi watched him back in silence.

"Where are your friends?" Jiang Yingrui asked, standing in front of Lin Qiushi. "They're not with you? Leaving you alone in a world like this is very dangerous, you know."

If Lin Qiushi was truly a helpless mute woman, perhaps he'd feel fear, even terror when faced with Jiang Yingrui.

But Lin Qiushi wasn't, so against what were practically threats, his only reaction for Jiang Yingrui was a few blinks of the eyes.

"You're not scared?" Jiang Yingrui asked softly.

Lin Qiushi still wasn't reacting.

"Why aren't you answering me?" Jiang Yingrui was getting closer and closer to Lin Qiushi. The lack of space between them felt invasive, and Lin Qiushi's expression went cold. He pulled out his phone and typed: I don't have anything to say to you.

"You guys also saw that room?" Jiang Yingrui said. "It's all corpses inside you know…"

Lin Qiushi's expression: And? Fuck off.

"Say—" Jiang Yingrui's voice suddenly dropped in register. "—if I put you in a bag and throw you in that room right now, do you think they'd notice?"

This was over the line. Lin Qiushi stared coolly at Jiang Yingrui, contemplating beating him up for good riddance, when Jiang Yingrui switched to a smile. "Of course I'm only kidding. Miss Mute here is so cute after all, I couldn't possibly."

Lin Qiushi thought, you couldn't, but I could.

Jiang Yingrui kept up that smile. "You guys just came down from the top floor, didn't you? What did you find?"

Lin Qiushi watched Jiang Yingrui, expressionless.

"That's fine, don't tell me. We're about to go check it out ourselves anyways," Jiang Yingrui said. "I'll leave you to stand guard here then."

He waved at Lin Qiushi, turned, and walked away.

Lin Qiushi dashed forward and socked him right in the back. Lin Qiushi held nothing back; his kick sent Jiang Yingrui stumbling straight onto the floor.

"What the—" Jiang Yingrui was utterly shocked by Lin Qiushi's actions. He probably hadn't supposed that, with such a gentle appearance, Lin Qiushi could so something so rough.

Lin Qiushi just brusquely spat in Jiang Yingrui's direction, and held up a middle finger.

Jiang Yingrui, "…"

Seeing Jiang Yingrui stare, mouth agape, Lin Qiushi felt much more satisfied. He was thinking how mute people really weren't so well-off, since typing was all words and no presence—might as well shut up and just throw hands.

Angered, Jiang Yingrui began to laugh. "Don't think I won't hit a girl—"

Just as he got up off the ground, Ruan Nanzhu, who'd heard the noises, arrived. Lin Qiushi immediately threw himself into Ruan Nanzhu's arms with an ill-treated expression.

Ruan Nanzhu, "what the fuck did you do to my Qiuqiu?!"

Jiang Yingrui, "…" I'm the one who got kicked, why are you acting the victim?!

[Ch. 64] | [Ch. 66]

#kaleidoscope of death #xi zixu #cnovel #chinese translation #死亡萬花筒 #hello yes zin i'd like you to finish this arc thank you #lqs is punchy bb...