#this whole interaction is a masterpiece from beginning to end

[literary-motif]

Encomium

Andrew Marston x Reader

If you care at all about philosophy, literature, and history, I highly recommend Professor Michael Sugrue’s lectures on YouTube. Here is the one on Plato's Symposium.

Andrew reflects on his love for you.

Andrew closed his book with a sigh, settling deeper into the couch and rubbing his tired eyes. He had been leafing through the pages for a while and, thinking about it, had not understood a single thing. 

His mind was wandering and he was once again preoccupied with a thought that had plagued him ever since he had heard Isaac laugh as they were alone together for the first time, looking at him with a fondness in his eyes that had made his breath hitch: What is the nature of love?

It was no easy question. Philosophy and literature had tried to answer it since the beginning of history, and the Symposium currently resting in his lap, although being a remarkable piece of writing, had not been able to account for all the feelings Andrew had had these past months. 

Tilting his head to rest on the back of the couch, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to loosen some of the heaviness he felt was weighing him down. Andrew glanced to the side, looking at you huddled in a fluffy blanket with a book of your own in your hands. You were completely enamored in the pages and he could not fight the soft expression creeping onto his face as he watched you read.

The heaviness in his chest only increased. It was not your fault in any way, but Andrew had started feeling lost and out of his depth with the overwhelming tide of feeling washing over him whenever you were near him or he so much as thought about you. The love he felt — while in no way suffocating or troublesome, on the contrary, it was the purest feeling he had ever felt — was just new to him. 

Growing up the way he did, isolated from the people around him and therefore crushingly alone, he felt like there was a lot of experience he lacked regarding social interaction and relationships outside of a professional setting. He had always been able to excel in his academic career, and he knew how things worked in a classroom and how to work with his fellow students toward an end goal, but outside of that he simply lacked the experience. 

Isaac had been just as unused to it all but hid it well under a cold stare and a nonchalant appearance. They were perfect for each other, learning together and experiencing what it felt like to truly love and be loved in return. It was good for as long as it lasted. 

When you walked into his classroom and looked at him with inquisitive eyes, so eager to learn, so passionate about the subjects, it was hard for him not to notice you. After reading your first essay, Andrew fell in love with the way you expressed yourself and thought about the things he himself had spent hours pouring over. If it was difficult not to fall in love with your mind, it was entirely impossible not to fall in love with you as a whole.

Andrew had often tried to be as stoic as Isaac but found himself always falling short of grasping complete control of his feelings. Still, you had made the first step in the bold essay you submitted and now the two of you were here, sitting on his couch and reading in comfortable silence. 

He never thought he’d be so happy. It was because he loved you, of course. Andrew sighed, looking down at the book in his lap. Love. 

Plato’s Symposium was the sort of literary masterpiece he had read to entertain himself when the mandatory reading of his classes at university was a bit too exhausting to get through. After first reading it as a simple pastime, Andrew had started beginning to get interested in the corpus of the platonic dialogues on his reread and, now, having studied it thoroughly already because it interested him, he had only picked it up again because he was in love for the second time in his life. 

Somehow, only needing to look at you, smell your scent, or read something you wrote made Andrew incredibly sensitive to the love blossoming in his chest. It made reading the Symposium all the more interesting because he could analyze his own feelings and thoughts about love — an aspect that was such a relevant element in his life — and hold them against the ideas of ancient philosophy. 

Having an academic debate about love, its properties and function, was of course entirely different from actually understanding it. 

Andrew reached forward, putting the book on the coffee table and picking up his cup of tea instead. He turned slightly to look at you, resting his shoulder against the back of the couch so he was facing you, still oblivious to the outside world as you read. 

As could be expected from Plato, Socrates’ idea of love was the one that rang the truest. 

Love is the yearning for eternity. It is a connection on a metaphysical level, a connection of souls. With love, we try to create something permanent, something beautiful that quite literally transcends this life and stretches beyond death because when we fall in love, we do not fall in love with their body or their beauty, we fall in love with their soul; and since the soul is eternal so is love, stretching beyond the boundaries of life and making it possible to love someone who is no longer living.

Andrew had fallen in love with your soul and the pressure in his chest was simply the yearning for completion, for eternity that love made him feel.

“What are you thinking about?” you asked, startling Andrew out of his reverie. You had looked up from your book to see his gaze fixed on your face with a concentrated look in his eyes that made you wonder what kind of ideas and thoughts he had come up with. 

Andrew answered, expressing the first thing that came to his mind. He did not want to put the weight of his philosophical musings on you and truthfully, he did not feel ready to share his incomplete and innermost, scrambled thoughts with you quite so soon. “The fall of the Roman Empire.”

You laughed as Andrew's cheeks turned pink. “Are you serious?” you asked, reaching out a hand to run your fingers through his soft hair, “I thought you were more of an ‘ancient Greece’ kind of person?” Andrew leaned into the touch, closing his eyes and humming in contentment. 

“I don’t think you can have one without the other,” he said, taking your hand in his and placing a tender kiss against your palm, making you chuckle. “I love you,” he murmured.

You smiled fondly at him, cupping his cheeks to tilt his head upwards and kiss him. 

#andrew marston #sakuverse #zsakuva #andrew marston x reader

[sunnyrosewritesstuff]

Taking a break from my accomplishments, to celebrate the accomplishments of others. These were the most memorable fics I read that was updated in 2023! I am quite certain I've forgotten some REALLY awesome ones too, so feel free to reblog and add on!

Sunny's 2023 Fic Rec

BAGGINSHIELD

G Rated Fics:

Happy Accidents by Fantasyinallforms- This is one of my favorite modern universes! Just super sweet, complete with idiot in love and clumsy Thorin.

Of Hobbits and Dwarves by Wannano- This is just a really sweet story where Bilbo takes in a family of dwarves and they change his life completely.

Stoneborn by Porphyrios- In all the cabbage patch hobbit/stone born dwarf fics, this one just really stands out all on its own with Bilbo's utter bafflement of the situation at hand.

T Rated Fics:

The Antidote by Atisenia- This is such an interesting premise to a sort of Sleeping Beauty AU.

My Ego Dies by Conkers- This was the unrequited pining but not actually unrequited fic I absolutely 100% NEEDED.

Secret Angel by DomesticGoddess- This just such a fascinating AU with Thorin being an angel in a secret research facility and the twist ending was awesome!

There and Not Back Again (or, The Saving of Erebor) by femmebingley- The dwarven politics in this fic is astounding, and all the characters are so richly enhanced.

When Darkness Shines Brightest by LordOfTheRazzles- This unique take on a Persephone/Hades AU has some of the best character introspection in the fandom.

M Rated Fics:

All Ahead, Full Sail by durinsheir- This is the mermaid AU of mermaid AUs! Full of action and adventure and pirates!

Erebor Books&Cafe by thorinsbeard- Thorin is so cute in this modern soulmate fic that I can't wait to see more of!

The Kitchen Thief by mordelle- "Oh no, it's the nutty baker." BEST LINE EVER!

Makes the Whole World Blind by Chrononautical- This was such a good POV swap for a one-shot I absolutely ADORE!

Show Me My Silver Lining by BiSquared- I am still searching for a male cover of Jolene that would fit to this fic. ALL THE KUDOS!

Stranded by Ticklesivory- I really enjoyed the Sci-Fi/Fantasy clash of this fic and will be here for any and all additions to this fic!

E Rated Fics:

Bruises on the Heart by thehufflepuffhobbit- Of course Robyn never lets us down in smut, but this little soulmate AU was exactly what I was looking for with this kind of trope!

Everybody's After Love by Isclanel- I think I've reread this fic 3 times, the characterizations are just perfect in this modern best man meets the best man fic.

If You Lend a King a Hand by Cranbear- This just so well done with a PWP beginning that grows and adapts to the characters and the interactions and the relationships.

Intertwined by badskippy- I absolutely neeeeed to know the ending to this messed up Greek tragedy of a fic (affectionate).

Nothing Gained by Not Gathering Roses by rosasynstylae- Promiscuous hobbits are always a good idea, even better when they have tails.

Of Palaces and Ruins by livelongandgetiton- In the process of rereading this incredible slowburn modern AU.

Through the mist (I find you) by MiraHerondale- I can't get enough of the 'Thorin has amnesia' trope and when you add on a slice of angst and a dash of guilty smut you get this masterpiece!

Not Rated Fics:

Ambassador to Madness by SunnyRose- Because I might as well sneak a self-rec in there while I'm at it. XD

#sunny recs it #year in review #the hobbit #bagginshield #there were so many awesome fics this year!! #i bet I'm forgetting some really good ones too

[angelicalacrimae]

thinking about that scene in kaze to ki no uta where gilbert is just having fun playing tag with some adults, specifically this one girl called sophia/sofia and she's like, treating him so well, and gilbert doesn't have a mother so auguste KNOWS that the poor thing (7 years old) is seeking her attention in replacement for anne marie's neglect, and so he just goes and says "okay fun is over i need you to come here now" and someone (rebec) mentions how gilbert's light "faded" at that very moment.

"that look isn't normal in a child! that's the face of resignation, he's suppressed all his instinct to fight ..."

and then gilbert (who is 7 at the time, it's been 2 years since the abuse started) walks away with auguste.

there's SO much to say starting with the fact that gilbert's attitude is nothing like the one we're shown in the actual timeline (this is from a flashback) and he's, basically, a whole different person in comparison, which fits with the way auguste raised him.

since his purpose was to make a "perfect masterpiece", he had to strip gilbert of who he was from the root, first attacking his "survival instincts", then treating him as if he was incapable of doing anything or learning anything despite the fact that gilbert taught himself to read (at like, 6-7) because he was interested in art, and so on, auguste is just taking away bits and pieces of gilbert to make him what he wants him to be, but he's never clear with what he's demanding of him so gilbert is a mess

the scene also highlights how he flinches at the sight of auguste, and looks nervous when he approaches him and sofia, but when auguste gives his final veredict (that "playtime is over") he just leaves without saying much, because he knows it's pointless, auguste will do anything to drive the people who care about gilbert away even if they will never do anything to stop the abuse. gilbert knows this subconsciously, i doubt he can explain it, but i think there's some level of acknowledgment on his part.

gilbert is not entirely lost at this point though, he's on his way out but he has some of his instincts, he knows that auguste means danger (also shown by their first meeting, gilbert just keeps repeating "danger, he's dangerous, he'll do something to me". this eventually stops as gilbert realizes auguste is the only person around him who "cares" -it stops after their encounter, the one right after bonnard kidnaps him- and instead of pushing him away, he starts to want to be around him more, the evident fear is no longer there, but auguste still haunts his decisions and the way he interacts with others -serge-)

now, remember rebec???? he knows about the abuse, he's definitely worried about the impact it has on gilbert, but he never does anything to stop it because auguste is a close friend of his. i won't go into detail but. that's realistic!!!! okay ending this point to add:

i think the way gilbert was written and described is really good, and as much as i HATE auguste he's also pretty well written too in a weird way. he has many flaws, but he's a perfect "villain" for this i think.

think of humbert humbert from lolita as a base, both of them use flowery language to make their acts sound less terrible (auguste constantly describes his acts towards gilbert as art, as "necessary for his development", as something that's right despite it not being so)

see 41:50 - 43:40

(it's not really evident in this scene i think? but you can see the way he speaks about it, he makes it sound as if it was something necessary, as if it was something that gilbert will benefit from even though it's just abuse)

gilbert IS a different person than he was years ago, and the only person to blame is auguste, that one scene i mentioned at the beginning is just a transition period between point A (rejection, fear, gilbert doesn't want to indulge in this) and point B (acceptance, he's actively seeking it even if he hates it)

gilbert has never wanted to do this, all he wanted was to be held by someone because everyone around him neglected that need, as serge said once: "he was starved (of love) and i could provide him with that"

but, eventually, he learned to suppress that need and, as the world changed his view on him (hypersexual behaviors that were previously encouraged are now seen as strange and gross, gilbert doesn't understand why the change) gilbert just had to go with it, accepting that he would always be seen as someone bad no matter what, he thinks he's broken in some way, that he will corrupt others if they dare to help him, which i think it's a key point to understand if you want to understand why he acts the way he does towards serge:

"doesn't he hate it? if he does, why is he pushing serge (the only person who ACTUALLY helps him) away?"

because he doesn't THINK he deserves it, he thinks he's going to corrupt serge if he does, everyone thinks that, everyone stays in their lane, no one has ever done anything to stop it and when they tried they were pushed away by auguste, and gilbert wanted auguste's approval! he wants him to like him! so he continues, and the cycle never ends ...

#gilbert cocteau #auguste beau #kaze to ki no uta #風と木の詩 #serge battour #gilbertology

[veintrry]

how he messes with you.

kaeya &/x gn!reader, fluff, teasing, just joking around together, can be rom or platonic, kinda implicitive at the end. I ACCIDENTSLLY WROTW A WHOLE SCENARIO FFS

an: im finally writing something for kaeya for the first time finally holy crap. TO KAEYA STANS, ILY, MARRY ME, MÍ BELLEZAS <3 🫶

i know that without a doubt of my mind he surprises you with his body temperature. You could be minding your business, but know that you are NEVER safe. If he sees an opportunity he will attack. A hand will crawl up your back, and he'll make sure you feel his fingers lightly touching your skin, leaving feathery sensations. However, that is only a warning as for what is to come, because he always. Always. Immediately plants his hand flat against you, just to snicker as he looks at your reaction to his ice cold hand. "Oh, I'm sorry. It seems my hand moved on its own."

The man is flirty, WE KNOW!! MOVE ON!! What about when you flirt back? I've been a true believer in the fact that he'd be taken aback at first only to begin a competition between you two as to who can say the cheesiest stuff or get flustered. Sometimes it gets to a point you guys literally call each other the corniest shit, "Honey bun" "Pookie bear" just in hopes of getting the other to throw in the towel, but it never works.

"Oh, you're making me melt, dear."

"Is that so? Then I should keep you in my arms so you don't collapse."

"Can you do this anywhere but here." Diluc hates having to witness your interactions all the time, he has the most scrutinising astounded face one could make.

> Catching him off-guard isn't exactly impossible, you've realise the way to do it isn't just intentionally being flirty, but giving him genuine compliments and kind gestures out of sheer will. Though he pretends like it has no affect on him, throwing you another sugar coated line of his, "I didn't know you felt so passionately about me, I'm glad. I'll do my best to match you then, hm."

I'm putting this in for my sake; flustered kaeya is a masterpiece. I think if the day comes when you get to see that man unable to gather himself is the day you know the Anemo Archon truly has bestowed upon you the best luck. Maybe the kind act of paying that bards bill served good purpose.

Kaeya's face would be a beauty to look at. It always is, but right now you wish you had a Kamera so you could keep this expression of his saved with you forever. Eye wide, as his icy glacial orb hold your figure in their reflection. His mouth agape, you can see how his mind is attempting to scramble for words, something to say- anything. There's a mix of an orange and red hue coating his cheeks, but the tips of his ears are on flames and you're glad that he ties his hair back because you get to see just how he looks. For the first time, Kaeya breaks eye contact, averting his gaze anywhere else as he coughs into his hand before turning it into a nervous chuckle. He attempts to use his hand as a cover for his face as he swallows thickly, attempting to collect himself. As if you'd allow that.

Grabbing the wrist of the hand that hides his flawless expression from you, you peer over to him and he stares at you, focused, his mouth pursed into a thin line as though he was upset with you despite not putting up a fight when you stepped closer. You gleam as you notice the small details of his face, his lashes fluttering softly, his eye lids narrowing onto you, the hair that frames his face failing to hide his emotions. You chuckle, "What a pretty muse you are.".

That seems to snap him out of it. He turns back into a coughing fit, before facing you again, that seductively menacing grin on his face again, but something is amiss; his eye tells a different tale, one that contradicts his confident stance. "Oh? I'm your muse, am I? If that's the case then how about we take this elsewhere and I'll offer you some inspiration."

#kaeya genshin impact #kaeya headcanons #kaeya fluff #kaeya x reader #kaeya x gender neutral reader #kaeya x y/n #kaeyagenshinimpact #kaeya being kaeya #genshin impact kaeya #diluc suffering

[goliig68]

19 days fic rec

Recommending some of my favourite fics cuz why not! (With no particular order! I'm just starting from the first fic I read until the recent one)

I'm Not A Prostitute by traceytries

( E | 137,970 | 21/? )

He Tian and Red become fuckbuddies. This is an excuse for a whole lot of sexy times and the eventual feelings that come with it.

Note: my comfort fic for real❤ ( ch 10, 20 and 21 screaming at me BITCH WHAT COMFORT????) no but seriously, I really love this fic, a great combination of smut, angst and feelings. Would 100% recommend it 👌

nothing's gonna hurt you, baby by powerandpathos

( M | 50,318 | 7/7 )

Guan Shan's father leaves his family for work in New York at the beginning of the First World War — and is never heard from again.

In the autumn of 1928, thirteen years later, Guan Shan makes his own way to lower Manhattan's Little China to find him, with only the name of the man who signed his father's contract.

When he finds himself falling into the world of America's Roaring Twenties and Tong Wars, and everyone he meets is not quite as they seem, finding his father turns out to be much more complicated than he’d thought.

Note: this fic is a novel quality, like God I'm speechless. I love all the 30s vibe I got from this fic. I love everything about this fic. plot, dialogues and characterization everything about it is awesome.

Aphorism by powerandpathos

( E | 124,529 | 38/38 )

Jian Yi fell back into Zhengxi's life as if he had never gone; He Tian wanted Guan Shan in his and for him to never leave. But this isn't middle school, and they are no longer children, and nothing is that simple anymore.

Note: so angsty, so beautiful. A true masterpiece. I really cannot explain with words that how beautiful this fic is. I really loved how peaceful ending was. Just read it you won't regret it.

unstoppable force // immovable object by welcome2atlantis

( M | 78,173 | 9/? )

Mo Guanshan's latest contractual obligation is He Tian, mafia brat and resident pain in the ass. Only, it's less Mo working security, and more Mo playing nanny and trying to out stubborn his client.

or

Bodyguard!Mo suffers through He Tian's antics and accidentally falls for him in the process.

Note: a funny but also angsty story. I really love the interaction between characters, they really close to the canon (in my opinion) basically he tian is insufferable and guan shan suffers from that 😂 but also guan shan is gay and he tian is sexy and again guan shan suffers from that😂😂 some mental health issues will be discussed in this fic, so be warned if it triggers you.

Still Tripping Over You by AtomicNebula13

( E | 13,733 | 2/2 )

“Little Mo, don't drink anymore.”

The words fall on deaf ears as the slimmer man tries to keep his hold on the bottle but He Tian manages to wrestle it from him, causing some of the liquor to dribble down the redheads chin and neck. Mo stumbles a bit, unsteady on his feet but He Tian's arm wraps around his back to help him regain his balance.

“Stop drinking okay?” He Tian whispers into Mo's ear, knowing that if he doesn't stop him, the other man will most likely get sick. Mo is already sure to have a raging hangover tomorrow.

Bracing himself for harsh words or for Mo to push him away, he is taken aback when Mo clutches onto him, burying his flushed face into He Tian's neck.

Words are slurred out, muffled by his position so He Tian has to hold Mo closer to catch them.

“Chicken dick He... came back?”

Note: a hot, sexy, smuty fic🔥🔥 I'm shamelessly hoping something like this happens in the next Xmas chapter but china's censorship laws...😒 anyway! Just read it, the sex scene is very hot and detailed!

doubtful redemptions by figglypudding

( E | 20,979 | 2/5 )

“I won’t pepper you with personal questions. I won’t offer unsolicited advice or judgment. And I’ll play by your rules.”

His hand slid up from Mo’s wrist to wrap around his angry fist, bringing it towards him until its knuckles rested against his curving mouth. “And in exchange, you'll allow me to show you what it’s like to have a client that actually cares about your pleasure.”

*FORMERLY TITLED these violent delights*

Note: a dark and agsty au. I really love the description of characters, places, surroundings and everything and I'm really curious to know how the relationship between he tian and mo will develop! Please pay attention to tags and author's notes, when I said it's a dark au I really mean it! (Please check out author's other works in 19 days fandom! They are all great, and author has a great talent in writing hot and detailed smut scenes 🔥👌)

Found in Translation by mgsdays (regencyaus)

( T | 11,890 | 1/1 )

They meet on a train, going through a rural area in China. He Tian's feeling disillusioned with his brother and is running from the business meeting he's supposed to be in in Shanghai. That's about the time the hot redhead enters the train car and sits opposite him, murmured 'scuse me falling quietly from his lips.

One problem. Well, two: the guy is on the wrong seat. He Tian knows that he is because He Tian bought out every seat in the train car. He has no way to let the guy know that, considering He Tian doesn't speak a word of Chinese besides ni hao and his own name.

Which leads to problem two: redhead is breathtaking, fucking beautiful, and has an attitude to boot, and He Tian really, truly needs to make out with him, which will be difficult, considering, yeah, He Tian doesn't speak a word of Chinese besides ni hao and his own name.

He has a few hours on this train. It's going to be a long ride.

Note: so cute and wholesome💞 I was smiling the whole time reading it. I literally laughed when he tian was trying to show mo that they should kiss😂 really loved it!

lanterns on the lake by powerandpathos

( T | 17,760 | 1/1)

‘Will you kiss me?’

He Tian’s mouth opens, and he searches Guan Shan’s face, looking for something. He hasn’t taken a single step forward.

‘You’re really drunk,’ he says eventually.

‘So you won’t.’

‘Ah, fuck. Guan Shan.’ He chuckles without humour and scratches the back of his neck. ‘Listen to yourself—you barely let me touch you in case someone sees and now you want me to kiss you? That doesn’t make sense. It makes me feel a bit used, to be honest.’

Guan Shan pulls on a defiant expression. ‘Do you care?’

‘You won’t like me if I say no, so I’m going to say nothing.’

Note: oh man, wish I could add every fic written by powerandpathos here... this fic is so amazing, so angsty. I nearly fucking cried, I couldn't with all of feelings put in this fic, like, oh my god. Just read it, That's all I have to say.

fire and the flood by fayre

( M | 33,643 | 5/35 )

At this point, Guan Shan is no longer sure if it’s in his nature or if it’s been nurtured by the war.

After all, you can only nurture the best of the best when the world is slowly coming to a fucking end.

 or: Pacific Rim AU, in which Guan Shan is a hopeless recruit, He Tian is a legacy more than anyone can handle, and the world is crashing down around their ears faster than they can process. It's a matter of finding something worth fighting for — but their futures are slipping through their fingers with every passing minute.

Note: this is like...my all time favourite au. Just seeing the "Pacific rim au" made me drop whatever I was doing and read this for the rest of day. And now I'm HOOKED and I'm thinking about this fic every day. I Don't know if author has any plans continuing this fic or no so enjoy what there is for now :')

True north by fayre

( M | 34,946 | 4/? )

“Do you think I’ll kill you?”

He Tian swallows. Says, “Not particularly.”

A pause. The night swallows them whole, relentless, and He Tian wishes it’d do a better job at hiding the expression Guan Shan shows him now.

“Do you think I should?” Guan Shan asks him.

“That’s not my decision to make.”

“But it was,” Guan Shan says, voice rough. “That night. I think you should’ve killed me. I think it would’ve been easier.”

And He Tian, staring at the ceiling, his spine digging into the floorboards, and far too aware of those amber eyes piercing him through the dark, says: “I think so, too.”

Note: a shapeshifter, historical fantasy au. I think about this fic every day too :') I'm literally dying to know how the relationship between he tian and guan would develop. Between two enemies who only know how to interact with their claws and arrows.

Vulnerability by powerandpathos

( E | 7,811 | 1/1 )

He Tian and Guan Shan try something new (aka bottom!He Tian)

Note: I know that not everyone are a big fan of bottom!He tian, but if you're like me, like to see he tian in vulnerable and submissive positions, then this fic is for you😈

desecration by fayre

( M | 29,719 | 5/11 )

It couldn’t have meant so little, stardust in the face of planets. It couldn’t have meant so little because, if it did, Guan Shan would no longer be able to recognize himself as the person he became in the aftermath. He’d be hollowed out, stripped of the lessons learned and the perspectives changed like loose threads on a tapestry being pulled apart. He couldn’t bear the thought that all of this — the fighting, the understanding, the falling, the loss, the violent and unceremonious unearthing — had been for nothing.

It was too painful to have been for nothing.

 or: seven years later, he tian and jian yi return home. everyone has some healing to do.

Note: forget everything from Xmas special chapters. This is, this is the shit. This is the real angsty shit. That kind of angst that breaks your heart and you can hear the shattering. I have to check the tags every time to make sure it's happy ending😭 ( read everything written by fayre, all of their fics are beautiful and well written)

fairy tales by powerandpathos

( M | 18,001 | 1/1 )

‘You’re looking for a way out,’ he says quietly. ‘You think I’m everythin’ you're not. Free to say what I want, be where I want to be. None of it’s real.’

‘You make it easy to feel like it is.’

Guan Shan nods. Knowing he’s only met Prince He Tian three times, and knowing the truth of it is inexplicable, he says, ‘So do you.’

Note: AHHHH I really love this fic, it's really beautiful🥹💞 Prince!he tian falling in love with guan shan at the first sight. It's a beautiful royalty au.

I hold you, you hold me by Asfodel

( T | 4,434 | 1/1 )

He Tian, tall, handsome, dapper He Tian could be considered great in a lot of areas. People around him praised his manners, his perfect grades, his hand writing was neat, he was athletic, eloquent, charming and self-aware enough to be absurdly confident. Guan Shan would add that he was also excellent at being a pain in the ass.

Sleeping, however, wasn’t his forte.

-

Or He Tian has nightmares but he also has Guan Shan.

Note: this fic is really beautiful, wholesome and lovely 😭💞💞 it's also very underrated, please go read it, it literally swooned my heart ❤

Aaaand that's all! I wanted to add every fic I've read but it's already getting too long so I added the ones I really, really liked! But please read every fic written by these authors, every each of them are great and talented authors, and they have written great fics for 19 days fandom! Thank you to all authors out there, yall are amazing and I love you😭❤🫂

#19 days #fanfic #19 days fanfic #tianshan #zhanyi

[jimilter-recs]

PARK JIMIN | APR-JUN ’22 FIC RECS

⇰ hey, everyone! welcome to my quarterly fic recs list, featuring the love of my life, park jimin. 💛

❥ welcome! i’m a week late and the list is really short by my standards. the reason to which might be the fact that most of may and all of june were pretty busy months for me, and i was able to only catch up w fics when i was unwell and bedridden (which happened twice, unfortunately :\).

❥ length: there are the regular three categories based upon lengths: one-shots, series and drabbles; no smaus in this quarter, i'm afraid.

❥ ps! this list contains fics that i have read within these months, not just the fics that were posted during this time!

❥ WARNING ❥ MOST OF THESE WILL BE 18+ AND CONTAIN EXPLICIT SMUT - MINORS SHOULD STRICTLY NOT INTERACT.

❥ legend:

a - angst | f - fluff | s - smut | d - drama | h - humor rating - pg-13 | pg-15 | 18+ tw - trigger warnings - including: mentions of insecurities, mental illness, abuse, infidelity, violence, blood, gore, any death, and more. check fic warnings before you proceed. ❥ - absolute favorites that i’ll remember forever!

∘ love me better - @taegularities | a, d, s, f | 18+  ❥ i got the chance to beta this mind-blowing fic by ridziette (although my hectic schedule didn’t allow me to complete the task blown away! an honest to god masterpiece of a suspense thriller! doesn’t even feel like a fic most of the time, it’s a whole-ass movie, guys! <3

∘ sexcapade - @hamsterclaw​ | h, f | 18+ so i inhaled most of rei’s masterlist but haven’t yet screamed abt all the fics, i will, asap! but this one - wow! there’s no actual smut in here but the entire story revolves around sex. the banter, jimin’s sexiness, oc being relatable - i love everything abt the fic! <3

∘ let’s get quizzical - @taleasnewastime | a, h, s, d, h | 18+ ❥ one of the most amazing f2l fics i’ve ever read!!! jimin’s cluelessness, oc’s pining, the angst bec oc is a pessimist like me - and oh! their entire bunch of idiots? everything is sO good! i read it back in april and while looking for the link, i read it again yesterday, lmao. <3

∘ nectar - @gimmethatagustd​ | a, s, d, h, f | 18+ | tw this is a vamoire!reader x human!jimin - a rare and intriguing foundation, to begin with. and then you take in their personalities, and this fic becomes a delightful ride! jimin is the cutest bean in the whole world, oc is in her goth era and we also have nikki being the kind of friend i crave to have irl. the friendship and the chemistry between oc and jimin - chef’s kiss! please read this and shower jai w the love they deserve, y’all! <3

∘ limitless - @kimvtae​ | a, d | pg-15 | tw  brutally smashed my heart, but if you know me, you know that i enjoyed every bit of it. (: this one has an open end and man i love the way it is left on an ominous note sO mucH! <3

∘ arte factum - @lolabangtan​ | a, d, s | 18+ | tw  oh god this fic gave me the shivers!!! amazingly woven story, with both the smut and the mystery hitting exactly the right way! absolutely loved everything from start to the end, but especially the end. <3

∘ meet me at the finish line - @parkdatjimin​ | a, d, s, h , f | 18+ | tw   ❥ jimin in this fic??? the biggest sweetheart ever, okay? he’s so caring and kind and just overall wonderful, even when him and oc are supposed to be rivals. :( their rivalry is such a cute journey, tho. loved the way it developed as they aged, and then the way their romance bloomed from it. <3

∘ i still want you - @parkdatjimin​ | a, s, d | 18+ the way this tore my heart apart and then julienned it? oc’s pov was bad enough, but then we had to see things from jimin’s pov too??? why, mindy, whY must you be so amazing at portraying gut-wrenching heartbreak? :( i love this fic so much!

∘ freak in you​ - @pshychives​ | s, f | 18+ okay, so this one is a steamy ride and a half - hot af and so well written! please, the way oc and jimin can’t get enough of each other? made me horny cry so many times, ughhh. absolutely amazing, dear writer, i am biting my knuckles as i write this bec this was too sexy! <3

∘ a remedy for mondays - @dovechim​ | a, s, h, d | 18+​ this one is such a unique story! a hilarious but also emotional ride all the way through. absolutely loved reading it <3

∘ love again - @taestefully-in-luv​ | a, s, d, h | 18+  ❥ ahhh, one of the most amazing series i’ve followed in a while! dear writer does a brilliant job writing the most perfect humor, heartbreak and smut! aside from the amazing amazing chemistry bw jimin and oc, i love every other element of the fic thoroughly as well - from hobi’s friendship w oc, tae’s obsession w jimin and oc, the whole lucy thing (ew), dae’s entanglement w you-know-who, jeremy and naomi and even joon!!! <333

∘ gemini - @hamsterclaw | a, d, s, h, f | 18+ this whole au has my entire heart, ugh, especially yoongi’s playboy self and the bond he shares w oc​, contrary to it! this fic, godddd, it hurt so bad but healed so good. the second half of this story, please, we love an oc who can build her life the way she wants to! <3

∘ fwb with jimin - @btssmutgalore​ | s | 18+ dee is a smut connoisseur, her blog’s name says it all, there’s no debate. and this is another masterpiece on her list. the subtle friend’s-sister backstory makes this all the more steamier, and when dom!jimin jumps out? mahhhn, we need some air-conditioning in here! this one is too good! <3

∘ adonis - @xjoonchildx​ | h | pg-16 ana wrote a 3k+ words drabble so she’s my role model now. (: LMAO, this fic is so fkn hilarious, man! i absolutely LOVE mrs. yun - how to be her neighbor, pls??? and as oc asked, who tf is doing recruitment in the city? lolol and the doordash driver giving her a thumbs up at the end? reading this fic felt like i was watching a romcom and i appreciated every second of it! <3

❥ note: that is all i got for now! a total of 14 fics with 9 one-shots, 3 series and 2 drabbles!

as always, there is a strong chance i might have read something but forgotten to save it, in which case i will include it in the next list when i find it again. i really hope all the readers, out there, make use of this list and give all these fics a try and all these wonderful writers some much deserved love! ❤️

#bts #jimin #park jimin #jimin smut #park jimin smut #bts smut #park jimin fluff #park jimin angst #bts fluff #bts fanfiction #park jimin imagine #bts angst #bts imagines #bts imagine #jimin fluff #jimin angst

[wandering-tides]

TNE Fandom where are you?

Sujin shippers where are you?

I have Fics to Rec

I don't really go out of my way to rec fics (and I dunno why I have never done this before on tumblr), but BY GOD, have these two fics taken a special place in my heart.

I ADORE everything about them.

They are both Suho x Hajin ships

But the ship aside, I am so incredibly grateful for the authors to have brought them to life and allowed us to read these absolute GEMS of a fic in this little, little fandom of The Novel's Extra.

Really, y'guys have no idea how giddy and excited I get at every update.

Now, the fic in question?

1. Flowers of Agápē by DescendedGaia (Not sure if the author has a tumblr or any other social media... but lemme know if you want me to tag you :) )

Kim Hajin is a failure. There's no two ways to look at that objective truth. It's a truth that resonates through how others look at and ridicule him. It's a truth that echoes infinitely inside his head, compounding and doubling down on his inadequacies. It's a truth, despite the unconditional love of two parents that soothe but cannot dispel those haunting doubts. Kim Suho is simply perfection. The desperate vessel and ideal of Hajin's "ifs" and wishes. Because Kim Suho, the protagonist of Hajin's novel, is everything Hajin wants to be for his parents and more. But, that same story falls apart at the seams the same way Hajin has lost faith in himself. Yet, as the common narrative dictates, everything begins anew with an innocuous email requesting to remake Hajin's novel, his desperation and desire incarnate.

*** Alternatively, the extremes of Korean culture break Kim Hajin into someone who feels much more acutely, and everything shifts to the left.

This is such a MASTERPIECE. Hajin's characterisation in here is just *chefs kiss*. For me, thats one of the biggest plus points in this fic. Hajin is so much more emotionally sensitive in here and feels far more acutely than in the orignal, as should have been.

This fic has been adressing almost all the points that made me frown at or dislike in the orignal novel and manhwa (and from what I can notice, almost every one too).

This fic is kinda a rewrite of the orignal novel, (tho the author follows the manhwa flow of the story) with added Suho interactions, and such good characterization of Hajin, I fell in love at first read LMAO.

So far, there aren't any major spoilers (unless you read the author end note, where they give their own tid-bits of the chap, which sometimes contain spoilers too, or go to the comment section which may sometimes give you spoilers to the novel lol) If you are caught up with the manhwa, or atleast the season 1 of manhwa, then so far there won't be any spoilers for you!

And I think i'll stop talking about it here cuz if I keep going, I think i'll end up giving in-fic spoilers Lmao

(Oh, btw, this updates every other thursday! So far, it's been consistent in its updates ^^)

So onto the next fic!

2. Mountain To No one by @thek1ngtalks (as k1ng0fn0b0dy on ao3)

There's a number on his smartwatch that leads to nowhere. Suho's gotten in the habit of texting it throughout his day. Today, it texted back.

_ Or, in a world missing Kim Hajin, everyone is worse off. Fixing this starts with (a lot of) text messages between a protagonist and his missing piece.

And Man.... where do I begin? I have SO MUCH to say about this fic but I think i'll end up spoiling the whole fic if I start lmao. It's just so good dammit. Just gonna say that this fic takes after the end of the novel, after the conclusion. Only couple few remembers Hajin in the orignl right? Well, in this fic, nobody does. But Suho is probably (???) Going to be the first to remember... I dunno tbh, the fic is only 2 chaps in (and yes, I really adore it already)

I love what the author did with Suhos character and how he is dealing with the aftermath of... everything. Same goes for Hajin, and I love where they seems to be taking this fic. How they characterizes these two main characters and everything.

Listen, I have a LOT to say but i'll just end up giving spoilers so really go read it for yourself. This is another MASTERPIECE of a fic and I am so grateful for its presence in this little TNE fandom TT

Really, thankyou for such amazing fics authors!!

And that's all from me!! Lol I was so excited while writing this XD (could you tell? Lol)

(I edited this post twice because of all the typos I ended up making in excitement LMAO)

#TNE #the novel's extra #sujin #tne kim hajin #kim hajin #tne kim suho #kim suho #tne evandel #tne evangel #evandel #evangel #fic rec #tne fic #these are MASTERPIECES #You guys *really* need to read them #fr fr #fic on ao3 #ao3 fic #Mountain to no one #Flowers of Agápē #flowers of agape

[witchofthemidlands]

I finally finished Bad Sisters, I found it difficult to watch in places, I’ll be honest & I’m not sure I could have been able to watch it if we, as the audience didn’t know that JP was dead in the beginning, not because of anything wrong with the show but because I found his scenes so uncomfortable to watch. I genuinely think it is one of the best shows I have ever seen. The writing, the story as a whole, the characters, the acting & the music 🤩 everything about it was absolutely phenomenal. The villain was incredibly well written because not only did he make me feel nauseated every time he was on screen. HE WAS JUST A PRICK! There was no tragic backstory, no trying to explain away his behaviour with this reason or another, he was just a DESPICABLE MONSTER & we need more villains like that. The dark humour was so witty & so well executed, some moments i may have to gif because words would never do some of those scenes justice (the chaos of the boat scene, every time they're on the phone to grace wondering if they succeeded)

Bibi Garvey was my favourite, from start to finish I absolutely loved that woman. Her passion & determination to get the job done was everything. The only thing I wish is that there had been more of her with her wife, Nora & their son (I also think Nora should have helped with the plotting 😈). Eva Garvey coming in close second, her love for her sisters, how she would do anything for them & that scene with her & her sisters around the table when they find out what really happened absolutely broke my heart. Grace Garvey unexpectedly became one of my favourites by the end, especially in the last episode 😍 her journey was incredible, i cannot wait to see her in season 2 now that she is completely free of the trash between a racoons toes. I loved Becka Garvey as well, I saw a lot of myself in her but what she did near the end was the only thing I couldn’t really get past even though it was an accident & i do genuinely think poor Minna would have been killed by The Prick. Ursula, I liked her, I really did but for personal reasons I just found it difficult to like her as much as the others.

Honestly what I loved the most about it was that it was so clear that whilst they were planning a murder, it was completely justified, there was NEVER a moment where i thought, ‘oh, this is wrong’ oh no, I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE IT SOONER! I genuinely think they'd have gotten away with it & all because of how much of a loathsome prick he was which is why the insurance people INFURIATED ME (not matt in the end though because he clearly realised that the guy was an a grade PRICK & did the right thing) because when it came to the murder, the sisters were not bad to me, they were completely in the right 100% of the time because JPrick was disgusting, he was horrible, vile creature, an absolute abomination of a man, they created the most unbearable character I have ever seen in all my years of watching television & I feel so bad now for the rather harsh words I wrote about Claes Bang's acting in a certain bbc show (which i now feel like i should actually finish watching one day) for part of a writing project for my degree because CLEARLY I was wrong about him, he IS a good actor, he acted The Prick in a way that I had to look down at my phone nearly every time he was on screen because the character was that horrific & uncomfortable to watch in the way that he spoke & moved around the sisters, his wife, his daughter, his neighbour & well, everyone he interacted with & I think it’s because I have met people exactly like that character in real life & I have felt the same emotions the sisters portrayed when in the presence of someone like that.

ANYWAY! Bad Sisters is the best show I've watched all year & it deserves all the awards, all the hype & all the praise because it is a masterpiece. ALL THE STARS 🤩🤩🤩

#bibi garvey #eva garvey #grace garvey #becka garvey #ursula flynn #matt claffin #bad sisters #sarah greene #sharon horgan #anne marie duff #eve hewson #eva birthistle #claes bang #kat’s thoughts 🍄

[astroboots]

Hiiiii I see that you and thirstworld collaborate a lot (and I love your work lmao 🤤). Can you explain how you two collaborate? Like, what your process is? Do you share a word doc, take turns writing chapters, something else? Thanks ❤️❤️

Hi nonny!!! Sorry it's taken a while to answer this. I wanted to take some proper time to answer this, since writing with @thirstworldproblemss is my favorite part of the writing process, and I was trying to pin down exactly how we make it work and the honest answer is:

utter chaos?

There is no real logic in all honesty, we do everything under the sun.

The collaboration comes in many forms.

Most of the time it's a side product of just how many hours, minutes and seconds of the day we spend talking to each other? This includes DM, Whatsapp, Discord, Tumblr messages (though that has taken the backburner since their messaging function is chaos and I rarely check it), sometimes we call each other when there's a long roadtrip. Sometimes we will be half awake insomniac and half conscious texting each other messages riddled with typos lyksalksdassisdis.

A lot of times before we write, be it a oneshot, a chapter or a headcanon that is never posted, it starts with one of us going:

"Hey you know what would be interesting? if ..." and off to the races we go. A lot of times one of us will throw a scenario of the character we're horny for at the hour, and throw a prompt at the other going: how do you think they'd react.

Our favourite thing is the 101 various AUs we have of every damn character. High School AU of Homecoming where the trio gets together (Frankie is an exchange student?) Royal Historical AU! where Santiago and Boa are betrothed and Frankie is a war captive? What about an angsty Frankie/Santi FWB in high school AU? etc etc etc

Sometimes one of us (most like TWP) will write a whole masterpiece of a fic from beginning to end in the DMs, and it's a matter of copying and pasting into the Gdocs. Sometimes one of us will start something and the other finish. Sometimes we play baton where one of us writes a paragraph then the other takes over.

For Red Flags. It was me holding TWP captive and hostage for over a year. (Much like what I'm doing with EYEM) talking her ear off, and both of us going over the chapter over and over planning in meticulous detail only to throw it out and write something completely different anyhow. (We must've rewritten chapter 6 four times from scratch until both of us were in absolute tears).

The main thing I'd say about our collaboration is that there is a lot of trust between us. Co-writing with someone requires a lot of vulnerability because writing can be something very personal, and if you do not feel close to the person it can throw up a lot of emotions you didn't expect.

We've also known each other for three years now, and talk a ridiculous amount. Often when we plan stories there will be at least a handful of times during the interaction of one night where we both suggest the exact same thing within seconds of each other and then we burst out laughing.

I trust TWP with everything I write, to the point where when she beta/edit, I do not review the changes, there's no tracked changes, because she has full editing permission on my stories, because I know she will be better at knowing what I wanted and intended to write better than I did.

I cannot stress this enough that while TWP might not be listed as a co-writer in everything I write (because she refuses to let me give her the credit she is due), she is an integral part of everything I write because I will consult her, brainstorm with her, she will suggest scenes, pacing, re-organise scenes that do not fit etc, before a story is posted. She is the unseen masterpupeteer of all my writing, and more importantly without her writing would not be as fun as it is for me, and I don't know if I would write as much or as often as I do without her.

Writing can sometimes be an incredibly lonely process and I have been lucky and fortunate enough to have a friend who never makes me feel lonely

I remember watching a John Mulaney and Bill Hader interview where they talked about stage fright and Bill Hader was talking about how to cope with anxiety, whenever he performed on SNL he only looked at John and was performing for John. if John laughed then he did his job. That's very much how I feel when I am writing and posting things here. When I write something TWP is my first and foremost audience I have in mind. So long as she laughs or is horny, then I know I've done my job.

#💌 ask

[drawthething]

Hey there! Here's a hard one. What are your top ten favorite Bob's Burgers episodes? 💖

You're enabling my ramble braincell by letting me do a top 10 list and for that I love ya ❤️ Okay okay here we go (I ranted about the first 3 eps a while ago so imma be real quick with them)

1. The Runaway Club: brilliant amazing perfect 👌👌👌 It's like they put all of my favourite candy favours in a jar!! Definitely my go to bobs ep at any time

2. The Oeder games: suuuch a good season finale 😭 We're getting Mr. Fischoeder and all these fun side characters along with Bob's glorious shining moments

3. Ex mach Tina: "oh it's a Tina & Jimmy Jr ep no wonder why you love it" yeah yeah yeah pffft. It's a super good and hilarious one too 😭 All the plots are so fun and god I'll never shut up about my boy's musoems

4. Yes without my Zeke: look, it's a Zeke & Jimmy Jr ep and you know I'd eat it up any day!! Their precious interactions from the beginning to the end just bless my heart ❤️ And it's a heist kind of ep sooo 👀👌 There's Frond, there's Branca and bam! Golden comedy! I like Randy's B plot and Arnold too :D My only issue would be that Tina's distaste towards Zeke is pretty ooc considering this is s9. A little injustice to their current dynamic I think

5. Mother daughter laser razor: best s3 ep? Linda & Louise interactions in the whole episode crack me up. Their little bond moment in the end though 😭. This is probably my favourite Logan & Cynthia ep too, they're so golden!! I LIVE for that Freaky Friday rant and the "Diiiie, Logan!" pffffft. And the B plot is so fun, Bob waxing his legs with Tina, letting Gene wax his legs and the little pep talk are both so funny and lovely!

6. The kids run away: probably my fav Louise episode :D Sooo many good lines. "Bribing Louise? We don't have that kind of money". I really love Gayle in this one. Like her apocalypse night rant? Pfffft. And her helping out Louise in the end ❤️ There's also Dr. Yap and the whole "SQUAAAT!" thing

7. Work hard or die trying girl: musical battles baby!! MUSICALS!! I love Gene & Courtney interactions in this one :D And you know I'd dig any ep where they manage to put these many Wagstaff kids together! They're all so perfect! Labonz's great, the ending play's great (actually no it's AMAZING), the outro's great! I'd kill for another episode like this one

8. Best Burger: good? So good? The whole fig store flashback itself is perfecta!! I fricking love the dialogues and voice acting in this one. How they address Gene's flaw and how it's kinda flipped to Bob's flaw too and how it's resolved during Gene's last minute delivery is 👌 Definitely one of their best moments. Super fun ep that's unexpectedly sweet :] Also Mickey and that drunk flashback scene pffffft

9. Bob Day Afternoon: why is this ep so fricking funny?? The legendary phone call bit is everything!! Mickey & Bosco are 👌. And Tina 😭 precious and hilarious as always. The family clinging onto Bob before he delivers burgers is both so funny and oddly sweet. Idk why I like it so much, I just pick this ep everytime I wanna go unwind mindlessly wheezing for 20 minutes pffft

10. Sea me now: my fav Teddy episode :] I don't think it's a masterpiece kind of ep but something about it just gives me looots of good vibes. The storyline is pretty fun, Teddy's arc is so lovely, and Tina's cellphone plot is so stupidly funny. I especially love the ending, always so heartfelt to me ❤️ (but it's Teddy so there're funny lines interrupting too pffft)

#thanks babs :D #i argued with my own braincells while choosing the episodes cuz there are still sooo many good ones i love #eh these are nice enough to pick #bobs burgers #asks

[vulpes-fennec]

Pumpkin Fields Forever (Part 3) 🎃

Summary: The Harvest Festival saga continues as Elain and Lucien finally have a conversation longer than 5 minutes and begin to ~see~ each other. 

TW: Mentions of violence/gore

“Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see. It’s getting hard to be someone but it all works out, it doesn’t matter much to me”

Read: Part 1 | Part 2 | AO3

Elain had made a beeline for the apple cider booth after the corn maze. She was parched, and hungry. Lucien had wordlessly stepped in front of her to pay for the drinks, but Elain silently muscled him out of the way. She would sooner rip her daisies out of the ground than be indebted to him. Allowing Lucien to pay was also too close to courting, and she would not allow their interactions to cross that line today.

In the end, neither of them won. The vendor recognized Elain as Feyre’s sister, giving them the ciders free of charge and adding sweet rice cakes on the house. Elain forced down her annoyance and thanked the vendor for his generosity.  

Elain hesitated when it came to picking up the food. What if I accidentally accept the mating bond by casually passing food to Lucien? She hesitated so long that Lucien ended up putting the refreshments on a tray himself.

Elain managed to pay for two slices of pumpkin pie at another booth, adding them to Lucien’s tray. Her gaze lingered on a delicious-looking pear crumble, but she decided to walk on. The two silently settled in a small table under an orange and yellow-leaved oak. 

“Wait here,” were Lucien’s first words to her in a while. Elain stared at Lucien’s retreating back, confused. I just want to eat. Does he really trust me to just stay here? Because there’s nothing stopping me from leaving…Elain glanced around, noting how everybody at the Harvest Festival was in an easy, happy mood. She seemed to be the only one who was a ball of nervous energy.  

He returned in less than five minutes. Elain’s eyes widened eagerly: Lucien had gotten the pear crumble from the pastry booth earlier. “I saw you were eyeing these…” he trailed off, tan face darkening with blush when she looked up at him. 

“Thank you,” Elain mumbled, mindful of her fingers when she took the bowl from him. He took the extra effort just for me. Elain didn’t know how to feel about it. She felt touched by the gesture, but…perhaps he was only motivated by the mating instincts to provide for her. 

Every item was perfectly spiced and sweetened, cooked to perfection. It was agonizing to be eating the food in silence, when all Elain wanted to do was comment on the dishes. She could’ve sworn Lucien smiled a bit when she inhaled the pear crumble, washing it down with a gulp of hot apple cider. 

She would have to recreate this masterpiece in the kitchen next week. Ginger seemed to be the special warming ingredient, and maybe even cinnamon…

“You didn’t like it when Daniela’s mother referred to you as Feyre’s sister. Or when the vendor gave us free food after recognizing you as an Archeron.” 

Elain blinked slowly, looking up from her rice cakes. “There’s nothing wrong with being an Archeron,” she replied neutrally. 

Lucien arched an eyebrow. “Does disliking special treatment make you feel ashamed? Because you’re worried it’ll come off as ungrateful?” 

Elain squirmed with discomfort. “Are you asking me or are you speculating?” 

“I think you feel bad because you’ve relied on Feyre your whole life.” Lucien’s gold eye focused on her with a whirr. “You’re struggling to break out of that cycle, am I right?”

“Is this interrogation happening because I didn’t let you pay?” Elain stabbed her rice cake with a little extra force. She regretted eating the pear crumble now. He must’ve given me it to butter me up, she thought with dismay. 

“Let you pay? With what money?” Lucien chuckled. Elain seethed at his taunt, his foxy countenance. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been so annoyed at an attractive male. Men and males—especially handsome ones—tended to be agreeable with her.

“Fine. I may not have an official job.” Saying it out loud cemented how she didn’t have a major role at the Night Court, no matter how many charities she worked or parties she planned. Elain hated it.

Lucien has a bigger role than me and he’s hardly here. That’s not fair. She found a way to retort, and proceeded to use it. “But Rhys and Feyre pay you, so you’re relying on Feyre too, aren’t you?” 

That seemed to knock Lucien down a few pegs, but he recovered quickly. “It seems my lady and I agree on one thing: we don’t like being on the Night Court’s payroll. But the difference between you and me—” he leaned closer, his scent and smirk making Elain’s head spin “—is that I don’t pretend to enjoy it.”

Elain felt like a deer staring at a notched arrow. She’d spent less than a whole day with this male over the last few years, yet he’d already identified something she kept hidden from everybody else. This is precisely why I don’t want to spend time with him. He’ll be running once he knows my horrible thoughts. “You can’t just peek into the bond—” 

“You hardly send anything down the bond,” Lucien replied dryly. “Everything I’ve said has been the product of my prior knowledge and current observations.” 

Elain glowered at him as she took a sip of her cider. So he HAS been reading me like the emissary he is. That is hardly any more reassuring than knowing he isn’t using the bond. “Well, congratulations,” she said sarcastically. “You are correct. I don’t like it when people treat me differently because of my sisters.” 

Lucien clenched his jaw slightly at her tone. “I take no happiness in your misery, my lady.” 

A small silence passed, with Elain struggling to get ahold of herself while Lucien slowly munched his pie. “Speaking of the…the bond. You send things to me.” 

Lucien froze mid-bite. He set down his spoon apprehensively. “When? What did I send?”  

“It wasn’t very often. When you t-tugged on it? In the townhouse. And during the Solstice, I felt you were…disappointed.” The words were sludge in her throat. Speaking them into existence meant acknowledging that she played a part in that disappointment when she spurned his gift. “And today, twice. At the petting zoo.” 

“Ah. I’m sorry.” Lucien’s eyes flicked down, avoiding Elain. “I try to keep things to myself but it looks like some things have slipped through.” 

Hiding his emotions must be a massive mental strain. Elain understood the strain all too well. But if I let him relax his hold, then the constant connection would remind me of the bond waiting to be addressed. 

Lucien is a permanent fixture for the rest of my immortal life…does he even WANT such responsibility? Would he want me if the bond did not exist?

“You come out swinging while I’m trying to enjoy some dessert,” Elain huffed, trying to break the awkwardness. “My turn. How did you lose your eye? And why are you ashamed of it?” 

“I’m not ashamed of it,” he replied defensively. “I just…I know it’s intimidating to look at. I used to be quite the handsome male, you know.” He smirked again at Elain, waiting for her reaction. 

Elain only blinked at him with an expression of neutrality. She bit the urge to tell him he was still good-looking. “So you’re self-conscious,” she supplied instead. 

Lucien shrugged. “I had a mask stuck to my face for 49 years.” He paused, glancing down at his hands. “Seeing how old friends looked at my new face differently, how children shrank back in fear…that was why I glamoured myself around Daniela. I’m still self-conscious around new people.” 

“You didn’t glamour yourself when you met me,” Elain pointed out. 

Lucien’s russet eye flicked towards her. “You’d already seen me at Hybern.” His voice quiet at the horrible memory. “But you did look at me differently with the glamour. So if you prefer me to keep it on—”

“No,” Elain said sharply. “No. I’d prefer it if you appeared to me…as you are.” Lucien’s face was hesitantly relieved at her admission. 

Perhaps her acceptance of his face was what prompted him to ask, “You know who Amarantha is, right?” 

She nodded. The Hybern general who trapped all the High Lords, who assaulted Rhys for 50 years, who killed Feyre and Clare Beddor. “Well, Tam wanted me to deliver a message as emissary. A rejection of her romantic advances wrapped up in a political package and let’s just say that the witch did not take it well. Her sheer entitlement and cruelty reminded me of my father, Beron…I lost my temper and told her to go back to the shit-hole she crawled out of.” 

If Lucien’s use of coarse language bothered Elain, she didn’t show it. “And then what?” she breathed. 

“Amarantha did not take that well, either. One minute I was standing in front of her, the next I was on the ground, unable to see out of my left eye.” Lucien grimaced, and his metal eye stuttered in distress. “With my right eye, I saw her holding what remained of my left one. She swiftly crushed it under her boot.” The image of such violence shook Elain to her core. 

Lucien shuddered, paling visibly. It took all of Elain’s self-control to not reach for his hand, to steady the rapid thump-thump-thumping of his heart. He continued. “I staggered out of the room, blood pouring down my face. I managed to winnow back to Tam’s manor before passing out…and when I came to, I realized that no amount of Fae healing could remake an eye. Or heal the scar she’d left on my face. That was how deeply she raked her poisoned nails into me.” 

Elain felt sick. Feyre’s right, she thought angrily. Amarantha did not suffer enough. For what she did to everybody. What she did to Lucien. He didn’t deserve any of it. 

A roaring sound arose in her ears. “I hope she’s rotting in hell,” she muttered with deadly venom. A desire for vengeance turned her normally soft eyes into hardened stone. Lucien’s gold eye whirred and spun while his russet one regarded her unflinchingly. 

“I’ve upset you.” His gentle voice reminded Elain’s instincts that he was alive, that he was safe from any danger. She blinked, realizing she was breathing hard and gripping her fork with a clenched fist.

It was a moment before she could speak again. “I’m not upset at you…just upset because you feel the need to hide it,” Elain said quietly. “If people knew what you’d been through…how you survived…they would recognize your bravery like Daniela’s father.” 

She meant every word of it. Even though the logical part of her brain was telling her to stop engaging with Lucien, the softer side of her wanted to comfort him, to gently trace his scar and take away the pain he felt over his looks.

This isn’t real, she told herself. It’s the bond, making you feel this way. Right?

“Thank you, my lady.” Lucien hesitantly touched her hand on the table, sending a thrill through Elain. His broad palm was warm in the autumn chill. “Your words mean a lot to me.” 

Elain nodded, throat closing up. If they were having a heart-to-heart now, perhaps she could ask him about things like her father’s final days or Lucien’s experiences living in the human lands.

But Lucien seemed to have other things in mind. He’d shrugged off the somber mood with a wry grin and stood up. “No more moping about my past. How does a carnival game sound?” 

Read: Part 4

**I bought some pears and I’ve been thinking of making a pear crumble dessert because fall baking is Eluciencore 🍐// Also the title is a play on “Strawberry Fields Forever” because the lyrics are major Elucien angst**

#Elucien #Elain Archeron #Lucien Vanserra #acotar #Elain x Lucien #Lucien x Elain #Elucien fanfiction #acotar fanfiction #Elucien angst

[batri-jopa]

I'll be talking about #ATWD kintouri trail now.

It goes like this: you watch the movie And Then We Danced (2019, dir. Levan Akin) for the first time. Maybe even stay for the whole End Credits because of that enchanting beautiful music... And you notice the very last song in the credits is a little different. Sounds really old, unclear and... well generally not so very great. Probably been put in end credits to correspond with those old films of georgian dances the movie begins with, you think. Yeah, fair enough, you think.

Only a tiny detail more: its name is Kinto's Song.

Rings a bell? Like: hey, wait a minute, wasn't the dance that boys were dancing also named kintouri?

So, yeah, you've found the connection, you can be proud of yourself! Now if you decided not to be obsessed with ATWD you feel satisfied enough already and just go on and live your life...

Otherwise - you start to dig.

.

First of all: what does kinto (კინტო) mean?

In old Tblisi (end of XIX century, beginning of XX) Kintos were small merchants, often street fruit sellers, usually carrying their goods on their heads around the city.

Their lifestyle was not like the rest of the georgian society and their traditional clothes were different from other Georgians as well: instead of chokha Kinto was wearing black outfit with baggy pants and a silk shawl hanging from his silver belt - the shawl was to wrap the fruits and vegetables in them to weight.

Sources (read if you're interested): [X], [X], [X]

So, young males and rather poor ones. And without families in the very family-centred georgian society... I don't think it's very surprising to learn that homosexuality wasn't rare among their community (although that's the part you won't find on georgian wikipedia). Even less knowing that when you're on the bottom of the social ladder it's finally where nobody around cares about your life anymore🤷 (I only wonder if it was rather the primal reason for anyone to leave his home and choose a life like this or if it was finding out ones orientation due to mainly interacting with other men. I suppose it might have worked both ways?)

Then we come to the "traditional georgian dance" issue: Kinto's traditional dance is kintouri (or Kintauri, კინტოური) also known as shalakho (შალახო) and it is said to be informal and light natured. I've also read that some of its parts (like hands movements) are of Persian origin. A female Persian dance specifically. [X]

Of course when Kintouri became a part of official Traditional Georgian Ballet - it went through some changes. As was mentioned in And Then We Danced in the last 50 years it became more "masculine", just like adjaruli and other Georgian Dances. So before that I believe it could have been more like this?

It's Fridon Sulaberidze (ფრიდონ სულაბერიძე) who was born in 1941 but I have no idea what year the film is showing😕 probably 1970's?

Now finally: what is the Kinto's Song? It is the song recorded on X-ray plate almost hundred years ago and found in 2018. Illegal song: song of a man loving two other men. I guess Levan Akin must have found the song quite recently before making And Then We Danced (2019).

Knowing all that historical and cultural context - I can not imagine any better fitting song for the end of the movie about struggling between your tradition and culture and your love to another guy...

That movie is a masterpiece in every little detail!🥰❤❤

.

Of course it's just a beginning - what I wanted to indicate just now is that the song in End Credits is a hint to kintouri being a trail to follow throughout the movie. Furthermore I want to show you how it may lead to see few movie scenes in a little bit different light (like here), so expect me talking more about #ATWD kintouri trail from time to time

#ATWD kintouri trail #and then we danced #და ჩვენ ვიცეკვეთ #atwd #levan akin #and then we danced soundtrack #kinto #kintouri #კინტო #კინტოური #georgian traditional dance #georgian culture #georgian dancer #georgian history #this movie is a masterpiece #a potem tańczyliśmy #ATWD amateur guidebook

[thekatea]

Midnight Museum

Watched: 04.04.2023

The tale of involuntary naps and ass whopping.So, I’m not gonna lie, Midnight Museum is a complete mess - from how the characters are written, through the countless plot holes and underdeveloped plotlines, up till the rushed ending. It’s entertaining though. I think it is… I honestly cannot be sure how much of my enjoyment came from all the chats, comments, posts and discussions with other mdl users. This is a perfect show to hype each other up about. (psst... I do love the show though. I sold my soul to it).

While the idea behind the plot is brilliant, the execution left a lot to desire. From the start it was an episodic type of a deal, which seemed to exist more as a promo for all the GMMTV actors and less as a means to tell a cohesive story. Not to mention the mix of supernatural, fantasy and even sci-fi theories - nothing to be explained or explored. It’s just a big bag of everything, that ends up being nothing.

I understand where they were going with the plot, but I honestly think they lacked a writer and director with experience in that genre. Midnight Museum is just not a smooth viewing experience. They did not highlight important details in the scenes, lines that were explaining connections between plotlines, hints that would make it easier for viewers to understand the whole picture. When you watch the episode, it’s hard to tell what you should focus on and what info might be useful later on.

You know what it feels like? Like watching just a middle season of a tv show - you don’t get a proper setup for the characters nor a well explained conclusion. It just felt like there should be more at the beginning and the end. All that said, the second half of the last episode was just phenomenal. Added 0.5 to my rating just because of these last 40 minutes. But it also made me truly see how much potential to be a masterpiece this drama had.

While I love Khatha and Dome for their interactions (local straight boys acting gay, if you know what I mean), and Khatha was quite a “mood” on many occasions, I don’t think I have ever seen weaker main characters than them. Dome was forced to take a few too many involuntary naps and Khatha got his ass whooped by almost every bad character. That said, this was a bromance on the level of Chinese censored gay romance and for that I am grateful.

Then we have all the supporting characters: Anthika served looks, Triphop and Bam got the “kind of competent, but not really” presentation with a 0.5% fling going on, June was there to make Khatha accept his feelings for Dome and Boon… barely existed. That’s more or less what the characters brought to the table. I think it’s kind of an achievement to have 10 episodes and not one character actually developed.

What saved all of these characters? Amazing acting. Tor and Gun did a great job and their on screen chemistry was to die for. It’s nice to see two competent actors together, because too often we watch one person carry the whole show on their backs.

Supporting cast did a great job too. Yes, I would appreciate Saiparn going one step further and exaggerating the character just a little bit more and Tay giving me a little bit more expression during some scenes, but overall, I don’t really have many complaints. I’m especially content with all the guest appearances and the quality of acting there.

The MVP award goes to Nanon though. This guy delivered probably his best performance up to date.

For the production value - it fluctuated. I was not exactly on board with the set designs. The museum felt painfully empty and not grand enough. I think the majority of the costume budget went to dress Tor, so the rest was underwhelming (especially June - the design for the dress was great, but the quality of it seemed cheap). Some special effects were nice, some were rather questionable. There is also the case of actors not being used to acting with nothing, which made the CGI elements stand out more and not feel like they were part of the picture.

Overall, entertaining mess. It had a lot of potential, but most of it was not used. They tried to pack too much into these 10 episodes so we ended up with a diluted story with little details and world building. I would highly recommend it as a group watch, because it benefits greatly from exchanging theories and hyping each other up as you watch. It’s a great memes and joke source.

That ending though. I don't think I could be more happy with all that crazy shit at the end. Exactly my type of a deal.

#midnight museum #thai drama review #thai drama

[rec-review8890]

Recommened Greek Mythology Books

Please use discretion and look at the warnings. Many of my books are for mature audiences, so with those books minors do not interact. This could be because of sexual content, SA, or other mature topics/content that will be put into the warning section of the books review. If I consider something “mild” content, then whatever the warning it is more of a mention or the topic is glossed over instead of having a full scene.

My notes and even warnings do contain spoilers, so be wary of that. 

I recommended also reading other reviews on the website GoodReads. I’ve read most of my books on Kindle, and I know you can either buy them on Amazon for the paperback/hard cover version or read them online with AppleBooks.

Full reviews will be linked under the summaries for each book.

Title: Metamorphoses

Author: Ovid

Summary: Prized through the ages for its splendor and its savage, sophisticated wit, The Metamorphoses is a masterpiece of Western culture--the first attempt to link all the Greek myths, before and after Homer, in a cohesive whole, to the Roman myths of Ovid's day. Horace Gregory, in this modern translation, turns his poetic gifts toward a deft reconstruction of Ovid's ancient themes, using contemporary idiom to bring today's reader all the ageless drama and psychological truths vividly intact. 

Warning(s): Rape 

Pages: 723

Full Review: LINK

A/N: It’s a book of poetry that relays multiple stories. Not a singular story book. 

Title: Receiver of Many

Author: Rachel Alexander 

Summary: Persephone's life has been one of leisure among the verdant fields: the maiden of flowers, sheltered by her mother, the Harvest Goddess Demeter. Now she is a woman, a goddess in her own right, yearning for freedom— even as the terms of an ancient pact are about to come due. Hades's life has been one of solitude in the somber land of the dead: the God of the Underworld, he lives without attachments, eternally governing the souls of mortals. But he dreams of the young goddess who was promised to be his wife, and knows it is time for his Kingdom to have a Queen. When Hades arrives to claim his betrothed, he finds a young goddess eager to unearth her divine potential— and a powerful mother unwilling to let go. Receiver of Many begins an erotic story of passion and possession, duty and desire, and a struggle that threatens both ancient Greece and the Realm of the Dead itself.

Warning(s): Sexual content, Loss of virginity, Kidnapping, Betrayal, Greek mythology, Arranged marriage, Supernatural/Paranormal, (Mild) Sexual assault, (Mild) Violence.

Pages: 492

Full Review: LINK

Title: A Veil of Gods and Kings

Summary: A god fighting his fate. A prince burdened with secrets. And a romance that could end in flames. Apollo is a deity… almost. Half mortal and refusing to take his position as god of the sun, he spends his nights drowning out haunting memories and his days avoiding responsibilities. Until his father forces him into an ultimatum: Ascend immediately. Or spend the year mentoring under the obnoxious Prince Hyacinth. Forced together, Apollo and Hyacinth grapple with their mutual disdain for each other. But what starts as a kindling of irritation begins to burn into something new. A spark that, if it turns to flame, could incinerate everything they’ve always protected. A reimagining of the Greek myth of Apollo and Prince Hyacinth, this NA, enemies-to-lovers fantasy series is a whirlwind journey full of romance, intrigue, and enthralling characters.

Warning(s): Greek Mythology, M/M, and (mild) Sexual Content.

Pages: 347

Full Review: LINK

A/N: This is book 1 of a series, and out of the 3 books published so far - the final book will be published in September, 2022 - Book 3 is my favorite. 

Title: The Song of Achilles

Summary: Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath. 

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

Warning(s): War, Violence, Murder, Descriptions of Blood, Greek Mythology, M/M, and (Mild) Sexual Content.

Pages: 378

Full Review: LINK

Title: Keep Me Close

Summary: She is the closest thing Khaos Falls has to a goddess… And Aphrodite is feared and worshipped in equal measure. She has dedicated her life to being a savior for the lost regardless of the risk, but when unknown enemies nearly assassinate her in her own club, she realizes her reckless vigilante tactics won’t cut it anymore. He is the furthest thing Khaos Falls has from a hero… In fact, Hephaestus is who you call when all the heroes have fallen. Still, he is the best at what he does, strengthening the city’s weaknesses and keeping his feelings out of it. When tasked with Aphrodite’s personal security, it’s easy for him to detach himself from their mutual disdain. Until disdain is no longer the only thing he feels for her. With their enemies elusive and snakes in their midst, good hearts and sharp wit may not be enough. But he made a vow, and he will keep it. Even if it means turning newfound feelings into newfound strengths and using them as a weapon to protect her.

Warning(s): Sexual content, Kinky sex, Sex trafficking, Sex slavery, Sex clubs, Greek mythology alternative universe, Murder, Violence, Descriptions of blood and torture.

Pages: 348

Full Review: LINK

#greek mythology #Recommened Greek Mythology Books #Greek Mythology Books #Greek Mythology Romance Books #romance books #poetry book #greek mythology poetry #recommended book #recommended greek mythology books #greek mythology retellings #books #recommended books

[criminalmutantsins]

What Are Your Fav to Least Fav Chainsaw Man Endings?

Disclaimer: I think every ending ranges from good to masterpiece. I’m basing my ranks on how much I like the song and visuals. 

12. Ending 7; “All Kinds of Kisses” by ano

This song is not for me. When it comes to songs with high-pitched singing, I mostly don’t like it. It’s a bit too cutesy and usually stay the same throughout the whole thing. I think the singer is talented but I don’t think her music is for me. There are moments when I like the song such as near the end. The song’s beat is good and I can jam to it. 

The old video game concept was a nice idea and it was fun seeing Chainsaw Denji walking around like an NPC and interacting with other characters. The visuals afterwards are okay. I don’t have strong feelings seeing the female characters is provocative positions so I can take it or leave it. The vomiting scene on the other hand made me uncomfortable. It’s not as bad as in the show but vomiting makes me really uncomfortable even when it’s censored. 

11. Ending 12; “Fight Song” by Eve 

I think my expectations with Eve kind of messed with my enjoyment of the song. With Eve doing the 1st opening for Jujutsu Kaisen, I expected a lot from Eve and, unfortunately, I was underwhelmed. The song is good and I would listen to it once in a while, yet “Fight Song” sounds more generic compared to the uniqueness of most endings. The vocals and instruments are still good. 

Visuals are sweet since we needed a chill ending with the main cast hanging out. Although the visuals are kind of like every anime ending, I appreciate the concept of a fun time. I would say my favorite part is seeing how the main three grew into a family after a rocky start in the beginning of the show. 

10. Ending 4; “Tablet” by Tooboe 

The song fits Power’s chaotic energy very well, but it’s not a song I really like without the show connection. The screaming sections are really unique and cool to listen to. However, in my opinion, the song isn’t as successful with not having an interesting bridge as “Rendevous” by Kanaria. It’s still a fun song and I do have urges to listen to it once in a while.

Seeing Power in different outfits was cute, and the costumes are pretty stylish, but that’s the only thing I really enjoy about the visuals. I don’t care for anime dances so Power dancing didn’t do much for me, and the simplicity of what’s occurring is kind of boring. Though, I really like the sketching style was a cool idea. 

9. Ending 11; “Violence” by Queen Bee

This song is a fun listen! Queen Bee have a unique vocalist who makes the song for me. The guitar is really good but it’s not particularly unique like most Chainsaw Man endings. It’s a bit poppy but I think it fits since it has some rock elements in the vocals and guitar. 

The visuals are cool. I really like the characters dissolving to add an interesting transition for the next scene. The glass fragments are nice to look at and adds something interesting to the skyline. Though, I don’t like the Power dancing part since the 3D looked a bit off but I think my bias on 2D animation is getting in the way. 

8. Ending 5; “In the Backroom” by Syudou 

It took me a while for me to like this song, probably because the beat felt a bit random at some points and I have trouble liking songs that don’t have a recognizable beat. Though, the vocals were great, especially when he did that half scream and started showing more of their vocal talent. I grew to really like the beat and interesting additions like the similar snapping and bell noises. 

Visuals were a bit too random and it’s hard to feel attachment to them since I didn’t understand the concept idea for it. They are still great though. My favorite moments were the agents walking continuous stairs, the two Makimas looking like a god, and the ending where every characters appears but ends with Denji. 

7.  Ending 10; “Dogland” by People 1 

This song is nice but I don’t get excited about it  until the bridge when the vocalist is letting loose. The ending cares “Dogland” for me. I do like the part when Denji says “Bow Wow” because of his comparison to a dog. 

The visuals and meaning behind the ending carries its ranking. Throughout the show, Denji is constantly compared to a dog and having an opening dedicated to that was a smart idea. Animating Denji with real objects filmed through rotoscope was super cool and looked natural. MAPPA did a great job as always! I also have a bias towards dogs.  

6. Ending 6; “Rendevous” by Kanaria 

The song is really good though it’s not as high since the song stays at the same level throughout the whole ending. The vocalist has a recognizable voice and the music composition is so well done that you can’t help but tap your feet to the beat. 

Labyrinths always interested me so I really enjoyed the visuals and constant looping through it. When it comes to visuals, I like feeling like I’m traveling through the setting and this opening did a great job doing it. The close up to Denji’s chainsaw form was so cool and the touch of red made it pop. 

5. Ending 2; “Time Left” by Zutomayo 

The bass at the beginning is a nice touch to the softer vocals so the song doesn’t deviate too far from Chainsaw Man’s edgy theme. My favorite parts is the bridge since the vocals and instruments ramp up and the ending when the vocalists heightens her voice in some parts(Sorry don’t know singing terms). 

I really like the sketching style of the visuals. It feels like I’m watching a manga come to life. Seeing the main cast in individual moments was nice since we get to see how different their lives are from each other. My favorite visual is Denji falling from the sky. It’s so smooth and seeing his pov made me feel like I was falling. 

4. Ending 1; “Chainsaw Blood” by Vaundy 

This is a great start to the ending fest!

I don’t have a lot to say about this song other than I enjoy the bada** feeling it gives when I listen to it and the slow “oooh, oooh” moments are a good ramp up to the song. Great song for people who like softer rock, which I usually prefer.

Visuals are really good. My favorite parts are seeing Denji rip apart the zombies during the bridge and the Denji/Pochita moments since they remind me of me and my dog. 

3. Ending 3; “Hawatari Nioku Centi” by Maximum the Hormone

I’m not a big rock fan yet I really enjoy this opening. I feel like such a bada** whenever I hear the beginning- my favorite part- and the switch up with the slow moment was so well-done. The ending with the guy revving up his voice like a chainsaw was a great touch. It’s not higher-up because I don’t love the middle section of the ending compared to the beginning and ending. Super chaotic moments aren’t my cup of tea. 

Love the red lighting and neon coloring! It makes everything pop; I would have them as a poster for my room. I also really like the choice of having Makima looking like a benevolent goddess since that’s how Denji views her. 

2. Ending 9; “Deep Down” by Aimer

This song is so different from all the others, but it works so well. Aimer has such a hauntingly beautiful voice and the softness of the instruments are welcoming after almost every ending are loud and pack a punch. 

The visuals are also simplistic with a black background with blood and organs morphing into different images. This ending made me appreciate the animation more since I see the imagery slowing changing. It’s so satisfying. 

1. Ending 8; “First Death” by T.K. from Ling tosite sigure

I love this song! T.K is one of my favorite artists! He has such a unique voice and hearing his voice mix well with more rock influenced music. I’m used to listening to his more slower music so I was pleasantly surprised that “First Death wasn’t like this. 

The visuals aren’t super unique like most other endings but the lighting is breathtaking and the more action packed moments near the end make it up for me. I’m also more partial towards Aki and Himeno since I really like their characters. 

#chainsaw man #chainsaw man ending #anime ending #music ranking #aki hayakawa #himeno chainsaw man #chainsaw man denji #makima #power chainsaw man #makima chainsaw man #anime discussion #anime #tk from ling tosite sigure #aimer #maximum the hormone #vaundy #zutomayo #kanaria #people 1 #syudou #queen bee #tooboe #eve #Ano

[valleynix]

Chapter 8 is finished. It was a wild ride. I'm still not over those events. The further I went the harder it was to gather my thoughts but here they are.

As if the scene with Daniela wasn't already enough to kill me with its sweetness THEN THERE'S ONE WITH BELA my god.

Naur pls the Cass/Bela scene was already so funny with how dramatic Cass acted and then she got Daniela to join her in annoying their sis. I lost it when she grabbed Bela's arm and went Bela, Bela, Bela 😭

I love their little sibling interactions so much. Adding it to my mental list of fav scenes.

I really think that's how they'd be with each other in canon.

"Our human" awww <3

But yhm yeah that's it for Bela's self control. It left the chat.

"She sees you. It’s over, isn’t it?"

The horror

Bela's kinda (very) hot when she's feral.

Reader out there thinking about boobs while their life is under threat of being taken😭😭😭

THE CASS SCENE after the blackout absjswjjsjsj *inaudible noises and screaming*

I had to take a break to recollect myself HOW DO YOU WANT ME TO SURVIVE TILL THE END OF THE CHAPTER WHEN YOU'RE THROWING SUCH THINGS AT ME CONSTANLY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

NOT LADY D TOO, GIMME A BREAK.

Yhm yhm I got a break, coz here comes the angst

"You desperately hope this isn’t some hallucination Donna put you through, that you’re not just making a massive fool of yourself in the real world."

Haha

HAHA

HA HA

THE WAY IT WAS ACTUALLY MUCH WORSE

OH. MY. GOD

Honestly, I can't even be sad and heartbroken from the girls' death because for the whole time I was too amazed and mind blown at how it all just made sense instantly. How you described each of their death. And that through the chapters we could hear pieces of their lines, trying to reach to the Reader pls. But Reader was living those silly memories thinking it was the reality, while destroying everything they love in true real world. AMAZING.

Idk what else to say here it's just wow WOW chef kiss. There was no reason to be scared of how this chapter went, it was all done so well. I can just picture the flashbacks of the events from before as everything settles in place, the horror coz it starts to make sense and it HURTS.

Especially that Reader said they won't/don't want to hurt anyone.

Just sweet pain, sweet pain, it hurts so beautifully.

So just let me tell you, let me summarise my experience so far as we reached this important moment (idk how hard it was for you but regardless) I admire and I am impressed how you managed to pull it off, with the plot in general with its mystery behind the events.

But also with the characters. I think you gave them a fair amount of time to let them shine in their own unique ways. To show their personality and how they interact with the fictional world around them.

And I like how it's said on many occasions that Dimitrescus do bad things, they're dangerous and literally eat people, but it's not all they are. They care for each other, can care for other people too, and show other side of them. Because people are complex and so are they.

It was so exciting, trying to collect the hints and put them together to understand something. I had SO MUCH FUN trying to solve the mystery and waiting for the big reveal. Nice I wasn't completely lost haha.

I'm definitely not planning on dropping the story, I'd like to follow our dear poor Reader till the end and see them being happy if that's possible :(

This is definitely my favourite RE8 fic, one of my favs in general. Hell, if it was a real book it'd be in my favs too.

I love your style, your way with words and how you operate with the language, especially that you keep any feature (besides the eyes) of the Reader up to imagination which I assume requires more effort.

This story completely captured my heart, I love your mind, I just wanna... kith your brain for allowing you to create it, this piece of art, a masterpiece.

And sharing my thoughts on your work with you brings me so much joy too🥺 You seem like a kind and beautiful soul

can i just say that i genuinely almost started crying while reading this :’)

OKAY BUT ONTO THE POINTS!! very glad you got through chapter eight, because it was one of the more difficult ones (i think 13&14 are also difficult to get through because of plot??)

*im just out here trying to kill y’all with these scenes of the girls HEHEHE

*PLEASE BAHA, i ADORE writing them just like regular siblings that love but annoy the hell out of each other 😭 Cass has a flair for the dramatics and Dani just likes joining in on the chaos

*listen Cass just saying things (like “our human”) without thinking about the implications is so <333

*the one thing coming true that you’ve been fighting so hard to stop :’)

*i was so worried the feral scene with Bela was gonna come across as SA-y but i’m so glad it hasn’t been received that way 😭 like homegirl was genuinely about to kill them but in the most mocking/teasing way

*listen boobs are just priority B)

*PLEASE I LOVE CASS BAHAHA, she’s so just… *her*

*i simply must destroy the sapphics’ minds with my powers of gay >:)

*THE DELVE INTO THE ANGST WAS SO FUNNY IM SORRY, going from this sweet, tender moment to just “oh my god. oh my GOD”

OKAY BUT!! i am genuinely so happy you liked the chapter and that everything made sense in the end, at least in some way. it was really fun tying events together and having slips of reality, moments where things don’t seem quite right, but i’m glad to know the anticipation of what’s been going on was worth all the pain and wait

the really heartbreaking thing i tried so much to add onto the already confusing plot was that you could definitely hear them trying so hard to reach Reader, even if they were completely lost and couldn’t understand what was being said to them :(

the thought that Bela never gave up on them, that Daniela never thought they couldn’t be saved or redeemed… i love writing these murderous, sadistic, cannibalistic women as people who genuinely care and are just PEOPLE. seeing them try so hard to reach someone so far gone hurts so well imo

but i’m really glad you did like it and it makes me so happy that you admire all the work i’ve put into it :’) like that’s honestly one of the sweetest things i’ve heard recently

i did try to be pretty fair with each Dimitrescu and sometimes give them their own designated chapter, just so we could really bond with them and see them as more than just what the rumors about them say or as who they pretend to be. Bela is a nerd that enjoys music, Cassandra loves science and art, Daniela loves getting lost in her romance novels, and Alcina is a wine loving mom who adores her daughters above all else

honestly, i think it was your chapter seven ask?? you were INSANELY close to what was going on and i was like oh my GOD she’s figured it out. i genuinely don’t think many people actually guessed what was going on, but it was so interesting seeing how you saw things through your own eyes and how each hint connected in your brain :D

i can say for certain Reader will most likely get a happy ending, even if we have to wade through a mountain ton of angst to get there. with long stories like this one, i dislike leaving things angsty and with an unhappy ending, but also because of all the shit they’ve gone through (and will continue to go through). happy endings after going through a LOT of traumatic shit are simply superior

GRRR KNOWING IT’S ONE OF YOUR FAVORITES MAKES ME SO HAPPY, i will actually cry. pls thats so sweet omfg

i honestly highly dislike fics where it’s supposed to be like x reader but it’s just an OC?? i do try my best to keep everything inclusive, save for the eye color, and i do sometimes have to change scenes to fit that but still keep the vibe 😭

but god, i will literally never live this down. this ask is going to be ingrained in my memories for months to come and it’s going to be what i look back on when i’m feeling down about my writing

thank you so so SO much for sharing your thoughts with me <33 i do look forward to hearing what else you’ll say or come up with in future chapters, since there are still plot points and antagonists we have to work through before our dear Reader can be happy for once :’) <3333

#asks #pls i read this while in the car with my parents and i just #literally almost started crying #pls #this is literally so sweet #chapter eight was a RIDE but i’m glad you like it <333 #my whole idea was that it was supposed to be a ‘oh. OHHH’ chapter skdbsjd #god i’m just #at a loss for words #idk what else to say #i want to just spam hearts because fksndksndksbdnss