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twinkodium · 7 months

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ooo you noticed 🥺 i changed it bcs i wanted something new, but i couldn’t find a good pic to use and i was stressed to i just picked this one…. it’s cute and i love it but i used it before so it’s not new 🤣 a n y w a y

yeah like i don’t really have something against him but stats are stats… that’s exactly what i mean, one experienced one with one youngster is a good combo. the only reasons i’m a little unsure of mclaren’s lineup is that one (like, lando is experienced ofc but in my eyes he’s still young!) and the fact that they seem to have very little rivalry… like of course i adoooreeee their relationship, they’re the cutest duo ever and i love their friendship, and obviously we have no idea what their relationship actually looks like off the cameras, but i think rivalry is always important. idk it’s just something i think is a part of all sports, wanting to be quicker/stronger/better because you need to beat your rival (or your teammate on the same position as you in a team sport) is usually better than just the general “i wanna be good i guess”. but other than that, it’s perfect!! love the mctwinks!!!! and yes too many juniors, too few seats. thinking about that british/swedish 07 rbj, how’s he ever gonna get a seat when there are 6393 drivers in f2/f3 in front of him 😭

I haven’t scrolled through your acc since last night bcs i woke up right before quali, then napped right after it, and then ive been working 😶 gonna love just sitting back to relax and look through it soon 🥰🥰 i did however see a liam streaming pic or gif or something (or was that last night?…) and im thankful for the warning but my heart had already exploded 😔

how much do you reckon i have to pay mclaren to just send me a pic? maybe if i bribe them? or should i kidnap someone? bcs im soon gonna go crazy if i don’t get the pics. cant wait until he’s in another team in 2027 until i get shirtless content 😤

and god yes the mclaren vids these last days… the japanese is so cute 🥺 and the origami was such amazing hand content!! also i used to do origami like 24/7 when i was younger so i felt connected to him 🤭

I faintly remember you had this picture before, so I thought I was mistaken but something felt different 🤭 maybe an oscar related pic tho? 🤔 having at least two blogs with Oscar’s name and neither of the pfps are him 😂

The best option tbh, but usually it’s not how it is in f1… don’t even talk about rivalry, my god! Monza already left me in tears and nothing big happened just a little tap 😭 according to Zak their relationship is professional, they don’t hang out much, Lando has his own circle of friends, Oscar too. But I feel they’re getting close as the season goes on. They have rivalry tho, both of them talks about having a strong teammate is important and how they want to beat each other. So it’s there but they also need to focus on the team as well. If there is too much tension it’ll hold back the team moving forward and them being on good terms and respecting each other helped the team improving this much compared to the season opener. Plus not like other drivers they’re able to separate their feelings and personalities when they’re on and off track. I adore that! Some drivers are way too salty off track you gotta move on, whatever happened, happened it’s not end of the world. They’re holding grudge like teenager schoolgirls 🙃 I love that Lando and Oscar aren’t like that. It meant a lot to me and also I’m sure the team appreciates it too. Plus it’s how it always was with Oscar over his career. Very little rivalry, pushing each other with teammates but mutual respect off track too.

Juniors don’t have an easy task to get any seat… we likely don’t have any rookies on the field next year. It’s right and will be a mess in a few years… 😐

My sleeping schedule is so fucked I’m unable to keep my eyes open… went to bed around 2:30, woke up to watch fp3 at 4:30, took a nap before quali. I felt energised to take another nap before dtm so I was almost half asleep when I watched the race 😭 it was a disaster anyways… and then I was fully out of it, so went to sleep. Expected to take an hour nap but ended up sleeping for 3-4 hours😂 oh my, I’ve reblogged loads of shit 😂 good luck 🥰🥰 nooo, I put another steamer Liam on dash this morning 🤭 but left a warning 🤭 probs still did no difference but hey I tried 🫣

Millions 😭 they won’t release any footage they’re gatekeeping the baby ☹️ I also want to steal Lando’s camera because I’m sure he has pics on it that would worth the money 👀 omg imagine 😭😭😭 McLaren surely have to come up with a challenge video that will require them to be shirtless 🫣

Mclaren admin is feeding us lately 😩 I’m over the moon 🥰🥰🥰 I had no clue he speaks/knows Japanese, only knew he could ask for my number… I revise Japanese numbers quickly so I’m prepared when the question comes up 🤭🤭 both the Japanese and origami video was full with hand content 😩 I was staring so bad 🙃 I tried it when I was younger too but wasn’t for me 😂😂

THE THIGHS 🫠🫠🫠😩 and his hands tooo 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

Plus his side profile is so cute… why so pretty??? 😩😩

ALSO!!! Did you know that he has moles on BOTH of his ring fingers? I noticed the one on his left hand, it’s more visible but he has one on the other hand too😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 dunno what to do with this info 😩😩😩

#wow this ended up being a novel again #good luck reading this through 😭😭#I’m sorry but I can’t stop rambling 🙃#asks #Jackie 🧡#daily discussing with Jackie about Oscar 🥰

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fairyhaos · 11 months

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how seventeen greet their s/o after a long tour

requested by anon: "I have a request for you : How would Seventeen react seeing you after a long time (like them being on tour, they come back and have a moment with you) ?"

notes: i liked this one a lot haha. might make an entire oneshot for one or two members if you guys end up liking it too....?

masterlist

seungcheol:

won't touch you until he's washed off the sweat and the exhaustion n the airport smell. his phone keeps vibrating with messages from members and managers and staff but he ignores all of it in favour of curling up in bed with you, asking you to tell him about everything you've done while he was away, despite you having told him everything through facetimes throughout the tour, purely bc he loves hearing your voice in person after so long

jeonghan:

collapses into your arms like all the tension is leaving his limbs all at once. cries into your shirt, tells you that he's missed you so much and he felt like he was going to positively disintegrate. whines if you laugh and call him out bc you've seen videos of him having the time of his life during tour. you have to carry him around for the rest of the day bc he will Not let go of you

joshua:

greets you with the cheesiest grin and a "i'm home, sweetheart", fully expecting you to say "welcome home" all romance novel-style back to him. always asks for you to set up a bubble bath for him, accidentally falls asleep in it 80% of the time bc it's so warm n relaxing and has to be woken up before he disappears under the bubbles. kisses you long and soft and sweet because God, he's missed you so much

junhui:

meets up with you the day after coming back from tour bc he was basically knocked out the minute he went home n his head touched the pillow. holds your hand over the table of the coffee shop you've found yourself in, staring at you with heart eyes the entire time bc it's been so long since he's seen you in real life and he thinks you're even more beautiful than the last time he saw you

hoshi:

texts you the minute!!! the plane!!! lands!!! to let you know he's home. opens the door noisily and stands in the hallway with his arms open wide for you to just run into him and engulf him in a hug. cups your cheeks and kisses you long and hard, before pulling away to tell you he's missed you so much before leaning in to kiss you again. and again. and again and again and the door is still open but he's home and that's all that matters

wonwoo:

asks you all teasingly if you've missed him when you meet up on the agreed date three days after he's landed as you bound up to him all giddy in the park. but of course, he's missed you too, so much, and he can't take his eyes away from you as you walk hand in hand through the trees, smiling at the sound of your laugh and the warmth of your hand in his and the incredible fact that he's with you, in person, once more

woozi:

you're knocking on the door of his studio two days after he came back, bc of course he was still going to be working after coming back from an exhausting tour. lets you pull up a chair beside him to watch him work on his compositions, your hand resting on his knee, his eyes occasionally flicking to yours and giving you a smile. it's a quiet, non-dramatic thing, but it suits you well, and by his silence you can tell how glad he is to be back home to you

minghao:

you're brewing a pot of his favourite tea when he opens the door, and there's incense burning somewhere in the apartment and it's the most calm he's seen in ages. wants to wash up first so he doesn't smell so icky to you but you pull him into a chair and hand him the freshly brewed tea, insisting that he takes a moment to just sit and let time flow past him. he's smiling, softly, lovingly, because wow, he's missed you so much.

mingyu:

does this whole dramatic fake-crying display with you the moment you open the door of your apartment after he's come back to korea as he wails rlly loudly and collapses into you while you pat his back and make equally loud sobbing sounds. tells you all the new ways the members bullied him on tour (even tho you've heard all of them already through his outraged texts) and falls asleep on your shoulder on the sofa, exhausted, but so, so comforted to be by your side again

dokyeom:

comes home with a loud clatter of keys and a joyous shout, running to find where you are. accidentally has a game of hide and seek w you bc he thinks you're in the kitchen and the bathroom and the bedroom and anywhere but the living room. finds you eventually, cries out "catch me!" before running to you and throwing his arms around you, making you fall back down onto the sofa you'd just stood up from. keeps his head in the crook of your shoulder for a solid five minutes, glad to be home to you

seungkwan:

the minute he's back in korea, he's booked a date in the next week to meet up with you bc he is just too exhausted and looks way too dishevelled to see you fresh off the plane. talks with you over coffee one fresh morning, eyes bright, hands waving animatedly, because he loves carats and he loves you. and getting to share one of his loves with his other?? for him, nothing in the world can beat that.

vernon:

wakes up the night after he's landed to you blowing up his phone w texts bc he fell asleep right after coming home and completely forgot to tell you he'd landed. you're (jokingly) mad bc you had to find out through the news, but he makes up for it by knocking on your door not even an hour later, smiling like an idiot, asking if you'll forgive him if he cuddles you for the rest of the night. which you do, falling asleep in his arms with his fingers massaging your scalp soothingly.

chan:

as soon as he gets home, he meets eyes with you as you're standing at the end of the hallway and suddenly you're both dropping whatever you're holding and running towards each other before colliding and falling together, arms wrapped tight around each other. he tried to lift you up and spin you around, but you crashed into him so forcefully that his knees buckled and he just held you on the floor, laughing, crying, so happy to be with you again.

request guidelines

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silassinclair · 1 month

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Hi!

Can I request Maddox with a darling who lives to read, maybe he catches her reading some old romance books in an abandoned house they shack up in or something like that

Btw I live your writing ♥️

As someone who loves to read I am obligated to write for this req 😤🫡 Thanks for the request tho!! Hope you like it :-)

Yandere Wild West Outlaw x Bookworm Reader

CW// Maddox is annoying, Reader being a little perv Masterlist Here!!

The new house Maddox found was lovely. It had decently okay furniture and a vast collection of old books on the shelf. It's small with only two bedrooms and one bathroom but it was charming. But what caught your interest was the big oak wood bookshelf. You couldn't even remember the last time you picked up a book. Being on the run with Maddox made time fly.

"Who would leave all these books behind? They're all in great condition." You mutter to yourself as you take a blue and purple book with gold trim off the shelf. Tracing your fingers down the spine of the hardcover novel you appreciate the craftsmanship. It was clearly expensive, something you could no longer afford. Your Dad bought you many books like these but now you were pretty much broke. You only had Maddox to rely on now.

Speaking of Maddox you had no clue where he was. Which you didn't really care, he always disturbed your peace. Cracking open the book you sit down on the loveseat and start reading. It was a romance book about a huntsman who fell in love with a duchess. The story was beautiful as it was exhilarating.

"Oh wow, you into that kinda stuff?"

You snap the book shut instantly, a mini cloud of dust poofs from the pages. Maddox chuckles huskily behind you, leaning down and resting his chin on the back of the loveseat.

"Oh don't be embarrassed princess, it was getting to the good part. What did it say again? Oh! Ahem-"

Maddox coughs into his hand and smirks. Deepening his voice he quotes the passage in a deep, British-like accent,

"He caresses the duchess' milky thighs, her womb felt of silk wrapped around his ma-"

"OH HUSH!" You whip around and smack the outlaw's head, his hat nearly flying off. But he only laughs at your flustered state.

"You're filthy." You groan and put the book back on the shelf where it was. But Maddox follows behind you and takes the book into his own hands and opens it up. Skimming through the pages he smirks.

"I'm filthy? Sweetheart you're the one readin' this junk." Maddox shuts the book and puts it back. Putting his hand up on the shelf he leans against it while looking down at your shorter self.

"Well it is a romance book." Rolling your eyes you choose a different book. This time you pick a title you're familiar with, Pride and Prejudice.

"Now leave me alone you brute. I'd like to relax for once." With that you walk away and go outside. Finding a nice tree you sit beneath it and read the book. Reading reminded you of home, the home that was ripped from you. In a way it was escapism which is unhealthy but a girl can dream right?

Hours pass and the sun begins to set, casting an orange glow across the cloudy sky. The words on the page become harder to read as the sun sinks lower and the moon rises. You didn't want it to end. You know you could read inside but that damn outlaw was inside. You just wanted to stay out here forever with the natural ambience of wind and birds.

Footsteps approach you and you already know who it is. Looking up you see him. Black denim jeans, a burgundy vest, twin revolvers around his waist, and a dark brown cowboy hat on his head. And of course that bandana covering the bottom half of his face. Anytime you asked him about his face he got ticked off so you avoided the subject. But you couldn't help but be curious.

"You're starin' sweetheart." His husky voice breaks the silence. There’s a hint of a Spanish accent mixed in with his Southern drawl. You can't help but think about what it would be like if you and him met under different circumstances. Would he save you from bandits? Offer to buy you a drink at the saloon?

Would you two have a storybook romance just like in the books you adore?

"Hey."

He's right in front of you now, crouched to your height. His gloved hand pets your hair and you're frozen. He has you in a trance that you make no effort to free yourself from. His dark amber eyes are crinkled in slight concern over your unusual silence.

"What..?" You say softly.

"It's gettin' dark. Unless you wanna be dinner for the coyotes then I suggest comin' back in. I'll cook up some beans so hurry your little bum up."

Well there goes the moment. You groan and get up off the grass, your back cracking as you stretch. Your eyes watch as Maddox walks back into the house. His hips sway as he walks, you never really payed attention to that before. His ass looks pretty round in those pants to-

"Ugh, what is wrong with me.." Groaning, you follow after him.

#yandere #yandere x reader #x reader #yandere imagines #yandere x you #yandere oc #yandere oc x reader #obsession #maddox graves #yandere cowboy #cowboy #western

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eternityracha · 16 days

Text

chapter one

“by your side, i’ll be your seasons.”

— ꨄ —

CHAPTER TWO

“you’re..”

you didn’t know how to react. even though you were shocked, you stayed in the same place and continued making eye contact with him.

“you’re telling my family that i’m on the balcony, aren’t you?” hyunjin asked, putting his hair up in a ponytail.

“no.. i have no reason to.”

you really had some questions to ask him. before you can ask, hyunjin quickly hides around the corner on the opposite side of the balcony.

hyunjin spotted a few of his bodyguards from the lower level. he didn’t want to be seen, so he hid further away from the main enterance of the ballroom.

you followed, completely unsure as to why he suddenly started hiding.

“okay, what are you doing?”

“i just saw my bodyguards. i’m sure they’re looking for me.”

hyunjin was sitting on the floor with his back against the cold wall. you sat down next to him, still having questions for him.

“but.. why are you hiding?”

hyunjin sighed, “it’s a long story.”

“so tell me.”

that’s when hyunjin explained everything to you. his family was rushing him to get married. rushing him so much that if hyunjin didn’t propose to anyone at tonight’s ball, his family would arrange the marriage themselves.

the family allowed hyunjin to pick his own wife, but his answer was always no. at first, he used to feel horrible about rejecting the girls.

now, it’s something he’s used to and says no without any hesitation.

hyunjin decided to sneak out of his home and stayed with his bestfriend, seungmin, last night. to avoid being recognized, hyunjin also temporarily dyed his hair blonde.

since this morning, his family has been looking for him. postponing the ball was not an option since it was last minute. the hwang family attended the ball anyways, with plans to push back the proposals.

“wow.. that must be overwhelming.”

he sighs again, getting up from sitting down on the ground. “it is. i just wish things were.. different.”

continuing to watch the stars sparkle in the sky, you both sat in a comfortable silence.

the ball should be ending soon, which means you should be making your way back inside.

there was still so much more that you wanted to know about him. you may never have this opportunity again.

“are you going home tonight?”

hyunjin shrugged his shoulders, unsure of his own answer. “i should, but i don’t think i will.”

“and where will you be staying?”

before he could open his mouth to answer, realization came to him when he realized that his family could possibly show up at seungmin’s house to ask about him.

you laughed, “so you’re just running around and hiding without a plan of where you’re staying tonight?”

“i’ll be fine.”

for some reason.. you wanted to help him. you didn’t understand his life, and you never will. but he was very open and shared so much about himself when he didn’t have to.

this is the least i can do.

“you can stay with me tonight.”

he agreed to stay with you. he won’t worry about what could happen tomorrow. tonight, he just wanted to escape from reality.

—

i can’t believe i snuck prince hyunjin into my bedroom.

you and hyunjin had the entire house to yourselves.

your parents, especially your mother, may possibly be upset that you left the ball early. you had to come up with a lie somehow.

“my parents will be home soon. if they come to my door, stay quiet or the both of us won’t hear the end of it.”

hyunjin made himself comfortable by sitting on the bed you made for him with many pillows and blankets. “trust me, i will. i don’t want to be here anyway.”

you rolled your eyes at him. “so you can take your ass out of my bedroom then. the door is open.”

“i’m joking, sweetheart.” he turned himself towards you and winked.

you didn’t expect the prince of the hwang family to have such a sarcastic personality.

“joking, my ass. you’re definitely not like the princes i’ve read about in romance novels.”

“of course i’m not like them, you’re reading fiction.”

changing the topic, while hyunjin was talking to you about wishing he could stay blonde and keep his hair long, but couldn’t due to strict family rules of having short black hair to look more professional, you were removing your makeup.

minutes later, you went to the bathroom to change into your comfortable evening clothes.

when you came back, you nearly felt your jaw drop to the floor.

hyunjin is shirtless.

he was sitting up, his top sat close to your nightstand as he was drinking the glass of water that you brought him earlier.

you felt heat rise into your face.

“where’s your shirt?!”

he points to his top that was laying on the floor.

“but why did you.. take it off?”

“my top and corset was uncomfortable so i took it off and i doubt you have an extra shirt for me to sleep in.”

he has a point. but why does my face feel so hot?

while you were flustered, you pretended not to be.

“i’m going to sleep, tomorrow might be a very long day.”

you climbed in bed, already feeling the tiredness making it’s way to you. you pulled the covers over you and turned to your side to sleep comfortably.

as soon as you could close your eyes, hyunjin asks you a question.

“hey. before you sleep, i wanted to know.. what’s your name?”

“y/n.”

he nodded, a warm smile appearing on his face as he suddenly became sleepy.

hyunjin thought to himself,

that’s a beautiful name.

— ꨄ —

author’s note

~ i love the banter in this story!

~ taglist coming soon for moonlight since i’ve received a few requests to do one.

chapter 3

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lttawnymadison · 9 days

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TGCF Revised Version Afterword by MXTX

Since I kept seeing snippets of this, I wanted to read the whole thing for myself. I'd already bought the book on JJWXC and did an MTL for this. It's so wonderful that she's back and sharing new things and that the revised is finally done! - Tawny --------------------------------------------- The author has something to say:

Seeing the small red clay stove again.

———— Afterword of "Heaven Official's Blessing" 2022

■ Finally done!

Long time no see! It's another afterword starting with "finally." Without further ado, seasoned readers would know that I make substantial revisions. For instance, scenes like the Bai Feng Mountain Hunt and the ending recognition of Sizhui in the serial version of "Mo Dao Zu Shi" were not originally there.

The revisions in "Heaven Official's Blessing" are the most extensive of all my works. It was a huge project, as it is also the longest in terms of length, serialized over eight months. Due to poor health and other reasons, the revision process was interrupted for a long time before I picked it up again, and it sporadically took about five to six months over several years.

In the era of web novels, there are endless new entertainments, and honestly, not many people re-read a story. Plus, some problems in the serialized version are structural and can't be changed, but I still tried my best to address my regrets. After all, when I was serializing it, I was almost always in a feverish and sick state, barely pushing through. Additionally, I often enjoy comparing different versions of my favorite authors' works back and forth, finding pleasure in the process. So, for readers, discovering "Wow, this part has changed!" is like starting a new journey with Easter eggs in a second round.

■ The new revised version includes about 100,000 words of new content!

These 100k words are mainly concentrated in the latter half of Volume 1 and Volume 3, but there are plenty scattered throughout the text. For example, I fulfilled a promise to A-Hua, giving him several new outfits. Seeing A-Hua dressed beautifully in a new hairstyle to meet his gege made me happy.

In terms of the intensity of revisions, personally, I feel it goes like this:

Volume 1 and Volume 2 > Volume 3 > Volume 5 > Volume 4.

Additionally, the new version cuts some redundant words and plots that weren't very meaningful. However, I tried to keep all the original interactions between Hua Lian as complete as possible. If some minor interactions are missing, they weren't deleted but moved around.

■ One day, I suddenly dug out something.

An antique from 2017, a folder called "Heaven Official's Blessing Setting Collection."

Curiously, I opened it and read with interest.

● Comparing the original setting outline and the main text, the highest fidelity is in the main storyline between Hua Cheng and Xie Lian.

A-Hua, restored at a ratio of 1:100.

Hua's character setting is the most detailed, and virtually every point made it into the main text, including details like "ghosts don't like the sun, so Hua Cheng sometimes drapes a red cloth over his head"...

Points not used, listed a few:

As a child:

· After being saved from falling off a city wall, he foolishly followed a parade over and over again, grabbing people to ask, "Who is that? Who is that person?" People told him, "That's the royal son, the future Celestial God, the most outstanding Crown Prince of Xianle Nation ever!"

(This point couldn't be used because in the text A-Hua was held in the Crown Prince's arms after being saved)

· At home, he was often punished to stand or kneel, not given food, and wore old clothes, accused of stealing money. Whenever he argued with his family, he would stubbornly sleep in the Prince's temple overnight.

· Went to Mount Tai Cang to volunteer sweeping red leaves at Huangji Observatory, just to sneak peeks at his future wife happily swinging.

After becoming the ghost king:

· One of his hobbies is buying and building houses everywhere.

· Very protective of his leather boots, would (badly) polish them until they shone.

· To other devout followers of Xie Lian, he said: "You have good taste."

· Secretly prepared many betrothal gifts for his beloved god, wanting to marry him!

The character setting of Xie Lian as a teacher in the serialized version compared to the initial draft, the serialized text subtly differs. The initial draft was more... exquisite and elegant, very serious. The serialized text is more... humorous. I think perhaps because some plot points were tragic, Xie Lian thought he should be happier to make the readers more relaxed, so he drove me to adjust his mental state! But due to the spiritual oppression at that time, the character's depth was not enough, while in the new revised version, I hope he can show a more self-content state on the same core basis.

Excerpts from the unused original setting:

· Super easy-going. Easy-going means: if given fifty bucks, he would happily dress in drag and dance. Accepts haggling. Thirty bucks works. Twenty bucks too!

· The observatory is small, the house is broken, wants to grow flowers. Leaks during rain, so he uses a bucket to catch rainwater.

· Because he can't afford a caretaker, he cleans himself, and also feeds chickens. Chickens eat flowers. Keeps a cat.

· Completely engrossed in discussing serious matters, he unknowingly finished all the broken sweet dumplings!

● Water, Earth, Wind original setting:

The highest fidelity is the main line between Hua Cheng and Xie Lian, followed by the Water, Earth, Wind subplot.

The main conflict hasn't changed. Just... how could the original setting of Water, Earth, Wind be so dark and terrifying!

The character morals in the main text improved a lot, otherwise, the original Black Water would be sheer scheming + murderous! The ending for the Wind Master would have been more tragic.

The Venerable of Empty Words suddenly became an improvised character. It seemed like an ancient fable-like monster, making the main text more interesting than the original setting.

Overall, the formal version is a bit better written than the original draft.

● The unfortunate life of Lang Ying:

Lang Ying? Is there such a character? I don't remember!

Ah? It seems there was such a person, but I don't remember any of his plotlines.

This is most people's feeling towards the character of Lang Ying. It's not a delusion because he barely had any significant plot. In fact, any valuable scenes could have been replaced equivalently, so in the new revised version, I deleted this character.

But, in the 2017 setting collection, I suddenly found that I had actually opened a separate document for Lang Ying, and his role was defined as a "growing-type BOSS!"

I was silent.

And immediately opened the document, curious about my initial setting. A "growing-type BOSS," how did he become someone whose deletion went unnoticed...? (I even don't know how to address him!)

Who knows, perhaps out of excitement, I accidentally pressed the wrong shortcut, and somehow it became irreversible, leaving only an empty document for me to stare in disbelief. The once "growing-type BOSS" has now forever become a mystery!

This is the unfortunate life of the deleted Lang Ying.

· There was another document in the setting collection called "Swordsmith." I opened the document and read it with interest.

I was shocked. Because I completely forgot I had conceived this story. Why didn't I write it?!

Darn.

I know why I didn't write it. This story... it had no ending!

——————— Thus, the magical glimpse into the "Heaven Official's Blessing Setting Collection" concludes!

■ I like men with stories!

Maybe because I watched an outstanding work as a child. It was a memoir, the protagonist in the biography was gentle and affable, and the protagonist in the memories was cold and ruthless. The story was scattered with the poignant fragrance of white plum blossoms amidst bloody and stormy circumstances.

This almost perfect work deeply influenced my aesthetics, leading me to be most interested in the memory parts of characters in various works. Although many viewers prefer the present scenes, often asking when the memories will end, I actually find these intense and painful memories to be the most fascinating!

A story is the history of a character, as well as the key to their personality. A person with a story stands before me like a puzzle. The way to solve this puzzle is to understand their story. Because the biography makes one curious to know more about a character they like, loving them more now because of their past. When serializing "Heaven Official," my greatest pain initially was telling myself, "This time I don't want to write a memory slaughter," deliberately trying to avoid a structure similar to previous works, yet I still hadn't found a better way to express it, resulting in my deep dissatisfaction with the later part of Volume 1. I was also hesitant to fully commit to the memory scenes in Volume 2, and with the heavy mental burden, this part was very painful to write. When revising, looking at Volume 2 was almost unbearable, because I'm the type of person who, as a child, would immediately switch channels when a TV show's protagonist was about to be wrongfully accused or embarrassed. I couldn't help but knock on a friend's door and ask:

Me: Was the author suffering some kind of mental trauma at the time? This negative energy is too horrifying, the protagonist is so pitiful, I really admire anyone who could read through Volume 2 completely.

Friend: Do you even have the right to say that?

But the memory slaughter in Volume 4 was much freer, written in one breath, so the revisions for this volume were also the least.

So, will you still write large segments of memory slaughter?

Um, well, we'll see, haha, hehe...

■ Closing Remarks:

Lastly, I'll address the question some asked me, "Will the new revised 'Heaven Official's Blessing' be more torturous?"

Me: You're talking nonsense. 'Heaven Official's Blessing' is a sweet pampering story, thank you!

Acknowledgments:

Shi Nai'an wrote in the preface to "Water Margin": "On snowy nights, about five or six people listen to my storytelling; on rainy days, about seven or eight; on bright and sunny days, about ten. I read, everyone listens, and we are all happy, with no other thoughts." When I read this as a young person, I was delighted. What divine days! Writing first to entertain oneself, then to entertain others. Self-expression and self-acceptance are certainly primary, but the affection of others is also a significant positive feedback. Thus, first, I thank the steadfast readers who have accompanied me all this time. I've thought about just walking away amidst the noisy disputes; abandoning the account amidst the tumultuous world! It seems not bad. But looking back, I can't bear to leave some truly sincere readers.

I've had authors I liked disappear from the internet, and I always feel like a part of my youth has vanished, a feeling quite distressing, reminiscent of overly grand and harsh things like the tears of the era or the torrent of history. So, I want to accompany my readers as long as possible, hoping that the day of parting comes later. Perhaps I'm not good enough now, but I will strive to be better in the future. Or perhaps you've never truly understood what kind of person I am, or even completely misunderstood me, but as long as you genuinely like my stories, we can sit down and chat.

And, I must mention my friends, who can be described as having the courage of a hero. Long time no see, Teacher Changyang's illustrations are still as beautiful as those of a celestial being, I hope Teacher CAS can go to bed earlier and worry less, and Teacher Kuohao, who despite a heavy workload, still fully honored our agreement. The "Heaven Official's Blessing" radio drama is really fantastic! It reminded me of the original intention of writing this story, and I was very moved. If it weren't for the silent companionship and efforts of these old friends, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu might have stopped writing back in 2016, disappearing from the world of martial arts, and thus, "Heaven Official's Blessing" would not have been born. I look forward to retracing the paths we once walked together when gathering ideas. And many friends who reached out to help and encourage me, thank you for accompanying me through the snowy nights.

#tgcf #tian guan ci fu #hob #heaven official's blessing #墨香铜臭 #mxtx #mo xiang tong xiu #天官赐福 #tgcf revised version #mine

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see-arcane · 6 months

Text

Oof augh argh my heart

Once again @re-dracula is proving to be THE only Dracula adaptation to do this story and its characters justice

The horror-sting in discovering not only that Dracula is trying to erase his tracks, but that it now has a body count (RIP to his agent)

The exuberance of Mina in Isabel Adomakoh Young's voice as she marches head-on into connecting the vital dots to realize where Dracula is and how to track him--and the ultimate chokehold on her courage and love as she must ultimately part ways with Jonathan for the final rush of the chase

The lacing of audio-action under Van Helsing's dialogue as he dishes out his last group-rousing speech where they're all together

The sharper dramatic tone under Jonathan's words as Ben Galpin finally, finally gets to give full heart-tearing voice to that brief but electric rant at--with biting emphasis--Professor van Helsing--about the danger he means to drag Mina into unexcused and unexplained, hammering home the reminder of what all there is to worry for in the future...

On the heels of that, Galpin and the soundscape design managed to bring new ominous life into something I had previously only half-noticed before:

"Do as you will," said Jonathan, with a sob that shook him all over, "we are in the hands of God!"

[...]

My only comfort is that we are in the hands of God. Only for that faith it would be easier to die than to live, and so be quit of all the trouble.

I never thought of those lines being delivered with such a subtle but disquieting pitch of despair rather than hope. As if the speaker very much does have faith in God, but he only knows so from God's proven fallibility--and knows that same fickle Power is the one carelessly juggling all their fates.

And that ending handful of lines, delivered with such a quiet crushing weight of the eerie:

It is a wild adventure we are on. Here, as we are rushing along through the darkness, with the cold from the river seeming to rise up and strike us; with all the mysterious voices of the night around us, it all comes home. We seem to be drifting into unknown places and unknown ways; into a whole world of dark and dreadful things. Godalming is shutting the furnace door....

The way it's directed, the way it's voiced, the way it's all couched in the sort of cinematic beat of hush before the characters walk blindfolded into some fresh Hell, it all seems to turn over some mental stone in my head to reveal I've been walking past gold with each re-read of the novel.

Just

wow

Wow wow wow this podcast

It makes such a difference. There's so much more flavor and so many more facets in how Re: Dracula delivers the story beyond any mere audiobook, and worlds beyond any adaptation I've ever sat through. A million thank yous to the cast and crew.

Gonna go re-listen again

#so yeah I liked this episode a bit #a smidge #dracula #re: dracula #dracula daily

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devildom-moss · 2 months

Note

If requests are still open…I just read the best book and want to fan with someone. So how would they react to their s/o wanting to fan/talk about their favorite novel to them?

Thank you for the request anon. I know it's late, but I hope you like it.

Reacting to MC wanting to talk about their favorite novel headcanons

(mostly implied established relationships)

(Slightly suggestive for Asmodeus, Barbatos, Thirteen, Raphael, Mephistopheles)

Word Count: +4,300

Lucifer

He acts like he’s not that interested in hearing about it or that you’re inconveniencing him somehow, but Lucifer loves hearing you talk.

He pretends he’s making a generous deal by offering to let you talk all you want if you agree to cuddle with him. Just allow him to pour you both a glass of Demonus and get into a comfortable position before you start talking.

Usually, that position involves one of you lying on the other’s chest – although, I think Lucifer would adore curling up with his head tucked under your chin, listening to your heartbeat as you talked. The second you look away from him during these book talks/cuddles, his subtle smile would melt into something so lovesick that he’s ashamed to let you see.

How much he actually pays attention to what you’re saying honestly depends on how tired he is and how much Demonus is in him. If he’s exhausted or drunk, he’s more focused on the sound of your voice than the meaning of the words leaving your mouth. He’ll answer with small hums. If he’s alert, he’ll seem like he’s passively listening, but this man is reconstructing the entire novel based on the facts you’re giving him. He tries to ask you questions based on what seems to appeal to you the most in the book.

It’s so soft, but since he doesn’t have much time for reading, one of his favorite ways to learn about new books is through you. He likes that his experience with a book is shaped entirely by what you love about it.

Unfortunately, that also means that he’s unlikely to read the book unless you directly recommend it to him – and even then, he’ll ask to borrow your copy so he can see if you left any notes or annotations in it. What a romantic loser. His interest in the book will be tied to your interest in it.

Mammon

He might think it’s kind of boring at first, but he’ll let you talk about the book anyway. “Since ya seem so interested, I guess ya could tell the Great Mammon about it. Just know I ain’t this generous with my time for anyone, got it?”

If he’s not going to get cuddles out of this, then you’re taking him on a date, which he obfuscates by telling you that dinner/a drink is on you. Honestly, you could make him a cup of instant noodles that he bought, and he’d still agree to listen to you – or again, you could just hold him.

He’s just being greedy, but he’s pleased that you came to him to talk about something you love. Even if the genre isn’t something he would touch with a 20ft pole (horror), he’d rather you come to him to talk about it. You’re his human, and he’s your first; so, you should want to talk to him above all. He’ll be so butthurt if you go to anyone else.

He might get bored, especially if it’s not something he’s into, and his mind will wander (Oh, wow. MC looks cute today. Where’d they get that outfit? I think I wore a jacket in that color during my last gig. Shit. They’d look hot in those clothes. Maybe I should…). However, if you tell him that being able to talk about this book is important to you, he’ll be a surprisingly good listener.

Mans doesn’t read – not exactly, anyway. He’ll read comics and graphic novels, but I think pages packed with nothing but words just frustrate him to no end (possibly dyslexic). That said, he’s willing to put in the effort to read something you seem to really like – especially if it’s an ongoing series, so he can get caught up and read the next one with you.

Mammon will even read horror if you recommend it, but you’re going to end up with him in your bed for a few weeks (while he’s reading and for a week or two after he finishes the book). Please don’t tease him for being scared. He’s doing this for you.

Every time you bring up a book you like that sounds interesting, he waits until he’s alone to see if there’s a free audiobook version. He’s weirdly embarrassed about finding audiobooks easier.

Leviathan

Mood because same. He requires a captive audience of at least one Henry to listen to him go on and on about his favs. He’ll match your energy (although he might just be mirroring you) because he wants to hype you up – it’s what he wants when he has something to fan about.

Levi will put his games, manga, and/or anime aside just to listen to you. You’ll have his undivided attention – and he doesn’t care how long you talk for either. Listens like a good boy. He’s just happy that you wanted to talk to him about something you love.

Please don’t talk to him in his demon form. His snake-like tongue will be flicking out, tasting your excitement in the air. He’ll get flustered if you point that out, though because “UGH, HOW CAN I BE SO OBVIOUS!?” Then you’ll have to stop talking about your book to comfort the poor mess. Although he’d much prefer it if you just ignored him and kept talking.

He’ll add the book to his read later list – although he might bump it to the top of the list for you (especially if it’s something that interests him – like romance).

Levi will recommend anime, manga, and other books that match the themes (as you described them) of the one you’re talking about. The idea of sharing your interests makes him overjoyed, and he might get a bit carried away, recommending five to ten things at once.

He’s just really cute and supportive. He’ll even make note of what you enjoy so he can get merch and other related items for you as a present.

Satan

After Levi, he probably appreciates and understands your urge to discuss a book you love the most. Sometimes you read something so good that you can’t keep it to yourself; he gets it.

As the designated bookworm, he understands why you would come to him – he’s the most obvious choice, but he still loves that you chose him. It’s endearing. Just imagine his eyes widening when you ask him if you can talk about a book you read with him, followed quickly by a smile and a faint blush. He’s thrilled.

He will definitely read the book – assuming he hasn’t already. If it’s so good that it made his beloved partner want to talk about it, he has to read it. If he’s already read it, he’ll read it again.

Like Lucifer (don’t kill me), Satan will ask for your copy of the book so he can skim for any underlines and annotations. He wants to use this as an excuse to understand you better, and he’ll study the way you talk about the book (what you fixated on, how you relay the plot, everything).

He probably sits you on his lap to discuss the book – that way you can stand up and pace if you feel the urge to move. It’s an incredibly intimate moment for him, and he savors it. That said, he might get annoyed if you never reciprocate by listening to him fan about his favorites.

Probably the only one who asks you to talk about your favorite books before you get the chance to ask if he’ll listen. He’s especially prone to do this if he’s had a bad day. Your voice soothes him, and he can get lost in a story told through your eyes.

Asmodeus

Asmo doesn’t quite understand because books (when he reads them) so rarely move him to the point that he needs to talk about it. Still, it’s not that different from him sharing new trends with you.

He’s happy to let you discuss your favorite book with him because a part of him just feeds off the adoration in your voice – and I mean actually feeds off it. He’ll keep you going with the occasional question. By the time you’re done talking, Asmo will be left feeling refreshed and satisfied.

“You’re so cute when you’re into something. You know, you have that same adorable look on your face whenever you stare at me.” He teases you because he’s somehow a little jealous of the book. All that time you spent reading could have been spent adoring him. It doesn’t matter if you slowly read the book over a period of months, he still thinks of it as time he missed out with you. However, Asmo knows that train of thought is petty, so he tries not to bring it up.

Expect him to want to go out on a date with you shortly after – or immediately. He’s just so full of energy and love, and there’s no one he would rather spend time with. If he can think of something to do that’s related to the book you just discussed, he will. (He wasn’t just feeding off your love for the book, he was listening – probably because it was you talking.)

After the first time you fan about a book with him, he’ll start inviting you to hang out in his room with him to read. He can do whatever he wants while you read, sprawled out in his bed (get your mind out of the gutter. Although he’d be down for that too). Asmo just wants you around, invading his personal space. He even sweetens the deal by mentioning that if you read in his room, you can stop to discuss chapters right away.

Asmo, most likely, won’t read the book unless you insist (or if it’s a spicy novel), and even then, he’ll probably ask you to read it to him. “Come on, I’ll enjoy it so much more when it’s coming directly from your lips.”

Beelzebub

Beel also doesn’t read much, and rarely to the point of wanting to talk about it with someone else, so he’s at a loss. He’ll let you discuss it with him if it makes you happy, though.

The twins are probably the worst of the brothers to try to fan with. Beel will get distracted by any mention of food, so maybe don’t mention anything that even sounds like food if you want him to stay on track.

He will probably get hungry while you’re talking, and even though he doesn’t want to interrupt you, his growling stomach will not show you the same consideration. You’ll get a better reception if you feed him while you discuss the book. He still might get a bit distracted by his food for a few seconds, but he’ll refocus back to you.

Talking about a book with him might go over better if you offer to do it during one of his workouts. He could listen to you instead of music. If you don’t have the kind of stamina to talk about the book and run or lift weights beside him, he’s still happy to have you stand next to him or talk – or he’ll ask you to serve as a weight for him. You could sit on his back while he does push ups or hold his feet while he does sit-ups.

He might pick up the book you read and give it a chance – but no promises. Also, please don’t lend Beel your copy of the book if you don’t have to. He might try to eat it or drool on it. (He’ll be extremely sorry and offer to buy a replacement, at least.)

Belphegor

Good luck with this one.

Belphie will casually agree to listen while you fan about your favorite book, but he’s probably going to fall asleep while you’re talking. But it’s not his fault. Your voice when you sound happy just fills him with a sense of peace that lulls him right to sleep.

The worst part about that is that you’ll stop talking, disappointed that he fell asleep; but then he’ll moan a little, open one eye, and say, “No, go on. I’m still listening. I want you to keep talking.”

No, actually, the worst part is that you can be so certain he’s not paying attention that you’ll ask him a relevant question, and he’ll actually get it right. You could have sworn you heard snoring a minute ago. Gaslight. Gatekeep. God literally cast him out.

Wants to be cuddled or use you as a pillow while you talk. It makes him feel comfortable, but more importantly, if you try to leave him (to try to fan about the book with someone else because you think Belphie is asleep, for example), he can easily tighten his grip around you and keep you there.

Asks you to read your favorite passages to him to help him relax – and while you’re at it, could you pet him? He’s spoiled; we already know this.

If you seem to be really into it, he might pick up the book and give it a read, but he might not commit to finishing it. He will, however, use that book as a pillow at least once – especially if it’s your copy.

Diavolo

He loves when you do this, and are we really surprised by this puppy-energy man? Your enthusiasm is contagious for him, and he adores being the one to provide you with the space to fan about any and everything you love.

He’s so excited to listen to you that he will stop in the middle of his work sometimes – and it’s not just because he doesn’t want to do his work. Seriously, though, in order to avoid Barbatos’s scorn, you should probably only ask to talk about something you love after Diavolo’s done with his work. Actually, telling him you want to fan with him after he finishes work for the day would probably incentivize him to work harder.

He'll hype you up and take a serious interest in what you’re talking about. Halfway through, he’ll be sold. More often than not, you’ll get Diavolo into the book. Even better, he doesn’t mind spoilers, so you can talk to your heart’s content.

Diavolo will try to read the book as soon as possible, but it takes him forever (without magic). There are not enough hours in the day for a busy prince, but he’s trying his best.

I’m convinced that Diavolo would try to get out of social engagements, mostly with people he’s not very fond of, when he’s trying to get through a book you like. His desire to keep reading doesn’t sway Barbatos very often – but if it’s someone who isn’t too important and whom Barbatos finds annoying himself, he might just corroborate a little excuse to get out of the social engagement.

A silly little thought: Diavolo would definitely still read a book you recommended while playing a game of chess with Lucifer, and Lucifer would be so annoyed by that when he still loses, but he wouldn’t even know what to say (If you’re going to beat me, please don’t spend the match with your nose in a book?). Lucifer would feel even worse if it’s a romance or erotica that Diavolo’s reading. Ha.

Barbatos

This lovely man will make arrangements so you can talk about it over tea with him. If you can wait a day to fan about it, he will do a bit of research and make themed sweets and tea to complement your book. He’d invite you out into the garden when the weather is nice – and where he can have you all to himself.

He might not feel engaged with the topic of the book, but you’d never guess from the keen attention he gives you. He’s attentive the entire time, with a sweet smile resting on his lips when you get excited as you talk. Barbatos doesn’t interrupt, and he lets the words flow from your mouth.

The entire time, Barbatos will be taking mental notes, considering how your experience of the book reflects on your personality. He likes to think of it as an insight into that wonderful mind of yours.

If you mention spicy scenes in the book, he will take interest – it just won’t show. You can bet he’ll get a copy of that book later and read it in secret. He’d like to get a better understanding about what you might be into. (He’ll do this with romance, too.) However, if he’s feeling bold, he might just ask to borrow your copy in an unnecessarily sultry tone.

Even if he doesn’t read the book, he will compile a list of your favorites. He’s the type to use that information to influence date ideas or to inspire his cooking/baking. He doesn’t mention that his inspiration came from your favorite books unless you bring it up, though.

Simeon

He’s happy to hear about it. As the designated author, he appreciates your insight more than the others might. He thinks it’s fascinating to hear what you enjoyed about a specific novel. (And he definitely doesn’t use that to influence his future writing. No, not at all.)

Like Barbatos, Simeon will invite you to talk over a cup of tea. However, Simeon is more casual with the whole affair. He’s a little less possessive about it as well. If the contents of the book are Luke-safe, he’ll host you in the living room. If the book is scary or spicy, he’ll invite you to talk in his room. (He might also do this if he’s feeling a little more lonely than usual.)

Simeon is such a good listener, he engages with you well, and his reactions are subtle but appropriate. He’ll ask you a fair number of questions, although some of them are more geared towards his interest in something you mentioned (not that that’s bad, though).

Other than Satan, he could probably keep you talking the longest. He can naturally converse about books, and he’d weave in elements from other books either of you have read. In other words, you can talk to your heart’s content or until you’re exhausted. (And Simeon would never prolong conversations just to tire you out and convince you to stay the night with him . . . right?)

He’ll read the book you like if it strikes him as interesting as a whole – and not just certain elements of it – or if you recommend it personally. He doesn’t assume that just because you talk about a book with him, you think he’ll enjoy reading it himself. You’re welcome to talk about something he would normally find dull. He waits for your direct recommendation because it feels special, like you’re actually thinking about him and his tastes when you recommend a book.

Solomon

Solomon is down so bad, of course he’ll read the book for you. He even uses that little magic trick of his to read it instantly in preparation for you to fan out – just so he can engage with you better. It’s not always possible, but usually he manages to get the book read beforehand.

If you’re not embarrassed to gush about a book in public, he’ll ask you out on a date. “Of course you can talk about your new favorite book, what do you say we talk about it over a drink – or are you hungry? We could eat, too.”

Honestly, he’s so cute because if he happens to share the same opinion as you do about aspects of the book, he gets all happy – just the biggest, sappiest grin. He feels a special connection with you when that happens.

Happily discusses plot and symbolism, and he loves to hear your take on different elements.

The shady old man tries to squeeze another date out of you by taking advantage of knowing that you just finished a good book. It’s the perfect time for him to invite you on a library or bookstore date to look for a new one.

Offers to start a little book club for two with you. He can use his magic to read the book when you’re done (so you aren’t pressured to read quickly, and he’s not tempted to give you any spoilers). Or, if you don’t mind, you could read the book together. Solomon wouldn’t mind spending hours snuggled up next to you, reading against your shoulder.

Thirteen

She hypes you up and lets you talk as much as you would like. She thinks it’s adorable that you came to her because you wanted to talk about a book you love. It’s an honor, and she finds it so endearing, especially since Thirteen goes to you to talk about her latest traps, too. You’re just exchanging thoughts on things you’re passionate about, and isn’t that incredibly romantic?

The discussions can have a gossip-like feel to it. Thirteen will happily shit talk your least favorite characters with you. She’ll be extra into the plot if it includes morally grey villains – she loves a bad one.

Likely to invite you to chat with her at her cave (lots of privacy. . .to be as extra as you want to be. What were you thinking?) Might work on her traps while you talk, but if it starts to get interesting, Thirteen will stop what she’s doing until she’s practically draped over your body, listening to you intently.

Absolutely smitten with the way your voice gets impassioned. You could talk all day and she’d stay glued to your hip. It’s a precious bonding activity for her.

The most likely to interrupt you randomly with a kiss. “I’m sorry, you were just so adorable. I had to. Please keep talking.”

If the book sounds up her alley, she’ll give it a read. If not, she won’t; well, maybe if you give her a “please” she’ll consider something that she wouldn’t usually read. Although, for books she has no interest in, she might still take a peek at some of the spicy scenes if you mention them. She wants to know what her partner is into.

Raphael

You are welcome to talk to him about whatever you please while he sews (if you can keep the volume at a reasonable level), but he’s pretty low energy, so don’t expect much. It’s not that he’s apathetic to what you’re saying, he just doesn’t emote like that.

He won’t ever mention it, but he switches to hand-sewing when you want to talk about something you’re passionate about, like a new favorite book. Raphael usually has something he can work on that doesn’t include a machine. He doesn’t want the sewing machine noises to interrupt you and make you feel like he isn’t listening to you. (Unless he has one of those “silent” sewing machines, I guess. Lucky.)

In his eyes, you’re incredibly cute when you ramble about things. He’s kind of used to it (I bet Michael can talk his ear off). Your voice soothes him, and it’s a nice way to pass time and fill the silence without causing too much stress. I imagine he tends to sew in relative silence.

Raphael gets tense in ways that are just barely noticeable if you bring up romance or sex scenes. He tries not to make it obvious that he’s listening to you closely. If you want to fluster him, talk to him about some raunchy smut. He’ll be a mess.

If you happen to pique his interest, he’ll secretly go out and get the book so he can read it for himself. He might not tell you about it, though (because he’s emotionally stunted, and reading a book mostly because you like it and it seems interesting enough is so frustratingly intimate).

Would absolutely make references to the book as a way of flirting with you – sometimes it’s going to flop, but he keeps doing it. He’s nothing if not consistent.

Mephistopheles

It’s not that surprising that a good journalist is also a good listener. Like Lucifer, he acts like it’s a bit of an inconvenience – at least until he clears the rest of his day and invites you over for a glass or two of Demonus. He ends up letting you talk for as long as you please, and if you ask if he’s bored or if he wants you to stop, he insists that it’s fine in the most dick-ish way he can while still being affectionate/flirty. “No, not at all. You’re keeping me entertained on an otherwise boring night. I have no complaints – although I find that you’re sitting a bit too far for comfort.”

Sir. It’s probably your fault you had a boring night ahead. But he might also just say that to play down his desire to listen to you talk. He’ll cancel plans with most people for you – except Diavolo or the House of Lords – if he’s able to.

Mephisto is able to find some point of interest in the book you want to fan about even if he doesn’t care at all about anything else you’ve mentioned. It could be the most horrendous, pointless garbage to him, and he will find an angle to connect with you. He’s more interested in exploring your thoughts than he is any book (and if you get enough Demonus in him, he might actually admit that).

In a weird way, it actually annoys him how charming he finds you when you’re talking about something you care about. He appreciates that passionate side of you, and a selfish part of him hopes that no one else gets to see you like that.

Just – maybe don’t mention spicy scenes in the book that you enjoyed (if that’s what you like reading... I mean you're on my blog sooo). Your talk will be over quickly – unless you want to read the book aloud while he follows the text like an instruction manual. He might use some of the lines just to get you riled up. He’s terrible.

He uses his wealth to help fund your obsession. He’ll get you merch, purchase first editions, get items from the book brought to life through expensive customs, etc. If he thinks it’ll make you happy, he’ll spoil you a bit.

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dangerouslypassiveaggressive · 2 months

Text

A Terribly Organized Almost-Essay About Suzanne Collins and Why I Think She Writes

Lukewarm take because it's been years, but here it goes: if there's anything I've learned over the years, it's that Suzanne Collins is not a people pleaser. (The author, at least. I don't know her personally lol). And she be pleasing the people, that's not what I mean! I just kept hearing the same question being asked over and over again. "Why Snow? Why him?? Why not anybody else? Really?? A prequel about HIM??" It really made me think.

And don't get me wrong! I'd slash someone's tires for a Finnick prequel just like the next person (Suzanne please!), but that has never been the point of her writing. The Hunger Games novels, and by extension, the prequel book The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, aren't just fun fiction reads. Yeah, they're gripping. The world-building is superb. Young people are at the center of it. And all these characteristics are great, but the thing that draws us in, that keeps us consuming her media like hungry little caterpillars, is that they are, time and time again, a captivating and accurate criticism, analysis, and deconstruction of the broken systems society experiences in the real world. I can only speak from my own experience as a Mexican American woman in the United States, so take all of this with a grain of salt.

The Capitol is colorful and fun and interesting and horrible and sadistic. And it is all those things because it is a symbol of our own real-world 1%, except our own glittering Capitol members here in the real world feed us the hope that we may reach their status if we only work hard enough for long enough. The Hunger Games system never makes that claim. In fact, they are fed the narrative that the system only works because they're stuck where they are. Suzanne Collins is taking everything one step further in her writing because it is a type of satire, a critique of the things we already know. So as an author, she blows it out of proportion so that her reader will say "look at this! How ridiculous! How would someone let the system treat them this way!" And it is ridiculous, it's downright laughable that an entire society, an entire country, would let itself be oppressed in such a cruel way by just a few people in charge instead of rising up and- oh wow, yeah, I see it. She wrote about us.

Suzanne Collins just organized everything neatly into boxes- well, districts. Because every district comes with some form of product that they manufacture, but much more importantly: a class. We go in order from 1-13. District 1 manufactures luxury items and District 2 makes weapons (but mostly trains Peacekeepers), so they have the most privilege and wealth. On the other end, Districts 11 and 12 are the agricultural and coal mining districts, respectively. That's back-breaking work. Not to mention District 11 puts kids as young as 12 to work, and District 12 is poverty-stricken and starving. "But what about District 13?" You may ask, "They make nuclear weapons! Why aren't they up there with 2?" Fantastic question. If we know, and the people of Panem know, that the hierarchy is very clearly set by literal number order, why would one of the most powerful and competent districts be given more power and be put at the top? Placing them at the end lets them believe that they aren't powerful or competent. I mean, jeez, look at 12 and they're before 13? I wouldn't believe I could make it on my own either. (We know now that's not how things go down, but it's a clever power move regardless.)

But after all this, would it hurt Suzanne to give us a single book just for fun?

Yes, I believe it would, that's the whole point. We're not meant to fall for the Peeta/Katniss/Gale love triangle. We're not meant to be interested in Finnick's secrets and early life. We're not meant to want to know the morbid details of how Haymitch won his Games (with double the contestants! Ooh. Aah.) We're meant to be horrified at every turn, at every story. We're meant to ask ourselves how things got so bad, how anyone let this happen. Suzanne Collins has written wonderfully fleshed out characters that grip us and make us want to know more, but the point has never been them or even their loved ones. It was never about Katniss or Prim or Peeta or Finnick or Annie. It's always been about the systems that let this story happen, and where Suzanne got her inspiration: the very real lives we lead. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes shows us the same thing.

So why Coriolanus Snow? Because he is the catalyst to a broken system that only serves the powerful. If Suzanne were to write a novel about any of our much more beloved characters, then she would be writing the exact same book over and over about the same oppression happening in the same system. She does not write for the sake of bringing her very well-written characters to life, but to flesh out the poverty, the starvation, the power struggles, the horrors they experience. We know this because she writes a lot of her characters as symbols. (Coin, for instance, as the symbol for a power-hungry figurehead, or Prim as the innocent during war.)

Snow is living in a slightly different biome than what we know from The Hunger Games series. He has to make sacrifices and decisions for him and his family, but it's different. It is a view and critique from the inside looking in. This is not Katniss getting to experience the Capitol for the first time and understanding just how terribly unfair everything is. This is someone who is very aware of the way things work and playing the game to stay in power and keep their privilege. Not only that, but it's someone who feels entitled to all of it. In this novel, Suzanne plays around with power and people's position in it. What if a mad scientist was in charge? What if the creator of the thing that brought a semblance of peace was just as horrified as the reader? How far is one person willing to go for power? What if we saw the dawn of a world we're already familiar with?

So I hope she keeps writing, because I love seeing our world through her eyes and the parallels she writes from our world to hers of the injustices happening every day. Even though we'll probably never get the stories we crave, but that's okay. Keep putting those kids through hell, Suzanne.

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zombie-bait · 3 months

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The Death of a Vampire

Lestat as a protagonist just works so incredibly well and a very significant aspect of that is him being Anne Rice's self-insert. Lived experience can be critical when it comes to writing a good story and many memorable novels will feature elements of that. Anne is built different, though. Lestat (book 2 onwards) is basically Anne's journal for dealing with her grievances and trauma, which, on its own, is a very questionable method of writing. More often than not, it causes him to be characterized inconsistently between books because Anne's own opinions have changed. But it also makes him so real.

You follow his struggles with religion, you see him yearn for forgiveness from a god that has seemingly abandoned him a long time ago and you feel it. The passage I will never get over is in the early chapters of The Vampire Lestat, when Lestat has a breakdown over his mother's (and frankly his own) mortality. He struggles and he cries and he can't get out of bed because there's nothing he can do. Eventually he starts to live again, forces himself to.

But.

"I wandered into the church and on my knees I leaned against the wall and I looked at the ancient statues and I felt the same gratitude looking at the finely carved fingers and the noses and the ears and the expressions on their faces and the deep folds in their garments, and I couldn’t stop myself from crying. At least we had these beautiful things, I said. Such goodness. But nothing natural seemed beautiful to me now! The very sight of a great tree standing alone in a field could make me tremble and cry out. Fill the orchard with music. And let me tell you a little secret. It never did pass, really."

I think about those last two sentences a lot. I think about them even more since Anne Rice passed away.

Every page of Interview is spent talking about death and yet (imo) it's only in TVL that you really feel it. Louis in book 1 welcomes death quite readily because, besides his toxic boyfriend and their traumatized daughter, he doesn't have much to live for. He's basically given up by the time Lestat appears. The greatest torture, to Louis, is the knowledge that he can live forever on the suffering of others.

But Lestat is the complete opposite. He wants to listen to music, to explore Paris, to perform on any stage that will take him, to embrace the man he loves and to send his ailing mother letters of his accomplishments. Death matters most to those who are desperate to live and god is he desperate. He's haunted by his mother's sickness, by the wolves on the mountain that threaten to end his life before he's even lived it, the witches place that reeks of meaningless suffering. And in a way, the dark gift provides opportunity to escape that. But it is still death. It takes away Nicki in a very literal way and takes away his mother in a more personal one. Magnus, like death, chose Lestat arbitrarily. He sees the cellar of blonde corpses and knows that he was only one of dozens to meet an untimely death with no explanation.

Lestat also really wants you to know that he is, truly, a good person. He must be. He swears to only hunt criminals and then goes back on that two pages later. He reshapes stories to present himself as the noble protagonist and the audience has no choice but to believe him. He wants, desperately, to be loved for all that he is, man and monster. He wants to be the hero.

He's this awful, fascinating, very human man so clearly born out of the internal struggle to find meaning and love in a cruel, unpredictable world we all tend to share. He's made up of incredibly basic and powerful human desires hidden behind a mask of bravado and I can't recalling seeing another protagonist like him.

(Quick mention: This isn't some kind of "wow Anne Rice is an incredible author who can do no wrong" piece. She's written a lot of fucked up and bad shit that cannot be easily brushed over. But I don't think I'll ever get over reading TVL for the first time. To read someone bare their soul in such a way creates a truly unique experience. A lot of characters in a lot of pieces of media face death, but it's rare to see a character face mortality in such a personal way.)

(Also odds are I've written similar posts to this before but shhhhh these sad gay vampires are all I have)

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liu-anhuaming · 3 months

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Reading Chinese Ebooks on 讀墨 ReadMoo

For the past few years, I've labored under the assumption that I can't read Chinese ebooks because I just can't focus on them. However, I recently saw someone on insta mention the app 讀墨. I was intrigued, and decided to give it a try. And wow, what a shock, I can in fact read Chinese ebooks! I just have to change it to vertical text and make the font very large.

So the past couple weeks I've been trying to read more consistently using 讀墨. The book I started with was slow going at first, which almost made me give up; it was the Chinese translation of The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera. This book really wasn't for me, and I didn't want to keep reading it. So instead of just giving up, I bought one more book and tried again: 《你的孩子不是你的孩子》 by 吳曉樂 (yes, it is the basis for the Netflix show of the same name).

I devoured the book in under a week. So yeah, I think Chinese ebooks work for me if I like the book.

Below is gonna be an overview of the app, and my thoughts on it so far. It's not comprehensive though, since there's a lot of things on this app I haven't explored yet (like the audiobooks).

***Please note that 讀墨 is a Taiwanese app, and as such it mainly offers books written in traditional characters. There are apparently books written in simplified available, but I haven't explored those since I'm fine reading traditional.***

Buying Books

Buying books is fairly simple. You make an in-app purchase of coins, which you then use to buy books. Note: As of writing this, I have recently recently received a notification from the app that their book purchasing system will be changing soon. Instead of being able to buy the books in the app, you'll have to log in to your account in a browser and buy the books there. The books will apparently then appear on the app for you to read.

As it stands, 210 coins costs $10.99, and the books I've bought have ranged in price from 210 to about 300 coins. That means the books cost ~$11-$16, just like a regular book. This could be pricey, but since I'd otherwise be paying for international shipping if I were buying a physical copy, this feels like a bargain to me. (For me, shipping books from Taiwan/China to the US typically doubles the price of the purchase rip)

Once you buy the book, it's in your library for you to start whenever you please.

As for browsing for books, I haven't gone too in-depth yet. I went in to 讀墨 with a TBR and went for books off that list exclusively. When it comes to buying books online, I almost always go on whatever site I'm buying from with a list of the books I'm thinking of buying. I get recommendations elsewhere (e.g., Goodreads or insta).

Reading Books

The 讀墨 reading interface is pretty typical for an e-reader app. What makes me like it way better than other apps I've used is that it has a lot more customization options.

For starters, you've got 6 options for page/text color. There's the typical black, white, and sepia, but there's also blue and green! I use the 奶綠 option, since I don't like having such a stark contrast between the text and the background when reading on my phone for long periods.

Then there's the options for changing the text size and spacing. You can make it bigger or smaller as you please, and put more or less space between each line of text.

You can also change the font. There's 8 different fonts you can choose from, including the default. There's even a font that puts 注音 next to each character! You can see a preview of that one in the photo below.

And then, there's the option to switch between horizontal and vertical text. The default is horizontal text, but I've come to prefer vertical when reading Chinese novels. If you go to your settings on your profile, you can make vertical text your default, which is what I ended up doing.

Like any good e-reader, there's options to highlight text. There's four different colors you can use (pink, yellow, purple, and blue). If you go the ToC, you can find all of your highlights and filter by color of highlight. Super convenient, since I've been using pink to highlight words/phrases I don't know or find interesting and yellow to highlight key sentences/paragraphs.

Aside from highlighting, when you select text you have the option to look the characters up in a dictionary or online. I've been getting a lot of errors with this recently, but I'm wondering if that's just my phone acting weird? It worked perfectly fine when I first started using the app. Anyways, the dictionary it takes you to is 夢典 MoeDict and it opens in a browser. This personally is a bit annoying bc I actually have this dictionary app installed on my phone, but this is a minor complaint. The dictionary opening in a new browser tab is a non-issue.

Reading Stats

Now, I'm a big dork and love to track my reading stats. To my great satisfaction, 讀墨 keeps track of some stats. The main one is time spent reading. You can set a daily goal (the minimum is 20 minutes), and if you reach it you get a nice checkmark on the calendar. The calendar doesn't update until the very end of each day, so if you've reached your goal for the day it won't show on the calendar until the next day.

Also, keep in mind time differences between where you live and Taiwan. I'm ~12 hours behind Taiwan, so the app doesn't start a new day until around noon for me.

Below the calendar, there's a chart that shows your total reading times for a week, month, or year. I normally can't be bothered to time my reading (especially not when I'm reading physical books) so this is cool to see. I think when it comes to reading in Chinese, being timed is more interesting because I'm able to more clearly gauge progress.

And below all that, there's a breakdown of the genres you read. I don't pay much attention to genre when choosing books, so I don't find this one quite as interesting.

(tfw you're reading a non-fiction book about a tutor so your main genre becomes 教育)

Overall Thoughts

So yeah, I've enjoyed myself so far. Aside from the reading interface, I find the app pretty easy to navigate. I spent a bit of time just clicking around and was able to figure out what's what pretty quick.

Like I said, this isn't a comprehensive review, but I'd recommend giving the app a try if you're willing/able to put down money for ebooks and are able to read traditional. It feels worth the money for me, since the interface is pretty customizable and easy to use.

If you're wondering where to find simplified ebooks, idk. This is my first real foray into Chinese ebooks, so I don't really know where to find them for simplified or traditional. I have heard that it is a little easier to pirate Chinese ebooks since their copyright laws are a little different than ours in the US?

#langblr #mandarin chinese #mandarin langblr #chinese langblr #learn mandarin chinese #learn mandarin #learn chinese #mine #books

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oneatlatime · 5 months

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City of Walls and Secrets

I am also once again saving the commentary for a rewatch.

I still think rock trains are neat but their inefficiencies hurt my brain. The friction! They should at least install dynamic braking.

That's big. This show has really confined itself to the hinterlands so far, so this is really novel. I had no clue anything this big existed in the Avatar universe.

Complete nitpick time! Given that earthbending is a thing that exists, why bother making things out of stone with individual tiles like this?

Single most threatening musical sting of the whole show so far goes to an overly smiley tour guide.

Wow! I hate this lady already!

"Oh, Ba Sing Se has many walls! There are the ones outside, protecting us, and the ones inside, protecting us from smelly poors!"

"In case someone brings home a lady friend!" Do you know your nephew AT ALL?

Both Iroh and Zuko are right. Life does happen everywhere and without your permission. But, the city is also remarkably prison-like.

He got them jobs in an afternoon. AN AFTERNOON. Stop it Iroh, you're making me feel inadequate.

Once a fuckboy, always a fuckboy. This particular leopard can't change his spots, no matter how he tries to dress up his actions in a new law-abiding veneer. I feel sorry for Smellerbee. Her faith in her leader isn't exactly being rewarded.

So... is there a law on the books that makes being a firebender illegal in Ba Sing Se? Because the head-in-the-sand vibe I'm getting from Judy makes me think that the average citizen doesn't even know there's a reason to dislike the Fire Nation. Iroh and Zuko could probably bend as openly as a waterbender or an earthbender could here.

This whole being handled thing must be dredging up some pretty nasty feelings for Toph. This is specifically what she left behind.

Speaking of precisely targeted torture, Judy is engineered to be as irritating to Sokka as possible. Man of action versus Lady of script.

What a productive use of time! What an exemplary case of turning over a new leaf!

Iroh buddy I have news for you regarding the ingredients of tea.

That's like the nicest thing a member of the Fire Nation royal family has said all year.

How to get Iroh's ass in gear: Step 1: Make insulting tea. Step 2: There is no step 2.

I thought that little thingy in the background was one of those electricity things.

The attention to detail in this show is stupid. There's a moving reflection of the carriage in the water as it goes past.

Hi forbidden city!

Ba Sing Se has a morality police?

I've already run out of patience with the city and I'm 7 minutes in. I haven't even made it to a commercial break yet!

Their house is cute but the veranda is so substantial that it's probably really dark inside. Also there's a pumpkin hood ornament on the roof.

I don't think you can stop there for a month. Have you guys forgotten the now-doubled ticking clock? Eclipse and comet?

Oh ok we're doing 1984 now. Damn. This show goes places.

I stand corrected. Everyone knows about the war and would be appropriately non-welcoming to firebending. But not openly. This could be like one of those Bugs Bunny bits where he traps someone in societal rules. If someone told a firebender not to bend, all they would have to do to get the guy off their case would be to ask why they aren't supposed to be firebending. What's the guy going to say, because there's a war on?

Shout out to Pong for doing the Gaang a solid and providing the only useful info since they've arrived.

There is something very Gollum-like about Jet, crouched in laundry on a roof in the dark, talking to his stolen spark rocks.

Sokka. Feet off the artwork.

Time for Toph to weaponise her oppressive upbringing and out-fancy the fancies in the name of ending the war.

Aang can master an element in a couple of months but a qualified expert declared manners to be beyond him.

I just realised that Sokka and Katara don't have a last name.

Sneaking into a Bear's (JUST Bear's) birthday party may be the single least violent infiltration attempt in the show so far.

Smellerbee is very articulate, and it's rare that this show spells out its themes so obviously. No metaphors, just "you're obsessed. It's not healthy." And Jet still doesn't get it. Maybe Smellerbee should have tried metaphors.

Normally glowy green stuff is bad news, but all of Ba Sing Se's green lighting is surprisingly cozy.

Sometimes, rarely but sometimes, Zuko has to put up with a lot of nonsense.

A raise? Did I miss a timeskip?

Busting in to a local business, yelling about the enemy, pulling out a lethal weapon: How to Look Sane, A Guide by Jet.

Customers, amirite?

I guess the Bei Fongs are too minor as nobles?

"You don't know what I had to do to get seats this near the bear!" but I want to.

I know this guy's voice from something.

Momo ghost plan. I want it.

Pretty funny that the busboys plan works better than the fancy ladies plan. Goes to show you should always play to your strengths.

Get de-wheated punk.

I'm not sure I've rooted for Zuko this wholeheartedly since The Storm.

Jet be like.

Judy is not good at her job. Like really not good. Her insistence on getting out of there before they cause a scene caused the scene. Nice going!

The music slowing down when Judy's face falls is really effective.

You ever get the feeling that it should be Aang who ran away to the circus rather than Ty Lee?

Actually a travelling circus would be a great way to be, and remain, an incognito airbender. Aang should have done that rather than frozen himself. Ok I'm not sure how much say he had in that, but you know what I mean.

For the first time in his life, Zuko has people take his side. It's too bad that it's based on a lie, but it must feel nice.

I would have preferred if Zuko had a clean win against Jet - they're both great with swords, but I thought Zuko was better - but an assist from the funky hat police works too.

I'm getting some funky vibes from the funky hat police.

Bye! I won't miss you!

The face on the guy on the left is the funniest part of this episode.

Now these are some funky hats.

I know this scene is supposed to be scary and tense and action-packed, but I can't get over the fact that the king just did a drive by. They carried him in one side and out the other. This concludes the King's presence at his Bear's birthday party. He's a very busy man, you see.

Long Fang's title keeps getting fancier.

Brain washing crops up quite a lot in kids' cartoons. This is not the first time I've seen this plot beat.

Forget the Fire Lord. Forget the Fire Nation. Long Fang just threatened Appa. Long Fang has to die now.

The Judys are replaceable. Given everything else this city seems ok with, they're probably disposable too. Yikes!

Final Thoughts

This episode was probably the most expository I've seen this season. Maybe even the whole show. It was a big infodump with barely any humour. Actually that's wrong; there was humour, but not to my taste.

Jet is infuriating as usual. I think the writers are going for the villainous decay trope, because smooth-talking season one Jet hasn't reappeared once.

I feel really sorry for Smellerbee and the archer guy. I wonder if they even wanted to go to Ba Sing Se in the first place.

Once again, for the third episode in a row, Zuko is one of, if not the, most reasonable character. Season one shouty Zuko is gone. Is this what I think it is? Has Zuko really turned a corner? If so, I'm liking (rather, disliking less) this new Zuko. This is good. I'm also surprised, because in my experience, if you want to domesticate someone, you don't put them in a customer-facing role. That will have the opposite effect and make them turn feral.

Iroh is having too much fun. It's good for him to have something of his own going on. I think he's been in Zuko wrangling mode 24/7 for the last two? three? years, so he definitely deserves to pursue his own interests for a bit. But I can't see Zuko being a tea boy for long before he's back to needing wrangling.

What's the long term plan though? Are Zuko and Iroh going to live the rest of their lives in Ba Sing Se? Are they waiting for something? Are Iroh and Zuko functionally dead, with Lee and Mushi taking their place?

I will give the show credit for finally coming up with and antagonistic force that Aang & company can't just bend or talk into submission. Bureaucratic tomfoolery covering for authoritarian censorship and information suppression and re-education was not something I'd ever have expected in this show, because it's a little too much like the real world, if you know what I mean.

I don't like seeing our heroes unable to triumph, so this episode was kind of uncomfortable to watch. It felt off the whole way through, which I credit to that creepy music box tune that played throughout. The soundtrack of this episode was a cut above what I usually hear in this show. I noticed it more than I usually do, and I mean that in a good way.

As someone who'd be lucky to pass as a busboy, upper class intrigue and social games stuff doesn't do it for me, so this wasn't an episode I was going to enjoy anyway. I preferred the B plot with Zuko and Iroh, for the sheer absurdity of the concept. Imagine you're in 1950s London, having barely survived the Blitz, and you come across Himmler working in a pub. It's so odd that it almost wraps back around to normal again.

I didn't find this episode very enjoyable. I don't like the forced inactivity that's been imposed on the Gaang. The humour was not to my taste. The worldbuilding was substantial, but - probably thanks to Joo Dee, whose name I've definitely been misspelling - it felt inorganic, like a lecture. Which the writers do lampshade by making Joo Dee sound like one of those audio guide things you rent from tourist attractions. But lampshading a fault does not make a fault go away.

Thanks to what happens to Jet, I know that the people of Ba Sing Se don't dare even think about the war, for their own safety. But after spending more than half a season being shown every type of refugee and victim of war in other parts of the Earth Kingdom, I could not bring myself to give a flying fuck over Pong's concern for keeping his house. The city is frustrating, the officials are frustrating, their priorities are beyond frustrating. Zuko was right when he said he didn't want to make a life there, although I did find the lower ring where Zuko and Iroh are to be far more comfortable than the high ring where the gaang is.

This episode makes me want to bite something.

And still no Appa.

#atla #avatar: the last airbender #avatar the last airbender #city of walls and secrets

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throwaway-yandere · 1 year

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Not Through The Grapevine (Yandere Idol!Diluc Ragnvindr/Reader)

Alice's, mother of Klee, note: Wouldn't it be funny if you ended up producing 5wirl or Kreideprinz? Haha! I don't think your little friend would like that. He might just take my wine cellar away– stick with Diluc, dove.

P.S: Producer Lumine, can I just write "a/n" next time? This poor mother's getting tired of typing :'(

1k event masterlist

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"At this time I decide to,

Get over you and

Want to tell you not through

The grapevine but directly"

- Sakyo-taifu Michimasa

This was the most recent poem you found tucked within your favorite book, printed on a red square paper. The paper looked pretty– and it was faintly scented with grapes too. At first, you assumed it must have been picked up off the floor and put somewhere, and that "somewhere" just so happened to be one of your favorite books.

"Damn it. Help me…" You chuckled nervously. "Can't believe those stalkers thought my book was one of ADDICKTZ again…"

Which "tea" will they spill this time, you wonder? Will they leak that Dainsleif likes "The Scarlet King's Court Jester"? Or maybe they'll say that Zhongli is trying to reconnect with the modern age by reading contemporary fantasy novels? You rolled your eyes, shaking the love letter like you would with a polaroid.

Oh wow, the contents of this letter are so enthralling. 10/10. You're so impressed. Great job, stalkers.

It's lovely poetry, but once you encounter numerous stalker fans, it sours and loses its charm. After being friends with Diluc, Kaeya, and Ajax for most of your life, you've grown incredibly desensitized by unhinged fans. You have so many bizarre expectations of them that you can't remember the last time you were actually astonished by something they did. Perhaps you'd be surprised if this love letter was for Itto– he doesn't like novels or receiving these types of riddle-y love letters. He'd probably prefer getting a used towel instead.

But there's always theory number #2:

It's possible that Kaedehara Kazuha from the other unit wrote this.

The thought of him made a goofy smile creep up your face unsuspectingly. Damn it. You're starting to feel like one of those fangirls– but can you blame yourself? Kaedehara Kazuha is just so utterly captivating. Maybe he's the one who intentionally put this in your book– can't a person dream? There's nothing wrong with imagining yourself as the protagonist of some romantic escapade with an idol, right?

Someone cleared their throat.

"Oh, freaki–" You jolted and nearly dropped the card. When you caught a clear view of his face, you immediately felt relieved.

"Ah, good evening Master Diluc." You bowed slightly, sneakily slipping the red paper back inside your book. "You have nothing in your schedule for this week."

"Is that so?" He hummed with a small smile on his face. "Well, do you have anything on yours?"

"It's positively empty, sir." You grinned.

"P-Please, (Y/n)." He covered his face with one hand, avoiding your feigned business-as-usual eyes. "I know that you're my producer now but can we drop the act?"

"We can, but this is so much fun though!" You beamed. "It's like our friendship got ten extra steps– don't take that fun away from me!"

Diluc grunted laconically. You do have a point. The only real change from being a childhood friend to a producer was a fancier title and a damn good paycheck. Fans would kill to be Diluc Ragnvindr's childhood friend AND producer. There's no one else he trusts as much as you. He was a reckless child and you were always there to stop him from getting into trouble. You never failed to clean up after him whenever he decided he'd build a massive medieval lego set.

That's why it's such a miracle that he grew up to be such a quiet and reserved person. To think this was your friend who got banned from Disneyland of all places– Nowadays, he's more focused on inheriting his father's company and this "unexpected side hustle" of his.

"Dove, since we're both free– do you want to try a bottle of this year's wine?"

"Diluc, we're good friends, so you know that we both loathe wine, right?"

"Ngh, you're right. I can't say I know what possessed me to ask that question." He flinched. "Wait, no, I do– listen (Y/n), Adeline wanted me to come to a Snezhnayan Dawn Winery event this Friday and I don't have a plus one."

"Oh?"

Not that it happens often but Diluc's hilariously affectionate when he's completely inebriated. He does not do well with foreign alcohol. When you were both rebellious teens, he went out and drank a bottle of fire-water with Ajax behind Uncle Crepus' back. This was around the time these two "frenemies" started getting along. A few hours later, Diluc sent you a couple of slurred-voiced messages of how much he loves and cares about you– which was abruptly wrapped up by two quick texts:

"as a comrade of course"

"***friend i mean friend."

Given how awkward it was, you promised Diluc that you won't tell a single soul about this when morning came and he seemed both mortified and relieved about your proposal… You'd rather not have a "part two" of that.

In addition, Ajax acted weird around you ever since. He always gives you a look of pity. Last week, you asked him how he knew the password to your phone when he lost his phone and needed to call his producer. He answered that he "got it from Diluc when he was drunk" with a traumatized look on his face. That was four years ago; you're all in your twenties now. You've changed all your passwords since then.

You want to help him, but you're still a bit hesitant. He's bound to drink fire-water this Friday. Given how you and Ajax would be unwilling to accompany him, you decided to throw Kaeya under the bus.

"Why not invite your brother?"

Diluc's eyes squinted.

"Oh, right."

Kaeya's been absent for a week now, you're not sure why and his producer wasn't answering your calls. You wonder how they're doing…

"How about the others?"

"Everyone in ADDICKTZ is busy except for Producer Snail."

… Okay let's try to avoid that as much as possible. You don't want Itto's producer crying over some rich people's escargot.

"How about 5wirl-"

"Not happening."

You smiled sheepishly. He probably didn't want Venti to come. "Alright, you got me. It's hard to say no to you. I was only planning to laze around the house anyways."

"Thank you. I'll make it worth your mora."

"It better be because I'm not cheap, sir."

"(Y/n), please–"

—--

It was a Friday night and the two of you decided to meet up at the venue's parking lot first. You were leaning against a tree while waiting for him. When he did arrive, you saw him in a black tuxedo accentuated with red accents. There's no doubt about it. He's idol-worthy and more.

Compared to you, this is just... Gah, how can you even compare to him?

"Hey, um, you look great! Like usual, and I kinda feel bad that I showed up wearing this." You frowned. "So, um, is this... acceptable?"

He closed his eyes and chuckled. "Do you really have to ask that?"

"I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit self-con–"

"Don't be. You're breathtaking." Diluc crossed his arms and spoke earnestly. "Even if you wore the most atrocious outfit known to man, you'll forever be gorgeous to me."

You were still flustered. "That's sweet and all but it REALLY doesn't help me–"

"You're aesthetically pleasing. You have exquisite tastes– you picked just the right colors that match your eyes and I adore the way you styled your hair for tonight." He muttered with a scowl. "Seeing you put in this much effort… makes me want to delude myself that I am someone special to you, just this once."

You paused.

"But you are special to me."

Diluc smiled bitterly. "Not in the same way as him, no."

"What do you mean?"

"So, how much should I pay you for this?" He digressed jokingly, but his grin looked painful. "Surely, I have to pay a high price for commissioning a lovely fae."

You laughed. "Yeah. You owe me a pay raise, sir!"

Diluc shook his head. "... Another pay raise– Maybe I should stop calling you Dove and start calling you Mora from now on."

"Bold of you to assume I'd hate that."

"... Why are you my best friend, again? Anyways, do you have your purse?"

"Yes, I d–..." You ferreted your handbag. "–on't. No, no I don't– shit."

"Of course, you forgot. Never mind, just stay close to me. Don't be obliged to drink anything even if they're pressuring you to. If you ever need to go home, I'll pay for the taxi."

Diluc grabbed your hand and walked towards the venue. You looked down. His hands were warm– or maybe it was your own temperature you were sensing. One of Kaeya life's missions was to make you painfully aware that both your hands could melt an ice cube in under twenty seconds, so you're not too sure who's warm.

"...Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing." You laughed. "I was just thinking that you're such a green flag, that's all."

His grip tensed up and he looked the other way. Is it just you or is he getting warmer? Diluc ran his free hand through his hair. He looked frustrated.

"How can I get over you when you're like this?"

"Diluc...?"

"Forget the event," Diluc said, stopping you both from entering. "Let's just head to my place."

What?!

"Hah?!" Canceling plans is usually the best feeling on earth but in this instance, it left you absolutely baffled.

"Wait here, I'll just make a call."

"Hey, Diluc, wait–"

—-------

[Ten missed calls from "Ajax."]

[Received 1 voicemail.]

"Diluc, I had a chat with Venti's producer earlier. Is it true that you're the one who sent death threats to stop the 5wirl and ADDICKTZ collab? Kinda hard to believe you'd go through such lengths– and REAALLL low for you to drop a week's work on everyone, comrade!"

"I don't get what your motives are either... Is it because of (Y/n)? C'mon, we both know they wouldn't like you as much as the Dove likes Kazuha. I'm sorry but you HAVE to accept that. Even if you wiretap their house and obsess so much about them that opportunity is just not gonna hap–"

[Delete.]

[Calling Ajax…]

"Tartaglia."

"Well, well. That's not a good opener. Are you gonna get your ass over and help us out? The fuck is up with this paperwork– why are we even helping the CEO's assistant write reports?!"

"No, actually, I need your help with something…"

*sigh* "Motherfucker. Alright, spill. What do you want?"

"I don't want to hurt them– God, I can't imagine myself doing something like that when they look this pretty tonight. Ajax, I beg you, you're the only one that can help me with this. How can I knock someone unconscious without using blunt force?"

"..."

"... Diluc, holy shit, what on earth are you planning?"

Ansytea: huhu i hope your husband won't kill me– THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE 1K EVENT DOVE ANON!!! (This is still so surreal i cant believe i got permission to write abt you. most of us probably already know who this is anyways so dhjskwksoa happy 12k followers to you too!!!!)

#tag: yan!1k idol event #yandere diluc #yandere diluc x reader #yandere diluc ragnvindr #yandere diluc ragnvindr x reader #yandere genshin #yandere genshin impact #yandere genshin fanfiction #yandere male #yandere fanfiction #🕊️ anon #ansy-writes

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starboyjun · 5 months

Text

inspired by how to get my husband on my side The wind wraps around me as I climb the hills of the forest. Nobody will know I was gone. Nobody cared for me. I was a parasite in my own household. It has been 4 months since I was transported into this body. The body of a girl I don't know. I don't even know if this is a novel, a parallel world, otome game, or what. I had no idea who this person was. Yet, according to my maid, the treatment was the same. Nobody came when I told my maid my memories were lost. Nobody came when I tried to jump off the rails, nobody came when the winter hit my room and I had a deadly cold. I had heard nothing from "my family" since I got here. I don't even know what they look like, I know nothing except their names. The birds around me chirp and lead me up the white covered mountains. I couldn’t feel my face anymore. The birds lead me up and up. I felt like I was walking for hours till my bare feet touched warm ground. I raise my head and my eyes widen. Paradise. Sunlight hit the lush trees and grass, blooming flowers all around me, I looked something one would imagine Neverland being. "Oh wow.... It's beautiful." my hoarse voice says. The birds chirp gleefully and fly away in the distance. I walked into this secret land deeper, i touch the trees, the flowers, the berry bushes. This felt too good to be true. "M'lady! M'lady! M'lady!!" says a distant voice. I wake up in the snow. It was all a dream. Somebody pulls me up from the snow with a worried face. "W-who are you?" I ask stuttering from the cold. I must have a deep confused look on my face. This person's attendant, preseumably whispered in their ear. "Y-you lost your memory?" they say with shock. "Why did nobody tell me while I was away? This person. Does anybody not remembered I married them six months ago? Why have I not heard one single update while I was gone?" Oh... that is the person I married. I have only heard whispers of the head of the household, my lover. This was only an arranged marriage, why do they act like we're in love. "My love, let's get you to a warm place." they put an extra cloak on me and carries me to their horse. "My love, I'll tell you everything again. How we met, how we fell in love, everything. I promise. We'll get your memories back again." I didn't meet their eyes, but I felt the raw emotion in their voice. The pain, the deep love they had for this body I am now in.

Maybe life won't be hard anymore. Maybe I could have a happy ending after all. I did.

#manhwa #manhwa x reader #webtoon x reader #isekai manhwa #romance #how to get my husband on my side

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toxicanonymity · 1 year

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What if Corey has a CNC kink-

But he's worried you don't wanna do it so he keeps to himself but he gets upset and when you say that you also have the kink he just- goes feral-

Combined this with the ask from @yllcm below. . . my inner sommelier felt it was a good pairing.

Notes: NSFW 18+, unprotected PIV, CNC (con-noncon), noncon, Corey and Michael both alive after Halloween Ends.

PSA on Corey requests: don't take it personally if I don't answer something fast or spin it into Michael thirst lol. 💟

Background Notes: Corey and Michael both survive. I cant resist mentioning Michael revived Corey by snapping his neck, and the whole midnight procession was just from Laurie’s novel, a therapeutic exercise in closure. Corey gets out of town while things cool off.

You don’t quite believe it when Corey insists Michael is still alive, until you see Michael lurking around one day. Then, you see him again. It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that you’ve seen him twice in one week. It stays on your mind. You have trouble sleeping.

When you finally drift off for a nap, you have a very hot dream that Michael attacks you and has his way with you. Dream Michael is pummeling you and you’re about to come when you wake up. Shortly after, you receive a call from a restricted number.

- - -

“Hello?”

“Hey babe.” Corey's low voice sends a chill down your spine. “What are you doin?”

“Ohh, I was just taking a nap.”

“Aww, sorry for waking you up.”

“Nah, already woke up. What are you doing?”

“Nothing. Has anyone seen Michael around yet?”

“Actually I saw him myself.”

“You what? really?”

“Yeah, the first time I thought I was seeing things so I didn’t mention it. But today, I was sure.”

“No shit. Is he following you?”

“When are you going to tell me what happened?”

There’s a long pause.

“Not on the phone,” he says. “Wow, I wonder if he’s stalking you. Are you scared?”

“I was, but I just had the strangest dream and I'm not now.”

“What was the dream?”

“Actually it was kind of, um, sexual. I’m still pretty worked up.”

There’s a long pause.

“Sorry, I guess that’s weird.”

“No,” he says. Something changes in his voice. “It’s hot as hell.” He sighs. “What happened, did he fuck you?”

“Really? Okay. Yeah, he came into the diner when I was working. Everyone cleared out but me because I was in the bathroom.”

“Uh-huh”

“He walked straight across the diner and-”

“Did he pull his knife on you?” Corey breathes heavily.

“Yeah. I thought he was going to kill me, then he bent me over a table.”

“Fuck,” Corey breathes. “Then what.”

“Are you hard right now?”

“So hard. What happened next”

“I tried to escape while he had his cock in his hand. He caught me and threw me back down.”

“Ohhh my god”

“Then he forced me.”

“And you liked it?”

You moan softly. “Never felt anything like it before. No offense.”

“What was it like?” He whispers.

“God, now I’m wet.”

“Fuck, I wish I was there so bad.” It’s obvious he’s jerking off.

“Me too, trust me,” you whine as you touch yourself.

“What was it like,” he repeats, darker.

“Like my whole body was being filled.”

“Oh, God,” Corey’s breath becomes ragged.

“It was so hard. And big, it was huge, but it didn’t even hurt.”

“Fuck me,” Corey whispers. “Did he come?”

“Oh yeah, like a firehose.”

“But I didnt. I woke up."

"Fuck, I wish I could stuff you with my cock right now, make you come." You're twitching on the edge.

"Me too, I miss it so bad."

"Suck your tits while I pound you."

You moan as you come. He's grunting.

You say, Iit was so vivid. I guess I liked it, being forced. Would you ever do that for me?”

Corey groans "fuck yes," then sighs in relief as he comes.

As he catches his breath, he says "absolutely.”

You groan and say, "I feel so empty. When are you coming back? Can I come to you? I dunno how long I can wait. "

He sighs. "Michael's following you. What if he really tries something?"

"I dunno, would you be upset?"

"God no, you should do it. Hell, I'd do it"

"Now that's hot."

- -

A few days later, you’re about to leave for work. You open your apartment door and Corey’s there with the darkest look in his eyes. He pushes you right back into your kitchen.

“Corey-”

He cuts you off with his mouth, kissing you ferally. He sucks your neck, gropes your breasts.

“I have to work,” you pant.

He pulls you into him so you can feel how hard he is and you moan, dropping your bag and keys.

He manhandles you onto the sofa without a word and pulls down your pants and underwear. You start to get up to take them off entirely but he forces you back down on your back and pins your hands above your head as he lays his whole body into you. He keeps your wrists pinned with one massive hand and takes his cock out with the other. You’ve never been so turned on. He shoves himself into you with a grunt and pounds you until you come.

@wolvesandvampires @ethanhoewke @rebel-blue

#corey cunningham x reader #michael myers x reader #corey cunningham smut #michael myers smut #michael myers #corey cunningham #ask box #toxicanonymity ☠️#corey cunningham x michael myers #toxic sommelier

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your--isgayrights · 3 months

Note

You have written at least 1 No Scenarios AU before, so what do you think would happen to ORV KDJ if the scenarios never happened? In your wall fic, KDJ gets a stable job and a still ongoing story about YJH but at around the same time in the novel KDJ is about to be unemployed while WOS is coming to a close. Do you think ORV KDJ would be able to find another job (maybe like in your wall fic) or stay in contact with YSA or be fine without WOS? I’ve seen others say that KDJ might contemplate suicide again, or that he would never come to terms with his mom and his past in a No-Scenario event. What are your thoughts on the possible differences between this KDJ and your wall fic’s KDJ?

Hmm that's a good question... I think most important to whether or not Kim Dokja contemplates suicide again is whether or not WoS ends in the same way it does in cannon and how he reacts to it without the scenarios. My feeling is that when Kim Dokja survives his first attempt, he goes online and searches something to the effect of 'How to survive in a ruined world' and stumbles across a page publishing WoS, and he follows it for all these years because he is still looking for an answer to that question. I think a lot of people can relate to that drive for media consumption that is like... 'please, I just want to feel different after this, I want this to mean something.' WoS is a story about what happens to a man forced to survive the apocalypse over 1800 times and this is analagous to KDJ who endures the sisyphusian burden of being a regular guy with no friends every goddamn day lol. KDJ has been waiting for WoS to tell him what it has all been for. An important part of WoS's construction is that HSY knew KDJ's future while writing it. In this way, WoS was like a promise to KDJ, 'please just keep living, we're coming soon, the people who love you will appear, please just wait for them a little longer..'

In a world where this future doesn't come to pass, the original ending of WoS would lose a lot of this meaning. we get a bit of a preview of this reality in the sort of... Oh... That's it? Moment KDJ has after reading 'the end' at the start of ORV and then there's his messages with the author. So with this as the starting point I will say I find it likely KDJ could work himself up to another attempt just based on the ending of 'surviving 1863 times was for nothing because reality is limited and there are no true heroes' bc his internal just like YJH moments would end up depressing like 'doing all this work for nothing in the end...' but like you say there's more fun options if you get our ORV ladies involved. For instance, I could see KDJ disbelieving the ending or wanting a better conclusion for YJH and messaging the author about such things. Imagine that as One True Author HSY is fading, 26(?) Yo HSY wakes up to see she has a weird alternate account she's typing on? What? And looking at her computer history she realizes she sleep wrote this novel? Wow her genius knows no bounds...

I think for an author like HSY, having a single dedicated reader to converse with who takes the story to be as important as it is in your head is a really big thing, and her popular web novels never have anything like that. So when she has this account that's this one way channel with KDJ she's like oh haha fuck this guy what a loser he likes this webnovel that doesn't even have a good ending like mine did... I could write so much better of an ending awake than I did asleep... So she starts writing extras at KDJ's behest. Except her style is totally different and very fanservicey, except she doesn't understand the fan she's serving very well yet?

On KDJ's end I think maybe YSA takes concern after he reveals he doesn't have a position lined up after his contract ends and starts sending him any and all opportunities she sees around. At first he awkwardly thanks her and doesn't pursue them right away, but while WoS is ongoing again in this weird new direction, he starts applying around. He either gets another office job or honestly I could see him working at a convenience store or something (maybe he has a system where if there's a fly in the store a certain bug net carrying kid can catch it for candy rewards...).

While HSY is writing WoS extras, KDJ is constantly complaining and it eventually shakes down to a long one on one conversation between the two of them about why WoS and it's ending matters so much to KDJ. He wants a happy ending that he can Believe, not just a 'happy ending' standard formula, because those exist for a different Type of person than YJH (KDJ) is. So HSY doggedly works at writing and revising it until KDJ could possibly be satisfied... But maybe comes to the conclusion that there's no way WoS could end and satisfy KDJ so they decide to write a sequel that only HSY snidely sees as a KDJ self insert fanfiction of the original work so HSY is writing RPF of random guy who read her sleep-wrote novel ending up in her sleep-wrote novel and that's ORV. I like to think that somehow ORV would become popular even though WoS itself would remain in obscurity like people would think it was made up just as the premise for ORV and not look for the actual novel lol. Then I think HSY and KDJ could be very Established online friends and maybe even meet up in person to talk shit. As for his mom, she'd get out of prison but I don't think she and KDJ would meet up again unless maybe HSY coached him or his mom reached out first. I have some more specific ideas about how it's going to go in Wall fic I wanna keep close to the belt for now.

But yeah without WoS or any of the IRLs' intervention, KDJ's story is def one of that passive suicidality that comes from not even being able to imagine a future worth surviving for. Without a driving motivation to keep living, KDJ becomes unemployed, food becomes scarce, he might drift through some systems for a bit before reaching the end. I don't know if he'd still take action himself, but he'd definitely be another person just sitting around waiting to die. Of course, even for such a person there are avenues to keep living. Like I said, low level job at a convenience store or something could be pretty okay. It's a close knit team with a small group of customers and he doesn't have to care too much about the job to get it done. He could do little niceties for people like he likes to do and just have it taken as good customer service. But he would still definitely be Waiting for whatever next thing would come along, be it a new novel or like a robber coming to kill him lol. I could imagine him getting held up and being like... Do it. Take the shot. I'm a 30 yo working at a convenience store do you think I have something to live for. And maybe he'd get promoted to manager.

#sold myself on that little KDJ as a convenience store manager moment at the end there bc tbh one of the things i relate to KDJ on is having #trouble planning out the future bc of the executives disfunctioning and sometimes i dream about working in #fast food again and being able to go home and have a life instead of school or planning for the future i guess #thanks for the ask its been hard for ne to do creative stuff recently ive bren waiting to feel like my life has Plateaued again #ask #anonymous #orv #orv spoilers

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