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aurumdoesthings · 2 years

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owl house season 3!!!! various doodles, some more obviously referencing screenshots than others

(the belos one is him squinting at a script while luz pats his shoulder with That’s Rough Buddy energy. it makes more sense if you read my rambling below)

thoughts on the episode under the cut that got REALLY LONG

FIRST I absolutely love this show and that was an extremely entertaining special. the sheer love that is put into this show was palpable, and I loved all the kids’ outfits, and the kind of things they got up to in the human realm, CAMILLA oh man Camilla rocked, and it was just beautiful overall in backgrounds and designs and animation (that fight scene? MWAH the way the kids are animated on their staffs has always been sooo satisfying to watch)

however

i gotta admit, while the end of s2 you could tell they were pressed for time I still felt like- especially in hollow mind- they kept a fairly good pace, while in this special it was kind of a mess. like everything was zoomed through, not just the montage, and scenes like luz and hunter investigating the house together were (WHILE SO GOOD) very thrown in, seeming more like they wrote the idea and fawned over it and had to slap it in with little set up and follow through in order to keep the special moving. like, it’s a collection of so many awesome moments, but the connective tissue was lacking much more visibly here than it ever has in the show before

and the elephant in the room: belos

okay. so. i honestly was not wild about how belos was done in this special at all. ignoring that, despite their clear efforts both here and in hollow mind and the finale etc, hunter is still the clearest and most emotional and sympathetic connection to the main villain and not luz. IGNORING THAT. he was such a cardboard cutout of villainy in this special it was almost laughable. The intrigue was all there- the finale showing the gloop that escaped, and here seeing the weird possessed animals more and more throughout as well as flapjack’s weird behavior as we clue in to what’s going on, that’s all good! but the follow through? Belos possesses Hunter (cool, great! Awesome look and very spooky) - he. gets the titans blood to go back to the demon realm, for some reason… he kills flapjack just cause, while spouting lots of generic villain lines and taunts at luz…. and then he gets kicked out of hunter but just- leaves anyway? in his monster form again, so it’s unclear why he was a tiny gloop or possessing things this whole time at all? His motives were just so unclear throughout all of this, he felt like a prop just to facilitate hunter and luz angst rather than an actual character, and I honestly don’t see why they didn’t just make him some parasitic cursed remnant of belos that escaped the demon realm with them if this is how they were going to execute him being alive

like it still doesn’t register for me that belos is still alive and in the demon realm! it never sticks with me! Belos feels so done as a character I can’t even conceive of what they could possibly still need him around for. They already redid that moment in the finale fight, with belos-monster calling hunter caleb VS belos-hunter calling flapjack evelyn, and we’ve got closure with hunter and belos now even More, and luz only has the shallow conflict of guilt for connecting him to the collector, uhhhh and he failed the day of unity, so like. What else is there to even do with him???

this special is already very Halloween themed and it would make sooo much more sense overall if they reframed this special re: belos as about exorcising ghosts, metaphorically and also literally. the final battle is in a cemetery for crying out loud! be it belos’s ghost or a parasitic remnant or whatever, have that be the final obstacle both emotionally and literally for them to return home to save the boiling isles, and they put it to rest by putting aside their fear and guilt and Making A Choice! Hunter as he did in the episode choosing his own life and future! Luz choosing to fight for her demon home and demon family (preferably after a rewrite where she’d been grappling more with her feelings on being home, what she loved and missed vs hated, and whether they can even get back to the isles at all)

IDK! Other gripes were : that line at the end of the hay ride? Something something “lol I think little bro was mad his big bro got a HOT WITCH GIRLFRIEND LMAO” from the enby teen? Hated that. It took me out of the episode immediately and felt like such an obvious- I don’t know, writer insert, fandom insert line? it felt like the writers telling us that’s what we’re supposed to think and I also just think it’s. so boring to reduce the backstory we were JUST given / expanded upon to him being a stupid jealous incel or something. villains are (gasp) more interesting when they’re sympathetic? when you can see parts of them where you can understand how they reacted the way they did? if they wanted him to be a foil to luz and not just the Big Bad Emperor, we should understand how he reacted the way he did to witches even if we hate it. we should see that oh wow, he and his brother were orphans, his brother was essentially his parent / guardian, and then that brother disappears or seems to be kidnapped by these dangerous creatures from another realm, which witchhunters warned them about. However, unlike Luz or his brother, he spurned all the kindness found there and only saw the danger and monsters (and there is legitimate danger in the isles! it’s not a hospitable place!), and he gets so caught up in his own fear and hate that he lashes out at his seemingly bewitched brother, and he has no home left, and he latches onto this idea of killing all the evil that “took” his brother from him, and etc etc the show happens. Like that’s all so cool laying it out like that!!! and it opens up really intriguing possibilities for a special that instead involves laying his ghost to rest in whatever form that takes! (*disclaimer that does not in any way require forgiveness from the kids. relax)

there’s also willow and gus. While I could see and appreciate that the writers made sure they were never just standing in the background not doing anything and always had their own moments and quips, they’re also so clearly just accessories to the group right now. Willow, who I will admit I’m biased to, has really been reduced down to Confident Bombastic Friend and Object of Hunter’s Blushing (don’t. get me started on that), with zero trace of her shy and bullied past remaining. She never has any moments of relapse, which you might expect especially in the human realm which is so new and different for her, not even a moment where she hesitates and needs one of the gang to back her up and give her that nudge to shake off her nerves/doubts. she’s just completely confident and uncaring of others now, and they’re also sticking with the amity-willow sudden power couple from end of s2 where they’re completely okay (but that has more to do with their arc together as a whole, or rather the lack thereof, than this special specifically). There was definitely a lost opportunity to pair up Gus and Vee, as two Boiling Isles kids who adore the human realm, so Gus wasn’t stuck with only being Hunter’s emotional support and little bro (despite how I do love their dynamic). and of course for both of them but SUPER amity, who we actually know the family of very well, there was not nearly enough emphasis on what they’ve lost and how conflicting it must be to be trapped in another realm away from your family who is currently in danger but still be enjoying it so much. they did not feel the weight of not being able to go home maybe ever nearly enough at any point in this special, and I think that deserved at least one scene, maybe right before they discover the map from flapjack to the titans blood, to really feel hopeless and grieve

is almost any of that feasible given the restraints the show is currently under? No, probably not. did I still greatly enjoy the special? Yes, very much so! But there was definitely a lot more glaring flaws than I’m used to with The Owl House, and I’m hoping that doesn’t carry through to the remainder of the show, as cut short as it may be

#the owl house #toh #toh spoilers #willow park #luz noceda #hunter toh #toh belos #emperor belos #phillip wittebane #toh hunter #toh vee #vee the owl house #vee noceda #hm should I tag toh crit? cause I kinda am in the cut #toh criticism #art #drawings #doodles

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elvencantation · 5 months

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blue's comic recs

@ori-flails inspired me to start making a list of these since ive been reading so many comics lately <3

self-hosted:

earthsong- my very first webcomic ever, sci-fi/fantasy? art style develops so much! the artist redid the first volume after finishing, so the second might be jarring cause its back to her older style

mias and elle- i love them so much. chaotic and fun fantasy romance

inverloch- like a fantasy epic. i miss it

ava’s demon- I HAVE BOTH VOLUMES AS PHYSICAL BOOKS I AM OBSESSED. SCIFI WITH THE MOST UNIQUE ART STYLE AND IVE ADORED WATCHING HER GROW AS AN ARTIST

spindrift- beautiful fantasy, abandoned but the art is to die for

phoenix requiem- same author as inverloch, steampunk ghost mystery?

gunnerkrigg court- magic school with lots of secrets! never finished this... in fact im pretty sure its still ongoing! a fun kinda steampunk fantasy story with lots of mythology and another one where ive loved watching the art style develop!

webtoons: (fantasy unless noted otherwise, usually transmigration, time travel or general revenge)

remarried empress

go away romeo

omniscient reader

marry my husband

my in laws are obsessed with me

i am the villain- one of my first ones!! gorgeous art and i love the characters so much

for my derelict favorite- love the mc. so satisfying and a cute slow burn

im the queen in this life- absolutely badass MC reliving her life, court intrigue and politics included

from a knight to a lady- i adore this one. literal reincarnation. enemies to lovers

wished you were dead- everyones miserable and there’s so many misunderstandings but its like a trainwreck i cant look away

perfect marriage revenge- so much drama, sort of marry my husband vibes

the reincarnation of countess diabolique- very short chapters but very pretty

obsidian bride- fantasy dating show! cute so far

i thought my time was up- god i love seeing the FL fluster the ML. cute cute but also some asshole family drama. fun and beautiful

her wish to be isekai’d- silly and fourth wall breaking but cute

saving a mercenary unit from bankruptcy- transmigration is a known phenomenon in this series!

as if love doesn’t exist- also sort of marry my husband vibes? with switched at birth added in

reporting for duty duchess

i stole the first ranker’s soul- dungeon break video game system but this time with a female MC!!

i will live the life of a villainess- isekai’d MC AND ML???

baby tyrant- cute cute but the mc is stuck in her baby body for quite awhile so if that’s not ur thing keep scrolling

tricked into becoming the heroines stepmother- cute transmigration with a side of romance

adopted by a murderous duke- just what it says on the box for now! a new one, as of updating this list

leveling up my husband to the max- got a lot of politics and a cute relationship. reincarnation

who stole the empress?

mythic item obtained- dungeons and monsters suddenly invade the real world kinda story, more based on the norse gods though than DND

my husband changes every night- oh it keeps getting better! don’t trust the title though. his hair color changes and that’s it, physically

the tyrant wants to be good- oh i love some good good time travel/reincarnation angst

every rose has a death flag- gotten a bit bored of this one but cute art

webtoons that are whole ass novels in their own right: (AWAN)

castle swimmer

suitor armor

morgana and oz

eternal nocturnal

wintercicle

star children

lore olympus

blood reverie

covenant

eaternal nocturnal

a spell for a smith

PETS- sci-fi wlw slow burn

your throne- haven’t caught up with this yet but it’s a fascinating story with two female mcs who have some amazing character growth and are badasses in their own ways (also yes i ship them)

the touch of sunlight- a cute one shot story with like ten chapters

empyrea- might have been abandoned, gorgeous art style, steampunk mystery

made of stardust

potion witch

the princess’s jewels- starts out as a beautiful reverse harem, then becomes badass

death head’s deal

cute episodic webtoons:

finding fiends- funny cryptid youtuber who's friends with mothman

grand ma- a new mythological creature each episode!

crow time- just cute things about crows, a few stories that last longer than one chapter

how to be a dragon- mostly one shots, like crow time

finished webtoons: (all AWAN)

muted- god this one’s a masterpiece, GL, maybe its time for my own reread i love this one sm

spells from hell- god i love this one!! kinda modern wuxia-esque. it is daily pass now for some reason but i highly recommend it

unholy blood- vampire mystery thriller with a dash of romance? its amazing

night owls and summer skies- wlw camp romance

shadow prophet- very weird but cool kinda dystopian sci-fi. unique and beautiful art style

siren’s lament- same creator as eaternal nocturnal, so gorgeous art obvi

always human- a cute scifi wlw story

webtoons i’ve fallen behind on but are still amazing: (also all awan)

in the bleak midwinter

subzero

stray souls

the croaking

diamond dive

like wind on a dry branch

the sweetness of salt

found on mangahasu:

finished:

solo leveling- finished, the ultimate OP main character saves the world with amazing supporting cast, dungeon break system

monstrous duke- finished, AWAN, one of my favorites, i adore the MC's new family. strong enough to protect her from the monsters who birthed her

the admiral's monstrous wife- AWAN, kinda romance, a dash of best revenge is living well, and so much cool worldbuilding

still updating:

cheating men must die- THE BEST. every arc is another revenge transmigration story i. am. obsessed.

the beginning after the end- i feel like this might be abandoned? on hiatus? hasn’t been updated in forever but it’s basically a high fantasy novel. literal reincarnation. as in reborn into a rando in another universe. but with all memories intact. AWAN, also i love all the other charcters so much and the art is so pretty

who made me a princess- just finished, starts out rough character dynamic wise, has some really dramatic bits but it turns out really intricate and wholesome and i love it sm

master villainess the invincible- god i love this one i want it to update so baddddd. wuxia and there's a cute romance too!

the villainess is a marionette- beautiful unique art style, transmigration, deliciously badass and manipulative MC

millionaire divorcee- lovely and sweet sort of ‘a life well lived is the best revenge’ kinda story. also so much pretty jewelry wow

untouchable lady- time travel squared, gorgeous art and wow so much angst it's delicious. last time i checked the translations weren't so good so im hoping its better now, ive been waiting to come back to this one

death is the only ending for the villainess- transmigration into a video game with, in my opinion, too many restrictions. svsss vibes in that way but its a fantasy AWAN romance video game

into the light once again- reincarnation, AWAN, wholesome and so damn pretty. i keep drooling over the intricate outfits

I will surrender my position as empress - remarried empress vibes. love it so satisfying

villainess’s stationary shop- cute and sweet and the MC gains a coterie of adorable children defenders, but yes also revenge

my unexpected marriage- kind of a “the best revenge is living well” story. very sweet very pretty unique art style. starts a bit dark

she no longer wields her sword

the perks of being an s class transmigrator- one of my faves! very fun video game mechanic and wonderful art and i love our mc. some great humor too

I've Become A True Villainess- isekai, green hair mc!! very sweet and caring ML too i love their dynamic

The Reincarnated Assassin Is A Genius Swordsman- actual reincarnation into another family, also i love the weird kinda sort of sidekick. evil? maybe? either way its funny

divorcee’s dessert cafe- another cute one

author of my own destiny- author falls into her own book!

vengeful weapon, tears of poison- kinda what it says on the box

how to live at the max level- OP MC falls into a video game but this time it’s a girl! fun and lighthearted

no more nice sis- revenge that turns into cute romance honestly

with vengeance, sincerely your broken saintess- lots of plots and intrigue in this one, i love it

the newbie is too strong- another dungeon break one, OP MC with adorable animal? monster? companions

the villainess turns the hourglass- both revenge is best served cold and the best revenge is living well

my farm by the palace- super sweet and wholesome i love it

the duchess’ fifty tea recipes- finished, super cute, transmigration addressed, romance?

the soulless duchess

all hail lady blanche- gets slow in the middle, then gets cool and starts kinda breaking the fourth wall. revenge and kinda video game dynamic

the doctor is out- forgot about this one, time travel, its cute!

villainess' reprisal boutique- revenge for her mother this time! mostly kinda fantasy royal school stuff, if that makes any sense

please marry me again- time travel, so fluffy and precious and satisfying

karina’s last days- AWAN, slow burn romance

the villainess’s daughter- reminds me a bit of monstrous duke

the princess in the attic- AWAN, revenge, oof this one is a bit dark but it’s got its light and i do love it

red hot revenge- lot of politics in this one! and some slow slow burn

solo max-level newbie- kinda like solo leveling, but more merciless MC

angel of the golden aura- very cinderella, tropey evil sister in the most fun of ways (imho)

self-made lady- fantasy transmigration with video game mechanics

carrier falcon princess- bit weird, i feel like it hasnt updated in awhile, but fascinating premise. MC spends a very large chunk of the story as a bird

#webtoon #webtoons #manhwa #manhua #transmigration #time travel #reincarnation #revenge story #comics #webcomics #isekai #idek what to tag this but i worked very hard on it #will come back and add stuff im sure #hence the readmore #and also cause its hella long #comic recs

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shyvioletcat · 3 years

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Yeah... I'm the worst...

*Redid the tags, got told some weren’t working. Sorry*

~ Masterlist ~

~~~~~

There was an ugly silence in the room, no one quite knowing how to break it. A small sob had Rowan looking back at Lyria, her hand cradling her stomach. The gesture caused a pain so sharp in Rowan’s chest that he choked on it because of the lies that rested beneath her hand. He had no real sense of reality as he stood there looking between his wife and the man she had been unfaithful to him with. His brain was still processing what he had overheard.

“You never gave me a chance.”

“Have you told him that the baby may not even be his?”

Rowan’s knees went weak and he thought he may start vomiting. This was a joke. Some sick cruel joke his friends had decided to play on him, Aelin always liked to pull a good prank. But the longer he looked at Lyria and from the look on her face the way she was trembling… this was no joke.

“Rowan. We–”

“No,” Rowan said, not bothering to look at the other man in the room. “This is not coming from you.”

Rowan’s brain was finally catching up with him and he had so many questions. The first and foremost was how exactly Sam rutting Cortland got to be standing in his kitchen as a possible father of the baby his wife was carrying.

“I want you to leave,” Rowan said to Sam. “I’m leaving this room and I want you gone.”

He didn’t bother to address Lyria as he left the kitchen and started down the hallway. She had two options here, she could come and find once showing her guest out or she could leave. Rowan hoped that for the sake of his sanity she chose the former. A dilemma struck Rowan as he stood in the hallway, only overhearing hushed sounds of conversation through his home. Where was he going to go? He didn’t want to have this conversation in the bedroom, it felt too intimate as the ravine between him and Lyria was gaping wider by the second. He wasn’t going to go back out to any of the rooms beyond the hallway and risk running into Sam again. That really only left him one option.

Rowan turned the door handle of the baby’s room and stepped inside.

The walls were painted a soft yellow, bits and pieces of baby paraphernalia were stacked in piles around the room that they hadn’t got around to sorting through. Seems they had a few more things they needed to sort through.

The fact that Sam was possibly the father of the baby had him reeling. Aelin and Sam had been broken up for a while now. Rowan had liked the guy, but he could tell that the two of them weren't meant to be. Sam and him were close to friends by the time the relationship fell apart, not enough that once Aelin had let him go Rowan had kept in contact. There's was a lot of missing information between then and now. Gods, had Aelin known and not told him? Is that why she had been getting progressively more distant over these past months?

Rowan waited, the feeling of wanting to empty the contents of his stomach returning in full force. His ears were straining for any indication that Lyria was still house. The front door closed and then he heard soft footsteps. She went to the bedroom first, saying his name softly–her voice wavering. She obviously didn’t find him there so she finally came to him. The door squeaked as she pushed it open and Rowan made a mental note to fix that before the baby came, he didn’t want them waking up because of the noise. That thought had him closing his eyes and leaning on the box that held the pieces of the cot, not even knowing where his future was heading.

Lyria was silent, waiting for Rowan to say something. So he did.

“Why?” he asked simply.

“I don’t know,” Lyria said quietly.

“Yes you do,” Rowan said coldly. “Stop trying to spare my feelings. Just tell me.”

Lyria walked over to the rocking chair in the corner, the only real piece of furniture in the room and eased herself down. At any other time Rowan would be over there, helping and hovering. But right now he was rooted to the spot.

“It was just after we had that big fight, the one about my car,” Lyria explained. That had been well over a year ago, this wasn’t the cause of the current problem. “I went out and I randomly ran into Sam. We got talking, he’d just had that messy breakup with Aelin so we were commiserating together. We exchanged numbers.”

“And then what? Swapping numbers doesn’t get you pregnant,” Rowan said as he finally turned around.

He saw Lyria in the chair, head tipped back as tears ran down her cheeks. “It was another fight, over something stupid I can’t remember now, and I told Sam and we went out and we got drunk. We’d been texting for a while, we had become friends and talking almost every day. Then suddenly that line blurred and we were more than that and that night he asked me to come back to his place, you’d headed out of town so I said yes. We had sex back at his place, and it was the worst mistake of my life.”

Rowan remembered that, he had the same blip in his memory over what exactly the fight was over, but he remembered leaving town overnight for work. He had tried to call Lyria so many times but eventually giving her the space he interpreted her silence to be asking for. And the truth of it was worse than he could have ever imagined.

“He loves you,” Rowan said, even though they broke his own heart.

“Yes.” Lyria’s reply came out with a sob.

“And do you love him?” At this point Rowan felt as though he was digging his own grave, each question and answer taking him deeper.

Another sob tore from Lyria and Rowan’s heart betrayed him, forgetting about his own pain and anger. All he wanted to do was hold his wife, kiss her and dry her tears, tell her none of it mattered. But still, he held back. He wanted to hear the answer first.

“No,” Lyria said but it lacked conviction. “I don’t know. But I know that I love you more.”

“That’s no consolation prize there, Ria,” Rowan said bitterly.

Lyria didn’t say anything, she just continued to cry and now was rubbing her stomach. Rowan had done that countless times, he had felt that baby move, talked to them, assured them that no matter what as their father he would always be there. But now…

That final question loomed in front of him, ready to drag him over the precipice of no return. Despite it all, Rowan couldn’t explain how the smile appeared on his face as he readied to say the words that could potentially haunt him for the rest of his life. He wouldn’t ask directly, he couldn't. Instead he’d delay the swing of the axe.

“Do you know?” He was a coward for delaying. “Do you know who the father is?”

Lyria nodded tears cascading over her cheeks, he watched them fall one after the other as she nodded, and he could tell her lies had reached their end. Hoping, more than believing that she was resolute in giving him an answer.

Rowan’s voice was so hollow he barely recognised it in his own ears as he said, “Tell me.”

~~~~~

There was a sturdy knock at the door and Aelin pushed Fleetfoot off her lap as she went to answer it. The food had arrived much quicker than she thought, she was always far too impatient to watch the actual delivery process on her phone. She tended to just get angry at the route her driver made or yelled when the wait time would randomly fluctuate. So instead she would place her order and just wait for the text. Aelin smiled at the prospect at take-out arriving, though on her way she realised that she hadn’t actually received the text indicating it was in fact here. Shrugging to herself as she swung the door open, assuming that the delivery guy had just forgotten. However, that smile fell when she saw who stood in her doorway.

It was Rowan.

~~~~~

Yeah, I'm definitely the worst. This one seems short but I promise the next one will make up for it.

Tags: @fucking-winchester-trash // @literary-licorice // @galyxsy // @tangledraysofsunshine // @highqueenofelfhame // @3am-reading // @soup-that-is-too-hawt // @aelinfire-bringer // @nalgenewhore // @highladyofthesith // @http-itsrebecca // @sleep-and-books // @alifletcher2012 // @westofmoon // @sleeping-and-books // @ttakeitbacknoww // @armixers-unite // @mariamuses // @chocolate-eating-bitch-queen // @velarian-trash // @queenofxhearts // @heroesofterrasen // @highladyofstoriesandmusic // @empire-of-wildfire // @camerooonchiu // @crackedship // @lowhangingtreebranches // @over300books // @yourwhisperingshadows // @thesirenwashere // @tswaney17 // @impossiblescissorspeachpaper // @cat5313 // @judelovescardan // @flowerspringsea // @chaoticskyy // @the-regal-warrior // @fanfictrash3000 // @blueeyes425 // @starseternalnighttriumphant // @bamchickawowow // @thehuntressofmoon // @giorgia-the-trashpanda // @flora-and-fae // @thereaderandfangirl // @illyrian-bookworm // @chemicha // @meltalgel-ig // @gay-book-nerd // @that-odd-puzzle-piece // @i-love-all-books // @in-love-with-caramel-macchiato // @girl-who-reads-the-books // @hizqueen4life // @the-third-me // @queen-of-glass // @bestmelle // @cursebreaker29 // @b00kworm // @superspiritfestival // @aesthetics-11 // @maastrash // @mynewdreamwasyou // @the-last-apprentice // @charincharge // @firestarsandseneschals // @scarznstars // @absolute-dissapointment // @thesurielships // @df3ndyr // @trinitybailey2003 // @hellasblessed // @booknerdproblems // @rowaelin-cressworth // @sevenfreckles-for-sevenloves // @rolltide7 // @scandinavianromantic // @tillyrubes10 // @starwarsslytherin // @minaidss // @paytin77 // @jesstargaryenqueen // @anntheintrovert // @starbornvalkyrie // @loudphantomdragon // @woollycat22 // @claralady // @perseusannabeth // @fangirlprincess09 // @maddymelv // @sierrareads // @more-espresso-less-depresso-xx // @jlinez // @lysandra-ghost-leopard // @rowaelinismyotp // @pullnpeeltwizzlers // @anne-reads // @jadeaffliction // @gracie-rosee // @elriel4life // @miserablesmusings // @tothestarswholistentodreamers // @littleboxofthunder // @empress-ofbloodshed // @booksbqueen // @rowanwhitethornisbae // @aelin-queen-of-terrasen // @alyx801 // @amandaswallowtail // @louiseleblancdiggory // @abookishfreak // @danibutterr // @thegreyj // @thenerdandfandoms // @castielspelvis // @swankii-art-teacher // @grandma-noob-lord // @vanzetanze // @lizzyfirebringer // // @endlessdaydream // @magnifique1807 // @sis-it-dont-add-up // @thenerdfandoms // @post-it-notes33 // @ae-lingalathynius // @whythefuckdoiexist // @highlady-brittney // @story-scribbler //

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immacaria · 3 years

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Crocodile

Hello there! So this is day 4 of Beetober 2021: Crocodile from @bloody-bee-tea and, sincerely, I just wanted a good laugh because these last days have been tiring and exhaustive and I will die in the hill that says that Nie Mingjue is good with kids and the Yunmeng people are crazy. Anyways, this day’s word count is 2890 words. That being said, I hope that you enjoy the fic and are safe and sound!

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When Nie Mingjue started visiting Yunmeng, he tried to get used to the differences between them as quickly as possible so as to not offend the new Sect Leader or, worse, make a fool of himself. The food and spices were easy to get accustomed to, though he was sure that the spice was being held back immensely because of him, and he even began appreciating some of the special dishes that the Jiang disciples brought him to taste. But there were some traditions that still managed to surprise him after this whole time.

Though he started visiting Yunmeng to help Jiang Wanyin with the rebuilding of the clan, the thing that he liked the most to observe were the people from Yunmeng, the common people and the younger disciples, and their habits. For example, when he walked around Lotus Pier with the first Jiang disciple showing him around and taking him to where his leader was, there were always people in the roofs and piers singing and laughing loudly at each other’s singing tones and he always found himself stuck in place to hear it. The first time it happened, Wanyin had taken offense to it and said that was the way they did things around there, that at least that his people could do that despite everything.

He had to explain that he had not meant to cause offense by stopping to hear and had only stopped because it was different from how his people worked. Constructions on the Unclean Realm were usually quieter and more sober, even if they did joked between them, but nothing like the loudness that he was seeing in Lotus Pier and he was simply amused by it. After that, he always stopped for at least some minutes to listen to the people singing and chatting everytime he was visiting.

Another thing that he too liked to observe was the way that, despite everyone in the cultivation world being so much afraid of Jiang Wanyin, they didn’t seem afraid of being ahead and poke him only to get reactions out of him. More than once, Nie Mingjue had witnessed one of the elders making jokes at him and only laughing when he snapped at him or one of the disciples playing a prank on him and he only rolled his eyes and told the poor kid to run around the fields until he told them to stop. They even started to joke with Nie Mingjue himself when they noticed that his visits were going to be regular and had no hidden intentions behind them.

It was funny to see the way that they acted so differently from his own people who, though they joked and fooled around too, were more serious in certain aspects than them, who expressed their feelings and opinions more openly. Even Jiang Wanyin himself, who was so feared and quiet, expressed himself immensely easier when he was near his people. The Yunmeng people were wild, loud and lived up to their clan motto in every single hour of the day.

But Nie Mingjue knew better than to think that they were fools like some people in the Jin clan thought they were. These people had suffered worst things that most of them all, had they entire culture and lifes stolen from them by arrogants fool, were killed and chased and, yet, they still fought in the war as much as the others, if not more, and rebuild their houses and redid their culture completely alone. Because, even if he offered help, they were as proud and tough-headed as their leader and didn't accept help easily.

Another thing he knew better than to trust them was in relation to pranks. He did not trust them with pranks. Not because they would take it too far and actually hurt people, but because he wasn't used to their pranks and more times than not he fell victim to them even if he didn't want to. Just like that time where they said he had to bow three times before passing under any door because the days were shorter than the nights that season and the spirits were restless and since he was an outsider they were going to think that he was a threat and go even more restless and end up attacking everyone in the sect. So he needed to bow three times before going by any door.

"Just like a wedding?" Nie Mingjue had asked because though he was pretty sure that they were pranking him, he didn't want to be disrespectful and risk getting haunted by some crazy ghosts. Or hurting anyone on Lotus Pier.

"Yes, just like a wedding. To show respect and protect yourself." One of Jiang Wanyin's Spiders, Zhou Min, said and, beside her, her twin sister nodded eagerly.

"Are you sure?" He said slowly. He wasn't superstitious, per se, but one can't never be too cautious with spirits.

"Yes, absolutely. Three bows, Nie-zongzhu." The twin sisters said and he decided to do it, even if later he discovered that it was all a prank. Better safe than sorry, after all.

So through the day, he kept bowing in front every door he passed under and tried to do it as quickly as possible so that no one would notice. Was it tiring? Yes. Was it humiliating? Yes, but he understood about restless spirits and what they could do when irritated and he was not risking it to happen to Yunmeng Jiang. Sometimes, from the corner of his eyes, he saw some disciple giggling behind their sleeves and he huffed every time before going on, and others, he would see the elders smiling in open plan, but looking at him strangely. It was only at the end of the day, when Jiang Wanyin and he were watching the disciples train from inside one building and they stepped out to dismiss them that he learned that that was a prank.

“Why the hell are you doing that?” Jiang Wanyin said, turning around to glare at him and crossing his arms. At some point of his visits, they stopped caring for the unnecessary formalities and niceties they had to endure with the other Sect Leaders and were slowly building a friendship between them. “What the hell is wrong with you?” His tone was harsh and for others it may sound like an accusation, but by now Mingjue knew better and knew that the younger Sect Leader was simply confused.

“The Zhou twins said that the spirits were restless since the nights were longer than the days now and since I’m an outsider, they could see me as a potential threat if I didn’t bow three times to show respect at every door I went through.” He sighed, running a hand over his face as the disciples near them started to laugh loudly. In front of him, Wanyin was looking at him with incredulous eyes before turning to where the twin Spiders were practically rolling down the ground with their laughter. They had pranked him. Again.

“Are you marrying the spirits, by any chance then?” He said, frowning at him.

“What? No! The twins said it had to be three times.” He pointed at them and saw him fighting to not lift the corner of his mouth.

"Unbelievable. The twins are well-known pranksters, Mingjue, you should know that." He rolled his eyes, turning away as his smile finally broke out and the sun had nothing to do with the way that the whole place seemed to illuminate suddenly. "Bow three times. Fucking unbelievable." By then, Wanyin was openly laughing and so were his disciples, but Nie Mingjue couldn't even say he was mad at being pranked again. Not when it managed to make Wanyin laugh so loudly as he was.

So, no, he did not trust the Jiang disciples when it came to pranks because even if he knew it was a prank, he knew that they knew that he would walk right in one with his arms wide open if it meant that Wanyin would laugh like that again and again and again. But didn't mind when he fell in one, that much either. There were so many pranks already that he always knew when one was about to happen.

Just like this time around. He was visiting Lotus Pier again when Wang Yin, the second disciple, ran to him with a wide and toothy smile on his face and greeted him way too happily. As the boy guided him to the lakes where Wanyin was helping build some a pier, he was told about how they were almost finishing the construction and that this pier was the last big project before they gave the final touches and the whole time Nie Mingjue was looking around and trying to see what was going to be the prank.

But all the thoughts about the prank were forgotten when they arrived at the pier and he saw Wanyin crunched down near the water and helping other people. He looked up and smiled, asking him how the hell he pretended to help if he was all dressed up like that and told him to get going. So that was what he did. He got rid of his outer robes and boots and put Baxia to the side before jumping next to Wanyin and immediately having a heavy wood log thrown in his hands.

He can’t say that they worked quickly, but he can say that there were enough laughs and jokes to make it look like it was quick. Wanyin explained to him that after they ended - “And take a bath.” He added after looking down at his wet and muddy robes. - there was going to have a party and if he wanted he could come too. Ignoring the expectants looks from the other workers and some menacing ones, Mingjue nodded and said that it was a pleasure.

“So, this was the last big project?” He asked, stepping away to see the pier better. Beside him, Jiang Wanyin smiled and nodded, throwing some tools up to one of his disciples.

“Yeah, after this there’s only some details to be added and then everything is ready again.” He shrugged, taking smaller steps away and looking around. “Mingjue, can you do me a favor?”

“Sure, what is it?” He stopped in his backwards walking and put his head to the side when a wicked smile appeared in the other’s mouth.

“Turn around.” Slowly, he turned around with his eyebrows furrowed and looked around before carefully looking down when a low growling reached his ears. Near his legs and growling with all it’s might, there was a crocodile glaring up at him and opening his mouth at him. “Oh, shit!” He screamed, jumping away from him in haste. His back hit one of the pier’s pillars and everyone around him started howling in laughter as the crocodile growled again, closing its mouth and swimming to where Wanyin was giggling. “What the hell?” He whispered as the reptil circled Wanyin’s thighs and bumped his head against one of them, still making that horrible sound. It was only then that he noticed that the damned crocodile was laughing at him.

“I’m so sorry, Sect Leader Nie.” Wang Yin said between laughs. “But we had to. It was just too good to pass.”

“How come that you have never seen Baieyu around the lakes, Nie-zongzhu?” One of the workers, Hu Yitian, if he remembered right, said, holding another worker who was laughing too hard up.

“Believe it or not, Nie-zongzhu avoids looking at our lakes and ponds as much as he can.” Jiang Wanyin said, patting Baieyu’s head and smirking at him and putting his head to the side while Nie Mingjue narrowed his eyes at him before following the crocodile’s movements as it swimmed away.

“Why?” One of the youngest disciples that were helping them asked, putting his head between the railings of the handrail.

“That’s an answer that stays between me and your sect leader, kid.” Nie Mingjue swinged her nose gently and smiled at her giggles. “Move, move. I want to get out.”

“Afraid, Mingjue?” Wanyin asked, getting out of the water too and still smiling widely.

“Terrified. What if that Baieyu of yours decides that I’m a treat just like your spirits did last season? Thank you, but no, I prefer not to risk any of my limbs.” He shook his head, pretending to not hear the disciples’ laughs.

“You are ridiculous.” He rolled his eyes, walking past him and he could only shrug as he followed him. “Baieyu only bites who I tell him to.”

“I know that now, but I’m still not risking it.” They walked for some time until they were away from most of the disciples and non-cultivators.

“Why do you do that?” Jiang Wanyin asked suddenly, turning around and putting a hand on his chest to stop him.

“Do what?” Nie Mingjue asked back because he genuinely didn’t know. “Help you rebuild Lotus Pier? I thought we alre-...”

“No, no that! The pranks! Why do you always let the juniors prank you? Why do you always let me prank you? Surely, by now you can know when they are about to prank you!” He interrupted him, shaking his head and looking down. “Why do you always make a fool out of yourself?”

“Because I like it. It’s good.” He shrugged again, lifting his hands to rub them against Wanyin’s arms.

“But people always laugh at you in the end. How are you not ashamed by that or even bothered? Don’t you think He took a deep breath and Nie Mingjue only shrugged again.

“Because it makes people laugh and a good laugh it’s always good no matter what caused it. And because it makes you laugh too and I would do practically anything to make you laugh.” At that, Wanyin looked up at him with raised eyebrows and wide eyes.

"What?" He whispered and fisted Nie Minjue's robes with more force than necessary. "What does this mean?"

"It means that I like seeing you laughing, It means that I like being the reason why you are laughing." He cupped his face, caressing his cheek and smiling. He was sure that he was looking like a fool. Maybe a fool in love, but a fool still. "It means that I like you." Slowly, giving time for Wanyin to back off, he closed the distance between them and kissed his lips with only a barely there touch.

"Fuck!" Jiang Wanyin whispered heatedly before looking up to him and pulling him down to a more heated and heavier kiss. His hands fell down from his face to his waist and he pulled him against him, feeling his neck getting hugged. "Holy fuck!" He said, making Mingjue chuckle loudly. "I see what you mean about liking to make me laugh. It's a good sensation."

"It is, it is." He nodded, thumbing the side of his waist and watching as his cheeks got adorable red. "You're adorable."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. C'mon, we need a bath." He waved him off before grabbing his hand and pulling him along. "Then we can kiss again and go to the dinner the elders are giving.”

“Alright!” He smiled, kissing his cheek quickly and laughing when Wanyin turned to him with narrowed eyes and cheeks aflame.

Later after the bath and the dinner, both of them would lay down on Jiang Cheng’s - because now he got to call him by his given name, even if he highly doubted he would stop calling him Wanyin. The name was simply too beautiful to not be called - bed and talk. They would talk about everything and nothing and see what they should expect from them and Nie Mingjue would say that he was planning on starting a courtship if Jiang Cheng wanted. Later, Jiang Cheng would laugh at him and say that yes, he wanted the courtship but only if Baieyu got to participate in the ceremony and, then, laugh some more at Nie Mingjue’s sour face.

♡

“It means that I like you.” Nie-zongzhu said and Zhou Min’s breath caught up on her throat as he leaned down to kiss their leader.

“Holy shit.” She whispered as her sister, Zhou Nuo, giggled beside her. “Finally.”

“Nie-gongzi is going to be so mad that he lost the bet to Wang-shixiong, of all people.” She giggled again and Wang Yin had to swallow down a cackle as Zhou Min shivered again.

“Oh, I’m going to win so much money on Nie-gongzi.” He cackled maddily and beside them all Zhao Shuhan, the first disciple, sighed heavily.

“I really think we shouldn’t be spying on our Sect Leader snogging with Nie-zongzhu.” Zhao Shuhan said, putting his hand on his face and sighing even more. “Especially if they are snogging.”

“Oh, mood-killer.” Zhou Min rolled her eyes and turned to him. “They took so long to get together. Let us enjoy this a little.” Zhao Shuhan took a deep breath before looking over at her to see them hugging and sighed again.

“Ok, just five more minutes.” He shook his head and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes.

Oh, Nie-gongzi was going to be so pissed that he lost the bet.

40 notes · View notes

saturnsummer · 3 years

Text

the fairytale she never had (will you believe again?)

when sol is invited to a wedding, sol doesn’t think her best friend would follow her.

aka: solhwi attending a wedding

notes: it just struck me one day, and i really wanted them to see each other outside of the law school moments! while law school defines them, they are certainly people with social activities.

i adapted this from a similar prompt i saw from a fic many years ago for a separate fandom, and i always wanted to write something similar. this was honestly not met to be multi-part, but i write too much anyways. so multi-part it will be.

also, it might sound depressing in the initial part where sol is talking about the wedding invitation, but it gets explained later on.

as always, enjoy! any grammar mistakes and all will be taken fully responsible by me!

ao3 link

words: 4135 words

I: 我愿变成童话里, 你爱的那个天使 (i am willing to be the angel of that fairytale you love)

--title inspired by fairytale (童话) by Michael Wong!--

Sol absolutely hates weddings.

She hated the big social crowds, the way drunk men in tuxedos staggered around with women in one arm and a drink in another. She found no purpose in dressing in lavish gowns, then eating dinner for the next two hours without even feeling full.

Sol couldn’t blame anyone but herself for this. She can’t help but remember her mother’s failed marriages. The way her biological father left them in the middle of the night, with all their hard earned savings. The way her stepfather, Byeol’s father, would come home drunk and violent towards her mother. It was a memory she couldn’t erase. More than a decade later, she still wakes up in a cold sweat, worrying for her mother and small Byeol’s life.

She long ago gave up on the concept of love back then. She wasn’t opposed to anyone dating or talking about it, and she certainly didn’t mind short flings. But marriage? Eternal love? The fairytale that everyone hopes to achieve? Sol threw those ideas out of the window.

So when Sol received a thick, cream-coloured card and envelope, embossed with rose gold foil and flowers, a pretty silver wax seal and her name written in careful strokes of a calligraphy brush, she was stumped.

Her friend, Im Jiyoon, was getting married. Jiyoon was a good friend of Sol’s, and they occasionally met up for quick meals. Jiyoon was an accountant and climbing the ranks in her company. They lost contact for a period when Sol was in juvie, but they reconnected when Sol was just starting law school. It was only polite that Jiyoon extended invitations to her high school classmate.

Sol had mixed feelings. The wedding was on a Friday night, which made things good since she didn’t have to wake up early, fitting her schedule properly. But she had nothing to wear. She could borrow a dress and shoes from Yeseul, but the last time she borrowed a shoe from Yeseul, she almost broke her ankle. And she had so much work to catch up on. Yet, not showing up felt rude of her.

Jiyoon was nice, don’t get her wrong. She was smart, resourceful and lovely to be with in high school. Sol wanted nothing more than for her high school friend to marry the love of her life. But she hasn't been to such social events in years, and being so focussed on school, the legal clinic and contributing to her family, she found it difficult to understand why she needed to go, besides doing it out of courtesy.

“What’s that?” A familiar voice pipes from behind, drawing her out of her thoughts. There’s the familiar shuffling of several pairs of feet as Sol turns her attention to the one who spoke. Behind her, was Han Joon Hwi with his bag just being set on the table. The rest of the group was just settling in for another study session.

“Ah, nothing important.” She monotonously says before sliding the card in her files. Joon Hwi’s hands catch the card before she can slide it fully and stop her from hiding it from him, or the rest of the group. The rest draw their attention to the expensive card and Sol only stays silent.

“A wedding? Your friend’s?” Yeseul asks as she picks the card up with perfectly manicured fingers. Turning and feeling the thick paper between her fingers, Yeseul knew it was no cheap manufactured paper. This was expensive, premium, and each card looked handmade from the brush calligraphy.

“Yeah. But I don’t think I’m going.” Sol says as Yeseul returns her the card and successfully stores it away in her bag.

“Why not? Don’t you want to be there?” Joon Hwi asks, cocking his head to the side in utter confusion.

“There isn’t much point, is there? I have school and the legal clinic and things to revise for. And besides, I don't have anything to attend in. I just rather send her a gift and treat her a meal.” Sol simply explains. Everyone bombards her with more questions, but she diverts their attention to her paper and the cases they are reviewing today.

Joon Hwi, however, couldn’t get Sol’s reasoning out of his head. He knew Sol well enough to know how much she values her friends, and that she would be willing to drop everything for a friend. Her loyalty was unmatched. It didn’t make sense that she would be held back by her vanity or school work that caused her to not attend such a joyous occasion.

When everyone is done reviewing the cases and the session ends, Sol is the only one who has her books and papers still scattered all over the table. She still has to review her notes and catch up on a few lectures before she can officially end her day. Joon Hwi was long done, but he stayed put, bringing out a past report he’s done and glancing through it, hopeful to catch any mistakes. The others have headed back or gone to the cafeteria for a meal.

“Han Joon Hwi, you don’t have to stay for me, you know?” Sol says, her eyes not once looking up as she stays concentrated highlighting her book with a fluorescent orange highlight. She sticks it in her hair when she’s done, raising her head to meet Joon Hwi’s eyes. Joon Hwi only smiles, letting his eyes crinkle.

“Why don’t you want to attend the wedding?” Joon Hwi asks, still smiling. Sol scoffs.

“I already said. I’m too busy-” Sol is cut off by Joon Hwi with his teasing.

“You sure? I think it’s about the groom, though.” Joon Hwi smiles brightly, earning an irritated series of clicks of her tongue from Sol, clearly successful in being teased.

“None of that sort! Who do you think I am, Han Joon Hwi?” Sol rebuts back, throwing her eraser across to him in annoyance.

Joon Hwi catches it with a laugh, but doesn’t lose eye contact with Sol. A few moments of silence follow, as she looks at the file with the card. Slowly, she draws the card from her file, holding it carefully between her fingers.

“It’s not that I don’t want to be there. I… it’s my first time going to such a social event in such a long time. And the last time I met Jiyoon was a year ago, back in our 1L.” She says softly, letting her fingers brush her calligraphed name.

“I just… rather not go, you know? Treat her to a nice meal somewhere, maybe a couple drinks. Besides, I’m sure she’s just doing it out of courtesy.” She lets out a light laugh.

Joon Hwi’s heart softens. He’s witnessed Sol in her different elements. The courtroom, where she’s a powerful woman in command, dressed professionally in a suit and hair in a perfect ponytail. The day-to-day her, where she’s comfortably dressed in jeans and her tanned coat, hair in a bun and post it notes on her jacket. She was always so bold, so confident and so full of fire. It never occurred to him that she would be uncomfortable in social events. She was always the life during dinners, with Bokgi. She laughed loudly, engaged in conversations and seemed so comfortable. He remembers how she would help out the old halmeonis with her neighbourhood on some days when he sent her home, or the times she bought ice creams for Byeol’s classmates. She seemed so extroverted, yet so closed off. Eying her, Joon Hwi reaches out and clasps his hand over hers in an attempt to comfort.

“I never went to school events, you know? Especially since juvie made me miss it. When I redid my high school year, I didn’t go too. There wasn’t much of a point, since I didn’t have a date or many friends to begin with. If it was Dan, she would have gone, being the popular girl she was back then.” Sol softly says, a small smile ghosting her face.

She remembers the day prom arrived for her school. She was expectant, hoping that the boy she liked would invite her. Or maybe the girls that she occasionally had lunch with will invite her to hang out. But all she got was a stone cold silence the weeks leading up to prom. When everyone buzzed on what they were wearing to prom night, she silently put on her headphones, drilling herself into her science assignments. Of course, she wouldn’t be invited.

She knew the rumours floating in school. How Dan was the perfect one, how she was the failed one. She knew everyone knew she went to juvie. She knows how the boys snicker at her when she walks past them, or how the girls gossip and whisper when she’s eating her lunch. Besides, it didn't help that she was poor. She can’t even afford a dress of her own, let alone go to the event.

Realising what she’s said, Sol quickly draws her hand away along with the card and slots it away in her file.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to blabber on. You must think it’s stupid, I think so too. Anyways, do you have the notes Professor Kim...” Sol quickly apologises and diverts her attention to her notes. But Joon Hwi was no longer listening. He was shattered by how the woman sitting in front of him has never been treated like how she should be treated. It was no secret to Joon Hwi that he cared for his friends, but cared a little more for Sol. He was the one that left post-it notes on her table and pretended he didn't. She was the only one that he would let steal a mouth or two from his ramyeon. He could read her moods just from her eyes. He wonders sometimes, if he sees her more than a friend.

He won’t hide that she’s beautiful. The way her eyes slant in an elegant fashion, her smooth, slightly tanned skin, and her winning smile that he always found his heart beating faster for. He loves the way she smiles at her extra pickles, the way her eyes light up when she sees Byeol, or the way she argues and practices. The tenacity and desire she has to improve inspires him to work as hard as her.

This is why when Sol spilled the beans, he couldn't help but feel all sorts of emotions. Anger, towards the people in her school, for not realising such a wonderful student. Anger towards her for degrading herself. Sadness, for her not being able to experience such events.

As Joon Hwi ended the session with her and returned to his room, he made a promise to Sol. He’s convinced it will work, and he begins planning in his head.

He will show her the fairytale.

-----

A week passed.

Sol had to give a reply in a few days and she has not figured out what to say. The wedding was in a month. She knew Jiyoon would be busy... Sol figures that she should just treat Jiyoon after her honeymoon, knowing how she would be away with her husband as newlyweds later on.

“Still thinking about the wedding?” Joon Hwi nods at her, her head in her hands. Sol, looking defeated, nods. So much for trying to hide. They were at their pantry area of their dorms, Sol stirring her ramyeon, as Joon Hwi slurps his. It was 3am, and they just finished studying. The next day was a weekend, so it didn’t really matter if they slept late, since they got the privilege of sleeping in.

“What do I tell Jiyoon? I don’t want to sound rude.” Sol mumbles, lazily stirring her soggy noodles.

“Go to the wedding.” Joon Hwi says suddenly, continuously slurping.

“What?!”

“Sol, how many weddings can you even go to in your life? Are you sure you want to miss this one? Besides, you said you haven’t been to social events. Don’t you want to experience it?” Joon Hwi says, adrenaline building in his voice.

Sol falls silent. She can’t deny that she wants to experience the feeling of being dolled up, the fun that everyone talks about, and the enjoyment that everyone goes through. And Joon Hwi is right; she wants to celebrate with Jiyoon. But her fear of social events and the past was holding her back.

Joon Hwi could tell the change in her eyes. He gives a sweet smile, knowing that he said enough to change her mind.

“Joon Hwi, but what if she doesn’t even-” Sol begins doubting herself as she shoots off her doubts and worries. Joon Hwi calms her down with logical reasons, calming her nerves in between his mouths of ramyeon.

“But... I’ll be alone there, right?” Sol asks, her voice so soft, Joon Hwi barely picks it up. Her ramyeon is still untouched, and the noodles have gotten soggy and cold. Sol is silent for a moment, as she realises how right she is, for once. It wasn’t like she could ask a date, she doesn’t even have one. And her friends from the study group were out of the question. They don’t even know Jiyoon. Joon Hwi quickly brings up his bowl to his face, hopefully covering it as he feels the heat rising to his face.

“I’ll be your plus-one.”

Sol’s eyes light up and her head rises. Did she hear that right? Han Joon Hwi, her plus-one?

“Oh, no! No, I didn’t mean it like that! Joon Hwi, no, I can’t-” Sol can’t find the right words to say. He can't? He shouldn’t? He doesn't need to? Sol can’t deduce her own reasonings for this argument. She knows her roommate likes him, and she definitely doesn’t want to be the target of her roommate’s stares if she catches wind of this. Besides, Joon Hwi doesn’t like her. She knows, and she doesn’t want him to get any wrong ideas. He’s her best friend, and confidante. She knows, deep down, his heart is someone else's.

“I want to.”

Sol freezes as Joon Hwi finishes drinking his soup. Placing the bowl down, he does as best as he can to lock eyes with Sol seriously, showing her he wasn’t teasing. No, this was out of his sincere heart. He knows how nervous she gets in a new environment, and him being next to her was bound to calm her nerves just a little more.

Sol could see the genuine care and want in his eyes. She knows this isn’t one of his jokes or teases. For a split second, she catches herself thinking if he meant something more. That going as a date, was more than just keeping her company, but for something to develop…

Her face is flushed red as she looks at her puffed noodles and lukewarm soup. She picks her chopsticks up but is stopped by Joon Hwi’s hand as he shifts the bowl toward him, away from her.

“Get yourself a fresh one. This is the first meal all day, isn’t it?” Joon Hwi calls her out, covering her noodles. Sol wants to argue for her soggy noodles, but she falls silent knowing how he revealed her secret. She hasn’t eaten all day after running reports and studying. Grumbling, she does as instructed and boils another bowl of ramyeon. When she’s back at the table with a fresh, hot, spicy and red bowl, she dives into it, wondering how she managed to survive the whole day.

Joon Hwi only gives a small smile looking at the girl slurping her noodles with delight and looking at her. Joon Hwi wasn’t lying. He did want to be her plus-one for the wedding. He knew that more than just being a comfort for Sol, he wanted to make this one day a day she could look back and smile at. That she could be pretty, relaxed and happy instead of stressing over her grades, exams and family.

“Fine.” Sol says as she continues slurping the spicy noodles. She blesses the spiciness of the noodles, such that she could blame her pink blush on it. Joon Hwi, clearing the cold noodles and getting water for both of them tilts his head in confusion.

“Come with me to the wedding, if you want to.” She mutters softly, almost shy to let him know. To hide her blush and hide her confusion, she lifts the still hot bowl to her face. She drinks the soup, but chokes on the spiciness. Joon Hwi lets out a light chuckle before passing her a bottle of cold water. Sol looks at him with narrowed eyes of annoyance, but graciously takes the water.

As he watches Sol eat her first bowl, then a second, as Joon Hwi munches on some crackers, he only smiles and laughs at whatever Sol was complaining about her reports and her frustrations at her cases that she picked. He lets out comforting words, but is rebutted back with Sol saying he will never get it because he’s smart unlike her.

As he went to bed that night, he only gave a giddy smile, burying his face in his sheets. He scored his point of taking Sol out on a date, and was already counting down. He officially succeeded in the first step of his plan.

The rest of it required a little bit of help. But he knew who to ask.

-----

“Yeseul! What is it that you need to wake me up on a weekend? I was up until 4am last night!” Sol grumbles as she places her phone on speaker, rubbing her eyes. It was 8am, way too early for Sol to process any emergencies. Well, if it was Yeseul, she would do it any time.

“Sorry, unnie. But it’s urgent. Could you meet me in 10 minutes at the lobby?” Yeseul’s bright voice echos. Sol notices her roomie’s bed made, pillows nicely fluffed and sheets tucked in neatly in pure perfection. She isn’t surprised, considering how she gets up early anyways.

“Fine.” Sol says and hangs up, getting a fresh change of clothes and heading to the bathroom to wash up. She throws on a hoodie, grabbing her only tanned ochre coat and grabs her bag, before jogging downstairs to the lobby. There, Yeseul is standing there, with a sling black bag and with one of the many nude heels she has, hair styled to perfection.

“Unnie!” Yeseul waves her hand over. Walking closer, Sol notices two other familiar friends behind as she scoffs.

“Joonhwi? Bokgi? What are you doing here?” She asks, her hand playing with the strap of her bag unconsciously. She was surprised to see Joonhwi, but even more Bokgi, who usually spends mornings sleeping in. Joonhwi only gives his usual cheeky smile and drags a drowsy Bokgi with him out towards to the main entrance of the school. Dumbfounded, Yeseul takes this moment to link her arm with Sol’s as she leads her out and catch Sol up to their agenda today.

“What?! You’re bringing me where?” Sol exclaims, her voice echoing throughout the lobby. Yeseul shushes her as she drags a shocked Sol out of school. Yeseul didn't need the whole school to know where Sol was going.

“Unnie, please? You need a dress for the wedding, and don’t think you are going to go in one of mine or your old ones! Besides, you promised to go shopping with me one day, right?” Yeseul defends herself as Sol sighs.

Yeseul wasn’t wrong. The wedding was just a week away and she had absolutely nothing to wear. She owned a couple pairs of flats, but they were so old, it would be embarrassing to attend with those. And her dresses were either too big or too small. She was so caught up with school after submitting her reply to Jiyoon, that she would have forgotten about the wedding if it wasn’t for the post-it on her bedside wall.

“But...but...” Sol couldn’t find any reasons to counter. She knew Yeseul was right. Besides, it’s a weekend. And they had no upcoming tests or projects, so there was no harm in doing something besides studying in the copy room. She nods, defeated, earning a smile from Yeseul.

“Wait, then why is Joonhwi and- Who’s car is that?!” Sol’s thoughts are cut off when she sees a familiar black sedan waiting by the entrance as Sol and Yeseul just exit. In the car, she manages to see a Joonhwi in the driver’s seat and Bokgi riding shotgun.

“Yah! Han Joon Hwi! Isn’t this my roomie’s car?” She shouts as she strides a couple of steps when Joonhwi rolls the window down.

“She loaned me the car for today. Don’t want you carrying so many things back from shopping today.” He replies curtly. Bokgi opens his passenger side door on the right.

“Bokgi-”

“Noona, sit in front. I’m too tired to watch Joonhwi-hyung drive.” Bokgi mutters before he climbs into the backseat with Yeseul. Sol wordlessly settles into the seat next to Joonhwi, who only looks at her with a smile. Sol catches his odd looks and pauses.

“What?”

“Ready for shopping?” He has his cheeky smile on again. Sol glares in annoyance before turning behind to Yeseul.

“Did you make him drive?” Yeseul shakes her head and spills out her defensive explanation.

“Oppa called me up yesterday! He just said he needed my help to accompany you shopping for a dress!”

“Then, why is Bokgi here? Trying on dresses too?”

“Noona! I’m listening!” Joonhwi only laughs and shakes his head.

“He’s just accompanying me.” Joonhwi says as he begins to drive off.

Well, Joonhwi wasn't lying. He waited till their quizzes and projects were over before executing this. He knew Sol was busy, and had waited for the busy season to pass before calling Yeseul. He explained that he knew Sol would not go shop for a dress, and he needs her help to accompany him and her. She willingly, too willingly, agreed.

Next, he asked Sol B if he could borrow her car, knowing how Sol was not going to go home with just one dress and one pair of shoes when Yeseul was involved. Sol B was skeptical, but just passed the keys over to him. Besides, she was going to be in school studying all day; she didn’t need the car. Bokgi joined in, as Joonhwi couldn’t spend hours on end waiting for the ladies to shop. On further thought, Bokgi just might help him out with something.

“I could go myself with Yeseul. You didn’t have to wake up for this.” Sol mutters just loud enough for him to hear, fiddling with her fingers. Joonhwi returns with a light scoff.

“As if you’ll do it.” Sol glares at him from the side and is ready to punch him, but retracts her hand, knowing she might literally kill everyone in the car. The ride from the school to the bustling heart of Seoul is a rough twenty minute ride. Bokgi takes this time to catch a wink and Sol does the same, but she can't seem to do it.

Something about Joonhwi bringing her out to buy a dress specially made her heart flutter a bit more than usual. She knew that Joonhwi cared for her. The ways that he left rolls of gimbaps and energy drinks as opposed to coffee on her table during her tough days. The moments when he would offer his jacket as a pillow wordlessly when she wanted to rest her head after hours of studying. The unspoken synchronisation between them was just a showing of how they understood each other inside and out.

Sol thought nothing of it. She knew him as long as she stepped into school when he saved her from Professor Yang. They spent almost everyday studying, having classes and eating together. After all, they are best friends, and don’t best friends do this? They look out for each other, right?

He is going to be my plus-one at Jiyoon’s wedding. He’s taking me to shop for a dress.

Sol wonders, truly for the car ride as she stares outside at the blue skies and empty streets of Seoul, if Han Joonhwi meant more than friends to her. If… she wanted more.

Deep down, she couldn’t deny hoping for more. She liked the way he looked at her, eyes crinkled and smiling in half moons, the sweet smile that she couldn’t help but return. She has never had many relationships, considering her experience in school and afterwards. She was just too busy; too focussed. Seeing how this man cared for her just made her feel so… special.

She has never felt that way.

#original by akinosakiya #jtbc law school #law school #jtbc drama #jtbc #joonsola #kang sol a #kang sol a x han joon hwi #solhwi #han joon hwi #netflix #kdrama #wedding #ryu hye young #kim beom #kim bum

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5am-the-foxing-hour · 5 years

Text

Steady as Quicksilver

Well, The idea did not seem be done, so therefore i am doing more for this AU.

Decided to call it There's More In A Mine Than Precious Metals and not sure how well i will keep to making them stay in chronological order, or they just stay messy from the start.

Anyway, this is part 2 of the maffia ish au, Frail as Brass is part one.

- - -

Characters: Deceit, Remus, Roman, Virgil. Thomas, Logan and Patton are mentioned.

Deceit is named Sham

Warnings: curses, other than that, nothing to bad i think... If you want me to write a warning i’ve missed tho, don’t hesitate to tell me. General Fanfic Tag list: @ebony-wolf, @nashiraneko, @secretlyanxiouspersona, @i-sold-my-soul-to-thefandom, @rabbitsartcorner,@punsterterry, @sleepyssnail, @nightmaresides, @virgilswritings, @ninja-girl2846, @ninjago2020, @starryfirefliesbloggo, @garecc, @sympatheticdeceit, @cookiethedevil, @askthesnake, @all-bridges-will-burn, @tacohippy56900,

- - -

Remus sent a look back to Sham who was sleeping again, the man looked even smaller in the hospital bed, and Remus felt anger grow inside of him, he would make the people who hurt his Snakey pay.

Remus returned his attention to the officers who were outside, the door locked behind him as he entered the hall of the hospital with them.

It was late and not many were active at this time, and they had also gotten a less crowded part of the hospital just for this as well.

Roman huffed as he crossed his arms. Stronger looking than Remus’s scrawniness, even if Remus had surpassed his height with a few centimeters. Apart from the clear differences in body type and the fact that Remus had a moustache, were they pretty similar. Remus fiddled absentmindedly with the handcuffs as he let his eyes fall over to the second officer, one who made him grin.

Virgil stood there, hands showed deep in his pockets and a glare in his eyes, despite the clear anxious ticks he was displaying, Remus knew how to read him, Remus gave away a chuckle

“Helloooo! Emo!” Remus said giggling as he spread his arms wide moving in for a hug only to grunt when he got a hand showed into his face.

“Hell no! I am not hugging you!” Virgil snapped. Remus pouted as he moved back holding his face.

Roman paled and Virgil blinked as he stared at the handcuff that now hung around only one of Remus’s wrists.

“How?!” Both barked making Remus blink “Put the handcuffs back on you maniac!”

“Oh! Sorry.” Remus said with a grin holding out his hands to Roman who quickly redid the cuffs. “Habit~”

“How often would someone get handcuffed to be able to get out of them without a key?” Virgil grumbled. Remus bent forward until he was face to face with Virgil smirking.

“Wouldn’t you like to know~” he snickered as he winked making Virgil flush bright red.

“S-shut up!”

Remus only laughed in return before he leaned back against the wall, hands resting before him.

“Sooooooo... i believe there will be boring talk talk now.”

“I- yes.” Roman said clearing his throat. “As much as the higher ups want you and Sham behind bars, they believe you two are the key to stopping the whole gang wars... And with what has transpired, and the fact that you didn’t put up a fight when we arrested you two... makes them hope you will be to our assistance.” Roman said, sounding bored by what he said, but knowing it had to be said. Remus twitched, snapping his head to the side, a ice cold smirk and look crossed over his face, making Virgil flinch back on reflex.

“I’ll help~” Remus purred in a ice cold tone “As long as i get to put the ones responsible in the grave.” Remus growled, ice in his glare, before he grinned all sharp teeth. Roman straighten up in at the sudden intimidation feeling a shiver slither up his spine. Roman sent a quick glance to Virgil to find how the younger man was pale as a ghost and looked ready to pass out.

“NOW!” Remus suddenly cheered, clapping his hands, making the two officers flinch at the loudness and the suddenness Remus did in behaviour and expression. “If there’s nothing more to be said~ I would love to be returned to Snakey’s side.” with that he bowed and grinned up at them.

Roman swallowed before he fumbled with the keys.

“Right.” he said as he unlocked the door, letting Remus back inside.

Roman watched as his twin sauntered inside like a generic puppy to Shams’s side, the other having awoken for a moment, and they talked for a moment. Deceit snapping something that made Remus pout and dejectedly slunk to the chair that was pretty much his at this point.

Sham turned his head and met Roman’s eyes, Roman saluted at the other, before he closed the door. Locking it once again.

- -

Roman moved along the corridor, Virgil at his side, they had changed posts, and now two new officers stood outside the door.

“So... we’re really working with them then...” Virgil mumbled eyes locked to the checkered tile floor.

“Yep..” Roman said popping the P looking very tired.

“It’s a terrible idea-”

“Oh yes.”

“They could hack us or stab us in the back-”

“Most likely.”

“Or BOTH!” Virgil threw his hands out before him. “This will only end in flames and chaos, Remus is not stable, has never been stable, sure Sham is a bit of his impulse control, but...”

“You’re worried about how badly the explosion messed him up.”

“I- no! Of course not!”

“Virgil... we know. You don’t have to hide it.” Roman said, Virgil looked away shoving his hands into his pockets again.

“I shouldn’t care about them, I’m not part of their gang anymore.”

“Doesn’t stop the feelings from coming anyway you know. I would know, Remus is my twin after all.” Roman said with a laugh

“How do you handle it?” Roman’s laugh died down and he had a sad frown on his face.

“I have no idea, hope each time they talk about the gangs on the news that my brother was the cause and not the casualty? I’m not going to lie... it’s fucking hard.”

“Yeah...”

They continued in silence, leaving the hospital behind to go to the headquarters for a briefing. Thomas and the others needed to know the way things was transpiring and that the Duke would help them put an end to the gang wars... to an extent.

Roman shivered, not being able to get Remus’s ice cold expression out of his head. He had never seen his twin that murderous yet still solid before.

It was unnerving.

#sanders sides #mafia au #remus #Janus #sympathetic deceit #roman #virgil #text #the fox writes #there's more in a mine than precious metals story

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hyliotasong · 5 years

Text

HS: shadow boxing {sfw, 1.5k words}

i always though dave strider deserved better

---

CW: past abuse

---

His breath was slight against the cool breeze of the afternoon, hardly making a sound. It was so strange, being as relaxed as he was. He almost needed to try to keep himself tense. The last time- or, at least, the most significant time- that he found himself with his sword in in his hand, tense was the only thing he could be! That day was so fast and so chaotic, even when time slowed down and he saw that minuscule nod of desperation before he sprang into action and allowed heads to roll.

Hah! Heads, rolling. He was hilarious!

He still remembered that moment, even five years and some change later. The impassive shades were familiar, just as the shiver down his spine whenever he met them (and the sword swinging in his hands and the pleasure when he stared at Dirk and remembered just what he’d done).

Dave swore that he’d never pick up a sword again after that. It was funny how things worked out in the end.

After all, at the end of the day, he still found himself stranded on his island of a rooftop. Despite all common logic, something inexplicable forced his sword off of its hanger and into his hand. It was the same pseudo-divine power that kept him on the roof after all of this time, and the one that kept his heartbeat slow and his breath even when the image of his brother painted itself in his mind.

The terror of the situation and the routine in it all melded into a tense tranquility, yet an unobservant onlooker may definitively call him relaxed. This was purposeful, a skill crafted after years of doing this. After all, why would he be tense? Tenseness meant that Dave was concerned, and one couldn’t be concerned when it came to his brother. Concern lead to weakness and fear, which would quickly be exploited in the upcoming fight and land his ass at the bottom of the stairs. He wouldn’t tolerate either in any household of his.

Sure, Dave wasn’t in that household anymore, but old habits died hard. This bullshit was no exception, no matter how counterintuitive it was. God, why was he like this? Healthy recovery his ass. Nobody tried to ease their fear of violence by using more violence! This was the same shit as back home, just a difference place.

Rose probably would have said differently. If he listened closely enough, he could hear her in the back of his head, surrounded by a loving wife and more baby grubs than she knew what to do with. “Dave,” she would say in that sympathetic voice that told him that he was so stupid it hurt, with that head tilt and the sad smile. “Have you thought about why you are doing it? It’s incredibly likely that you are simply trying to take control of your trauma and cope with-”

That was usually where Dave interrupted her and insisted that nothing was wrong. Because nothing WAS wrong. What did Brain Ghost Rose take him for, a teenager on the internet that wanted to set himself apart or excuse shitty behavior? This was legitimate! Fuck using violence to cope! If he had any say in the matter, he would be anywhere but where he ended up, without the sword and the wind and the feeling like he was being watched by an uncaring god.

It was like an addiction. He told himself, after they had won the world (and the first time he found himself here) that he wouldn’t need to do this regularly. It was just his way of paying respects to the old bastard. Three encounters in as many weeks later, Dave told himself that he would be able to stop this whenever he wanted. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t a problem!

Five years.

Maybe it was a problem.

The more that he thought about it, the more it made sense. That could be the reason why he could come here without panic gripping his chest, even though opening the silverware drawer made his heart skip a beat. This could be why he could fight and genuinely breathe, even though his last fight with some version of his brother (Dirk, just before they won) overrode usage of his lungs for nearly a year. It was a situation where nobody won. The more that he fought himself on the roof, the easier it would be. By that logic, the easier it got to fight himself on the roof, the more that he would do it. Dave Strider had assured his destruction before it ever truly began.

This wasn’t the time to harp on Past Dave. A noise before him grabbed his attention, throwing him into his routine. He blinked. He was thirteen again, staring down his brother’s impassive shades and light smirk. The cool breeze on his cheek reminded him that he wasn’t really on his Houston rooftop, but it didn’t tear him from his singular focus. That had to have been hammered into him by his brother. Fuck, by now Dave probably had that fight or flight instinct harnessed to a fucking T.

Dave flew against his imaginary opponent, grabbing his sword in both hands. By now, the swing was nearly second nature- but once he had stopped and stumbled onto his ass, his brother was nowhere near. This wasn’t new. How fucking typical. He couldn’t land a hit on his brother even when he imagined him into existence!

“God, can’t cut me a break,” he muttered, using one arm to push himself off of the ground in a pretty sick spin. The movement was expert- Bro might have been proud, if he’d actually seen it. It was one of the few things that Dave could do right, after all. There had to be some pride, realizing that the squirt was turning into some semblance of a man.

Dave looked up over his shades and watched his brother disappear. This, too, was something that he was familiar with. It had fucked his shit up so often (in his head and in real life) that he had gotten pretty good at dodging it. Dave grabbed his sword with both hands again and turned, defending against the imaginary weapon pushing against him. If he focused hard enough, he could see steely gold eyes glaring at him through tinted shades, grabbing his heart and making anxiety run through every fiber of his being. He needed to get out of here.

Dave took a breath and everything stopped. The air hung still, the poltergeist before him remained frozen, and Dave took the time to step away and redid his pants.

Was it ironic that he was using the technique that caused him so much harm as a method of his own defense? It could have been. Between you and him, he never had a brilliant grasp on the concept of irony. Sure, he talked a big game, but it was mostly bullshit meant to defend himself. There was no better way to exit a situation than to declare it ironic to people who didn’t know what irony meant.

When Dave stepped out from between the seconds, he watched his brother look around with confusion. Bro’s head snapped up at Dave’s minute smirk, though, and the cycle began anew. Dodge, and duck, and dip, and dive, and lunge, and parry, and slash, and spar, and cut, and Dave was on his own roof for two hours, seventeen minutes, and forty-six seconds when his exhaustion began to hit him. He was getting a little lethargic, he could admit it. That didn’t help him when he began to hear his brother jeering at him in that stupid dead person echo that flashbacks inevitably had and it did terrors on his psyche. Talking to the guy was worse than fighting him. His brother was so good at dissecting people's’ weaknesses and picking at insecurity until they were willing to follow him into the darkness (or worse) while he tore you apart.

Dave was shaky and paranoid and every attack was met with a laugh and a swipe at his head and there was someone behind him.

There. Was someone. Behind him.

The lines between imagination and reality blurred, adrenaline pumping into overdrive. Of course Bro would try and distract him like that. Sneak attacks were the name of his game, and Dave was intimately aware of that. he whirled around and held his sword in one hand, defensively, while the other extended almost like he was trying to keep his attacker at bay. His nerves were on such overdrive that he didn’t perceive who was trying to communicate with him. All that he knew was that there was a person and that he was jumpy and waiting for a sword to his throat and he would do what he did best- Scramble away and defend himself with hoarse breath.

“Don’t- Don’t get any closer.”

#homestuck #dave strider #abuse #swords #thanks for reading

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ficsforlarry · 7 years

Text

Halloween-y fics!

Someone asked for halloween fics but i messed up the formatting last time so i redid it, here it is!

Vampire Fics:

Finding you was so hard (but loving you is easy) (66k)

An incredibly shameless vampire!AU filled with stupid jokes, endless dates, flappy bird, a bro man dude pal sleepover thing and there also might be some sex in strange places.

Also known as the one where everyone is a vampire, Louis is oblivious and somewhere along the way it becomes a bit too much like Twilight.

Then a string of thoughts make themselves clear in Louis’ head. First, Harry is a vampire. Second, Louis is a dumbass. Third, Louis is also unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him. Fourth, he’s pretty sure he just quoted the back of the Twilight book.

Love Endless (The Road to Recollection) (171k)

The year is groovy 1973, and eighteen-year-old Louis Tomlinson is perhaps the gayest teen to ever grace the gloomy, hateful town of Fortwright. Would be fine if he wasn't so viciously bullied at both home and school for such a "harmful" sexual preference.

Yeah, yeah, we've all heard this story, haven't we? Believe him, Louis didn't think he was anything special either.

Until he found the mansion. The notoriously haunted mansion hidden deep within the forests of his tiny blip of a town in Bumfuck Nowhere, Idaho. No one with a brain ever goes near it, but Louis could use a little excitement in his life...and possibly a Band-Aid or two.

After discovering the mansion was less abandoned than he'd thought, he's now left with the most riveting mystery of a lifetime; every new finding leaving him with more questions. Who is this elusive owner, and why won't they show themselves? Why is there a set of journals in the same handwriting that span over centuries? Why in the world is there a padlock on the refrigerator...and who the hell is Alexander?

Run and I’ll Give Chase (24k)

“You go out every night and maybe you’re able to drink without hurting anyone, but you’re still thirsty, aren’t you? Still have an itch you can’t scratch. A need you can’t put a name to. You desire a companion.”

“You mean a keeper?” Harry corrects with venom in his voice. “Someone to put a leash on me.”

“Wouldn’t need a leash, love.” Louis whispers sensually, and he is suddenly behind Harry, too fast for his eyes to keep track of. “You’re practically pliant just by being in my presence. Of course, if you’re into that sort of thing, I could always get you a lovely collar with a matching leash once you decide to take me up on my offer.”

Or, Harry is a fledgling vampire without a maker. Louis is graciously offering to fill that role.

come on, jump out at me (series is 230k+)

Harry is a witch from a long line of power, an ancient line that’s one of the strongest left alive in their hemisphere. He can cast spells without a word if need be, fly on a broomstick, and has a black cat (a kitten, really) named Felix that is his animal familiar. He can shape galaxies in his cupped hands and can destroy them just as easily. He can choose exactly how to use his power, for encouragement and support, or for more nefarious causes if he wishes to.

And as fate would have it, he’s scared of haunted houses.

(Harry is a witch who carries around a stuffed pumpkin, Louis is a vampire with too much time on his hands, and their best mates Zayn & Niall aren't exactly what they seem...)

Give me a memory I can use (41k)

Louis is a brilliant, yet broke PhD student, Harry’s a pretentious and arrogant vampire, and first impressions have never been more deceiving.

Or the one where Louis and Harry will always have Rome. And San Francisco. And London. And each other.

Werewolf Fics:

You smell like (133k)

For her part, Jay took everything in her stride, barely batting an eyelid when Louis came into the kitchen the night Harry left and said, “I seem to have accidentally become the pack’s Alpha”.

Ever since Harry left town, Louis’ found himself with the role of pack Alpha, despite being human. So he can’t wait to hand over the reins when Harry returns. Except, it’s not quite that simple…

OR The one where Louis is the Alpha’s mate and everyone is aware of it except for Louis and Harry. Go figure!

What we Become (78k)

“Nervous?”

“No.”

“It’s okay if you are,” Harry says seriously. “I mean, I know I would be. Like, if there was ever a date that was destined to go bad, it’s probably this one. Werewolf goes on date with the son of a werewolf hunter, who’s also training to be a werewolf hunter when he’s older, while another pack of werewolves are practically massacring the town, and no one has no idea how to stop them. It's not a question of what could go wrong. It's a question of what could possibly go right, and I'm willing to bet the answer to that is nothing."

amaryllis (146k)

"Where are we?" "Um. A little while out of London?" Niall tries, seemingly the only one willing to not be mysterious and provide Harry with information, and. Oh. "London London? As in, the capital of England London?" he asks, just in case he'd misheard. "No, the other London," Louis laughs, low and biting. He comes closer finally, the moonlight just enough to reveal a sharp-cut jaw and pale skin. "Sorry, Pup." Nobody's ever called Harry a "pup". Frankly, he finds it quite insulting, but he lets it slide to try and comprehend his current crisis.

or the one where harry gets bitten by a werewolf. louis is the mysterious not-quite alpha, liam and zayn have Things going on, niall is their token human, and together, they watch a lot of TV.

break open the sky (20k)

Being a werewolf isn't always easy. Especially if you have no idea what you're doing.

Werewolf au. Harry might be a werewolf, but he still wants to experience Uni like everyone else. Turns out he learns a lot.

Let the flames begin (122k)

Anne understood the reason for the fighting in that moment. Harry, despite his young age, was accustomed to the other children bending to his will. But this one, Louis Tomlinson, small, and a human to boot, was having none of it.

OR,

The whole bloody town deserved its own spot on the CW line-up, and Louis was going to have to start drinking before 8am if he was expected to put up with this shit.

Affairs of Royalty (68k)

“Shh! Do you smell that?” Niall asked suddenly, Louis shutting up to taste the air. “That’s stronger than I remem—”

“—Holy shit,” Louis breathed, almost getting high from the pheromones that were evidently walking down the hallway.

“I’m not ready,” Niall whined.

The Omegas sunk down into their chairs in trepidation, and they simultaneously noticed there was definitely more than one Alpha nearing the room, but before they could even mention it, the Alphas strode into the class and practically stole both of their souls.

~Or~

Being a senior in high school is hard enough. Being one of the only two Omegas in a fully human high school is even worse. Add two secretly royal Alphas from England into the mix...and it's impossible.

Witch Fics

The Sweetest Incantation (40k)

Harry has been alive for decades, and yet he's never been as confused and dumbfounded. He's a witch, for God's sake. Can't get much weirder than all the magical things he's experienced throughout his lifetime. Never in a million years, however, would he have expected to be mere inches away from a hybrid.

Or: Harry is a witch who's still working on developing his powers and Louis is a werecat who falls into his life and turns it upside down.

what’s new, pussycat? (55k)

Louis' life gets rocked when he ends up taking a young kitten home one night after work. His world gets turned totally upside down and inside out when that kitten turns into a cat man a month later.This is a story of blossoming love, setting boundaries, learning to be human... and cat jokes. So many cat jokes.

a long way down (to the bottom of the river) (24k)

“ Most people would call Harry silly for believing in curses. Childish would also be a probable insult thrown his way. In their little town full of little people, Harry’s whimsical nature and beliefs mean that he’s subjected to frequent judgemental looks and whispers. It doesn’t usually bother him. Most people don’t know about the magic thrumming through his veins or about how powerful words can truly be. Most people don’t carry around their ancestors grief like a burden. They don’t have to pay for deeds hundreds of years old like Harry and his family have. They get to love freely without fear.

Harry and his kin aren’t so lucky.”

a practical magic au in which Harry and his sister accidentally kill her abusive boyfriend with magic and Louis is the D.I working the case.

Nocturnal Creatures Are Not So Prudent (24k)

Louis spins a finger in midair, like he’s indicating someone to turn around, staring pointedly at Liam as the faucet turns itself on and the can rinses itself in the sink behind him. Liam, moon burn him, doesn't rise to the bait, choosing instead to lean back on his stool and wrapping his hands around his own mug.

“Anyway, like I was saying and that you were ignoring, there's this new club near my school and I want you to go with me. Could do you some good, getting out once in awhile.”

Louis is a white witch with a little black cat named Hemlock and a best human friend Liam (they're a lot like Samantha Stephens and Louise Tate). When he's dragged out to a new club Liam's heard about from a friend and classmate, Louis comes face to face with that which witches do not touch: a charming vampire by the name of Harry.

Ghost Fics

They never quite leave (24k)

When Liam Payne inherited his great aunt's mansion, he never expected it to be haunted. With the help of famous ghost hunters Harry and Niall, Liam is hoping to evict the ghost and sell the house once and for all.

There's just one problem: Louis has been in that house for a hundred years, and he doesn't much feel like leaving.

Alternatively; come for the ghost sex, stay for the feels.

Through Eerie Chaos (102)

For as long as anyone can remember, Old Hillsbridge Manor has always been believed to be haunted. Everyone in the village agrees and keeps a respectful, fearful, distance. New in town after a bad breakup and an internship that led to disappointment rather than a permanent job, Harry Styles figures taking pictures of the decrepit building could be a great new creative project. Or at least a much-needed distraction while he searches for a job and crashes at his parents’ new house. No one warned him about the apparitions though; about the music, the laughter, the people who flicker and vanish when you call after them, the echoes of a past that should be long gone… Harry has never believed in spirits but even he can admit that there’s something weird going on. What starts as mere curiosity evolves into a full-blown investigation and soon enough, Harry finds himself making friends with an aristocrat from the 1920s and struggling with finding the best way to tell him that he’s dead.

The Ghost Hunter AU where Niall lives to prove ghosts are real, Zayn is a skeptical librarian and Harry gets caught up in a century-old mystery and catches feeling in the process.

You look so good in blue (20k)

“You don't believe in ghosts, do you, Mr. Styles?”

If he's honest with himself, Harry's not sure what his stance is on the subject. So he just smiles and shrugs before leaving. After all, he's never actually met a ghost, that he knows about. Besides, even a ghost wouldn't bring him down on how affordable the rent on the flat is.

Or: Harry Styles hears about a perfect flat from his roommate Zayn's boyfriends and decides to sign the lease. The only problem is: the flat has a reputation for being haunted. It certainly doesn't help that Harry's cat is seeing things as soon as they move in...

we’ve got unfinished business (6k)

“Maybe we have a ghost,” Harry suggests, frowning when Louis laughs. “Lots of people have them, you know.”

“Harry, ghosts aren’t real,” Louis snorts, shaking his head as he makes his way back to the kitchen. Harry pouts for a moment, until he hears Louis shriek on the other side of the door.

Or, there’s a ghost in Harry and Louis’s apartment that seemingly just wants them to date.

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mandelsmusic · 7 years

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Playlist & Analysis

I have created a playlist consisting of ten songs for a journey to Mars. There is a link at the bottom to listen to this playlist but this is my in-depth analysis of each of the ten.

My first song on the playlist Space Oddity by David Bowie. This song not only fits the theme of our cosmic journey but also takes listeners on an individual journey of their own. Space Oddity an influential song which has been used in the media landscape of today and past decades, causing a timeless renown reputation. The production on this song features fascinating panning effects, which make the listening experience “out of this world”.

Following Space Oddity, I have chosen My Way by Frank Sinatra. This song is notably bold in its lyrics and speaks to me in a very meaningful way. In this song, Sinatra takes a retrospective look at his life, recognizing his regrets and losses, not everything he did was right, but through it all, he did it his way, and he was proud of that. This is a true song to the legacy Frank Sinatra left on the music industry because following his death no one could quite do it “his way”. Recently, my good friend’s mother passed away after fighting a courageous battle against cancer. The thing that stuck with me after her untimely death was that as she passed, her last wish was to hear My Way. For the length of time that I knew her, she had always had cancer, but lived such a bold and exciting life that you forgot she even had it. Through it all, I truly believe she lived this song to Sinatra’s intentions. In the face of great sickness, she lived her life her way, and that is something I will always remember.

Next in the queue is Tiny Dancer by Elton John, a classic anthem that I believe will never grow old. Growing up in Los Angeles, this song always spoke to me. I thought it was the vague mention of “LA Lady”, or the fact that my mom always played it in her car, I couldn’t figure out why I loved this song so much. Earlier this year, Elton John released a music video 45 years after the release of Tiny Dancer. The music video depicted individuals living very different LA lifestyles, but all singing along to Tiny Dancer as they crossed paths. The music video captured the beauty of both LA culture and the song itself, and most importantly it captured what the song meant to me. No matter who you are, where you are, or what you are doing, this song has the power to unify a set of complete strangers because everyone knows the lyrics. While it isn’t Rocket Man, I believe my fellow astronauts and I could benefit from blasting this one together.

Next up is If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out by Cat Stevens. When I was younger, my father used to drive me to my soccer games, and we listened to an eclectic set of tunes, ranging from Garth Brooks to Weird Al Yankovic. If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out stuck to me as a track I particularly enjoyed my Father’s unique playlist. But the significance and beauty of this song is the lyrics. I always found that my Father emphasized these lyrics in his parenting, allowing me to “sing out” and do whatever I put my mind to. Both he and my Mom have always been there to support and encourage me throughout every step of my life. I need this song as a reminder that I have the loving support of my parents wherever I travel.

Taking a break from the classics, my next song choice is from my favorite rock and roll artist, Jack White. Jack White is behind so many influential songs and bands and to choose just one song to represent his repertoire is a challenging task. I have chosen one of my favorites, You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket from The White Stripes early album, Elephant. Jack White has always fascinated me as an artist because of his distinct branding. For each band he is in, as well as his solo career, there is a different color scheme and a new persona presented which allows the listener to understand Jack in a different aspect each time. The White Stripes had a color scheme of red, white, and black and played bold inspirational ballads. Jack White’s current solo career has a color scheme of blue and black, representing the change in his style of music to somber rock songs centering around the challenges of love. It is very important for music to be both seen and heard. White’s attention to design and branding adds a vibrant concept to his artistry and shows his anthology of sound through brands he has crafted over the years. I love and respect Jack White as an artist greatly and cannot live without at least one of his songs.

Another musician who I draw inspiration from is John Bonham, the drummer for Led Zepplin; he was truly was the backbone of the band and created a unique sound from jazz but applied it to a rock aspect, thus changing the possibilities for rock as it had not been seen before. The band captured this interesting drum beat by using the Glyn Johns recording method which had not been seen before but after, was widely used by most bands because they loved the amazing quality and simplicity of the technique, consisting of 4 microphones. But the band was able to work so well because Bonham was able to get in sync with the guitar player; typically, the drummer gets in sync with the bass player to get the best rhythmic feel but Bonham got in sync with the guitar player and if you listen to Fool in the Rain, you can see the tightness between the guitar and drums as they change constantly through the phrases. Within Fool in the Rain, the drumbeat is absolutely insane! Bonham plays a steady polyrhythmic 4/4 beat, meaning that he is playing two beats simultaneously; the first beat is executed through the triplet high hats which are accented by opening and closing them and adding ghost notes on snare in between; yet Bonham adds a twist by doing a swung half-time shuffle with his bass and snare drum which is difficult on its own. Although the beat is challenging on its own, he adds more difficulty by play with the piano and guitar which are a 12/8 time signature which adds a syncopated triplet feel to the song that anyone can groove to. To me, Bonham is what made Zepplin great and in totality, it was his drumming within this song that truly allows an audience to groove to.

The next song chosen has a lot of sentimental value as a musician; Nights & Weekends by Cold War Kids was the first song that I ever recorded. It was the song that motivated me to expand my skills and learn about production. I began by listening to every individual instrument track and was amazed by the production quality, with the smooth transition from electronic type drums to an ambient acoustic sound that comes in strong for the chorus. I was truly inspired by the album as a whole because it was a different direction that Cold War Kids portrayed; originally being a band that produced songs focusing on the problems of and containing an instrumentation of a rock band, Cold War Kids tried a different approach, adding electronic samples on top of the live drums into the piano and guitar heavy tracks. I was motivated to make my rendition of this song because I loved the vibe of the entirety of the album but this song in specific stuck out because of the catchy chorus and interesting transition from electronic to acoustic drums. I also really love the organ and feel that it should be used as a staple for their sound. My initial recording was very poor in quality being that it was my first recording ever and I was using a single microphone for everything, yet I recently redid it to show how I have evolved as an artist and I find that there is still room for improvement, though it is decent.

Transitioning from this, I Sumatran Tiger by Portugal. the man which is also known as the endangered song. Interestingly enough, there were no digital copies of this song but instead 400 copies of the hard copy record were produced and eventually the record, made out of polycarbonate material, would stop playing and become extinct. The message clear, if we do not do anything, then the species will go extinct. Portugal. the man created this song with the intent of the song becoming extinct unless reproduced. But this exclusivity tactic is very fascinating and has been practiced by many artists such as Jay Z and Beyoncé, ultimately it doesn’t work because eventually it will go to other streaming services but this concept of extinction unless shared within the community is like no other. Not only is this a genius tactic to promote the preventing from extinction but it is also an amazing song. Sadly, it will be overlooked by their one hit wonder Feel it Still but the endangered song will forever hold a place in my heart being that it is a masterful medley of instrumentation, high pitched male vocals, and a message like no other.

Directly after this, I have chosen Alright by Talk. Talk is a band I was honored to become apart of during my time at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU this past summer. I chose to put this song on my playlist as a reminder that you can accomplish great things if you work hard. As a band, we wanted to create a song that encapsulated all of our diverse musical talents. I am very proud of our band’s hard work on this track. My primary role was as a drummer, but we all worked hard on co-producing, branding, and managing to create a cohesive end product, that sounds pretty good. But taking leadership for this band, we produced a book that is like no other, which gives the consumer a visual representation to enjoy as they listen to the song.

To close out the playlist, I have selected Do You Realize?? by The Flaming Lips. I honestly love everything about this song form the beautiful instrumentation to the incredibly powerful and realistic lyrics. The Flaming Lips adds tasteful elements to transform the track to a galactic melody by using robot generated noise, crazy synth sounds, and random church bells. Wayne Coin, the lead singer of the Flaming Lips, inspires me as an artist through his authenticity and creativity. This is one song I cannot live without.

Check out the playlist on youtube!

Rock On,

Justin Mandel

Follow me on Instagram @mandelsmusic

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