#[ gonna try writing here in a moment ovo ]

[chain-unchained]

As much as I like to draw, and as fun as it is, my perfectionism really slows down my creativity when I try to draw out the stories I come up with in my head. So I’m going to stick with posting the ‘chapters’ I write (they’re basically prompts for certain days), though I may end up doodling a picture to go with some of them :> I’ve also gone and translated Stardew’s 4-month calendar into a traditional 12-month one, because reasons. Any and all feedback is appreciated ovo (If you’re confused as to who Ashe is, he is my smol farmer boi. You can see him in the doodles I already posted if you’re so inclined~)

May 22

The quiet, rhythmic cries of crickets filled the still, peaceful evening air, calling hither to and fro as if they were singing to the twinkling stars up above in the inky black sky. Their glimmers reflected in the calm, glistening water of the small pond that Shane often found himself at when the storm raging inside his mind got to be too much for him to endure. Out of all the places in Pelican Town, it was the only one that he could go to for peace, quiet and solitude, the only company that ever kept him being the little frogs that enjoyed the pond as well and the occasional fish jumping out of the water to catch a bug that had passed overhead.

With a sharp crack and a hiss, Shane opened his third can of beer and took a drink; after so many years of pounding back brewskis on the regular, a six-pack was barely enough to get him drunk, and nowhere near enough to get him plastered like he so often wanted. When he was plastered, he didn’t have to think, didn’t have to stress, didn’t have to remember how fully worthless his life was.

Why go to work? Why eat? Why even get out of fucking bed in the morning when all that waited him was the same eight-hour shift at that hellhole Joja-Mart? And for what, a paycheck that he’d end up spending on room and board at Marnie’s and beer at the bar? What was the point? Why did he even try…?

“Shane?”

Glancing over his shoulder, Shane’s eyes fell upon a familiar figure as it approached. “Oh, it’s you.” He mumbled, recognizing Ashe after he squinted through the dim light cast by the full moon hanging overhead. “Dunno why I’m surprised. You always manage to find me when I’m in a bad mood.”

While once not so long ago such a thing would have been said with the intention of being rude and nasty, this time there was no such intent in Shane’s voice; it was a simple statement of fact, a fact that he had almost begun to count on at this point. Ashe was a newcomer to the valley and Pelican Town, and from his very first day there he had practically made it his personal mission to seek out and talk to Shane every single day. No matter how rude Shane was, or how hard he tried to ignore the kid, Ashe persisted, somehow being more stubborn than Shane was himself; he even went so far as to make him a plate full of cookies for his birthday, a gesture that got to Shane a lot more than he’d wanted it to. Jas and Marnie were the only other people in town who bothered to celebrate his birthday, and yet there was Ashe, treating him like he was a friend he’d known for years.

“What are you doing out here so late?” Ashe asked, the sound of his boot heels tapping against the wooden pier filling the air as he jogged towards the end, where Shane sat with his half-finished six pack and his legs dangling over the edge. For once, the stupid happy-go-lucky smile that was perpetually stuck on his face was gone, replaced instead by an expression of concern—or disgust, it could easily have been disgust considering how dark it was and how buzzed Shane was.

“Minding my own business.” Shane answered, looking back out to the lake as Ashe came to stand behind him. “You should try it sometime.” It was a half-hearted attempt to get the kid to leave, but he knew as soon as the words left his lips that it wouldn’t work; it seemed like the harder that he tried to push Ashe away, the more determined Ashe was to stay. Silence fell between the two for a few moments, as the crickets continued to chirp away and a nearby frog croaked; eventually, Shane pried another can of beer from the plastic rings binding the six-pack and held it over his shoulder. “Have a cold one.” Despite Ashe’s youthful (and girly) appearance, he was a regular at the bar much like Shane was, and could hold his alcohol better than most ‘manly’ men twice his age could.  

The gesture caught Ashe off-guard, but was very much welcome. “Ah, really? Thanks~” He accepted the can and plopped down merrily beside Shane as he pried the pull-tab up. It meant a lot that Shane offered a beer to him, as small of a gesture it was.

Silence once again filled the air as the two looked out at the mirror-like surface of the pond. “Buh… life.” Shane murmured, his bad knee jittering slightly as it tended to do when he was struggling. “… You ever feel like… no matter what, you’re gonna fail?”

He was waiting for Ashe to ask him what was wrong, waiting for the kid to try and pry into his business like the nosy parker he was. To his surprise, however, Ashe stayed quiet, sipping on his beer and watching the stars reflected in the pond. Maybe it was the surprise that made Shane lower his guard for once in his life, he didn’t know for sure. “Like you’re stuck in some miserable abyss and you’re so deep you can’t even see the light of day?” For some reason, he found himself now able to put to words the feelings that had been drowning and suffocating him for years. It helped that Ashe wasn’t trying to pull any psychological or analytical bullshit; the kid was just there, a sounding board for Shane to vent some of his repressed thoughts to. “I just feel like… no matter how hard I try, I’m not strong enough to climb out of that hole.”

Ashe quietly listened to Shane talk, slowly turning the can of beer around and around in his fingers. He’d had no idea that his friend—he’d considered Shane his friend from the outset, regardless of Shane’s own opinion of him—felt like this. It was shocking and saddening to hear such things coming from someone who, despite not liking his job, still got up and did it—he’d always thought of Shane as a resilient and strong man, and still thought that, but there was so much more hidden deep inside, almost waiting for someone to reach out.

Despite all of that, the last thing that Ashe wanted was to make a big deal out of what Shane had felt comfortable enough to share with him. Unable to think of anything else to say or do, he abruptly hoisted his beer to his lips and chugged it down in a few swigs, a feat that caught Shane off-guard and impressed him in equal measure. “Fast drinker.” He commented with a half-grin as Ashe lowered the now-empty can with a satisfied ‘aah’. “Man after my own heart.”

The grin faded as Ashe gave him that stupid, cheery smile he’d grown accustomed to seeing on his face. “Do me a favor… don’t be like me and make a habit of this shit.” He looked back out to the pond as he took a swig from his own beer. “You got a future ahead of you still.” For all his gruffness and coldness, Shane couldn’t stand to see a bright, genuine kid like Ashe throw his life away and end up like him. Still, he didn’t really think he needed to worry, since Ashe seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, but just like before, he couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out.

“I won’t.” Ashe promised, swinging his legs back and forth slowly as he watched a shooting star dash across the black sky. “… Hey, Shane?” He asked after a moment. “Let’s do this again sometime.”

As he’d watched that shooting star, he made a silent wish in his heart. He wanted to be closer to Shane, to be a supportive shoulder for the man to lean on when he needed it. It was a wish he wanted to come true almost as badly as his dream of winning his grandfather’s farm from Joja’s clutches. But Ashe wasn’t going to just wait and hold his breath, hoping that the outcome he wanted would fall into his lap—through his own will, he was going to make it happen.

[iturbide]

Ooh, a writing prompt meme! How about AX with Pega-Pony and her uncle Robin?

oh man I get to write Cynthia ovo ~ <3

Buying them a special treat when you go out shopping.

Despite all the changes that had washed over the halidom in recent years, Chrom and Sumia’s popularity with the people remained completely unchanged – if anything, by Robin’s estimation they were more beloved than ever, and family outings tended to gather flocks of excited people hoping to catch a glimpse of the family up close. 

Robin was grateful to still retain some level of anonymity.  In spite of his station as Chrom’s advisor and the part he’d played in so many of the reforms, he had never garnered the same level of adulation that the Exalt and his family had.  Perhaps it had to do with his Plegian origins (and insistence on displaying that heritage, regardless of the council’s obvious disdain), or perhaps it was simply that he could not claim any official attachment to the royal family; whatever the case, he was the only one of them that could still walk through the streets of Ylisstol without drawing more than a friendly call of greeting here and there…which was why he always volunteered to do the shopping in town, since he was the only one who wouldn’t be mobbed on sight. 

He’d become a common sight around many of the shops, and made more than a few friends because of it.  Several businesses had gone so far as to call him a patron, which he still found odd, but not unpleasant – especially given that one was a dressmaker who, in his opinion, had made all of Sumia’s most beautiful gowns.  He made sure to tell her as much as they carefully folded the latest commission (deep plum and silver, the embroidered lilacs along its hems dotted with seed pearls) and tucked it into the case Robin had brought along to take it safely back.  

“This your last stop for the day?” the woman grinned, glancing over the rest of his parcels: an armload of fresh flowers, a satchel of new books crowding out the ink and quills and parchment he’d only remembered at the last moment, a pair of sheathed swords (one rapier, one blunted broadsword since Chrom had broken the last practice blade in the garrison that morning), and now the dress case tucked beneath his free arm. 

“No, one more,” he chuckled.  “Magic shop.  Lucina’s started taking a bit of interest in magic, and I need a wind tome to get her started.”

“Not gonna give her Thunder?”

“Not yet – I’d rather not risk someone getting set on fire just yet,” he grinned.  “Wind tomes are good for beginners, since the worst an out-of-control spell will do is knock things around.”

“A sound point,” she agreed, catching a bottle of ink before it could fall and tucking it more securely into its bag.  “Good luck, then – and try not to buy too much more while you’re out, or you’ll never make it back.”

“I’ll make an attempt,” he promised.  He had, if nothing else, planned his trip knowing he would end up carrying all he possibly could, and the magic shop was just down the street from the dressmaker; thanking her again as she saw him off, he carefully made his way to the quiet storefront and shouldered his way inside. 

“Ah, if it isn’t my favorite customer,” the man laughed, hurrying over to catch the sheaf of parchment attempting to spill out of his satchel.  “Last stop of the day?”

“Last stop,” Robin smiled, carefully putting down the case and flowers and repacking his satchel.  “Two wind tomes, please.”

“Someone’s getting magic lessons, eh?” the shopkeeper ventured. 

The tactician nodded, tucking ink bottles into his coat pockets to make room.  “Lucina.”

“Already at that age?  Gods, the time does fly – seems like just yesterday she was but a babe in arms.”  The man sighed wistfully as he offered the books to Robin, who placed them with the others in the bag before digging about for his coin purse.  “And Cynthia?”

“Rambunctious,” Robin chuckled.  “She takes after her mother in imagination, after her father in passion…and after them both in her penchant for breaking things.” 

The shopkeeper’s hearty laughter filled the room as the tactician counted out the coins, glancing briefly around to ensure that there was nothing else he needed–

Robin paused, tilting his head at an odd item tucked almost out of sight behind the counter.  “What’s that?”

The man followed his gaze.  “This?” he asked, lifting it from its place.  “A little something my daughter’s been toying with.  She’s been picking up the tomecrafting trade – bit of a genius, if I might say so – and started fussing with using what she learned for other things.  This was her latest experiment – cute, isn’t it?  Not quite what she wanted, though…”

“Is it for sale?”

The store owner quirked an eyebrow.  “Got something in mind?”

“I do,” Robin smiled.  “…and if I could ask one more favor: do you happen to have any feathers?”

“Uncle Robin!!”

Chrom and Sumia both lunged for Cynthia as she zoomed toward the door, only to miss spectacularly; it was Lucina who succeeded in catching her younger sister before she could bowl Robin over and send all this purchases flying. 

“Thank you, Lucina,” the tactician laughed.  

“Did you buy out the whole market?” Chrom joked, picking himself up off the floor and hurrying to take some of Robin’s packages. 

“I bought what was on the list, so…yes,” he winked.  “Your swords, by the way.”

“You sure you don’t want to keep them?” the Exalt asked as the tactician removed the baldric.  “They look good on you.”

Robin rolled his eyes.  “Take your swords and get that broadsword into the garrison before Frederick finds out you broke another one.”

“Yes, sir,” Chrom laughed, slinging them over his shoulder.

“Let’s see…we also have your flowers and your new dress,” he added, gesturing to the blooms now spilling out across the table, “plus the book order arrived at the shop.”  Opening his satchel, he removed the two Wind tomes from the top and handed the rest to Sumia, who immediately began to scan the titles as he knelt before Lucina.  “And I got these for us, so you can start to learn magic.”

Her eyes lit up, the Brand seeming to glow as she released her sister and took one in her hands.  “Thank you, Uncle Robin,” she beamed.  “When can we start?”

“When is your next training session with your father?”

“This afternoon – after I get that training sword put back,” Chrom replied. 

“How about tomorrow, then.  Can you wait that long?”

She pouted, hugging the spellbook tight to her chest.  “I suppose.”

“We can start in the morning, then – hopefully the first lesson won’t run too long…though, if it does, I suppose I’ll have to help you make up your first tutoring session of the day, won’t I?” he winked, watching her expression brighten. 

“That’s everything, right?” Chrom asked. 

“Just about,” Robin murmured; looking around, he smiled as he watched Cynthia at her mother’s side, gathering up fallen petals in her skirt.  “Just one more.  Cynthia?”

She looked up with a brilliant smile, petals scattering in all directions as she hurried over.  “I got something for my little pega-pony princess, too.”  Reaching under his coat he removed a hobby horse, its white mane decorated with a few cloth flowers and the wheel at its base framed in white feathers like pegasus wings. 

“It’s so cute!” Sumia laughed, petting its nose before he presented it to the bouncing princess.  “Where did you find it?”

“The magic shop,” he replied.  “It’s a bit special – watch.”  Holding it up, he released it…but rather than fall, it simply drifted down until it hung a foot off the floor.  “This way you can fly, too, just like your mama.”

Cynthia gaped at it for a moment, her pudgy hands reaching out and pulling it toward her.  Hopping onto the padded stick, she jumped up as high as she could into the air – and squealed as it carried her lazily back down, continuing to hover where just the tips of her toes touched the ground.  

“Do you think she likes it?” Chrom teased as Cynthia proceeded to zip around the room. 

“I simply can’t tell,” Robin sighed, watching as she clambered up onto the nearest chair and launched herself off the arm, shrieking in delight as the hobby horse floated back down. 

“Cynthia,” her father called (though he only managed to get her attention after the third amused repetition).  “Do you have something to say to your uncle?”

She beamed, zooming back to them and flinging herself into Robin’s arms with enough force to knock him out of his crouch.  “Thank you thank you thank you, Uncle Robin!!” she giggled.  “This is the bestest present ever!” 

“I’m glad you like it,” he murmured, hugging her tight.  “You should go show it to Auntie Lissa and Owain – I bet he’ll be thrilled to have a real pegasus knight in the Justice Cabal, don’t you?”

Her eyes lit up at the prospect, and before any of them could move she had grabbed her new toy and vanished out the open door.  “I’ll keep an eye on her,” Chrom laughed, jogging out into the hall in pursuit of his youngest daughter – and Robin simply smiled as Cynthia’s laughter echoed back down the hall to his ears.

[dragon-cookies]

hEADCANNOONNSS. For Luna. even tho those would technically be canon facts because she's ur OC but i love her and want to know m o r e bout this babu ovo

BLESS YOU I ALWAYS LOVE TALKING ABOUT LUNA AND I NEED TO TALK ABOUT HER MORE TBH :’)This also got like super heckin long so I’m gonna toss it under a read more. Enjoy! (Send me a character and I’ll write headcanons for them!)

What they smell like:Old parchment and wood, mostly. Living in Joey Drew Studios tends to leave you smelling like the place.How they sleep (sleeping position, schedule, etc):When Luna was a baby she slept curled up in a tight ball, much like a kitten. Bendy almost died from the cuteness when he first saw her do this. When’s she’s a child she sleeps much more stretched out, usually on top of whoever she was cuddling with last. As for schedule, Luna’s one of those kids who insists she isn’t tired and five minutes later is out cold on the floor, table, or wherever else she was just playing. She usually has to be carried to her bed because of this.What music they enjoy:The swing music that’s on the radio from time to time is fun to dance to, and the sheet music lying around the studio is a lot of fun to play. Luna’s gotten pretty good at practicing the piano this way, and she’d love to learn the banjo if Mister Lawrence would let her get near it. He’s proven to be a very reluctant music teacher, but that’s not going to stop her in the slightest.How much time they spend getting ready every morning:Being a toon means you don’t have to spend more than a few seconds getting ready every morning. All Luna has to do is toss on her standard black dress, slip on her gloves, fix the bedhead if it’s particularly bad, and she’s ready to greet the day!Their favorite thing to collect:One fun thing about living in a studio is that there’s all sorts of fun stuff to gather! How fun it is for others is another story… Nonetheless here’s a list of things Luna has collected in the studio:

- Bow ties. If these things are not nailed down or otherwise on your person (and sometimes even that won’t stop her) you can guarantee they’ll be snatched up by this little demon-angel. She promises she’s only borrowing them and they will be returned, but she never seems to specify when that’ll be.

- Plush toys. These are both harder to gather and harder to keep hidden than bow ties. Mr. Shawn Flynn has had small moments of panic where the toys seemed to have disappeared right off the shelves, only to find them piled up in a storage closet with Luna napping on top of them. They’re so soft, can you really blame her?

- There was one instance of Sammy’s clarinet being borrowed. Luna still thinks he didn’t have to be “such a big meanie” about it. She was going to give it back at the end of the day, what’s the harm in that?

- Wally’s keys. This is saved for when it’s a slow day at the studio and Mom and Dad are busy rehearsing. It’s good for a little giggle when the poor guy swears he just had them on his belt, but Luna won’t let him get in trouble over it. Wally’s a lot of fun and she’d hate for him to get booted out because of her.

- Multiple attempts have been made at hijacking her mother’s halo, and results have been mixed so far. Turns out no matter how far you take her halo it’ll always fly right back as soon as you let go, like some sort of long-range magnet. After it was learned that halos can smart something awful if you get smacked in the head with one, Luna now has to give people a heads up before snagging it.

- Anything that happens to be sitting on Henry’s desk when he isn’t looking. The poor guy has trouble keeping his desk organized as it is, so stuff getting stolen and put back definitely doesn’t help much. He could have sworn his ink well was there a second ago, as well as his pen, the model sheets, his lunch…  

- She’d love to steal something from Mister Drew himself, but the man spends so much time in his office it’s next to impossible to sneak in there. He doesn’t seem to have much on that desk other than a stapler, some pens, and lots of paperwork. Nothing valuable to steal if you ask her.- By the way, only steal the stapler with extreme caution. There’s probably two, maybe three staplers in the whole studio that everyone has to share. Luna never knew she would create such anarchy by stealing such a simple little object.

Left or right-handed:I’d say left, since I’m left handed myself. Luna is ambidextrous; she can write as fluently with her left hand as she can with her right. (Thank you @nightanddusk for suggesting this to me! I love it!)Religion (if any):Seeing as the toons likely don’t have their own religion, that sort of thing isn’t a major part of Luna’s life. She likes the concept of “Christmas” though, what could be more fun than giving and most importantly receiving gifts from your friends and family? 

Easter is a lot of fun too once she learns about it. Those dyes are so much brighter and more colorful than anything she’s seen in the studio!

Favorite sport:The ‘hey guys I’ve got my mom’s halo on the other side of the studio so you got five seconds to hit the deck before I let this baby fly’ game is a personal favorite, not so much for everyone else. Mr. Drew doesn’t let any ball larger than a hackey sack in the studio though, so she’s got to entertain herself somehow.

Favorite touristy thing to do when traveling (museums, local food, sightseeing, etc):The toons don’t get out much, but when they do Luna loves taking photos of everything. There’s so many things to see! And most of all so many colors! Make sure you don’t leave her with the camera or else all the film’s going to be gone in mere minutes. 

She also loves trying the food. Anything tastes better than bacon soup.

Favorite kind of weather:Luna was scared of thunderstorms as a baby, believe it or not. Alice and/or Bendy would have to get up and hold her until she stopped crying, which could sometimes take a while depending on how bad the storm was.

Now that she’s older, Luna loves thunderstorms. There’s something very pretty about how grey the sky becomes, and puddles have proven to be a blast to jump around in. Even better if they’re mud puddles! The only drawback is that she has to take a bath when she comes back in, but it’s a worthy sacrifice. A weird/obscure fear they have:Some of the monsters the crew animated for a Halloween-themed Bendy episode scared Luna pretty good the first time she saw them. Things like animated ghosts, skeletons, and other creepy imagery might not look too scary from a human’s point of view, but they look a lot more real to a toon. A couple of bad dreams later, Bendy helped her overcome her fears of the ghoulish creatures. As demons, he told her, they were easily the scariest things out of all of the monsters, and therefore they had nothing to be afraid of. 

The carnival/arcade game they always win without fail:Balloon popping. Accuracy doesn’t matter so much just as long as you throw the darts as hard as you possibly can, that’s her method. Ducking is strongly advised. 

[dragonofmagnolias]

Can I ask for rock short stories? As in stories about a rock. If so please tell me the take of rock.

Somehow anon, out of all the requests I got, this ended up being the easiest one for me to write despite being so… Odd. You should know, however, that since you asked Bravely writer for a short story about rocks… You got a short story about the crystals, since they are giant floating magical rocks. So uh, that’s what this is about ovo’

Title: An Ancient Tale

Summary: When the Lee twins cause trouble and make her son cry, Agnès decides to tell the three children a story that might better help them understand the situation and world around them.

Word Count: 3745 Words

Additional Notes: Please, please, please take the story Agnès tells in this with a grain of salt. I’m emphasizing here that it’s supposed to be treated as a fairy tale, and I’m not trying to suggest any theories or anything along those lines. It was just me having fun with the request!

“Mommy! Moooommy!”

Agnès looked down at her 6-year-old son as he ran over to her and hugged her legs. He had tears in his eyes, and snot was slowly dripping down from his nose as he sniffled and whimpered. Agnès had no idea what had caused her son to start sobbing like this, but she knew it was her motherly duty to stop it. Putting the dishes she was cleaning back in the sink and kneeling down, Agnès tried to find the source of her son’s crying. She hoped he hadn’t gotten himself hurt.

“Sweetie, are you alright? Theo, what happened?” she asked her little boy as she grabbed a napkin from above. She took a moment to wipe her son’s runny nose, and he sniffled as she did so.

“A-alternis and Lyvia were being bullies!” he cried before he blew into the napkin. “T-they started calling me names and l-laughed at me!”

Agnès frowned. “Now why would the two of them do such a thing?” she continued to ask as she hugged Theo tightly. She knew that the twins, whom she and Tiz were currently babysitting, were trouble, but they had never bullied Theo before. In fact, they were the only children Theo was comfortable enough talking to other than his little sisters. She didn’t understand why they would suddenly act this way now.

“T-they said that people who p-pray to the crystals are d-dumb!” Theo told his mother. “A-and when I said that you weren’t d-dumb for doing that they said I was a huge d-dummy for saying s-so and laughed at m-me!!!”

Smiling sadly, Agnès smoothed her son’s hair back. “That wasn’t very nice of them, was it? I think we should tell them that,” she said before standing up. Looking and sounding more stern, Agnès called out to the twins. “Alternis, Lyvia, come here. I would very much like to speak with you.”

Hesitantly, the twins peaked in from around the corner. “Yes, missus Arrior?” the two asked in unison. Agnès gestured for them to come over, and a moment later, the two shuffled their way to her.

“Now why did the two of you tell Theo I was dumb for praying to the crystals?” she sternly asked the two as she crossed her arms. “What you said was very upsetting to him along with being very disrespectful to me.”

Pouting, Alternis spoke up. “It’s not our fault!” he said in attempts to protect himself and his sister. Nodding in agreement, Lyvia made sure she was heard as well.

“Uncle Barras was the one who told us!!!” she said before stomping her foot down. “He said people don’t need the crystals anymore, so people who pray to them are dumb!”

Agnès raised an eyebrow. “Oh did he now? Did he also tell you that Eternia’s White Magic Hospital relies on the power of the earth crystal?” she asked them. The twins turned to each other for a moment before looking back at Agnès.

“…uncle Barras didn’t say that to us,” Alternis said after a moment of silence. “He just said people who pray to the crystals are dumb cause the crystals are giant floating rocks.”

Sighing, Agnès shook her head and knelt down. “Well, there’s much more to the crystals than Barras is telling you two,” she began to lecture. “As somebody who prays to the crystals, I can tell you more than he can.”

“T-that’s what I tried to tell them! M-mommy is smart and did a very i-important job!” Theo interrupted as he continued to cry. Agnès hugged her son once more but continued looking at the twins as she did so.

“Now what do you two have to say for yourselves?” Agnès once again asked sternly. Lyvia looked down at her feet and Alternis started to fidget with his hands. It seemed the four-year-olds were starting to understand what they said was wrong.

“We’re sorry, Theo…” the twins once again said in unison. Theo stayed close to his mother and didn’t say anything in response, and the twins looked just about ready to start crying as well. Agnès knew it was because she had lectured them, but she didn’t need anymore crying children on her hands. She’d have to figure out a way to calm them all down.

“…how about I tell you three a story about the crystals? I know one that you might like,” she said as she rubbed Theo’s back to calm him. “It will also let you learn a little bit more about the crystals than what Barras told you.”

Lyvia looked back at Agnès. “You’re not gonna yell at uncle Barras for telling Althernis and I the crystals were dumb, right?” she asked as she grabbed her brother’s sleeve. Though Agnès did want to give Barras a piece of her mind, she knew she was better off not even bothering with it. It wasn’t really worth getting into a fight with somebody she had only interacted with a few times prior.

“I promise that I won’t yell at him as long as you two don’t make Theo cry again, “ she told the twins with a small finger wag. “Now go sit at the table, and I’ll tell you three an old story that comes from a long, long time ago.”

Listening to Agnès’ directions, the twins walked over the table and pulled themselves up into chairs. Agnès, meanwhile, picked Theo up and placed him on his favorite chair. Pulling out a chair for herself, Agnès sat next to her son and placed her hands on the table. She knew what story she wanted to tell, but it had been many years since she had last heard it. Trying her best to remember, Agnès looked at the three children.

“Now let’s see, where do I begin… Ah, I know!”

A long, long time ago, before the crystals had even formed, Luxendarc was home to two unique races…

The first race was humans; a powerful and intelligent people. They were known for relying on the powers of nature for survival, and magic was rarely ever seen among them. Using their strength and wits, they were able to thrive and form communities throughout the land. In time, all continents of Luxendarc became homes to the humans, and they lived in peace with the land. To keep this land thriving, the humans would pray to those who controlled nature- the second race.

The second race was Cryst-Fairies; a gifted and independent people. Unlike the humans, they lived solitary lives as they traveled the world indefinitely. Using the power of humanity’s prayers, the cryst-fairies would harness the power of the wind, water, fire, and earth to keep the land prosperous. In return, the humans would protect the fairies from beasts that plagued the land and the dangers of the world. It was a relationship that could not easily be severed.

For many years, these two races lived in peace with each other, as their coexistence was essential for life. Over time, however, humans began to pull away from the bond they created with the cryst-fairies. They had begun to believe they could survive without the cryst-fairies, as the lands were staying rich and bountiful on their own. Soon enough, many humans stopped praying to the cryst-fairies, and many of these fairies lost their ability to use magic. Though some of these fairies tried to beg and plead with humanity, their cries fell on deaf ears.

There was one human, however, who heard these cries…

…but it was not who they wanted.

A young human boy, born with a twisted mind, listened to the fairies’ cries. “If you have the ability to make the land prosper, do you not also have the ability to make the land wilt as well?” he asked the fairies. “Do you not have the ability to take revenge against those who wronged you?”

Hearing the twisted boy’s words, the cryst-fairies realized he was right. For so long they had kept the land alive with their magic, but now they could use it to punish those who made them suffer. Humanity would soon know the mistake they had made, and the cryst-fairies would hold all the power in their hands. Gathering together, the fairies who could still use magic set a plan into motion. With what power they had, they let the land begin to wilt.

The wind stopped, the seas rotted, fires raged out of control, and the earth shook and cracked. All of Luxendarc was plagued with disaster, and it did not take long for humanity to start to wither away. Towns fell into ruins, and those that had yet to fall struggled to survive. Humanity wept many tears for what they had lost, but it did nothing to stop the land’s destruction. Soon they would completely disappear.

In an attempt to save themselves, humanity retaliated against those who tried to punish them. Cryst-fairies were hunted down, and upon capture had to suffer as the humans did. As the hunts continued on and the world still withered, all of Luxendarc was shrouded in darkness. The horrors that plagued the world destroyed all light and hope, and there was nothing left to illuminate it. All was to be lost to the hatred and sorrow the two races had created.

Yet there was one human left who still believed all could be saved…

A young maiden with a pure and kind heart.

When only four cryst-fairies remained, the maiden, desperate to stop the suffering, ran to them. “Please stop this fighting!” she begged as she fell to her knees. “We humans and you shall all lose this war if we keep fighting! We will all disappear from this world!”

Unconvinced by the maiden’s words, the cryst-fairies turned to her. “And why should we listen to a human like you?” they asked the maiden. “Why should we listen to your cries when your people did not listen to ours?”

Determined to stop the fighting, the maiden clasped her hands and continued to beg. “Humanity has hurt you, but not out of hatred or spite! We were unaware of how important you truly are!” she tried to convince them. “Yet you need us as much as we need you!”

Unconvinced, the cryst-fairies approached the maiden. “We do not need humanity,” they told her. “We have power far beyond what you humans can do.”

Hands still clasped, the maiden rose to her feet. “But our prayers are what gives you your powers! Without us, you shall soon lose what powers you have left!” she explained to them. “With no magic, you will be left to die in this world you have created!”

Slowly, the cryst-fairies realized the human maiden was right. Looking around them, they could see the scars they had left on the earth. No creature would be able to survive in such a place, and without magic the fairies were sure to perish. Yet in the current state of the world, no human would consider praying to those who made it this way. They were all destined to suffer regardless of what happened.

“How will we restore our world to what it once was? Humanity will surely never pray to us again. Without them we will have no magic to save the land,” the cryst-fairies said to the maiden. Stepping forward, the maiden held out her hands to them.

“Then I will pray to all of you in their place,” she said in response. “If you travel to the four corners of the world and hide where humanity cannot find you, I will find my way to you and pray to you until you can restore the world to what it once was.”

“And what if you cannot find us?” the fairies asked. “What if we must wait for all of eternity?”

The maiden shook her head. “Then I will search for you for all of eternity,” she promised them. “I will not rest until my prayers reach you.”

Hesitant, the four cryst-fairies looked at eachother before turning back to the maiden. “…then we shall rest in your place,” they told her. “We will go to the four corners as you said, and enter eternal slumbers. We will let what magic we have left protect us, and when you find us, we will listen to your prayers.”

Nodding, the maiden clasped her hands once more. “Then I shall pray for your safety until then.”

An agreement having been made, the four fairies flew to the four corners of the earth: a distant mountain, a frozen land, a forgotten paradise, and a beautiful valley. Upon reaching their destinations, they entered their eternal rests and let their magic form a barrier around them. For years the maiden searched, and one by one she found the fairies as they slept. Wind, water, fire, earth… She prayed to all four of them in hopes of restoring the world. As she prayed, the fairies’ power grew, and soon the world began to show signs of life.

By the time the lands were once again prosperous, the maiden had been praying for eight years. The fairies’ magic became so strong their magical barriers grew, and as they slept, crystals began to form around them. In time, their hearts became the core of these crystals, and the crystals gave life to the world. Hope and light had  been restored, and humanity was able to live on. The maiden continued her travels to pray to the crystals, and with each prayer she gave thanks to the fairies who had given their lives for the world.

For so long the maiden had kept this journey a secret, but with the land once again filled with life, she knew it was time for the truth to be spoken. Humanity was shocked to learn the fairies they once considered enemies had helped save them, but the revitalized world and crystals were proof of what had transpired. Soon enough, humanity slowly started to give thanks alongside the maiden, and their prayers were given to the crystals as well. The world was at peace once again, and though lives had been lost, they were not forgotten. Until the day she passed, the maiden made sure all the struggles and sacrifices of the years prior made their way into her prayers.

To this day, many crystalists refer to this maiden as the first vestal and mother to all vestals. While some say she still prays from the world beyond, others believe she continues her journey and prayers to this day. It was also believed she had the ability to speak with the crystals, as she had spoken with the fairies they once were. Her descendants are said to have this ability as well, and those with it are destined to become vestals themselves. No matter what one believes, however, the sacrifice the maiden and the fairies made for Luxendarc will always be known.

And to this day, people refer to the maiden who traveled the world to pray as-

“The Crystal Maiden!!!” Theo interrupted as he stared at his mother with an awestruck look on his face. Laughing at her son’s eagerness, Agnès nodded and smiled.

“That’s right, Theo,” she told her son as she reached over and patted his head. “This is a story from before your favorite one takes place.”

“There’s another story!? But this one was so long!!!” Lyvia whined as she stretched her arms across the table. Her twin brother did the same and looked up at Agnès.

“Are you gonna tell us that one too, missus Arrior?” Alternis asked. Agnès shook her head.

“Not right now, no. Perhaps tonight before bed if you’d like, though,” she told him, “but I’m sure Theo wouldn’t mind telling you what it’s about.”

Theo beamed. “It’s about how the crystals tell a lady called the Crystal Maiden about a prophecy to prevent a big bad thing from happening!! ..but then she dies before she can stop it from happening… But then her daughters hear the prophecy too, and, and they’re able to stop it!” Theo explained with much excitement. Lyvia blinked a few times and looked at her brother.

“Don’t ya think that sounds like the Crystal Prophets?” Lyvia asked her brother, who nodded in agreement.

“Uhuh, but in that story, they’re not nice people!” Alternis said before scrunching his face. Intrigued, Agnès looked at the twins.

“Oh? And what is this story you’re talking about?” she asked curiously. Lyvia turned her attention back to Agnès and scrunched her face as well.

“It’s a story daddy and grandpappy always tells us. It’s kinda scary…” she admitted. “It’s about the crystals telling four sisters a bad thing is gonna happen… So they lock up these people who are gonna get married to stop it!”

Agnès changed her expression to one of surprise. “Oh, that does sound scary!” she said in attempts to humour the children. She assumed the fairy tale Lyvia was describing was an anti-crystalist version of the one she told Theo, which made sense for the area they were from. Parents probably used it to scare their children for misbehaving, and she could briefly remember Ringabel mentioning it when the quads were born. He seemed to have been a fan of it according to Edea.

“I like the Crystal Maiden a lot more than that…” Theo said as he kicked his feet. Agnès knew her son was quite the fan of the other fairy tale, so he probably didn’t like hearing about a version that put the story in a bad light.

“Now, now, children. That’s enough for now,” Agnès said in order to prevent any more arguments among the children. “I think it’s about time you go play with the quadruplets.”

“But you didn’t tell us what happened to the boy yet!” Alternis suddenly interrupted. “You never said anything about what happened to the mean boy who made the fairies evil! Mommy and daddy say that when people do bad things, they get in trouble! That’s why they took away our favorite toys for a day when we tried to steer the airship for daddy, so he should get in trouble too!”

Agnès realized Alternis was right- she hadn’t mentioned what had happened to the boy with a twisted heart. “Mmm… Well let’s see…” she said as she began to think once more. “After the maiden finished her prayers, the boy was said to have disappeared… The crystals themselves punished him for his actions by locking him away in a place he could never cause harm again…”

Lyvia blinked a few times. “….so they grounded him forever?” she asked while she tilted her head. She looked a bit confused, and her expression made Agnès laugh a bit.

“I guess you can put it that way,” she told the little girl while smiling. The story itself had been nothing more than a mere fairy tale she had been told as a vestaling, and since that version hadn’t covered it, she had just made up the ending for the boy. She assumed it was a good enough moral to keep the children out of anymore trouble, and it seemed her message had gotten across.

“Well if he ever tries to un-ground himself, I’m gonna stop him!” Alternis said as he stood up on his chair. His sister stood up as well and threw her hand in the air.

“Me too! Me too!” Lyvia exclaimed with a giant smile. “And Theo can help us too!”

“W-what!?” Theo said as he curled up a bit. “I d-don’t wanna fight him!” he said as he teared up again. Agnès leaned over and kissed her son on the cheek.

“It’s okay, Theo. It’s just a fairy tale. You don’t have to worry about anything, okay?” she assured her son before hugging him. He snuggled up to her as she did so.

“O-okay, mommy…” he said as he clung to Agnès. She gave him another kiss on the cheek and kept him close. Realizing she had almost forgotten the reason she told the story to the children in the first place, Agnès glanced around at all three of them.

“Do you all understand the importance of the crystals now though?” she asked the three. The three of them nodded their heads, but Lyvia was the one to speak up first.

“Uhuh! The crystals make sure that Luxendarc is a good place to live!” she said proudly.

“And the vestals make sure that it stays that way!” Alternis said right after. Agnès was glad to see the three had learned something, and she hoped it meant there wouldn’t be bullying among the children anymore.

“Now go on and play with your sisters for a bit. I’m sure they’re looking to have some fun too,” Agnès said as she turned her attention to her son. “Perhaps you can tell them the fairy tale?”

Nodding his head, Theo wiggled out of his mother’s grip and off his chair. “We’ll tell them everything just like you told it!” he said as he went over to his friends. Lyvia scooted down with her brother and then turned to look at Agnès.

“Althernis and I will make sure to tell uncle Barras too!” she said before taking her brother and Theo’s hands. Agnès smiled again and leaned down to be at their eye level.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” she told Lyvia. “Now run along now. The girls are in their playpen, and I’m sure Theo’s father is out there with them too. I’m sure they’d all love to hear it!”

“Yeah, if babies can even understand it!” Alternis chimed in before laughing. Still smiling, Agnès gestured for the three to go and watched as they ran out of the kitchen.

“Back to work, now,” Agnès said to herself as she stood back up. She still had much cleaning to do before Ringabel and Edea came back from their official business in Caldisla, and it wasn’t going to get done if she continued to stand around and tell fairy tales to the children. Throwing the napkin away and grabbing her dish towel, Agnès went back to work. As she washed the rest of the dishes, she could hear the children playing around in the other room with Tiz. Eventually, things quieted down, but soon a single voice could be heard.

“A really long time ago, before the crystals were even around, Luxendarc was home to both humans and fairies…”

[calypsoff]

Seventy Four. Part 6

I am so full emotions, just staring down at my daughter. I have a daughter; I have a baby. I am a mother, I couldn’t have asked for more of a bigger blessing then this, I craved for a baby once I lost the first, I felt so lost and always felt a hole in my heart from losing my first baby, nobody ever knows how I felt in those moments, how shit I felt about me. I always felt so empty inside, something I never knew was there actually made itself known and in my heart I felt like I lost a boy, I just know that I had a son inside me and lost just like that and it pains me so much that I did but look at me, I have had a rainbow baby “god I love you” a sob left my lips, I’ve just waited on this moment and she’s here just staring at me “sorry” I laughed, my tear fell on to her arm “my tears just falling on you now, I love you Rylee. You don’t know how much you made me whole, I felt so empty inside and now” I breathed out “now my heart is growing with love, my love. You’re so loved by me and your dad and I can’t wait to watch you grow up to be a daddy’s girl, I always wanted this for my baby, and I am so blessed” Chris rubbed my back “stop crying, it’s ok” I am a mess “everything I didn’t get she will get, I can’t wait to witness it I really can’t. I suffered so much but I know you’re going to be the best dad to her” looking up at Chris “thank you twin, you know I got you both. I’m gonna ride for you both forever, I told you this. She really adores you though, she’s looking like my momma Rihanna? Shine bright like diamond lady? Is that true” Chris is always there to make me giggle “you’re so silly” I said through my laughter “I am being real, she is. You look so perfect, like you’re made for this. This is the moment” looking back down at Rylee “I think daddy is right, this is my calling. Being a mother, you just want to stare at me don’t you” she looks so amazed at me.

I would push Chris’ face away but I’m too busy concentrating on this moment “you see here, she’s fussing a little but now, she’s not that content so she is at the point of wanting a feed. What we recommend is every two to three hours, keep on top of the feeding so she’s due for it. She’s unsettled right now, so if we just slowly shuffle her down” I feel so incompetent “so I need to always check what time I did it?” Why am I not getting it “yes, so check the time. Even if she is asleep try and get her to latch on, with her being a chubbier baby she will want more feed, general rule is the baby will tell you when she is finished. They will come off the boob and feel tired, if she gets hungry quick then try formula and even it out with breast and formula, and also try and even out the usage of each breast. You will get to know your baby needs the more you breastfeed and bond with her so shall we try” nodding my head, this is going to be weird, Rylee is actually fussing too. She’s not happy, moving her down to nearer my breast “see, babies know. They can sense the milk” staring down at my daughter opening her eyes, she is so chunky and I’m wondering if her baby clothes will now fit. Watching Rylee nuzzle my breast and then move her head from side to side with her mouth open but then latched on “oh” I said, the midwife laughed “yeah oh, and that is it. She’s latched on now, looks like she is actually angry” this is a very weird feeling, something I didn’t think it would feel like.

I have been watching Rylee just drink from me, and it’s true what they say. You feel that bond, but I have been watching her just drink me alive “I think she’s going be a drinker” looking over at Chris, he looks so moody “what is wrong? I am sure you was smiling” he looked over at me “nothing, what did you say?” He’s not even listening to me, I said it looks like she is going to be drinker, we may need to do formula and breast” he doesn’t seems interested, actually he’s turned moody on me for no reason “did I do something wrong?” I have to ask because his mood has changed “no you haven’t” he is so moody with me for no reason too, this is because I am breastfeeding or what “is it because I am breastfeeding?” I have to ask, Chris looked over at me not happy at all “oh my god, are you jealous?” He got up from the chair “no, why am I jealous. That’s stupid, I am going to smoke anyways” he is jealous of Rylee being breastfed, I can’t even believe this. Watching him walk off in huff, is this real life right now “really Chris? I am just breastfeeding, she is a baby and you’re acting like a damn baby, don’t go” I mean I say don’t but he is going, he can’t be jealous of Rylee I mean this is just one day unless he is sexually frustrated but it’s kind of funny, I want to hug him because he is feeling a type of way about this.

I am alone doing this now, but I can do it, the motherly instincts are kicking in to be honest. I am not even joking but I think she really enjoyed my milk “you liked that baby” she didn’t even bring anything back up, I am not even sure if that is normal or ok for the baby to not bring anything back up unless she’s just had the right amount of milk. Holding out Rylee, she needs some clothes on now, I think we have had enough skin to skin action for the moment but that means me having to get up, a light knock on the door “it’s just me” the door opened “you have more flowers and gifts just arrived, come in” another nurse also came in with a pink box with a bow on top, I have enough flowers to last me “these are cute, who is it from?” I asked, I didn’t think anyone from outside Roc Nation knows where I am unless it’s my family “it says Congratulations Chris and Rihanna on the baby girl, love Drake and the OVO team” letting out an oh “that is cute, thank you. Just put it in the corner, thank you” I said it again “it is ok for her to not bring milk up?” I asked “she didn’t? That is fine, she enjoyed the milk and had enough, you want me to put her in the bed for you?” the door opened, and Chris is here “erm, we are ok. I think Chris and I will dress her now” I smiled “good, be careful. You are still healing, but it’s nice to see that you want to be active, we shall leave you to it” it’s nice to see Chris is back “Drake gave us flowers and gifts” Chris eyes widened in shock “you told him which hospital, acting all shocked for what?” he chuckled “let’s see what he got her” Chris walked off to check.

Chris loves opening gifts clearly “so now our daughter is going to be dressed in OVO hoodies?” I said half laughing “they look good though, look at this. Me and Rylee will match” I chuckled, I will give him that “he gave you a hoodie too, all three of us will look good” smiling lightly “that is so sweet of him, tell him I said thank you” Chris turned to me “oh wow, what is in that Dior box. Rylee you are being spoilt my daughter” watching Chris open the box “oh wow, look at that. That is so pretty, I love the Dior dress, oh my god, tell him thank you please from me and Rylee” Chris looks so impressed “can we talk though?” watching Chris fold the dress up, he just shrugged not really caring but I care “don’t do this to me Chris, we talk about this. What happened earlier? I won’t laugh at you? I wasn’t laughing at you anyways, I was just shocked so please talk to me” Chris sighed out “just got sexually frustrated, I got kind of turned on by it and then I got annoyed with myself and I felt all moody by it too, just I find you sexy, I am weird ignore me” I chuckled “you’re not weird Chris, you have been the most patient man with me. You have been such a good husband to me Chris, I can’t thank you enough. I know, trust me. And I will make it up to you” Chris nodded his head slowly “Robyn you did, you spoilt me with the cars. I got you, just. It’s been a while for me but sorry, I am over it now” smiling at him lightly “that’s fine Chris, I understand. Can you pick a baby grow for her; I want it to be pretty. Also my robe please” he can pick out her baby grow, I hope to god they fit my chunky madam “shall we have a picture of her before we do?” he asked “I don’t want to show her face though, just the back of the head” Chris grinned “I want to post it too” Chris is excited, I understands he wants to post her.

Chris lifted the blanket up a little more “what?” I said half smiling “I don’t want anyone seeing your boob now” I smiled lightly, Rylee laying on my chest facing away from the camera “she has a lot of hair you know, I am shocked” I grinned lightly “make sure my face isn’t in it though” placing my tattooed hand on her back “I won’t” moving my head back as he did it “look” he turned the phone “perfect” I am saying that but I don’t think Chris thinks that “how about you just kiss the top of her head please, then I can post that. I just got something to write, please? Just the side of your face, I will do it black and white? Please” I sighed out because I can’t say no to him, I just can’t “fine, but please do it black and white, I am nasty right now” leaning my head down and lightly pressing a kiss to the top her head “hold it there for me” he is going to end up making me laugh if he doesn’t hurry up “one more” I wanted to say no but I can’t, I know he would never post ugly picture of me “so you don’t want her face shown?” Chris asked “I don’t for now, soon though. Just now, she is ours” Chris nodded his head agreeing, I feel so wholesome in my life, at peace.

I haven’t even look at my phone like that, I don’t have the energy to reply, when I get home I will but now I can’t “can I hear what you wrote? I am excited to hear” he has been typing for a while now, he is all quiet too so I hope he isn’t writing a paragraph about every detail of the birth “ok so I wrote, At nine nineteen pm my daughter Rylee Rihanna Fenty-Brown was born, the sound of her first cries will remain with me forever. My life has changed even more, I am a father and that is thanks to my wife bad gal riri. She has been through hell and back with this pregnancy but the way she has dealt with it. I can’t even put into words, you’re so strong and I am so proud of you. My two beautiful women” I cooed out, I feel so emotional “thank you” my voice broke “now you’re going to make me cry, oh god. I just put Rylee Rihanna Fenty-Brown. It was just so simple, I didn’t want to put anything else” I laughed “now I feel like I wrote less” this is so annoying to me “that is perfect though Robyn, simple and to the point” he is being kind “thank you, you really think I am strong?” I questioned “with what you went through Robyn, you have strength” I can tell he means it.

Now I am nervous, I feel like the baby grows we have may not fit. Chris and I just looked at each other “you think she is going to be tall?” Chris laughed rubbing his chest “I am not even sure, she might be a basketball player, bro. I can’t believe she is nine pounds, we got baby grows for actual babies, not a three month old” hitting his arm “shut up, I got different size. Just check, that won’t fit at all. Maybe give me the three month one” Chris is cheeky “she will lose this, I know it. She is a chubby little thing now, but she will lose the weight” lightly touching the bottom of her feet, her foot flinched as I did “this, it says three months on it” looking over at him “oh god, it’s a romper. It’s fine, we will use that for now. The family will be coming soon so can you do me a favour, tidy the room a little. Put the flowers nicely in the corner, make it look pretty” Chris just remained next to me “once you changed her, I want to see how you do it. So I know next time” he is the cutest “that is true, it’s my first time too but it’s literally straight forward” I can’t believe that I have to put on a romper instead of a baby grow, my daughter is just a chubby little thing.

Chris is so helpful, I love it. He can run around me “and if you make a joke about her weight again you shall be banned from holding her, not even a joke” I ain’t forget what he say earlier, now he is wanting to hold her “I didn’t say a word” he frowned “you called her a basketball player and that she is three months, more then likely just trying to call her fat. You might as well just say it” Chris shushed me “she can hear, stop it” oh now he cares “but you said it, you’re a terrible person. She is on the chubby side, also I think her hair probably adding to the weight, I mean look at it, she is the sweetest with her little side sweep” I giggled “she is beautiful Robyn, like I have seen babies. But she is just perfect, we make the most perfect babies, you hear that? Babies” I did hear that “babies?” I questioned “rainbow baby, I ain’t forget. She would have been baby number two really” letting out an oh “you’re the cutest” he really is, he remembers about what would have been “you make me so happy but if my baby is thick, she going to be thick ok” just to correct him “and to the gym” he kissed her cheek “don’t make me get out of this bed Chris” mean mugging him “Robbie! Oh my god” looking over to the door seeing my mom “mommy!” I yelped out, I laughed seeing more flowers and then balloons. My mom rushed over to me “I was so worried about you, oh my god. My baby” hugging my mother back “thank you god, my sister” Mel also joined in on the hug, they were so concerned about me.

My family are the cutest “well we saw your post about Rylee, we ran to the store and got the balloons” Rorrey explained “that is so cute, I love it” looking over at Joyce and Monica, Mel is here with her camera, she did it off her own back “how you feeling ladies, seeing my little madam” they are being judgemental I can tell, the both of them “she is so beautiful, let me hold her” Joyce was the first to go forward and take Rylee from Chris “well she did have baby grows but the sizes are off, so I only bought that as a back up you know, she wanted to look pretty for you all” my brothers joined in seeing Rylee “she is the chubbiest sister, wow” my mother turned away “awww mommy” I cooed out “just seeing my first grandbaby, I just see Robyn in her. Oh, so many memories. So much, she is beautiful, I just want to take her home with me. My heart” smiling at my mom “my heart right now, my grandbaby is beautiful” I knew my mother was feeling emotional “it’s so nice to see both grandparents here” I clasped my hands together “hey Robyn” looking over at the door “dad?” I didn’t know my dad was here “I see you have plenty of flowers and yes, I bought the same” I laughed “hey dad” hugging him “you came out for me? I am so blessed you did that” he kissed my cheek “of course I would, I am excited to see her” my family really flew out.

I am out here doing the maths now having to work out the three hours, but I think she got hungry quicker, she got a little irritated quicker so we kicked out the boys, besides Chris so I could feed her “you both going to fight over who does things for her now?” I said smiling, my mother is offering to burp her “you can relax baby” nodding my head “I think I am going to take the midwife advice; I am going to switch between bottle feed and breast, I think she is a hungry baby. They said every three hours or two, but she got fussy earlier then that. So you think I should do that?” I asked my mother, watching my mother burp Rylee “yes sweetie, do that. You will get to know her feeding habit but if you feel she is drinking more then your breasts can deal with then do that, she is a very healthy girl so she may want more which isn’t a bad thing” Joyce said “I think I will do that” Mel kissed my cheek and then sat on the bed with me “it’s so weird to see you like this, you’re a whole mother now” I chuckled “I know, I just can’t wait to heal and just be me again. Have a blunt, I miss that shit so much and I will be having that, once I can then we are going out, out” Mel and I squealed “chile yes, let him babysit” I laughed knowing damn well he will be.

[afreviews]

In-Depth Review of Drake’s ‘More Life’

by Sadé

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Mar 21, 2017 at 6:54pm PDT

This is an in-depth review of More Life, where I dissect it and have fun rambling. You can tell he had fun making this, that he felt…inspired, you could say. 

(Oh and you know damn well I had to put this picture up.)

Yeah, I know I'm super late on this review, but I decided to take a different approach to More Life. A more calculated approach for a calculated artist. I just didn't want to say “Drake is giving life in More Life.” Nah fam. I’ve been fan of Drake since ‘09, and he was giving life and good vibes in this album playlist, I went back to last month when Drake premiered a interview with DJ Semtex during Episode 38 of OVO Radio. The interview explains so much of More Life.

Now, where shall we begin?

For those wondering why it’s not an “album” but a playlist, in his interview he stated “The style in which it’s being put together is based off of our concept that is OVO Sound Radio...Its almost like a radio show, basically I asked myself ‘man what would happen if I did OVO Sound radio but every song was a new Drake song?’” This “collaborative playlist” with Apple, at first, was a confusing concept but once he explained it - and once you listen to More Life - it makes sense. As he explains, Views was the album and this is just something after the album that keeps his fans enticed. And we are. 

There is a playlist-mixtape type of flow to it that reminds you of “old Drake” and yet is new and refreshing and current. From tracks like “Passionfruit” and “Get It Together” to “4422″ and “Teenage Fever”; then from “No Long Talk” and “Gyalchester” to going into “Portland” and “Sacrifices” - just all the different sounds and styles, it’s pretty genius. More Life really embodies Drake and how far he’s come as an artist. The amount of passion and thought he puts into his work really shines through. And don’t get me started on “Lose You” and “Do Not Disturb.” Oh and the ever-confusing but magically track “Glow” with Kanye West - like what? After that rant about Drake being on the radio too much, Drake says in the interview, “whatever it is that you’re going through, I accept it, I don’t respect it.” So exactly when did this happen? What does this mean?! Did they move past it and is that Kanye and Drake project being worked on? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Now for the breakdown. 

The London Experience.

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Mar 13, 2017 at 4:23pm PDT

“The most solid gang that you will ever see” - Skepta Interlude, Skepta

In tracks like “Passionfruit” and “Blem” reintroduce us into that dancehall music that just makes Drake happy and well us happy too. Taking those risks with those dancehall influences paid off with VIEWS, with tracks like “One Dance,” Hotling Bling” and “Controlla.” Even “Work,” that started off the promo for VIEWS. But it turns out “One Dance" wasn’t just any dancehall record, its influences are that of the UK underground. From the original song’s artist, Kyla, he brought it to a producer and wanted to make it his own but still incorporate her voice and that UK “funky” sound. 

It was just the perfect marriage of a lot of things...I love that tempo, I love that cadence, those melodies, that’s the music that makes me happy in life, so it was great to just be able to just make something like that and shine light on a song from the UK that deserves it, because that’s truly a classic song.

He started shedding light on the UK underground music in VIEWS, but took it to another level with More Life. In his interview with DJ Semtrex, he says, “I honestly, I think that the best rappers in the world are in London, I just think the complexity and the cadences and the way they piece music together.” He goes on to talk about how he met Skepta and although he had been a long time fan of the UK Grime scene, it was really Skepta who opened the doors for him and introduced Drake to people from that world. Actually, if it not for Skepta doing so, Drake says he would’ve never been so open to trying risks like “One Dance” and “Controlla.” 

Then we have Giggs. The moment he first heard Giggs’ music, Drake says he just knew he had to be the one to shine that light on the UK sound, and bring more awareness. To Drake, it’s all about showing love and respect and good thing, because damn - Giggs got bars. He and Giggs apparently have tracks hidden somewhere, hopefully they see the light of day. 

He’s just somebody I support and again he’s somebody I feel should be one of the biggest rappers as big as he can possibly get. So I’m gonna do everything that I can to try and make that happen.

Drake has definitely been catching some flak for bringing on that London sound, the same bull he dealt with for the dancehall tracks last year. He’s not taking from the culture, he’s utilizing it and helping it grow. He’s bringing up these London artists like Skepta, Giggs, the soulful Jorja Smith, and there’s the South African producer Black Coffee. People forget but Toronto is a very diverse city that literally has all of these types of cultures that are mixed into one. Along with all those different cultures, comes the music that Drake grew up around. 

This is our music, this is all, we’re all intertwined, afro-beats, Toronto, the Jamaican culture, Dancehall, London, you know. I gotta hail Skep for that, because that was a turning point for me.

While I’m living for the dancehall and London sounds on the album playlist, his shots on the project are...well you’ll see. 

Jab, Jab...and Another Jab.

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“I get more satisfaction outta goin’ at your head And seein’ all of you die And I seen a lot of you die” - Free Smoke

Drake opens up his playlist with “Free Smoke,” an attempt to clear the air. The album is filled with subliminals, some more direct and apparent than others. His first shot goes to Tory Lanez: “Must have never had your phone tapped / All that yappin’ on the phone shit / you must really love the road life / all that never comin’ home shit.” This for sure was direct shot. Tory Lanez’s last album, I Told You, had skits of many phone conversations. Why would you conduct any type of business on the phone? That’s Drake’s point. His second observation goes for Tory always being on the road. “Home” is Toronto for the both of them and it seems Tory left home and never looked back.

Now because we all know how clever Drake is, in his outro there’s a bar (thanks to Genius) that I didn’t catch but is another shot at Tory: “You overnight celebrity, you one day star / Swear I Told You that I’m in this bitch for eternity.” If you didn’t know, because I didn’t, Tory’s government is Daystar Peterson and his album is called I Told You, AND there's a track on it called “One Day." Get it? “You one day star, Swear I Told You.” Clever, right? 

“How you let the kid fighting’ Ghost-writin’ rumors turn you to a ghost?” - Free Smoke

Everybody and their mother knows about the beef between the two but after I listened to the OVO Radio interview...well, I bet you didn’t know it was actually very serious for Drake. 

Because we live in a social media driven world now, Meek started off this beef via Twitter. In 2015, he tweeted something along the lines that Drake does not write his own raps. Meek and Drake weren’t exactly friends but as Drake said in his interview with DJ Semtex, he worked with Meek and helped build him up because of the relationship with Nicki Minaj. At the time Boi1da brought Quentin Miller to Drake, a kid he talked to about music with and thought Drake would like him. Miller and Drake ended up working together on about five tracks, but key word here is “worked” together: 

The reason why I never felt like necessarily pressured to sit down and defend myself right away or go do an interview is just because...anybody that’s been in any room with me knows first of all that I am one of the best writers period. That is what I do, that is what I’m known for, I go and write for other people, I write my biggest songs, my biggest hits, the massive majority of my catalogue has all been written solely by me, which is a big feat because music is a collaborative process. At that given time with those isolated records, they just wouldn’t be what they were if it wasn’t for me, if it wasn’t for my pen, my contributions to that, and not taking away from [Miller], we did great work together in a very small space.

A shot against another artist’s most known creative skill, especially when at one point you were cordial, is a serious shot at the neck in this business. For someone he, as he says, “supported” and helped launched his first tour - it definitely must have hurt. And Drake wanted to return that right back to him. When he dropped "Charged Up,” and realized Meek wasn’t prepared, he knew he had to strike with the club banger “Back to Back."

I didn’t go the route of calling him a bunch of terrible names, I just used wit, I just used wit and good writing, ironically enough great writing, to just win that situation...DJ’s have to take a hit when you’re hosting a party and you can’t play the biggest record of the night because you’re standing there. It hurt and I wanted it to hurt...That was the only part about it that felt good, ah I finally got to compete when I was doubted and win. That was pretty much the only positive of it, but the rest of it was just all trash man, it was just embarrassing to witness.

It was hard for all of us to witness. Hilarious, but everyone definitely had a collective “ouch” moment. Even though Meek now is trying to recover, he’s not as public as he was before. Drake goes on to admit that it wasn’t a moment he wasn’t proud of but had to happen. And when DJ Semtrex asked if he and Meek would ever be friends again - referring to the recent reconciliation of Jay-Z and Nas, hip hop’s most notorious beef - Drake had this to say:

All blessings to Jay and Nas for coming together after all those years and I can’t predict what’s going to happen in the future, but right now nah I’m good – just be over there, I’ll be over here – that’s it.

He also throws jabs at Birdman, J. Lo (jab-ish) and there is a possible shot at Joe Budden who last year got heated on his podcast and said, or rather screamed, that Drake on VIEWS sounded “uninspired.” I actually agree which leads me to my next point. As he stated in his interview, he felt inspired after the release of VIEWS and thusly More Life came to...life? 

Drake is Giving Life in More Life. 

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Mar 4, 2017 at 4:13pm PST

Nah, but really - he is. The album playlist just flows, and while refreshening, it does remind me of the “old Drake.” Pre-ghost-writing-rumors-Drake. When an artist is connected like that with his music - man, he’s unstoppable.  I’m glad he’s at 100 percent for this project, and taking the risks he started to on VIEWS.

“I was an angry yout when I was writing’ Views Saw a side of myself the I just never knew I’ll probably self-destruct if I ever love, but I never do” - Do Not Disturb

But with all that said, that beef did happen. People did question and pick at Drake for those ghost writing rumors. In the interview, he states that the ghostwriter accusations did take an emotional toll on him during the time of VIEWS. It affected him in such a way, but More Life is him acknowledging his feuds and moving forward. 

“Last chance I get to make sure that you take it personally Take this shit to heart, it’s always executed perfectly”

The pensive and introspective “Do Not Disturb” has to be my favorite of the 22-track project. It cuts in deep, a summation of Drake’s life. When discussing VIEWS, he notes it as just another album, not “the one” and how it’s “just another chapter in the story.” He barely took any time before getting ready for More Life.

“I can’t even party while a nigga pursuin’ this Distractions will do you in, in the truest sense.”

Drake always had that ridiculous work ethic since playing Jimmy and recording on the side, to which is the reason he was taken off Degrassi. His time on Dr. Dre’s project where he got kicked off mid-progress, he learned the lesson he can never slip up. Drake is always on the grind to keep his No. 1 slot. As he’s said “I really enjoy making music...I just am addicted to it. I don’t like stopping.” We’ve seen these feuds come and go, and while some may rattle him, they never knock him off his pedestal.

“They don’t know they got to be faster than me to get to me No one’s done it successfully”

It has been a good solid eight years and just magic, inspired (and some uninspired) genius that makes Drake...Drake. With the Jamaican pronunciations, to direct shots all those he’s been against, to his romantic life, to talking about plans for OVO Fest - it’s the perfect vulnerable end to his playlist. 

“Maybe gettin’ back to my regular life will humble me” 

It might just, and we’ll be waiting for the summary in 2018.