#((My thoughts/opinions may not be right or agreeable to some and that's totally okay! This is just makes sense and is fun to me is all))

[queenharumiura]

Neo try Rokudo Mukuro when he sent Chrome to Namimori

[Neo Game Time] || @thehandworld Requested character: Mukuro

-

After such a bothersome ordeal of his own body being hijacked by his very anti-thesis, Mukuro had been granted his freedom from Vindice. All by the correct processes, mind you. He hadn’t escaped this time, but a capable man doesn’t speak on his methods.

Should he ever be caught once more, there were ways for him to escape from vindice, and it was only a matter of the time investment he was willing to spend.

Chrome was one such method that he could utilize to free himself from his prison, albeit with conditions and limitations. Something about her drew him in, like their souls called out to one another in ways that he couldn’t quite explain even with his knowledge of various lifetimes under his belt.

Free, but not without new worries. Chrome had changed once he’d been released, and no doubt over something worthless to be concerning herself over. She could use him just as he used her, as the benefits of her usage far outweighed the efforts of his meager efforts in sustaining her life. It was such a useless worry she was fretting over.

The gem in the rough he’d been polishing was purposefully dulling herself over what, guilt? Pity? A sense of displacement? All she had to do was assert herself and find her place, to make herself useful to him and his goals, but instead, she grew weak. Her talons ripped from her feet.

Perhaps, that anti-thesis of his would have bemoaned how the ‘weak’ Tsunayoshi Sawada had softened his Chrome to a worthless nothingness… but he wasn’t so close minded. He knew better than that.

Yes, Tsunayoshi Sawada was a weak sap, a spineless twerp of a gnat who had gotten in his way, but he had a positive influence on Chrome. She had polished her talons while by his side. She’d learned to steel her nerves to better hone her skills to be of proper use to Mukuro. For Chrome, seeing the camaraderie and the trust everyone had in each other would do Chrome well.

She needed an environment to truly retrospectively look into herself to acknowledge the warrior inside her that he wanted out of her. As loathe as he would be to speak the words into the universe, what Chrome needed was not to be found by his side, but by Tsunayoshi’s.

May her heart find the respite it needed through the trust and friendship the Vongola 10 lead by Tsunayoshi Sawada could teach her. Once on the mend, she’d realize that though it was comfortable by his side, her heart truly belonged with the Kokuyo gang. She may stand allegiance alongside her friends, but that did not mean she had to forsake her family.

Both sides of the same coin exist concurrently if the coin were to land on its side. A precarious harmony that his Chrome could no doubt balance.

Why don’t you go ahead and look after her? I detest the current Chrome.”

“What are you saying!? But Chrome has come this far believing in you…”

Mukuro had allowed her to come this far with him on his journey believing in her potential, and yet she was floundering due to some inane worries that she needn’t have been struggling over. Well, it was a show that she too was growing.

She was her own person and she did well to realize that for herself. This journey was hers to make without his involvement. It was her choice to make to decide whether she continue their journey together, or she sets onto another path of her very own.

“Please, take good care of her.”

Take care of her in his stead, as a favor for his services up until now. Chrome will be returning to his side soon enough.

How willing am I to pick up character: Very VERY low. For one thing, I don't like Mukuro lolololol. He's also a pretty complex guy and all the nuances is tiring to keep track of, I think. I already have enough with Daemon, who I often forget I even have to begin with. Besidessss plenty of people within the fandom do a good job with Mukuro, we don't need me joining in the fray.

Other notes: I'll add just a few of my thoughts and inspirations as for how I chose to write this out. For one thing, Mukuro does care in his own ways the people in his group. They are very useful to him, and the majority of them are extremely loyal to him for one reason or another. Each one likely has their own story to tell, but the fact remains: they're all useful. He's stated in canon how that he's willing to throw others aside or to use them for his own goals and it does come off as very heartless, and it is! YET! He still has heart. There are moments that he shows his heart, like sacrificing himself to allow the other two (Chikusa and Ken) to escape Vindice.

He wanted them to get out for one thing, but another thing is also that he has his methods. He will have ways to circumvent him being locked up. They are more useful to him out in the real world than stuck in prison alongside him. It was factually a better idea to have them be out of Vindice than for him to run off by himself, forsaking them. He was willing to use their bodies until they quite frankly couldn't be usable anymore in the Kokuyoland arc. His goals are their goals, as they are that loyal to him. What he wants, THEY want. As his goals are their own, it's a collective. He does what he must to achieve what THEY as a WHOLE want.

It's important as they're a part of a whole in the grand scheme of their ideals: to prevent the second coming of the experiments that they've been through. If he has to use himself to achieve this goal, he would. He's ambitious as much as he is somehow selfless when it comes to the goal of wanting no other children/innocent to be sacrificed to tyranny, evils, and or abuse.

Mukuro does tend to look at people in categories of how useful they are to him or his goals, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care. He certainly does, but his goals are the ultimate. So as long as they don't get in the way of his goals, he can spare some care and concern for them. Ultimately, just as they all trust in him, he trusts in them. All parties understand that if he's going to be using them, it's NEVER for just ill-purposed malintent. He has a purpose behind it, and it is for something they can agree with. Chikusa and Ken would gladly offer themselves up to ensure that the experiments could never happen again.

For the sake of their traumas and their friends who they lost in the experiments, they NEED to do away with the mafia who would harm the innocent and break families apart. Mukuro would only ever act if it was for that goal. He wouldn't sacrifice them if there was any other way to go about it. Mukuro does not want to make any other needless sacrifices out of his comrades.

As for the thing about souls calling out to one another, it's due in part because they parallel Daemon and Elena. Just as how Elena brought Daemon into the Vongola, Chrome is that lynchpin that connects Mukuro with the Vongola. She is that connecting bridge, and it's through her influence that he can find some respite from the troubles and traumas that he's been through. She is like a resting place for him to remember the small bits of good that exist in the world.

She is that part that he's missed since his harrowing childhood traumas, while he is that part that she should have harnessed when being dealt so many bad cards in her life. They complete each other by complimenting the other. They heal and help the other grow in ways they couldn't without the other.

That said, why did he let her go? Chrome was too caught up on things (as Reborn states canonically). She couldn't really accept seeing Mukuro in person. What use was she then if he didn't need her? Did she have any right to accept his help? Of course she did, and yet, she refused it. She was learning to become her own person. To not JUST be Mukuro's Chrome. She was going to change, and Tsuna's side is a great place to learn that in peace and safety.

He was trusting Tsuna's good influence and his compassion to allow Chrome to come to terms with her feelings and her own ambitions. He trusted that just like himself, she'd form her own strong convictions and return by his side as not just her own person, but his warrior that he could wholeheartedly place his faith in.

That is my inspo behind how I wrote this.

[shytastemakerthing]

hi!! may i request a matchup for ensemble stars and twisted wonderland? ^_^

i’m a pretty chill and lowkey individual. i’m usually very tolerant of other people and hardly anything angers me as i’m very patient and tolerant of other people even if they bother me. i have an unhealthy habit of ignoring and burying my negative emotions before they surface, and i also struggle to identify my true personality as it is locked behind the many masks i’ve put up due to my constant people pleasing. i secretly wish to be able to freely express myself and my opinions since i often hold myself back and am agreeable with other people even if i internally disagree. i have also been known to be a very smart and talented person who easily picks things up however i do not apply myself due to my lack of passion and low self esteem, so i usually frustrate people for wasting my potential. my hobbies are cosplaying, which i’m not too open about, and i also enjoy anything related to science and STEM and researching topics or theories i find interesting. i usually express my interest in someone by engaging in playful banter and i enjoy being teased even if i am very quick to fluster. i do not like people who are judgmental and rigid or emotionally volatile as i feel very pressured around them and am less likely to be comfortable acting like myself. i believe that’s all i have to say, thank you so much! :]

A/N: Thank you very much for your request! This honestly took off more than I thought that it would! This one will be the TWST matchup and then the Ensemble stars will be on a separate post. It may take some time to get to that one as I want to go through the other requests in my inbox first so they aren't waiting so long😊.

Honorable mentions for your TWST matchup include, Idia, Leona, and Trey!

I match you with......

Cater Diamond

• Okay, you guys vibe on an all new wavelength that you leave everyone else around your baffled and stunned, it's insane. Especially when it comes to the personality that you bith share. Keeping everything inside, hot letting people see and know the real you, and keeping things bottled in. Honestly, you two hit it right off the bat.

• It honestly didn't take Cater very long to figure out that you were like him in your own way, and with that, he felt understood when he was with you, almost as if he didn't have to keep on the mask of a carefree and happy student who could care less about anything when we, as an audience (as we have seen in some of his story), that it's quite the opposite.

• Not that it didn't mean to guys had smooth sailing the entire time. It took work and effort to build this relationship up, letting walls come down, in private, and getting to know and trust one another. But, once you both have gotten to that point within the relationship, it's rather a beautiful sight to anyone who sees the two of you #couplesgoals.

• Speaking of relationship, it was a rather funny story, you hith quite literally asked each other at the same time. The whole wanting to talk to each other in private, then talking over one another and urging the other to continue before it just came out. It made for good laughs and two very happy people.

• You're a cosplayer, no matter how much you are open about it, and you have a raging social media crazed boyfriend who can and will hype you up over every little thing. He would love to be able to see you dressed up and do a photo shoot of you to post something onto his Magicam. But, he will totally keep all of these pics private in a folder for only the of you to see if that is what you prefer. He will NEVER post any photo of you on his account unless if he has your exact, in words, permission to do so (consent is sexy, everyone!)

• If he DOES get permission to post any pictures of you or the both of you just doing whatever, because I totally see him as having a whole bunch of couples photos and goals moments littering his feed, you guys are a sensation. Pretty much everyone loves the both of you and the happiness that you bring one another! You guys have become the new media sensation of pure couples goals.

• Cater can be a pretty playful guy, especially where you are involved. He only wants to see tour happiness, real and true happiness, so he will never do or say anything at your expense. If there is any form of playful teasing, he is careful about it and backs off the moment that he sees it may be starting to get to you. And this involves protecting you from the teasing of others, no matter what anyone else says. The moment he sees you closing off and walls going up, he is there to remove you from thr situation as soon as possible.

• Even with a crazy day, he enjoys the calm and quiet moment that he gets to spend with you at the end of the day. He would take you to his dorm, both of you in your most comfortable clothes and he has the spice Ramen and anything else you'd like to eat ready. He loves being able to hold onto you, brush through your hair, he even uses his unique magic to create his clones to help. He's never been this happy before in his life.

• Overall, you're the reason he smiles now. No longer having to plaster one on and go about his day hiding. Because he doesn't have to hide when it comes to you. And every moment he gets to see you and ti spend time with you is a reminder that he really can be happy, and he will do anything to help ensure that same happiness for you.

[sapphylicious]

Everyone has their opinions on Who’s Gonna Join Team Mafia and I am no exception, plus it’s now the weekend and I am in a good mood, so here are some thoughts.

Note: Most of this assumes Mori requested someone in particular, it just occurred to me that the wording is vague so it’s possible that the agency is allowed to decide who transfers, which changes things significantly.

My top two picks based on Mori Logic are Yosano or Tanizaki. Dazai is a distant third. I’ll be surprised if it’s not one of those three.

I’ll address Dazai first, because he’s undoubtedly the greatest asset in terms of sheer skill and Mori not only kept his executive position open, but also extended an invitation for Dazai to come back. However, Dazai’s grudge against Mori and the mafia, backed by his capability to do them harm (or just make things Really Unpleasant for everyone), make him far too dangerous to force back into the fold. If he came willingly, Mori would find that agreeable, because while Dazai would certainly have an Agenda, he likely wouldn’t be aiming to harm the mafia (much). Forcing him, though, would only deepen Dazai’s grudge, and Mori was already wary of him before pissing him off with the Mimic scheme (part of that scheme was to force Dazai out, even).

So, Dazai is too much of a double-edged sword. If his skills were truly needed, Mori would go for it, but there are much more attractive options where the benefits outweigh the risks.

Yosano and Mori are already acquainted, so this would be a great way use that connection and explore some of her past (which has recently been brought up, THANKS FOR THE TRAUMATIC MENTION, HUNTING DOGS). Also, because of her role as a doctor, healing the mafia members wouldn’t be opposing her moral code. I doubt she’d be happy about working for the Port Mafia, but she’d do her job to the best of her ability and not rock any boats.

As for Tanizaki, Mori has personally witnessed the usefulness of his ability twice (Anne’s Room and the attempted negotiation between the mafia and the agency), and I’m sure he’s heard all about Tanizaki’s SUPER ASSASSIN MODE from the Cannibalism arc. For the agency’s sake, and as long as Naomi’s safety is guaranteed, Tanizaki would cooperate with the mafia pretty well. I even think he’d volunteer if the decision is left to the agency.

The other agency members could also benefit the mafia, but not to the same degree, or they’d present risks that mitigate the benefits.

I can’t see Kunikida helping the mafia out at all, it goes too much against his grain. He simply wouldn’t suit the mafia, and on a narrative level, his character wouldn’t benefit from it. Plus, he’s the de-facto leader in Fukuzawa’s absence and the future director. The mafia and agency are always going to be separate and opposing, and Kunikida is firmly planted on the agency’s side. Aaand also he jumped out of the helicopter and exploded himself, so even if the mafia wanted him, it’s kinda awkward right now to get him. 

(PRAYER CIRCLE FOR KUNIKIDA, he’s had a rough time lately.)

Atsushi -- a tantalizing option on the outside, but comes with far too many risks, the biggest of which is named Dazai. I think Dazai would be more opposed to Atsushi joining the mafia than Dazai himself being forced back. I just imagine Dazai being like “nope, this is my protege and I somehow haven’t fucked him up yet, so I’m sure as hell not giving Mori-san the chance to do it :) :) :)”

However, using Reverse Survivor logic, I could see Atsushi voting himself off the island to join the mafia for the greater good. Which would be interesting on a character-interaction level! But maybe not so good for the story at large, I think he needs to stay on the agency’s side. The way he is now, being so influenced by the agency and Dazai, and having a very solid moral code, he’s not mafia material and the mafia isn’t going to significantly change over the course of this story.

One thing I am curious about, though, is what Mori thinks of Dazai’s Shin Soukoku project, and Akutagawa’s role in it. While Akutagawa is definitely in for some softening, it won’t be the point of a total heel-face turn and he’s always going to be mafia, so I don’t think Mori has any reason to be opposed... I’m just curious about his thoughts. And it’s funny to imagine him wanting to be involved and Dazai going “my pet project not yours DO NOT TOUCH.”

(In case you haven’t noticed, Dazai’s attitude towards Mori is hilarious to me.)

Anyway, back on topic... while Ranpo’s intelligence is formidable, unless there’s something specific Mori needs figured out that’s beyond his own abilities, Ranpo doesn’t bring anything else to the table except his difficult personality. Ranpo is indispensable to the agency, but just not needed for the mafia. He wouldn’t volunteer himself, either.

Kenji could be useful in terms of ability and his total lack of judgment means he could get along fine within the mafia, so he’s a viable option... but... okay this sounds mean but I don’t think he’s relevant enough to be the one for this particular plot point, or has enough strategic value compared to the other members when it comes to Mori’s logic.

Kyouka is like Atsushi-lite where forcibly recruiting her would mean getting on Kouyou’s bad side. Not worth it to Mori. She’d definitely volunteer to protect Atsushi, though, and there may be good character or story material to mine through her interactions with Akutagawa and their connection to Atsushi.

Fukuzawa... I feel that as the director of the agency he needs to stay on that side to maintain the balance. I don’t think that’s something Mori wants to upset if he can help it. They both know that.

Disclaimer: This all sounds so reasonable to me but I am not great at predicting plot so I could be totally wrong. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[harayjoye719]

Table Saws Are Helpful:

Table saws are very helpful when you have a task that requires both amount and quality. These little machines can miter, tear, crosscut, and incline. Disregard the disappointment of not having the option to perceive what you're cutting. With a table saw all that will be directly before your eyes.

Presently, we should expect in case you're on the lookout for a table saw you've in any event swung a mallet. I understand you're's opinion "what does a mallet have to do with a table saw?" In case you're considering purchasing a table saw, you likely have a smart thought of the stuff to finish a Do-It-Yourself project.

Table saws aren't really for somebody who simply needs to cut a piece of wood. The best table saw work is to make a huge work (cutting a great deal of wood) simpler. For more modest positions, a round saw may do fine and dandy…

I know from individual experience while on a place of work that when the sum total of what I have is a roundabout saw and I need to make a ton of cuts… I'm petitioning the saw divine beings to drop a table saw from the mists (or convey by drone nowadays) so I can return home to my family you can purchase best table saw under 300 from saw offers  .

Similarly as with anything, it's not difficult to get overpowered with the assortment of types, sizes, highlights, colors, loads, what, when, why, where, who… (let me pause and rest). For the time being, we should zero in on what's appropriate for you with our How to Purchase the Best Table Saw Guide. We'll begin by recognizing quality brands that line up with your necessities. Also, who needs to purchase something that will not work?

DeWALT 7491RS 10-inch Place of work Table Saw with Moving Stand:

DeWALT is a verifiably solid brand and this table saw doesn't break that design. I have little uncertainty you will be happy with the DeWALT 7491RS. Truth be told, I accept "fulfilled" might be underselling it altogether. Just a single method to discover.

Style and Toughness of the DeWALT 7491RS Table Saw:

Let's be honest, DeWALT is perhaps the most well known brands of force apparatuses on the planet. What's more, on the off chance that you own various DeWALT hand instruments, you're really prone to buy a similar brand when choosing what devices you need for the greater undertakings.

That arrangement doesn't generally work however with the DeWALT 7491RS table saw it does. Thus, you're not just purchasing a table saw that coordinates the remainder of your instruments, you're purchasing a table saw that will do the work right.

From the outset the deck of this saw has all the earmarks of being made of plastic, and if there is anything I know it's plastic parts on force instruments is rarely a decent sign. Be that as it may, the deck is really such an aluminum composite and is truly strong.

There are some little parts made of plastic, yet in the course of the most recent couple of years the sturdiness of plastic has expanded dramatically. One of the bigger plastic segments is the miter check. The plastic measure is minuscule and can have issues with exactness.

​If you are one to utilize the miter measure frequently you might need to consider buying an OEM check isolated on the off chance that you can discover one that is viable. In any case, in case you're simply utilizing the saw for Do-It-Yourself projects and not skilled worker quality custom woodwork, you ought to be okay.

The moving table saw stand is worked for compactness and simple stockpiling. However, it is made out of aluminum which makes it both lightweight and solid. The actual stand just weighs 33 lbs however it holds up to 200 lbs. Just, kindly don't give standing a shot the DeWALT Table Saw.

The table saw stand is so natural to work with due to the plan. For example, it has brisk delivery switches that permit it to overlay up when you're set, enormous wheels that permit you to turn over whatever might stand out, and even kickstands for better security.

It's the easily overlooked details like the elastic feet to hold it back from sliding, the agreeable handle for moving, and even the tallness of the table that make this table saw a victor.

Any table saw is pointless without a decent edge. The DeWALT 7491RS accompanies a 24-tooth sharp edge that turns out great for most harsh applications. In any case, it is consistently imperative to locate the correct saw sharp edge to coordinate the style and force of each saw you use. I locate a 50-tooth carbide cutting edge works impeccably with the DeWALT 7491RS.

The 50-tooth carbide cutting edge is extraordinary for nearly everything from wood deck to cupboards. In contrast with the 40-tooth it cuts a lot of smoother and still traverses outlining lumber sufficiently quick.

Obviously, a 80-tooth sharp edge will leave a much smoother finish yet it will require some investment to complete your cuts. Also the wear continually utilizing a fine-toothed sharp edge will put on the engine of your saw over the long run.

Usefulness of the DeWALT 7491RS Table Saw:

A roundabout saw is incredible for starting cuts of pressed wood sheets or single cuts. The miter saw is the thing that you would use to make exact calculated crosscuts. A jigsaw is useful for bending cuts or anything complex. The table saw is an unquestionable requirement when you have a lot of tearing and timber style crosscuts.

The extraordinary thing about the DeWALT 7491RS is that it folds up little enough to store and not stand out. It likewise has various additional items like the table top slide out augmentations (side and back) which function admirably.

For the most part, convenient table saws don't have an expansive enough surface to cut full sheets of compressed wood. A full sheet would need to be sliced into a halfway sheet to use on a versatile table saw securely.

What really sets the DeWALT 7491RS separated from some other in its group is the rack and pinion framework. No other compact table saw has this element.

The rack and pinion fence is exceptionally exact and steady. It can undoubtedly tear dead on inside 1/16 of an inch or less. Also this saw has the biggest tear limit out of any like it at 32 ½ inches.

The DeWALT 7491RS is a 15-amp saw and ought to be worked on a 20-amp circuit. It tends to be worked on 15 amps yet it could trip the breaker on harder material or if some other source is drawing amps.

15-amp saws are extraordinary for their convenientce yet won't withstand the determinations and amount like a $2,000-$10,000 bureau saw will.

Make certain to allude to the manual to make all the changes and estimations for vertical, zero-miter, corresponding to fence, tear scale, and so on It requires around 30 minutes and will bring about a lot higher exactness. This simply saves you time and dissatisfaction over the long haul.

Security Highlights of the DeWALT 7491RS Table Saw:

The DeWALT 7491RS has various security highlights one can expect in a table saw. The two wellbeing highlights I'd prefer to call attention to are the on/off switch and the sharp edge watch/riving blade arrangement.

On/Off Switch of the DeWALT 7491RS Table Saw:

The on/off switch has a lockout highlight. Essentially, on the off chance that you didn't need the catch to be pushed incidentally you can draw in the lockout include.

​The on/off switch additionally has a huge switch added to make it simpler to kill if there should be an occurrence of a crisis. Envision, tearing a piece of compressed wood, while your hands are full, and something occurs yet you can't relinquish the compressed wood. You can really raise your knee and hit the switch in view of the larger than average switch of the DeWALT Table Saw.

Cutting edge Watchman:

Furthermore, the edge monitor and riving blade set up is exceptionally simple to introduce. The explanation this is a particularly serious deal is that the fundamental explanation the vast majority don't utilize sharp edge monitors is on the grounds that they are such a torment to work with. Not the situation on this machine.

If it's not too much trouble, recollect however, wellbeing highlights ought to never sub for past style focusing.

Criticizing:

Albeit the DeWALT 7491RS has the capacity to utilize a dado sharp edge, it doesn't accompany a dado plate. Thus, in the event that you realize how to dado, you need to buy a dado plate for this saw independently.

​The saw doesn't handily separate from the stand. Now and then it's helpful to set the saw up as a seat top saw, however the DeWALT 7491RS doesn't accompany snappy delivery switches to achieve this without any problem. For this situation, you would need to utilize a drill to eliminate four screws to isolate it from the stand. I wouldn't prescribe doing this except if you need to on the grounds that over the long run the screw openings will strip.

[xalmasyx]

A/N: I’ve been pretty slack with writing lately as most of you could probably tell. Once Christmas season started at work my brain kinda decided to go all blarg on me and all I would really do when I got home was read a shit ton of fics or play video games. (whoops...)

This little one shot is entirely SFW so you can read it whenever and wherever you like~

Tagging my lovelies: @themissimmortal @singergurl91 @redmasquerade13 @sammy4417 @sugarbombxv @tehrevving @atarostarling @alicemoonwonderland @antiloquist @insomniacapples

If you want to be added/taken off the tag list please let me know <3

First Snow

With every day that passed in the first month of winter, the more listless Chelsea became.

It was the first year that she would not be celebrating Christmas with her family and the realisation caused the usually bright and bubbly fourteen year old to become withdrawn from her peers, not that many of the Citadel occupants noticed due to being too busy with their daily duties. Such a thing however, did not pass the attention of a certain Prince and his advisor.

..

"I don't think she's as okay as she says she is, Specs." Commented Noctis during one of his many private tutoring sessions with Ignis, and Ignis was very much inclined to agree.

"She has not been the most agreeable lately. I believe it may be another case of deep seeded homesickness due to the rapid approach of the holiday season."

"And it's the first time she's spending it away from her family."

"Indeed. I would suppose you would understand more than anyone what it feels like to be without family, Your Highness."

Noctis agreed with a despondant 'hmm' before going back to his homework. He had a feeling asking Ignis cook her some Accordan cuisine would not sate her this time around. They would have to plan something better, and soon.

..

The day came quicker than expected when the young Prince barged into Ignis' room early one morning and ripped open the curtains, causing Ignis to groan and shield his eyes from the onslaught of white that assaulted his vision.

"Iggy, it's snowing! This is perfect!" Noctis bounced, bounding over to the bed and shaking Ignis out of his sleep riddled state. It was quite rare for the younger of the two to be awake so early in the morning, it was even rarer that Ignis was caught off guard by Noctis. It was going to be a most interesting day indeed.

"I suggest that you go and awaken Miss Claustra then, Noct. The first snow of the season is not to be missed." Reaching over to the nightstand after gently moving Noctis aside, Ignis grabbed his spectacles and put them on, finally noticing that Noctis was already ready for the day's events, fully decked out in his snow gear.

"One would think we were doing this for you with how prepared you are for this day." Noctis blushed.

"I-I'm just excited to help her this time, that's all!" He replied bashfully, getting off the bed and making his way to the door.

"Hurry up Specs or you'll miss out!" And with that he was gone, leaving Ignis sitting on his bed with a mirthful smirk. He sincerely hoped Noctis' plan would work.

..

Ignis was awed.

It was the first time since her initial arrival to the Citadel that Ignis witnessed such wonder and excitement in Chelsea's eyes, and it was just a little bit of snow that was able to bring her out of her despair.

She had her gaze glued out the window to the city before them whilst Noctis excitedly rabbled on about what they planned to do upstairs in the Citadel gardens. Ignis would have to translate for her later as he was certain that the Prince was speaking in Lucian way too quickly for her Accordan ears to understand. Even though her Lucian had improved greatly since the beginning of the school year, if one spoke too quickly she would usually turn to him for assistance.

"Highness." Ignis interjected before he could confuse the blonde any more, "perhaps we should allow Miss Claustra to get dressed before you get too excited."

"Oh." Chelsea reponded, competely missing the fact that Ignis didn't use her first name as she would often scold him into using, "I uh, I don't think I have any winter wear appropriate for snow. It never snowed in Altissia, you see." Noctis mirrored Chelsea's crestfallen disposition, causing Ignis to sigh inwardly.

He couldn't have both of his charges in a sour mood. It would not do, not at all.

"I guess it can't be helped then." He approached the two, shrugging off his jacket and placed it around Chelsea's shoulders. It absolutely swum on her petite form and her eyes that were widened in berwilderment caused a faint blush to tinge Ignis' cheeks.

Sometimes she was too cute for her own good. But he would never, ever voice that opinion out loud. It was his job to feel nothing but comraderie for her, any fleeting feelings of fancy needed to be locked away deep in the recesses of his mind lest they cause issues.

"A-are you sure Ignis? I mean we can go shopping right?"

"Nonsense, this will do for now until you and Noct have had your fill of the fresh snow. I will simply collect another coat from my quarters before we go upstairs." She smiled at his response.

"Thank you, Ignis."

..

Ignis watched calmly from the gazebo whilst Chelsea and Noctis ran through the snow covered gardens happily, every so often hiding behind one of the many trees to load up snow in their gloved hands and pelt it at each other with laughter.

Such youthful antics caused the advisor's heart to swell with pride. After a slightly rocky start to their fridnship, Noct quickly warmed up to Chelsea once the language barrier began to crumble and she, much to Ignis' chargin began to teach the young Prince swear words in Accordan.

Then suddenly he felt an extremely cold sensation on the back of his head. Turning around slowly he found the sandy blonde haired, blue eyed perpetrator looking at him with a mischevious grin.

"Come on Iggy." Chelsea taunted, "Noct and I can't have all the fun."

It was on.

What was a metaphorical battle to the death between two teens became an every man for himself situation as Ignis completely wiped the floor with Chelsea and Noctis without even breaking a sweat.

"You cheated!" Complained Chelsea with Noctis hiding behind her yelling 'yeah!' in response.

"How does one cheat with snowballs?"

"You totally did! I can tell."

"I just know what I'm doing."

"...rude."

"Just stating facts Chelsea."

..

Later that morning the three of them found themselves in one of the Citadel's many sitting rooms lounging by the fire. Noctis was dead to the world on one of the couches whilst Chelsea and Ignis were sitting together, hot chocolates rapidly heating up their freezing hands.

"Hey Ignis..." Chelsea broke the moments long silence, looking into the crackling fire.

"Yes Miss Claustra?"

"Chelsea." She corrected.

"Chelsea, then. What is it?" Chelsea turned to him, a somber expression gracing her features,

"Thank you, both of you, for this morning. As you all know this is the first time I'll be without my family for Christmas and I was feeling quite lonely and down about it. You and Noct helped me realise I'm not as alone as I thought. I have my Insomnian family here, after all." Her frown was replaced with a faint smile as her eyes began to water. "It doesn't mean I don't miss the hell out of them though."

"Understandable." Ignis replied, taking the mug from Chelsea's hands and placing both of their half empty receptacles on the coffee table in front of them, gesturing her to come closer by wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "You can come to myself or Noct any time you feel alone or homesick. We are both here for you."

"T-thank you I-Ignis." She sobbed into his chest.

"Anytime." He'd allow this moment of innocent affection.

Just this once.

[garden-ghoul]

the... hobblog...

“no I’ll come up with a better name for it, possibly”

special thanks to vv who has continued to support my addiction, by which I mean has continued to push more tolkiens into my hands, the better to addict me. And now without further ado LET’S GET STARTED! with

AN UNEXPECTED PARTY

No sorry false alarm, before we do that I want to talk about this kind of puzzling note on the 2nd edition.

[In chapter 5] the true story of the ending of the Riddle Game, as it was eventually revealed (under pressure) by Bilbo to Gandalf, is now given according to the Red Book, in place of the version Bilbo first gave to his friends, and actually set down in his diary. This departure from truth on the part of a most honest hobbit was a portent of great significance.

I honestly can’t tell whether they’re saying that he changed the end of chapter 5 from real events to fake coverup events, or vice versa, or another third thing. If anyone can enlighten me on this, say, someone who obsessively studies the revision history of Tolkien’s works, hmu.

AN UNEXPECTED PARTY

We spend the first couple paragraphs describing what a hobbit hole is. My favorite part is that all the best rooms are on the left side, because there aren’t any windows on the right. I am sensing that this hill is quite a bit larger than the cute little “we draped some sod over a house” sized hill from the movies. Tolkien also does this charming self-interrupting style of thing, where halfway through a sentence he pretends he just remembered that you, the reader, don’t actually know what a hobbit is because it’s something he made up. Grandpa Johnald is telling you a story but he’s only an Okay storyteller.

I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us.

Oh okay this explains a FEW things I was indignant about. Hobbits weren’t always shy and good at disappearing, maybe. It’s a device to explain why you, a 10-year-old child sitting next to the stove, have never seen one even though they are totally real. Probably I am OVERSELLING the point that this is a children’s book in my analysis. Whatever. We spend a bit of time on Bilbo’s pedigree: his mother is Belladonna Took (the best name) daughter of the Great Took, which explains why Bilbo is a little weird.

One morning Bilbo is sitting on his stoop smoking a preposterously long pipe (it reaches down to his neatly brushed toe-hair, which, holy shit, why do we never hear about hobbits grooming their toe-hair) when Gandalf turns up. “Good morning,” says Bilbo, who is happy.

“What do you mean good morning?” asks Gandalf, who is feeling pedantic and possibly grouchy. Then he lists some options, because it’s in his programming to be helpful. It turns out that he’s grouchy because he’s in a great hurry to find someone who will do adventures but everyone around here is, well, a hobbit.

“Pity,” says Bilbo, and pointedly starts reading his mail.

“I’m Gandalf,” says Gandalf.

Bilbo immediately regurgitates a bunch of Gandalf Stories he’s heard. ‘You will notice already that Mr. Baggins was not quite so prosy as he liked to believe, also that he was very fond of flowers.’ Hehehe. He seems excited about “adventures” in theory but in practice wants nothing to do with them.

Gandalf threatens promises to take him on one anyway. It will be very amusing for me, Gandalf assures him. Bilbo runs inside and tries not to slam the door, because one doesn’t offend a wizard.

The next day he remembers he accidentally invited Gandalf for tea when he answers the door, but Gandalf is Dwalin the dwerrow now. (I’m experimenting with blogging The Hobbit and only using ‘dwerrow’ just to see what it would have been like). Dwalin comes in and starts hanging up his stuff, and so Bilbo has no choice but to uncertainly invite him in for tea. Another knock comes on the door while they’re having tea, but it’s still not Gandalf. It’s another dwerrow named Balin, who declares himself at Bilbo’s service.

"Thank you!" said Bilbo with a gasp. It was not the correct thing to say, but they have begun to arrive had flustered him badly. He liked visitors, but he liked to know them before they arrived, and he preferred to ask them himself. He had a horrible thought that the cakes might run short, and then he-as the host: he knew his duty and stuck to it however painful-he might have to go without.

This passage is cute. Bilbo’s social anxiety has lain dormant his entire life because he was never stressed out enough to notice it, because Hobbiton is incredibly boring. Anyway Bilbo doesn’t know what to do with interlopers, so he’s just extremely polite and gives them anything they want. Ya pushover. As more dwerrows arrive he gradually gets more polite, if not less stupidly agreeable.

Bilbo is so stressed by the logic puzzle about getting all his guests the thing they want to eat and drink that he opens the door really hard the next time, and four dwerrows fall on their faces on his doormat. One of them is Thorin, who is Very Important, and he’s pissed about this kind of welcome, but Bilbo apologizes so many times that Thorin eventually goes “please don’t worry about it.” Also Gandalf. Another fun thing I want to mention is that the dwerrows who have already come in are talking local politics ( “the depredations of dragons...”) and it makes me wonder if they’re like, not all from the same place? Is this a long-awaited reunion for them? Have most of them been away on business?

Bilbo has to run around serving the dwerrows and gets very irritated. “Confusticate these dwerrows!” he says out loud. Fili and Kili come to help bring in the plates. After a while they have to clear the table, and all the dwerrows start singing in unison either an astonishingly well-improvised or a troublingly well-researched song about how annoyed Bilbo is with their careless treatment of his dishes. Like I get that this is a musical and they’re not literally performing an impromptu musical number, but still. I like to think that Gandalf told them exactly what Bilbo Baggins Hates so they could threaten to do it. When they come back they all bring out their instruments, every one of them plays an instrument. Thorin plays harp, which means that he is my new favorite.

I did record an impromptu rendition of the song the dwerrows sing, but you don’t get to hear it because I remembered that it requires FILE FORMAT CONVERSION. Unless you twist my arm (“ask me to post it”). Bilbo likes it a lot though, it makes him feel the Adventure Emotion. Thorin refuses to let Bilbo turn on a light Because Dwerrows. Bilbo knocks something over because it’s dark, and Gandalf shushes him. Rude.

"Gandalf, dwerrows and Mr. Baggins! We are not together in the house of our friend and fellow conspirator, this most excellent and audacious hobbit - may the hair on his toes never fall out! all praise to his wine and ale! -" He paused for breath and for a polite remark from the hobbit, but the compliments were quite lost on poor Bilbo Baggins, who was wagging his mouth in protest at being called audacious and worst of all fellow conspirator, though no noise came out, he was so flummoxed.

Cute! May the hair on his toes never fall out! Thorin is much nicer when he’s drunk. Thorin goes on in a long-winded and self-important manner, but does mention that “none of us are going to come back,” whereupon the dwerrows find Bilbo having a panic attack on the rug. He is fierce as a dragon when he’s roused, Gandalf assures them. I am strongly reminded of that time Shou was like “no no Shigeo will make a GREAT attack dog you just have to kill her entire family so she’ll be mad!” Luckily for Bilbo, he doesn’t have a family at the moment. So! Tolkien takes a brief paragraph to note that one of Bilbo’s ancestors, Bullroarer Took, invented golf by accident while murdering goblins in a truly horrible way.

Bilbo, foolishly, really wants the dwerrows’ good opinion, so he says “I’ll do whatever it takes to prove myself to you!” Nobody thinks he will be a good burglar at all, except Gandalf. Do we ever find out why Gandalf chose him for this? They’ve never actually met before.

Thorin gets out a map and starts expositing at it, in a mumble. They’re trying to come up with a plan of attack for Smaug, and they ask Bilbo’s opinion, as Expert Burglar. Since he is nothing of the sort he asks “um, what’s going on?” (but with a lot of fancy words) and hopes they’ll forget he’s supposed to know anything. Thorin tells the story of Smaug’s coming, but like, it’s really clear he’s using the song as a template for his story. He uses all the same imagery and everything.

Gandalf tells about how he got the map from Thorin’s father (who he sprung from Dol Guldur) and then went off in search of Thorin to deliver it. Bilbo tries one last time to get out of going, and then everyone goes to sleep. This was a particularly dense chapter so no more for tonight.

[theglitteringbook]

Okay, recently you said "fuck anyone who hates Halsey' what if they don't like Halsey because of legitimate reasons, such as absolutely disliking her music? How is that hurting anyone if they aren't attacking her. (Not saying that the tweets weren't aggressive)

I think it’s fine to dislike her music, that’s fine. I was not trying to come across as saying that, no. But I will admit, as being the type of person that I am, if someone dislikes someone that I love and view as an idol, I’m not going to like them that much. My loyalty is deep in that regard, where it is weak in others. If you hate who I hate, I’ll like you. If you hate someone I like/love, I’ll dislike you. If you bash someone I care for without reason, you’ll probably get blocked. If you bash someone I like with reasoning, I’ll listen, and may even be swayed just for a moment. But ultimately, I always return to why I care for that person first, before opinions-other people are not me.

I was rude in that post, and I apologize, as someone who felt threatened for someone I care about, I was reacting. Again, Halsey is a major idol for me, like Sarah J. Maas, Ellie Goulding. Those are people that will always be in my hearts no matter what they do, no matter what the people say.

It’s a situation, where if you have anything bad to say about them without reasoning, I have no reason to be around you. Even if you have reason to dislike them-I will distance myself from you, as those are three people that I will defend forever, again, no matter what. I suppose I wasn't to clear in saying this, but I’m trying to say that if you don't have time for what I love, I don't have time for you. And I am not directing this at you, my lovely asker, it’s just the way I am speaking in this post. 

I know my methods may not be savory or whatnot, but I mean, that's me, and ive got my pros and cons. Halsey is a person whereas I don't want to be around people who dislike her, because she is so close to my heart-it’s kind of a distancing block for me. Like, wow, you dislike something so close to my heart, I’m sorry, but we won’t be able to relate tonight.

And by the way, I do love and appreciate diverse opinions. I do, I really do, and I find the process of changing someone's opinion based on your whether you are a stranger or close-friend amazing, beautiful, and it leaves me in awe how much I’ve changed my own opinions due to other people’s opinions. Even Sarah J. Maas, as I come to recognize the flaws in her books, but once I acknowledge them, I do not like to be around people that have more bad things to say about my idols after I've heard why once. I don't like hearing people I love be reduced, you know?

I guess what I'm saying, sigh, is that I mean what I said: If you don't like Halsey, and you relay reason to me why, I mean, well, no. I don't want to hear it. I'll make my own opinions based on their actions, because when it is something so personal, I want my opinions based off my own thoughts, not others.

However, I phrased it wrong, I shouldn't have said ‘fuck everyone who hates Halsey’. It’s my uncensored version of saying, “I don't have time to hear your opinion on this. Let me make it myself.”

Having to do with the post, though, there is so much hate for no reason-and it can be returned. So people need to watch themselves with trashing people these days without reason.

No, it doesn't hurt anyone to dislike her if they aren't attacking her. I just personally don't...want to associate with that person, I suppose? It's bound to come up in a conversation, and we all know how awful it feels to hear someone you care about be trashed. Your close-friends, significant other, family, other loved ones.

Dislike her music, just her music? It's cool, it's cool. I’ll associate with that. It’s purely preference, and diversity makes the world go around, its beautiful. I understand just disliking her music, everyone is different and listens to other things than others. It doesn't hurt anyone. As long as they don't hate on her just because her style isn't theirs. Even then, though, why ‘hate’ someone just for their music style? I mean, why? Everyone’s different, and there’s no reason to hate anyone for it-AKA just hating someone, pure hating/absolutely disliking someone for what they sing? I think even that’s harsh, and I think there’s something to be said about that. That doesn't hurt anyone but yourself-being filled with hate for no reason other than disliking someone’s music.

Legit reason. Such as something she said or did. Well, people dramatize everything-I do too. But sometimes, things are overdramatized and the truth is stretched. And opinions may not even be what people truly feel about what truly happened, merely being agreeable or peer pressure or some other thing. You know? It’s media these days, and while you may believe it for a second, that's the keyword: only for a second. For me, it fades away because, most of the time, I know its lies.

You know totally and surely that what you heard is fact, or maybe you saw it yourself. That’s fine. Okay, not hurting anyone. It’s just a situation where I don't want to do with you-your dislike for someone based on something they said, or did, and not their music. I mean, things are misunderstood all the time, and maybe the person phrased something wrong and all the sudden someone hates them. I don't think that's right-try to understand the person, see where they are coming from, then make your decision on opinion. I understand saying something and having it taken the wrong way; I’ve lost friends because of it.

And then there’s just disliking someone without reason, you just dislike them. if you don't make a big stink of it, alright, okay. If you make a big stink of disliking someone for no reason,  no. Bye. Then it’s hurting someone-unnecessary bashing and whatnot without reason and just looking for some drama.

Based on what you said, I’m going to take it you just dislike Halsey’s music? Or...was there something else? Part of the reason this answer was so long was because, well, I am not sure what kind of disliking you mean, and I’m attempting to explain myself.

But yes, if it’s what I think you mean, just disliking her music, I totally understand that. It’s human. Different people, different opinions-it’s cool.

[justcallmebeau-blog]

Para || Introductions

WHO: Beau, @frankiecallaghan, Emmy (NPC), Naomi (NPC) WHEN: 2/28/2017 WHERE: Beau’s off-campus studio WHAT: Frankie shows up at Beau’s house to ask a question and meets a very unexpected guest.

Beau hadn't been expecting the knock. He'd spent the day holed up inside with Emilia and Naomi, letting them give lengthy updates on life in Canada. Thankfully his daughter had been particularly affectionate and the hours with her on his lap gesturing grandly about her friends and school and the purple elephant her uncle had gotten her had soothed parts of his soul he didn't know were wearing thin. None of that made him any less wary as he made his way to the door. This had been kept tucked close to his chest for a reason and most people weren't privy to the information, and the only people who got unbridled access were family. "Sorry I'm a little busy right n- Frankie? Woah, wasn't expecting you." The man brought forth an automatic grin, and he shut the door a little so he couldn't see inside. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

Frankie needed to get out of the house for a while before he came down a literal case of cabin fever, it wasn't Tahoe's snowy reprieve was unwelcome but the painting he was working on was giving him hell and Cupcake Wars wasn't as fun without someone to cuddle up to while watching it. Toughened by winters spent in Boston and unafraid of the weather they were having, Frankie grabbed his favorite coat and headed down to Beau's place. There was no certainty that he would be there instead of on campus but it was worth a shot and there was a grocery on the way back that he could stop by either way. Of course, it was only when Beau opened the door that Frankie realized he might have called before swinging by. "Oh shit, man. My bad. If it's not a good time I can totally fuckin' take a hike. It's my Canon, damn thing won't turn on, think it might have finally kicked the bucket - I figured if anyone would know it was you."

Beau was going to tell Frankie he was busy or maybe go outside to take a look at the camera since he had missed his friend in the midst of all this chaos, but before he had a chance to Emmy shoved open the door and lit up at the sight of someone else. It was usually just them or family when they visited, and he knew it must be a treat for her. So when she piped up with a "Hi! I'm Emmy! Come and get some juice!" like it wasn't someone that'd be a stranger to her, Beau didn't have it in him to tell her no even if this would mean a lot of explaining and untucking the secret from his chest a bit. "You're welcome to come on in. It's wise not to tell Princess Emilia she can't have her way when it comes to making friends," Beau said with his ever-easy grin, smoothing down the little girl's hair and opening the door wider.

Frankie knew that he should fuck off, he had caught Beau in the middle of something which was no problem, he had mostly been looking for a reason to get out of his cabin anyway. He took a step back and was about to apologize again and take his leave when the door behind Beau was pulled open and a little girl stuck her head out to greet him. Frankie's opened his mouth, caught off guard, his gaze flickering up to Beau and back down to the child - Emmy. His initial thought was that the photographer had picked up a babysitting gig himself but another look at Emmy told him that that wasn't the case. Whatever the case may be, Frankie was a sucker for children and wasn't one to turn down an invitation for juice. "I love juice, I drink a ton of it - it's why I'm so big." He said with a bright smile, looking up at Beau one more time to make sure this was okay before stepping inside. "It's nice to meet ya, Emmy. I'm Frankie." He knelt down to offer Emmy a friendly high five.

Beau was glad at least that it'd been someone like Frankie. He didn't think his friend would be too upset about how quiet he'd kept everything. Maybe, hopefully, he'd even understand why. "We're big on juice around here too. Pineapple juice is the current favorite." Any reservations he had were paused when Frankie got down on Emmy's level, and maybe it warmed him more than a little to see a friend of his interacting with his nearest and dearest, especially when Emmy gave an enthusiastic high five in return and grabbed the still extended hand to tug him towards the kitchen. "Emmy, you want to tell Frankie more about yourself?" He slid in front of them and led them towards the kitchen where at least maybe Emmy would be distracted enough they'd have a moment to talk. "Frankie's Da's friend from work."

Frankie laughed, warm and happy, when a smaller hand wrapped around his to tug him in the direction of what had to be the kitchen. "Ah man, Pineapple juice is bomb." He said with an agreeable nod. "It makes bones real strong so little girls can turn into big ones, no lie." It was dangerous, telling a kid that what they were drinking was good for them, but Emmy seemed enthusiastic enough about the juice that she wouldn't be put off. With it looking like he would be staying for a few minutes, at least for a cup of juice, Frankie shrugged off his coat. The way Beau talked to the kid did something to his heart, there was no way Emmy was anything but his little one. "Yep, I paint teach people how to paint. Well. I teach 'em how to paint ​better.​

Beau was officially a puddle when Emmy started talking more, asking Frankie what he painted and if he was old like Da was, if he wanted extra juice for being nice and if he wanted to meet Mama. He was typically not the emotional type but Emilia was the thing that unlocked every little box and let emotions flood out. It wasn't something he could, or even tried to ignore. "You can teach me t'paint!" Her accent was the funniest mix of Naomi's and Beau's, and coming out of a three-year old - in Beau's opinion - made it even cuter. Followed by a "Why is your voice so funny?"

Frankie gratefully accepted his pineapple juice and made sure to take healthy swigs of it between nodding in genuine interest at what she had to say or answering her questions. He told her that he liked to paint people and outside, but that he did it in a way that made them look kind of weird, that he was even older than her Da was, would never say no to more juice, how she was a a wonderful hostess, and that he didn't want to bother anyone more than he already had. "I can absolutely teach ya how to paint, kiddo." Frankie agreed, already wrapped around Emmy's finger more than he cared to admit. He snorted gracelessly when she asked why his voice was 'so funny,' humming thoughtfully like he really had to think about her question. "Well, ya see. I come from a truly magical place called Boston, Massachusetts and this is how they talk there. How come your voice is so funny?"

Beau couldn't stop watching the two of them. It was like watching twins meet each other for the first time in how similar their personalities were, and he was endlessly amused by it. "Are there faeries there? Da says there are faeries but Mama says no but I want a faerie." Tiny fingers reached up to touch Frankie's face curiously, like tracing his features would somehow help her understand Frankie a little more. "Because my Mama talks funny! Da does too. They gave me part of their voices!" Beau smothered a chuckle at how she misunderstood the process but didn't comment on it, not when Emmy was still in the room. "Hey, babygirl?" He finally piped up, kneeling down beside her and scooping her up in his arms for a kiss. "Why don't you go ask your Mama about going to get chicken nuggets later? You can talk to Frankie after if he's not busy." It was a blatant try to get a kid-free moment to talk, and when it worked he breathed out a sigh of relief.

Frankie snorted into his pineapple juice, he had gotten into an argument on the subway once with a guy who had called him a fairy but something told him that was a story for another time. "Probably, there's all kinds of cool things in Boston. Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, don't see why faeries wouldn't want to hang out in a wicked place like that." Frankie died a little, right there in the kitchen, when Emmy's small hand reached up to touch his face. He leaned in, ducked his head down so she could reach more, scrunching his nose in amusement. His beard that was growing back must have felt scratchy as hell to touch. Frankie nodded at Emmy's assessment of her accent, like it made perfect sense to him, which it kind of did. She had so much to say for someone so small and he couldn't get over how wonderful she was. Frankie beamed when Beau reached out to scoop her in his arms, swallowing down a pang of longing with a mouthful of pineapple juice. "Chicken nuggets! Ah man, you better get on that Emmy." He said, laughing as she ran out of the room, before turning to look at Beau. "She's fuckin' perfect. I want twelve." And then, a touch more serious after a beat of silence. "I get it."

Beau watched her walk out of the room and didn't focus back in on Frankie until she was gone, clearly a dozen times softer than he usually was, even with the closest of his friends. "Just one's a handful and a half. Without her more often than I'm with her and she still knows just how to drive me up the wall. Imagine that times ​twelve​." He paused. "But you're right. She's perfect. So perfect, and I..." The relief was palpable, and maybe he sagged a little bit when he realized Frankie wasn't going to get angry at him for hiding something so big. "Yeah? Thank you. She's everything, you know? Her not being here fucking kills me. It ​kills me​ me to be living so far away, but being in one place and having a steady job that doesn't require traveling... I've at least got a shot now, of getting her more often, and until then... I just... I can't untuck her from where she is."

Frankie hummed at that. He had done quite a bit of babysitting in his day, had a weekly babysitting gig now, but at the end of the day he always got to give the children back. His trials and tribulations consisted of spilled sippy cups and fussy infants, he could lose himself in the domesticity of it all but that didn't mean he was a father. "That's a lot of fuckin' pineapple juice," he agreed, both amused and terrified when he actually thought of what it would be like to take care of twelve toddlers. The smile he felt tugging at the sides of his mouth while listening to Beau gush about his daughter twisted down at the visible reaction Beau had to him expressing his understanding. "You don't gotta thank me man, you said it, that girl is your everything and I fuckin' get why you would be hesitant to tell anyone." Frankie thought back to all the friends he had back home that had grown up with a father that had split, not cared at all. "It's not my place to say, and I'm sorry if this is out of line, but she seems real good. You guys are obviously doing something right, you know, making it work the best you can. I've known her less than an hour and I already know she's like... the best three year old ever." Frankie nodded. "I'm rootin' for you, pal. I hope you get to see her more often."

Beau let out a peal of laughter at the pineapple juice comment and went to open the fridge where four jugs of it were already sitting. Thankfully Naomi kept him well briefed on what Emmy loved and what she didn't, and he'd made sure to get as much of it as possible just in case. "That's just for one human, man, and she only drinks so much. Though Naomi loves it too, so you know, comes in handy. That woman would over run my kitchen faster than Emmy would." His expression was almost as fond when talking about Naomi as it was talking about Emmy. Looking at Naomi after holding his babygirl in his arms for the first time was the closest to being in love he'd ever been, and that was an important thing to him. "It's not out of line." ​I could fucking hug you right now​ almost came out of his mouth but instead he leaned in and gave Frankie the tightest hug that he could. "Thank you. It's not easy. Naomi's remarried, she's got a baby on the way, but she and I are still damn good friends and Emilia is our first priority even when we're fighting cats and dogs. Even her husband and I are friends. Which talk about fucking awkward, but it helps a lot when trying to schedule nightly Skype calls and visits and shit. Speaking of, you want to meet her? She's been itching to figure out what the place is like and I can't bring her and Emmy on campus without getting loads of questions."

Frankie raised an eyebrow when Beau opened up the fridge to show how much juice was kept on stock to keep the little one happy. It seemed impossible that someone as small as Emmy could pack away more than one glass of the stuff but the enthusiasm she had shown earlier made it easy to believe. He beamed when Beau began talking about Naomi, the woman who could easily be deduced as Emmy's mother. Frankie felt warm and pleasant, content to bask in the secondhand sentiment of clinging to Beau's words. It was his turn to look relieved when he was assured that he hadn't stepped out of line, it was no secret that Frankie had a habit of sticking his foot in his mouth, the last thing he wanted to do was turn a delicate situation into an uncomfortable one. He made a happy, slightly surprised, sound when Beau wrapped his arms around him tight and hugged the photographer back with everything he had. Frankie almost felt jealous at how close Naomi and Beau were despite things being less than easy sometimes, couldn't help but think about Amanda - the person who knew him more than anyone else in this world - and how it had been years since they last heard from one another. "That's so fuckin' wicked, that you two can be in one another's lives, that you can be friends." He nodded enthusiastically, Frankie was a people guy, he loved making new acquaintances "Yeah, if I ain't bothering you guys. Or, you know, your time with Emmy."

Beau let the hug linger for a moment in a move that was pretty uncharacteristic for him. He had been so prepared for someone that'd have been angry to find out about Emmy first to the point that he'd had speeches prepared. For Belle, for Malcolm, maybe even Martin though he kind of doubted it'd be an issue with him, anyone that he'd almost blatantly lied about it. Maybe even his students and other colleagues. But with Frankie there'd been no need for it, and if Beau was emotional over that then there was no need for anyone else to know. "It was rough at first. Took a lot of arguing things out to get to middle grounds, we just tried to never let it show through to her even if we wanted to murder each other." The central focus really had done so much good. Made it possible to zero in on everything but their disagreements, and even if it'd taken the first year at least they were on solid ground now. "Of course you're not." He led Frankie through to the living room where Emmy had taken over, with giant doll houses and toy cars all over the place, and blankets and pillows piled up everywhere the girl had decided to lay down. Naomi was stretched out on the floor with her letting her hair be poked and prodded with plastic children's tools. "Hey, NayNay, this is Frankie. Guessing Emilia already told you everything." He gestured to the couch with a grin. "Just get comfortable anywhere."

[datingadviceonreddit]

Internet, I need your help...Back in February of this year, my wife and I of 7 years split up. We remained in the same house until May, when she could find a place of her own (financial reasons). During that time we discussed why we were splitting, and we both agreed that we got married too quick, without ever really learning about each other fully first. We actually eloped, some of the motivation being to look better on paper for an upcoming custody battle with my ex before her. I had 3 children from my first marriage, I was young, and so was she. The first was an "accident" that I won't go into, let's just say their mom was really sneaky. Regardless of all that, and the reasons for marriage, we were married, and happy. I got majority custody of my kids, and things were great.When her and I first got married, I was in undergrad for a very difficult degree (in order to maintain some privacy, I won't go into details), 5 years after that, I finished grad school coursework (undergrad graduation a year before) and got a job. From the moment I got a job, things began to go downhill slowly. The word "divorce" was first thrown out by her a couple years back. We began learning that our personality types were very different. I'm an INTJ, she's an ESFJ, even our 5 love languages tests are essentially the reverse of each other. Essentially, we clashed over a few things, and for a long time, we outlined what those things were, but neither of us seemed to change significantly enough to fill up the other's needs. The arguments got worse, and the tension higher, until we began seriously discussing divorce early this year (before actually splitting in February). Oddly enough, we communicated more clearly than ever in outlining why we didn't belong together, and we were very mutual and agreeable. We both agreed we made a mistake in getting married and that we should split up. We even processed the divorce ourselves, without legal aid. All of our divorce paperwork for finalization was filed in early April, and in May she moved out to her own place. Everything seemed fine, she seemed okay for the most part. Telling the kids was really rough because she'd basically helped raise them, but she wanted to remain part of their lives (which we both agreed was a great idea). Now for the other part of the story...In early April, late March, I began feeling really self-conscious about my failed relationships (two marriages of several years). I created a fake online dating profile, on a site that had an extensive interview process to build a profile. My thought was that my personality traits made me a hard person to get along with maybe. In any case, the goal was only to look. I'd decided not to date for at least 6 months after she moved out. Nothing ever goes as planned of course. I stumbled upon a female who aligned with me in every way imaginable, and she was beautiful to boot. I reached out, and immediately explained my situation after our introductions. My intent was mostly just to learn about this person, and maybe when I was ready, if she was still available, I could ask her if she'd like to meet. After about a month of talking (now May), we decided to meet. From there, we met several more times, and by the end of May, we were officially dating. This was after a LOT of self reflection and checks to make sure she didn't fall into the "rebound" category. I was sure my mind was in a good place, since my previous relationship had seemed to be on the decline for over a year. The new lady is awesome. She matches my personality type perfectly, her hobbies/interests align with mine almost perfectly, everything about it makes sense. I really like this girl a lot, and I'm still seeing her today. Now is where it gets hard, and really confusing to me...A few weeks back, maybe the beginning of July, I was seeing how things were going with my recent ex, and it turns out she wasn't handling things all that well. Her life changed a lot more than mine, to be fair. She had to move, she moved away from her family of 7 years, and kids she'd helped raise. I didn't even change my bedroom. In talking with her, she asked me if I was seeing someone else. I strive to be an honest person, and even knowing it wouldn't end well, I told her about my new relationship, reluctantly. She didn't take it well at all. I know how this is, because I had a similar reaction in the past with an ex that I was positive I was over (it had been a year). She was extremely bothered by it, and I began learning that supposedly, she'd went along with the split because she thought it was what I wanted. It fits her personality type, being the self-sacrificing person she is. And she'd mentioned not actually wanting to split to my mother a couple of weeks before that. She was upset that we didn't do everything we could to fix things, and fight harder for our nearly 8 years total together. She was heartbroken.After this happened, something changed in me. I thought I was ready for what I was doing, but now I felt nothing but extreme guilt and regret for feeling like I destroyed my marriage. I feel like I hurt my wife, a woman I love and care about, regardless of differences, and just tossed her to the wind for something new (even though that is not what happened). Just to verify that I wasn't being crazy, I reread all of the messages between my recent ex wife and I during that time. She definitely said things like "we decided this, I am moving out, and it will all be okay". Even knowing this, I still feel completely awful, and now I'm having second thoughts about whether or not I should give that another chance. She's expressed interest in it, but I'm not sure (nor is she) that she could put recent events away forever. Even though she agreed that I did nothing wrong. More recently, she said something about pushing me away and into the arms of someone else, and she hated her self for screwing up so badly.I've not been sleeping well, and I don't know what to do. The last thing I want to do is lead on my new girlfriend, she does not deserve that by any means. She's an amazing person, and truly deserves to be happy (I could see that being with me, and according to her, it's the happiest she's been). That being said, I also don't want to just throw away the crazy amount of potential I have with her, just because my brain has got itself into a funky state for what might be nothing (or something that will pass). The other side is that I feel like an awful person for not immediately running to my ex wife and working on what we had. I feel selfish, guilt ridden, and just plain awful. Clearly, I was not ready to start something else, but I did, and now I'm here. I suck at life. To be clear, it wasn't all bad with my ex, but we did have a lot we'd have to work on and fix. She's admitted to her shortcomings and what she would need to do. Even apologized for all of it. I have acknowledged mine as well, and apologized for them.I know that only I can decide the right path from here, as it's my life, and I need to decide what will make me the happiest, as well as avoid stomping all over innocent bystanders. But I would definitely like opinions from complete strangers on the internet :) I have friends, family, etc. that are all familiar with this, and I have their input, but I would like some unbiased input (even though it's still slightly biased as told from my point of view).Also, if you've made it this far, thank you. This is a lot to read and take in, and it's my screw up, so I appreciate people even hearing me out. via /r/dating_advice