#(a part of ista against This Guy..)

[lanternlightss]

Silly doodle I made based on the tags you left on the ask answer (in case it’s visually confusing the bottom textbox is read first)

(decarabian design by @gr3yart because both this design and the king have longass hair and “hide” their face in some way)

I was originally imagining if those two ever met, the king would be a similar height to how he was at (act 5? act 6? the point at which you actually defeat him for good and he’s frozen in time) and he’s tall but not floor-to-ceiling tall but this is funnier. Deca being very tall by human standards compared to. The King. Deca constantly yapping about The Divorce while those two have a serious conversation about how to most effectively make things stay the same forever. I am sosososososoosossoo normal :) (resisting the urge to draw and/or write an old mond and isat crossover)

CACKLING SO MUCH ???? HELP ???

this is AMAZING oh my god i love this so much. decarabian just standing in front of the king, fully in “(sigh…) i miss my wife, tails. i miss her a lot.” mode is making me lose it 😭😭 AND HIM CONTINUING TO YAP ABOUT THE DIVORCE AT ANY OPPORTUNITY HEJSHDHD like the imagery of the king carefully trying to preserve a specific memory and here comes deca, who recognizes it for something else, and is just like my wife did that once …. i did not understand at the time why, but looking back, looking at this …. :(

and oh ??? that would be such a fun idea, esp if the king hasn’t fully committed to the. freeze everyone in time decision yet. on the edge of it, about to enact the nightmare …. decarabian getting to know about the universe too and how it deals with wishes would be 👁👁

these two would be on celestia’s “watch OUT” list So Fast.

[emma-m-black]

Lillian Crusher, a What if Multi Chapter Story.

Chapter Five

I had an idea for a story spin on this season's Picard. Where Lillian Crusher is the Daughter of Beverly and Jean-Luc and it was that fact that Beverly became pregnant with her that Jack was formed by our bad guys as a twin to use for their future plans. Kind of my take on the comment from Vadic about when she says something along the lines of "you think he was yours?"

Let me know what you guys think. I have a few chapters done up now and like all my work I post on the interwebs, it is really unedited. So excuse grammar and spelling that you come across, I usually just stream of conscious these for the most part.

All Works Mater List Post

Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four,

Seven, along with the ships, two special guests walked in. “Captain Shaw, sir. May I present Admiral Jean-Luc Picard and Captain William Riker.”

“Gentlemen, please. Come, sit.” Greeted the Captain. ‘“And, Hansen, there really is no need for intros."

Lillian sipped on her wine as she watched the others moved around the table. She noticed both men eyeing her.

“I apologize, Captain. Are we late?” Asked Admiral Picard.

Captain Shaw brought a napkin up to wipe his lips. “Hardly. Just your reputation preceded you so far into the room that we started early. May I introduce my Senior Intelligence Officer? Commander Lillian Crusher.” He motioned with a hand toward Lillian

“Crusher?” Captain Riker questioned as he looked at Admiral Picard. “I don’t remember seeing that name on the crew manifest.”

“The transfer is still going through Sir’s. Please sit.”

Admiral Picard eyed Lillian as he stepped forward. “As a token of appreciation for your hospitality please accept...” Began the Admiral as he handed a bottle of wine to the Captain.

“On, Chateau Picard.” Captain Shaw took the bottle and immediately sat it down away from himself. “That is... that is terrific. I’m much more of a Malbec man myself.”The Captain took another bite of his meal. “Captain Riker, I take you for somewhat of a bourbon-ista.”

“I enjoy the occasional old-fashioned. what gave you that idea?”

Lillian took notice of the Admiral’s continued stares. There was no subtilty to his action, and she knew exactly what he was thinking about, his history with her mother. Reaching for her wine, Lillias brought the glass to her lips and took a large sip.

“Well, the bebop that I had to purge from the system when I took the chair. Speaks to your freewheeling, loosey-goosey Kentucky mash kind of style.”

A choke came out of Lillian at her Captain’s words, and she put her glass back to her lips to hide her smirk.

“Not a fan of jazz?” Asked Captain Riker.

“Mmm. No, I am not. I like structure. I like keeping tempo and time. Which is why you will probably find this inspection boring for the likes of you two.”

“It’s just all in advance of the fleet exercises for Frontier Day. Ensuring the condition of our starships would be boring?” Asked Admiral Picard who had finally dragged his eyes away from Lillian to look at Captain Shaw.

Lillian sat her wineglass down and looked to Captain Riker. “Tell me, why wasn’t I made aware of the notice for inspection?”

“Well, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise had it been announced to the fleet.”

“Yes, but as a notice of surprise inspection is still required to be made in private memo to the Senior Intelligence Officer. Now would be as good a time as any to plan something against Starfleet and those involved in the celebrations.”

“With the amount of pressure on this years celebration’s, inspections were only now just decided upon.” Said Admiral Picard. “The paperwork, as you would say, is still going through. Tell me Commander Crusher, any relation to one Doctor Beverly Crusher?”

Lillian took her napkin and placed it on her plate. “She gave birth to me, yes,” Replied Lillian with a hint of disdain in her voice.

“Such a cold response.” Captain Riker spoke.

“Yes, well, that’s what happen’s when both parties carry a heavy disdain for one another.”

“So you haven’t spoken to your mother recently, then?” Asked Admiral Picard.

Lillian stood from her seat. “Not since I expressed my desire to join Starfleet, and her response was to ship me off. Captain, if you would please excuse me, I have some final preparations to do before our departure.”

“You’re dismissed Commander.” Captain Shaw spoke with a nod of his head.

“Commander.” Lillian spoke as she looked to Seven before turning to the rest of the table. “Sir’s” Then she left.

Lillian made her way towards her quarters but paused at the door, then turned and made her way towards Captain Shaw’s room and used her authorization code to enter the room. “Lights” She called as the door shut behind her. Looking around the room, she found the layout similar to her own. She ran her hands along one of the bookshelves. There were some old earth classics, and many volumes on the engineering, diplomacy and histories of Starfleet.

Lillian made her way towards her quarters but paused at the door then turned and made her way towards Captain Shaw's room and used her authorization code to enter the room. "Lights" She called as the door shut behind her. Looking around the room she found the layout similar to her own. She ran her hands along one of the bookshelf's. There were some old earth classics, and many volumes on engineering, diplomacy and histories of Starfleet.

There were may statues, weapons and other small favors that were most likely collected throughout his many years in Starfleet. Lillian moved throughout the room and eventually she found herself moving around his bed. There was a dresser off to the side and she activated the second one down and found a few basic Titan branded t-shirts. Pulling one out Lillian removed her uniform and slipped into the shirt. Her clothes now discarded on the floor, she pulled a book from one of the shelves and padded barefoot to the couch and laid down.

She was on her stomach a good portion of the way through the book, her bare legs swinging back and forth as she turned the page. The door opened and Lillian turned her head to see Captain Shaw enter the room. When he saw her, he jumped and put a hand on his heart. "Fuck me."

"Well, perhaps that can finally be arranged." Said Lillian from her spot on the couch.

"I would asked how you got in here but I really don't care." Captain Shaw undid the top of his uniform before dropping himself down on the couch next to her." He leaned back and put a hand over his face. "Did you know about this?"

Lillian closed the book and sat herself up. "No, but given the oddness of it all I wouldn't be surprised if the two were connected. Did they give away why they are really here?""

"Some bullshit excuse of showing what the ship is capable of by going off schedule to the Ryton system."

"That's the edge of federation space."

The Captain pulled his hand from his face. "Yup."

Placing the book down on the coffee table, Lillian crawled over and swung a leg across the Captain, and rested herself in his lap. She tucked her hair around her right side to get it out of the way, and she looked at him with a smile.

"So mommy and daddy issues huh?" Lillian felt his hands skirt up her bare thighs as he spoke. "I mean it makes sense. Secret agent. Deadly and seductive, nothing to lose."

"Past trauma and a penance for control." Replied Lillian with a raised eyebrow,

A smile appeared on his face and he looked her up and down before meeting her eyes. "Yeah, you got me there." His hands trailed further until he paused, his pupils dialating. "Commander, are you not wearing underwear?"

"It's Lily." She responded. "And no I'm not, I do believe I left them on your bedroom floor Captain."

"Liam, call me Liam."

[ibelieveinahappilyeverafter]

Patreon Exclusive Drabble Preview - Boku no Hero Academia (Erasermic)

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Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Characters: Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic,  Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead

Rating: Teen Audiences

Alternate Universe: God and Deities 

Summary:  Original Prompt (Given by Patron Istas): Bnha EraserMic. Let's say that it's mostly canon except that it's standard practice for people to dedicate themselves to a patron/deity. Shouta is not particularly well know or liked and he prefers it that way. Then one day, a human attaches themselves to him and curiosity sparked. Shouta takes his duties seriously, so might as well as take a look. He disguises himself in mortal garb and meets Yamada Hizashi. He's instantly smitten. Hizashi has bright goals and dreams, paired with all the determination to make them happen. Shouta could wait until he's older, but humans live such short lives and hero work is dangerous. So you have an ancient god enrolling into high-school with the intent on courting and wooing his human. And he means courting properly. Hizashi  is touched and flustered by this intense, odd, yet really sweet guy.

Basically, deity!Shouta seeing Hizashi and going "I'm gonna marry that man".

Word Count: 1,915

                     hear my prayer up above (and come join me down below)

Smells like… plum blossoms? Consciousness returning slowly from where he often hid between spring breezes and winter clouds, the god let himself be slowly pulled back into the mortal world at the sweet scent that was ridiculously different from he had once been familiar with. An offering? 

Stirring awake more and more, the god that rested in the long abandoned shrine he called home came to realize, groggily, that his small stone shrine tucked away into the darker parts of the woods was… clean. Oh, yes, it was still crumbling at the edges and looked like it was one good storm away from falling apart completely, but it was no longer overgrown and hidden by vines and moss. 

Instead the vines that had grown around it had been cut away, the grass plucked around the edges neatly, and all traces of moss and mold scrubbed away. As if that hadn’t been odd enough, there was a single incense stick burning in the very heart of his shrine, along with an offering of what looked like… mochi. It was a brightly colored, sugary sweet, ridiculous looking mochi that sat there, obviously intended as an offering. 

You have to be kidding me, the deity thought to himself, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that not only was he awake for the first time in what felt like decades, possibly even centuries, but it looked like he had a follower. Not only did he have a follower, but he had a follower that left him mochi. Had his shrine been mistaken for that of another god?

There was no mortal, nor even spirit, in sight of his shrine. The piece of woods he had long since claimed as his own was empty, and it was clear to see that whoever had left the offering was long gone.

I wonder… how long have I slept? The god couldn’t help but feel as if he had slept for longer than he had fully intended. It wasn’t as if there was much to do, however, when one had no followers or worshippers or priests of any kind. His last follower had died sometime around the surge of what the mortals referred to as quirks. 

He supposed that not many wanted to worship a god that was known for leashing and containing the power that mortals wielded — not in a world where power was so much more common. That made him wonder, though, who would go through the effort of trying to gain his attention.

Someone with dark intentions, no doubt. To ask for a god’s blessing with power such as what he held… it would cripple society if his power was used on them all. Ah, he had never been one for the politics of mortals, but he had his own rules and judgements. If this new worshipper of his — if that’s truly what the offerings meant — wanted his power, well, then. 

He could do with some fun after centuries of so little amusement to be had. He was not a noble spirit, that much was certain, but he was just in his own way. If a… villain wanted to use him to harm mortals who had done nothing wrong, well… 

It had been so long since he had any fun. 

That was what he thought he would be dealing with, at least. With what he knew and how the times had passed, he thought for sure that he would be asked for his power to be used against those who didn’t deserve it. Instead… 

“-and Nemuri is totally wrong, by the way, about how lame you are. I mean, sure, okay, you don’t have, like, a temple or anything, but who needs temples? Not many gods have shrines these days, and even less have just a single shrine in a super cool spot in the woods that everyone thinks is haunted. That just means you’re awesome!” 

No, he had not been expecting a teenager that, it seemed, was incapable of shutting up. Oh, yes, he had seen the occasional worshipper or two who would commune with him by talking, but most chose to simply meditate on their thoughts and prayers. This one, however…

[kariachi]

Chapter 2 of the Pern AU. We get friendships and conversations and backstory!

~~

As a rule, riders sat in two different groupings in the Dining Cavern- either you hung out with those of your rank- green with green, bronze with bronze, and so on- or you hung out with your wing. There were exceptions, of course, you never knew who you would become friends with, or who your dragon would insist you become friends with because they and their dragon were friends, but at least seventy percent of the Weyr followed this pattern.

K’vin was not in the seventy percent, especially not right now. Not with how close the bronzers stuck to the Queen’s Table. When the midday meal arrived he grabbed a tray, let a kitchen worker load it down with double servings of everything he wasn’t allergic to (the benefits of being a queenrider, the benefits of being a queenrider whose gold was due to rise within two weeks) and headed to the table claimed by bronze Quenth’s wing. And if he was perfectly honest, even Quenth’s P’rce- a close friend by now- was pushing it with the amount of bronzerider he was willing to deal with today. A fact that apparently showed in his face, because he immediately swapped seats with his sister Helen to be that little bit further away. K’vin ignored this, instead taking his usual spot between M’nuel and his nephew A’ln, across from Dineth’s Gwyn.

Her tray, surprise surprise, was also loaded down, because apparently if you didn’t fill a goldrider- even the youngest juniors- to bursting at every meal their dragons would turn to dust or something. The rest of their group was already in the process of raiding it and moved quickly to begin divvying up his own excess. Really, you’d think they weren’t fed. Though given at least two of them were fellow mutants (and they were all fairly certain A’gi was as well- he shrugged off Threadscore too easily and there was no way a brown Nath’s size was normal, he was at least as big as Quenth was) it wasn’t too surprising. There was a reason the first person to reach for his salt beef (M’hael, always M’hael) nearly lost the hand.

“Okay,” K’vin said, “before anything else, fuck you-” he pointed emphatically at P’rce, who hid, just slightly, behind Helen “-and all your bronzerider buddies over there.”

“They giving you trouble?” Helen asked over her own jealously guarded meal, only for M’nuel to snort.

“Of course they are,” he said, “they do every time one of the queens is set to rise. They’re like locusts.”

“What I don’t get is why,” A’ln added with exasperation. He wasn’t any fonder of the bronzers trying to suck up to his uncle than K’vin was. “You are literally the lowest ranked of the gold riders, what do they have to gain?!”

“Let them be,” C’per said, “this is about the only chance their dragons have to get laid at all with how the greens fly around here.” P’rce clapped a hand to his chest in half-mock offense before his eyes unfocused- a sure sign he was speaking to Quenth, though whether because the bronze was reassuring him that he could fly any green on Pern or because P’rce was assuring the bronze that the bluerider hadn’t meant it and no, do not bring it up to Euth, please, was anyone’s guess.

He wishes Euth to keep C’per in line. Beirith told him, currently laid out in the sun with Dineth and fellow gold Toyamilth, watching the drama unfold with only minimal concern. I have told him to behave.

Thank you. Sure enough, when he came back to the conversation P’rce was shaking his head quietly. The two of them shared a ‘what can you do’ look and shrug across the table.

“-Oebbeith wants to have her fun, I’m not about to stop her,” M’hael was saying, and just about the entire table rolled their eyes at once.

“Yeah,” K’vin said, “that’s all her. It’s not like you’re dramatic and enjoy having people’s hands on you.” M’hael stuck his tongue out at him.

“Oh no,” M’nuel said, “you guys don’t even know! He used to be worse! In the candidate barracks back at Ista? If I never have to see him being that much of an overdramatic asshole again it will be too sharding soon.”

“He can’t have been that bad,” Helen said over M’hael’s groaning, with all the innocence of someone who’d been Searched for and Impressed a clutch behind them and so had never actually had to deal with him during that period. M’nuel shook his head.

“No, I mean it, you could tell he was a Lord’s son, Oebbeith mellowed him out.”

“Which is just a terrifying thought, so I’m not gonna think about it.” It was B’nji M’hael blew a raspberry at this time before turning specifically to K’vin.

“Seriously though, you’re lucky you only have to deal with bronzeriders-”

“Any rank can chase a gold,” Gwyn butted in, never one to let people forget that, especially given A’gi breaking out a grin beside her.

“As you should all know.” P’rce groaned.

“By Quenth’s shell, will you ever shut up about that?! It was one clutch that most of us never even saw!”

“I can confirm,” B’nji said, throwing an arm around his cousin’s shoulder as he leaned around her to address the group as a whole, “Nath did chase and catch on Dineth’s maiden flight. Have to point out though, no gold egg.”

“But,” A’gi interjected, “six bronzes.”

“Because Faranth knows we need more of them.”

“Besides, Dineth hasn’t clutched gold at all, so clearly that’s on her.” At which point Gwyn scowled and smacked A’gi upside the head, leading to a brief shoving match that everyone mostly ignored, though K’vin poked at Beirith to make sure Dineth wasn’t upset.

She and Nath are used to them. Omth is just glad they all no longer share a weryling barrack.

K’vin chuckled then, seeing that the two weren’t going to stop anytime soon, took action.

“Beirith hasn’t clutched gold either.” A’gi waved the statement off, but accepted the distraction and went back to his meal, as did Gwyn.

“Beirith’s only risen twice, give her time.”

“Dineth’s only risen three times.”

“Yeah, but she’s different.”

“Different.”

“She’s Red’s.”

“As I was saying!” M’hael bust in before Gwyn’s offended could settle in, stopping the next fight before it began. “Given bronzes- and Nath- are the only real options to win a goldflight, be glad you just have to deal with them. Everyone has a shot with a greenflight and you can tell they know it from the moment she goes proddy.” He snatched some salt beef from Gwyn while she was distracted. “Swear half the chasing riders in the Weyr eye you up like a dog left unattended with a roast. Especially the blue riders- no offense-”

“None taken,” the three blueriders sat among them chorused.

“-since they know they’ve got the best shot at keeping up.”

“Trust me,” Gwyn said, “we know the feeling. There’s over thirty bronze riders and since neither of us are related to them they all get doggy.” K’vin shivered just thinking about it, though that may have just been the reminder that a portion of them were probably eyeing him right then. That or their dragons were bothering Beirith

Two so far. Should I bite the next one?

Only if you want to, babe, no pressure.

Or they were glaring at P’rce for getting to spend time with him so close to her rising when he avoided them so firmly.

Really this was the part he hated most about being a goldrider. He could handle the work, honestly he enjoyed it, but all the attention. Being a queenrider, even a junior, meant everyone’s eye were on you. Being a mutant, of any species, meant constant looks of disapproval and disdain wherever people learned of it. Being the mutant rider of a mutant gold? Was too much at times. Had been too much at first. He’d even fled the Weyr in those first weeks- with Beirith, of course, she’d been his world since the moment she’d broken shell and run to hide behind him, safe from the judging eyes of their fellows. K’vin had been expected to Impress brown, like his mother’s lost Keth, or blue like his father and damn near every one of his rider siblings- if the Sands had gone quiet when the golden egg had dropped a mass of white and too many limbs for one small body it had gone silent as Between when she chose him.

I chose right. None other was there for me.

I know, and I’m so glad.

But as much as he had loved her, loved her still, that silence had seemed to hang in the air wherever they went. So they’d left. His father and Fireth had had to hunt them down, finding them halfway back to the Smithcrafthall where they’d hoped K’vin would be reaccepted. If that had failed, they’d planned to walk all the way back to the Harperhall and his mother. Looking back it had been a foolish thing, Beirith had still been sleeping through most days, and he wouldn’t have been able to hunt enough for both of them, but at the time it had seemed the only option.

They were glad, now, that the bluepair had managed to talk them into returning. They’d grown into their place, were mostly accepted anymore, and had good friends now that they hadn’t had before. But the attention still grated harsh against K’vin’s skin, and he knew it still made his gold selfconcious.

“Listen,” P’rce said, breaking him out of his little spiral even as Beirith leaned her mind comfortingly on his and he leaned back, “if either of you need me to talk to the other bronzeriders, just say the word.” Oh they never would. He had a wing, was on the Council, but he was still young and most bronzers wouldn’t pay attention to him complaining about their behavior towards queens. If they needed it they would go to one of the other queenriders and she and hers would put them in line as best they could.

“And,” he turned specifically to M’hael, “if anyone makes you uncomfortable, tell me, and either I’ll talk to them or I’ll make their wingleader talk to them, alright?” That was more likely and the rising riders all grinned at him.

“I knew there was a reason we kept you,” K’vin said. P’rce grinned back.

“I thought it was because you liked my sister.”

“She is pretty cute,” M’hael said, as casually as if Thiayeath hadn’t caught Oebbeith twice before, “but I think that’s a family trait.” The siblings blew raspberries at him in unison while the rest of them groaned exaggeratedly and rolled their eyes.

“Oebbeith didn’t fly two days ago and already he’s back on his bullshit.”

“Could be worse, last time Narolth rose I saw G’anra trying to get with that harper journeyman they had stationed here the same night.”

“No!”

“Yes!”

As the gossip started flowing around him, K’vin put his attention back to his food. He could feel Beirith’s coming heat in his spine and his friends and food made for a good distraction from it.

Quenth is attractive, Beirith said, almost a purr in his mind. What do you think of His?

He’s handsome, smart, and decent. He’s on the list of allowed chasers.

Good. She stretched and let him feel it in his own limbs. Once you’ve eaten, we’ll go hunting.

There’s plenty of herdbeast here at the Weyr if you’re hungry.

I want to hunt though. He chuckled quietly.

Alright, babe, whatever you want.

[voyage-in-the-dark]

tagged

Tagged by @empathdean I’m not going to tag anyone and I’m just doing this for fun bc I thought the questions were cool and I like to analyze myself lol.

what is one fictional character you feel is similar to you?

This is actually really hard to answer. My mind actually draws a total blank despite me reading around 200 books a year lol. Part of it is that there’s very little ISFJs in fiction; most of them are Fi-doms (especially ISFPs), and I rarely feel a high degree of relatability. Cough calling authors out to STOP writing Fi-doms and Ni-doms please for the love of God

Okay, I found some characters I relate to: Zoe from Troubled Waters (she has this passive/reflective air; but she’s also way more dynamic than me), and Gentian from Bones of the Fair (she has this detached quality where she finds a lot of things amusing, which I totally relate to; but she’s also way more lowkey than me).

favourite season(spring/summer/autumn/winter)?

Probably autumn or winter for the cold temperature. 21 years of living in humid 30 degrees temperature every day is enough heat for me for the rest of my life, thanks.

what country/countries would you like to visit if you could?

Every country possible lol. Every culture and country has its own unique and interesting feel that I would love to find out more about.

describe your fav type of ship/friendship dynamic.

(RUBS MY HANDS TOGETHER) THIS IS THE QUESTION I HAVE BEEN DYING TO ANSWER. WHERE DO I BEGIN.

Sorry guys, most of my examples are het.

1) Irresistible force meets immovable object: Lizzie and Darcy from Pride & Prejudice (Zoe/Darien from Troubled Waters; Tess/Bakhtian from Jaran). Lizzie and Darcy have this wonderful push-pull dynamic -- irresistible force meets immovable object is one of my favorite dynamics of all time. The way the two of them bat the conversation ball to each other is so witty and playful and fun to read and also intensely charged. They’re both so proud and so prejudiced, but they’re both willing to bend towards each other.

2) I don’t know how to summarize this dynamic, but the best example is Attolia and Gen from Queen’s Thief. I love when the female character is competent, powerful, and older and the partner is playful, younger, and cheerful. I am trash for this type of dynamic and this type of female character. (Maskelle, Rennyn Claire, Ista...)

3) Can’t describe this either, but Moon and Stone from the Raksura series. Moon is suspicious, firm, honest, and protective (I’ll eat my hat if he’s not an ISFP, but I do think he’s kinda hot lol), while Stone is indifferent, grumpy, and has an overinflated sense of his own importance (he’s just a grumpy grandpa). The two of them have this amazing  grumpy grandpa/suspicious son dynamic that’s hilarious, they get exasperated by each other all the time. I love this kind of mentor-student relationship (Ripred and Gregor from Underland chronicles, Haymitch and Katniss from Hunger Games too)

4) Sibling relationships. Gregor and Boots from Underland chronicles. Katniss and Prim from Hunger Games, Eliza and Angelica from Hamilton. I love sibling relationships, but it’s astonishingly rare to see siblings who get along or are even close in fiction.

fav food from your culture?

(Off the top of my head) I’m not sure whether all these count as my culture but they can all be found in Singapore: my mom’s food, Korean hotpots, any kind of kimchi food, mango pudding, laksa, dim sum, any kind of food with mala spice, mochi ice cream..........

what is one book/film/story that left a mark on you in some way?

It’s too cruel to choose one. The few names that have shaped me a lot are: Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, the Raksura series, the Queen’s Thief series..........

if you could have any superpower, which would you choose and why?

Speak, read, and understand any language I want. Not only is it massively convenient, I also love languages. I’m just imagining myself reading the Pokemon Sun Pokedex entries in all of its 9 playable languages HAHA.

fav genre of music?

Hamilton and The Hamilton Mixtape LOL. I know they are albums and not genres but honestly their sound is so good. I only remember I like pop.

what is your fav myth/fairy tale and why?

Persephone, because of that wonderful retelling David Almond gave in Skellig:

“We thought of Persephone for a while in silence. I imagined her struggling her way toward us. She squeezed through black tunnels. She took wrong turns, banged her head against the rocks. Sometimes she gave up in despair and she just lay weeping in the pitch darkness. But she struggled on. She waded through icy underground streams. She fought through bedrock and clay and iron ore and coal, through fossils of ancient creatures, the skeletons of dinosaurs, the buried remains of ancient cities. She burrowed past tangled roots of great trees. She was torn and bleeding but she kept telling herself to move onward and upward. She told herself that soon she’d see the light of the sun again and feel the warmth of the world again.”

And the women of the Iliad and the Odyssey -- Penelope and Helen of Troy. Penelope because it’s never clear whether she has been deceiving her husband all this time -- and I love to think she is so devious and enigmatic that it’s impossible to pin her down. Helen because they worshiped her. She is almost half-divine in the text. She is this enigmatic, elusive and charismatic presence, as though the words are too small to contain her. 

what subject(s) would you study in school if there were no restrictions at all?

I don’t know what subjects these are, but I want to learn about: eco-systems (Planet Earth-style lol), all branches of literature, linguistics, politics, world religions/religion systems, history (depressing as hell but I want to learn), and social/cultural anthropology.

[lincolnbrendt]

With shaky knees, and one more squeeze of Mallory’s soft, warm hand, Lincoln stood up. He walked the few steps up to the small stage, being forced to duck his head beneath the lights to do so.

“Um h-he-h-hel-hello…,” he started nervously. “M-My name is Li-L-Lincoln…” For a moment, he looked around - anticipating the judgmental looks he might receive. He saw none. He looked then at Mallory. Mallory who made him forget that he was the guy who couldn’t spit out a sentence without tripping over his words. She gave him a smile and a nod and a thumbs up. He felt like maybe he could string some sentences together then.

“Yes my… name is Lin-coln… m-most of you know me as-as the bar-b-bari-ista. Um… many of my p-poem…poems have be-been read on these n-nights but never b-by me. I’m sure you-you did-didn’t notice, but I have a b-bit of a sp-eech… problem. So-so if y-you c-ould b-be pati-tient that would be m-much… appreciated.” He looked at Mallory again. Smiles. Nodded.

“This poem-poem is about my wife. I hope y-you enjoy it…”

He unfolded the small piece of paper and took a deep breath, remembering the times he practiced in the mirror and shower and everywhere. He wanted this to be good. He wanted to do it right.

“When I walk into the room, it’s deafening. All I can hear is everything that’s happening. Footsteps whispers voices the pop of bubblegum the steam of the espresso machine. When I walk into a room, it’s deafening.” He paused, congratulating himself for just one moment. “When she walks into a room, it goes silent. I no longer hear the wind blowing or cups clinking or pages turning. I hear the violent, brutal thump of my heart against my rib cage. It’s never seen such a beautiful thing. I’ve never seen such a beautiful thing. I memorize her drink order like it’s the last thing I’ll ever hear and I think I’d be okay if it was because I’ve never heard such a beautiful voice. She quiets a loud and chaotic mind and I never knew how much I needed that peace until I had it.”

Another pause, this time some people clapped and he smiled.

“I take her in my arms and I think she must be able to hear the rattling of my heart in its cage, he smile setting it free in a way I never knew it capable of. I kiss her once twice three times four times and then a fifth time because I have to make sure I did it right. Then another five times because I love her with a love my soul has never known.” Turning the paper over, he continued. “I lock the door five times because I need to know she’s safe. I turn the lights on and off five times because I can’t sleep unless I’ve done that. Then one night I lock the door once because being by her side is more important than the number five. Then one night I turn the light off only once because watching her dream in the dimly lit room is more important than the number five. Then one night I kiss her seven times, but I know it was perfect after the first one. She is more important than anything because she quiets a loud and chaotic mind.”

He looked at Mallory whose eyes were brimming with tears and she smiled at him, another thumbs up.

“It’s cold the day I say goodbye. My fragile heart never trusts that the love I give is matched. My fragile heart tells me I’m just a problem to be solved. I wish more than anything that my fragile heart would shut up for once. I kiss her only one time, a small goodbye kiss on the cheek. It isn’t perfect like she deserves. Not because I only kissed her once but because it was a goodbye kiss for a goodbye I wish I’d never said.”

More cheers from the audience, a particularly loud burst of applause from the table filled with his friends.

“I sit beside a bed that I’d do anything to be in instead. I hold her hand, squeeze it as if that will bring life back into it but she’s empty and because she’s empty so will I. How will the world expect me to accept this? How does anyone expect me to let this happen? I fight with a fight-“ His voice cracked and he didn’t know if he could finish but he cleared his throat. “I fight with a fight I didn’t know my fragile little heart had in it. I fight for her because she’s the only thing that matters. I fight for her because my mind is no longer quieted by her presence it is frantic and desperate and miserable. How, I ask the universe, how dare you give me this beautiful reprieve from the darkness in my head and then take it away? She was my light she was my light she is my light and you can’t just turn her off.” His voice broke again and he looked to Mallory who had tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I tell the world if they take her they can take me because a life in the darkness is no life at all. I am a coward. A man who feigns bravery but would dive for an emergency exit if the lights went out. She is my light. I can’t see a world without her and I say I wouldn’t want to. I am selfish in the way I speak and a coward in the way I act but I cannot live without her.”

Now Mallory’s cries grew heavy and her smile was shaky. Lincoln’s voice broke again and he had to take a moment to compose himself.

“I see her eyes and wonder if I’m dreaming. I see them again and realize I’m not. I see them once more and think I could drown in the ocean of love that I feel when I see her beautiful eyes. It had been too long and I love her too much. She has parts of me I didn’t mean to give away and I was all the more fragile because of it but she came back, bearing these broken parts of me as if they’re gifts that I had missed in their absence. I tell her to keep them as long as she promises to never leave again. She promises. We sit in our wheelchairs in a room where we promise to love one another until death do us part but I know that our love will spread long beyond the confines of death because the love she gives me and the love I give her will never disappear. It will always come back to us.”

He took a shaky breath and nodded to himself.

“I only turn the lights off once now. I only lock the door once now. But god as my witness I have never and will never take that fifth kiss for granted again. Thank you.”

For a moment there was some sort of beautiful silence until everyone in the cafe began cheering wildly. They stood up and Lincoln had never felt more truly proud of himself as he did in that moment. He rushed off of the stage to hug Mallory who cried into his chest and he held her like he may never let go.

“Did you like it?,” he asked, pulling away a few inches - only enough to see her teary-eyed face.

“That was… I’m…” She let out another cry before nodding. “I’m so proud of you. That was the best piece I think you’ve ever written. I’m so so proud of you, Lincoln.”

He kissed her, smiling against her lips and kissed her four more times after that.

“I woul-wouldn’t be able to have d-do-done it w-with-thout you…”

After a few more moments, Davis tugged on Lincoln’s sleeve.

“Uh… bro, I think you have some fans…”

He turned around and a huge amount of the audience had stood up and come over to him.

“Do you have any prints of that?”

“Can I get a picture with you?”

“I’m posting that on YouTube.”

“That was amazing!”

“Can I get an autograph before you’re famous?!”

Lincoln smiled, looking at Mallory because she made the room seem quiet again.

“Alright everyone, line up, we’ll get everyone taken care of-“ Daisy said, pulling two chairs up for Lincoln and Mallory at a small table. “Let’s keep the volume down and the atmosphere a little calmer, okay? Okay. Now get in line, everyone will get their turn!”

Without hesitation, Lincoln sat down at the table and Mallory sat next to him. The line of people was intimidating, but with his wife by his side, he found himself feeling invincible.