#Fiona Broome

[elblogdecleo]

The Mandela Effect: A Fascinating Psychological Phenomenon

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🖤 Black History Month ❤️

💛 Queer Books by Black Authors 💚

[ List Under the Cut ]

🖤 Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender ❤️ Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta 💛 Warrior of the Wind by Suyi Davies Okungbowa 💚 I'm a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De La Cruz 🖤 Real Life by Brandon Taylor ❤️ Ruthless Pamela Jean by Carol Denise Mitchell 💛 The Unbroken by C.L. Clark 💚 Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova 🖤 Skin Deep Magic by Craig Laurance Gidney ❤️ The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi 💛 That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole 💚Work for It by Talia Hibbert

🖤 All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson ❤️ The Deep by Rivers Solomon 💛 How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters 💚 Running With Lions by Julian Winters 🖤 Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters ❤️ This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender 💛 The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum 💚 This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow 🖤 Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa ❤️ Black Boy Joy by Kwame Mbalia 💛 Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 💚 The Wicker King by K. Ancrum

🖤 Pet by Akwaeke Emezi ❤️ You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson 💛 Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole 💚 Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron 🖤 Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann ❤️ A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney 💛 Power & Magic by Joamette Gil 💚 The Black Veins by Ashia Monet 🖤 Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon ❤️ The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow 💛 Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James 💚 Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

🖤 The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta ❤️ Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee 💛 A Phoenix First Must Burn (edited) by Patrice Caldwell 💚 Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson 🖤 Things We Couldn't Say by Jay Coles ❤️ Black Boy Out of Time by Hari Ziyad 💛 Darling by K. Ancrum 💚 The Secrets of Eden by Brandon Goode 🖤 Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé ❤️ Off the Record by Camryn Garrett 💛 Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers 💚 Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

🖤 How to Dispatch a Human by Stephanie Andrea Allen ❤️ Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans 💛 The Essential June Jordan (edited) by Jan Heller Levi and Christoph Keller 💚 A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark 🖤 A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney ❤️ Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo 💛 Dread Nation by Justina Ireland 💚 Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome 🖤 Masquerade by Anne Shade ❤️ One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite 💛 Soulstar by C.L. Polk 💚 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell

🖤 Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender ❤️ Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby 💛 Coffee Will Make You Black by April Sinclair 💚 The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi 🖤 If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann ❤️ Sweethand by N.G. Peltier 💛 This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron 💚 Better Off Red by Rebekah Weatherspoon 🖤 Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett ❤️ Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez 💛 Memorial by Bryan Washington 💚 Patsy by Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn

🖤 Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon ❤️ How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole 💛 Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackosn 💚 Mouths of Rain (edited) by Briona Simone Jones 🖤 Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia ❤️ Love's Divine by Ava Freeman 💛 The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr 💚 Odd One Out by Nic Stone 🖤 Symbiosis by Nicky Drayden ❤️ Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas 💛 The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons 💚 Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

🖤 Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert ❤️ My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson 💛 Pleasure and Spice by Fiona Zedde 💚 No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull 🖤 The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus ❤️ Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor 💛 The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin 💚 Peaces by Helen Oyeyem 🖤 The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk ❤️ Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh 💛 Bingo Love by Tee Franklin, Jenn St-Onge, Joy San 💚 The Heart Does Not Bend by Makeda Silvera

🖤 King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender ❤️ By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery 💛 Busy Ain't the Half of It by Frederick Smith & Chaz Lamar Cruz 💚 Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo 🖤 Sin Against the Race by Gar McVey-Russell ❤️ Trumpet by Jackie Kay 💛 Remembrance by Rita Woods 💚 Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo 🖤 You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour ❤️ The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters 💛 Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi 💚 Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyem

[mrs-barnes-rogers-writes]

A Second Chance Is A Better Chance - Part 13

Marvel AU

Pairing: Alpha Steve Rogers x Omega Witch Reader, eventual ? x Omega Witch Reader and Alpha Steve Rogers X Omega Witch Reader

Summary: Rejected by your true mate at 21, you’ve given up on the Fates and the Moon Goddesses giving you a second chance. Being a Roamer for the last 9 years, you’re an Omega hardened by the world. You’re safe on your own because of your witchcraft, but it doesn’t stop Alphas and plenty of others sniffing around, especially when you’re an unmated Omega witch, who’s wolf also happens to be white, the rarest kind. You don’t need anyone, but why do you keep coming back to Brookville and why do you keep walking into trouble and helping people that you don’t know but for some strange reason feel like family. And where is that smell of apple pie coming from?

Series Warnings: A/B/O, eventual smut, violence in parts, witchcraft, shapeshifters

Chapter Summary: Have you survived the fight and fall?

Chapter Warnings: Witchcraft

Pain. That was what you felt first. Then a hum of voices, like you were underwater. Familiar scents dashed around your nose. Your cloak was pulled firmly around you and you felt yourself rise from the floor. Were there arms around you? Shouts and gruff voices, and a hand in yours, whooshing of brooms, then silence again.

Later, beeping and harsh lights, shouts of an argument and your name and then darkness.

Then there’s something on top of you, blankets you think and the smell of lavender, as whispers of spells haunt your dreams. Then it’s dark again.

You’re not sure how long has passed when you fully start to wake. You don’t know where you are but you know that you’re safe. Scents of Frank, Billy and the pack fill the room, with a hint of Storm, Jean and Logan mixed in. You’re sure Fiona’s mixed in there too but her scent's different somehow.

You hear Frank and Billy’s voices and slowly begin to open your eyes. Frank and Billy. Your Frank and Billy. Your Frankie and Billy Boy? Your Alpha and Beta? Could they be? They weren’t your second chance, not officially but did that matter? Did anything else really matter anymore? As long as you could be happy together, that would be ok right? Billy had saved your life during the fight and you’d saved his in return. You’d all saved each other over and over. This could work right? You needed to wake up and speak to your boys. You tried to force yourself awake as you began to listen to their hushed conversation.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you something.” Frank asked.

Billy nodded in reply.

“Elektra mentioned when you were hit with that spell, y/n, she told you to think of something good.”

Billy nodded again

“What’d you think of?”

Billy let out a sigh.

“Not what you’re guessing.”

Frank pointed at you, layng in the hospital bed.

“A little.”

“Maria?”

Billy nodded a single tear running down his face.

“Hey, come on now.” Frank replied throwing an arm around him.

“I’m such an asshole.”

“Bill.”

“Listen” Billy replied getting more upset, “she’s saving my life, I’m laying there because I took my eyes off what I should have been doing, to fucking flirt with her, in a battle zone, and I’m laying there and she’s saying think of something, think of something good, and for a second I thought of her. I swear I did Frankie, and then I was choking on that stuff and even as she’s saving me, she disappeared and it was Maria. It was her and the little ones and….”

Billy began to sob and Frank held him tightly. Glancing at you Frank had a realisation. As much as he loved you, as much as he adored you, as much as he appreciated you and everything you’d done for his pack, and as much as he was drawn to you, you would never be his. Or Billy’s. They could never love you as much as they had loved Maria. It wasn’t fair to keep hold of you. It wasn’t fair to hold you back.

Frank would burn the world down for you and so would Billy, but you weren’t their second chance and the more Frank thought about it, he knew they wouldn’t get one. Maria had been it for the them. Billy hadn’t even had that long with her but she was it for him too.

“I don’t want to let her go Frankie but we have to don’t we?” he sniffed.

“Yeah bud, we do.”

Frank continued to hold Billy as he sniffled, not noticing the single tear that ran down your face.

Maybe Agatha was right, maybe nobody would ever want you.

Enjoy this fic? Fancy a cuppa? My Ko-Fi.

Comment to go on the taglist!!!

@animegirlgeeky @jvanilly @slut4srogers

[mornyavie]

I like that the term "Mandela effect" has become a common silly shorthand for "wow it's funny how many of us remembered that wrong," because the person who came up with the term is absolutely incensed that no one takes her parallel universe theory seriously.

It's like opposite Occam's Razor. Confronted with the choice between "lots of US adults have kinda hazy memories on South African politics circa 1985" and "thousands of people have glitched over from an alternate reality that's exactly the same except that Nelson Mandela died," Fiona Broome is firmly standing up for the latter.

[sister-cna-reader]

I kinda want a fic where another girl has a crush on Damain but hates Anya cause she gets all the attention from him. So she tries to Sabotage her but it fails because Anya has read her mind (and the poor girl thinks she is trying to ruin her best friend scheme.)

It was the rejection of her love confession that sent the second daughter of Berlint’s most successful mortician into a flurry of plans. 

It wasn’t fair! He didn’t even like that pink haired Anya! She was just keeping him all for herself and not letting other girls have a chance! 

Damian would stop hanging out with that disaster soon enough! 

But nothing she tried ever seemed to stick! 

The gym uniform she broke a pen over, spraying ink over the white fabric while the girl was distracted was traded in for a new, larger size.  The attempts to trip were side stepped with unerring accuracy. 

She didn’t even sit in the gum on her chair! 

She hated Anya Forger, who had boys orbiting her stupid hair cones day after day. 

~~

Anya knew that Hailey liked Damian, her thoughts an eerie parallel to Fiona Frost’s obsessions with her dad. 

Its just… World Peace was kind of important! She’d gladly let Hailey talk to the Desmond whenever, but Anya needed to secure the Friendship Scheme in case Mama’s friendship scheme with Damian’s Mom fell through. 

And they were 13 for goodness sake! Papa’s favorite saying right now was “Study Now, Love Later.” 

Hailey could wait a few more years before trying to act on whatever that jumble of hearts and sparkles was about. 

Another day, another attempt from Hailey.  

As she dodged the broom aimed for her ankles, Anya wondered if her school nuisance would be a good distraction for the white haired spy.  

Damian needed to hurry up and invite Anya over already before her Hailey started escalating.

[sgtmickeyslaughter]

Wip Wednesday

Thanks for the tag @sam-loves-seb, but man what an awful way to find out at 10:30 pm that it is actually Wednesday, not Tuesday, and (presumably) has been all day. Brb, checking some work emails I sent out today!

Once again, much like a flatbread variety, this is unproofed - but did anyone say Fiona's wedding but fuck Caleb? Can I get a fuck Caleb anyone?

The bathroom door slammed open with the force Ian used to back into it, distracted by Mickey’s quick hands working on the layers of buttons that made up his rented groomsmen suit.

“You look so fucking hot” Ian grit out, allowing himself to be backed against the row of white sinks on the opposite wall by Mickey’s guiding hands and hips. 

Mickey had walked into the event hall at Our Lady of Tepeyac wearing Lip’s old grey suit and a new tie, a deep, jeweled shock of navy that accented his blue eyes and dark hair. Ian wasted no time rushing to pin a white rose boutonniere to his lapel, using it as an excuse to pull him in the direction of the men's room.

“Gonna’ give the priest the shock of his fuckin’ life if you don’t lock that door” Ian murmured, contradicting himself with the possessive hand he kept firmly on Mickey’s ass over the grey slacks. 

With a hum, Mickey undid his belt in lieu of answering, grinning salaciously as he bent his head to mouth at Ian’s neck, puncturing his disinterest in all matters of Priests and Locks by incessantly rolling his hips.

The sudden sound of retching interrupted the two men, who peeled away from one another with twin scowls. Lip was bent over one of the toilets, his light white shirt ruffled and poking out of his light blue vest, the room quickly soured with the smell of vodka and bile. 

“If you could go find a broom closet to fuck in I’d really applicate it” Lip snapped, his words echoing out of the bowl. 

The two men straightened and pulled away, adjusting their suits. As Lip gagged again, Ian nodded at the door, sending Mickey out with a pat on his shoulder. He was all too happy to leave Ian to deal with his brother and hustled out with the sound of dress shoes on tile resounding in the spacious bathroom. 

linking the other snippets of this that I've posted 1 and 2

tagging: @spookygingerr @jrooc @mmmichyyy @callivich @gallawitchxx

@catgrassplantdad @iansw0rld @solitarycreaturesthey @thepupperino

[milfbius]

marrow

a kiamei playlist (spotify link)

tracklist + lyric selections below cut

part 1: mei

nobody dies - thao & the get down stay down

I send all of it, I take all of it I send all of it and then you send You send it all back to me

2. cosmonauts - fiona apple

When you resist me, hon', I cease to exist Because I only like the way I look when looking through your eyes And when you come back You commemorate the penetration of the sun into the deep, dark sky

3. moonstruck - los campesinos!

You and me, antipodes The Earth's collapse, we finally meet

4. living room, ny - laura stevenson

So I’ll fold the world to be there tonight 'Cause I want to fall asleep on your time I want to fall asleep where you lie I want to fall asleep with you shifting by my side

5. anything you love - art in manila

I've come to show my self I'm a love that won't die I will never let go

part 2: kiana

self-destruct - origami angel

Back when I was happy I was cool, wasn't tortured By this thing inside my head I felt therе was purpose in my life When I could bе who I wanted all the time Now I sit in silence Wishing that I could hear you say my name

2. faraway lightning - moonface

I search the sky at night for a sign of your violence

3. broom people - the mountain goats

I write down good reasons to freeze to death In my spiral ring notebook But in the long tresses of your hair I am a babbling brook

4. maps - yeah yeah yeahs

Wait, they don't love you like I love you Wait, they don't love you like I love you Maps Wait, they don't love you like I love you

5. this tornado loves you - neko case

My love, I am the speed of sound I left them motherless, fatherless Their souls dangling inside-out from their mouths But it's never enough

I want you

part 3: bonus tracks

there is a light that never goes out - the lucksmiths (smiths cover)

And if a double-decker bus crashes into us To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die And if a ten tonne truck kills the both of us To die by your side, well, the pleasure, the privilege is mine

2. marrow - thao & the get down stay down

I've got grief in my marrow Will you marry me still? I'm one of two on the straight and the narrow And I'm coming for you

3. honkai world diva (movie ver.) - mika kobayashi

I can hear the voices of thе people I miss in this final song I would tremble just to hold them once more

[shooting-star-hearts]

♡•Glitter For Skin•♡

✰ • 𝓟𝓐𝓘𝓡𝓘𝓝𝓖 ⇢ Cloud Strife/OC(Astrid Lovelyn) ✰ • 𝓣𝓗𝓔𝓜𝓔𝓢 ⇢ Fluff/comfort, Angst ✰• 𝓝𝓞𝓣𝓔𝓢 ⇢ Considering that this is oc x canon there will be...some things I changed that differ from canon ff7, such as Highwind scene...yeah I was a bit scared to add that one in sooooo no hate please? Thank you. Also I have horrible writing so I apologize for having to go through this if you choose do so 🥲 Anyhow...I wrote up this fic because it's been three years I've had this lil ship so...Happy Anniversary Cloustrid 💖(I'll also tag as x reader for anyone that wants to use as inspiration I'll allow it) ✰ • 𝓦𝓐𝓡𝓝𝓘𝓝𝓖𝓢 ⇢ Heartaches, Mention of a cut/blood, Suggestive at some point(implied nsfw) nothing explicit but do be mindful that this is 16+, no proofread(?), Cloud is a bit...ooc I think, he talks a little more than usual

Now playing - golden hour by JVKE

“Ouch!”

As a reflex, the paper flew from her grasp and was gently curled over the thin cut.  Her thumb soothed over the little red slit with her brows furrowing slightly; the cut was small but admittingly it did cause a bit of an annoyance to her finger. 

“Astrid~”

Tifa’s voice was followed by the jingling of the bells over the door, signaling someone’s entrance in the bakery. Astrid’s eyes left from her cut momentarily to flash a smile at her.

“Hey Ti! Closed up early?” 

“Mhm…You alright?” The dark-haired woman made her way around the counter, her eyes followed down at Astrid’s finger.

“A-ah- yeah! Just a paper cut! Hang on..” Astrid didn’t want to further concern Tifa. She opened up one of the cabinet doors under the counter, shuffling around items in search of band-aids. 

Tifa was already ahead of knowing what she needed.  “Need band-aids? I believe there’s some upstairs” “Actually that won’t be necessary, I’ll deal with it late-”

Before Astrid could reply, she heard the bells ring again and the door closing. Chuckling, she smiled at how sweet Tifa was being despite the case not being serious.

. . . . .

“How was business today? I’m guessing busy telling from how they were visiting my bakery immediately afterwards~”

“You bet!” Tifa wrapped a small, thin band-aid around Astrid’s ring finger. 

Evening on a weekend, perfect for when these two want to hang out after their shorter shifts. It had been two years and a half since Astrid’s official opening to her bakery, Promised Land, and since then she had been extremely happy over the fact that both her and Tifa’s business had brought them closer.

“You weren’t too overwhelmed I hope?”

“Tifa…you’re asking as if this is the first time I’ve dealt with a large crowd!” She laughed. 

“I know you’re capable but…being how you’re the only one working for yourself…you know you could always ask Fiona to help out, right?”

“I know! But you two seem s~o happy together even when you’re working! I can’t take that away~” The brunette shot a friendly tease at her.

Tifa simply averted her eyes and chuckled, a faint blush painted on her upper cheeks. “I don’t think one day of not being around me would kill her.”

“Oh c’mon, have you seen how clingy she is with you? I’m not lying when I say there isn’t one conversation I have had with her where she doesn’t mention your name~” Astrid’s teasing was full on Aerith-like at this point.

The more the brunette teased about Tifa’s love life, the more red on Tifa’s cheeks became visible from her smiling. 

“Alright, tough cookie…but seriously, I just wanna be sure you have the help you need, at least let me help out with tidying up some things around here?”

“Well, there isn’t much more to be done but…I know you won't say no either.” The girl titled her head.

Tifa pointed a finger gun at Astrid and clicked her tongue. “You know me~!” She went on to pick a broom and started sweeping away.

A new source of warmth entered the room as the sun set, pointing right at Astrid across the room as she stared at her band aid once more. Upon noticing the change in atmosphere, her green eyes softened at the new color that painted the walls of the bakery interior, her favorite color at that.

Gold.

The color of the sunset.

The color of their deal.

…And of course, the color of his hair.

Sunsets never failed to make her think of that one person during these times of the day. Ever since the first day of their budding friendship, a friendship that was sealed by their own hearts and a deal. Some may say childish for such a silly thing, but it wasn’t like anyone would understand how much that alone affected each other throughout their life. Even when starting out as outcasts, it didn’t take much for them to mean the world for one another. 

“Hey…did Cloud happen to text you?”

Tifa stopped in her tracks, a smile tugged her lips without facing the shorter lady.

“He…did say he’d come back early but…”

“Don’t worry.”

She turned around, flashing a reassuring grin, remembering the short conversation she had with Cloud earlier.

“...He’ll be here soon.”

. . . . .

Orange sunset: “Warmth and comfort”

“...You’re really good at that.”

Any kid—or adult for that matter—in this village would recognize that voice as the weird kid, or one of them at least. It was a strange interaction for the two children to face each other after all those times of visiting and having their moms bond since they were just babies, but now? It felt as though they had just met for the first time. Except by this point, they were longing for a friend to talk to, so one would say….it was only natural that they’d end up like this, somehow, someway.

The young brunette’s lips parted from the flute, cutting off the soft melodies that escaped from it. From the corner of her eyes, she saw him. His blue eyes—non-mako at the time—glistened widely in fascination with the girl’s talent. Then again, in all his years of knowing who Astrid Lovelyn was, he didn’t really know her.

“...Cloud?”

The same could be said for the brunette herself, or as 10 year old Cloud would know as the girl that feared him. He expected nothing more than seeing her run off to her room whenever she was aware of the boy’s presence.

…Or so he thought.

“...Thank you…!”

…So when he heard those two words ring in his ears, this took him by surprise. He’d ask her to repeat again but seeing he had gotten this far, he was pulled to talk further with her.

Except he couldn’t gather the words to create another sentence, he just…stood there, findling with his fingers.

♪Pink and orange skies, feelin' super childish♪

Cloud had only one plan: Ask her why she was being attacked by Tifa’s friends and go back to his lonesome self for the rest of his day, instead it felt like he was confronting a kitten that needed to be handled with extra care; one wrong move could cause some serious consequences.

Wait…why was this kid worried? I mean, he’s seen what this girl is capable of doing, she did scold the kids that lied about him convincing Tifa to endanger herself on Mt. Nibel. Albeit she isn’t violent as Cloud is but seeing her stand up for him deepened his curiosity of what else she was on about.

“Hey…are you okay?”

The tables had turned with who was the shy one in this case.

Cloud’s upper body moved back slowly at Astrid leaning forward to take a look at his expressions better. When the hell did she stand up? He hadn’t even been able to process the fact that he was standing the closest he’s ever been to her. The blonde was desperate to form words to tell, but nothing could rip from his throat to respond besides the common “uh..”

Oh shoot, is she smiling? Was it because he had just embarrassed himself in front of her by being such a dork? Or maybe the blonde just hadn’t considered how lovely he looked with tangerine hues glistening up his miniature spikes and blue eyes yet.

His eyes drifted from the young girl’s emerald orbs, finding himself staring at books leaning against each other. 

“What are…” His finger finished the rest of his question while pointing, intentionally diverting Astrid away from him before she could notice his blushing.

The brunette’s pigtails swayed in rhythm whilst turning her head, following the direction he was hinting at. “Oh..those? They're just…boring stuff.” 

She walked back over and picked up one of her books, showing off the cover to Cloud, “Growth in Gardening” it read.

“Stuff on gardening…stupid, I know.”

It was fast how Astrid instantly dissed her own interest. “...But you like it, right?” Was simply how he could respond. He wasn’t about to lie and pretend he knew anything about gardening, I mean, boy thinks flowers all look the same.

But, judging by how lush and flourishing the plantation had grew near Astrid’s house, this was definitely her biggest passion, or at least, one of possibly many others

“I do, but others think it’s weird for a girl to be working outside just to get all muddy and sweaty…” She sat down, flipping over a few pages to the section of yellow lilies. “So…I don’t really have anyone else to talk to about them besides my mom and…”

“…who?” Cloud tilted his head.

“...The plants that I grew.” She chuckled to herself. She must’ve felt like a freak in front of him. Guess all that outcasting really affected how she saw herself too.

“...Oh.” 

That was the only thing Cloud could murmur before letting the crickets fill in the rest of the silence. Astrid noticed his eyes averting from the corner of her eyes. By this point, the young blonde had completely forgotten the entire reason why he had come to visit her in the first place. He had considered leaving before things got more awkward–

“So…why did you come see me?”

Oh, that’s why he was there.

“Not that I don’t want you to be here but…you haven’t come to visit in so long…”

“...Why were those kids bugging you?”

“Oh…that…” She sighed, recalling how foolish she had put herself into trouble, only for Cloud to get pulled in just to defend her. “I overheard how they lied about you getting Tifa into danger, they were being jerks to you. It’s not fair how they’re doing this to you…I couldn’t just…stand there…”

“But you would’ve gotten yourself hurt.”

Astrid blinked at how Cloud saw it. ”I don’t….think they would’ve went that far-”

“Doesn’t matter. They shouldn’t have talked to you like that. They talk about you all the time and I just wanted them to shut up.” He blurted without thinking.

Okay now she was confused. “...Huh?”

“Yeah. They said some nasty stuff about you so many times. About how you’re weird and ugly and…all that.” 

Her eyes widened, the realization stunned her. Yeah she knew he was reckless and getting himself into trouble but…for her though…?

He fought them…because they were saying stuff about me…?

“Cloud…you shouldn’t have…why..?”

“Cuz….even if you hate me…they were still being mean about you.”

“Huh?!” Well that didn’t sound right. “Hate you?! What made you think I hate you Cloud??”

Cloud was just as surprised to figure out that he may have judged her wrongly. “...You always ran to your room each time I came to visit…”

…Oooh…

“C-Cloud I…I didn’t hide because I hated you, I did that with everyone! I was just…scared of people, but that didn’t mean I hated them!”

“I-”

Cloud choked up, both of them did. For a while Cloud had assumed that he was cursed with others taking a dislike to him but ... this was just a misunderstanding between these two kids all along?

One was overthinking on what to say and the other was underthinking, not the most ideal conversation if you can even call it that now. All in all, it was embarrassing, and it would’ve been rude if Cloud had just walked away without saying anything.

I guess the only thing left to do is…to apologize? For misunderstanding? For judging her past fears? Maybe?

“...Sor-”

“Ugh! I can’t take this!” 

Astrid stood up, stomping the ground in frustration. “This is dumb, we’re both being dumb!” Walking over back to the confused blonde, she had an idea in mind. “We can’t just keep beating around the bush like this! So if we don’t want that happening anymore, we’re gonna make a deal!”

“A-A deal…?”

“Yeah! A friendship deal!”

The little brunette extended her arm out, fingers widely open. “I can’t keep running away in fear and you can’t keep your own feelings hidden! So I’ll stick by you whenever you’re in a rough patch no matter how bad things get, but you have to be honest with me.”

“But…I-I don’t want you getting hurt because of me…”

“Well someone’s gotta be by your side! You can’t do everything on your own all your life, y’know?”

Yup, that sentence alone settled his decision. 

His eyes widened, he never really thought of himself as the type to be looked after. Again, lone wolf, lone life, it was what he was used to up until now. Spending way too much time trying to fit into a friends group didn’t even give him a chance to realize that there would be someone to genuinely be accepted by all along.

“...Deal.”

His hand glued onto hers, Astrid gave it a shake to seal the deal. He never saw her smile so brightly before either, it was a lovely complement to the orange glow on her face. Cloud’s lips tugged upwards into a half smile. The truth is, he would’ve been honest with her with or without this deal the moment he realized that he meant something to her.

This is childish….but she’s happy.

This wasn’t just a friend. This was the soul he vowed to stay close with and protect for the rest of his life.

Cloudy sunset: “Splitting relationship”

“Cloudy!!”

The brunette’s head turned over. Standing before her, his eyes stumbled upon the girl smiling up at him. For a moment, he had almost mistaken her for an angel, she never failed to look like one in these golden hours while the sun was setting. The sky was painted full of clouds, all surrendering the warmth of the sunlight that shone onto the kids’ faces.

The gentle zephyr breezed through the strands of her curly, long hair as he made his way to sit next to her on the dock. Both of their gazes fall upon the miniature wave of the water drifting into the light red thread in the sky.

♪Missed call from my mother, Like "Where you at tonight?" Got no alibi♪

“Are you okay? You seem like…”

The boy turned his head to face Astrid next to him. “Like what?”

Astrid tilted her head. “I dunno…you look like there’s a lot you wanna say…”

Her legs kicked back and forth, slightly hesitating to ask.

“What’s on your mind, Cloudy?”

There wasn’t an answer for several seconds, Cloud was equally hesitant, but after all, this was Astrid, a dear friend who’s been visibly obvious in her support for him. He sighed.

“...I wanna be a SOLDIER.”

“SOLDIER? Wouldn’t that mean you’d…have to leave off for Midgar…?”

The girl’s eyes softened, a hint of sadness hidden within her green eyes. She knew what that meant.

“..We won’t be seeing each other for a while.” Cloud’s head remained low, avoiding eye contact.

“..Yeah…” Astrid sighed. “Well…is it what you want to do? To become a hero?” 

“…It’s not just that.” The blonde picked up a knee and leaned against it. “I wanna impress someone.”

The girl’s head tilted to the side. “Hmm? I-Impress someone?”

“Yeah…I want to impress her. So I thought that becoming a hero as good as Sephiroth would finally make her notice me in…a new way.”

“R…really??” The smile widened on Astrid’s face. “May I ask…why?”

“..Because...” Cloud hesitated with a sigh, pink painted faintly on his cheeks. He was quite open with Astrid, so why not be honest with her? “..I like her.”

This was it.

Those three simple words made Astrid’s heart rush faster.

He didn’t even have to say that he felt the same for her. She just…knew it.

Was he finally going to confess? Was he finally going to tell his love for her? He’s always been so unusually affectionate to her even if it was just as a “friend”…she knew this was going to be it.

…This was it, wasn’t it?

She made up her mind: She’ll go in for the first move.

“You know, Cloudy…” Her legs swung in a light rhythm, the excitement within her heart felt like bursting out of its cage like a wild animal. Cloud turned his head to her as she spoke. 

“...You’re great with the way you are…you don’t need to prove or impress anything to anyone. I think you’re amazing and already a hero to me just by being an amazing friend but…I like you, for you and you only Cloudy~.” 

The smile remained brightly on her face, a warm glow of red flushed to Astrid’s cheeks. She could’ve sworn the blonde shot a momentarily smirk for a second.

But then…he turned back to face the sunset and…and then came back in silence.

…What went wrong? Did the words come out too weird and awkward? Was he trying to find his own words to express his feelings?

“Thanks Astrid, but…I don’t know if she’ll think the same as you.”

Wait…what?

“Wh…wh-what do you mean…?” Astrid’s smile slowly faded.

“I like Tifa but…I don’t think she’ll feel the same. That’s why I wanna impress her.”

[...]

Oh.

“I know it’s…surprising. Especially since Tifa and I aren’t the closest.”

Astrid didn’t even realize how widened her eyes were. Surely it wasn’t only surprising, but shocking. Her little heart remained at that same speeding pace, but this time, it was all for the wrong reasons. Had she misread his signals? Shouldn’t she be happy either way? Shouldn’t she have known this all along? Where was the part she had missed about Cloud’s feelings for Tifa?

…Does…Tifa like him as well…?

There were too many questions buzzing in the girl’s head. She couldn’t think straight.

“...That’s okay.”

Stupidly, those were the only words she could put together. Nothing more, nothing less.

The boy looked at her, he noticed how awfully quiet she’s been since he told her his crush.

“...The heart wants what it wants Cloudy…There’s…” She forced a soft smile. “...nothing…wrong with that.”

They both were one with the silence. The sun was slowly fading into the clouds, and so was Astrid’s fake smile; she badly wanted to cry her heart out but…this is her friend, her happiness, and if this was how he felt…then she knew well that she should be happy for him too.

“...When will you tell her?” The brunette spoke up, her green eyes glued on the sun’s disappearance.

“Hm?” Cloud’s turned to her.

“Your feelings for her…” Likewise, Astrid’s eyes met his blue ones. “When will you tell her?”

He looked away momentarily, this had him thinking of what time would be the perfect time to confess to Tifa. “I’ll be telling her about it tonight but...do you think it’d be best to confess when I come back?” He looked back at her. “Do you think…she’ll like me too…if I became a SOLDIER..?”

“I…I-I don’t know….” The tone was hinting at her breaking apart. Even she realized she couldn’t keep it together for long..

Cloud stuttered a bit on her response, he didn’t expect her to know but…it did in a way made him insecure about his idea.

It took all her strength and force to spark a small smile back onto the corner of Astrid’s lips.

“B-But….no matter what….”

Astrid faced Cloud with that radiant happiness she always carried around him, hoping that it wasn’t forced this time though.

“...I-I’ll be there for whatever happens between you too…just like what we shook on.”

“Thanks Astrid…and if I haven’t said it…” Cloud itched the back of his head shyly. “...You’re a great friend too.”

It never existed.

His feelings for her.

His protection for her.

His love for her.

…Only to realize they were merely just feelings for a very, dear friend.

And that those feelings…had been built off of imagination.

It got darker soon, as the sun sunsetted early behind more dense clouds that surrendered the remaining light left. The young blonde knew it was time to head back home. 

“Before I leave…I want to give you this back.”

As they stood facing each other, Cloud took off the gold necklace that hung from his neck from under his shirt, handing it in Astrid’s palms.

“You…don’t want it anymore?” She looked up at him with hurt hidden in her eyes.

Cloud shook his head. “I just…don’t want to lose it somewhere in Midgar. I think it’s safer with you.”

She looked down at the necklace. “D-Does it…still mean something to you…?”

“Of course it does.” Cloud responded softly. “That’s…why I’m scared to lose it.”

“...Yeah.” Her fingers curled on top of the jewel before looking back up to him. “...I’ll keep it safe…for us.”

Astrid could feel her eyes water up, and as a desperation attempt to hide her emotions, she hugged him suddenly. 

It took Cloud by surprise, not being used to affection that comes out of nowhere. “A-Astrid…?”

He could sense something was wrong, her grip refused to let him go. Eventually the young blonde relaxed. This was Astrid after all…a girl of nothing but love to give for others. His arms gently wrapped around her slowly. 

“Calm down...you’ll see me again.” Cloud awkwardly muttered.

Astrid was having a hard time focusing on what he said, being that she was in between keeping her breathing from becoming shaky and not letting him see the few tears that failed to stay behind eyelids. 

She was able to eventually clear her mind temporarily from his comforting touch, although she knew she had to let him go at some point, so she did.

“S-Sorry…I-I….I don’t know why I did that…” She looked down, a bit ashamed of herself.

“Hey….don’t worry ‘bout it, K?” Cloud reassured her before having to make his farewell to her. “Well…I gotta go now…”

Cloud began walking away from her.

“Cloudy..”

Until she called for him for one last time.

He turned over to look at her, standing under the spotted, clouded sky, her hands held closely to her heart. Her smile was as sweet as it could look.

“I….wish you nothing but the best for you.”

. . . . .

Her hand hurt so much when clutching hard on the jewel of the necklace.

Well….Astrid definitely knew what a heartbreak was now if she wasn’t gonna feel it later.

Describing her as a sobbing mess would be an understatement, it was hard to make less noise but she just had faith that no one would check on her. 

She felt ridiculous, crying over a boy after teaching herself not to care about what others think of her, and yet the thought of her own crush not feeling the same way she does for him bothered her?

Astrid, grow up…you’re better than this.

The young brunette sat up, caressing her cheek dry from the rest of her tears. Looking out from her window, the stars faced down on her brightly. She remembered how Cloud was supposed to meet up with Tifa tonight, just thinking about it made her hear their voices, but it was just difficult to imagine how they’d be together. Would they be happy? Would it work out? Would she….finally notice him like he had hoped for?

It was what he wanted, after all. And she knew.

That night before sleeping, Astrid had vowed never to fall for her friend like that again.

Pink sunset: "Budding romance"

“Cloud…I think you should talk to Astrid. I mean…really talk to her.”

“...You’re right, Tifa.”

. . . . .

The moment she felt fingers curl around her hand, all the thoughts and worries blurred the instant her gaze met with stunning, angelic blue eyes. She was so caught up in her own thoughts, Astrid hadn’t even noticed Cloud’s presence crawl up from behind whatsoever.

“Astrid…”

The blonde softly muttered from his lips, almost sounding like a whisper. Astrid struggled to talk, he could see how hard she was trying to either talk or not break down in front of him. She truly looked as if she knew that the world was gonna end that night.

Well.

That’s because the world is ending.

She was clearly scared as a result. A part of her was trying its best to be strong, something that her own cousin, Aerith, would do, but she felt as if she wasn’t brave enough, then she’d have to carry the burden of disappointment. Well, it wouldn’t have mattered anyways if the planet’s life was coming to an end, would it now?

Cloud softly sighed, he acknowledged her suffering and saved her from the trouble of responding to him. He got closer to her, his eyes looking down at her in empathy. He softly spoke in his lowest tone.

“..Let’s get off the Highwind for the night. Just…the two of us.”

He didn’t need to hear her say ‘yes.’

Her eyes said it all.

♪Can you even imagine fallin' like I did for the love of my life?♪

Their hands remained stuck together. Each moment that passed they held on slightly tighter, giving a few squeezes every now and as they walked onto the rocky mountain, decorated in patches of green here and there. They stopped at the top, their skin basking under the warm, pink-casted light of the sunset that they were both facing. They stood there, soft wisps of wind fluttering the tips of their hair gently. Their eyes locked gaze with the beautifully painted sky, the rosie scenery that resided in their nostalgic memories and hearts. 

It was exactly why the image of it being ripped and wrecked by the giant meteor beast scared them. They both flinched. It was clear that they were thinking of the exact same thought.

“I-It always felt like…the sunset either brings us closer or…drags us apart…each time we bask in its light…”

Cloud turned to her, watching her slowly walk away from him and creating more distance. It felt like a wave of relief washing over him upon hearing the brunette’s soft voice, but he can feel her worries and sadness louder than her own words.

“...But r-right now…I can’t tell what it feels like…” Her green eyes shift down to the ground. “...A part of me feels like….all of this…is my fault…”

Cloud mouth slightly parted, blinking in disbelief.

“The reason for how we got here and…why we’re here…you know well that I don’t deserve a moment like this Cloud…”

She sighed gently, then turned back to face Cloud with slightly watery eyes.

“...You didn’t just take us down here for the scenery…didn’t you?”

“...No.”

Cloud paused before continuing.

“...But you know well why I brought you here, and all I want…is to hear you say that reason.”

But here she was.

Eyes slightly widened at him, the state of shock was clear as crystal on her face. Her breath hitched as she immediately looked away, the red hotness creeping up her cheeks. She knew it’d only have been a matter of time until Cloud finally found what was in the depths of her heart, the feelings that she’d been trying her best to kill. The guilt was catching up, and the woman was at her limit of excuses to make.

She couldn’t tell if it would’ve been better for her to finally fess up to it, or if the world should’ve just ended right then and there.

She had been so lost in her doubtful thoughts she hadn’t realized Cloud standing right in front of her, her hands resting on his palms. She looked up through her lashes, and the blonde knew how fearful she was to tell him.

“Don’t be scared..” He gently gave her hands a few faint squeezes. “I’m not letting you do this alone. So…let’s both promise to be honest this time…deal?” Cloud tilted his head.

A deal huh.

If anything, maybe things would’ve been different had Astrid not come up with that similar scenario when they were younger. But even god knew they both needed it at some point in their lives.

Astrid seemed to calm down, nodding softly. Yet, the pit of anxiety in her stomach still rested comfortably, and it would only grow bigger the moment she opened her mouth. She’d have to, eventually.

“They all told me.” The blonde started.

“The lifestream….Tifa…Aerith…”

“They all wanted me to know about your feelings, Astrid.”

“In the lifestream…Tifa took me to you…during the time after I left…”

Astrid looked as if she had a million words to say, but she just couldn’t bring herself to even say a single word. She just looked away, the memories forcing her to relive the young pain she once swore to get over.

The blonde’s crystal eyes softened. “...I hurt you badly…didn’t I…” 

Astrid’s hand wrapped around her arm, her chest elevated and softly fell back down as she sighed through her nose.

“...I never blamed you, Cloudy.” She let out a sigh-chuckle while humming to herself. “If it was never meant to be then….”

Once again, she couldn’t find the words. Cloud blinked, finally hearing Astrid’s inner feelings, as if she had another hidden heart that she had just revealed to him. A heart that’s been hurting…and he blames himself for it all.

Astrid looked over to his guilty expression, one that can be rarely seen. And this…just devastated her more.

“C-Cloud…i-it’s not your fault..” She looked up at him with pleading eyes. “...I promise…i-it really isn’t..”

“If there’s one thing that can put me at ease right now…it’s to hear you talk to me, Astrid.” Every one of his words filled to the brim with sincerity. “You’ve always had an ear to everyone else…but there wasn’t once anyone’s returned the favor for you…I wanna change that, right here, right now.”

…He had a point.

“Please Astrid…you don’t have to hide your feelings anymore…especially not with…me.” His hand reached up to her cheek and lifted her head up to look at him. “...Please.” Cloud whispered gently.

…And he was right.

It had to be said at one point. All those feelings. Those memories. Those heartaches…

She took a deep breath, sighing away the small emotional rock that was stuck in her throat.

“...I-If anything…it’s my fault.” She looked off to the side, ashamed. “I should’ve never fallen for you in the first place…”

She shook her head.

“...but even so…it was like I was never allowed to get over it completely…even when I saw you again I…I wasn’t even sure how to be myself around you like I used to…” The brunette bit her lip.

The blonde started to realize. “...When I changed, so did you…”

She looked back at him to face him.

“But….no matter what…there were always those feelings we had for each other that stuck with us, huh…”

. . .

F…

Feelings…?

Our…feelings…?

Does he….also…?

“C-Cloud…”

Her body had a mind of its own.

Not realizing the closed-in space between herself and Cloud, her hands rested upon his chest, fingers curling into a hard grip at his shirt. Her form was kept still by the strength of Cloud's arms wrapped around her, hands resting up on her lower back. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the blonde’s crystal blue orbs. 

So full of emotion…

So full of feelings…feelings that can’t be put into simple, plain words…

It was a naturally magnetic feeling. Each second pulled each other closer, both having the strongest urge imaginable to get even more closer. It was like..they were both revealing their true selves to each other…

Oh…

How much she missed him…

How she missed his true self…

The Cloud she once knew and fell in love with all those years ago…

…

“I promise….never to fall for you again.”

The remembrance of that oath gave Astrid’s heart a sudden jolt. She snapped herself awake from the sweet dream that clouded her thoughts, finally gaining back control of her senses and only to realize that the real she knew Cloud didn’t feel like this for her.

He never did, never would either.

Those thoughts alone made her pull herself away from his arms. Tears overwhelmed her eyes, making them glossy and brighter to the reflection of the light. It was clear she wanted to cry, but something held her back, not allowing her to let the droplets escape from her eyes.

“I…I-I shouldn’t…I can’t…!”

Her hands formed into fists, a sign that she was still clenching hard on her remaining hidden feelings.

“...I can’t fall in love with the boy whose heart was never meant for me…a-again…”

She was scared, afraid to fall in love with him, only to have her heart crushed to pieces all over again with the unfortunate truth.

It was deja vu to the both of them.

But this time.

Cloud could see…her. 

His heart was at its fullest with his honest feelings for her.

And he wanted her to know.

Every. 

Single.

Bit of it.

“Astrid…”

Cloud’s eyes gave the softest look, he badly wanted to make amends with the fear he caused in Astrid’s heart. He wanted to prove his feelings innocent, that they were honest, from the bottom of his heart, and from his own real self, the same one who had been too blind to see how all of her past efforts were all out of nothing but the love she had for him. It was the same love for him that’s trapped in her but..

Only he had the key to unlock the trust of her love for him again.

“Whether this may be the last night we’re together like this…or we’ll have more nights to talk…just to get closer each time...it wouldn’t matter. I feel the closest to you at this moment, but if I’m never able to fix the trust of your feelings for me…then I’ll always be afraid…”

He drew closer.

“...Because I now know…I hurt the one girl that’s always understood me…”

His hand cupped her cheek once more. A single tear rolled softly down her cheek.

“...And it was the biggest mistake I could’ve ever made..”

“....C….Cloud…”

“...Is there any way I can fix this…?”

More tears started to spill, slowly. Cloud’s voice becomes a soft whisper. Astrid’s lips quivered, the more she looked into his eyes, the more she saw how serious he was about her.

“B-By knowing how I feel, Cloud…. th-that’s all I want…all I need..” Her voice was shaken up. “I-I never wanted to say a thing to you, I vowed not to…I-I knew I could never be the one for you…I kn-knew that there was always g-going to be someone else for you…. a-anyone but me…”

It was clear he was fighting for her trust again, and it was equally clear that it’s working. It was stinging Astrid’s heart in so many ways at the thought of this finally being her moment to finally accept her own feelings for him.

Their moment.

“No…you convinced yourself that Astrid.” Cloud brought himself closer to her slowly, trying to break her walls break by break at an unrushed pace. “...You were always there in my mind even when I didn’t realize it..”

“You understood my feelings for the longest time…but I hadn’t known about your broken heart that you were trying to fix by yourself..”

 He slowly leaned near her ear, blonde strands brushed against Astrid’s cheeks softly..

“You can’t do everything on your own all your life….y’know?”

He….remembered….

Finally, Astrid was speechless through tears, her arms thrown around Cloud’s form as she stuttered through her sobs. It was all going so fast yet time seemed to slow down to a halt.

Being in Cloud’s arms felt like a lifetime, despite all the times they lost together had she fessed up earlier…it didn’t matter now though. She felt like a huge weight was washed down even through the crying.

Soft lips were planted on her head…but Cloud knew they were far from being done.

. . . . .

♪She's got glow on her face, a glorious look in her eyes♪

By now the sky’s hues were radiating with magenta-purples, a sign of nighttime approaching. 

He held her close, laying on a soft patch of grass with his hands entangled in her reddish-brown waves of hair. To the sound of his gentle heartbeats, Astrid’s breathing did its best to regulate itself after crying.

Once she was ready…she spoke up.

“Cloud..I…I’m ready…”

The man’s arms loosened around her waist, facing the emerald eyes that reflected the remaining light of the sunset. Some hair rested upon her nose, to which he brushed off slowly and tucked it behind her ear.

“I never really cared about what others thought of me but…after that growing connection we had…it really stung upon realizing how I had conjured those memories as romantic when…it wasn’t true. After that I promised never to fall for you again but…” She chuckled. “...I guess fate didn’t like the idea of me truly giving those feelings up, when your true self was starting to melt from the ice…so did my feelings…and it hurt even more knowing how I knew I fell over again for someone who was….already in love…”

“Maybe I was, but…”Cloud’s hand rested still on her cheek. “...in the end, it all led me back to you.”

Seeing him move closer, she was at her last chance at resisting.

Instead however, as her mind reeled every memory.

Every memory of her heartaches…

Every memory of him…

Every memory of the times he’s spent with her…

Oh, Astrid…

You’re not just childly in love; you want to spend the rest of your days and nights with him, don’t you?

She wanted to spend her evenings with him outdoors and watching every glorious sunset with a feeling of reassurance, knowing that tomorrow she’ll wake up to see the same loving, blue eyes that glowed in her own times of darkness. To hold him gently through his pains, watch him smile when he knows that everything will be okay…

Yes…this was what she wanted to fight for….

The only sounds that they could hear were each other’s heartbeats as their lips interlocked.

♪My angel of light…♪

Red sunset: "Passionate love"

Soft glows of red streaks filled the bedroom across through the blinds. She closed the door, soaking up the serenity atmosphere as she faced her lover that she hadn’t seen for a week, an apologetic look at his face spoke for itself.

“Astrid…I-I’m sorry..”

“I know you are, Cloud..”

The brunette walked over to the bed, sitting next to him as he avoided eye contact. He felt ashamed abandoning her ever since geostigma had caught up to Denzel.

“I also didn’t know how to fight that battle…all those years of…mourning over her put me off from learning anything more of my heritage.” Astrid sighed, she too was in deep regret of how she had handled things. “...I’m glad to know that we’re getting stronger now…and to know that we have others that I can call…family…”

Family…

Oh how lovely that word sounded…something they both hadn’t heard since they were little, something they had longed for once more.

“....That includes you, Cloudy…” Astrid reached for his cheek, turning his head gently to face the loving look in her eyes. “...so we’re not letting you go off to face the impossible alone no matter what…got that?”

“Yeah…”

A faint tint of red appeared on his cheeks. He felt warm from her words and lingering touches, her thumb brushing some of his blonde spikes behind his ear. Cloud took his gloves off before removing her hand from his face, taking a good look at her palms whilst caressing its softness…

So soft…

“They wouldn’t have cured if it wasn’t for you…~”

The blonde smiled, his heartbeat steadied at a relaxed pace. She didn’t wince or feel any pain when he applied some pressure onto it with his thumbs, unlike when it was infected. The look of joy on his face was unforgettable upon washing away the geostigma from her hands, knowing that he’d be able to hold her hand again.

“This is a future that we fought for…” His hands held Astrid’s, looking into her eyes. “...so I won’t let it go to waste again. I promise.”

“Cloudy…you don’t have to promise…because you already know it’s what we want…” 

♪I was all alone with the love of my life♪

Astrid closed the leftover gap between them with a tender kiss. Saying that they missed the feeling of locking their soft lips with one another was an understatement, they practically yearned their touch after what they had been through. They couldn’t keep their hands to themselves no matter how hard they tried to resist. They separated in between kisses for air but they had no plans on stopping any time soon. 

Slowly, they ended up laying together. Cloud crawled on top of his petite girlfriend while cradling her legs up his thighs, his hand caressed up her waist tenderly under her shirt. 

At some point their loving stares locked with each other, Cloud’s thumb rubbed her bottom lip with a strip of red light streaking over it as well. It was obvious how much he wanted to take things a step further, telling by the look in his eyes that she knows all too well how to read. 

“I missed this…I missed you…” He absolutely longed to reveal his unconditional love to her. 

Sparks burned brighter with each kiss that led to a more passionate connection. Fire prickled at Cloud’s fingertips all the more as he stroked further up her form, craving to hold her smaller body into his loving embrace, it felt like his whole world was in his very arms…

It was a fresh breath of air to know he was in the same room as her, the same bed as her again…just like how it should be…

“...C-Cloudy…~” The pace of the girl’s heartbeat quickened from the euphoric state, she wanted him as much as he wanted her that moment. 

. . . . .

The warm lovers were tied up together in cuddles and kisses. Cloud’s mouth buried on Astrid’s head whilst tangling his fingers through her wavy hair. 

“Astrid..?”

♪She's got glitter for skin, my radiant beam in the night♪

He didn’t get a response from her, she must’ve been tired out. He smirked while giving a tender peck on her head. Just from that, she snuggled up closer to his chest which earned a chuckle from him. She was the absolute cutest in every way possible in his eyes, he could feel the fireworks in his chest go off with happiness to have her warm and safe in his arms again…

“I love you…~”

He slowly dozed off to the sound of a muttered "I love you too."

Golden sunset: “Long-living love”

Ding ding!

The bells rang in rhythm with sounds of footsteps that followed.

“Ah! Sorry but we’re closed..” Astrid’s eyes didn’t leave her focus on organizing the money in the cash register.

Tifa giggled in the back when she realized that her own friend hadn’t even noticed who just walked in. “Astrid…look up silly!”

“Huh?” She hadn’t even taken notice of the shadow approaching her until a familiar gloved hand was placed on the counter in front of her. “Cloudy~!!” The young brunette raced around the counter and threw her arms around her boyfriend gleefully, having him return the affection with his left arm while his right one was holding a small decorated box.

“For a moment I was worried that I wasn’t welcomed back~”

“Don’t worry I was just distracted…Tifa and I were just tidying up some things. I just need to bring the rest of the tools upsta-”

“Allow me!” Tifa hurried over to grab the rest of the stuff before Astrid could get to it. She giggled and winked at the two. “Gotta let the couple of the night have their deserved rest~” Tifa winked and walked out of the room before either two could reply.

“She seems…oddly chipper all of a sudden…” Astrid remarked, it confused her to how Tifa had just rushed out so fast. She looked back up to Cloud after hearing a soft chuckle escape from his throat, he had a smile that screamed he was hiding something as he averted his eyes. Astrid noticed and got even more confused. “Hey, why the mischievousness? Do you two…know something that I don’t?”

Astrid placed one hand on her hip and the other on the counter beside her, leaning towards Cloud with an eyebrow lifted to interrogate him. He didn’t reply, instead he simply placed the small box that was in his and pushed it towards her. The girl’s green eyes widened at the beautifully detailed box with a gold ribbon and a red rose attached to it. 

“...I think this package will answer your question~”

She let out a soft giggle and shook her head at his attempt at distracting her.

But as she carefully peeled at the wrapping, her heart slowly increased its pace. 

“C-Cloud…” 

“Open it Astrid…”

♪I don't need no light to see you shine♪

This girl could’ve been shaking from the excitement upon lifting the box open, facing a glittering golden ring, a mold of the yellow lily’s petals was circulated around a shining blue gem, reflecting the golden light off of its flat sides. 

“Oh my…C-Cloud…I-I..!” Her mind was still reeling at the fact that Cloud had just proposed to her and she didn’t even acknowledge how much she was crying her eyes out, not until her now-fiancé reached to caress the tears off of her cheek with his thumbs gently. 

“Astrid..?”

Through tears, Astrid lunged herself in a hug with him. “Yes Cloudy! I will marry you!! You mean the world to me!! I love you so so s~o much…!” Her arms tightened around him, it caused his heart to flutter with a loving smile that followed up.

Hearing a tap on the door window that Tifa had left from, Cloud could still see her presence whilst she raised two thumbs up and a wide grin plastered on the woman’s face for encouragement. The man smiled, he was the happiest in that moment. He wanted to see her excitement last for the rest of their days, to hold her like this forevermore…

That wasn’t the only thing that Cloud is giving however. 

“Ah right, I almost forgot…” He gently held Astrid’s arms for her to loosen her grip, allowing him to pull something else from his bag.

A pen and a marriage certificate.

“Just sign here…Astrid Strife~”

♪It’s your golden hour~♪

[kay-elle-cee]

Oh no I can’t turn my brain off and I had this idea pop up (also felt bad for giving Lily pain on her birthday)

@jilymicrofics January prompt 22: Rumour

The rumour started as most rumours do: with a modicum of truth.

Lily Evans and James Potter showed up late to Charms on Thursday. Together.

That was the incident that set off whispers all next week. ‘Potter’s shagging Evans?’ ‘I heard McGonagall caught them in a broom closet.’ ‘It’s apparently been going on for years, including when Potter was seeing that Ravenclaw bird, Fiona.’ ‘Well that’s not surprising, is it? She’s Muggle-born… you know how they are.’

The truth didn’t matter to the school: that the Head Boy and Head Girl had been late because they’d been breaking up a fight on another floor. It wasn’t salacious enough.

Never mind that there was a truth much more intriguing if people just looked a little harder: The glances, the innocent shoulder bumps, the smiles they shared that lasted a little too long…

Lily Evans and James Potter were together, secretly, both teetering on the edge of love. A respect, a friendship, a relationship had bloomed out of the ashes of their long-forgotten animosity, and with it the quiet understanding that they could weather whatever storms they faced together.

And that truth meant so much more than a silly rumour.

[magicoldcottage]

2009 The year the world Changed

The year 2009 was marked by several remarkable and unexplained phenomena that captured the attention and imagination of people around the world. From the sky to the ground, from the past to the present, these events challenged our perception of reality and raised questions about the nature of the universe we live in. Here are some of the most notable examples of these strange events:

Image : universetoday.com

The Norway Spiral

On the night of December 9, 2009, a spectacular spiral of light appeared in the sky over Norway and Sweden (see above), lasting for about 10 minutes. The spiral consisted of a blue beam of light with a greyish spiral emanating from one end of it. It was visible from hundreds of kilometers away and was witnessed by thousands of people. Some thought it was a UFO, a wormhole, or a sign of the end times. 1

Russian claimed it was a Bulava missile, which malfunctioned and spun out of control, creating the spiral effect. However, some experts and observers rejected this explanation, pointing out the lack of evidence and the unusual features of the phenomenon. 2

Image : newslaundry.com

The Blood Red Rain of Kerala

Between July and September 2009, several episodes of red-colored rain fell sporadically on the southern Indian state of Kerala, staining clothes and surfaces with a pinkish hue. The rain also had a yellow, green, or black tint at times. 3

As you can image people called it the end of days we clothing especially stained. The inital explanation was that the rain was colored by airborne spores from green algae. However, some researchers pointed out that the spores had unusual properties and could not be identified as any known terrestrial organism. To this day the real reason is unknown. 4

Image : Pinterest

The Mandela Effect

Also In 2009, Fiona Broome, a paranormal consultant, launched a website to document her observation of a phenomenon she called the "Mandela Effect". She noticed that she and many others shared a false memory of former South African president Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the 1980s, when he actually died in 2013. She also found other examples of collective false memories, such as the spelling of the brand name Oscar Mayer, the line “Luke, I am your father” from Star Wars, and the painting of Henry VIII holding a turkey leg. 5

Broome proposed that these false memories were not mistakes, but evidence of parallel realities and alternate timelines. She suggested that some people had somehow shifted from one reality to another, or that the realities had merged or overlapped. She also speculated that the phenomenon was related to quantum physics and the Many-Worlds Interpretation. 6

The Asperatus Cloud

We all take clouds for granted; we see them every day and are used to the patterns of the sky. They are like old friends that, over the years, we come to recognize. But in 2009, a new cloud occurred for the first time. The Cloud Appreciation Society, a group of enthusiasts who admire and study clouds, proposed a new classification of cloud to the official system. The cloud formation, named asperatus (meaning roughened or agitated), was characterized by a dark and turbulent appearance, with undulating waves and ripples.

These days they have become common and have been seen around the world. 8

A Coincidence or a Connection?

What is remarkable about these events is that they all occurred in the same year, 2009, which was also the first year that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator, began operating after a failure in 2008. The LHC, located near Geneva, Switzerland, was designed to recreate the conditions of the Big Bang and to test various theories of particle physics. On December 8, 2009, the LHC achieved a world record by colliding particles at an energy of 2.36 trillion electron volts, surpassing the previous records. 9

Could there be a connection between the LHC and the strange events of 2009? Some people have speculated that the LHC could have opened a portal to another dimension, altered the fabric of space-time, or created a mini black hole that swallowed our reality and replaced it with another one. These ideas are mostly based on wild imagination and conspiracy theories, and have no scientific basis or evidence. However, they do reflect the curiosity and wonder that these events have inspired in us, and the possibility that there is more to the universe than we know.

However don't take my word for it, I have included links so that you can conduct your own research. 10

References:

1 What was the Norway Spiral? - Universe Today 1

2 Norwegian Spiral 2009 - roswellufomuseum 2

3 Red rain in Kerala - Wikipedia 3

4 Causes and concentration of red rain of Kerala - Earth Science Stack Exchange 4

5 What Is the Mandela Effect? Examples and Explanations - Verywell Mind 5

6 The Mandela Effect is NOT False Memories - Fiona Broome 6

7 An Update on the Asperatus Cloud - Cloud Appreciation Society 7

8 Undulatus Asperatus – crowd sourcing a new type of cloud? - Channel 4 News 8

9 World-Record Energy Collisions Achieved at Large Hadron Collider - ScienceDaily 9

10 Large Hadron Collider - Wikipedia 10

For more ideas click here for my other tea break posts

[notsolstice]

just googled mandela effect for what is apparently the first time in my entire life and I’m gonna be real with you all I was fully convinced it was called the mandala effect and had something to do with repeating patterns and had also existed for like, a hundred years. I also realize this is an example of the mandela effect on a micro scale but my parallel reality is not as silly as fiona broome’s

[u5an5]

I can’t believe it.

The whole series is named Mandela Catalogue and I've seen anyone mention Mandela effect once???

For those who don’t know yet, “The Mandela effect, sometimes referred to as the Mandela phenomenon, is an instance of false collective memory.”, which basically translates as multiple (anywhere between two and few thousands if not milions) people having the same incorrect memory about something.

“This phenomenon was dubbed the "Mandela effect" by paranormal researcher Fiona Broome, who reported having vivid and detailed memories of news coverage of South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the 1980s, despite Mandela actually dying in 2013 after serving as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Broome reported that, since 2010, "perhaps thousands" of other people had written online about having the same memory of Mandela's death[...].”

I’m just gonna drop speculations why it happens:

“Scientists suggest that these are examples of false memories shaped by similar cognitive factors affecting multiple people and families, such as social and cognitive reinforcement of incorrect memories or false news reports and misleading photographs that influence the formation of memories based on them.”

I don’t have enough brain power to keep digging into this rabbit hole rn, so here's the article I cited things from and here's a page about it on TvTropes, where you can find more examples from different media. And pls, @ me if you have any other ideas or theories abt it. Or just MC cannon theories.

[boltedfruit]

I have totally stolen this tag from @ladyvaderpixetc, for fifteen fave shows!

1. The OA: I will never forgive its cancellation. Contains my number one problematic ship of all time. A true declaration of love in all its forms in a neat two seasons that should have been allowed to grow and continue. I adore it.

2. Altered Carbon (season 1): still love season 2 but it lacked some kind of pizazz I still can't pinpoint. Wonderful exploration of grief and life. Better than the book. Women led!!

3. True Blood: Eric being uninvited from Sookie's house and levitating backwards, offended, out the door will never not be peak comedy. I will never read the books because I don't want to read a world where Lafayette does not live.

4. Daredevil season 2/The Punisher season 1: season 2 of The Punisher was bad. I miss him.

5. Midnight Mass: beautiful, gorgeous, perfection in all its forms. The priest is hot and misguided.

6. Haunting of Bly Manor: queer grief, Big Sads, falling in love with a ghost, blows Hill House out of the water.

7.Battlestar Galactica: the only good thing my worst ex ever introduced me to. Suffering always for my crush on angry old man Saul Tigh. Bisexual disasters everywhere. Starbuck would beat me up and I'd let her.

8. Succession: only time I care about billionaires. Cycle of abuse in all its forms. Would Get Down Mr. President for Kieran Culkin any day of the week.

9. Sharp Objects: gorgeous, heartbreaking, equally as wonderful as the book.

10. Lucifer: goofy as hell award. Would simply declare my love for Amenadiel always. Also Mazikeen.

11. Raised by Wolves: when I tell you I had dreams of flying around like Mother for MONTHS. Incensed by the cancellation. Let beautiful things exist and continue!! Sadly suffers from annoying main character syndrome.

12. Evil: only religious themed show to not give me the ick. Actually frightening antagonist in the form of a pathetic little incel wet man who is constantly being foiled by a gaggle of prepubescent girls. Old nun who is fighting her own war with a broom and a mop.

13. The Americans: loved it more than Breaking Bad 🤷‍♂️, very bittersweet ending.

14. Shameless: never over Mandy's everything, Lip, Carl going from chaos incarnate to Good Man and the scene of Frank thinking that little sick girl in the hospital who passed was Fiona. They did Debbie dirty.

15. Walking Dead season 4: hot cowboy cop rips man's throat out with teeth, reaffirms familial bonds, more at eleven.

Honorary mentions: Mindhunter, House MD, Yellowjackets, The Office (US), Halo, True Detective, Boardwalk Empire, Mare of Easttown, The Outsider, American Horror Story, The Last Kingdom, Black Mirror, Sons if Anarchy, Westworld, Spartacus.

[afterthegreatunknown]

sudden random thought of the quagmire triplets + hector and the widdershins family halloween costumes (or not) post-canon (first year of living together when things is mostly calm), and what they’re doing on halloween night:

duncan: dresses up as tintin but no one outside the group know the reference except for six people; is out trick-or-treating with siblings, making sure all the almond joys are his (he likes the almonds)

isadora: dresses up as alice from alice in wonderland, but went in a red dress, not blue; out trick-or-tricking, making sure she gets all the skittles (she has to trade with her brothers later on to get them all)

quigley: dresses up as a ‘detective’, but some figured out the truth of the costume; out trick-or-tricking, making sure he get the kitkat bars bars (a feat that involved trading all of his skittles and one almond joy)

fiona: dresses up as a witch (broom, purple/black robe, pointy hat, stuff toy cat); willingly agree to pass out candy to trick-or-treaters, but when the tv began playing hocus pocus she gave the job to fernald

fernald: not dress up at all but is mistaken for a pirate; ‘passes’ out candy (holds the bowl and let the kids pick) and scare the parents before giving the job to his stepfather when the addams family plays

hector: dresses up at the scarecrow from the wonderful wizard of oz (got fake straw to boot in costume); is out watching the quagmires, got ask by one parent if they got to house with the oranges and panics

widdershins: is wearing a sweater with a jack-o-lantern face on it (he couldn’t think of a costume); passes out the candy and eventually, oranges, because the candy ran out and they have too many oranges

[whitepolaris]

Mischief at the Country Tavern

by Fiona Broome

Ghost hunters joke that every historic restaurant and inn in New England is haunted, and they may be right. I can vouch for the existence of a ghost at the Country Tavern in Nashua, New Hampshire. Blond, mischievous Elizabeth Ford is a beloved spirit who haunts the Country Tavern restaurant. They've even named a gourmet diner after her: Chicken Elizabeth.

According to local legend, Elizabeth and her husband moved to colonial Nashua-then called Dunstable-in the mid-eighteen century. Because of its poor soil, unreliable transportation, and continuing hostilities with Indian tribes from Canada, New Hampshire remained decidedly rural.

Nevertheless, Elizabeth and her husband, a ship captain, were delighted with their new farmhouse. That it was near a well-traveled coach route not only provided peace of mind for the Fords but also meant that Elizabeth would feel less isolated when her husband was at sea.

The newlyweds were happy during the early years of marriage, in spite of Captain Ford's reputation for a volatile temper and fits of jealously. Elizabeth's sweet and playful nature usually prevented serious arguments, and for that her husband was grateful.

Their lives seemed idyllic until Captain Ford returned home after nine months at sea and found his wife pregnant. When the baby arrived a couple of weeks later, Ford was convinced that his wife had been unfaithful. In a fit of jealous rage, he killed both Elizabeth and the baby.

In one version of the story, he buried their bodies in the yard just outside the farmhouse. Over their graves he planted a tree-possibly to conceal them-and it remains just outside of what is now the Country Tavern. Others say that he dumped the bodies in a wall on the property or that the graves lie beneath the house itself. But it seems that no matter where they're burial, Elizabeth never left.

One Happy Ghost

According to local lore, Captain Ford hastily signed on with the next ship out of Portsmouth and soon was killed during an argument over a card game. No one mourned his loss.

Elizabeth's ghost began appearing soon afterward. Sometimes, she was spotted in the yard. More often, people saw her gazing out a window.

The farmhouse had many owners over the years before it became the Country Tavern restaurant. Since then-1985 to be exact-the buildings has been lovingly restored and the grounds artistically landscaped, a transformation that has delighted Elizabeth Ford.

I have actually seen the young Mrs. Ford. She's about five foot five and very slender, weighing about a hundred pounds. When I last saw her, she was wearing a deep red colonial gown. Her pale blonde hair was worn unfashionably loose, spilling over her shoulders and down her back. She was also translucent. Many restaurant patrons, however, say that Elizabeth can look as real and solid as anyone else-among living, that is.

Elizabeth skips and dances barefoot around the upstairs dining area. Her pranks including rotating patrons' dishes while they're dining and sending cups and saucers flying across the room. At the same time, Elizabeth is careful never to hurt anyone; she's mrely being playful.

Downstairs, Elizabeth visits the ladies room and sometimes tugs on the hair of visiting patrons. The ladies lounge was once part of the nursery, near the center of the farmhouse. It was also where Elizabeth felt safest, waiting for her husband to come home.

Interestingly, there has never been any evidence that Elizabeth's newborn is with her in the spirit world, and people often wonder where the child is. The consensus is that the baby probably crossed over.

Elizabeth's ghost certainly hasn't crossed. In fact, the young woman doesn't seem to realize that she's dead. In her own mind, she's still living in the time before her pregnancy, when she was happily married. That's why she's often seen upstairs, watching out the window for her husband's return form the sea.

Some people have seen Elizabeth looking sadly out the window toward the tree in the yard where she and the baby may have been buried. But these bouts of melancholy are brief, and soon Mrs. Ford's mood again becomes light and playful. In general, Elizabeth Ford is one very happy ghost.

Flickering Lights

When I first encountered Elizabeth, I was upstairs in the restaurant, showing some "ghost photos" to a TV show host. We were preparing to film a segment about the Country Tavern.

A shadowy seemed to pass over my photo album, as if someone had just walked by. I looked up and saw Elizabeth standing on tiptoes gazing over my right shoulder. She was looking down at my photos, seemingly fascinated by them.

I didn't want to startled the crew, so I kept quiet about Mrs. Ford's presence. However, just a few minutes later, she announced herself in her typically mischievous fashion. The cameras were filming as the TV host and I walked around the restaurant's upstairs dining area. I could see Elizabeth watching us from behind one of the crew, when she suddenly vanished. Then, as we began to discuss Elizabeth during the show, the lights on the wall flickered-and each time we mentioned her name or referred to her, they flickered again.

Finally, the host asked anxiously, "That's just loose wiring, right?"

"We'd better find out," I replied. "If it is, the restaurant needs to know before a short circuit starts a fire."

I looked around for someone from the Country Tavern staff, but they were all downstairs. It was up to us to solve the mystery of the blinking lights.

Even when I think that something may be evidence of a haunting, I look for logical explanations. So I climbed up on a bench by the wall and thumped my hand near one of the fixtures to see if I could make the lights flicker again.

Nothing happened.

I repeated my efforts, this time pounding the wall with my fist.

Still nothing.

More pounding just inches from the light fixture-and still no flickering.

"Let me try," the host suggested, fathering her courage. She tapped the wall very lightly and-amid some nervous laughter-asked if Elizabeth was there. The lights blinked on and off as if cue. The TV host turned pale under her make up.

For the next several minutes, I pounded the walls trying to duplicate what had happened. No matter what I did, the lights wouldn't flicker.

"Elizabeth is just teasing you," I joked. And, with that, the lights turned quickly off and on again.

Only the wall had blinked off and on; the other restaurant lights remained constant. The power hadn't failed, even for a second. And the only light switches in the room were those in plain view. No one from the restaurant staff had left the kitchen either.

In other words, there was no rational explanation for the flickering lights. I laughed because I was used to ghosts, but the TV host and crew weren't quite as amused.

"See You Later, Elizabeth"

We briskly completed the TV segment, and the crew packed their equipment. As we headed toward the stairs, I glanced back over my shoulder and said quietly, "See you later, Elizabeth."

The lights flickered again, and I thought I heard a high, girlish laugh not far from my ear. I certainly felt a gentle swish of air, as if someone in a long gown had just adashed past me.

From what I've heard Elizabeth Ford is still a regular visitor at the Country Tavern. The restaurant is best known for its fabulous meals and fresh seafood dinners. But it's also famous as the home of one of the sweetest ghosts in New England.

Watch for Elizabeth Ford next time you're in Nashua, enjoying the food at the Country Tavern. Just don't be surprised if an empty cup gracefully across the room, or the lights flicker when you mention her name.

[gingerspiceeffect]

Theory or Reality?

Febreze or Febreeze? I bet you’re thinking the second option is spelled correctly. What if I told you that you were wrong. Would you believe me? I bet you are currently looking it up right now to prove to yourself that it is indeed spelled with two e’s. I was just as shocked when I found this information. It got me thinking about if there are other things we remember differently. I started diving into the inter-web looking for answers. This is where I discovered all about conspiracy theories and more specifically, the Mandela Effect. 

(Source)

Conspiracy theory as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is, “a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators”. These theories exist for the sole purpose of explaining why certain events have happened or how they “really” happened. Sometimes the truth just isn’t real enough to believe. Some popular conspiracies include the moon landing being faked, 9/11 being an inside job, the pizza gate conspiracy, etc. There’s always an alternate theory as to how events took place. 

(source)

The Mandela Effect is one of the many conspiracy theories I’ve encountered that really has a hold on me. This conspiracy got its name from a woman named Fiona Broome who studied this phenomenon. She had talked to a few people at a conference she attended about how she remembers Nelson Mandela dying in a prison in the 1980s. Her colleagues agreed with her in saying they remember that as well. The trippy part is that he didn’t pass until the year 2013. Then why do many people remember this event happening in different years?  

(source)

Nelson Mandela’s death isn't the only thing that has people questioning what they remember. Lots of other brands and companies have these effects with the spelling or look of their products. The definition of the Mandela Effect according to verywellmind.com states that the theory “refers to a situation in which a large mass of people believes that an event occurred when it did not”. My goal is to look further into why and how this occurs. To do this I want to unravel the human brain and its memory.  

Ready to take a look back at what you remember?