#I cannot describe how much joy this gave me wow

[murdercamelinplacesitshouldntbe]

A little drawing that I made of the beatiful murder camel because your blog has somehow possesed me for a bit (i've drawn exactly that scene 3 times)

Its part of a bigger drawing and my camera is really bad but

Enjoy

THANK YOUU!!! i absolutely love thsi aaah thanks im really happy you like this blog!

[linyi-is-dreaming]

The Drop Of A Tear - 25

BTS V x Y/N (Reader)

Summary:  Tae meets a woman who is very manipulative. Before he even notices anything, she got him around his finger. He decides to leave his wife Y/N and his four kids to start a new life with the new woman. This perfect house of cards that he had just started to build, starts to unfold as she starts to show her true face. Piece by piece it makes him feel sick. Tae notices his wrong doing as his house of cards start to fall apart.  Regret and hate towards himself makes him wish to turn things around. Will he be able to safe his house of cards and to get back what he once threw away? Is Y/N able to forgive?

CHAPTER 25

It took Tae a long time for him to figure out how his son could meet his favorite soccer player. As he looks at his son's wide grin, the time spent on the phone and the days of planning begin to fade. The longer Tae looks at his son, the more he wants to take images of him being joyful. His son's smile hasn't changed a bit since the time he met his favorite player earlier on today. 

“I still can’t believe I got his signature on my t-shirt.”, Tae’s son tells him as he keeps looking at the t-shirt in his hands. The way he looked at his shirt, it almost appeared as if he was beginning to realize that meeting his favorite player was not a dream. “Look, he even wrote a message on the back of our photo!”  

“Didn’t he sign much more?”, Tae asks as he notices the green traffic light. As he begins to drive away, he points to the boys' bag.  

“I only took bag he gave me, but I haven’t checked for any signatures...” Half-listening, his son peers at the bag for a split second before returning his gaze to the signature on his shirt. Tae looks at his son for a second without losing focus on the traffic when he notices that he does not appear to want to check for the bag. 

“Well, maybe you should check the bag.”, Tae suggests with a smile. “There could be more...” 

“Okay.”, the boy says as he takes the bag onto his lap. Tae's hand movement startles him just as he was about to touch the zip. 

“Wait!”, Tae screams suddenly. 

“What? What?”, his son screams scared as he looks at his father. 

“Your window is not closed. Let’s not lose anything.” 

“Are you serious, dad? I almost had heart attack!” He couldn't help but giggle at his son's expression. “Why are you scaring me like that?” 

“Oops.”, Tae laughs as he keeps driving.  

“Not funny at all. I thought something bad is about to happen!” 

“Sorry, son. So, what’s in the bag?” 

“Will you scare me again?” 

“I promise I won’t.”, Tae chuckles. “I promise, I won’t.”, he repeats slowly. 

“Is there something in the bag that will scare me?”, the boy asks worriedly, 

“I promise, there won’t be anything scary in the bag.” For a moment, he waits before he opens the bag slowly. 

“Shoes! Signed shoes!”, the boy screams as he takes them out of the bag to take a closer look. He turns them around to see if only one of the pair has been signed. “A t-shirt with the player’s last name on it and a lot more merchandise!” 

“Wow! Isn’t that great?”, Tae says cheerfully. “I guess I will try to organize this glass houses and frames to put them in there...” 

“This day is awesome!” 

“I am glad you are enjoying this day so much.” 

“Thank you, dad! I don’t even know how to describe my happiness right now.” Happily, Tae takes a short look at his son. Words cannot describe how much he would want to take a picture of the current joy of his son. 

“You are very welcome. I am sorry that it took so long but at least we finally were able to meet him.” 

“I already thought you have forgotten about your promise to be honest.” 

“I never forgot about it. It took me and my manager hours to plan everything. He's booked out for most of the time, especially now that he is in practically every sport commercial.” 

“I will rub it in their faces next time I am at Uncle Namjoon’s house.” 

“Why would you do that?”, Tae asked worriedly. When the words keep coming back to him, he wonders if his son just said what he had heard. 

“The boys said that it would never happen.” 

“Just be nice about it, okay? You know, not everyone will believe your words. But if your words become reality, they must believe. You remember-” 

“I remember that, yes...”, his son sighs. “Can I at least show it to them? Not showing off, but just show that it happened?” 

“As long as you are not rude.”, Tae answers him as he parks smoothly in front of Jungkook’s apartment building.  

“What are we doing at Jungkook’s house?”, the boy asks surprised. “I thought you take me home to mom’s place?” His son can read Tae's bewilderment like a book. He glances at his son, surprised, without saying anything. “Dad?” 

“Wait. You are all living here. I, I am pretty sure you do.”, Tae stutters as he realizes his child is not attempting to prank him with his words. 

“No, we don’t live here anymore.”, the boy says slowly. “Dad, are you okay? That is why I was meant to wait for you at your agency.” 

“But I know for a fact that you live here. When were you supposed to have moved away?” 

“Dad, I am telling you, we do not live here anymore. We moved a few days ago.” 

“You really moved?”, Tae asks. “Your mom got her own place or with another uncle?” 

“We moved into mom’s new place last week.” 

“Wait. Hold on.”, Tae says as he loosens his seat belt as he leans towards his son. “Who are you living with now?” 

“With mom and my siblings. Why?” As the boy notices his father's confusion about their current living situation grows, he begins to worry about him. “I thought you knew...” 

“Jungkook did not move with you?” 

“No. Why should he move with us?”, the boy asked confused by his father reaction. Tae's vision begins to take on the appearance of a large puzzle. Does the fact that she has her own apartment indicate that Jungkook is not interested in dating her? Does this mean she'll need financial support again? Who is supporting her? As he glances down at his knees, a series of questions begin to flood his thoughts. “Dad? Hello?” 

“Yeah, sorry.”, Tae mumbles as he notices a well-known face at the window. “Look, it’s Jungkook.” Just as he finished his sentence, his son opens his window. “Hey Jungkook.” His voice was neutral, despite his dissatisfaction with Jungkook's appearance. 

“Hello you two! Were you about to visit me?”, Jungkook wonders as points at the bag. “Is somebody staying with me tonight?” 

“Actually no...”, Tae answers as he looks at Jungkook still confused. 

“Are you alright?”, Jungkook wonders as he looks at Tae’s son. “Is your father feeling unwell?” But the only response he gets is the boy shaking his head. Even though Tae is hesitant to ask, fearful of receiving information he does not want, he knows he must gather more information about Y/N's new address. 

“He just told me that they are not living here anymore... What’s going on? I thought they are still living with you.” 

“Didn’t Y/N call you?”, Jungkook wonders. “I thought she informed you.” Jungkook's baffled expression indicates that his words must be true. Did she tell him she was going to call Tae so Tae wouldn't know if she didn't tell him? 

“She did not say a word about moving out... Not even today when I told her I will drive our son to meet his favorite player in the stadium...” A smile appears on Jungkook’s face as he looks back at the boy. 

“You finally met him? How was it?”, he asks excited. The question immediately brings back the boy's bright smile. 

“It was so cool! He signed most of the stuff and I got even more in the bag!” 

“That’s awesome!” The loud clearing of Tae’s throat got Jungkook’s attention immediately. “Sorry. Actually, we have practice later on... Will you make it on time?” 

“That is why I planned to bring him to his mother before practice but now I don’t know where she even lives. One again!” 

“Relax. It is not that far from here.”, Jungkook comments as he looks at his phone. “We should still make it on time.” 

“So, where is it?” 

“I don’t know if I should tell you...”, Jungkook says as he pretends to think about it. “If I ride along with you, I’ll tell you.” 

“Why would you drive with us?” 

“Because from there you will drive to practice, and I will not have to drive myself to get there.” 

“Fine.”, Tae sighs as he unlocks the car. “Get in.” 

“Just take the directions I give you.”, Jungkook says as he opens the car door widely. Tae’s look felt like fire on Jungkook’s skin. “Get in the backseat, I think it is better if I sit in the front.” 

“But dad allowed me to sit in the front today.”, the boy answers. 

“Yeah, it is his day today.”, Tae confirms. “Take a seat on the backseat!” 

“Do I need to remind you on the few sweets I helped you hide from your siblings?”, Jungkook whispers. Even the further Tae leans forward, he cannot hear what Jungkook has just whispered. Without saying anything else the boy grabs his stuff and gets out of the car. 

“What are you doing?”, Tae wonders as he watches his son opening the back door. “Wait a minute.” 

“Uh, the front seat is so nice.”, Jungkook comments as he looks at Tae. “Any problems?”, Jungkook questions as he fastens his seatbelt. 

“Yeah, you! Sit in the back.” 

“Uhm, no. If you want to have her address, I will drive with you like that.” In frustration, Tae wipes his face with his fingers.  

“Fine.” 

“Fine.” 

“Do you keep repeating what I have said?” 

“Do you keep repeating what I have said?”, Jungkook repeats. 

“Stop this right now.” 

“Stop this right now.” 

“Jungkook!” 

“Jungkook!” The boy watches from the backseat as the scene unfolds in front of him. It is not easy for him, but he tries his best to keep the laughter as quiet as possible. “See, we are entertaining your son.” 

“We entertain? No, you make my hair grow white.” 

“Just start the car.”, Jungkook says as he turns around to the boy. “You got to tell me all about today! But safety first, fasten your seatbelt. We know your father is not the best driver.”, he winks at the boy which made the boy laugh in an instead. 

“I heard that!”, Tae comments annoyed. 

“It was meant to be heard.”, Jungkook answers as he turns his body to the front of the car. 

💧💧💧

“Park somewhere around here.”, Jungkook suggests as they arrive at near Y/N’s house. “It is right over there.” 

“The one with the small glass on the front door?” 

“Yeah, that is the one.” Tae nods whilst he unfastens his belt. “What are you doing?” 

“Going to the door to check out the house.” 

“You do not have to do that, dad.”, his son interrupts. “We are not fully settled in yet and my room is not finished. Can you come another time...? Like, when sis is not in the house for example?” Of course, he couldn't have forgotten about his own child, who claims to despise him. If Y/N would even let him in is a different story, especially since she appears to still feel the same way as his daughter. 

“I understand.”, Tae says as he fakes a smile. “I will wait until you are in the house.” 

“Thanks dad!” 

“Bye big boy! Be good to your mom, okay? Don’t let your sisters annoy you!”, Tae tells him quickly as his son grabs his stuff. 

“Thanks for today!”, his son says quickly before he runs towards the entry.  

“He looks truly happy, doesn’t he?”, Tae comments happily.  

“He does... Uhm, Tae?” 

“Yeah.” 

“We shall get going?” 

“Yeah, we should...” 

“Up to practice then.”, Jungkook states as he puts the seat belt on again. He waits for a moment, but Tae is still not moving the car key. “Tae?” 

“Who does this place belong to?” 

“It once belonged to one of our members. Can you get going? I really don’t want to be late.” 

“Which member?” 

“Can you ask and drive?” 

“No.”, Tae says in a strict tone. “Tell me, who bought it?” 

“She bought it on credit.” 

“Y/N does not have the saving to get a credit from a bank.” 

“I don’t know how much you know but if you really need to talk about Y/N’s money, talk with her.” 

“Alright. I will.”, Tae says replies. “I won’t tell her you told me.” With those words, he abruptly exits the car and begins walking directly towards her house. 

“Where are you going?”, Jungkook screams as he watches Tae walking away. “Tae! Tae! Damnit.” Quickly, he jumps out of the car to follow Tae. “Tae! Don’t you hear me?” With a few steps, he moves in front of Tae and prevents him from walking. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”, Tae wonders as he looks at him. 

“Tell you what?” 

“That she moved!” 

“It just did not come up. She has her own place like you wanted, isn’t that great?” 

“Yeah, it is... but something smells fishy. I have a weird feeling about it.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Where is the money coming from? I know she has a well-paid job but, no matter how many extra hours she might have done, Y/N would not be able to collect that amount of money in that short time.” 

“You know she is working, right?” 

“I do but, that apartment building does not look cheap.” 

“You know who she is working for, right? You don’t know, do you?” 

“Does it matter? She is not even working full time. How is she supposed to pay the debts?” 

“Just answer me!” He takes a deep breath, irritated at Jungkook's style of speaking. 

“Y/N is working in a top company that has more than enough money to even lend money to their own employees. She asked if she would be able to get one and they gave her one straight away.” 

“Just like that?” 

“Yes. When they gave her a little raise for the great work, they mentioned it. When she explained her situation, they offered it, and she took it.” 

“If you told me all of this just a little sooner...!” 

“I didn’t know if you cared to know and next to that, I am not even sure what another member might have told you.” 

“I need to think about that... Let’s get to practice.”, Tae speaks slowly as he walks back to the car. “Fuck!” 

“What?” 

“My key! My car key is still in the car which locked itself already!” 

“No, the car key is not in the car.”, Jungkook says laughingly as he holds up the key. “Be happy I am thinking.” 

“Shut up.”, he commands as he takes the keys. “Get in.” 

💧💧💧

The session felt like it lasted forever, and everyone's clothes appeared to be drenched in sweat. To everyone's delight, their dance choreographer requests a break. The gathering rapidly divided into several groups, and several people exited the room with their phones in hand. Jimin is interested by the expression on Yoongi's face as he continues to watch Tae. 

“Why are you looking at him like that?” 

“Is Tae like the old Tae again or is it just scaring me?”, Yoongi whispers to Jimin as they watch Tae talking with Jungkook and Namjoon. 

“I am not quite sure. I mean, maybe the old one.”, Jimin whispers back as they watch Tae’s body language. 

“So, he is not mad at you anymore?” 

“Hopefully.” 

“Remember what Jungkook texted.”, Yoongi tells him as he turns to grab a water bottle. “Let’s hope her work does not give her any troubles with the loan.” 

“I don’t think so.” 

“Yeah, I hope so-”, Yoongi stops to speak as he sees the smile on Jimin’s face. “What is the grinning about?” 

“The money was mine.”, Jimin confesses. The sudden confession made Yoongi almost choke on his water. “The money is not from the company she is working for.” 

“You did what?” 

“It was my wife’s plan. Don’t ask me why, but she wants them back together.” 

“She would be a fool if she does.” 

“Don’t call her a fool!” 

“What else am I supposed to call her when she thinks like that? Besides, How does that even work? How did the company even say yes to that plan...?” 

“Well, happy wife, happy life.”, Jimin sighs satisfied. “You have no clue how stressed I am if Y/N figures out that that was my money. I hope their friendship is strong enough for it.” 

“What if she transfers the money to their account?” 

“She can’t because the account on the paper is mine.” 

“You are a smart idiot.” 

“Not me, but my wife is. She made the plan.” 

“Of course, you are following her like a puppy.”, Yoongi says as he rolls his eyes. 

“Oh, and you are not like that when it is about your wife?” Yoongi’s movement stop as soon as he hears Jimin’s words. 

“Anyway, do you have any other idea on how to help her? We both agree that she would be better off with Jungkook but we both know we cannot make that choice for her.” 

“If they’d have stayed together longer, they might would have gotten the chance to.” 

“What are you talking about?”, Hoseok asks as he puts his arms around his members. “Why are you guys whispering?” 

“Nothing at all.”, Jimin explains as Yoongi walks away. 

“Good. Don’t destroy the good vibes we finally have in this studio.”, Hoseok warns. 

“We are not about to.”, Jimin answers as he walks up to the other members. 

💧💧💧

“Jungkook, can you stay a moment.”, Tae requests, as his mind still refuses to allow him a breather. Too many questions annoy him, and too many concerns run through his head. While waiting for everyone else to exit the room, Jungkook packs his belongings in his bag and throws it over his shoulder as he moves closer to Tae. “I think I need to say something out loud.” 

“Out loud? I am listening.” 

“I want Y/N to be happy as much as I want to be back with her. But I came to the realization, I cannot have her if she does not feel for me anymore.” 

“Well, talk with Y/N. I cannot help you with that.” 

“I am not asking for help or anything like that but, I need to know where you two are at right now.”, Tae says with a sad voice. “Be honest with me.” 

“I already told you everything.” 

“Is there anything else you might have not mentioned yet?” 

“Listen, I think, I will always feel for Y/N in the way I do and the longer I lived with her, the more protective of her I got. I realized that my love for her is not as good as I hoped.” 

“What are you trying to tell me?” 

“I will tell you the same thing I told her. If she wants to go out with me, I am happy to do so. But if it is not me who makes her happy, we are better off as friends.” 

“You really said that to her?” 

“Yeah.”, Jungkook sighs. “I am feeling hurt and sad but, I can’t use her situation to benefit from it nor can I do it to you. Even though you would deserve to go through hell.” 

“Thanks, Jungkook.”, Tae says as he holds his hand towards him. “Let’s restart from here.” 

“A handshake?”, Jungkook asks surprised. “What for? 

“A handshake to our friendship.” 

“To... our... friendship? You want to restart?” 

“I know you can’t forget nor can anyone who is involved in what I did, but I want to do better. You helped Y/N, when she needed help. She is the mother of my children, and you helped my children as well. That is what a true friend does.” For a brief moment, it seemed like manipulation to Jungkook, but it sounded too genuine to be a trick. 

“Okay.”, Jungkook says as he shakes Tae’s hand. “But the very next bad thing you do to her or your kids, will be the last time we were friends.” 

[sunshineistyping]

I read your Sundrop x Reader human AU bit and loved the concept!! If it’s not too much to ask, could you perhaps make a part two?

Thank you guys so much for all the support and love, I'd love to continue the Sundrop fic!

You're So Cute

(Part 2 of Shared Lunch)

Pairing: Sundrop/Sunny/Sun x GN!Reader

Au: Human Au

Warnings: None

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“Hey,” your eyes flicked to your right. There was Sunny, a light blush on his face as he shifted his weight a few times. You'd both finished your shift not long ago but he’d taken quite a while to step outside. His blonde hair looked a little messier than before but his nervous grin from earlier remained. You nod your head to the side, offering him to walk with you. He, of course, begins to walk beside you.

“Hi Sunny, how was work?” You'd start out slow. You wouldn't ask about why he’d called you ‘My Love’. You wouldn't hyper-fixate on the way he’d smiled as he went back into his room. Of course not.

“Uhm- It was good! The kids were pretty calm for nap time.” His blush had faded just a bit but that nervous smile only grew. His pale steel eyes hooking on the way you smiled at his words, your heart fluttering at that simple action. You wouldn't focus on him at all, right?

“Were they now? Did Vanny cause you any trouble?”

“As much trouble as a six-year-old can cause,” he chuckled and shrugged. Yeah no, you were definitely hooked on his every movement. His every breath. He was what had single-handedly restored your faith in men. Perhaps even the most attractive guy you'd ever met. Were you being dramatic? Of course you were, but obviously, your attraction that you had all but given up on was now returned. So honestly you were allowing yourself to lean into these thoughts.

“Really? The bunny princess caused you, the pride and joy of this daycare, some trouble?” You joked, lightly nudging him with your shoulder.

“Ah- well, I don't know about pride and joy,” he's so flustered you almost break into a fit of laughter. His eyes looking almost anywhere but you, well now would be as good a time as any to mention earlier. Maybe you could be more sly with it? Try to turn it back on him?

“Oh? You're not the pride and joy? Then who is Love?” At that moment his eyes widen, his face turns the richest crimson you've ever seen on a person, and his grin near glows. You both slow down, no longer walking but rather standing to the side of the daycare's empty parking lot.

“You're so cute,” he flirted back and for a moment you short-circuited.

“I'm cute?” You ask, leaning closer to the taller man.

“You are, very much so. In fact, I think you're sweet too.”

“Oh wow, and I thought I was the flirt.” You grip lightly onto his shoulders.

“Really now, so that's what all that friendliness was.” His arms slip around your waist holding you gently against his chest.

“Ive been flirting for months, you're just completely oblivious.” You hoped he’d submit and let you win. You loved these little flirting games though they rarely got this far but no, he kept pressing.

“I might be oblivious, but you know what I have that just might make up for it?” He leans closer, closer, and even closer. His warm breath ghosting against your face and eyes still holding your gaze.

“What do you have?”

“Good taste.”

“Oh, and how are you gonna prove that?” You ask and he lets out a small, airy chuckle as his forehead pressed against yours. He seems so calm, so comforting, you cannot stress enough how warm he was. His embrace could only be described as loving, the nickname you gave him couldn't have been more perfect.

“Well that depends, how willing are you to let me take you out?”

“Like, on a date?”

“Of course silly, how else?” There was a moment where you enjoyed each other's company and closeness before finally, you said what had been on your mind this whole time.

“You going to kiss me or are you going to keep hesitating?” He smiles at your simple statement before leaning in, kissing you gently for only a moment. A peck just as warm as the rest of him but God were his lips soft. You smile and as if he was a lovestruck puppy, he begins leaving small kisses all over your face.

“Okay, Okay! Stop it,” you laugh as he pulls away. Oh, you're definitely going to take this man up on that date offer. You've waited too long to let him go now.

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[thebadchoicemachine]

For the writing prompt, what about ghost!Robin and Catboy!Corpse seeing present day Cornelius/Dream? Like Dream being confused and happy about his Partner and Son’s Ghosts being there and everyone else being v confused about the two random people calling him Cornelius and knowing him from a hundred years ago.

anon im so sorry. This has been sitting in my inbox for months now but I just cannot finish this story. it a really cool idea though. Here’s my incomplete first draft. I just copy and paste it from my wip to here so this is it, notes and cuts and typos and all. 

The idea is Karl shows up when they’re in the prison and they see the false timeline where Cornelius was a killer and are forced to accept he sucks

_________________

- The execution cell was supposed to be merciful, a more civilized solution than being beat to death, but everything about it made Robin gag. He hoped he would never ever end up in it. 

tw: implied indirect suicide, major death but they’re ghosts(?) 

--•-•-*-•-•-- 

Colors and colors and colors wouldn’t stop melting and mixing and swirling. They surrounded him. They were in him. They were him. He breathed them in without breathing, he bled them without blood, he was falling and flying and stood completely still. 

And then it was dark. No, then it was light. White and clean like the marble of a palace Robin knew he would never get to see. 

Where... where was he? He’d won hadn’t he? They’d... killed... him. They’d killed everyone. 

He wanted to die. He had to. There was boiling in his blood he couldn’t ease, he had to die, he needed them to hate him. To end him. The Jester’s Curse. Cursed to be wronged, to be hurt, to be freed. 

He’d always had it, as far as he was concerned. He didn’t know why he resisted for so long. Perhaps, despite everything, he’d enjoyed living at one point. Despite what he was, despite his curse, despite bring a jester, he wanted to live! At some point he couldn’t care less about tricking others into condemning him to the grave. 

After Cornelius, after Cat, he didn’t even fight it nor could he fight for it. He didn’t even care. Even as the ground swallowed him up in flames of the execution he held no harmony. No peace. There was no joy in his victory, there was no meaning to his death. Even in fulfilling it, he’d denied his curse. 

That’s why he was still here, wasn’t it? Jesters want to die, they want to transform, to be released into vengeful spirits of lies and trickery. He was... dead. He was also... still here... why? He knew why. He didn’t think he liked the answer. 

Robin couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t stand to bother mourning anymore. Not himself, not his long-dead family, not his new fath- he choked. He didn’t know know on what, he had no air, no lungs. He just couldn’t finish the thought. 

“We never did make it official, did we?” A solemn, comforting, voice rang out.

Robin spun around. No. What? No, it’s not. It is. He is. Right there. Standing- no, not standing. Neither of them can stand. Not floating either just… there… was Cat. 

Robin felt his eyes fill up with tears, he didn’t know how, he didn’t care. He flew into his friend’s arms. 

“Woah! Ah, be careful, child.”

“H-how,” Robin sobbed into his chest. “How are you…”

“You’re here, aren’t you?”

“I th-thought that was because of my c-curse.”

Cat sighed, gently ruffling the child’s hair.  

“No,” he spoke, finally. “I don’t think that’s why any of us are here.”

“Then-”

“No, I don’t think it’s what happens to everyone either. I’ve been alone as far as I can tell. I haven’t found anyone else. Not even…” he sighed again. 

Robin understood. Cornelius was gone. 

“I’m so sorry, Robin.” Cat tightened his grip. “I’m so sorry for what we put you through. We promised we would give you a better life, a safer one, but we left you in the worst way possible. You were executed because... because of me.”

“Oh,” Robin stared down at his feet. “You... were there for that?”

“No. I wasn’t- I can’t- I don’t know how to explain it, I only know what happened. Exactly what happened. It was like living a story being told to you, as though a nar- narrating...

Narration. Something clicked in both of their minds. Wasn’t there some strange… the spirals… the colors… he didn’t have a name, not one he ever told them. He had simply showed up one day, right before it all began. He wasn’t there, not properly anyway,. but he was there. He was there in the backs of everyone’s minds. He was there as he explained away every awful thing like it was a footnote in a novel. He was there as he made and told truth. He was the Narrator. 

He had such an air of control, such an air of change. 

Thoughts (memories?) of a past that never happened flashed through Robin’s mind. Cat was out investigating, Robin was carefully looking over his medical supplies. He couldn’t risk- NO. No. He swept the distraction from his mind. He wouldn’t get carried away, not this time.

The narrator. The Narrator. He had a book. A swirling and swishing mash of colors cover on his book he scribed all their horrors into. That’s where they were. 

“Cat, we need to go. He made a mistake. This… was his first time. We are not supposed to be here. We were never meant to leave. We should try to get out.”

Cat only nodded. Robin didn’t know why he understood or how deeply, but he did. This was a mistake.

The two began wandering the halls. It was strange, being able to think and move again as though his body was still his. To have his mind and thoughts working in a stream of consciousness instead of a thick muddy bog of echos. If he didn’t know any better he’d describe it as feeling more… alive.

He even reached out to guide Cat out of habit. How amazing was it that he had habits again? Cat allowed him to because he knew the comfort it gave him to have something so familiar. Although, of course, not really needing him to. They were both still dead, spirits, memories. Living- not living like this, detached, was like existing with a million tiny radars reaching out all around you. It wasn’t a matter of seeing or feeling, simply knowing. When you were so disconnected from life and itself you were able to get a much clearer and instant idea of the world, he supposed.

They walked and wandered in silence for a while. At least, a while from their perspective. Even with no real idea what or where they were Robin could tell time was… off… here. 

Eventually, they found their way out. There was no exit or pathway they walked through nor was it a sudden jump. They had just… made it out. They were standing beneath the shelter of some trees. It was raining. They were surrounded by unfamiliar structures and landscapes. Of course they were, but this wasn’t just some distant biome or kingdom it was…

“Robin? Are you alright?” 

“I- yes. I’m fine, Cat. This is- I mean, that place is just… wow.”

“It’s... different, yes. This rain is- hmm, it’s weird. I can’t feel it but I know it’s there. It’s making everything fuzzy.”

Robin stuck his hand out. The raindrops sizzled against his skin. He was so focused on the odd sensation he jumped when Cat yanked his arm back.

“What was that? Are you alright?”

“The rain, it stings.”

“Badly? Are you hurt?”

“Not really. It feels like I’m a bar of soap being whittled down by the drops but I’m fine. It only feels strange.”

“Oh, good,” Cat breathed a sigh of relief. “In that case, let’s keep moving.” 

Robin agreed. They didn’t have anywhere to go but neither felt like standing under the tree for all eternity. Besides, they were in a whole new world, maybe even a whole new dimension, and Robin was really curious to see what was with those strange building 

It all seemed impossible. 

His breath was taken away at every turn as they walked. Structures like nothing he’d ever seen before. There were so many colors, so many shapes, so many mechanics, so many things, and all so high and huge. It was amazing. 

“Slow down a little, this rain is really disorienting.”

“Sorry! Sorry, this place is just… wow.”

“So you’ve said,” Cat laughed. “What exactly is so amazing about it? Describe it to me.”

“Well, there’s so much of it. It’s like a town but nothing like a town at all. More like a whole kingdom. A very strange kingdom.  There’s no uniform to it, every build is unique. There was a castle we passed, it was huge and had so many colors! There were just rainbows and rainbows pouring out of every-”

“Mmm, interesting.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“This castle though, it felt like regret, didn’t it?”

“Y-yeah? Kinda,” Robbin had been trying to avoid thinking about that, how he could feel every building. “Uh, over to your side there is a pit, a giant crater bigger than our entire town! It’s tragic. It’s refreshing a little. It’s kind of…”

“Familiar. I- I don’t want to be near that, Robin. Let’s keep moving.”

Robin didn’t agree. He wanted to get closer, to feel what was so sad, so new, so ended, what about whatever tragedy there was familiar. He wanted to understand what he knew would hurt him, and why. 

*****

“No! He would never!” Cat’s voice was rising. It was honestly scary, Robin had never seen him so wrathful. “He is the kindest person you will ever know! He is a protector! He’s- he is-”

“Do you really believe that?” The Narrator asked, calm and unfazed, sorrow creeping into his question. Robin couldn’t shake it from his mind. His thoughts were ruffles like pages flipping backward in a book. Like a pencil rubbing revealing words erased and undone but that had still been written. He was sent back to his flashing memories, his lies, unable to stop them.  

Cat was out investigating, Robin was carefully looking over his medical supplies. He couldn’t risk choosing wrong tonight. He’d been right to focus on himself. No, he’d been lucky. He’d panicked. Cat was out to the town now. Robin was out now. The killers knew they could stop them, they would be targets. The killers…

Part of him wanted to ignore it, to go back to thinking it couldn’t be one of them. That no one would do something like that, that is must be some outside force but Jimmy… they’d gotten him right. Robin winced at the memory of Helga, at how it had almost been him, but they’d gotten Jimmy right. He knew they had, the Narrator said so. 

The next morning, no one had died. Robin hadn’t needed to heal anyone. Cat reported Jack hadn’t left his home. It seemed like, well, it must be Jack. It just had to be, didn’t it? Robin frowned. He liked Jack enough, he didn’t want to kill anyone. He didn’t want to be wrong again but what choice did he have?

Jack was fighting. He was shouting, angry, scared. He was in the exact same place Robin had been a few nights ago. The familiarity burned inside his chest. He couldn’t stand any more of this, it needed to end tonight. 

“IT’S CORNELIUS!  IT’S HIM! IT HAS TO BE! Look at me. Look at me! You know me, I’m simple, I farm potatoes. If Helga was still here she’d remind yall I ain’t good for much else. You really think I could do this?”

Robin couldn’t comprehend what he was hearing. He wanted to believe it. He wanted to spare everyone he could but… Cornelius? Could he really condemn him any more than he could Jack? Could he any less? 

“What makes you think it’s me and not one of them? I know you’re a killer, Jack. You guessed Cat would be on your trail tonight and didn’t kill. Why else wouldn’t someone be dead today?” Cornelius’s voice was as calm and upbeat as ever, if not a bit exasperated. 

“He’s smart! He’s too smart. Look at his freaky, calculatin’ eyes, if you can ever see them. Look at him! Hiding behind that mask, wearing that ridiculous green hood, what’s that smile for, huh? None of us should have trusted him the day he set foot in this town, make up for it now. C’mon! Cat, I know you’re better than murderin’ folks for mayhem. Bob, you’re as simple as me! Robin,” Robin froze up as he was addressed directly “You’re a child, a sweet one. I’m sorry you have to live through this. I’m sorry you’ve been where I am now but I only hope that gives you the empathy you need to make the right choice. It’s him. I swear it’s not me!”

Everything felt stifled. He muffled the distraught protests of Cat in favor of listening to his own. No. No, it couldn’t be.  Everyone in town used to be friendly but Cornelius was a friend. He and Cat had been there for Robin. They’d taken him in, cared for him, treated him as their own son. Well, Cat had. 

Robin slowly blinked. What had Cornelius done for him? Thinking this way made him sick but he needed to be rational here. Did he really believe Cornelius was innocent, truly? He trusted Cat. Cat had proof he was safe, even if he wasn’t an investigator he had years and years of kindness to back him up. What did Cornelius have, really? He was kind, decent enough, but so was Jack. So were Jimmy and Helga. That wasn’t something he could base his vote on. 

So what did make him so sure it wasn’t Cornelius? The only… he realized the only thing holding him up was Cat. Cat loved him. Robin wanted that to be enough. He wanted desperately to go back home, to lay in Cat’s lap while Cornelius told them stories. He wanted to retreat into his memories but when he tried they felt corrupted, tainted, hollow. 

Every time he tried to imagine the kind way Cornelius had ruffled his hair, how he’d giggle and blush after a kiss from Cat, how he’d take off his mask at home and join Robin sitting on the porch, every time he tried to lose himself in the memory of that soft, humored, smile he was frozen inside by the eyes. Even when they were sad or kind his eyes were always vibrant, sharp… calculating. 

Robin took a shaky breath. He didn’t like this, he didn’t want to do this, any of it. He was filled with a numb resolve as he cast his vote. He had no proof either was innocent but he had no reason to believe Jack was capable of this… he knew Cornelius was. 

“The voting has finished,” The Narrator began. “Jack... Jack is the most suspected but this means nothing. Cornelius, by 3/5ths of the vote you have been found guilty. Please, step into the chamber.”

-

“NO!” A scream cut through the faux memory, just barely. Just enough for Robin to hear it. Who had yelled? Cat? Cor- Dream? Himself? He didn’t know, he was still lost.

-

Lost… Robin was so lost. 3/5ths. Cornelius obviously voted for Jack and vice versa, Bob was on Jack’s side, Cat must have voted for Jack even if only to save his love. Robin had been the deciding vote. What had he done? Was he right? Cornelius gave him no answer as he calmly stepped into the cell. The Narrator blabbed on, explaining the votes and who and what but for the first time since the colorful stranger arrived Robin couldn't listen to a word he said, instead focusing on Cat. 

Cat had run to the jail, his hands reaching desperately through the bars. “I didn’t want this. I didn’t want this,” he kept repeating. His voice was calm and low but Robin could tell that was desperate. He was putting on an act, trying to reassure Cornelius as though it would all solve itself if he just kept together. Cornelius still didn’t speak. He took Cat’s hand and rested it on his face, under his mask.

Then the grate snaped close and Cat was forced to pull his hand back. He barely moved though, pressing his hands against the wire through the bars. Cornelius pressed his hand up from the other side. Maybe Cat could feel it, maybe he couldn’t, Robin didn’t know which he preferred. 

Part of Robin wanted to put him to back away, to warn him the bars and fence was there for a reason, but the rest of him knew he couldn’t. The least- the only thing he could do was allow Cat this brief moment of closure, if you could even call it that. 

Cornelius still kept silent, for just the briefest of moments Robin hated him. How dare he? How dare he sit there, keeping Cat suffering in silence? How dare he keep Robin in this horrid suspense? How dare he not admit his crimes or keep pleading his innocence? How dare he… how dare… then Robin heard Cat whimper and the anger was gone. 

“We’re gonna get you out of here, okay? We-”

“Well, that’s not gonna happen,” The Narrator laughed, almost callously. If he wasn’t so detached from the world, so different from them he felt innocent even in cruelty, Robin might’ve felt like spitting on him. He couldn’t though, he was different. He was detached. He was like a child who didn’t know any better than to hurt others’ feelings. Like a child except instead of not knowing any better he knew too much. 

Maybe that’s why Robin didn’t lash out or protest as the narrator pulled the lever. Maybe that’s why he didn’t scream as the pistons shifted. Maybe that’s why he only closed his eyes and ignored the shouts of triumph. He couldn’t even find it in himself to be angry at Jack and Bob for celebrating, at the moment he was only glad their cries drowned out the sizzle. 

[maluminspace]

Genre: Fluff

Pairings: Michael Clifford/Female Reader 

Prompt: Person A goes to in costume to a Halloween party, to find no one else is really dressed up except Person B

Word Count: 3k

Content: mostly just cute Halloween fluff, Michael in drag, there’s also a bit of side lashton, 

Trigger warnings: Alcohol, strong language, references to sexual activity including public sex (nothing too explicit)

A/N: Okay, so this is my second attempt at writing something for this collab. My first one turned out huge and not really very halloween-y so I re-assessed and this is what I came up with! I hope you guys like it <3

Please check out the masterlist and support/show some love to all these amazing writers.

*** 

When your best friend in the entire world, Luke, had first invited you to his new boyfriend’s Halloween party, you’d taken it as the perfect opportunity to blow off a little steam. Work had been busy lately and you hadn’t had much chance to relax. Furthermore, Luke had told you that Ashton (the new love of his life) had a couple of hot single friends, so you’d figured your costume should be on the sexy side.

You’d spent weeks deciding on the perfect outfit before finally settling on a black cat outfit that was just the right side of tasteful. The bodysuit was figure-hugging, showing off your curves perfectly. The elegant velvet ears and tail matched it well and you finished off the look with some cute whiskers painted on your cheeks and a red choker with a little gold bell on it.

Luke let out a low whistle when he met you outside the house he’d given you directions for. “I wish I could say the same for you!” You huffed, surveying your friend’s very lackluster costume, if you could even call it that. “Where’s the pirate costume I helped you pick out?”

A slightly guilty expression coloured Luke’s pretty face as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Well, I mentioned it to Ashton and he kinda hinted that he didn’t like tacky costumes so I went for this instead.” He shrugged awkwardly.

“And what exactly is this supposed to be?” You asked, gesturing to the plain white shirt and black jacket. “You just look like you’re about to go to work at the office, what the fuck, Luke?”

“Wait…” He said, his face brightening a bit as he pulled on a wig that you hadn’t even noticed he was holding. “I’m Vincent Vega!” He announced.

You rolled your eyes, fully disappointed in your best friend’s decision to side with his new squeeze over you. “I preferred the pirate costume, you’d have looked super hot.”

“I’m sorry to break it to you, buddy…” Luke giggled, “but you’re not the one I want to impress tonight.”

You clutched your chest in fake pain and shock. “And here I thought it was me that you wanted to fuck you senseless whilst a huge queue forms outside for the bathroom we claimed.”

An embarrassed blush rose in Luke’s cheeks as the memory of the specific situation you had described filled his tiny, horny brain. “We were drunk, and if he’d whispered in your ear with that sexy, gravelly voice to tell you how beautiful you looked in the new shirt he’d bought for you, you’d have begged him to drag you to the nearest bathroom, too.” He huffed as he started off up the driveway, his ridiculous wig almost falling off with the force of his dramatic head toss.

Suppressing a giggle, you followed your friend to the front door. “You’re forgetting one important detail there, Lukey.” You reminded him with a smirk. “I’m not as big of a slut as you.”

“That costume begs to differ.” Luke replied, raising an eyebrow proudly. “Calum is probably gonna pop a boner after just a glimpse of your ass in that tight suit.”

“And Calum is one of the hot ones?” You asked, remembering Luke’s declaration of Ashton’s stupidly handsome best friends. 

“Yeah, he’s the one with the cute dog and swanky apartment near the beach.” Luke explained as he opened the front door. “Michael’s probably a bit more your type, through. You have about the same mental capacity as each other.” He snorted.

Choosing to ignore the weak jibe at your own intelligence and that of the as yet unknown Michael, you focused on Luke’s lack of manners instead. “Shouldn’t we knock?” You asked. “It’s rude to just walk in to someone’s house, even if they do ‘rearrange your insides like no one has ever previously managed’.” You added, taking a great deal of joy in quoting Luke back to himself.

“Keep your fucking voice down!” Luke hissed. “I told you that in confidence!” He shook his head as though to clear it (probably from another X-rated memory) before he answered your question.

“Ashton told me we could come right in. So stop worrying about stupid stuff and get in here!” He laughed.

For the second time in the few moments since you’d met him outside, you rolled your eyes at your best friend, but this time the exasperated gesture was accompanied by a small laugh.

Your merriment soon died away when Luke led you into the main sitting room, which was already packed with people…people who were not in Halloween costumes. People who were very much giving off a sophisticated air as they sipped their wine and stood around talking to each other comfortably over the music that was playing at a much too sensible volume for a party.

In your peripheral vision you noticed Luke tear off his wig and hide in the oversized vase he was standing next to before any of the other guests saw him wearing it. Without that ridiculous little prop, Luke would probably blend right in. You, on the other hand, were going to stick out like a (very scantily clad) sore thumb.

“I thought this was meant to be a Halloween party, Luke.” You hissed, offering awkward smiles to the few people nearest to you, who were regarding you with ill-concealed smirks.

Your best friend gave an awkward laugh before ushering you towards the kitchen.

A few spiteful glances and giggles followed you as Luke pulled you through the crowd of people. 

Luckily the kitchen was pretty much deserted, with just three people huddled over by the microwave. You only recognised one of them. Having met Ashton a couple of times previous to this evening, you had no problem identifying his muscular form and the sweater/jeans combo outfit he favoured at the moment, even though you could only see the back of him. 

The second man had a very handsome profile. He was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans and a white shirt, with very few of the buttons done up as far as you could tell from this angle. He looked kind of athletic, with strong, muscular arms and thighs. His curly black hair was styled neatly to perfectly frame his face.

Ashton and Muscles were mostly obscuring the third person from your view. But you could tell by the tone of their voice that they were not at all happy about something. “- cannot expect me to stay here like this!” 

Unsurprisingly, Luke gravitated to the little knot of people, dragging you along with him until you finally got a glimpse of the irritated man leaning against the counter. 

Suddenly, your own embarrassment at your chosen costume vanished. In comparison to this guy, you definitely weren’t going to be the center of attention.

The third man was dressed in a long blonde wig, albeit a very cheap-looking one, styled into high pigtails. His cute, unshaven face was painted in badly-applied makeup. The tight white dress that he’d squeezed into left you with no doubt of who he was meant to be dressed as, and the realisation pulled a snort of laughter from you.

Luke failed also to suppress a giggle as he let go of your hand and instinctively curled into Ashton’s side, as though the slightly older man was some sort of magnet. “Wow, you sure as hell didn’t get the memo about the ‘adults drinking wine’ vibe either, huh?” 

The angry ‘Baby Spice’ glared at Luke with what you just knew were usually very pretty green eyes. “Don’t you start, lanky!” He huffed. “I’m already this close to ending your boyfriend.”

“Hey!” Ashton interjected, his voice calm and smooth in comparison to his friends’. “First of all, don’t talk to Luke that way or I’ll be the one ending you. Secondly, it wasn’t me that tricked you into dressing as a Spice Girl.” His last two words were accompanied with a snigger and it only made his angry friend’s face get redder.

“I swear I’ll rip your-” Baby Spice began before Muscles cut him off.

“Now, now, Michael.” Muscles smirked, “don’t you think that’s a bit too much.”

You were apparently the only one to pick up on the reference as your burst of laughter sounded much too loud in the otherwise quiet room.

For the first time Muscles’ and Baby Spices’ eyes snapped up to meet yours. Their reactions upon noticing you properly for the first time were at opposite ends of the scale. 

Muscles became instantly flirtatious, his brown eyes lighting up with a charming smile as he greeted you with a smooth. “Oh! Hi there, beautiful…”

Baby Spice on the other hand, looked as though all of his nightmares had come true. The fear and embarrassment on his face were unmistakable as you focused on him over his friend. “It looks like you’re in the market for a new best friend too, Baby Spice.” You smiled gently, hoping to ease his discomfort a little. “I’m looking for a replacement, too.”

There was something about the genuine look of surprise in his green eyes that really endeared this stranger to you. Now that you were standing closer to him, it was easier to see the handsome features that the untidy lipstick and foundation were covering. 

“Yeah…” Baby Spice laughed awkwardly, all of his anger vanishing as he tried to adopt a more casual stance. “My ex-best friend thought this would be funny.” He said, gesturing to his outfit, that up-close was much worse than you’d originally thought. His hairy chest, arms and legs protruding from the cheap costume dress made for a comical sight, but you fought back your amusement, intent on befriending this man so that both your night and his might take a turn for the better. “I’m guessing Luke pulled a similar prank on you, too?”

“Actually, he didn’t.” You explained, shaking your head. “Believe it or not, this is what passes for a Halloween costume in Luke’s tiny, dumb brain.”

Luke’s offended noise was lost beneath his replacement’s beautiful laugh as you stepped forward and offered Baby Spice your hand to shake as you told him your name.

He took it, still smiling bright enough to make his emerald eyes sparkle. “I’m Michael.” He confirmed. “And I’d be more than happy to be your new best friend.”

***

In the following couple of hours you made two amazing discoveries;

Alcohol consumption was the best cure for embarrassment.

Michael was fairly close to being your actual ideal man.

Despite the fact that he was obviously gullible, most of Michael’s other qualities were very much to your liking. In the short time that you’d known him, Michael had proven himself to be kind, funny and incredibly easy to talk to. What’s more, as the night went on and more and more of his makeup wore off, you’d found out he was even more handsome than you’d originally thought he was.

“So did you mean what you said to Calum just now?” Michael asked, suddenly looking a little nervous as he dropped his gaze to the bottle of beer in his hand. “About not being interested in him, I mean.”

A couple of times, Calum had wandered over to the corner of the kitchen that you and Michael had claimed as your own, trying to flirt with you. On each occasion, you’d made it perfectly clear that you’d formed an alliance with Michael and that sneaky ex-best friends were not permitted to flirt with you under any circumstances.

If you were reading the signals right, Michael was a little jealous of his friend. That was understandable; Calum was conventionally good looking and was as charming as they come. On a normal night, you’d have been more than a little tempted to see if his smooth moves translated into decent bedroom skills, but tonight your attention was completely focused on Michael.

“Yeah.” You shrugged. “He seems nice and all, besides screwing you over on the costume thing.” You giggled. “But he’s not really my type.”

Michael looked mildly confused. “I’ve never heard a girl say that before.” He admitted. “I thought he was just everyone’s type.”

“I can recognise that he’s hot, but I like my men a little softer and my number one turn on is someone who can make me laugh.” You replied honestly. 

A light blush rose in Michael’s cheeks as he apparently realised you’d been describing him. Judging by the shyness emanating from him, people admitting they were attracted to him didn’t happen all that often. You couldn’t understand why; he was absolutely beautiful.

“C’mon, Baby Spice.” You smirked, “Lets get another drink and then you can show me some of your best dance moves.” 

“Oh, I can’t really dance?” Michael confessed, his blush deepening a bit as he headed over to the counter where numerous bottles of alcohol were laid out.

“I find that very hard to believe!” You gasped in fake shock. “I mean it’s easy, isn’t it? You just slam it to the left, shake it to the right.... Y’know, go round…” You smirked.

Michael rolled his eyes. “You’re gonna have to stop right now with those Spice Girls lyrics, kitten.” 

The pet name made your insides dance excitedly. It could have easily sounded like a cheap, tacky term of endearment from anyone else but Michael’s cute mannerisms just made it sound adorable. “Yeah, okay.” You teased, nudging his arm playfully. “I don’t want you to have to say goodbye, my friend.” 

Michael let out a reluctant laugh as he surveyed the drink options. “I can tell you were a huge fan, I’m flattered.” He said, playing along easily.

“What’s with the past tense, Bunton?” You continued. “The Spice Girls are timeless.”

Michael nodded as he continued to stare at the bottles of alcohol as though he couldn’t decide which to go for.. “I agree, I always had a bit of crush on Posh…”

“That’s basic!” You reprimanded him. 

“Rude!”  Michael scoffed. “Who’s your favourite?” He asked, raising a hopeful eyebrow.

“I’ll tell you if you hurry up and decide what you want; I’ll be sober by the time you pour a drink at this rate!” You laughed.

Michael shook his head, smirking a little. “Don’t rush me kitten, I need to weigh up all of my options.”

“Oh, come on Michael!” You scolded when he still hadn’t made a decision a moment later. “Just tell me what you want, what you really, really want so we can continue getting trashed.”

“That was your worst one yet.” Michael sighed dramatically. “I may have to disown you after that one, kitten.”

Excitement bubbled in your chest at the use of the pet name again, knowing it wasn’t just a one time slip of the tongue meant that it might stick and you couldn't put into words how much you’d like that. “Fine, just pour us both a vodka and lemonade so that you can show me those spicy dance moves.”

Michael couldn’t hold in the fond chuckle that rippled out of him as he obeyed your request. “So are you gonna answer my question about who your favourite Spice Girl is? Or do I have to guess?”

“Baby’s always been the one I crushed on the hardest.” You replied easily, deciding to forgo the guessing game.

“Yeah?” He prompted. “What attracted you to me?” He asked before panic flooded his features. “I mean her! Sorry...I wasn’t being-”

You cut Michael off with a giggle as you allowed your already tipsy brain to capitalize on the alcohol-fueled confidence you always seemed to develop after a few drinks. “I think it’s your terrible makeup skills, quick wit and those pretty green eyes that attracted me to you the most, baby.” 

You never really noticed how close you’d gotten to him until you felt the little puff of breath from his quiet “Oh…” ghosting over your own lips.

If there was ever an opportune moment to kiss him, that was it. Without any good reason to stop yourself, you tentatively wrapped your arms around his neck. “I can’t believe I’m about to kiss a Spice Girl.” You chuckled, loving the way his hands felt as they rested on your waist. 

“I hope I don’t disappoint you, kitten.” He replied, tilting his head to one side slightly so that you wouldn’t bump noses when the gap between your lips was finally closed.

It was you that took the final step, pressing a soft kiss to Michael’s lips. They felt every bit as soft as they looked and used them perfectly, kissing you back with just the right amount of enthusiasm. 

Usually, it’d take a lot more than a shy first kiss for a guy to fully win you over, but somehow you found yourself melting into Michael’s hold, prolonging the simple kiss for as long as possible. Michael didn’t seem to mind that at all, holding you closely as he parted his lips allowing you to deepen the kiss, sliding your tongue teasingly against his.

When the two of you naturally drew apart a few moments later, your head was spinning from more than just the alcohol. Michael was well and truly intoxicating in a very different way. “I’m gonna need a lot more of that to keep you on the top spot of my favourite list, Baby.” You said, trying not to let your voice sound too breathy.

“That’s definitely a promise I can keep, kitten.” Michael smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Glad to hear it!” You proclaimed. “Now, let’s drink up so that we can move on to somewhere that our awesome costumes will be more appreciated!”

Michael raised a questioning eyebrow. “Leave Ashton’s party?” he asked. “Do you have somewhere in mind?”

Nodding, you picked up your drink and took a long swig, “My favourite bar always has an awesome Halloween event.” You confirmed. “I was gonna go there but Luke wanted me to meet his boyfriend’s friends so I came here instead.” 

“Well, I’m kinda glad you did, to be honest.” Michael said, his cheeks reddening slightly. 

You pecked another kiss to his lips before taking another drink. “I am too, but it’s time for us to be the life of a new party.” 

Michael nodded in agreement as he finished his drink in one go. That shouldn’t have been as hot as it was to you, yet there you were practically drooling over a man in the worst drag outfit and makeup you’d ever seen, wiping vodka and lipstick off his incredibly plump lips with the back of his hand. He reached out with the hand that didn’t have bubblegum pink smeared across the back of it and took hold of your hand with the full confidence of the drink he’d just downed.

 “So where are we going?” He asked. “I trust you, so don’t let me down and take me somewhere lame, kitten.” 

“Oh, don’t worry. This place is amazing.” You promised, smirking as your final Spice Girls joke of the night slipped past your lips. “It’ll really spice up your life, baby.”

***

Main Masterlist

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[itsuki-minamy]

“SIX IDOLS”

CHAPTER 6: CRUNCH AND SOLVED! RICE BALL DETECTIVES, RICE AND SEAWEED! (Complete)

* K - Six Idols (List of Chapters) * Projects & Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

"What does it say?"

"Kuro! Number 1 on the list, congratulations!"

Papapan! Several trumpets sounded at the same time.

When Neko pulled the rope, the Kusudama broke and the colored confetti scattered. The room was filled with handmade red and white curtains, garlands, and large signs like "You're cool!" "This guy is happy!" and "Popular idol!"

Kuro's new song "Sprint ☆ BLACK ☆ DOG" released last week gained the number one spot on the charts in the first week of its release.

Although he has a name value as a guitarist for the popular idol unit "HAKU ☆ MAI", the top of the list that suppressed many powerful idols was just a feat. Even with the harsh circumstances of "Shirogin Record", they are trying to have a celebration party.

Shiro, the organizer of this party, was clapping with the smile of the good man himself, and Neko, who was finally released from the assignment, started randomly stuffing food into her mouth.

And speaking of Kuro, who is the protagonist this time.

"Um..."

He was uncomfortable with a shiny tricorne on his head and a glass of champagne in hand.

"What's up? It's a celebration, so let's be happier!"

"No, no, well, I'm happy, but, I mean…"

Kuro looks around with a subtle expression, and...

"Didn't anyone call you?"

As Kuro said, there were only three people in the "Shirogin Record" office, the place of the party, Shiro, Kuro, and Neko. The decoration of the room is striking, so it seems cooler.

Shiro laughed as if he was shy, "No!"

"I don't have the budget..."

"My new song didn't sell? Where did the sales go?!"

"When I used it to supplement other businesses, I didn't have much left."

Kuro was amazed. He doesn't care about money, but he wanted to preach to the bowl account called Shiro's diversified management for a long time.

"You are...! Why are you like this! You always say that something like 'Idol King' is not going to enter the mysterious chase!"

"Well, I thought it would work this time. Well, don't miss it!"

"This is the line! No, it is not this line! Worry a little more and get serious about the way of idols."

"Hey, don't they eat rice? Can Wagahai eat it all?"

Kuro turned his neck towards Neko and yelled loudly.

"I will eat!"

With that, he had started the celebration party.

++++++++++

"Shirogin Record" was one of the well-established government-approved offices, but it had a weak production that both themselves and others recognized.

There are only three idols in the Ashinaka High School dorm office. It is one of the mysteries of the entertainment world why the government officially recognizes such a weak production.

The skill of idols, who only have three, is with origami.

Miyabi Ameno, commonly known as Neko, has become a regular in magazine gravure due to her impressive proportions. She not only looks she, but is also popular with women and children due to her innocent personality and her excellent physical ability.

Yashiro Isana, commonly known as Shiro, is one of the "crooked idols" that cannot be pushed or straightened. It's easy for him to get involved in dubious diversified management, but if you let him be MC and commentator, there's no question of his skill.

And Kuroh Yatogami, commonly known as Kuro.

Kuro, a direct disciple of the legendary idol Miwa Ichigen, is a new idol from "Shirogin Record". Even though it has been a short time since his debut, he accomplished the feat of being at the top of the charts due to his dance performance and singing ability, which has been upgraded to the art level.

He is weak, but you cannot underestimate them, that was the evaluation of "Shirogin Record" by other government approved offices.

In the small office, the three of them are sitting on a chair and chewing onigiri.

As it is a celebration party, it is the white rice that returns to accompany the pizza at home, the sushi, the hot sandwiches, etc. Even in Shiro's suspicious diversified management, connecting with a farmer who miraculously helped, "Shirogin Record" is constantly replenished with delicious rice.

"No, but it really helped me. If it hadn't been for Kuro's new song, the three of us would have been on a tuna fishing boat."

"Oh, we too?"

"Can Wagahai be anywhere else? If Shiro and Kurosuke are together, it's easy to be fine anywhere."

"Thanks, Neko."

"Don't put it as a good story! I'm not giving up on being an idol just yet!"

Shiro actually laughs as he pinches Negima's skewer.

"Okay, but it was really good. Isn't Ichigen-san happy?"

"Hmm... well, that..."

Neither Shiro nor Neko missed the shadow of Kuro's expression. While glancing at each other, Shiro started to say...

"What's wrong? Is there something bothering you?"

Kuro was lost for a moment and then began to speak.

"When I announced the results this time, Ichigen-sama was as happy as I was. I was proud to be a disciple of Ichigen-sama."

He lowered his eyes and looked at the bowl he was holding in his hand. The miso soup in the bowl swayed so muddy, as if it reflected Kuro's feelings.

"The teachings I received from Ichigen-sama are not limited to songs, instruments and dances. I have not been able to demonstrate them all. The path of idols is endless and I am just beginning to walk that path. I was wondering if I could be happy."

Shiro and Neko looked at each other again and then laughed happily.

"What the hell is that?"

"Kurosuke, you are stupid."

Kuro opened his eyes and looked at them.

"How stupid?! I'm thinking what an idol is."

"Well Kuro, you want to try something new, right? So, you would have said that from the beginning!"

Shiro put the onigiri on the plate and ran to the president's seat. Neko laughed, "Hehehe.", when she saw Kuro's face with a question mark.

"I'm always excited and eager for new things. That's how I met Wagahai!"

Kuro lost his words and looked at Neko seriously.

Get on stage and perform the song. It's something he should be proud of, even if it's just a moment in a world that's easy to change.

However, it was the memory of the past that crossed his mind that spilled water on Kuro's joy that he was about to boil.

Mishakuji Yukari. A traitor who stood up to Ichigen Miwa.

The beauty of the live performance once performed by the man who currently belongs to "Jungle Pro". Awesome luster. Overwhelming flowers that spread across the entire field of view.

Just thinking about it, the joy faded and disappeared very easily.

He still can't beat that man. He has to train more and go to a place where he can get to Mishakuji Yukari asap, one step closer.

It was an unmistakable impatience that drove Kuro. There was no place for fun or joy.

However, Neko described it as "exciting".

Before Kuro gave an answer to what that meant, Shiro pushed the materials that he had.

"Look, read it! I've been wondering if this is for Kuro for a long time. I'm sure I can do something nice with Kuro now!"

He looked through the materials as if pushed by a big smile.

"Drama planning from scratch ~ The idol drama ~" It was written there.

++++++++++

"I've done all my theater practice."

After finishing the celebration party and returning to the usual office, the three of them were taking a break with hot tea.

He spread the material on the chabudai and looked at it from the chair. Maybe Neko doesn't feel like reading sentences, Shiro stopped her when she tried to scribble in the margin.

"It seems like it's not just a drama, right?"

"Yes, that's right! As the title says, this project is a project where an idol makes a drama from scratch and plays it himself!"

Also, it is a strange project. Kuro implicitly read what Shiro brought.

It is a medium-sized production company whose name even Kuro knows. If so, he is not that suspicious.

"From scratch, what do you mean? Will Wagahai make the clothes?"

"Ah, it is not possible to do it with our own hands, but it seems that they will listen to our opinions on the costume design, etc. Also, we will think about the story and direction as much as possible."

"I see."

That said, it was Kuro who didn't turn out very well. He has been studying theater theory under Miwa, but there was no element in which he said, "Do everything from scratch!"

Then Neko raised her hands and yelled happily.

"Wagahai schoolboy drama? Are you doing it just with Wagahai? Wow, it looks like fun!"

"Ah, thank you Neko. I mean, is it okay for Kuro?"

Kuro turned his eyebrows and looked at them alternately.

Of course, he is worried about a project that he had never done before.

There was also a tactic that may be against Miwa's teaching.

"You're the one who wants to get in touch and doesn't understand."

His merciful expression came to his mind when he remembered the words of his former brother, Mishakuji Yukari.

He can't beat him as he is.

Then there is no choice but to take a new step.

"Okay. I'll take care of that too."

Shiro smirked.

"Okay! That's the rule. "Silver Record" will do its best to work on this project!"

His expression was calm, but his eyes burned with determination. The title "Silver Idol King" was not in vain.

"For now, I'll take this project to the producer at an acquaintance's station. I know some people who seem to like this. Neko, your friends had some directors, right? Try talking to people."

"Okay!"

"And Kuro will receive a very important part."

"Oh. What should I do?"

Shiro closed one eye and raised a big thumb.

"I will ask you to take charge of the story-making, that is, the setting for the main drama!"

++++++++++

~ Synopsis ~

At that time, the samurai Jinichi Isobe, who went to the Kishu Owari clan warehouse in Kaei's first year, was killed by his colleague's grudge. The other samurai, Hitaro Tawara, will lead the Owari clan as it is, and Jingoro Isobe, Jinichi's son, will go on a wandering journey to avenge his death. Fifteen years later, Jingoro finally found the whereabouts of a bundle that was his nemesis, Hyoutarou. However, he was already living a quiet life with his wife and children. Jingoro's anguished choice is really...

"How is it?"

A week later, at the "Shirogin Record" office.

Kuro, who had dark circles in his eyes, asked Shiro, who was reading it carefully.

It was a week of hell for Kuro, who had barely touched stories, much less created them.

He has to think about what kind of story he wants to talk about, what role he wants to play and how long he wants to talk about, and make it visible... Kuro, who has a strong sense of responsibility, performed all these tasks until he stayed satisfied.

From now on, Shiro's evaluation was to determine how much Kuro's hellish week was worth.

"That's right."

After reading, Shiro crossed his arms to ponder what to say. Kuro's throat moved.

Seeing that, Shiro laughed and raised a big thumb.

"Yes! I think it's okay!"

"……"

"I like historical drama. It's not very fashionable right now, but maybe that's why we should do it! It's a bitter and good feeling for revenge. Isn't it okay?"

Kuro exhaled deeply.

It was the first scenario that he wrote, but he was confident. Although he was a friend, he felt relief and joy when he received high praise.

His week was not in vain.

It was a ruthless word from Neko that shattered that feeling of loneliness.

"Well, Wagahai is going to do this."

"Mmm!"

His heart leaps. Looking at him, Neko seemed bored at the stage created by Kuro.

"Because he is black."

"What? Black?"

"Look, it's black!"

Neko slammed the stage paper against Kuro's nose. Kuro stared at the paper with confused eyes and said growling deep in his throat.

"Well, surely... Kuro!"

"What is the history?"

Shiro asked the question. Kuro clenched his fist and hit his knee.

"Neko is probably saying the percentage of kanji in this setting. Look, so many kanji! Thanks to that, the stage paper will look black!"

Shiro looked back at the stage and muttered.

"It's true. I didn't notice it, but if you ask me, it's definitely black."

"Shiro, you're probably reading a lot of books regularly. Not just novels, but also academic books and entertainment books, this amount of characters can be natural. But Neko is different!"

For some reason, Neko was proud.

"Wagahai, you usually only see fashion magazines!"

"Yes! What we are trying to make is a drama that idols make from scratch. They are our fans, never the ones who like historical drama and revenge drama!"

Kuro deeply regretted. Although he was not used to creating scenarios, he overtook him with his tastes and he lost sight of popularity. If Mishakuji Yukari had seen this scenario, he would have laughed and said, "Is it okay if I'm alone and I'm okay, but you're still one of Miwa's disciples?"

That (imaginary) word ignited a fire of anger in Kuro's heart. He roughly grabbed the paper from the stage and tried to rip it hard.

"Something like this!"

"Do not do it!"

It was Neko who stopped him.

She clung to Kuro's arm with her body and sealed Kuro's hand that was trying to tear the paper. Kuro asked Neko to release him.

"Why stop? You didn't like this scenario, did you?"

"That's right, but don't do that! Because Kuro found it difficult to do it, right? Even if Wagahai doesn't find it interesting, even if everyone else doesn't, Kuro can't do that!"

"……"

Kuro opened his eyes and looked at the stage.

His own story that he first made with his own hands.

There was no originality. The quality was not high either. This story will be rolling everywhere and no one will regret when it is gone.

No, if Kuro didn't cry, he really would be.

That is why Kuro must take good care of him. Try new things. Because it was done as a first step, Kuro shouldn't break.

Kuro relaxed his hand. He placed the crumpled paper on the chabudai and stretched it out as if he were stroking it.

"Thanks, Neko. You're right."

Neko smiled.

"Yes! Thanks for your understanding, Kurosuke!"

Kuro smirked when he saw her smile.

She's kind of selfish, she doesn't know common sense and takes her clothes all over the place, yet Neko only knows what is really important.

Kuro corrected his posture and turned to Shiro.

"I can't expose this scenario as it is. I have a hunch, but I still want it to be a scenario that everyone can enjoy. Is it okay to fix it?"

"Of course it doesn't matter, but is it really okay?"

"Oh. Taking care of what you do and improving it will not be a conflict."

Then Kuro looked at Neko.

"And Neko. Please let me know your opinion at that time."

Neko blinked and pointed to herself.

"Wagahai?"

"You've seen a lot more entertainment than me or Shiro, so you should be able to give me more accurate advice. I'm asking you!"

With both fists on the ground, Kuro bowed deeply. Neko looked at him in amazement.

She finally slammed her chest and screamed with a motivated expression.

"Leave it to me! Let's do a very interesting drama with Wagahai!"

"Thanks, Neko!"

The two shook hands. The best drama has already been done, but the other's fiery eyes seemed to say so.

Seeing that, Shiro crossed his arms and shook his head, "Hmm?"

++++++++++

~ Synopsis ~

The time is the Edo period. Jingoro Isobe, a young samurai from the Omusubi feudal clan, embarked on a journey for delicious foods across the country at the behest of the feudal lord: "Find the best match for white rice!" Clams boiled in soy sauce, pickled salmon roe in soy sauce, sea bream and salted seaweed. Edo gourmet Manyuuki on delicious foods all over Japan!

"How is it, Shiro?"

"How's it going?"

A week later, at the "Shirogin Record" office.

Kuro and Neko, who had dark circles under their eyes, asked Shiro, who was reading carefully.

Both Kuro and Neko are popular idols and it was extremely difficult to match their schedules. Still, in this scenario, they were able to hold meetings with PDA messages and online calls for dozens of minutes before going to bed and for a few minutes after waking up.

"Neko says that revenge is dark and not very popular. No, of course I think she has the bitter goodness you said."

"Wagahai, I like delicious food!"

"Haha, it's better to have something everyone likes. So I tried this, but how's it going?"

"Yes."

After reading, Shiro crossed his arms to ponder what to say. Neko and Kuro gulp.

Seeing that, Shiro laughed and raised a big thumb.

"Yes! I think it's okay!"

"……"

"Because food is popular nowadays. It's new to add an element of the time. The theme of food that goes well with rice is easy for everyone to understand, and it's perfect if you can point to a link with the old gourmet food!"

Kuro exchanged glances with Neko. Neko's blue and gold eyes sparkled with joy. It's probably the same with Kuro. It was a brilliance shared only by human beings who worked together to create one thing.

"So, let's make this a station producer."

At that moment, she rang the bedroom door.

"Shiro-kun, do you have a moment?"

"Kukuri? You can come in."

When Shiro screamed, the door opened with a noise and a girl peeked out from the other side.

Kukuri Yukizome is a student at Ashinaka High School and a resident of this dorm. Although she is not an idol, she is an important neighbor and friend of Shiro and his friends.

When Kukuri found Neko and Kuro, she laughed and waved. Then, she went to Shiro and placed the documents that she had in the holder.

"This is from the dorm keeper. I wonder if we can increase the amount of rice we deliver next."

"I see! Thank you, I will consider it positively!"

Shiro replied with a smile and started reading the documents. Ashinaka High School dormitory is a promising client of Shiro's rice business.

Kukuri looked around the room with a touch of the hand and noticed the stage in the chabudai. She made a small voice, "Ah.", and quickly looked away from it.

"Sorry, were you at work? If there's something important, I won't look at it."

Kuro and Neko looked at each other again. Knowing that they had the same opinion, they actively handed the stage over to Kukuri.

"Actually, this time we are going to do a drama. We are also in charge of the stage."

"Kukuri, read! This is how you tell us what you think!"

"Eh, yeah, okay?"

"Oh. If you like Kukuri, give us your opinion!"

Kukuri was rolling her eyes, but when she saw Kuro and Neko's overly serious attitude, she smiled. It is not a good idea to give it, but it is one of the great beauties of Kukuri that you do not hesitate too much.

"Then, I'll read it!"

Kukuri started reading the scene.

If she had a miscalculation, Kukuri didn't know how much energy Kuro and Neko had put into this scenario. The two passionate eyes accurately read the faint emotions on Kukuri's facial expressions.

After reading the scenario, Kukuri looked up and tried to say "it was interesting".

"Honestly, tell us."

The words were blocked by Kuro's direct gaze.

"Let us know. We want to make this scenario even better. We want it to be a drama that everyone can enjoy and watch! Please tell us your frank impressions!"

Kukuri regretted trying to help Neko. This is because Neko was looking at Kukuri with the same gaze.

"How was it? Was it interesting? Wasn't it interesting?"

Saying "but" here was a detour from Kukuri, which is one of the beauty spots. She can't lie if she's seriously under pressure. Even if she is visible to bring new problems.

"Oh, I'm not very familiar with historical drama, so I don't know a little..."

"......"

"Ah, but! Is it true that it was interesting? I think I am going to like this Isobe-san very much! The rice looks delicious!"

Neko lowered her eyes. Kuro didn't look down. He brought his face closer to Kukuri while he kept his eyes full of seriousness without intimidating the other party.

"Kukuri. When you found out about this drama, would you like to see it?"

Kukuri did the right thing there for the first time. She asked Shiro for help.

However, Shiro shook his head when he shook himself, with the expression "It's too late."

Kukuri thought and decided to express her impressions honestly.

"Maybe I wouldn't see it. Maybe I would see it because I know Kuro-kun, but if not, I'm not really interested in that..."

Those words made Kuro and Neko brilliantly knocked out.

Kukuri looked around her, sympathizing with Kuro, as she knelt on the ground and was caught between two people with both hands.

"Um... Kuro, I think this scenario can be left as is..."

"I'll write it again."

Oh, after all, Shiro thought. Well, he shouldn't complain because he was the one who approached Kuro to do a drama.

"Okay, Neko, Kukuri?"

"Yes, I want to do something interesting!"

"Eh?"

"From now on, the three of us will create an entertainment blockbuster that will be accepted by all! Please wait until next week! We will definitely create something that is satisfying!"

"Well, OK..."

"Okay! Neko, Kukuri, come on! First, check the materials in the library!"

"Wait a minute, why am I supposed to participate?! Oh, Wagahai-chan, don't pull!"

While discussing such things, they left the office and Shiro took out the PDA to postpone meeting with the station producer.

++++++++++

~ Synopsis ~

The time is the Edo period. Norigorou Isobe, a young samurai from the Omusubi clan, gets trapped in a mysterious warp gate and enters a different world as he travels through the country. It was modern Japan 200 years after Norigorou was there! Norigorou's comedy swordsman, who decided to open a restaurant for some reason!

"How is it?"

"How's it going?"

"I did my best!"

A week later, at the "Shirogin Record" office.

Kuro, Neko and Kukuri, who had dark circles under their eyes, handed it to Shiro, who was reading it carefully.

The addition of Kukuri was a great harvest for Kuro and Neko. As a high school student, she had more time than Kuro and Neko, and she was also an excellent administrator.

The meetings were adjusted to the free time of the three people and they used it effectively, that gave them a rich and useful time.

Combining both hands on the chabudai, Kuro said with a serious expression.

"As a result of adding Kukuri's opinion, it is easier to understand if it is a modern product. The result of combining samurai, food and modern times is the setting."

"I asked everyone in the class to read it and compare it, but they told me this is better. This samurai-san likes rice, so we named him Norigorou."

"Speaking of omsubi, it's nori after all!"

" How is it, Shiro? I want to hear your opinion."

"Yes."

After reading, Shiro crossed his arms to ponder what to say. Kuro, Neko, and Kukuri's throats were moving.

Seeing that, Shiro sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry, but I don't think this will work."

"Eh?"

"What a disappointment…"

Kukuri felt the rejected. Recognizing what is shining in her eyes, Shiro clenched his fist.

"After all, the story an amateur like me thought is useless..."

"What are you saying, Kukuri! That's not true! Your idea really helped!"

"That's right, Kukuri! Even the Ashinaka students never thought that of the story. It's not Kukuri's fault…"

Neko's eyes were also deeply disappointed. Shiro hastily said.

"Wait a minute! I'm not saying this scenario is bad, but for some reason…"

"Reason? What are the circumstances?"

"Look, did you say you were going to take this project to a producer at a TV station? It seems the person is quite excited and is already starting to get serious."

The Kuro thing is striking. Kukuri is an ordinary person, and Kuro and Neko are idols, but they are unfamiliar with the dynamics of the industry.

Shiro decided to give a brief explanation.

"In short, that person is a great person and we have to listen to him as much as possible. He was able to understand the purpose of the project that idols create from scratch, but I was able to set the conditions for it."

After a heartbeat and confirming that the explanation had penetrated the three of them, Shiro continued.

"That means all three "Silver Records" idols will appear. That is also the main role."

"Three people? That means…"

"Me, Kuro and Neko."

Shiro placed the stage paper on the chabudai and placed his palm on it.

"The producer wants to attract "Shirogin Records" fans to this drama. It is a bit weak just because it was created by an idol. Yashiro Isana, Kuroh Yatogami and Miyabi Ameno, will work together and will have an active role as the main role, fans will see."

The first person to buy into the explanation was Kukuri, who was not an idol at all.

"In this scenario, only Isobe Norigorou appears as the main role, right?"

"Yes. That's exactly the problem. There must be three protagonists. It doesn't matter what the form is, but I think whether to put it in a trio or combine it in one combination and incorporate the other in another form. If you don't get it, you can't let it go how is."

Kuro crossed his arms, Neko picked up the paper from the stage and Kukuri put her hand on her chin, and they each thought.

Seeing that, Shiro changed his mind.

Of these three people, Kukuri is not an idol, but they all look at the "front" correctly. Instead of swallowing the circumstances that Shiro spoke about and complaining about, they were starting to think about how to turn it into something that suits the circumstances.

If he just does what people tell him, he doesn't have to do that little trick. It is the planners, not the idols, who have to coordinate with the conditions.

However, at the same time, beings who are simply doing what people have told them cannot be called idols.

Idol. Human norms. What is defined as such in the book "Era of Yamato Idol" which should be targeted. The definition that Daikaku Kokujoji and Reisi Munakata proclaimed was, however, slightly different from what Shiro was looking for.

The idol Shiro aspires to is simpler and anyone can understand it.

Idols are the ones that entertain people and bring smiles.

And Shiro knows that people support idols because they are serious. They have real passion, not fake. A real smile. True joy. People can enjoy watching idols because they spray those things.

Then Shiro reached out and grabbed the stage paper.

"Well, will you let me participate in setting the stage from now on?"

"Shiro?"

Shiro smiled at Kuro, who looked at himself in amazement.

"Until now, I was dedicated to coordinating roles, but when I saw them, I wanted to participate, and if it appeared, there would be many things that I would like to do."

Kuro, Neko and Kukuri laughed at the same time Shiro said with a smile.

"Oh, of course! Give us your opinion!"

"Wow, let's all talk together! Enjoy!"

"So I have to make time for the meeting again, right? Oh, but can I do that?"

"Of course! Kukuri is a good planning advisor! Rather, we'd be in trouble if she wasn't on the team!"

Kukuri was happy and smiled at Shiro's words. Shiro looked around the faces of the three enthusiastic people and said clearly.

"Let's make this project absolutely interesting! Make it a drama that everyone, our fans and non-fans alike, can enjoy watching!"

"Oh!"

At the same time, Shiro powerfully occupied the cheers. It's been a while since I've tried new things. Thinking about that, Shiro took the red pen and started writing on the stage paper.

Almost a year has passed.

++++++++++

~ Final synopsis ~

Under the guidance of Detective Omusubi Yonesuke Tawara (acting: Yashiro Isana), whose reasoning power is increased 100 times by eating omsubi, and samurai Isobe Norigorou (acting: Kuroh Yatogami), who has traveled through time since the Edo period, they go after Kaito Neko Miyabi (acting: Mayabi Ameno).

Two people start an investigation to protect the treasure of the ancient Okome civilization "Ninigi no Tears" from Neko Miyabi. However, while investigating the ruins of the ancient Okome civilization, Yone and Nori are forced into a desperate rush to purchase someone!

The Fishing Roof Is Coming! The only exit won't open unless he breaks the code! Unsurprisingly, will the two of you become addicted to rice crackers?

"Nuooh!"

With an enthusiastic voice, Isobe Norigorou pushed his hands towards the fishing ceiling.

Even for the Norigorou samurai, it is not easy to withstand the strong pressure of the multi-ton upper roof. Sweat floats on the forehead due to muscle tension and the facial expression is distorted in agony.

His partner, Yonesuke Tawara, cried out sadly.

"Nori!"

"Break the code while I support you!"

Yone took a breath for a moment at the confidence of his partner, and then took it with determination.

When he opened the furoshiki trademark, he saw an extractor that stores omsubi and seaweed separately. Wrapped in crisp seaweed, Yone sat up straight and clasped his hands!

"Crispy solution! I'll have it!"

Yone opened his mouth wide and clung to the Omusubi. The pleasant sound of the seaweed crunching and the sweetness of the rice spreading in the mouth stimulate Detective Omusubi's cerebral cortex! Yone opened his eyes and began to crack the code etched on the door with the reasoning power that jumped 100 times!

(Yes! The four characters "rice" engraved on the door! This means "88" in one! Then the numbers that apply to the code are...)

Yone stretched his arms and quickly manipulated the twelve stone dials. The moment the eight and four crosses hit the dial, a loud sound echoed and the door began to swing open to the left and right. Yone looked back and screamed.

"Nori's exit has been opened!"

"Ah... the point!"

At the same time that he relaxed his arms, Nori ran off. Due to the recoil that had been suppressed until then, the fishing ceiling was approaching with tremendous force!

And…

It was only a second after Nori walked through the door that the ceiling and floor were completely glued together and the space for a rice cracker disappeared.

"Huh. We really barely saved each other."

"Thanks to you, Nori. If you hadn't done it in time, we would be lost."

In an ominous imagination, Yone shook himself. On the other hand, Nori reveals his anger and stomps on the ground.

"Neko Miyabi! Inviting me to buy like this is a 10 million cowardice! Next time will surely land you in jail!"

"No, that is not the case."

"Eh?"

"Neko Miyabi is a criminal, but she has never hurt anyone. Perhaps this purchase was prepared by someone else."

"Whom?!"

"I don't know... but he's a dangerous person who doesn't care about human life...!"

Nori's expression was strained. Yone turned his forehead back with a serious expression and turned toward the darkness that was creeping into the ruins.

"No matter who she is, you can't give 'Ninigi's Tears' to a person like that! Come on, Nori!"

"I understood."

And the two of them start walking into the dark. No matter what danger is there, they will never panic. Because Yonesuke Tawara and Norigorou Isobe are Omusubi detectives who love peace and rice.

"Great, great!"

The headmaster's voice rang out, and Shiro and Kuro stopped at the same time.

"Hmm.", Kuro exhaled. The staff rushed over and wiped away his sweat. He had to keep this sweat off before his next turn. Physical control is the most important task for an actor.

As he was leaving the set, the director stood up and greeted him.

"Great, Shiro-chan, Kuro-chan! As expected, the filming is fine!"

"Yes, thanks!"

"I'm glad."

Shiro waved his hand with a smile, and Kuro turned to the headmaster and bowed politely.

That fold is the reason why the role of "Isobe Norigorou" played by him became very popular. Very modern samurai are widely accepted, especially among the middle-aged.

"Now, next is cut 4 from scene 8! Neko, are you ready?"

"Yes, yes! Of course, Wagahai is always a blast!"

Neko in a Venetian mask replied cheerfully. Yone and Nori's rival, youkai.

She plays Neko Miyabi and is extremely popular with young people due to the gap between her and her usual life.

"3, 2, 1, Action!"

Along with the director's scream, Neko who has become Neko Miyabi stands on a telephone pole and laughs. Shiro whispered softly as he looked at her.

"It's been almost a year."

"Oh. I was wondering what would happen at first, but I'm still here."

There was a reason why Kuro was deeply moved.

"Crisp Solution! Detective Omusubi Yone & Nori! This drama was finally given that name. The setting was that a time-traveling gourmet samurai and a modern gourmet detective would work together to solve a difficult case, starting from the frame 15 minutes to midnight.

When they heard the news that the popular idol unit "HAKU ☆ MAI" would be appearing in a self-made drama, most of the audience reaction was "Are they sane?". Also, as an example, it was only accepted that the president, Yashiro Isana, could have started something strange.

However, contrary to expectations, "Yone & Nori" gradually increased in popularity.

The reason may be that "HAKU ☆ MAI" was originally popular with fans, it may be the three people who continue to act enthusiastically even though it is a night frame, and it may be a strange but attractive character.

Perhaps it was a terrible but uncertain scenario.

But Shiro knows the real reason.

That's because they were enjoying this drama. They do everything in their power to do and perform. People are drawn to her brilliance.

It has been a year since we started the project. "Yone & Nori", which started in the middle of the night, was finally about to enter the golden frame.

"One term is fine! Neko, thank you!"

"Yes, thanks!"

Neko hurried to run as she waved a smile. The bright smile is just that of an idol.

Shiro greets Neko with a smile.

"Thanks, Neko. The acting was really good!"

"Thanks! It's great, Wagahai is also excited. Oh, I'm always excited, right? Today is special!"

"Ah, I know."

"More than that, will we have a celebration with Kukuri after this? You haven't forgotten!"

"Oh. It seems that Kukuri has already arrived at the office. Let's tell her that we will head there when we finish the recording."

Since the beginning of the whole story, Kukuri has been involved in "Shirogin Record" as a manager and stage assistant only for this drama. Once, Shiro was half-seriously asked if she could enter the "Shirogin Registry", but Kukuri herself wanted to be a normal girl.

"Hey, Neko-chan. Can you watch the video, please?"

The director told Neko. Neko looked back, cheerfully replied, "Yes!", and went.

"Well Kuro. It's our turn again. Do you remember the lines?"

"It's natural. This is the scene I thought of."

With that said, Kuro walked to the set and fluttered.

"Thank you, Shiro."

Shiro tilted his head and asked.

"What did I do?"

"I thank you for bringing me this project a year ago. Without that, I wouldn't be on stage right now. I was just doing what I could, that's how I felt."

Kuro smirked as he looked at Shiro.

"Appearing in a drama. Creating a setting. It takes courage to try new things, but it's not scary with you either."

"Yes."

Shiro smiled and replied.

"But this is not the end. There are still many possibilities in front of us! There are endless things you can get hooked on and get serious about. Find them and look at them again. Let's challenge them together."

"Oh, it's true."

In front of Kuro and the others, the possibility of the lack of color is expanding. It has the potential to be stained in any color.

They will continue to make sure of that possibility one by one. That was the path of idols that Kuro found.

"Come on. All the staff and fans are waiting!"

"Yes! Let's do the best performance!"

Shiro and Kuro laughed at each other and proceeded to the dazzling lighting.

[emeraldbabygirl]

ATEEZ - Answer I’ve already stated why this song made me cry when I reviewed it over the summer. To attempt to put it shortly, I feel a sense of almost relief? It makes me feel proud of the boys in general and the songs feels like overcoming an obstacle and coming out stronger and just feeling overwhelmed by joy and happiness? And the part at the end really makes me just burst into tears it feels uplifting and beautiful.

MCND - Beautiful this song give me this nostalgia feeling, it sounds similar to a pop song I first heard in middle school (Down by Jay Sean). I started listening to pop in middle school and middle school is hell for everyone along with high school but there’s certain memories I have of middle school that weren’t too bad. I had a lot of friends, we filled up an entire table in the cafeteria. It was also in middle school that I sort of confessed to both my crushes. Middle school was different and new to me and ya’know middle school but this song reminds me of those times. Also about the song itself it gives me this feeling of longing and want like longing to fall in love and just it’s very strong and that really gets to me. (Upon looking up the lyrics it’s seems more like a song for the fans rather than a love song but that’s just the feeling it gives me and the way I interpret it)

Secret Number - Got That Boom recently this song has been making me feel things. Just the chorus is so upbeat and it feel like I can relax and just dance my heart out and just be happy and I don’t know if these girls will become an Itzy situation but there’s definitely something about the song that gives me kind of a similar feeling. I feel happy

CIX - Cinema ok so I never thought CIX would have this effect on me and up until recent songs didn’t give me these feelings and make me cry unless the song itself was sad. The way it’s been lately the songs I listen to can really sit with me and make me feel emotional even if the song is happy and upbeat. The way Cinema is, I’ve never used this phrasing before with anything, but the way I cried while just listening to the bridge and chorus in Cinema, that song is truly my safe place. Like my friend said “it feels like a hug” it does. That chorus gives me a feeling of nostalgia but in a way that makes it feel okay and it’s not a feeling that’s upsets me it’s literally a hug, it’s like a warm hug it feels like, like when I listen to it the way the members make their voices sound it’s relaxing and calming. It’s like whenever I hear the song, even if I’m watching a performance of it I feel calm, I feel okay. Like every bone in my body is at ease, every worry is melting away and I’m almost just floating on a cloud. I don’t exactly know how to put these feelings and emotions into words but I cannot praise Cinema enough.

OneWe & OneUs - Last Song this song is very upbeat and makes me feel joy and it doesn’t make me feel safe persay but it’s comforting. It’s another song that gives me a sense of longing. It’s like seeing an old friend again and reconnecting, like the ending credits to a really wholesome and wonderful movie about friendship and love amoung these friends that never stops growing. Just seeing all the clips in the mv of Oneus and Onewe together having fun and enjoying each other’s company, it’s almost like an end of summer recap having all these fun adventures and fun memories that you never want to forget and you will always cherish those memories and you want to keep those friends with you forever. And seeing them perform the song together on stage, the choreo has the same vibe it’s just a really feel good and wholesome song. (Also thinking about it now there also seems to be this sadness, like, ok in short sometimes I get really upset when I think about how I’m not little anymore. More on that later but this song feels like you’re just trying to be in the moment and preserve your youth, you don’t want to grow up, you don’t want things to change you want your friends to be with you always and you just want to live in this memory that you’ve captured foever and never grow up. That emotion is really strong here as well.)

Loona - Star a lot of people said this song gave them nostalgic feels and it’s crazy how that happened, it did for me too, as soon as I heard the chorus it hit me like a truck. I really don’t have the words to describe this song really other than that weird nostalgic feeling but it was weird how a lot of us had that feeling. The mv is beautiful and it’s crazy how I had memorized the chorus in the Korean version within a few days of watching them perform it. I really don’t know what to say about this song other than how amazing it is really. It kinda takes you back to a certain time in your life but I don’t know what that time it. Someone had said that they were listening to it while their mum was a asleep and the mum dreamed she was back in her hometown and she could hear that song play in the streets, it almost seems as if that song has time traveling powers or some power truly beyond humans lmao. She’s really something

Dreamcatcher - Odd Eye this song is hella but the bridge and the hard rock in the chorus sent me into fight or flight for the first time. I got another nostalgia feeling but with an image which never happens to me but basically picture it raining hard and you have extreme feelings of sadness and dread and you just want to almost scream?

Ghost9 - Thinking of Dawn another fight or flight song, it’s really weird tho but specifically Prince’s line in the bridge or chorus gave me a panic attack the first time I heard it, there’s something about the way the song and his voice sounds that like upsets me? And makes me want to cry. (Almost like this impending doom feeling. Similar vibes actually to that cursed Artificial Intelligence movie that I fucking loathe so goddamn much)

Twice - Cry for Me gurl this song gives me nostalgia like an early 2000’s but maybe late 90’s pop song and wow, it’s just so damn good I had to put it here

Sunmi - Pporoppipiiram - this song is another one that kinda plays with my emotions, I’ve described it as running away in the night with a secret lover, I’ve talked about wanting to just have these crazy night time shenanigans with a lover or friend and feeling free, it’s a song that I can see a sunrise in my head, the opening sounds and smells like a sunrise during the summer, possibly on the beach seeing the sun’s rays lighting up the ocean, the soft pink and orange glow, what Sunmi perfectly portrays in that mv is exactly what goes on in my mind whenever I listen to that song and she’s a certified bop™️ and that song is just so lovely but she’s got some feeling to it

2Z - Not Without You - motherfuckin 2Z came out with this song after Hyungwoong left and I was still upset about him leaving but I still wanted to support 2Z cause I wasn’t about to give up on them like that and the way this song was carried was gorgeous. I clearly cried, the way the song and the members voices make you feel comforted and kind of at peace with the world. It’s an uplifting song and the member’s sound wonderfully and Zunon’s voice was actually what brought me to tears, his singing is so gentle and truly beautiful and he fits right in with 2Z and when I realized that and I realized that 2Z can do all these things with their voices I just couldn’t help but cry. This song is like a huge sigh of relief but also tears of happiness

2Z - Stand nothing really specific about this song just the mv made me fucking cry at like 5 in the am. There was a big sad feeling tho

Yooa - Bon Voyage I never expected Yooa to get a solo but I was so blown away for her solo. It’s not a song that is a bop or really upbeat but it’s a gorgeous piece and with the way it sounds and the set and her outfits. It’s really the whole fantasy theme. It takes you away to a make believe world where you are free and you can just get away and escape. I don’t really know how to describe it but the scene where she’s on like rocks and she’s just spinning and it’s got that cool sound to the song, that scene describes the feeling perfectly

Pentagon - Daisy this fucking song. First off fuck you Pentagon for making me feel emotions yet making Yuto and Hongseok go tits up. Just seeing them all on the floor looking defeated or at a loss, it’s a painful feeling. It’s a song that makes me feel bad and towards the end I felt this feeling of fight or flight like, I wanted to stop watching it because I felt this inner panic for some reason like I had to get away. And then when they all sing together that really did me in, made me tear up and it’s a beautiful song but not in a beautiful way it’s painfully beautiful and the boys did so well in portraying all the feeling through their voices and just the different scenes in the mv

BlackPink - Lovesick Girls this song I call my self proclaimed anthem, I heard it for the first some time and it wasn’t until I watched them perform it for the first time that I teared up. At the time this happened I was really sad and I kept “slipping” so I felt very touch starved and clingy and I wanted just love and affection from anyone. I was feeling really lonely and the feeling was stronger than it’s ever been it I felt like crying all the time I was just so upset that I was lonely and I really wanted love and affection and this song was like my therapy for that I guess? I didn’t feel so alone. There’s a strong emotional bond I have with this, the desire and the need to fall in love and to just have attention from that one special person. I know the song is kind of about just feeling like you’re not cut out for falling in love and you know every relationship ends but there’s still that need, that desire to fall in love and be in love with another person, and with me I always say I don’t want to be in a relationship, I hate men, love is disgusting, but there’s thing strong desire and need inside me to be loved and to fall in love and sometimes, like when this song came out, you just get so upset that it feels like your heart is like in pain, like you hurt on the inside. That whole “hurts your heart” shit

Itzy - Wannabe I’m actually not going to explain why this song makes me cry I’m not ready to give the whole story yet and I probably won’t be. So in short, I heard this song when I was at quite a low point in my life I suppose, problems at work were just causing me to truly feel like shit and this song really hit me and actually the Wannabe era is what made me stan Itzy those girls are so precious to me and I hold them so close to my heart they are little miracles honestly and that song just really sits with me

I highly recommend all these songs they are so good and they have such beautiful and great mvs to go with them, some even cinematic masterpieces also this finna be my playlist for my funeral honestly. She doubles as the ‘play this at my funeral’ playlist

[hayleyb100]

Shattered, Part 9

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Midquel - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9- Part 10 - Part 11 - Part 12 the end

⚠️WARNING!⚠️

*A twisted story of Pokemon Sword and Shield, with Leon as main character. *Lots of fanons. *Everything is headcanon. *It isn’t spoiler free. *It includes death of a character. *SUPER ANGSTY.

"Wow, it's Leon!"

"So cool, so cool!"

"Welcome."

"Hello, Leon!"

Leon was caught off guard. It was surely not the sight he was expecting to see. I mean, he already felt that it would be something weird, considering a strange combination of Gordie, Milo, and Piers inviting him over for a sleepover at Circhester Town. But he never ever expected 6 younger children would greet him.

"Umm... Hi?"

Leon smiled awkwardly, asking with eyes to three inviters what was going on.

"Oh, sorry for calling you out of blue. You see, my mother was going for a Gym Leader meeting elsewhere so I had to call for help to take care of these babies together! My sister and I are short in hands." Gordie chuckled bashfully.

"So I came to help!" Milo beamed from ear to ear.

"And urr... Marnie and I came to lend a hand as well."

Finally, Piers added.

"Okay..."

Leon wore an awkward face. He would never know why his mother readily allowed him to come here. Maybe she felt safe because there are three Gym Leaders and his pokemons to take care of him?

Despite Leon feeling much better now, the children were much energetic than he imagined. They were climbing up and down the furniture, were running around the whole garden playing tag with each other, pulled Leon's long hair, and stuck some stickers on his cheek(Gordie had to stop the kids). Leon stacked blocks and played hero vs villain for them. For those moments of playing, Leon felt strange. It was another jumbled up feeling twinging from within.

The feeling grew the most intense when Leon saw Marnie together with Piers. Since Marnie was the same age as Hop, it overlapped so much with...

_______________________________________

"Well, that's what we call a whole day!"

Milo smiled, as they see the little ones all tucked in the bed sleeping.

"I cannot thank all of you enough. I could never have done it without your help!" Gordie beamed.

"Welp... I am so drained." Piers complained because he was pestered the most by kids due to his eye-catching appearance.

"........."

Leon didn't say anything. He was still processing his emotions gained from the experience.

    "Say, now that all the kids are in bed, how about we have some long overdue chat while enjoying some tea?"

"Tea sounds fantastic!" Milo smiled and agreed.

"If there's anything to relax, I am sold..." Piers said with a drained voice while turning his left shoulder.

"Well, if everyone wants it why not?"

Leon felt like his emotions might hinder him, but he reluctantly joined in.

"There. Cream and sugar?"

Gordie asked after pouring tea in Leon's cup.

"Just some sugar, thanks."

"So... How was today?"

Milo worriedly asked Leon, who was putting two cubes of sugar and stirring his tea.

"Huh?"

Leon stopped the stirring and looked up.

"You haven't noticed anything? You're quite clueless, aren't cha?"

Piers sighed and shook his head.

Still looking lost, Leon stared at Gordie, Milo, and Piers in turns. Then he noticed something.

"Oh."

Leon realized that everyone here is 'older brothers'. The only difference was that Leon lost his, while others still have.

"Mr. Kabu asked us to talk with you. He said since we have younger siblings, we might sympathize with your pain better..."

Oh, Mr. Kabu. Always considerate.

"I see..." Leon said shortly, but the silence quickly devoured four of them.

"I am so sorry for your loss."

After a while, Gordie broke the silence.

"I was dying to say this to you but didn't know when would be a perfect time. I know that you were in no mood to hear us."

"Thanks," Leon replied gently.

Leon was even more relieved, realizing there are more people to solace him other than Raihan and Mr. Kabu.

A whole hour passed by so quickly with some cups of tea. Leon didn't realize he was talking his emotions to his friends. Maybe the fact that they are all in the same position as older brother opened up his mind easier.

"Yeah, it sure is subsided now, but the memories from that day just pop up at random moment and tortures me..."

Leon sighed.

"It's like contradicting emotions swirling in me towards my brother. I hate him so much when it comes to how he left me so ruthlessly, but then... I..."

That was as far as Leon could go. His emotions disturbed his speaking again.

"I bet it is called ambivalence,"

said, Piers.

"I may not be an expert or anything, but I think that's what it is... But let me ask you... Do you seriously hate your brother?"

Leon looked up, completely caught off guard.

"I mean... Surely there must be great memories too like happy, heart-warming, joyful moments."

"There are..." Leon bit his lips to continue.

"So many, actually."

"...Why don't you tell us?"

So Leon started to tell everyone endless happy memories of their brotherhood. The first encounter, the first day Hop toddled to him, the time when they played together at the back yard, how Hop's voice always soothed him whenever he was down, fighting to retain the Champion's spot... It was surely a short memory because Leon became Champion when he was young. However, it sure was such a beautiful piece of time embroidered in his life. Came to think of it, Leon forgot about all that for such a long time now. His heavy shoulders as Champion made him forget about it and then the unwilling farewell blinded him.

"That was beautiful..." Milo said, all ready to cry.

"Yeah... It sure is." Leon sighed.

"How was it telling us all this?" asked Piers.

Leon had to think hard to come up with the word to describe his feeling at the moment.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I felt... cozy? And a little easy too. Funny, isn't it? Feeling cozy for talking about my brother who passed away..."

"No, it just shows that you still love him so much."

With Piers's words, something sparkled in Leon.

"Yes, your brother wounded you, but is that everything that is left of your brother's life? Just like you told us, he gave you a lot of loving moments too. I personally think your memories with Hop is much more valuable to just conclude with a mere bad ending. That will just push you to bear a grudge on your beloved brother and that is not so hot. I bet that's what's causing you to agonize... You love him but keep fighting to get angry at him."

The words hit Leon hard.

"Can I be honest with you too...?"

Milo started carefully.

"I might be jumping to conclusions, but you looked so happy when you were taking care of our younger siblings. It seems like it's still inside of you. The good memories."

No. Milo wasn't surmising. He was right. Leon felt really happy, taking care of the young ones. He didn't know why he was feeling jumbled up earlier. He was cozy for taking care of the younger sibling in a long while, but his mind was refusing to admit it.

"You're right..." Leon smiled gently.

"Because of sadness, I almost forgot how much I loved him..."

Gordie stroked his back.

"I guess it isn't a good idea to keep trying to forget about your brother... As an older brother, I know how my siblings are important to me. I know he meant so much to you too, and forgetting him is like forgetting that much of yourself. I'm scared it would break you, Remember, despite he made the worst choice, he still presented you with the priceless name of 'brother'."

Part of myself...

Leon thought.

Gordie was absolutely right. He cannot deny that ever since their first encounter, Leon was stuck with Hop like glue. It was Hop's smile that supported Leon when he was feeling low. Erasing Hop would be denying all the support he gave him. It would be denying all the love, joy, and precious memories they shared. A simple misstep on the way of parting isn't enough to throw all that in a garbage can.

"Embrace it. If you're ready, that is. Cherish the legacy that your brother left behind. I bet Hop would also want you to move on."

Leon could feel the empty space of his heart filling up. Leon finally returned to a whole after accepting back the part of him that he pushed away. Did he really try to push Hop out of his life when he meant this much to him?

Leon wore another smile of relief. It was okay to long for his brother. Thank god. It felt even better because it was 'older brothers' who told him that.

____________________________________

"I hope my son isn't too much trouble."

Meanwhile, at Victor's home in Postwick, three moms were gathering.

"Not at all! Gordie loves having visitors around. And I'm sure your son would make a lovely guest!"

"...Your son and other gym leaders are doing so much for my son."

Leon's mother sighed deeply.

"When his mother can't do anything for him."

"Nonsense!" Victor's mom started.

"I'm 100% sure that your very existence is great support for your son. I mean, you are working so hard to stay as the strong mom for him, right? That's enough. You're doing so well, honey."

"I agree," Melony added.

"The pain you're going through... I bet it is extremely intense. The fact that you bear all that and look after your son alone is amazing. So share that burden with us. We're more than ready."

With what they say, Leon's mom burst out crying.

It was a long night for both mother and son.

[fheythfully]

Putting all my thoughts on the 5.3 MSQ under the cut. Beware of course of spoilers! Overall I really enjoyed the patch. There were a lot of times where I sounded like an excited dinosaur.

So first things first, the way the patch started with the kids was so cute. I was expecting more with the Ardbert-esque kid, especially when he said he wanted to adventure with friends because he felt like he was missing something... but then they didn’t? I’m not sure what the point of that line of his was then. Ardbert’s soul is inside ours, and also has been shown to have moved on, but I wonder if some fragment of it--the part that is bound to the specific world’s Lifestream--can be reborn? Anyway. A bit bummed we didn’t get more with that train of thought but it was cute nevertheless. Also, apothecary. I was going “IS THIS A HINT?” the moment the kiddo said she wanted to be one as a WoL.

Also, I am totally writing a shortfic of the twins, Satella and Ryne hanging out in the Crystarium library with Moren bringing them books of interest while they sneak in tea and snacks. Ryne falls asleep and is eventually found by Thancred. Alisaie teases him for being a doting father. When everyone leaves, Satella is left cozily snuggled up as the evening turns feeling almost like home at the Arcanist’s Guild.

I really liked the bit where Alisaie’s desire to surpass the WoL and competitive nature is shown, and that some part of it is due to insecurity. I love the character depth and growth SE gives her over the patches. I just about had a heart attack when she started getting woozy with a noise in her head.

Elidibus feeling summoned by the WoL and seeing an Amaurotine in their stead gave me feelings, because it means we are whole enough now to form some sort of connection to the Ascians. Only sundered ones are left now though, so I wonder if that will still stay true.

I did have a heart attack at hearing Thancred collapsed. I was not expecting him to be okay when we got back to see him. Dawn’s Respite scene was very sobering and set me up for something entirely different than the ending we got (thank god).

Alisaie being stubborn and sullen with the Exarch made me wonder if she’s seeing the past with Louisoux in him, and Alphinaud’s comment about how she handled their grandfather leaving all that well all but confirmed it. That’s very sweet.

I made a very loud note as I was playing at the fact that a Rejoining soul must recognize its part on the Source as itself. Not sure if that was just for the Exarch’s case (though there are comments about how we and Ardbert fused very easily too) but I have Filed This Away.

Seeing Shtola collapsed gave me another heart attack but she’s definitely possessed of nine lives. The duty with Elidibus was fantastic, though the lack of voice acting caught me off guard (covid? are duties never voiced?). Fighting the baby Scions made me full of glee and then it got even better from there. Answers playing over the city, and then the HW theme, and then SB--fantastic. I especially paused when it started snowing. I appreciate a lot what Elidibus was doing, which was trying to show to us that the people who seem so ancient and recreated only as puppets had once meant something to him and his own. The fight was a lot of fun. I took a screenshot of berserk-Ardbert for kicks.

Also, the bit where he calls you by your name, and the name is switched from Elidibus to Ardbert. My heart. I have a lot of notes about this for future writing.

Elidibus as Zodiark’s heart and primal weren’t a big surprise as it’s been confirmed before (I think?) BUT he’s basically the primal for the idea of the Warrior of Light and I think that is magnificent. I still don’t have a full grasp on Elidibus as shown in this patch: his memories are fractured, whether by age or Zodiark; he’s driven both by his own ambition and Zodiark’s influence. He’s all over the place and I’m going to have to take better measure of him as I replay everything in NG+.

I have a note that says, “Ella why are you picking up random things off the ground that your enemies have dropped???” but it all turned out even better than okay. I don’t understand how he could have dropped all those Convocation crystals other than as a plot point but whatever. It was a great sequence. “All that remains is to pray. To pray that we will one day meet again, beneath a blue sky.” Made me tear up. The twisting of the Convocation from the gentle, kind Amaurotines to what they are today is brutally heart breaking.

I made a note of how the trees in Amaurot are starting to wither--I am not sure if we’ve always had that? But if not, definitely a small sign of Hades’ magic fading?

Bear with me now but I CAN’T STOP SCREAMING ABOUT AZEM. I of course didn’t get the title right (my 14th is Altima), but I got the duty/job so almost right. My Altima is the Shepherd, though to the souls on the planet living and departing to create and live alongside the Lifestream. The entire scene with Hyth had me shaking in my chair with excitement over how perfectly it described my headcanon 14th--down to her wandering the planet when she wasn’t in the city. Granted it fits with all our WoLs and is specifically made to be so, but I am so excited. Not sure what I’ll do with this when I write, whether I will alter my canon to fit the game or plow on ahead, but we’ll see. I’m just so excited. And the new TITLE fits my OCs to a T. God, thank you, SE. I also love that we are the “sun” and can’t wait for the future connections and theories about the 14th and Azeyma and Azim.

“After all, I cannot say whether I act of my own volition or by the will of my recreator!” Made me laugh-cry.

Scions confirmed that seeing Amaurot awoke a great grief in them, which was then supported by the random Eulmore NPC crying at the sight of it. So, it’s not even reliant on how whole your soul is: everyone who sees it feels something, a soul-genetic memory, maybe? I can’t wait to use this. Also makes me wonder if this is why in the patch the Scions are more wont to encourage you to talk things out with Elidibus, as in SHB they were pretty set against Emet-Selch.

The new dungeon was okay. I need to replay it again and look around more (is there a hint of Hildibrand there??). The Necromancer and Berserker class, though the latter may be Warrior same way Arcanists are called Ink Mage, made me pout a little. I want Necromancer. Also, THIER White Mages get Protect? Pffft.

I didn’t take any notes for the trial but. It was brilliant. The run through Crystal Tower with the Exarch was a wonderful callback (there were so many callbacks, it was great) and then when he told us to go ahead I was like, you better mean it that you don’t plan to play your trump card unless we’re present! The trial itself was breathtaking. When the Amaurotine first showed up I thought it was Azem, then when they snapped their fingers I was like cool we can do that too, and then they did the Emet-Selch wave and I lost it. HOW!? Shtola has a theory that even she admits is far fetched but. Wow. I am wondering which one it may be: Emet-Selch truly somehow having his soul live (we were just in the space where Ascians’ souls go between bodies) and assisted us; or was he called by Azem’s crystal as a memory; or was it a memory entirely? Just. That cameo. I miss you, Emet-Selch. For yours is the seat of the fourteenth broke me also and I’m just all over the place. Elidibus as the Warrior of Light was great.

I don’t understand why he went Baby in the end there. I can’t imagine the Convocation recruited and sacrificed a child. My headcanon is that it’s just meant to represent his childlike devotion and drive to his goals. He wanted to help his brothers and sisters so badly he detached himself from Zodiark. Seeing him sitting there cradling the crystals and talking about how it’s a beautiful day and they’re not there to see it was heartbreaking. The Amaurotines lost so, so much--and there’s no way to bring any of it back. I am glad the Unsundered have finally a chance to rest.

The goodbye scene with Ryne was a little lacking to me. I wanted Thancred to hug her, damn it. At least he told her he’s proud of her. She’s so brave with how she tries not to cry before them. She’s coming into her own, with her own ideals, but also so like Minfilia’s that it made my heart full. I will act as her post moogle to Thancred any time, kupo.

Also the one line she has in Twine about how Gaia is her friend who will be there for her is sweet and I laugh at the idea of Gaia’s reaction.

Okay, so, the ending. Probably the thing I did not expect at all. I expected death. No one died. The animations were beautiful, and Alisaie was such a joy to watch. Just. I don’t have words for it. I was so overcome with happiness at how perfect they all were: Alisaie sinking into her chain in a sulk, the Archons fondling their weapons, Alphinaud with tea and a book. Alisaie jumping off to go find a fight and Alphinaud’s brotherly exasperation. The banter between Urianger and Y’Shtola. My heart is so, so full.

On to the topic of the Exarch, which I did not expect to have this many feelings on: first of all, I expected him to die. We all did. How can one man survive SO many death flags!? When our WoL ran out of the Stones like a wound up mammet I was there with her, heart pounding praying for it to have worked. I am bummed that we didn’t get to experience him actually waking, but that means I can write about it... which I already did, actually. Because: I came out of this with a very unexpected, slowly unfurling Ella/G’raha ship. This was a surprise because ARR G’raha was not someone I even remembered all that well, as I played CT when it came out, but I remember thinking he was a bit too immature for romantic ships; and the Exarch always felt too distant and too much. I was fond of him in SHB but in a passing way, also because I was a little bitter that he put the Scions in such danger in the first place (though I understand all the good that’s come as a result, like uncovering the true Ascian plots). Seeing him at the end there, as a fusion of G’raha and the Exarch, somehow turned my view of him on its head and in that moment, I could easily see Ella and him running off and having proper adventures together. The driving attraction to all my ships is a form of shared experience, or at least understanding of what it’s like to bear a heavy burden on your shoulders. The Exarch was again, too much in his role, and I couldn’t see Ella feeling comfortable being close with him. But now, with this ending? Watching the two of them run off together? Oh, I am excited.

I even wrote four pages of fluff on how he got those bobby pins in his hair and I never write fluff. Please look forward to it being posted soon.

Lastly: Ardbert. If you’ve been around my blog long enough, you’ll know that I’ve been an Ardbert shipper since HW. SHB was so good to me in that regard. Personally, I got closure regarding him in the scene of him offering us his axe and was happy with it. I was overjoyed to see him get closure with Seto now, too. I’m not happy with Elidibus using his body and then tearing it apart as he did, but: it made for great angst and sometimes that’s actually okay with me. The confirmation that he can talk to and through us is interesting and I imagine that he does so rarely, as his soul is finally at rest with his friends--where it truly belongs. He lets us live our life, and a part of him is always with us, now. I imagine him and Ella at one point having a conversation about her burgeoning feelings for G’raha, as in my canon she’s never felt quite a strong enough connection or level of comfort with anyone but Ardbert, and him giving her his “blessing” and encouraging her that it’s okay to chase after the comfort and happiness G’raha can bring her. Especially since all of SHB she was in a very very bad place and this ending we got gives me such a sense of respite, no matter how fleeting.

Speaking of fleeting: Zenos and Asahi/Fandaniel. I am still hoping Zenos gets more interesting because I just can’t bring myself to like him, and seeing him destroy the Garlean empire before we even step foot into it is making me a little pouty. Fandaniel is interesting on a few accounts: he’s a sundered Ascians, so what will that mean? Clearly he’s been unhappy with the Unsundereds’ plans. He’s also pretty crazy for “the bringer of order”, if we follow the FF12 Espers. We didn’t get a lot so I am hesitantly interested. But also, Asahi? I hate that kid...

My last thoughts on this are: the Ascian storyline was meant to come to an end with this patch, but clearly we’re still getting content. So I am hoping that was for the Unsundered Ascians and we’ll find out more about the summon of Hydaelyn and all that. I... have exhausted myself typing all this. Wow.

BUT I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THIS PATCH AND WILL REPLAY THAT HAPPY ENDING MANY TIMES. I can’t wait for the future.

[lifesbecomings]

The email

Hi Drew— I just wanted to  clarify something and share some perspective. First off, I want to say that I understand and respect Denison’s admissions process. I reached out a few days ago to everyone just curious about the process and wanted to talk about options to continue my education, IF even possible, through Denison! With the positive feedback from everyone and your first email, and then mention, even as a slight possibility, of spring enrollment...one certainly can understand my excitement and push for more discussion and my initiative to get applied/enrolled. With that said I am still curious about steps in general. And maybe I applied as the wrong type of student.  I know there are openings still this spring, and especially in the EDUC classes (like EDUC 390), and thought "wow, maybe this is all aligning because it's meant to be."  If it is or isn't meant to be, I'm at peace with whatever the decision is or remains. But Denison will always be my first choice. I did leave in 2017 as a medical leave student, and technically I wasn't pursuing a degree through CCS, just taking classes, many students take summer classes or semesters (like if on academic suspension), and then come back and return to campus. I know usually students typically return 1-2 years, and I understand there are deadlines and I know their importance. In no way shape or form am I trying to surpass these. When I first reached out, I said I'd be happy to discuss ANY options in a return.  Others, throughout the thread, were mentioning a spring return and spring availability and how fantastic this could be. Both Karen Graves and Baker were on board in the Educ. department, where I am majoring, presumably for a spring enrollment.  Maybe it is the fact I only have art credits as transfers. Was it that they were hoping for more core class transfers? Either way, to be perfectly transparent, whatever the outcome is, I will be taking spring classes. As well as summer classes. I want to get my degree. My first choice is Denison. If there is anyway to make this a possibility still. You already know, It would be my pleasure to stay in touch, and I will happily move to Ohio and take classes back on campus in the fall. Denison holds a special place in my heart. I hope my time on campus impacted those I came into contact with, as much as they impacted me. The Briefing: Within the last 2 weeks. Literally, two weeks, a series of events occurred that made me see the potential I could have. It started with a ski lesson, we had philosophy lessons up the chairlift, and the technical skiing lessons going down the hill. It was eye opening. I realized I need to work on my patience, but It also made me realize that I don't have to do something I do not enjoy. Moreover, it made me recognize I need to stop running from what satisfies me the most, people, education, learning, and teaching. I shut myself off in 2017 to the idea of "traditional schooling". I thought, "It's not for me". " I'm not good at it".  It stuck.  That is, until January 6th 2021, when I had this ski lesson. The ski lesson in combination with my parents friend, a teacher from Brother Rice High School,  got me thinking. I was thinking and analyzing myself. My change in perspective was shocking. I needed to accept my talents and embrace them, instead of shutting them out and rejecting them. It is so funny how we sabotage ourselves.  This is the start of my story. About how I found my drive and fulfillment. Below are three personal stories I would like to share. 1.  Monkey Bars. 

There is a story my mother always would tell me growing up about my perseverance and determination. When I was very young, 4 years old, there was a set of monkey bars on the school playground. After school one day I told my mom I wanted to go across the monkey bars. The only problem...I did not know how to do them. But, I had watched other kids that day at recess. So I was determined to figure it out. We were there for 2-3 hours. I was bound and determined to do those monkey bars. I knew that was what I wanted. I had numerous failed attempts, failure after failure, my mother began to beg me to leave with her because my hands were all beaten up, blistered, and bloodied, I still kept going. I made it all the way across those monkey bars that day, and every day after. There is another story, too, a similar story about me riding a two wheeler. Same determination, different goal. Both accomplished. 

2. My Miracle.

A senior in college, to the modern western world, is still considered "young". If you're in school, attending high school or even attending university, to have a child anywhere, at any time in that mix, It is looked down upon, plain and simple.  I chose to not tell any of my peers, while I was at Denison, my fall semester, that senior year, in 2017. I kept this knowing to myself. I told my parents, and told the father/ fathers parents. Guess what was encouraged? An abortion. Whether verbally spoken (which it was) or unspoken, I knew this is what was wanted from me, wanted for me. I mean, it was, after all, the easiest thing to do. I could still finish my degree and the family could always come later in my life. So, I did just that. I went in for that appointment, at 5 weeks. 

Statistically speaking it is 99% effective. Did you know, 1:4 women will have had an abortion in their lifetime. It's neither here nor there, just an incredible statistic. I actually came back to Denison to finish out my degree after. Putting the past behind me. I enjoyed a fantastic fall break that year in Philadelphia with friends, because through Denison my Junior year, I did a "study abroad," in Philadelphia (the best experience ever. Cannot speak enough about that program! So grateful Denison is a part of the Study in Philly!) 

Anyway, after coming back from break I wasn't myself that week at school. I came home, went to a doctor's appointment. Pregnant. I was 11 weeks pregnant. 1-2 weeks away from being in my second trimester. I knew. In that instant, I was keeping him. No one else understood, at the time, my decision. I was blamed on one side, entirely, for this outcome, the father still lives in denial. This is important information in my story, as it describes where I have been, who I am and who I've become. The father isn't, and has never been involved. This is fine. It's been uncomplicated. I'm actually very lucky. Besides, I know that my son and I deserve someone 100% interested in me AND my son, not an either or situation. So once making my decision, to continue with the pregnancy, I took one day. One day to be broken hearted, to feel like it was me against the world. Later, to my surprise, I found I had a support network bigger than I could ever have imagined.

I am blessed. I am loved. "We" are so loved. But it took me that one day to realize, the easiest thing is not always the right thing. I knew honestly from the day I first found out, I wanted this baby. And my god, has it not only blessed me, but this child of mine blesses and brings joy to anyone and everyone he meets. As a biased mother would say, he truly is something special. My choosing to bring this new life into the world, is an amazing and miraculous testimony to my dedication and character. Being a mother (parent) is one of the toughest jobs in the world. 

3. My Bakery.

First, back story: I tried to take some classes at College for Creative studies in 2018. Knowing I was more than "just a mom". I've done a lot of "soul" searching and self love in my time away. I didn't reach back to Denison at this time because I was convinced traditionally schooling just must not be for me. The root of it, I later would find, was that I was somehow undeserving of it. (super messed up mental ideal). Disclaimer: I, like many, struggled with self worth. Therapy is necessary and beautiful.  Anyway, continuing---I had a hobby of sketching.  Homes and houses always intrigued me, so I picked up some classes at CCS, interior design classes. This is where I realized a hobby does not make for a career. More importantly, I remembered the promise I had made to myself, that I didn't want anyone else raising my baby boy.  I was spending 60hrs + a week on projects and classroom time, leaving him home with my parents and babysitters, a little bit at first, then, more and more. So, I pulled the plug. 

When I give of myself I want to give 100%. If I was giving my school work 100% there was none left for my son. I had to pick between the two, and clearly, without a doubt, my baby boy was the sure pick. Schooling this time round failed because It was in person, he was not in school yet, and it was not practical or logistical. I stopped in OCT of 2019. Between October and December of 2019 I went stir crazy. I was 24/7 with my son, living at my parents home still, and my mental health was on the decline. I felt trapped. I needed a way out. And thus "A Degree Above Bakery" was born. I have made over 5,000 dollars in profits from this business. I have a standing order, weekly, with Westborn Market. However, this flow, and work is at my grace.  I can shut it down, permanently, or temporarily. I can drive it forward more, or scale it back, starting tomorrow.  I was determined to find a way out and give myself some "me" time, as well as doing something I enjoyed that gave me flexible hours to work with my son present. I originally started in my own home. Operating under the cottage food law. That is, until I started to rent space in Plymouth MI from Westborn Market in April 2020.  I bake Sundays currently. 

I created and established then registered my name. I created and bought a web domain.  I have my own labels and packaging I created. Every aspect of my business I have built and created. The brand, the marketing, getting into a grocery store. My point here, being, when I think of something, I do everything in my power to try to reach my goal, whatever the road block. When I get an idea, I see it through. To the best of my ability. __________ My overarching theme is determination. You will have nothing without it. I will be respectful and understanding of any final decisions, acceptance, reinstatement, or lack thereof. If there is still a slimmer of possibility to qualify for spring semester at Denison or be considered again... It would be an honor and mean more to me than any words could begin to describe. I had to take one last shot with you all,  before seeking another institution.  Rules and regulations will be forever. I understand this, but If there is anything I can do to help enhance my application/reinstatement/case/enrollment/scenario please don't hesitate to ask. I would be honored to commit to in person class on the hill in the fall, after taking summer classes, and taking the spring classes online at Denison, I also will be able to pay, in full, for the spring tuition as well as on campus next fall/winter. I also paid in full while being on campus every year from 2013-2016. Please also hear me when I say, yes, obviously I would do whatever and help to see a successful spring enrollment, but I would be happy to transfer credits from this spring (elsewhere), and summer, to complete classes on campus in the fall.  I will stay open minded to all possibilities, as I know Denison does! 

With much respect and appreciation, and excitement,

Sarah McNaughton

[jewelthomasson]

Art Response:

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⭐️Summary of the video “Art and Empathy”:

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In the video, the word empathy is described as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” Art can be a gateway to discovering empathy we have for an art piece. Art can also, make you feel emotions that can connect people together. There is different types of art that can convey to the viewer certain emotions. For instance, religious art. The video gave the example of how the famous art sculpture the “Pietà” has been recreated by many different types of religious groups where the artists all convey a different side of the meaning of the piece. By doing this, different cultures can empathize for the piece in different ways. This helps the people connect deeper to the piece because different meanings are brought out. Empathy through art can also help people empathize with what happened to others from history. For instance the Inca, they suffered terribly under the Spanish rule. And taking in the art that was depicted during that perilous time really helps the viewer feel and in a way mourn for the other lives that were mistreated. In addition, empathy doesn’t just have to include feelings of sorrow. But it can be things of happiness and joy. Overall, empathy in art helps messages/greater meanings convey something bigger to the viewer that can be life changing.

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🤔What I thought about the video “Art and Empathy”:

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I thought that this video was very insightful on how art can help people connect with the artist and the art itself. My original thought when you have “empathy” I assumed that it’s normally taken in the sense to feel sorrow or grief for someone or something. But the video enlightened me that empathy isn’t just about the heavy topics, it can also be lighthearted and joyful. When I create art my main intent is to bring people joy as they view it. I didn’t realize that, that was considered empathy. But now I know, and I think that’s awesome! I want to create art that makes people walk away with a happy heart so that they can go on and bless others around them.

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⭐️Summary of “The Basics: Icons and Iconoclasm:”

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The blog first leads with stating what an “icon” means. The term icon dates back to a Greek term Eikon which means image or likeness. An icon, is generally referred as religious art. Meaning many works of this sort can be composed with an image of Christ, and angels and other significant people that play well known roles in the Bible. This blog post, described the term “iconoclasm” as image breaking. In the Byzantine era, religious art was to be diminished. During this time the church and state were going through very drastic changes. It is like the church and state were just trying to establish how they were going to set the standards for others. And during that time, great division was created from the people with strong opposing views.

🤔My thoughts on “The Basics: Icons and Iconoclasm:”

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I thought this blog post was very informative about icons and iconoclasm. Before today I had never heard about these terms. But now I definitely have a better understanding. Icons were made to show religious works of art in different lights. People who made icons often would portray a religious figure in a way so the view would find relationship with it. Finding the relationship with the art should be on the level of seeing the work as a reflection, rather than seeing the icon as the holy image. This can be difficult for some, because we could see the image as holy, and potentially making it become an idol. That’s the dangerous part because we should look our eyes to God and not use our worship towards physical objects like icons.

⭐️Summary of “Great Debate: Iconoclasts vs. Iconophiles:”

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In this blog post there are two sides to being against and for an icon. The argument against an icon was simply based on how materials we find on earth cannot compare to the divine and holiness that God possesses. The iconoclasts believe that it is dangerous for people to view and relate to these icons because if you get too caught up in the icon then it can be considered an idol. Which clearly goes against Exodus 20:4-5 (as the blog stated). They relate this verse by sharing how idols and graven images are to be forbidden. And overall the iconoclasts then came to the conclusion that the authorities should destroy all evidence of these icons so that the people will be protected from falling under the sin of having idols.

On the other hand, the people that are for the icons are referred to as the iconophiles. They specify fought to keep these icons because physical art/images of Christ help further our faith because it reminds us of Christ’s existence. The blog described how John of Damascus fought for the icons to not only represent Christ but to also represent the saints. By depicting the saints in regular common scenes, they can seem more relatable, so we can feel some sort of connection and deepen our faith.

🤔My thoughts on Great Debate: Iconoclasts vs. Iconophiles:”

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I thought this debate was very interesting! I don’t think I can say I completely agree with one side 100%. But I do understand where both sides are coming from. For the iconoclasts I completely agree that having a relationship with and icon could be considered like an idol. Which is not good! But I also understand from the iconophiles point of view, they wanted to keep the icons so that we could have a constant reminder of Christ’s existence. For me, personally, I want to have my eyes set on God alone (in worship and everyday life). But I also like having that reminder of Jesus by seeing amazing art created about Him. I believe seeing art about a God truly can further ones faith. I believe that if you hold the image at a standard where your focus is on the art itself rather than using it to build your relationship with God, then I believe the icon can be considered an idol. Because then the your attention is not on God (which is the only thing that matters). I would avoid the temptation of creating an idol by simply having your focus not be on the material, but rather look to God for everything.

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⭐️Summary of “Art and Soul” PDF:

(Art and an Integrated Worldview)

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This passage explains how different world views are perceived. And through that it talks about how art means very differently to different world views. For instance, in dualism, they described that “organs, dancing, bonnet ribbons or the sinema” were considered too worldly. Basically, all the distractions relate to being of the world and being far from God. And by worldly they clearly mean “sinful”. Different things of the “Christian” standard can be different for everyone. The passage directly shows how even the most similar things can have the opposite effect to a Christian. For instance, “guitars good, organs bad; headscarves good, nose piercing bad...” All these things don’t mean anything, it’s all based on who says they are bad that makes them bad or good. Meaning, it’s kind of all based on opinion until the lines are clearly crossed from the Biblical principles.

🤔My thoughts on “Art and Soul” PDF:

(Art and an Integrated Worldview)

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Wow! This article made me think! I never really realized how much our culture puts standards on living a Christian life. So what if you play the organ?! God gave us talents to express ourselves! This article enlightened me to think differently on how we as Christians stereotype peoples decisions. I strongly believe that if we look to God for everything and in our hearts know when a line is crossed then we will remain in Him. We really need to let people decide what they believe is truly of God. To everyone that could be something different, but that makes us all unique. And it makes our relationship with Him so much more special!

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📸Image above:

[lululawrence]

lululawrence’s April 2019 Fic List

Click here for previous months’ fic lists

Guess who’s back, back again... I actually wrote that when I drafted this post a month ago and I’m keeping it cause it’s funny ahhaha So this month has been a ride, hasn’t it? I’ve read some amazing fic though, so I’m super excited to talk about it with you! I read quite a few from the Shake Off the Dust collection as well as fics from the beginning of round 2 of @onedirectionbigbang and other various things as I tried and failed to keep up with all the new fic coming out haha We are so blessed to have so much amazing fic. So, without further ado, here are the fics I read and loved this month!

Hazy by @nikogda / nikogda This fic was written for me because I was anxious one day and they saw a post referring to it and they wrote this as a soothing fic for me and lemme tell ya, IT WORKED. It was so soft and... well... hazy. haha I loved it. A great fic to come back to on a rough day, for sure!

Keep Your Hands Up, So I Can See by @goodmorningtoyouuniverse / GMTYUniverse This fic was such a great HP AU! It was enemies to lovers with a touch of misunderstanding and frustrations and just all the good things with cameos by some of our favorite characters from the original series! I loved it very much a lot. It threw me into the world and made me smile quite a bit.

it's in his kiss by @disgruntledkittenface / disgruntledkittenface This is where Maggie took what she wrote through requests on ask and posted them to ao3 for the kiss meme and lemme tell ya! There’s some ships she wrote that I never felt a desire for, and she wrote them so perfectly that I almost started shipping them hahahaa Each chapter is it’s own little world and it pulled me in so entirely that they felt like full fics! How does she do that in such few words? I dunno. But they’re all glorious. Every last one. Defo a great read when things are hard too, i’d read a chapter when I had a moment and it made my busy, stressful days so much better.

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now by @allwaswell16 / allwaswell16 I think this one was written for the short fic fest, and I loved it so so much! She describes Harry’s movements as “giraffing about” or something like that and I will never stop laughing about that. Add to it that Harry in the fic legit thought Louis was a mannequin and I just DIE. It’s amazing. Such a silly, fun fic!

Soju (소주) by @gettingaphdinmomo / gettingaphdinlarry This is a Shiall fic that just drew me in. It has such a visual and atmospheric pull to it, like all of her fics do, and it makes you almost feel as if you’re somehow there. I dunno how she does it, but her magic is worked for sure with this fic and I had to just sit there, and process when it ended. A fun, short fic to easily get lost in.

Just Go With It by @rainbowsandlovehl / rainbowslovehl (Larrymateforlife) This fic!!!! Meet Cute heaven! It was light and fluffy and awkward and silly and I loved it so much and for real this Brett character was TOO MUCH. hahahahaha With the added fun of the little jokes like talk of organic guacamole etc and I loved it so much. It was the smile I needed.

All I Want Is To Fall With You by @2tiedships2 / 2tiedships2 Mel keeps posting fics that are so fun! How does she do it? This time the crew takes on a ski trip and Louis has to deal with stupid alphas staying in the same cabin without knowing about it beforehand and of course nothing goes to plan! That’s half the fun, though, right? Besides. The alphas aren’t that bad. haha

Do You Wanna Ride by @phd-mama / phdmama She wrote this fic for @justalittlelouislove and I screamed reading it the whole time. I took so long reading it because I kept stopping to scream and share how uncomfortable I was over the obvious awkwardness and sexual tension and it was just SO SO SO GOOD. The embarrassment just gahhhhhhh I loved it.

Strawberries & Cigarettes by @dimpled-halo / dimpled_halo A year later I FINALLY read this and I loved it as much as I knew I would. I wanted pain, and it gave it to me! It gave me pain and healing and a gorgeous story. It was such a great read, I’m so so happy I finally had the time to dedicate to it because it was just. So much of everything I love.

Let It Down by @red--special / red_special This fic has also been on my to read list for ages and I am also so so happy I got to read it finally! It was such a great fic and so much fun and so sexy and funny and awkward and I wanted to bask in it a little longer. It was so so good. hahahaha I keep thinking about the tattoo and I can’t stop giggling. Just do yourself a favor and read this fic. haha

Like A Siren In The Night by @crazyupsetter / whoknows This is an a/b/o fic that I could not get enough of or read fast enough. It’s historical, though that doesn’t play a major role, and the playing with the world building was SO MUCH FUN to read. The way their relationship developed as well was just DELICIOUS. I loved every second of it.

please forgive me if my lips quake by @disgruntledkittenface / disgruntledkittenface Girl direction! With a cat! I was heart eyes the entire fic and once again, such feeling was evoked in it that I wanted to just sit and enjoy it for awhile longer. Sigh. What pure enjoyment! I loved it.

I was the King (tonight let it go) by @sadaveniren / SadaVeniren I... Okay listen. lollll I didn’t write this obviously, but it felt like such a self indulgent read I almost wished I had? If that makes sense? It was everything I love. I LOVE the emotional side and thought behind BDSM. Like, that’s most of what makes it so so so interesting and fascinating for me to read, and Sada gave that to us with this fic in DROVES as well as the fighting against natural inclinations etc etc etc. It was just a fab fic and I loved so so so much of it.

Failure to Launch by @all-these-larrythings / Rearviewdreamer Michelle has a way of taking things I don’t know about and making me love them so so so much. This film was one that many I knew loved and I felt mainly meh about it, but I knew if Michelle wrote it I would love it, and I WAS RIGHT. She took all the things I was not fond of in the original and twisted them so it still referenced the original source, but made it so much better. I loved it so so so much because it was so very much like the original film, but also very much her own. 

Come Home to Me by @pocketsunshineharry / ishiplouis I wanted pain, and pain was what I got. I cried and I kept waiting and waiting for things to come together again and they finally did! But WOW the pain leading up to that! It was amazing how much was harnessed in it. I will say, please beware the tags. Some heavy topics are handled in the fic - including some depression/anxiety etc - so please be safe with that. A great read, though! 

fondre ton absence by @scrunchyharry / scrunchyharry OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG I just. I’m a sucker for WWI and WWII period anything. It’s one of my favorite periods in history for the social, political, militaristic, just EVERYTHING historically. I find it fascinating and I adore it. I was both excited and wary how this would go then, knowing how much I love it. Well. I cried the entire way through and was in awe of how the time period and everything was handled. It’s an amnesia friends to lovers wartime period-typical homophobia acknowledging fic which basically means it is my dream fic. I cannot rave about it enough, much less the incredible art that was done by @whenthebodiesspeak!!! It was STUNNING and yeah. Just. Amazing. A masterpiece.

An Unbalanced Force by @kingsofeverything / FullOnLarrie MAROLD HAROLD with art by @goodmorningtoyouuniverse! I cried a few times during this one and it was such a realistic and beautiful and comprehensive view of a relationship, of adulthood, of trying to find love again after, just... all of it. It is a study of flawed individuals trying to make do and learning where their lines are and it is gorgeous. I loved it so so so much and I keep randomly thinking about it. A great fic and worth the wait and teasing she gave us over the months! hahahaha

That's What I'm Here For by @taggiecb / taggiecb ANOTHER DREAM FIC, ANOTHER FIC THAT MADE ME CRY! I cannot rave enough about how this big bang has kicked off, like, I just truly cannot. @noellehenry did a gorgeous moodboard for it as well, and I just. Demisexual farmer Louis who has been on his own for so long he just. Hardly knows how to be social anymore and Harry has to come and teach him and I’m about to give away spoilers so I’ll stop but this fic is so close to my heart, okay? I love love love love love it.

To Carry Onward by @londonfoginacup / LadyLondonderry THIS LITTLE FIC!!! I keep yelling, I know. Sorry not sorry. But for real it’s 500 words and just...so full of love and longing and mystery and hope and I cannot. I love Emmu’s words and worlds and this is no exception.

A Spell and A Spark by @dinosaursmate / dinosaursmate It’s out in the world! This fic was everything I needed when I read it. I was having a really rough time, and I would get to the end of those days and get to read this fic and it soothed me, cheered me, and took me away to another world. It was so much fun and just pure joy to read. And then the art that @londonfoginacup made for it! It was such a great combo of writing and art. Another wonderful fic for big bang!

{insert acclaimed artist} was never even in love anyway by underthesunlight This is the first of several fics I read from the Shake Off the Dust collection and it was such a fun read. It was domestic and silly and soft and it made me smile.

Primtemps by @londonfoginacup / LadyLondonderry She’s just so good, isn’t she? I finished this fic and almost immediately went back to the beginning because I wanted to read it again. It’s so soft and you could almost SMELL what she was describing. It was a perfect read of a perfect day and it made me long for the days in the past that I’d had like it. Glorious.

Taking Care of You (Is My Favorite Thing) by @allthelarrylovex / cherrylarry Niam! Not usually my pairing of choice, but I loved it so much. I also very much identified with the shitty allergies aspect of it as I am dealing with that myself at the moment, so it just had me sitting there nodding like IT REALLY DOES SUCK BABES I GET IT hahaha

You Keep Me Warm by @crinkle-eyed-boo / crinkle-eyed-boo (KimmieRocks) I’ve not read Own the Scars yet, but I still read this despite it being a time stamp, and I’m so glad I did. I loved it and it made me smile. It also made me want to read the original, so I can’t wait until I have a chance to!

Love's Gentle Spring by @laynefaire / Layne Faire (HisDarlin) This is also a continuation! It’s a fun addition to her spring drabbles from last year, which are not necessary to read in order to enjoy this, though it does add to the fun hahaha I loved that little series so much and was very very glad she made this addition!

Housewives of Our Lives by @homosociallyyours / homosociallyyours I’ve never watched any of the housewives shows, but that didn’t matter. As usual Megan wrote a fic that had me wanting to be their friend and hang out with them as they did these ridiculous things because it sounded like such fun. I loved it as well.

A Larry Limerick by @kingsofeverything / FullOnLarrie I know this was mostly silly and to be funny, but I enjoyed it so I’m including it here hahaha

sun, here it comes by @louandhazaf / YesIsAWorld and It's been a long, cold, lonely winter by @kingsofeverything / FullOnLarrie I’m putting both of them here, because if you haven’t read them yet you should. They are two sides of the same story, and I fully recommend you read them in the order I listed them too haha I did and it was wonderful and delightful and basically all things good. SO much fun.

just me, him, and the moon by HazHas4Nips This was cuuuuuuute! I don’t even know what more to say, I just keep sitting here and smiling thinking about it. So I guess if you want a fic that makes you smile, this is a great little one. 

Spring Break by @allwaswell16 / allwaswell16 This fic came out of a partially true story and it was so much fun to finally be able to read what Anitra did with it haha I was giggling and loving it so so much the entire way. As usual. Can’t go wrong.

What's Mine is Yours by @uhohmorshedios / yeah_alright This fic is listed as a Narry fic, and it is, but it’s Narry friendship which made me giggle so so so much! hahaha It was so funny and the way Harry was described and Niall’s just...almost annoyance? I can’t even explain. It’s so much fun. 

Latching Onto You by @reminiscingintherain / reminiscingintherain This fic is pure fluff. Fluff and silliness and all things sweet and good. I was trying to find the best way to describe it and the first thing that came to mind was it was a bowl of sweet dessert and I finally realized it’s a parfait. It’s got layers, but all of it is sweet and soft and yummy. hahaha SO if that sounds like something amazing in a fic, then you defo wanna give this a read! 

Face Your Fears by @sadaveniren / SadaVeniren I’ll be honest, I finished this one around 2 am after a very long day and had to wake up too early again this morning, so I still haven’t fully computed this fic lollll Just know the pain is real, it is glorious, the journey the characters all take and the way Harry and Louis’ relationship grows is so incredible, I just... this fic is everything I’ve wanted in an a/b/o since I started reading a/b/o almost five years ago haha 

And that’s my very long fic list from this month! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did if you give them a try. And please remember to leave nice comments and kudos for the authors who work so hard to gift us with these stories! Happy reading :D

[zardoru]

Clans of the desert

Part 3, Chapter 6

"Goooooooooooooooooood morning!" A piercing shout resonated across the walls of the cave as everyone, with the exception of Mud, begrudgingly lifted their heads to see Tija. Fri was glad Tija was back in spite of the rude awakening.

"Awfully rude," complained Astra. "You could've waited outside."

"Wow, you're the one to talk," said Joy.

"The difference is that we don't have to hunt this morning," said Astra.

"Tija," said Tuga, putting both claws against her forehead. "I was just dreaming of you. That, or your shouts just pierced right into my dreams."

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to surprise you," she said.

"Well, Queen Desertwalker, you did," said Astra, moving the left leg spread to the side below her, lifting her head from her right leg, and sitting as she let out a yawn. "Oh, you're not in the best of moods, are you?"

"No," said Tija, changing her enthusiasm for solemnity. "It wasn't the greatest of trips."

"Well, at least one of us is having a good rest," said Joy, looking over Mud, who was sleeping belly up, front legs on the air, kicking her leg against the air with some drool coming to the side in an uncomfortable posture. "So how did it go?" She continued, "you used to be super excited to go to the desert."

"Well..." said Tija, making short furrows on the ground with her claws, grimacing. "It's complicated."

"Don't talk about anything you don't want to, Tija," said Astra. "These things are never easy to talk about."

"Oh, I cannot... not tell you. Which is to say I must, because..." Tija paused.

"Our impression of you will not change," said Astra. "Go ahead. We're here to support you, no matter what."

*What could have been so bad? *Tija was uneasy around us for the first time since Fri could remember. It must've been bad. At least, for her.

Tija nodded solemnly. "Okay, here goes."

I never told you why I wanted to go to the desert. It's not the first time I had been there. I was raised there, by two loving parents. I had a brother too. When I escaped in a tantrum I thought I'd live on my own for the rest of my life, but I couldn't stop thinking that I had left them. I've spent the last few years thinking of meeting them again. Since we had a few months to gather everyone, I thought I had time. I did, but I also didn't.

If you've never been to the desert, you should know that the dunes are always changing, and it's not hard to forget where you are. Every other grain of sand looks like every other grain of sand at a distance, even if they are all completely unique.

Hah. I thought I would be over them after all this time. I found you all, you became my new family; and we've already achieved so much! But my feelings kept working against me. As much as I proved myself successful on my own, I miss them. And I never will really have the chance to ever tell them that I'm sorry for leaving them...

Because all I found was bones. Bones of animals. Dragons. Even scavengers with their empty water flasks, that most likely never knew where to find any water. It's all mostly silent and quiet, with the occasional dry, dusty wind shifting the sands. No matter how much the dunes reshape themselves, the desert is still a desert.

I think that's why I kept going.

Maybe with the trinket Fri gave to me --- besides this weird scorpion tail --- I'd eventually find them. If the desert stayed the same, and I also couldn't let them go, there was a chance that I could maybe find them again.

The river. If they were anywhere, it'd be on the river.

The oasis. If they were anywhere, it'd be on any oasis.

You saw the number of dragons that lived in the desert; we're easily the smallest tribe of all. It's impressive, even in the arctic lands of the continent you found more dragons than I did. Most of what I found was corpses, picked off by the vultures already so long ago. Every body far from water.

I wonder what made them wander here when they were clearly not as prepared as I was to the heat, or the thirst, having grown here. Though, among you, eating cows, so close to a river, and with so little fighting with other dragons compared to when I saw my family fight for the right to have some water off a band of dragons, I had grown a little soft.

I followed the stirring glow of the piece of amber I got from Astra. Its direction didn't change for a long period of monotonous flight, until I saw some holes in the sand that seemed to go from some far away place, and go all the way in the direction I was heading to. Someone must have traveled from far away in a minuscule period of time, I thought.

I had no hope that I'd find anyone I had cared for, but I wanted to. I followed the trail all the way to the end, to find a dragon carrying one of their clan-mates to their part of the river.

You see, back then, I remember my parents explained that we organized in clans, different groups of dragons that competed for all the different so--- I already explained this! So, these two were very badly hurt. One of them --- the one that was conscious --- was bleeding from one of their missing wings. They had opaque, yellow scales. The other one was missing all of their claws, with darker, mustard scales.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Flightless and Clawless," explained the one without a wing. They were reluctant, because they clearly would've tried to fight me believing I would've attacked them, but they didn't have the energy. I like to think that I'm still a bit menacing even if I am not the fighter I used to be.

I grimaced at their response, though. "Why those names? Who could've named you something so cruel?"

Flightless snorted at me, and dismissed answering, drinking some water and trying to wash their partner's freshly cut off talons. "Are you going to ask stupid questions, are you going to kill us, or are you going to help us?" they finally responded.

*Oh, what an idiot I am, *I thought. I helped them lift the other dragon from the sand and helped them suspend their friend on the water. Flightless stared at me with a piercing gaze, probably thinking I'd harm them while they're down. I avoided making eye contact and laid their brother in the water to clean up the wounds. "I never expected that I'd ever see help from anyone, much less of a dead clan," they explained.

A dead clan, I thought. That was worrying; I still expected to be able to see my family, as well as the rest of the clan. I didn't know what of me gave it away, so I asked.

"It's the golden coloration of your scales," they explained. "They're a dead giveaway." I never believed that something so trivial could meant something to others. And come to think of it, my own family often rejected other dragons that were willing to give their lives for us if only we allowed them to stick with us. Three moons, we killed some dragons only on that basis.

I wasn't as eager to meet them after that.

"You asked about our names, didn't you?" asked Flightless. "It was that bunch of cowards, the Windraiders, attacking us at night, right at our home."

That name woke up some unpleasant memories. That bunch always played dirty. I heard that they had an artifact they stole from the... As Tuga described, "the white dragons," like you, Fri.

"They stole from my family?" said Fri. "Did you learn anything about them on your journey?"

I did, but not much. We eventually managed to convince one of them --- the one who stole it --- to tell us about them, but all he said is that they were being protective of the only egg they had in years, which I presume is yours. He said he'd threatened it, and with that they let him go without any further discussion. The parents were livid, he said. "Let him take it! If this is the dragonet you were really talking about, these items will be completely redundant! Just please, don't give our child's life for a stupid trinket!"

Anyway, the artifact I brought with me, and it's supposed to let you speak with humans, but I'm not sure how to use it. Maybe you'll be able to figure it out, Fri. Though, with your ability to enchant, I don't think you need it, but it could be good emotional support, nonetheless. Your parents really loved you, didn't they, Fri?

We have a few things in common. Neither of us can tell them we felt the same way after all this time.

... So anyway, the Windraiders.

"What happened to your clan?" I asked.

The look on their face changed to resignation. "We're all that's left of the clan, now. And these snakes, they let us live, only to shame us with our names; they cut my wings, and took his claws," they said, with a slow buildup of rage. "And neither of us can make them pay, as we are. We were just the last two to die, and they wanted to desecrate our clan's memory as much as they could when they realized they had killed almost all of us."

So I guess I remembered my mission, and I figured we'd have to face them at some point anyway, so I offered them, "Hey, just about everyone hates them, and I and some friends are just going to take down humanity, so how about you come with me? I'll have to make them come around at some point or probably get rid of them if they resist, anyway."

"You? On your own?" they laughed. "It's far more likely that it rains than that you could take them down on your own."

"I'd demonstrate," I said, "but I think neither of you are in conditions. Besides, my plan is far simpler than whatever you've got in mind."

"What are you thinking of?"

"Well, uniting all the clans against them, of course!"

And they stared at me with disbelief. I guess with good reason. Haha.

"How are you going to do that? And how could we help like this?" asked Flightless.

"We'll figure out a way," I said, not with anything in mind yet.

Flightless eyed my tail suspiciously, and I had to explain to them your enchantment thing, and showed them the magic artifact. They saw the thing stir around and point someplace else now that I had met them, and I explained how it worked.

"Is that one of the artifacts from the white dragons?"

"Well, yes and no, it's from a different one, a friend."

Fri chuckled.

Flightless asked for my permission to look at it, and I allowed them to play with it for a bit. They were fascinated, almost like a dragonet playing with dying prey: they juggled a bit with it, gave it a nibble, a lick, a smell, and even rubbed it against them. "It is so mundane, yet so magical." They hoped to meet you at some point.

We cleaned up Clawless. Once he woke up, Flightless ran over to help him get up. Clawless complained about how painful it was to stand up at all, and so he sprawled himself on the floor so that the ends of his limbs wouldn't support his full weight. The poor guy wasn't doing too great.

"Can you move?" asked Flightless.

"I'm sorry," he said with an unexpected high pitched voice. "I'm not sure I can walk like this."

Flightless snickered at their mate, and said, "Well, I can walk, and you can fly, so that makes us one whole dragon."

Clawless merrily sighed and bumped snouts with them.

Flightless explained the situation; they also introduced me, noting that I was a friend of the white dragons. Or just you, really. Flightless asked me for the amber piece and showed it to their partner. He gave it a brief, dispassionate examination, not bothering to take it away from Flightless' talons.

"What are we supposed to do?" he said. His voice was heartbreaking, grieving and defeated. I could understand them well. Not being able to fight here is a death sentence, but they may not know how to live anywhere else. Living away from what you're used to can be tough, and even more so when hunting like you always have can prove... challenging.

Flightless tried to be as encouraging as they could, and pointed to me a few times saying that we'd be fine if I had managed to be on my own for this long.

They didn't know I hadn't been on my own at all, but I had to pretend that I was a hero, one that could live on their own and was leading the initiative to end with humans and unite the clans of the desert.

We chatted some more just to know each other a little better, so I told them that I had abandoned my family when I was younger, and that I regretted it some, but they assured me that doing so was wise, as none of my kin ever showed up around them; they firmly believed there was no chance of them being alive.

But you know, that's not the end of that, at all.

We followed the amber piece until we saw smoke during the cold desert night rising from between the dunes, with me walking alongside Flightless, Clawless aloft with the seeking artifact. We climbed the dunes and only peeking our heads in case someone in the basin caught a glimpse of us.

There was a long river that seemed to reach all the way from the east to the west. The opaque, yellow dragons slept underneath these wide, bushy threes with bright greens that seemed white under the dim moonlight, but closer to the bonfire they'd made in the middle of their makeshift camp, had a yellowish reflection. You could see some of the alligators that live on the river sleep right next to some of the dragons, as if they were old friends or even couples.

But then, I saw them --- my siblings --- living alongside this body of dull, sleepy dragons that could've easily been assaulted as they were so obviously overconfident; with numbers that big, they must've relied on being possibly the largest of all the clans around now.

I guess the union of the small clans had already been over before it had really started for me, or I hoped so. Challenging the leadership should've been enough.

That reminds me, I presume we're going to preserve that, right? If my rule is strong, nobody would challenge me, and if it is weak, a better leader will surely rise from the aftermath of the duel. It makes sense, doesn't it?

Anyway, we waited until the next day. I told the other two that we'd try to mix in with the group, though I was eager to try to talk to my brothers and sisters, it'd surely have to wait until I figured who was in charge.

Flightless and Clawless were, in contrast, anything but. They noted it was dragons of this clan that had left them in the state they did; were they to be recognized, it would surely cause trouble. I told them that it'd be the perfect opportunity for me to seize the leadership, as a challenge to protect them is the most honorable way of proposing a duel.

They didn't like the idea very much, but they didn't have many options; they could try to leave for the mainland and adapt to their situation on their own, try to find a clan that will have them, which, generally, don't like giving dragons in their situation a chance even though they absolutely deserve it, or try to live on their own and most likely die. I explained it so to them, and they found themselves in agreement, so as undignified as it seemed, they had found a strange purpose.

We followed this newfound clan that seemed too numerous to notice that we were there at all, and so, they organized themselves in cells day by day, where small groups would perform different tasks throughout the day, and I found myself following my siblings' cell only to know what they were up to. Of course, I didn't let myself known, though my tail barb made me very simple to identify; enough that eventually, I was called "The Scorpion," which is funny to me. Though that happened later.

My siblings weren't doing any good things, of course. They'd learned the ways of the desert, and intimidating other groups and threatening them with the whole clan being thrown at them, bullying, clawing and biting the food out of the smaller clans after they managed to hunt some large lizards --- much like vultures, except those are scavengers, not bullies.

If they deemed it necessary, they killed off those that stood up against them --- which weren't that many. It was enough of a deterrent to say "We're from that large clan by the river, fear us."

So the worst part of it is, I just didn't seem to know them, or care much about them; they weren't the warm caring dragons I lived with, these were as far off from my memories as I could've thought. It was disappointing, but I was ready for it; I already thought they were dead.

Flightless and Clawless caught me staring and tearing up because of them, and quickly put me in my place. I wasn't here to know the fate of my family, because, as I explained to them, the Fire Wing was my family, not this band of hooligans. I was here to give them all a better life, and maybe, if they do change their ways after we manage to ensure our living spaces, and bringing everybody in, I could possibly bring in this new vision we've had together of thriving instead of surviving.

So, we left to stir up some conflict.

"We don't want to stand back and let you do this on your own," said Clawless. "We deserve to fight for our own vengance."

I stared at both of them thinking how the snake they were going to do that. They clearly noticed.

"We're not going to do this on our own," said Flightless. "All we ask is that you let us deal the fatal blow."

Oh, how was I going to let them, they deserved it and I was not in a position to stop them. "Go ahead," I said. "The fight is going to be over in seconds." I waved the barb at the end of my tail back and forth just to hint at what I had in mind.

Well, my pride wasn't going to let me just use it right away. That'd be boring. I hadn't had a fight in years, and I wanted to make sure how much my own two claws could damage this stupid leader that decided to use their strength to subjugate other clans instead of helping them. I knew what I wanted. I knew I wanted to draw it out, make the coward bleed.

The call wasn't so dramatic. I openly called the leader to a challenge after waking everyone up extremely early; I was surprised to see that their leader was an old and feeble dragon. But not just any dragon.

"Tija!" he said, confusing me because I had no idea how he knew my name. "My daughter, you are alive!"

My heart sunk. Suddenly everything made sense; why her siblings were there, though I cannot guess why they didn't tell him earlier, I am most certain they knew I was there, but that's why they didn't attack Flightless and Clawless on sight, or so he explained. I had to stick my arm in my mouth not to scream at him why the hell was he attacking the other clans.

"We thought they had taken you away," he explained to me. "This was our vengeance, to do onto them what they might've done to you a hundred times over."

Well, that was unexpected, to say the least. I always thought they were dead, but of course... this wasn't just any clan. It was where I came from. "It's us! Your mother went on a quest so long ago to find you, but we found her corpse on the dry desert, bleeding out and being eaten by impatient vultures; all because these snakes attacked her."

But none of them deserved it. I ran away. It wasn't their fault. And my mother died because of me, that is to say, I was not having much fun in my journey back home at all. I know for a fact that if I had stayed with them none of it would have happened, but I would've acted the same way had my own child disappeared under my nose.

I asked him why they thought why the other clans might've done whatever he thought they did to me.

"It was the small corpses of the hatched dragonets they tested out in the desert, leaving them to die," he said. "I always thought one of them might've been you, dead in one of their barbaric tests."

I chuckled, because obviously, he tried too hard to protect someone that already was able to hold on their own. It's almost infuriating. I made a promise to Flightless and Clawless, however, and now that was weighing heavily on me. I said the only thing that could be said. "We need justice for the clans you've wronged."

His scales went pale as Flightless and Clawless came to my sides, bloodthirstier than ever. I explained to them that he was my own father, and to wait for a moment. Father trembled as I hesitated until the very last moment, whether I would actually kill him or not, and then I remembered what our objective was.

We are going to kill all of the scavengers who had wronged us.

I don't need to tell you what we did to him next, because I already told you. We killed him; I stabbed him in the head with my tail, and Flightless and Clawless bled him dry for his wrongdoings. He begged me for forgiveness during the last moments of his life. I didn't want to hear it.

He was responsible for the death and agony of countless others, and I could not let that go with impunity.

We invited the rest of the clans into submission, promising a life without violence. Almost none of the clans accepted, but they'd come to us soon enough. We acquired control of the water with ease, which is as non-violent of a method as I could manage.

My siblings protested, of course. It didn't take much to strike them down. It's almost not worth mentioning.

I am not sure if I did the right thing. Not at all.

Tija looked at the ground. "But that...is what I did."

Loud noises interrupted everyone's astonishment at Tija's decision to kill her own father; making the small group, with the exception of Tija, look outside as a flock of dragons with scales with tints of orange and red, large wings, and an exceptional discipline of formation loomed above.

The loud dragon had arrived.

[starringemiliaclarke]

Emilia Clarke on Why Game of Thrones Is the Perfect Form of Escapism + HQ Scans

As Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke created a warrior queen for the ages. Her legend can be told on the walls of caves or on T-shirts at Comic-Con. But behind the Valkyrie wigs and very testy dragons, Clarke has an inspiring origin story of her own.

A valley sprawls before her, rich with every color of green in the kingdom, reaching out to a twinkling city, which borders the infinite sea. Her hair (tinted not with peroxide, but tiny flecks of actual gold) glows with a radiance that makes the setting sun so jealous it hides behind the surrounding mountains, and the evening sky blushes. She is Daenerys Targaryen, Queen of the Andals, Breaker of Chains, Mother of Dragons, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea. Everything in sight belongs to her.

Just kidding! She is Emilia Clarke, sitting high above Beverly Hills in a glass mansion rented for a magazine cover shoot. So high up that passing aircraft rattle the bones of the house and those inside it. So high up that you can see Santa Catalina Island in the distance, peeking out from behind a curtain of fog. She laughs about something the makeup artist says, and the last of the evening light bounces off of her cheekbones and shoots into the camera lens.

We are in the sky to talk about Clarke’s reign as one of the most preeminent television actresses of our time, as Daenerys on Game of Thrones. But first, I have a few questions about her abandoned career as a jazz singer.

Clarke’s default emotion is joy — her resting heart rate seems to be just below that of someone seconds after winning a medium-expensive raffle prize — but it quickly congeals into theatrical horror when I reveal that I know that she is a casual but talented singer of jazz music.

When she was 10, Clarke was an alto in a chorus that she describes as “very churchy.” Then a substitute teacher introduced her class to jazz. “I just innately understood it,” she explains. “I was always sliding up and down the notes. Every time, the [chorus] teacher would be like, ‘Quit sliding, just sing that note and then that one and that’s it. Stop trying to fuck with it.’ Then this [jazz teacher] was like, ‘Fuck with it. That’s the point.’ ” Fast-forward a couple of decades, and Clarke was singing “The Way You Look Tonight” at the American Songbook Gala in New York, honoring Richard Plepler, erstwhile CEO of HBO. Nicole Kidman was there, too, and that is the story of Emilia Clarke, a very famous singer.

Just kidding, again! That is the story of Emilia Clarke, extremely famous actress, and it is not even the beginning. Game of Thrones, the HBO fantasy epic that has captured the global zeitgeist for most of the past decade, has entered its ultimate season. Since the show premiered in 2011, Daenerys’s searing platinum blonde has been branded into the brains of every living person with cable access, so much so that she has become as recognizable an action figure as Princess Leia. Every autumn, legions of Americans don Grecian-style dresses and carry stuffed dragons to Halloween parties in homage. Kristen Wiig even appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in a full Daenerys getup. This phenomenon exists in part because it’s a relatively easy costume to assemble, but more likely because Game of Thrones is the most popular TV show in the history of TV shows.

It’s also just one of three popular entertainment franchises Clarke has participated in. Last year: Solo: A Star Wars Story, as a paramour of Han Solo. Two years before that: the fifth Terminator movie, beside Arnold. She was also Holly Golightly in a short-lived Breakfast at Tiffany’s production on Broadway. None of those projects were particularly successful — but none of that matters, to a remarkable degree, because what matters is: The people love Daenerys.

They love a character whose series arc begins with her indentured servitude as a warlord’s concubine and ends, most recently, with her fighting for sovereignty over a league of nations and for a throne made of swords. They love how fictional languages drift from her mouth like dancing smoke, and how her searing-white mane retains a fearsome curl, even in or near battle. They love the whole dragons thing.

The people would love Emilia Clarke, too, if only they knew who she was. During the first few seasons of Game of Thrones, Clarke was able to fool the general public into believing she was very regular civilian Emilia Clarke, because Daenerys was blonde, and Clarke was not. Now, she says, recognition happens more frequently. Particularly Stateside.

For reasons I cannot fathom, Americans feel more entitled to command the attention of celebrities. “People are like, ‘UH-melia CLORK!’ ” she says, in perfect American. In London, people are prone to whisper about her as she passes by. “ ‘Was that Emilia Clarke?’ ”

“I move like a shark when I’m in public,” she says. “Head down. I think I’ve got quite bad posture because of it, because I’m determined to lead a normal life. So I just move too quickly for anyone to register if it’s me or not. And I don’t walk around with six security men and big sunglasses and a bizarre coat. I really try to meld in.” It gets worse when the show is being promoted, but otherwise, she says, it’s not so bad.

“I move like a shark when I’m in public. Head down…I’m determined to lead a normal life, so I just move too quickly for anyone to register if it’s me or not.”

Her best efforts aside, anonymity may be a pipe dream. The show is as decorated as a Christmas tree in a craft store. Game of Thrones has won a Peabody and 47 Emmys, the most of any television drama in history. The show marries critical praise with popular success, then it mercilessly slaughters those who have come to celebrate this union and receives even more acclaim (“The Rains of Castamere,” season 3, episode 9). The plotlines are famously convoluted. Luckily, we have an entire web’s worth of episode explainers, encyclopedias designed specifically for the Westeros universe, and a self-explanatory Funny or Die segment called Gay of Thrones, starring Jonathan van Ness.

When Mad Men first aired, television bloggers dutifully unpacked its symbolic elements, and millennials celebrated the show’s style with Mad Men–themed parties that were really just ’60s-and-one-red-wig-themed parties. Game of Thrones is basically an economy of its own. Since the show premiered, tourism to Croatia, whose coastal port Dubrovnik stands in for the fictional city of King’s Landing, has nearly doubled. Game of Thrones–themed weddings are so popular that it is almost impossible not to attend them — in 2016, Clarke accidentally walked into one that was occurring at the same hotel where she and the cast were staying during filming. (It was not a canonical wedding, and no guests were harmed.)

Game of Thrones has also earned one of the most important pop culture accolades of the century: The attention of Beyoncé Knowles. I believe it is her favorite TV show, and this is why.

Exhibit A: Jay-Z reportedly gave her a prop dragon’s egg from the set, at great personal expense. Exhibit B: At an Oscars after-party this year, Beyoncé approached Clarke (“voluntarily,” according to the actress) to introduce herself. “I watched her face go, ‘Oh, no, I shouldn’t be talking to this crazy [woman], who is essentially crying in front of me,’ ” remembers Clarke. “I think my inner monologue was, ‘Stop fucking it up,’ and I kept fucking it up.”

“I was like, ‘I just saw you in concert.’ And she was like, ‘I know.’ ” Clarke also mentions that Beyoncé complimented her work but declines to share specifics.

Why are people (more specifically, everybody) and goddesses (more specifically, Beyoncé) all obsessed with a show about some dragons and lots of dungeons?

“The show is sensationalist in a way,” Clarke explains, in an effort to describe a TV series that features twins having sex and a child’s defenestration in the very first episode. It doesn’t matter — Clarke’s conversational style is so intimate and emphatic that basic facts feel like sworn secrets. When she smiles, she does so with every single muscle in her face. “It’s the reason why people pick up gossip magazines. They want to know what happens next…. You’ve got a society that is far removed enough from ours but also circulates around power. How that corrupts people and how we want it, and how we don’t want it.”

In other words, Game of Thrones’ value proposition is creating a rich other world for people to experience a prestige, high-production version of pure, horny, violent, unbridled drama. It is, according to Clarke, pitched perfectly: “I think it caught Western society at exactly the right moment.”

“I don’t know about you,” she says, “but when I watch something, it’s escapism. I’m feeling crappy; I’m just sad, moody, depressed, upset, angry, whatever it is. I know that distraction is what makes me get better. Distraction is what really, really helps me.” She laughs and then quickly pivots to a caveat: “I’m sure that’s not what a therapist would advise.”

It is at this point that Emilia Clarke leans in very close, her breath knocking at my sideburn, and explains to me the bombastic and devastating ending to the most important TV show of the decade.

Wow — just kidding once more. But, uh, while we’re on the topic, how is this whole thing going to end?

It was not hard to root for the Breaker of Chains, until recently. Now we’re seeing the gentle unspooling of her character, and flickers of a dangerous prophecy that she will ascend the throne only to follow in her father’s footsteps and burn it all to the ground. For a while, Daenerys seemed like the Lawful Good ruler, but we have had the great pleasure of watching how power can pervert people. (Nate Jones, at Vulture, leads a thrilling discussion of this very topic.) (Also, if Daenerys were to rule the Seven Kingdoms, only to go nuts, we might at the very least have a spinoff to look forward to.)

Clarke will never say. Throughout 10 or so years in the public eye, her interviews have been peppered with the same handful of charming personal details from her career — the service jobs she worked prior to making it, dancing the funky chicken during her Game of Thrones audition — which feels a lot like walking a vast beach and finding the same series of 10 seashells.

Then, in March, some very different treasure washed ashore when The New Yorker ran the most illuminating profile of Emilia Clarke to date. It was written by Emilia Clarke.

If I am truly being honest every minute of every day I thought I was going to die.

In it, Clarke revealed that she had suffered two near-fatal brain aneurysms during the early seasons of Game of Thrones. The first hit her mid-plank during a training session, and not long after, doctors discovered a second that required them to open her skull for a risky operation. The recovery period was, to her, more painful than the aneurysms. “If I am truly being honest,” she wrote, “every minute of every day I thought I was going to die.” She also announced her charity venture, SameYou, which seeks to provide rehabilitation for young people recovering from brain injuries.

The second time we talk, it is the day before the Game of Thrones New York premiere, and Clarke is at a morning fitting, surrounded by a coronation’s worth of gowns. It’s early, and a passing cold has fried the edges of her voice. But her words still vibrate with so much joy, it’s like she doesn’t even notice. She’s just happy to be here, wherever she is.

Source

Emilia Clarke on Why Game of Thrones Is the Perfect Form of Escapism + HQ Scans was originally published on Enchanting Emilia Clarke | Est 2012

[thedovahcat]

Wildstar: Three Curtains to Close

Until I come up with more things for all my characters to do! This isn’t goodbye! Otherwise these were just some writings I brewed up earlier this afternoon while at work. I’m sure they’ll be up to MANY many more shenanigans in no time.

Kinda takes the edge off.

____________

Roger always said the sky looked like Zzazzberry yogurt swirled around into a pink, orange and purple whirlpool of colors on the TV. And frankly, Walker was inclined to agree with him. Normally, he always had the skylot set to a sunny, clear day so the plants in the garden wouldn’t suffer too terribly to a sudden climate shift. Today however, for one reason or another, he decided to deactivate it so that they could see the real sky. And it was just as Roger described. Warm colors in multiple shades all mixed into one gradient, dotted with big puffy clouds and faint sparkling stars the higher you looked up into the darkening sky. Normally, lowering any sort of wall or barrier or defense left the botanist extremely uneasy, but he felt differently today. He felt...ok. Not great. But not terrible. Roger seemed to be enjoying it, blowing bubbles into an oncoming gust of wind every time one would pass through. Walker told him to stay close. Just incase the wind got so strong that it’d carry him right off the skylot (not that it would, but you never can be too certain.) The equivars were allowed out of their pen to eat some of the overgrown grass that had filled in all the muddy patches on the property. Roger would go over to them every so often and blow bubbles on them, getting a kick out of the whole thing every time their ears twitched at the popping soap suds. Bell would turn away pinning her ears flat while Pepper merely stood still and took it, unbothered and with a mouth full of plant matter. Walker sat on the porch, keeping a close eye on everything that boy was doing. His expression softened every so often though. That kid had come far since they first met. Scared and shivering in a corner, bunched up into a little ball in the back of the ship while Walker snapped at him and asked him why he was so strange and troublesome to deal with. And how he didn't have time, and how could Neil do this to him. He was wrong of course. Over time he learned Roger was simply Roger. And no matter how he got to be the way he was, that was it. Even just thinking about it made him cringe and then laugh nervously to himself. He'd never dream of acting like that towards him now. Never. It happened once but that was a mistake. A big mistake. Never again. Bell stamped her hoof into the dirt and gave Roger a warning grunt to stop with the bubbles. Walker looked up from his very short trance. "Roger- leave her alone. She doesn't like that!" He called out, standing up automatically, but refraining from going over there. Roger could move. He didn't need to. He kept telling himself. Roger looked over his shoulder and back at Bell before moving away from her, only to go messing with poor Pepper again. "Er- Roger? Why don't you come over here- sit with me?" Walker anxiously asked. "Oh...why? Ok I guess." The botanist breathed a sigh of relief, and Roger came bumbling on over. Jacquemont looked up from his scanning in the garden, blooping loudly before finishing up and racing over to the porch, leaving a little trail of glowing blue rings behind him. As soon as Roger saw the little bee-bot he yanked him out of the air the way he always did and plunked down right next to Walker on the porch. "Hey Walker?" "Yes?" "Why's the sun red? It's supposed to be yellow." Walker squinted and glanced off to the side where the sun was indeed setting for the evening. "..Well... there are...uhm...-" He scratched at one of his ears. "Oh you know...the sun gets tired when the day is over. So it uh, dims. And then it's night." What a lie. But Roger wouldn't ever understand nor remember why, so it didn't matter anyway. "REALLY?! Wow I'd sure be tired if I had to glow all day... and hot..." Walker chuckled quietly. "It would be hard, yes." "Hey Walker?" "Yes Roger?" "Why're we outside?" Walker shifted and turned towards him, automatically reaching over and picking the kid up and plopping him down on his knee. "You wanted to blow bubbles and bother Bell and Pepper, remember?" "I did? ...huh." Roger had no recollection. He turned his attention back down to Jacquemont, who's antenna blinked on and off a few times as he folded his little wings back against his body. "Hey, Walker?" "Yes Roger," "I think the sky looks really pretty. The sun's red though. Isn't it supposed to be yellow? Why's it turn red like that?" "The sun is very tired Roger." "Oh. Well. I'd be really tired too." "You don't seem to be so right now. Are you sleepy?" Roger shook his head. "No." "That's good." They sat there for about a minute in silence, when Walker spoke again. "You know. When dinner's ready, we have some leftover cake from Yevgeniy's wedding. Would you like so-" "CAKE? We have CAKE? We NEVER have cake!! Yes!!" Roger rocketed back onto his feet, absolutely beaming. Jacquemont got tossed into the air but managed to right himself again mid-fall. "Walker I want cake!!" He didn't care where or who it came from. He certainly didn't know anyone named Yevgeniy. (Remember more like.) "J-just a small piece. You know you can't have a lot of sugar." Walker made sure he knew that much. Still... it was a good day today. Roger could have a little piece and be all right. "Come on. Let's go inside and wash our hands." "Ok! Walker!!! We've never had cake!!" Roger bounced onto the steps and raced on ahead back into the house. "W-WIPE YOUR SHOES!!-" Ok. That part was very much so Walker's fault. He'd admit it.

____________

A long line of drool trailed out of Yaedra’s mouth as the loud stomping down below on the first floor disturbed his sleep.

Roger…

He opened his eyes, and they practically crackled like they’d been glued shut for hours. He’d been asleep all day long, judging by the time on the clock. How had that ha- oh yes. The wedding. He forgot how much he drank. Walker took him home and then they’d both passed out (after a little-)

He wanted to die. Slowly, he flopped over so that he was face up, staring at the ceiling, listening to the air conditioner kick on, making the vents rattle.

Dinner… dinner was done. He could smell it. That was what got him up on his feet again. Before he even made it out of the bedroom though he took a detour into the bathroom to brush his teeth. At least. Walker wouldn’t let him hear the end of it otherwise.

The previous evening’s events still made him feel strange, about a lot of things. He wasn’t sure why.

Mischa and that stupid janitor finally scraped up enough money for a decent yet very small, very private wedding. Yev’s mailman friend cooked a lot of food, Yaedra brought his violin with him and offered to play something at the very least. Walker came and brought Roger with him, so he certainly didn’t stay very long. The Aurin doctor Mara had come by with gifts, even though she had enough bags under her eyes to share with practically everyone. And they had been able to find a priest to make the whole thing official.

The only thing that had been missing were the masks. They were the most expensive things on the list. So much so they sacrificed going someplace nice and instead held the ceremony on Mischa’s ship’s front lawn.

The two had been so tired of waiting and saving. They had wanted to just get it over with.

Yaedra, being Yaedra, couldn’t let it go. Of course. He took it upon himself to make the masks for them, unbeknownst to them.

The first attempts were positively abysmal. And he had to pound Yev with his fists more than once to sneakily get facial measurements in whatever dents he could make. Over time and with a bit of help from an old friend, he managed to produce something decent.

Yevgeniy was given a mask that was split down the middle. One half of the face smiling brightly, the other, a powerful frown. The symbol of the theater, drama and comedy. He’d lived his whole life there prior to the Contagion. It made sense. And while he accepted the gift warily, he loved it. Mischa hesitantly accepted it and was grateful as well.

For his own son, Yaedra had no idea initially, as he’d never planned on doing anything like this. Until he remembered…

The mask he presented to Mischa was a black wolf’s mask, very similar in style to the Zmeyan Dance Troupe’s own all those years ago. A dream long forgotten.

Mischa burst into tears at the sight of it. And he wore it proudly. That much made Yaedra almost literally buzz with joy. He had been afraid that Mischa wouldn’t have liked it. But he did.

And now he was married.

….Now what.

He spit out a mouthful of toothpaste and shut the faucet off, grabbing a pair of clean pants off the rack, absolutely starving.

When he finally came downstairs (looking presentable), he paused and listened to Walker talking on a voice chat with someone off to the side.

“Please, if you can get the reports in by the morning-... well. If you cannot, that’s fine… but the sooner we have them the better.”

“I’ll.. I should have them.” Walker answered hesitantly.

“Good… good… very well. Good evening.”

Yaedra recognized that voice. It was that doctor, Walker’s boss- what’s his name’s son- the McPhearson boy-now-old-man. At least he hadn’t been harassing the botanist anymore. That was one worry they could all put behind them.

Walker sighed and set his datachron back onto the shelf and went back to the kitchen where Roger was eating his dinner. He looked up once Yaedra decided to reveal himself and smiled faintly. “Good morning.”

It was NOT morning. Not in the least. Yaedra snorted at him in greeting as he came to the island and sat himself down a chair away from Roger and his noodles.

“Did you sleep well?”

Yaedra made a so-so motion.

“I see. Well there are some noodles here if you want any… are you going out tonight?” Walker asked as he brought the captain a bowl of food.

Yaedra dug into the food immediately. When he had a mouthful, he glanced up. “I have to go to the inn today.”

Walker raised a brow. “The i- what-” Oh, that’s right. The Badaxe Inn in Algoroc. Yaedra’s friend lived there. “OH, oh. Why??”

The captain inhaled the food in record time before getting back up and taking his bowl to the sink to wash it (along with the stool.) “Some fool has said he can play better than I. I will not stand for it.” He explained, ears pinning back in annoyance.

“I was wondering why you had left your violin case down here… well uh- have...fun?” He had no idea what Yaedra was going to get up to. Scratch that- he didn’t WANT to know.

“Once I destroy the fool at his own game, drink and be merry with Mei and her family and also destroy Ranavos for good measure, I will return to you so that we may also celebrate my impending victory and also drink and ‘make merry’.”

Walker’s ears flushed bright pink in a matter of moments. “OH- uh- hh...haha ..y-yes we...we can do that.”

Roger looked back and forth between the two. Yaedra always did weird movements with his hands that Walker seemed to understand. It was strange.

Yaedra nodded in confirmation as he wiped his hands off on a dish towel, moving towards the foyer area to collect his violin. Walker came and opened the door for him before being yanked down roughly for a hard kiss.

“You remembered to brush!”

“I will be back my love.”

“Yes, Sevka, of course.”

And so Yaedra went on his way, one hand in his pocket as he marched on to the teleporter that would take him to the world below.

____________

“Anyway this tea is to DIE for Dr. McPhearson- I saved some of it for you- Razalie managed to find it somewhere at a stand all the way out there in Levian Bay- don’t know how she got it but-” Mara seemed to be in a chipper mood rather than miserably anxious and tired. She was darting back and forth, cleaning up a few things before she was to leave.

Neil ran a hand down his face, and even that much hurt to do. He glanced down at the tea, really unsure of it. But it smelled fragrant. Hopefully it wasn’t poisoned. All his medicine was laid out next to it nice and straight too.

“Riveting- you can leave now you know- this place is already as clean as it will ever be.” He hardly spent time in his apartment on the ark ship as it was. They finally docked the Gambler’s Ruin on the ground a few months ago, right outside of the now-even-more-bustling Thayd. While he missed the stars and view of space just a little, having the main XAS headquarters and staff accessible from the ground was a good thing.

Mara’s tail stood straight up and poofed out in alarm. “I mean! Haha just- tidying up a few things! I can go now though, sorry!!”

“Not to worry. See you tomorrow. Doctor.” The old man smirked as the aurin gave a sharp EEEE of excitement at the title alone. He knew how hard she worked for that. She was completely ecstatic and had been for weeks now.

Once she had gone, he peered back down at the tray in front of him with the hot tea and pills.

“Lovely dinner.” He muttered, getting up and walking over towards the viewport he had, bones aching with every step. He was lucky to have one at all actually. Most people didn’t. Something about safety.

Outside he could see the walls of the occupied Osun city, and all the people coming in and out of it. He never thought he’d ever see something like it. Something normal that was only ever really seen on TV or read in books.

With the Entity and Drusera finally being seperated and the former purged (to his knowledge anyway), the Strain was eventually wrestled into control by both factions. Much of Grimvault was burned and lost in the process, but it was already showing signs of healing, perhaps due to the large amounts of exanite in the area. Nobody really knew for certain, yet.

As for the Dominion and the Exiles? Their fighting had slowed down considerably, after large portions of their forces has been wiped out by the Eldan experiment gone mad. It was generally safer to go out and explore for everyone these days. Though, no mentions of a treaty or anything quite like it yet. Just a tense and semi-uneasy silence while both factions inevitably built up their forces yet again.

The cycle would in all likelihood, continue.

Though of course, there were always some trying to bridge the gap between them both. Neil hardly knew whether to admire them or think them to be fools.

What did it matter to some old rowsdower like him though? He wouldn’t be around for all the nonsense on the years to come anyway.

He let out a wheezing cough.

Walker had been getting worried every time he called him. Neil found it to be more than odd, considering their volatile history, but he wouldn’t say anything about it. Not now.

A picture frame sat nearby on a shelf. He went over to it, picking it up and switching it on.

“...Hm. I believe you would have absolutely adored Nexus. Without a doubt.” He spoke out loud to himself.

“If only you’d hung on just a short while longer.”

Neil knew how sick his father was at the time. Right before Dorian Walker had located the planet Nexus. They’d all been really excited about finding a home at long last. Not everyone made it of course. That was the risk. One they were forced in to.

From another room came Asclepius, hovering and making some droning sound before catching sight of Neil and quickly zipping over to him.

“Hey hey WOAH I ain’t done with ya-” Hermes shot out of the same place and rammed into the first scanbot from behind.

Neil looked over his shoulder, before wincing. Ow...neck… too fast…

“What’s up kid what’s out there?” Hermes asked, floating up to the window.

Neil sucked in a breath. “Nothing.”

Asclepius’ eye scanned around, locking onto the picture frame. “Remembering.” He said in a flat, monotone computer voice.

“Oh cool what are we remembering? Remember that one time I had my scanners activated and there had been a Dommie spy onboard an-”

“Not that.” Neil grunted, taking the frame with him back to the edge of the bed. He needed to sit down.

“Oh. Well WHAT the- ….oh. That.”

“Yes. That. Settle down already.”

“Well gee sooorrry.” Hermes rolled his entire body with the words to simulate human expression. Once the bots both settled down, they hovered on to the empty side of the bed and dropped down onto it. For once, not killing each other.

“..I miss that kid sometimes.”

“Simulating: nostalgia.”

“Yer a real fuckin’ hoot still.”

“Counter: Subject remains designated as liability.”

“Yeah well FUCK YOU too!!!!”

Neil ignored them and sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes with a hand. Everything hurt. And he was so tired. Not just from today.

So very tired.

The bots settled down again shortly afterwards, picking up on whatever was going on somehow.

“...Hey uh… so… so how’s that successor dude you got lined up?” Hermes asked.

“Fine. He’ll do well.”

“Statement: Retirement announcement scheduled in thirty-five hours, seventeen minutes and-”

Hermes spoke over Asclepius. “Yeah yeah rustbucket. And huh, guess I’ll hafta meet the new guy then. Ya gotta introduce me.”

Neil gave Hermes a side glance. Would he subject the new doctor to this… these terrors? Absolutely.

“Maybe in the morning.”

“Ahuh. Well take yer meds and get some shut eye then. Look like yer fallin’ apart.”

“Because I am.”

“Uhuh. Typical human excuse!” Hermes floated back up into the air, hovering off and back into another part of the apartment to do who knew what.

Asclepius’ three eyes fixated on Neil.

“Anomaly detected: neurological chemical imbalance. Inquiry: Do you require assistance?”

“No.”

“Acknowledged.”

Neil sighed and took the teacup and his medicine. It had little purple flowers painted on it (the cup that is.)

Two and a half more days.

The thought of retirement seemed so gross right now.

[mezhane]

JUST MARRIED (...kinda)

PART 2

-A week later-

I woke up this morning , feeling pretty nervous . I was going to meet my husband,or should I say future husband this morning,over brunch , because yes, I actually gave in to my dad and agreed to meet the guy . My dad smiled and hugged me a lot this very morning, and my mom didn’t even wait a minute to call everybody back home and tell them my marriage was settled .

I found endless joy in making my people proud and happy and even felt a hint of self accomplishment. But I quickly fell off my cloud when my dad told me who the lucky pretender was going to be .

-A week ago-

Zhang Yixing .

Zhang fucking Yixing .

My eyes widened at the sound of his name . I choked a laugh, and cleared my throat to manage to make my voice come out .

“Zhang Yixing ? From the Triad gang ? Are we talking about the same man ?” I asked my dad though I already knew the answer .

“Well yes baby, do you know another Zhang Yixing ? You know me and his father have been partners for the longest time right ? Way before you and his son were born ... Just like me , his dad is going to retire soon and let Yixing take over the leadership. He thought it would be a good idea to get him married before he becomes the leader of the gang ... So here we are ! “

I sat down, taking every piece of information my dad was giving to me . My palms were sweaty and my hands were slightly shaking.

“So, what you are trying to tell me is that we are getting married, no, that I’m marrying this guy to allow him to acquire some sort of a respectable image in front of his gang members? HE is becoming the new leader, what does this have to do with us ?” I spat at my dad’s face , trying my best to show my annoyance but staying composed at the same time .

“It’s not only that sweetie , we are really close to the Triad gang , and also business partners! This marriage wil-“

“What? So you’re trying to tell me that you’re using me as an object for you business contract renewal with the Triad ? Is that what it is all about ?” I was whispering at this point, my voice being blocked by the tears bubbling in my throat.

“No!... Yes... I mean yes and no ! My first issue is you of course ! I was worried about you being in your mid-twenties and not having a fiancé, so obviously, when Yixing’s father told me about you marrying his son, I immediately said approved ! Plus, it’s not like you don’t know Yixing, right ? You practically grew up together! You guys used to be close when you were younger! “ My dad was really trying his best to sound as cheerful as possible...

“Younger? You mean when I was the biggest tomboy ever and he would only talk to me because I was the only girl that wasn’t crazy about him and I was like his little sister?”

My dad sighed at this and sat down next to me .

“Well yeah, you were always in good terms with each other ! And aren’t you best friends with his cousin sister? It’s like you’re part of their family already!” He was smiling and I, was unconsciously smiling too.

“Marina and Yixing are two different persons, dad... I haven’t had a real conversation with Yixing in years ! I’m not even sure he remembers me like I remember him ... I mean after all the time he spent studying abroad...” I sounded nervous. Why did I sound so nervous?

“Yes. I know that, but I’m sure he remembers you the same. Don’t worry too much , okay ? “ He kissed my hand and grabbed it firmly with both of his . “So.. is that a yes pumpkin? Are you willing to meet him and discuss this marriage?”

“I guess , yeah , I’ll give it a try “ I replied feigning annoyance.

He hugged me while telling me how much he loved me and how I made the best decision of my life ...

-Present time-

So here I was now, watching myself in the mirror, trying out dresses back and forth to make sure I was gonna leave the best impression possible, checking my eye liner to see if it was even on both eyes , putting one lip colour on, taking it off , putting another on, and whatever nonsense girls do before their first date except it wasn’t a date . I was going to meet my fiancé and his parents, to talk about our arranged mariage , settled by our fathers , both leaders of two of the most influent and feared mafias in Europe . It is a whole lot to take in . And I’m not gonna lie , I am petrified.My dad came to my room to tell me we should leave. On our way to the restaurant, I kept thinking about what I should do , how I should behave,or how should I eat. My mom was sitting next to me . She might have seen the worry on my face and squeezed my hand to reassure me . We finally arrived, and as we were making our way into the restaurant, I could feel myself getting hot . I took a deep breath and thought « it’s gonna be okay Mina, he’s not a stranger , you’ve known him your whole life, relax .»

« Mina?! Is that you ? Oh wow ! You’ve gotten taller, but apart from that , your face haven’t changed a bit , huh, Babyface? »

« Babyface. My heart dropped as I heard the surname. That’s how he used to call me .Yixing. He still had that smile. The very “corporate” smile as I used to call it . He inspired respect and professionalism on all points . Everything about him was perfect. His hairstyle , the way the colour of his tie matched his socks perfectly... Hell, even the amount of shirt coming out of his jacket sleeves was just the right amount of inches ! Yixing was the incarnation of perfection alive and I suddenly felt so little and flustered about him calling me “Babyface” ... Because yes , I lied when I told my dad I didn’t have a crush on him growing up . I did . I fell for him . Hard . And somehow, this stupid crush, this attention towards the 13 year old , tomboy me that I mistook for love, never went away. It was still here somewhere inside of me . He hugged my mother, shook my father’s hand and opened his arms towards me .

“Come here ! “ He hugged me tight and and whispered in my hear. “You’re absolutely gorgeous “ . I gasped quietly and pulled away from him smiling, but never looking at him in the eyes properly. He, Yixing, thought I was gorgeous. Words cannot even describe how hard I suppressed the squeal of joy to come out of my mouth. I shook my head realizing how I was thinking. I still wasn’t over my crush on him .

Here we were again .

Fuck .