#I mean I like them they just don't seem fitting for formal dress attire!! but it's okay! all the better to hold up a three in

[vernxnsfool]

Can you write about what each member’s reaction would be to seeing someone hit on you in public pls???

Hi Anon! I'm excited as this is my first request! So thank you for the request! I am going to be doing this in order of unit, so it is less to take on at a time, I hope that is okay & that you enjoy it!

HHU Reacts: S/O getting hit on in front of them:

Seungcheol

you know he would be super protective, and outwardly at that. he might actually be a giant puppy, but he will turn into Mr. mean guy to anyone who crosses any of your boundaries.

I imagine this to happen at a formal event like a wedding or work party, so you are both dressed in formal attire. Of course, you look absolutely gorgeous and stunning and beautiful. However, it is no surprise that someone is asking you to dance.

He immediately holds his head a little higher and puffs his chest a bit more before returning to your side and smoothly snaking an arm around your waist with a kiss to the forehead, making sure to make eye contact with you to see if he needs to tell this guy off or just continue to do what he was doing.

Wonwoo

I fully imagine yall being in a bookstore, and you are waiting for him in the fantasy section as he is in the bathroom. When he comes back out, he sees you and someone else facing each other and that person handing you a book with a smile on their face.

he is immediately walking towards you, hoping not to seem too overbearing. once he is finally in earshot, he can hear the person say something to the extent of

"You are exactly what I imagined the lead in this book to look like, strong and beautiful." wonwoo scoffs at the sound of this person's attempt at getting your number.

"Thank you," he hears you respond, but can see how tense you are even from behind you, so he clears his throat to get the attention of the both of you. The sight of your shoulders relaxing brings him peace but doesn't stop him from placing a hand on your hip as you turn to face him.

The person hitting on you seems to get the message, and once he leaves wonwoo can't help but see who the person was comparing you to, and once he reads the title of the book, he cant help but laugh, and it seems that you had been holding in your fit of laughter as to the protagonist of the book you were being compared to.

mingyu

jealous boy. unless it was a situation that caused you to be uncomfortable, he would proceed to be jealous that you were getting attention from other people.

"what's wrong gyu?"

"why don't you ask your new partner hm?" he would retort, sparing a small gesture to the person who was definitely flirting with you earlier.

"oh, I see now." you would start, trying to make eye contact. "you're jealous."

"i am not jealous." he'd scoff

"oh okay, I can go and talk to them again...."

"wait no." he would give you puppy eyes, and you couldn't help but give him heart

vernon

I feel like vernon's reactions would vary very broadly depending on the situation. especially depending on if you were uncomfortable or not. if you seemed comfortable, or as comfortable as one can be when a stranger is hitting on them, then he would just come to stand beside you, not using any pda, as that was not something that either of you were into, but just providing his presence there to make sure you knew he was there for you. in this situation i don't think he would give much of a reaction unless the pick-up line was super cringy, in which case he would wait until the person was gone and then you two would try to control your fits of laughter.

on the other hand, if you seemed uncomfortable, then he would quite literally remove you from the situation. I see vernon as the silent mad type, so I feel like he would take your hand and direct you to a secluded area/to your car (depending on where you are) and would check to see if you're okay, and would only be half joking when asking you if you wanted him to beat the guy up.

back to masterlist

[llynwen]

Oh don't worry about the ask getting eaten, tumblr has killed 2 of my blogs in the last damn month this website is held together through sheer collective willpower. Soooooo about hoodie-stealing gf Rust: something about his clothes seemed weird to me when they went to Carcosa, and during a rewatch I realized that crisp white shirt is rather too big for him. He threw out all his 'professional' attire years ago when he quit being a cop but something about this work--not the job of police officer, I mean the work of seeking justice for the innocent--demands a certain ceremonial importance in what he wears. And rather than go buy a shirt he seems to have raided Marty's closet like he did in 95. Thoughts???

Hi! First of all I am so so very sorry for how long it’s taken me to answer this and also for the. Let's call them technical difficulties. I actually have soooo many thoughts about the costumes on this show. 

Let's start with the shirts. Every time we see rusty wear a dress shirt in 2012 it is slightly too big. Now, I totally agree with your take about him having thrown away all of his work clothes before the move. I don’t think he cares about appearances all that much anymore (I mean. As much as I adore the hair, it is not very professional). I like to think he only dresses up when they go to question people to fit into the part of a PI, to be more believable. 

As far as I know he wears two different shirts in episode 7

and one in 8

In both of these they are kinda loose on him, the waist is tucked in but it’s all bunched up in the back, even the collars seem a bit too wide. 

I also love this fit

At first glance I was convinced these were the same suits, but they are not, though they are eerily similar. The jacket looks too big for rusty, too, and maybe a bit tight on marty. I really want to believe that rust is wearing marty’s hand me downs the entire time.

All this thinking about the clothes had me looking at other outfits we see throughout the show, and what I noticed were the flannels. Prior to 2012, we almost exclusively see rust in formal wear. He wears work clothes seemingly 24/7. He will occasionally take his shirt off and run around in the famous wifebeater, but even that is just a stripped down version of his work clothes. He mows the lawn dressed like that. Even during The Event with maggie he is still in his work clothes, even though he just got suspended and has been drinking for hours.

There are very few exceptions of him wearing something different. If we ignore crash, prior to 2012 we see him out of his work clothes exactly twice.

First time is when he talks to maggie at the diner. He’s wearing a blue flannel in this scene, and I was like, this shirt looks familiar. Then I had me a closer looksie, and lo and behold, i found this.

Again, for a second I was sure it was the same damn shirt. It isn't, but it's close. Both of them wear a blue flannel when they go to talk to maggie, which is very interesting to me. Additionally, since we've established that rusty doesn't own any casual clothes, I think it is fair to assume the flannel he is wearing at the diner is actually marty’s. This isn't so far fetched, since at the time marty is staying at rust’s house, so they probably have a shared laundry pile.

The other time we see rust wear a flannel is during the parking lot fight. I don't think marty wears anything similar at any point (but if I'm wrong please come let me know), but it is definitely something he would wear.

The parking lot fight takes place the morning after The Event, we know that rust is not in the best of mindsets. 

(I actually think he came over to the station that day precisely because of what happened the night before. I don't think he came to pick up his things, since we know he had all the files at his apartment, and I don't believe him to be the kind of man that keeps personal belongings at his desk. No, I think he went there to punish himself. He knew that marty would react badly, and he knew he would probably attempt to beat him up. This could be why rust doesn't really fight back, and lets marty tackle him and land a few good punches.) 

The shirt he wears could be something that marty left behind. I think he might have worn it as a kind of armor, something with positive emotions attached to it. He knows that marty and him are done, no going back, so he wraps himself in the comfort of their friendship. 

If you have any other observations, please let me know! I’ll have another look at the clothes during my next rewatch, but I’m sure I'll miss something anyways, this show is so jam packed with detail. Thank you again for sending me this ask!

Let me leave you with this, though.

Why is rusty’s ass wet in carcosa? If he was just sweaty, wouldn't his shirt be wet too? Did he piss himself? What is going on. 

Love you bestie xx

[bookwyrminspiration]

Okay, actually, all the feminine clothing sucks. They have absolutely no reason to wear so many layers. Why are they wearing leggings all the time? They don’t have air conditioning, presumably the temperature between rooms is consistent. And they spend a bunch of time outdoors. The girls also almost always have a jacket or some sort of over layer on in art? They don’t wear sun glass or veils or anything that darkens their view, which is extremely needed considering their entire society is built around as much light as possible. They wear their hair down. Again, it’s warm everywhere, keratin (because presumably their hair is made of keratin) makes your neck freaking sweaty.

Also, all their clothes are so plain? Why? They presumably have lots of leisure time and enjoy pretty thing, get yet embroidery is minimal? They wear jewels sewn onto their clothes I believe ? Which isn’t practical? They don’t seem to wear anything under layers except a skin layer and maybe a fabric skirt support? Do the jewels not make the fabric warp and sag?

How does anything get washed because they don’t have washing machines, and their formal stuff is ballgowns? Do they wear linen next to their skin to prevent washing? Where is the material for the clothes coming from? How is their clothing woven? How is it dyed? Who sews the clothing? How can you just buy dozens of dresses casually? Why do the dresses fit?

Why are they not wearing as little clothing as possible to get as much sun?

(Sorry for the rambling, nothing about their clothing makes sense)

No no, I like rambles! I think its Like That because the target audience is 8-12, but that doesn't mean it's the best choice. Can you recall any moment when a character wore shorts or had exposed legs at all? All I can think of are Fitz's running shorts that once in Nightfall, and maybe the deleted swimming scene in Neverseen. Like why do they need 100% covered legs 100% of the time, 8-12 years olds also wear shorts and skirts without leggings under them. Sometimes their calves show. Quite frequently actually. It's so odd.

So its not made to match their world, but to fit with our world. Being careful about how they dress 12-16 year olds. To the point that it's unrealistic. Sure, some 12 year old only wear leggings, but a whole society like that?

The feminine' clothing's definitely worse (in my opinion), though I dislike all of it. I could understand it more if it was decorated! Though full disclaimer, that may be more the art itself than what was described in the series; but, to me, it doesn't seem like much of it is too fancy even in canon? Unless you count jewels sewn in as fancy--which it can be! But it's all they do, and there doesn't seem to be any pattern or artistry to it? It's just "jewel encrusted" like what does that MEAN give me MORE

I think the answer to "how is it washed?" "who makes it?" "where do the materials come from?" and all that is probably: the gnomes. The elves really are completely reliant on their species. Except for the dresses fitting, which can be answered with plot convenience.

Realistically, elves lives in all sorts of different climates. I'd expect a range of styles to represent that--or, since they have rapid world wide transit, for their clothing to be very layered/easily added to or subtracted from or altered to suit whatever environment they're going to. Though I do very much like the detail about them wearing little to absorb the light--in that case, I'd fit right in. And I'd also expect that the jewels on their clothing would be more elaborate than just "encrusted", it feels cheap

Overall, I think it's because of the intended audience. Though whether or not their attire appeals to 11 yos I don't know. But the modesty I can understand, even if I think it's taken a step too far (they deserve shorts, skirts and dresses without leggings beneath them goddamnit). it's soft world-building, which is fine, I just prefer rigid worldbuilding. and this particular gripe is exacerbated because the clothing is actively hostile to my personal likes and needs

[pangolinheart]

I’m partially using this as an excuse to let out these ideas that have been pinging around my brain

I tend to keep certain things in mind when coming with outfits/glams for my characters, so this is all just nonsense about what fashion tastes I assign to them

Tyr is more understated. He doesn’t like calling attention to himself and it’s reflected in what he wears. Casually I put him in something more for fitted but not revealing or just what I feel like is the fantasy fashion equivalent of a nice t shirt. The shirt I tend to doodle him in is deadass just a rip of that shirt from the Netflix witcher where Geralt is fishing around in the lake. The dalmascan top is more of a workout shirt/ “it’s really hot out here but I don’t want to be bare chested” top.His armor got a little more ornate as he’s gotten through expacs, but I still try to keep it simple and with more plate than fabric.

The operative word for Monroe is loose. Point shirts, long jackets, that sort of thing. She gets more accessories/ jewelry. I tend to giver her silver/black more than gold since she’s got a lot of warm tones going on already and silver and a colder black/gray stands out more. More willing to show skin than Tyr, mostly in the chest area than anywhere else. She’s predominantly ranged so there’s not much difference between casual and armor.

Both of them lean more masculine for fashion, so skirts/ dresses are not really in their usual attires/ in their comfort.

Freya is the most feminine. She wears mostly skirts/dresses. She not like opposed to pants, but it’s more of “if there’s no other choice” option. Also has a preference for loose. I would describe her taste as cottagecore/elegant. I personally don’t dress in her degree of feminine so it’s a little harder to pick out for me.

Kuzhuk is the least caring about his fashion. All he wants is for it to fit and not be restrictive. He doesn’t wear a shirt or many accessories. Not opposed to skirts, he just doesn’t think about them much.

Oooooh I love fashion analysis!! Poor Tyr already stands out in Eorzea, so I'm sure he doesn't need to attract more attention by being a flashy dresser. Tyr definitely feels like, in a more modern setting, he would be a "Jeans and a T-shirt" guy - in a good way. (Though horns might make putting on a t-shirt problematic...) I think the shirt you mentioned is a good fantasy equivalent - and it seems like it clasps or button or laces or something to make it easier to put on.

There are a pretty good number of secondary and tertiary characters in FFXIV that are always seen wearing armor or otherwise uncomfortable formal clothing that they probably don't wear all the time, and I semi-regularly wonder what they wear in their free time when they're not wearing armor or a uniform....

Monroe has good taste I looove some of the long jackets in FFXIV. The fact that a lot of her accessories are silver is an interesting choice! I feel like some people might go with gold because it's closer to the warm tones in her color scheme, but I like the way the silver pops. I've also always liked all of Monroe's piercings. Long Viera ears means there are soooo many possibilities for piercings!

Freya definitely looks like she could pull off flowy, drape-y, feminine dresses dresses and skirts! (She's lucky she's a viera and therefore tall lol). The options in-game for actual dresses is a little limited, but I can envision it very well nonetheless.

Kuzhuk is valid for never wanting to wear a shirt. Hopefully he doesn't get sunburned.... Sunburn is also something I think about a lot in-game/in fantasy settings in general. Probably because I'm the type of person who gets a sunburn if they so much as glance at the sun through a window. It's bad enough that when I was in elementary school some other kids started a rumor that i was a vampire because if I spent too much time in the sun at recess i would get a sun poisoning rash... Kuzhuk seems like he's probably better equipped to deal with it, though!

[gyuyoungarchives]

💬 JTBC Newsroom Interview for Celebrity with Anchor Kang Jiyoung (Transcript Highlights)

[Anchor]

We have invited actor Park Gyuyoung, who has truly become a global celebrity with the drama 'Celebrity,' but who actually wants to become a simple and modest person. Hello. Nice to meet you.

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: Hello, I'm Park Gyuyoung.]

[Anchor]

I've been watching Seo Ari for a while now, and I've gotten used to the short haircut. Has your hair grown a bit?

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: Actually, it's been well over a year since we filmed 'Celebrity,' so my hair has grown a bit in that time. It's longer than it was back then.]

[Anchor]

The short haircut really suited you well. Today, we'd like to ask you some questions with a hashtag: #SoloLeadingRole After 7 years since your debut as a lead actor, this is your first solo leading role, which must have come with a lot of pressure and meaning. From what you've said, it seems like this project was a challenge in itself.

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: Yes, that's right. I did feel a sense of responsibility and a lot of pressure. Throughout the filming, I focused a lot. But now that the results are out, the director is also very pleased, and when I see those aspects, it's quite fulfilling. Personally, having my face on the poster this prominently is something I find exciting.]

[Anchor]

Actually, since it's gaining global popularity, the comments are not just in Korean anymore.

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: The reactions come in various languages, which is quite fascinating. So sometimes, I use translation tools to read them, to be honest.]

[Anchor]

It must be really heartwarming, these kinds of reactions.

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: Yes, I'm very grateful.]

[Anchor]

Were there any comments or reactions that left the most impression on you?

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: Well, the character Seo Ari showcases a wide range of styles. I feel really good when I receive positive feedback about those aspects. Like when people say, "This outfit looked so beautiful, I want to wear something like this," those comments are very memorable.]

[Anchor]

Are you generally not very interested in dressing up like this in your daily life?

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: I wouldn't say I don't like it, but if you saw me on the street, you probably wouldn't recognize me. That's because I usually go for very comfortable attire...]

[Anchor]

Did you insist on this chic and comfortable style for today's styling as well?

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: I decided to go for a clean and somewhat formal attire, tied my hair neatly like this.]

[Anchor]

That's how you came. If you were to define today's outfit in one word with a hashtag, what would it be?

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: I think it could be 'effortless chic.']

[Anchor]

'Effortless chic' sounds fitting. You've given a clever hashtag response. Now, let's move on to a question related to social media. Since the drama depicts the lives of social media influencers, who are closely connected to our daily lives, I assume there are many relatable aspects in the story.

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: There's a part where we say, 'We live in a world where we express ourselves.' My view that social media is a choice in how you portray yourself hasn't changed.]

[Anchor]

You mentioned that one of the most challenging scenes to shoot was the one where you read hate comments directly.

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: In reality, there are parts I might overlook and parts I would acknowledge and accept, but as a character, I've never faced such extreme hate comments head-on like that. So, shooting those scenes was truly not easy.]

[Anchor]

There have been articles about your involvement in the highly anticipated 'Squid Game Season 2.' I saw an article mentioning that you started filming in early July. Are you currently filming for it?

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: It's a bit difficult to provide specifics, but I'm having a great time filming. The staff and production team seem to have a tremendous sense of responsibility and passion, so I'll do my best to show them a good performance in line with their enthusiasm and commitment.]

[Anchor]

You're working tirelessly, and I'm curious about what keeps you going. It must be challenging both physically and mentally.

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: I'm learning a lot not only as an actor but also as a person, as Park Gyuyoung. Through these experiences, there's a sense of accomplishment and motivation to keep going. I think it's this continuous drive to do better next time with what I've learned.]

[Anchor]

I have this feeling that you're like a blank canvas, and any character you portray shines brightly. What are your thoughts on that?

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: The most common feedback I receive is that people didn't realize this character was (played by) the same person from my previous work.]

[Anchor]

That's right, many didn't recognize it was the same actor.

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: Yes, personally, I consider that a tremendous blessing as an actor. I'm very thankful for it, and I hope you look forward to how I'll showcase my transformations in the future.]

[Anchor]

So, we're looking forward to your next project even though you feel a bit shy about it.

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: I am a bit shy.]

[Anchor]

But when you act, you transform confidently, right?

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: When I act, I feel less shy and less embarrassed. It makes me think, "I really love doing this."]

[Anchor]

Is there a character you'd like to challenge yourself with?

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: Characters that show a strong presence in different genres are fascinating. Just a character who feels like a real person, someone who lives in a particular space. I really want to try playing a character like that.]

[Anchor]

That seems to align with your desire to be like a modest and simple flower. It's very fitting.

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: As a person, not just as an actor, I don't really see myself as someone with a flashy or significant impact. I want to be someone who leaves a calm and comfortable impression. That's why I started thinking of the word "flower" in that context.]

[Anchor]

What hashtag do you think would be suitable to accompany actor Park Gyuyoung?

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: I think it would be '#Passion.']

[Anchor]

'#Passion.'

[Park Gyuyoung/Actor: In truth, inner passion never fades. So, I hope to always have that inner passion, regardless of the responsibilities, harshness towards oneself in the profession, and various other things that may arise.]

[Anchor]

I'll support your journey to become an actor who fits well with any canvas and landscape in any project, and I hope you continue to be a passionate actor. Thank you for today's interview.

Full Article: https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/437/0000354298

as Seo Ari in Celebrity, 2023

[zephyr-together]

I’m sorry if this is a popular image that everyone’s already seen but in case that is not the case and I’m not the only one who hasn’t seen it until now...look at everyone’s spiffy outfits...but where are we going... 

[sezja]

Previously

"Next year," Melody says, coming to stand beside Sanson as he watches Guydelot entertain little Maddie. "Next year, we shall have to see to it that your bard is dressed properly for a seneschal for Little Ladies' Day. I understand this year the duty was thrust upon him, but-"

"Best of luck to you." Sanson, wearing his dress uniform (as he had no other formal wear to don at a moment's notice), is far less troubled by Guydelot's casual attire than his sister - and Maddie certainly doesn't seem to care. The little girl squeals with glee as Guydelot sweeps her up onto his shoulders, towering above the rest of the crowd. "I expect trying to get Guydelot into a suit will be much like trying to dress a cat."

Melody huffs, planting her hands on her hips. "Then-"

"If you mean to forbid his attendance, you will first have to convince her." Sanson nods toward the cheering little girl on Guydelot's shoulders, where she's preoccupied by snatching pink flower petals out of the air and planting them in the Elezen's hair. "I believe she's already attached."

"He's surprisingly good with her." Thoughtfully, Melody leans against one of the cherry blossom trees transplanted for the holiday. The light filtering through the petals paints her in pink, making her look softer... at least until her gaze sharpens, landing squarely on Sanson. "He'd make a good father, I believe."

Caught off-guard, Sanson sputters. "What-"

"As would you, could you tear yourself away from duty long enough."

"I don't-"

"Have you not thought about it?" She smiles, looking back at Guydelot and Maddie, who are now singing a nursery rhyme, along with several other nearby little girls. A charming cacophony arises, with Maddie at its center on her high perch.

Despite himself, Sanson smiles at the sight, at the sound. "Melody, we've not even been together a year."

"Ah, but nine moons? Ten?" She shrugs. "'Tis your longest relationship to date, and I believe that's not mere happenstance."

"Still altogether too early to be discussing children."

His sister's eyes grow huge. "Sanson. Did you truly tumble into bed with a man without discussing your plans for the future, what you wanted out of a relationship, whether you wanted a family, how you meant to grow your lives together-"

"Not all of us found our sweethearts before we'd lost our baby teeth," Sanson replies testily, feeling his face heating. Gods, there are people around. "We'll have the necessary conversations in due time-"

"What conversations're those?" Swinging Maddie down from his shoulders (much to her vocal disappointment), Guydelot joins them. He plants a kiss on Maddie's forehead before passing the girl to her mother; Melody plants Maddie squarely on her hip, though she's growing too big for it. "Well? What conversations?"

"I-"

"I was just telling Sonny what excellent fathers you would make," Melody replies.

Sanson is almost gratified by the shade of spectre-white the Elezen's face becomes. He fights the urge to laugh. "And as I was saying, it's altogether too early to speak of such things. Besides," he adds, as the color begins to return to Guydelot's face, "We have our duty to think of, and we'll too often be afield. It would be unfair to a child, even were we inclined to parenthood."

"Aye," Guydelot replies, shaking his head. "Aye, and I reckon little Maddie and the others-" Sanson's other nephews, too young yet to be amused by a bard. "-Aren't too keen to share, eh?"

Happy to help, Maddie nods. "I'm the princess," she informs them.

"And we remain your devoted seneschals," Guydelot replies, sweeping her an over-the-top bow that has her in fits of giggles.

Melody watches the exchange with raised eyebrows and a small smile. "Very well," she relents. "You win this round. But remember: I told you so."

[gra-sonas]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes Characters: Alex Manes, Michael Guerin Additional Tags: Canon Disabled Character, Dogs

Summary:

Alex's face softens. "I know you're careful. Sorry, it's just hard not to worry. But back again to my initial question. Do you know what today is?”

"I don't know, Alex. It's February 13th, so I didn't forget Valentine's Day or something. We ruled out the thing at Isobel's, and it's still Saturday. No matter how much I'm wrecking my brain, I can't think of anything else. Please tell me I didn't forget anything important." 

"No, you didn't, no worries. I'll put you out of your misery. What do you think about taking a short trip across town?"

This is my contribution for day 3 of @malex-cupid. 3.3K of fluffy Malex.

Dialogue prompt: “Do you know what today is?”

-------------

 “Do you know what today is?”

Michael pretends to think about the answer before he says "Saturday."

Alex rolls his eyes. "Smartass."

Michael smirks. "Takes one to know one."

Alex smirks back. "I'm badass," he says.

Michael laughs. "True."

"Come on, Michael, try again. What day is today?"

Michael groans. "It's that stupid thing Isobel roped us into attending, isn't it? I thought it was next weekend."

"That one is next weekend. Which reminds me, we have to get our suits from the cleaners." Alex pulls a face. He hates wearing formal attire, especially ties. But Isobel would have their heads if they didn't dress up for her fancy party.

"We'll get through it together, and any chance we get, we'll hide in one of Isobel's guest rooms, and I'll suck you off." Michael waggles his eyebrows suggestively. He looks ridiculous, but it makes Alex laugh.

"If she catches us, we won't live to see another day," he points out.

"Well, I'll have to be fast then. It's unfortunate that she also can pick locks with her brain these days."

"You're not going to suck me off in two minutes, if anything I'll claim that my stump's hurting and we can go home early, where we'll take our sweet time sucking each other off."

Michael looks worried. "Has your stump given you any trouble lately? Should I take a look at the prothesis?"

Alex smiles. "No, Michael. It fits perfectly, and for some reason it even adjusts to the occasional swelling? I have no idea how you engineered it, but it almost feels as if the prosthetic becomes a part of me when I put it on. It's incredible, and it has given me that much more quality of life." He leans closer and kisses Michael, soft and sweet. Michael beams.

"I'm so glad. The material is so cool, I'm glad that I decided to give it a try, and now that I no longer need to rebuild a working console, I want to find out what other useful things I can build using it."

"As long as you are careful and—," Alex starts.

"Yes, I know," Michael interrupts him. "No worries, I've been paranoid about hiding who and what I am my entire conscious life on this planet. I won't risk it now just to brag about an invention that includes alien tech."

Alex's face softens. "I know you're careful. Sorry, it's just hard not to worry. But back again to my initial question. Do you know what today is?”

"I don't know, Alex. It's February 13th, so I didn't forget Valentine's Day or something. We ruled out the thing at Isobel's, and it's still Saturday. No matter how much I'm wrecking my brain, I can't think of anything else. Please tell me I didn't forget anything important." 

"No, you didn't, no worries. I'll put you out of your misery. What do you think about taking a short trip across town?"

Michael nods. "Sure, I have no other plans for today. Can we drive past the Crashdown to pick up some coffee?"

Alex looks at his watch. "If we call from the car and ask whether Javier could bring our order to the curb, we can do that. But we have to leave now. We have an appointment at eleven."

Michael pulls Alex up from the couch. "Okay, let's go. I'm really curious what you're up to!"

They call the Crashdown from the car and Arturo himself stands at the curb to hand them coffee and a box with heart shaped cookies through the window. Michael tips him generously, and then they're on their way again.

When they pull up outside of a red building fifteen minutes later, Michael's eyes widen.

"Alex, this is the animal shelter. What are we doing here?"

Alex turns around in his seat to face Michael. "Well, I thought we could go inside and look at all the rescue dogs in there, and if we like one, and the dog likes us, that we should take them home for a trial run. What do you think?"

Michael's eyes are wet. "Alex. This is—perfect. So much better than some kitschy Valentine's gift. Don't get me wrong, any gift from you would be amazing, but a dog, Alex. A dog! We've talked about this so often. Why now?"

Alex's smile softens. "Because we talked about it so often. It's pretty obvious how much you want a dog, and honestly, I want one, too. My therapist has talked about a therapy dog in the past, but I think a dog that's ours is even better. It can either stay with me while you're working, or come with you to the junkyard when I'm meeting clients. And if push comes to shove, we have a large yard where the dog can stay on its own for a couple of hours."

Michael flings himself across the car's middle console and pulls Alex into a fierce hug. "Thank you, Alex. Best pre-Valentine's gift ever."

Alex smiles into Michael's shoulder. "Come, let's go inside, I have a feeling we'll meet a very special someone in there today."

They enter the shelter, and a young woman shows them the way to the large backyard behind the building. Three different agility courses are set up, and there's a pool where three dogs are playing with an old football, splashing in and out of the water.

"This is what heaven must look like," Michael says, and the awe in his voice tells Alex that coming here was an excellent decision. He's counting at least twenty different dogs of various sizes, and they all seem happy and excited. He turns to the young woman.

"So, how are we going to do this, Janet. Are we supposed to sit down and wait until a dog approaches, or should we throw a ball or something?"

Janet points at a bench that's set up under a large tree. "If you want to take a seat, I'll get a basket with some toys for you to use and play with the dogs." She leaves, and Michael leads Alex over to the bench where they sit down.

Most of the dogs have stopped playing and running around, they are looking at Alex and Michael instead. Michael takes Alex's hand. "I'm nervous."

Alex squeezes his hand. "I don't think they are dangerous, relax, Michael," he soothes.

Michael laughs. "Not what I mean. I'm nervous because I know one of them's going to be ours, and I want to make a good impression."

Five dogs are brave enough to come closer, their tails wagging. Michael holds his hand out for them, and once the brave dogs are close enough, they start sniffing and licking Michael's fingers. After that it's just one large furry puppy pile with Alex and Michael in the middle, and more dogs joining. They pet as many dogs as they can reach, always careful to read the body language of each of them. But they are all very friendly and excited to meet them.

Janet returns, a large basket filled with various toys in her arms. Some of the dogs start barking happily, apparently, they know what the basket means. Janet sets it down in front of the two men. "Many of our dogs love to play fetch, you can also go over to the agility courses and see what each of the dogs can do."

Michael picks up the basket. "Thanks, Janet, I think I'll go over and play with the dogs. Do you want to come with me, Alex?"

"I'm actually good right here for another moment, thanks. Maybe I'll come over to you later."

Michael smiles at Alex and gives him a kiss. "Okay, love you."

Michael squeezes Michael's arm. "Love you, too. Have fun!"

Michael walks over to one of the agility courses, basket in hand. And like he's the Pied Piper, most of the dogs follow him, yipping excitedly.

Janet turns to Alex. "I'll leave you to it. If you have any questions, I'll be inside."

"Thank you, Janet, I appreciate it." She turns around and walks back to the house, and Alex focuses his full attention on Michael. He's started to throw balls in different directions (no doubt giving some of them a little extra spin with his telekinesis, but there's no one around, so Alex relaxes and enjoys watching Michael having the time of his life).

There's one dog in particular, that seems to have the largest heart eyes around Michael. It doesn't run after any balls Michael's throwing, instead he picks up a plushie from the basked and carefully places it in Michael's outstretched hand. Michael pats the dog's head and tells him what a good boy he is. Alex smiles. 

The dog is gorgeous, a little taller than a German Shepard, dark fur and a tail that's wagging a million miles a minute. Alex can picture himself and Michael with the dog in front of the fire. Not a lapdog exactly, but he doesn't mind.

A minute later, the dog leaves Michael's side and while Michael's busy getting acquainted with some of the other dogs, Alex's eyes follow the black dog. He walks over to a sunny spot near the pool, where smaller dog's curled up in the grass, seemingly uninterested in playing with Michael.

Going by the fur marking's, Alex thinks it could be a beagle. He smiles, remembering Mimi's "prophecy". The black dog noses at the beagle's ears and licks them, then he nudges the dog as if to say, "come with me".

It takes another few nudges before the dog gets up (and yes, it's definitely a beagle, an older one by the looks of it), and follows its black brother over to Michael.

When Michael notices the duo, he stops throwing balls and kneels down. "Oh, do you want me to meet your friend? Hello sweetheart." He scratches the beagle behind the ears and the dog almost goes cross-eyed with pleasure. The black dog wiggles closer and buries his nose in Michael's half-open shirt.

Michael looks over to Alex, and Alex smiles. "Guess we're not just picking up one dog, huh?"

"Would that be okay? They seem to be friends, and I couldn't stand to leave one behind, especially since this little lady seems to be a bit older. Do you think we can handle two dogs?"

Alex gets up from the bench and walks over, and the moment he reaches Michael, they look up at him and start nosing at his feet and legs. When they are finished sniffing at him, they look at him with huge puppy eyes. 

"Oh, you two, this isn't fair." He kneels down carefully, holding on to Michael's shoulder for balance. The moment he feels stable, he has his arm full of two dogs, one large black one, and a smaller beagle. 

They lick his face and almost barrel him over in their excitement, if it wasn't for Michael's steadying hand (and a smidge of telekinesis) at his back. "Thanks," he manages to get out between increasingly wet and enthusiastic doggy kisses.

Michael chuckles. "Guess these two have made their decision. Now it's up to us. Can we, and do we want to adopt two dogs? I know we've talked about a dog, and this morning I didn't even know we'd get one. And now there are these two. What do you think?"

Alex smiles. "You know, we have a big house, an even bigger garden, I don't see why we shouldn't adopt both. They insist on a two week trial anyway, so why don't we take these two sweethearts home with us and see how it goes?"

Michael manages to place a smacking kiss on Alex's cheek without them tumbling over, then he helps Alex stand up. The two dogs stay close to them and follow them back to the house.

They find Janet at the reception desk. She looks up when she hears them approach.

"Oh, that went quick. Did you meet a dog you like?"

Alex realizes that she can't see the two dogs at their feet from her position. "Actually, we met two dogs."

"Two?" Janet stands up and looks down. "Oh, I see. These are Buffy and Lando. They met here and it was love at first sight. They are pretty much inseparable, and since she's basically a senior dog, we'd rather not separate them, I'm sorry."

Alex shakes his head. "There's no need to separate them, we'd like to take both home with us for the trial period. You know, they picked us, and now it's our turn to pick them, and see whether we're a good match."

Janet's smile gets excited. "That's wonderful to hear. They've been here for a while, and the fact that we don't want to separate them has prevented their adoption so far. If you'd like to take them for a short walk, I need about twenty minutes to get all the papers ready. Leashes are over there by the door."

They return from their walk half an hour later, relaxed and smiling. Neither dog's wearing a leash anymore. When Michael notices Janet's look, he says, "She wouldn't leave our side, and he wouldn't leave hers, there really was no point in keeping the leashes on."

Janet nods and hands them a clipboard with several sheets of paper, yellow post-its marking the spaces where they need to sign. Alex grabs the clipboard and takes a seat at a nearby table, while Michael looks at the wall opposite of the reception, where several dozens of photos are pinned to a large cork board. Happy new pet owners with their adopted pets. He can't wait to add their photo to the wall.

Once all the papers are signed, Janet gets two large bags from a nearby storage room and hands them to Michael. "The bags contain bowls, leashes, and dog beds. We don't expect you to buy everything before it isn't clear that you'll adopt the dogs."

Michael nods. "Do they have favorite toys or blankets we should take with us?"

"No, they usually play with the toys we provide. I can put a few tennis balls into one of the bags if you want," Janet offers.

Alex shakes his head. "That won't be necessary. I—uhm, I actually may have bought some toys. And a box of tennis balls." His smile is a little sheepish, but Michael isn't having any of it. "You are brilliant, and I love you." He smacks a kiss on Alex's cheek.

"Alright, you've got my number, in case there are any issues, please don't hesitate to call. If everything goes according to plan, I'll see you in three days for the first mandatory visit."

They smile at her, bid their goodbyes, and when leave, their two new canine family members follow them unprompted.

"I have a really good feeling about this," Alex says once they are back in the car, both dogs comfortably snuggled up on the back seat.

"Me too," Michael admits. "You've made me a very happy man today, Alex. Truly the best pre-Valentine's gift ever." Alex laughs. "It's not just a gift for you, Michael, I'm also a very happy man today. I'm very excited that we're taking this next step." He looks back at the two sleeping dogs. "It already feels like they're part of the family."

On their way home, they stop at the pet store, and pay an obscene amount of money for dog food, bowls, leashes, harnesses, the most comfortable supersized dog bed (suspecting the dogs would rather share then sleep in two separate beds), and way too many toys. They don't care that this is only a trial, they know that Buffy and Lando are meant to stay with them.

When they get home and set everything up, the dogs immediately curl up in the large dog bed together, completely ignoring the two separate beds they put up to give them a choice. 

"We already know them so well," Michael says proudly, clinking his glass with Alex's. There's a fire burning in the fireplace, and they're sharing a bottle of red wine that goes well with the pizza they've ordered.

The dogs are snoring, and Alex's and Michael's hearts are full.

Michael goes on a quick walk with the dogs while Alex gets ready for bed. They're trying to keep the dogs out of their bedroom, but it's not happening. Lando drags in the dog bed in before they can close the door, and while they'll have to set boundaries eventually (because there are things they'd like to do in their bedroom without an audience), they won't start tonight.

They place the dog bed at the foot of their bed, and the dogs curl up together. "Uhm, we'll get to that eventually, I guess," Michael says, but then he lets himself being pulled into Alex's arms and they fall asleep within minutes.

It's a quiet night, and when they wake up in the morning, the dogs are already up to drink water in the kitchen. Alex and Michael exchange lazy kisses, until Michael wiggles out of Alex's embrace. "I'll take them out for a couple of minutes, that should do until we can go for a real walk after breakfast."

Alex gets up to pee, then makes a beeline for the kitchen to make coffee before he returns to their bedroom. He snuggles up under the covers, when he hears the front door open and shut, which means that Michael's back.

The dogs enter the bedroom first, and Lando walks up to Alex's side of the bed. He gets up on his hind legs and puts his front paws on the bedframe, like he's extra careful not to step on the mattress.

"Good morning, handsome. You are such a good boy, Lando," Alex croons and pats Lando's head. When he sees something gleam in the sunlight filtering through the blinds, he reaches for Lando's collar. There's a ring attached to it. A ring with an iridescent piece of an alien spaceship console embedded. 

Alex blinks back tears and tries to remove the ring from Lando's collar, when Michael drops on one knee next to the bed. His eyes look a bit wet, too.

"Alex Manes. You're not only the man of my dreams, you're the man of my life. We've been through so much, and I love you more than should be humanly – or alien-ly – possible. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Alex can't stop the tears from falling now, but he nods and reaches for Michael. They kiss and hug, and Michael helps Alex to remove the ring from Lando's collar. When Michael puts the ring on Alex's finger, it fits like a glove.

"Michael, the ring is extraordinary, thank you so much. I can't wait to marry you." They kiss again, but before Michael can get up from the floor, Alex pulls a thin silver chain out from under his pajama top he only put on a few minutes ago when he was in the bathroom. There's a ring attached to it. He opens the clasp and lets the ring fall into his open hand. Then he shows it to Michael. 

"Adopting a dog with you was only meant to be a first step, I'd been meaning to propose to you on Valentine's Day, though. I just love you so much, more than anything or anyone, and I want to share my life with you. Forever. Marry me?"

"Yes!" Michael's reply is short, but he barely waits for Alex to put the ring on his finger (it also fits perfectly), before he gets up and lets himself being pulled into Alex's outstretched arms. They laugh and kiss and tumble all over the bed, and Buffy and Lando start barking. Soon enough they manage to jump on the bed and join the celebration.

When Alex and Michael adopt Buffy and Lando officially two weeks later, they do so as Mr. and Mr. Guerin-Manes, their wedding rings clearly visible in their we've-adopted-a-dog celebratory photo.

[cotton-candy-haze]

10, 15,47 for Alana??? Super Specific asks

Ooo, okay! Sorry in advance for the rambling.

10. Do they like children? Do children like them? Do they have or want any children? What would they be like as a parent? Or as a godparent/babysitter/ect?

Yeah, I definitely think that Alana, at the very least, likes children. She thinks they're sweet, she volunteered at a kid's art program back when she was in high school, she just generally likes working with children. Even now, she occasionally helps set up family events at the museums she works for or is consulting at because she really does think that kids should have access to art and history and whatnot.

Kids love her. She's very sweet and very patient, so they just tend to gravitate toward her. I think they can tell that she just knows how to handle children. As for wanting kids herself, that's a tricky question. If you asked her when she was in high school, the answer would have been an emphatic yes. She always wanted to have that perfect little family, and then she was kidnapped. That changed everything. When she finally was freed, she didn't really know who she was anymore.

I think if someone asked her that question now, she wouldn't know how to answer. Deep down, that desire for a perfect family is still there and she still wants to raise her own children so badly, but it's sort of obscured from view. She's terrified of screwing up and ruining their lives. She's convinced that she will never be truly healed enough to be a decent mother. So she would probably just give a noncommittal answer of "I'm not sure" or "maybe when I'm ready." She's just not sure if she ever will be.

If she did ever have children (in a time and place where she's finally moved past that fear), I think she would be a bit strict and protective. She went through terrible things in her younger years and she would do everything in her power to make sure her kids never go through that. But I think that, with the right partner, she could balance that out so she doesn't end up crowding her kids. She would be a very kind mother, emotionally open, and always ready to listen when needed.

The same would go for kids that aren't her own, although maybe less extreme. She would quietly observe, ready to offer advice if needed or another person to talk to that isn't their parents. I think she'd also try to be a bit fun, since there isn't that overhanging stress of these being her children. Their parents can do the parenting, she'll take them out to ice cream.

15. Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think of their cooking?

I wouldn't say Alana is good at cook, but I also wouldn't say she's bad at it. She can follow a recipe just fine and get decent results, but she's not one to just sit down and make a masterpiece. She doesn't enjoy cooking all that much and just does it because it's a necessity for day-to-day life. She would much rather have somebody cook for her. People don't really have much of an opinion about her cooking. I'm sure they like some of the recipes she's made, but it's not really something to form a personal opinion about.

47. How do they act in a formal occasion? What do they think of black tie wear? Do they enjoy fancy parties and love to chit chat or loathe the whole event?

Oh, Alana fits right in. She has become very good at putting on a character when it comes to formal events. Working and consulting at museums also means attending some fancy parties full of stuck up people trying to accomplish their agendas. She doesn't mind black tie attire, she thinks that's the fun part, getting all dressed up for work. The food is also always delicious and she doesn't mind the people watching. She does hate the meaningless conversations she seems to have on repeat at every one of these events. It also took her a long time to get used to being in a room full of so many people and it does still make her a little uneasy, but she can usually deal with it.

[vespertineflora]

Hi! I see you're looking for xiyao prompts? Because I can't stop thinking about Jin Rusong's funeral and Jin Guangyao needing Lan Xichen to comfort him, because, yes he orchestrated A-Song's death but he was still his baby... Hope you don't mind the angst bomb!

OOF i don’t mind at ALL, thank you for the submission! 

Something I have a love/hate relationship with in MDZS is the ambiguity of some of Jin Guangyao’s crimes. It is not actually confirmed or not whether he had a hand in killing Jin Rusong? He does list him in among the deaths he feels responsible for, but whether he did it himself, hired an assassin, or just feels guilty that it happened (because he felt like Rusong would have needed to die regardless, even though there’s a fairly high percentage chance there would be no ill effects despite the incest bc jgy and qs were only half-siblings) is a bit ambiguous.

I love it because it means the fans get to play around with different versions of those realities. I hate it because WHAT IS THE TRUTHHHHHHH???? I usually like having stable facts to work with hahaha. Long story short, for this version of reality, we’ll assume he did have a direct hand in Jin Rusong’s death.

~~~

The body was sent away to be prepared for burial and never returned to Carp Tower.

There was no wake.

No funeral rites were read, no prayers were uttered, no joss paper was burned, no offerings were made. Shou ling was a rite elders earned from their children, their grandchildren, not the other way around. Children were not to be mourned--or at least, if they were, they were mourned only in silence.

On the day Jin Rusong was to be buried, Jin Guangyao and Qin Su rode to the graveyard together, alone. They stood beside their son’s grave and hung their heads silently as he was lowered into the ground. Tears hung in Jin Guangyao’s eyes and streaked slowly down Qin Su’s face, but even their crying was done in silence, not a word said to their precious A-Song or spoken between them. They had hardly spoken at all in these past few days, since the morning they had woken to the frantic cries of the servants, the pounding of panicked footsteps through the courtyard outside of their bedrooms, and finally the disturbance, the announcement that Jin Rusong had been found in his bed, his throat slit.

Even knowing the death was coming, Jin Guangyao had still found himself unprepared to receive the news.

Continue Reading on AO3 or below the cut

The only sound in the graveyard was the whistling of the winds through the trees and the rhythmic shoveling of dirt into Jin Rusong’s grave, slowly burying one of Jin Guangyao’s many, many regrets.

Though there was little he was allowed to do, Jin Guangyao made sure that Jin Rusong was buried with his favorite toys; two exquisitely detailed dragons carved from a deep mahogany that Lan Xichen had given him for his birthday not three months before. It felt like the least Jin Guangyao could do.

Once the deed was done, they piled back into the carriage and returned to Carp Tower, though once they had arrived, only Jin Guangyao climbed out of it. A travelling bag was loaded into the carriage in his place, and after the most solemn and briefest of farewells, the carriage set off once more, headed in the direction of Laoling. After such a trying time, Qin Su had wished to spend a few days away from Carp Tower, at home with her father, and Jin Guangyao had seen no reason not to grant her such a small reprieve.

Jin Guangyao headed inside. His thoughts felt unusually bogged down, the world around him felt heavy and slow--a servant said something to him, but he heard the words as if his head was wrapped in thick linen, caught nothing more than the indication he had a guest waiting for him and allowed himself to be led, fighting past the fog to put on some semblance of normality for whoever it was he was supposed to be receiving; catering to guests was what he did best after all, and he thought, vaguely, that it might be nice to have some distraction.

As soon as the servant opened the door for him and allowed him to step inside--Jin Guangyao froze, the attempt at a smile faltering completely on his face as his eyes fell upon his guest.

Lan Xichen rose quickly to his feet at the sight of him, his too kind eyes swollen and outlined in red, pain stitched into the furrow of his brow. His robes were entirely white and almost plain, lacking any of the normal embellishments he was normally seen wearing: dressed in funeral attire, despite the distinct lack of a funeral.

“A-Yao,” Lan Xichen said, and never had two syllable been more full of distress, full of longing, full of sympathy.

Jin Guangyao opened his lips to speak... and found for the first time in a very long time, he didn’t know what to say.

Before Jin Guangyao could even find his voice, Lan Xichen had crossed the space between them and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him tight to his chest, pressing his face to the top of Jin Guangyao’s head, leaving Jin Guangyao stunned all over again.

“A-Yao, I’m so sorry,” Lan Xichen lamented, sounding strained and muffled from where his mouth was pressed against him. “I just received your letter this morning, I came as quickly as I could.”

Ah, yes, the letter. There had been no formal announcement of Jin Rusong’s death yet, as there was no need to announce a funeral that wouldn’t occur, but the day it had happened, Jin Guangyao had written a brief letter to Lan Xichen--because if anyone should know, should be told before the news spread as gossip inevitably would, it was Lan Xichen. He was the boy’s uncle, as much as he possibly could be. Over the years, with nearly every visit of his to Lanling, he would take time to play with A-Song, bring him toys, tell him stories. Lan Xichen had... loved him, Jin Guangyao was sure of that, and he’d deserved to be informed personally of his passing.

“We buried him this morning,” Jin Guangyao said, his voice sounding hollow, even to his own ears. He felt his eyes stinging, moisture welling in them, though still no tears fell, as had been the case over and over in these last few days. He hadn’t cried yet in all that time.

He wasn’t sure he deserved to cry, considering.

“Oh, A-Yao,” Lan Xichen heaved, his grip on him tightening, a slight tremor in his strong arms giving away his sorrow. “I wanted to be here for you, I’m so sorry I missed it.”

Jin Guangyao shook his head vaguely. There would have been no point in Lan Xichen being there for the burial, as it had been hardly more than watching dirt get pushed into a hole in the ground. He said blankly, “There was nothing to miss.”                                                                            

The deed was done, the evidence now deep underground. Jin Rusong was... a liability. Despite his sweet face, his cheerful grin, his gentle nature, he had been dangerous. He’d been... a threat to everything Jin Guangyao had worked so hard to attain up until now, he’d been evidence of the nature of his relationship to Qin Su, and now that he was gone, it was one less loose end left to unravel him.

That was all this was. He’d told himself that over and over. That was all Jin Rusong was. He wasn’t something to be missed.

After all, Jin Guangyao had dreaded him from the moment Madam Qin had come to speak him before the wedding and revealed the truth; he’d prayed the baby wouldn’t make it from the womb, that he would die during birth, that some sickness would come to take him, as sickness was wont to do with children so young, or some injury would befall him... The older he grew and the stranger he seemed, the deeper Jin Guangyao’s fears ran that his mere existence would topple everything, and it had gotten to the point where he felt as if he’d been backed into a corner, with no choice left but to do what fate hadn’t seen fit to.

Jin Guangyao should feel relieved now. Part of him did. But the other part...

The other part kept flashing back to the silly grin A-Song wore while playing with his toys, to memories of his first words, A-Song reaching for him and babbling for his papa. He thought of Qin Su rocking him gently to sleep at night, of Jin Ling laughing as A-Song took his first wobbly steps in the effort to chase him, and of Lan Xichen holding A-Song in his lap as he spun him some fantastic tale that left the young boy’s eyes sparkling with wonder and delight.

Before all this, before the tragedy of truth had struck him, back when Jin Guangyao had first learned that Qin Su was pregnant, he’d been so happy, so overjoyed. His heart had been full of hope, he’d started making premature plans to lay out the future he might have with his child, and thought endlessly about how much he’d try to show his love for the tiny life he was helping bring into the world. He’d wanted to be there for his child, to support them and love them unconditionally, to be the type of father that Jin Guangshan had never been for him, and yet...

Somehow, somehow, he’d managed to be worse.

And just like that, Jin Guangyao finally felt it, felt the tears bubbling up in his chest, in his eyes, finally spilling over, running down his cheeks until he pressed his face against Lan Xichen’s robes to let them soak up the moisture instead. His breathing clipped, exhales getting harder until he was choked by a sob. His arms, which had been hanging limply at his sides, were suddenly motivated enough to wrap around Lan Xichen’s back in return.

“I’m here now,” Lan Xichen told him, soft and sweet, nearly a whisper. His hands rubbed gently over Jin Guangyao’s back, giving him comfort that Jin Guangyao didn’t deserve. “I’ve got you.”

Jin Guangyao was nearly tempted to shove Lan Xichen away, to rip himself from his arms and peel away to some distance part of the grounds, somewhere far from the gentle warmth of Lan Xichen’s kindness--but Jin Guangyao was nothing if not selfish. He had arranged the execution of his own son, he had the nerve to be upset over it, and now he was going to take comfort from one of the people in the world who had loved A-Song the most.

The sobs came hard, and Lan Xichen held him tight. Jin Guangyao wasn’t even completely sure who he was crying for. He’d kept his distance from Jin Rusong; he’d been too painfully aware of the boy’s ultimate fate to allow himself to grow that close to him, to spend more time with him than he had to. It was hard to feel attached to something you knew you’d have to let go of--but it was impossible to avoid completely. Jin Rusong had been his son, his flesh and blood, his one chance at a legacy beyond the scope of his own life. He’d cradled his tiny body in his arms and had feared and loved him all at once.

He wasn’t sure it was A-Song he was mourning so much as... the life he should have had, the son he should have had, a son not born of unwitting incest, a son who he could have cherished and loved and raised to be smart and clever and kind and perhaps even good in a way that Jin Guangyao had never been afforded the chance to be. That was what Jin Guangyao had wanted for his child, and that was the chance he'd been denied.

Because this, too, was just another facet of his life that Jin Guangshan had ruined for him, had tainted beyond all recognition into something dirty and irredeemable. His pride, his sworn brothers, his marriage, his child... there was nothing of his that Jin Guangshan hadn’t ground into the dirt beneath his heel, and nothing that Jin Guangyao could pick up and wipe completely clean again.

Killing Jin Guangshan was the one death to his name that Jin Guangyao would never regret, not in a thousand years, a thousand lifetimes. He’d gotten exactly what he’d deserved.

Jin Guangyao hadn’t been aware of it in the depths of his sobbing, but at some point his hat must had fallen away, because he felt Lan Xichen’s fingers stroking over his hair, cradling his head to his chest, a chest that Jin Guangyao felt shaking in return, making it all too clear what Lan Xichen was doing for him. Lan Xichen was holding back his own tears, his own pain, in favor of comforting him.

That made him feel more guilt than anything else did. Of everything he had, of everyone in his life... it was Lan Xichen he loved the most, who had done the most for him, and knowing he’d hurt him was just as gut-wrenching as the actual murder of Jin Rusong, even though it was far too late to take any of it back.

It took a few hard minutes for his cries to soften, his thoughts still somber. Whether or not he deserved comfort, he knew it would only hurt Lan Xichen more if he were to extract himself from it--no, this, letting Lan Xichen hold him close and give him comfort, was for the best. It was the kindest thing he could do for Lan Xichen in the wake of yet another atrocity committed by his hand.

That was, unfortunately, something Jin Guangyao knew from experience.

When he could bring himself to move again, he pulled Lan Xichen over to the daybed, sitting down with him upon it as they rearranged their arms to continue holding each other as close as they possibly could, both shedding quiet tears, and Jin Guangyao trying to return as much comfort as he was given. Eventually, Lan Xichen managed to ask about Qin Su... and when Jin Guangyao explained her trip to see her father, Lan Xichen committed to staying in Lanling with him until her return.

Over the next few days, their grief poured out of them in quiet, twisted up moments, more tears shed between them than could ever be counted. They spent parts of those days and nearly all of their nights tangled in one another’s embrace and taking as much comfort as they could in the solid warmth of their bodies pressed together.

By the time Lan Xichen left, his heart seemed a bit less shattered than when he’d arrived; it was the slightest of blessings, but it was the most Jin Guangyao could have hoped for.

As for Jin Guangyao’s own heart... well, it was hard to say. It hadn’t been in one solid piece in years, in decades, and at this point, enough of it was missing that it didn’t seem worth the effort of repairing. A piece of it had been buried with his mother, and another piece had been buried, strangely, with Nie Mingjue; a piece now rested in the grave alongside his A-Song... and Lan Xichen, knowingly or not, always took a piece with him when he left.

[sintheyokai]

First Timer

Arabella and Mammon

---------

The crowd fluttered about her, dressed in a white ensemble fit for a princess or an angel.

How funny that she was neither.

Arabella was used to being surrounded by large crowds, her job often asked she be in them. But this was not an assignment.

This was a dance that was part of a retreat she hadn't signed up for.

She noticed Mammon, shyly approaching her.

"Hey, uh, yo, Arabella.. do you want, like... you know... Uhh, I mean, like-"

"You've never done this before, have you?" Arabella felt a small smirk grace her lips.

Mammon seemed to never cease to make her feel.

"H-Hey! Don't start l-laughing at me! You don't even know-"

"Arabella." The woman turned to see Lucifer. He grabbed her by the wrist, "Come dance with me. Now."

Arabella budged none. Instead, she glared.

"I think not, since you have the audacity to ask like that. Honestly, you'd think to be more polite if you wanted a-"

"That wasn't a request, that was a demand. Come."

Lucifer attempted to drag the student off, Mammon's blood boiling. If he had the strength to beat his brother, he'd play the hero and save the little human.

He didn't need to, however, as Arabella dug her nails deep into Lucifer, making him hiss and let go.

"How unfortunate for you," she said, hugging Mammon's arms and making him blush, "I never listen to demands unless they're of utmost importance. Good day."

And, nearly dragging Mammon to the dance floor, she strutted off.

"Mammon, do you know how to dance? That isn't what I've seen you do?"

Mammon blushed harder and softly shook his head. Smiling, Arabella nodded.

"Very well. Come. Let's go somewhere quiet."

Mammon went crimson as his body obeyed the command and followed his human out to the lakeside pavilion. She took him under it's roof, choosing a song from her D.D.D and turned to face him as it played.

"Now, grab my waist with-"

"What?"

Poor Mammon didn't know he could feel any warmer, but just the thought of his hand wrapped around Arabella's figure...

God, it set his heart (and face) blazing.

"You heard me. Hand on my waist."

He was about to protest, but his words caught in his throat as he felt his hand snake around her.

"There you go! Now take my hand in the other."

She outstretched her hand to the side as he gently grabbed it.

To him, they were the softest things in the world, feeling smooth and eternal, like angel wings.

Yet somehow so much softer.

He nearly shuddered when she placed one of those hands on his shoulder, the leather of his demon attire doing nothing to protect him.

"Alright." Arabella breathed, a slight pink dust over her cheeks, "Now, just follow my feet. If I move forward, move back. Okay?"

Mammon gulped and nodded.

Slowly, to the calming music in the background, they started swaying.

1

2

3

4...

1

2

3

4...

"You're doing pretty well for a first timer, Mammon... You're sure you've never danced with someone so formally?"

He shook his head, red with shame, "You're my first..."

She felt her heart speed before a sharp pain. The reminding pain that she shouldn't be doing this.

Slowly, they sped up, Mammon throwing in a few twirls and the (albeit rare) dip. Through it all, he began laughing, going at a much more wild pace. Arabella felt herself trip and fall into Mammon's exposed chest. He immediately stopped.

"Oh! O-Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make ya trip like that, are you okay?"

Arabella failed to stifle a laugh, her heart feeling the same pain from earlier. But for once she didn't mind.

She felt alright laughing this time.

When she stopped, she noticed Mammon blushing fiercely, slightly moving his head closer.

Although her heart now felt like it was being pierced by hundreds of thousands of needles, Arabella felt her head lean in too.

Mammon stopped midway out of nerves, but, for some reason, she followed her urge to complete it.

She kissed him.

Right under the pavilion roof, still as stone except for their beating hearts. And while she would never admit it...

She loved every second of it

------

Next: Little!Arabella and Lilith

Vote for the next in line!

[done-mer-moved]

i Also don't know ur OCs but: 1, 4, 5, 8, 15, 22, 23, 24, 25, 33, 42, 50, 54, 56, 61, 73, and 78 please? -drunkmiraak

[[LKdghlkj sorry this took so long!! I got super sick so it sat half-done in my drafts for 84 years. @drunkmiraak]]

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

So, while I’ve got half a billion OCs by technicality, my main idiot is Azaryne Redoran who takes the role of the Vestige in the ESO story I write with @sinnaroll by the name of Soulbound. (Ima also just casually pass on these questions for her to answer in reply for D'tannen, who is the other main character in this thingy so you can get to know him too!)

Thank you so much for asking!! Here we gooooo~!

1. What is/are your OC’s nickname(s) and how did it come about?

Az’s main nickname is the self-explanatory name shortening from “Azaryne” to “Az”. But D'tannen has kinda stuck on jabbing him with “pretty boy” to the point where it’s basically a nickname lol 

Also, in-game plot reasons dictate that the Five Companions also know him by “Vestige”, much to his dismay. It’s what the Scrolls named him by, so the Prophet tends to slip and refer to him that way, and the others kinda do too by proxy for a while. However, after Az makes it clear that he’s really uncomfortable with it, Lyris and Sai specifically make a point not to call him that.

4. What is a noticeable physical attribute of your OC?

So I memed twice earlier before I got to these questions lasdgkh gomen, but my goofier answers are Dorito Shape and Resting Trouble Face

But more seriously, one of his major notable physical features is that he’s pretty much covered in tattoos from his neck down past his waist and starting down his legs. They’re being redesigned from scratch right now because I can’t ever allow myself to have characters that can be adequately represented in game i guess lmfao but here’s the in-game tattoos with some photo-editing for an earlier visual draft on where they might cut off—

It’s a total personal headcanon but I decided that since the in-game body marking style was pretty clearly influenced by Maori-style kiriituhi, that Az’s tattoos are also highly significant in a similar way. Each piece symbolizes or connects to either his ancestry, or his own life and skills and milestones. His designs weren’t finished, but have the indication of where they were meant to continue as he hit new points in his life. Unfortunately, since his life was cut so short, that’s as far as they ever get.

On a lighter note, he also has pretty big ears?? Lmao

5. What does your OC normally wear? What would your OC wear on a special night?

He likes clothes that are comfortable but flattering. He knows what his assets are and enjoys looking well-dressed – a bit of a remnant from his previous life as a noble. 

He tends to favor sleeveless tops and cool-colored fabrics with neutral accents. He particularly likes blues of all shades, and some purples. He’ll also occasionally wear red. On his travels he wears leather armor that fits within these features, and notably has a Khajiiti-style jack because he liked the aesthetic of it when he saw the style in a tailor’s display. 

When he’s dressing up, he’ll wear more flowing robe-like attire. He had more reason to do so while he was alive, and at the time it was usually specifically Dunmeri cultural clothing. Over the course of Soulbound, he only dresses up the once so far for a date with Sinna. That takes place in Orsinium, so it’s Orcish formal wear. 

Even if the situation’s not a fancy one, though, he’ll usually still wear kohl eyeshadow, which D’tannen gives him shit for, of course lol.

8. How does your OC talk/what does your OC’s voice sound like?

Az’s voice is light, crisp, warm and friendly. It’s between tenor and baritone in range, and the expected Dunmeri accent. He’s well spoken, and you can tell he’s well educated, but his phrasing isn’t snobbish or condescending, and there’s a firm sort of sincerity to his speech, even when he’s being playful.

15. What was your OC’s childhood like?

Az’s childhood was a little complicated in that it came with a great deal of privilege, but also a great deal of expectation. He was noble-born— the eldest son of House Redoran’s Archmaster— so before he was even old enough to have an awareness of the world, his parents had already decided many things about his future. 

In spite of both this and the constant pressure of the Redoran philosophy that “a light, careless life is not worth living”, Az had an untamable spirit that continuously tried his parents’ patience. As a child, his impulsivity, tendency to bend the rules, and headstrong defiance on points he fundamentally disagreed with led to frequent discipline, and a particularly strained relationship with his father.

Over time, he begrudgingly learned to play by the rules, but would still disappear from time to time for brief moments of freedom. 

He had two younger siblings— Eralane and Meril, and they had very close and loving relationships with each other. Az always did his bes to see right by them, so they felt safe in knowing that he would always have their backs. They didn’t ever keep much from him, as a result, and Meril specifically often looked up to him as a role model.

By the time he was fourteen, he’d been arranged into a political betrothal to solidify clan relations within the House, and it was decided that the two would be married in 16 years when they were both fully grown adults. Neither he nor his intended fiancée were really comfortable with this, but even as young as they were, they knew it was a sticky situation far bigger than just the two of them. So, they quickly established that, future aside, they didn’t feel entitled to each other’s feelings. They would both rather have a straightforward, honest friendship than try to force things between them. 

Because of this, there was no tension when other chemistries developed in later years. Instead, they continued to ignore their inevitable marriage, and turned their performative date nights into formally-dressed vent and gossip sessions. Using the expectations put upon them to their advantage as they got older, they also happily became each other’s alibi when either of them needed time away with other people.

22. Who is/are your OC’s closest friend(s)?

Since arriving back on Tamriel, he’s been shuffling company a lot on his journeys. He’s also pretty introverted, despite being fairly socially adept. He doesn’t have any real connections from his previous life anymore, but has met many people and made casual friends and positive acquaintances with a solid chunk of new ones.

In terms of more serious friendships, D’tannen is honestly the closest, which is kind of incredible honestly laksdhg. But, they travel with each other day in and day out, so there’s a tight bond there that’s developing fast.

He’s also particularly attached to Irvane, who was his first friend since coming back to Nirn.

23. Who are the people your OC surrounds him/herself with?

Along the same lines as I just said above, he’s never in one place for very long right now, so he is constantly around new people. His kind heart and need for hands-on activity means he tends to gravitate toward people he can help in some way or another. His empathy and sense of honor do most of the weeding. He’d rather be around someone who has shown good intentions, even if they are rough around the edges, than someone who rests on the laurels of past deeds and judges others against themselves.

24. Who are the people your OC dislikes/hates?

It’s pretty damn hard to make this list, at least if you have any sort of good bone in your body. He’s really very empathetic and patient, and will forgive so quickly once he feels amends have been made that it’s honestly gotten him into trouble.

But, even with that said, he’s got some strong resentments for some strong reasons… Notably: Mannimarco and his Worm Cult, ol’ Molag Bal himself, and pretty much anyone who allies with them… Malacus is another name that quickly finds its way on the list under “kill unflinchingly” as he becomes closer with D’tannen.  

25. If your OC has a soulmate, who is it?

oh my god im so sorry this joke is just right here its too easy to grab i can’t help myself – 

Doesn’t a soulmate require… a soul…? 

33. What subjects interested your OC?

He’s always done whittling as a hobby, so he’s currently kinda advancing on that in woodcarving. Since he was also trained in maintaining and repairing his own weapons and armor in life, that’s carried over into an interest in actually crafting weapons on his own. He does wind up making his own bow way later on, and even spends a bit of time with the Morkul Orcs in the Orsinium arc learning to do some metalwork.

42. What makes your OC happy?

He’s very attached to his dog Blackjack, and the mutt can always seem to pick him up when he’s otherwise faltering. He loves whittling and tends to carve little objects to occupy his mind. Complicatedly, D’tannen makes him happy as well, lol. 

He also tends to have moments where he finds happiness in specific things, but the emotion related feels strange or misplaced. When this happens, it’s usually because whatever he’s experiencing— a particular sight or smell or flavor— is something that ties directly to a positive memory he’s lost from his life before. A sort of unwitting-nostalgia that’s hard to pinpoint or replicate.

As a general rule, he’s pretty easily contented. He lives very much in the moment, which combined with his adaptability and natural optimism, means that he’s usually able to find some small spark of cheer for himself anywhere he goes. He’s always wanted the freedom of life as an adventurer, so if circumstances were different, this would honestly be an ideal life for him. However, it’s pretty dampened by the stress of current events, along with the nagging restless and hollow feeling of having lost his soul.

50. What secrets does your OC have?

This is a bit of a tricky one. He’s not a super open person, but he also doesn’t like to lie to cover things up. However, there are many things about his life at present that he finds he has to dance around giving knowledge of. In some ways, the very nature of his current existence is something he keeps tucked away. It’s not very easy to explain to anyone, so he’s grateful that for the majority of the people he interacts with, direct questions never really come up.

In the second act of Soulbound, however, after he becomes very close with Sinna, Sinna asks him directly for his story. He dodges it for quite some time before finally giving him the details, but he’s kind of nervous at that point to state it. He doesn’t know how Sinna might react. But, he lays it out on the table anyway: He’s not truly alive. He’s what remained of himself after he was sacrificed by cultists to Molag Bal. His soul was stolen, and he has only vague pieces of memories from when he lived. And now, he’s been prophesied to assist in stopping a daedric invasion. 

Sinna’s response was heartfelt. But, nobody could blame him for the fact that all he could manage for a brief moment after listening was “Wild….”

54. Does your OC think with his/her head or heart?

Heart… His upbringing tried its best to instill an ability to detach for the sake of duty, but honestly, he’s never been able to. Even when he knows there’s no way he can avoid a difficult situation, and is able to approach it tactically, emotion will be gnawing at him all the while, and he’ll be completely staunch on the things he believes the most if those interfere with the “logical” course of action.

56. What are some of your OC’s strengths?

He’s honestly got a wide range of skills in a lot of ways. He’s a highly skilled archer, and has a very well-rounded set of combat and survival skills that have been hardwired into him since a very young age. He’s also got a great sense of aesthetics, which he likes to express in woodworking and whittling when he can. He’s intelligent, but a lot of his skill specifically in emotional/social intelligence comes from his powerful empathy, and how dramatic swings of circumstances in his life have given him many perspectives to draw from, even subconsciously through the massive amnesia he struggles with. He’s incredibly adaptable. He’s intensely loyal, courageous, and firmly optimistic even through the worst circumstances. He’s got an incredibly strong character to him, and it tends to be both charming and inspiring, even when he doesn’t recognize that he’s producing these effects himself.

61. What is the general impression your OC gives other people?

Honest. Empathetic and selfless. Good-natured, down to earth, and a bit wild-spirited. Patient, incredibly forgiving. Helpful. Playfully charming. A protector. A defender of good.

73. What is your OC’s favorite form of entertainment?

He likes art, stories, nature, animals, and adventure. Crafting from time to time as well.

78. What is your OC’s favorite time of day?

Late morning. The point in the day when you’re up and awake and setting off. The whole day lies in wait before you, and you’re ready to meet it

[meenasmoon]

I don't know if this is a prompt but I just realized... What if Jhonny had a girlfriend before Meena?? (They broke up pls, MeenaxJhonny 4life). It's just... really uncomfortable when your are with your boyfriend and suddenly his ex appears ;;;

Proof

Sorry for the odd formatting. I’m on mobile only in the islands but when I get back to the states I’ll fix everything. Enjoy!!

Meena nervously adjusted the neckline of her new dress as she looked at herself in the mirror. The mayor had invited them all to a fundraising gala at his mansion where he had insisted that Johnny perform a song of his choice. Flattered that the mayor wanted to him to preform, Johnny had quickly accepted the invitation and the wheels were set in motion.

Rosita immediately got a sitter for the night of the gala and a week before the gala she had taken Ash and Meena shopping for the proper formal attire. Both girls had been especially reluctant to shop but Rosita had been so insistent that they were left with no other option. After an entire day of shopping they each had a dress that met Rosita’s standards and they were dropped off at their homes with strict instructions not to show Johnny.

The confused gorilla had bugged his rommate and his girlfriend for days about seeing their dresses but both had held fast in their promise and he didn’t even catch a glimpse until the night of when Rosita had pulled both girls into the women’s dressing room to get ready.

So here Meena was standing in front of the mirror and hoping against hope that Johnny would like her dress. She was wearing a floor length forest green gown that hugged her torso before flaring out at the waist into an elegant train. The dress was held up by one strap that wrapped diagonally across her chest. Her mother had given her a simple gold necklace with matching earrings to wear that night and her outfit was complete. Where normally she would be marvelling at the dress rather than worrying about the fit, the thought of her new boyfriend waiting to see her was sending her into a self-conscious worry fest.

And that’s why when Ash stepped out of her changing stall in a classy red and black strapless dress she found her best friend still in front of the mirror adjusting imaginary flaws in her dress. If she were honest with herself Meena looked breathtaking and she found herself thinking that Johnny was one lucky guy. At the same time she knew that Meena only saw a mess of flaws rather than the beauty that everyone else saw so she hurried over to comfort her. When Meena saw Ash’s form in the mirror she gasped and immediately began gushing over her appearance.

“Oh my gosh Ash you look amazing!” She exclaimed and Ash gave her a grin in response. She grabbed Meena’s hand and squeezed it once,trying her best to comfort her friend.

“So do you Meena. You look gorgeous.” when Meena tried to protest she gave her hand another firm squeeze and the comment died in Meena’s throat.

Just then Rosita bustled in, already ready in her short but elegant black dress, and began fussing over both of them. Once she was satisfied that they looked as good as she imagined they would she ushered them out of the dressing room. Nervously, Meena squeezed Ash’s hand tight, and in response the porcupine gave her an encouraging smile.

When she exited the dressing room Rosita headed straight for her husband who was waiting nearby. The easygoing pig good-naturedly let her fuss with his tie, an affecionate smile gracing his lips. Ash lead Meena out of the dressing room and over to where Johnny was chatting with Buster and Eddie. Buster was wearing his normal blue suit since he dressed formally everyday. Eddie, who had been forced to attend many such events by his mother, was wearing a tailored tuxedo. Johnny was also dressed in a new suit with a green fest that matched the color of Meena’s dress. Silently, Meena thanked Rosita for secretly making sure that they matched.

Ash cleared her throat and the men immediately turned their attention to the two women. Johnny’s gaze went straight to Meena and instantly his jaw dropped and his heart tried to leap out of his chest. Slowly, he walked up to her and ran his hand up her arm until he was cupping her cheek and pulling her in for a slow, passionate kiss. Meena’s ears flared out slightly in surprise at the sudden kiss and when he pulled back her cheeks were adroably red.

“I’m sorry love but ya just looked so bloomin’ beautiful tha’ I couldn’t ‘elp myself.” He whispered, grinning crookedly when she blushed harder and looked down in embarrassment.

“You look very handsome too.” She said shyly and Johnny’s grin widened in response. He leaned in and gave her another kiss, which was interrupted when Ash cleared her throat and raised her eyebrow at them.

“You think we could head out sometime today lovebirds?” She asked snarkily but both animals knew she was too happy for them to actually be upset that they hadn’t left yet. They both laughed and followed the rest of the theatre family out to the car.

The entire ride to the Gala Johnny couldn’t look anywhere but at Meena, much to her embarrassment. And when they pulled up to the mayor’s mansion he insited on opening the door for her and escorting her inside like the true gentleman that he was. There were reporters lining the walkway into the house and when they saw the famous theatre family making their way up, they immediately swarmed towards them. Meena stiffened nervously, still nervous in the face of the press, but Johnny just tightened his arm around her waist and pushed past the reporterseasily. Meena smiled up at him gratefully and amist the flash of camers he leaned over and placed a comforting kiss on her cheek.

The comforting effect served to drown out the now frantic press as Johnny led a smiling Meena into the mansion where everyone else was waiting. Neither of them noticed the slim gazelle glaring up at the couple as she gripped her camera in her hands. Her glare morphed into a devious grin and she slipped through the crowd towards a back entrance.

Inside the mansion Buster was gleefully introducing his performers to various socialites, including a few movie stars. Finally the mayor himself joined their little group and began to chat with Buster and Johnny. By this time Gunther and Eddie had snuck off to the snack table while Rosita and Norman were twirling around on the dancefloor. So as Johnny and Buster talked with the mayor, Meena and Ash secured glasses of champagne from one of the servers.

They had been there about an hour when the mayor suggested that Johnny go check the piano he had set up for the evening. Johnny agreed and before he left he leaned over and gave Meena a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll be right back love.” He said and then he and Buster followed the mayor to a small stage. Meena watched him go and turned back to Ash to finish the conversation about guitar brands that they had been having. However, before she could even open her mouth tosay anything a pretty gazelle with a tape recorder in one hand an camera in the other appeared in front of her and Ash. Startled, Meena jumped slightly and then gave the gazelle a waty smile. Ash just frowned as she looked over the mysterious woman. She was petite and pretty but Ash could see that her smile was forced and her brown eyes were hard.

“Well hello there, you must be Meera?” Her sugary sweet voice was almost too nice and every one of Ash’s quills stood on end as soon as she mispronounced Meena’s name. She couldn’t be sure but she was pretty certain that she had done it on purpose.

“Um it’s Meena actually.” Meena timidly corrected her but the gazelle just laughed it off and moved closer to them.

“Well Meera, I just thought that I should come over and introduce myself seeing that we have one thing in common. Ash crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the gazelle when she mispronounced Meena’s name yet again but she went ingored as the gazelle went on.

“My name is Carol Antlerson and I-” Before she could get out whatever she was trying to say Ash interrupted, a smug grin pasted on her face.

“Oh I know you. You write for that dishrag of a magazine, Gossip Gal.” She grinned when the gazelle stiffened and forced another smile over at Ash before turning back to Meena.

“That’s me.” She laughed awkwardly and when Meena and Ash just looked at each other in confusion she kept on talking.

“Anyways. I heard that you and Johnny Bannerton are a thing now.” She said ‘thing’ like it was the most disgusting word she could think of. Ash’s eyes narrowed and Meena looked around nervously, wishing that she was anywhere else.

“Um yes we-” Meena stuttered out but Carol decided to interrupt her with the bombshell she had eagerly been waiting to drop.

“Well I wish you luck. Maybe you’ll last longer than he and I did. That really was the best year of my life.” She laughed breathily as Meena’s face went paler than Ash had ever seen it. Her fury was trumped by the deep concern she suddenly had as Meena gaped at the smirking gazelle.

“Y-you and J-Johnny… a year?” She stuttered out and Carol grinned maliciously as she watched the elephant flounder for words.

“You know it really surprises me that Johnny is dating a girl…well…like you.” She gave Meena a toothy smile and Ash shook with fury.

“What the hell do you mean by that?!” She tried to come to Meena’s aid but it only seemed to make everything worse as the gazelle took her outburst as a queue to lay out all of the differences between her and Meena.

“Well I mean look at us darling. I’m small and you’re so…big. I have nothing against larger mammals of course but I never thought Johnny would supersize after me.” She giggled at her own joke as Meena began to shake slightly next to Ash, who stood gaping at the Carol’s audacity.

“And I mean are you really sure about that dress because that cut…well it’s not quite flattering on a figure like yours. And green is definitely not your color. I on the other hand look absolutely fabulous in this little pink number if I do say so myself.” She giggled maliciously as she did a little twirl for them.

“Oh and when it comes to the spotlight I’m not shy about performing for an audience. I have a wonderful voice you know, Johnny always used to tell me. He loved my confidence and my voice.” She patted Meena’s shoulder lightly and pasted on a fake sympathetic look, “But I’m sure he likes your lack of confidence too sweetie.”

Meena opened and closed her mouth but nothing but a tiny squeak came out and her eyes began to fill with tears. Ash decided in that moment that enough was enough and Meena obviously couldn’t defend herself against this harpy. But Ash had plenty of experience with prissy girls like her. She stepped forward, using her tiny body as a makeshift shield for her friend to hide behind.

“Listen bitch. Johnny dumped you for a reason and I’m pretty sure it’s because you’re a petty little brat who attacks people for no reason. Now…” she plucked a quill out of her back and pointed it at the startled gazelle, “I suggest you get out of my face and stay away from my friends. Capisce?”

She stuck the quill in the gazelle’s leg for emphasis and she gave Ash a dirty look before stomping away, her hands clenched tightly on her equipment. Ash turned around to comfort Meena and found her friend standing right where she had left her, her face securely shielded by her ears as fat tears streamed out of her eyes and stained her cheeks.

Ash grabbed her hand and pulled her off of the dance floor and into a empty room off to the side of the dance hall. Meena collapsed into a chair just as deep sobs began to wrack her body.

Ash hovered over her nervously, unsure how to comfort her friend. She settled for pulling her into a tight hug. Meena huddled against her and tried to halt her sobs with to no avail. Ash rubbed her back but Nothing had changed after a few minutes she pulled back and looked into Meena’s bloodshot eyes.

“I’m gonna go find Johnny.” She said soothingly and dashed out of the room, searching desperately for the familiar form of her roommate. When she found him next to the stage, chatting with the mayor she hurried over and grabbed him by the sleeve.

“Ash? Wot-?” He was cut off as she yanked him away, practically dragging him across the dance hall towards the room where she had left Meena. When they reached the door Ash opened it and shoved him into the room before following him and slamming the door behind him.

Before Johnny could question Ash about her odd behavior he heard sobbing coming from behind him. He spun around and as soon as he saw that Meena was the one sobbing into her hands all of his attention was on her.

He gathered her into his arms and she cried into his chest as he stroked her back soothingly.

“Ash wot 'appened?” He said quietly as he kissed the top of Meena’s head.

“Some bitch named Carol Antlerson showed up, said she dated you for a year, called Meena fat, antisocial, a bad singer and insulted her dress!” Ash felt her blood start to boil as she remembered what that gazelle had said to Meena.

Johnny growled at the thought and then sighed deeply as he realized the damage that Carol had caused in the minutes that he had been gone. He gently lifted Meena’s head so that she was looking him in the eyes. He wiped away a few tears but they were quickly replaced by more.

“Oh love. Ya can’t believe what that girl said. Ya are the most beautiful, talented, and amazing animal that I 'ave ever met.” He stroked her cheeks and Meena looked up at him with uncertainty in her eyes.

“B-but she-” Johnny cut her off before she could say another word.

“Is a vindictive, cold-'earted, lonely bitch. An’ I dropped 'er the moment I realized tha’. Ya ’re nothin’ loike 'er and that’s wot I love abaht ya.” He whispered and Meena smiled for a second before it faded back into sadness. She ran her hand over the material of her dress and let out a heavy sigh.

Hearing those words from Johnny was enough to stem the flow of her tears but her sadness still haunted her gaze like a ghost that won’t be banished. Carol had stirred up all of her insecurities in one go, as if she knew all of Meena’s fears. They wouldn’t settle back down so easily.

Johnny frowned when she refused to look at him. He wracked his brain for some way to help but came up with nothing, even Ash looked completely lost. He glanced at a nearby clock and thought to himself 'almost time for my song’.

“My song!” He suddenly gasped and leapt to his feet gleefully. Both girls looked up at him in confusion but Johnny didn’t stop to explain as he gently pulled Meena to her feet and began leading her towards the stage. Ash followed close behind, keeping her eye out for a certain unwanted reporter.

When they got to the stage he sat Meena on the piano bench and then gathered the other band members to discuss the change in song. When he was ready he sat next to Meena and signaled the mayor to introduce them.

The mayor gave him a puzzled look but announced their performance anyways. Every eye in the room was on them in that moment and Meena felt herself start to panic. Before she could hyperventilate Johnny gently positioned her face so she was looking away from the crowd and at him instead. With a secret smile he began to play.

Oh, her eyes, her eyesMake the stars look like they’re not shinin’Her hair, her hairFalls perfectly without her tryingShe’s so beautifulAnd I tell her aYeah

He looked at her as he sang, that smile still perched on his face. Meena turned bright red immediately and tried to look away from him but he pulled her gaze back up to his.

I know, I knowWhen I compliment her she won’t believe meAnd it’s so, it’s soSad to think that she don’t see what I seeBut every time she asks me, “Do I look okay?”I say,

Meena saw the brief sadness in his eyes as he sang and for a moment she wished that she could see what she looked like through Johnny’s eyes. Maybe this song was the best way for him to communicate that. She took a deep breath and a small smile began to bloom on her face as he sang to her.

When I see your faceThere’s not a thing that I would change'Cause you’re amazing Just the way you areAnd when you smileThe whole world stops and stares for a while'Cause, girl, you’re amazing Just the way you are.Yeah

Meena couldn’t fight the feeling as her smile began to grow and the blush faded. He was drawing her in with his words and the sincerity in his eyes. It gave her an indescribable feeling to know how he felt about her. That she was special to him.

Her lips, her lipsI could kiss them all day if she’d let meHer laugh, her laughShe hates but I think it’s so sexyShe’s so beautifulAnd I tell her everyday,

The crowd watching them started to fade away as Meena became absorbed in the song and the negative emotions began to fade away. Rationally she had no reason to doubt his feelings for her but she couldn’t help but feel inadequate. In this moment, however, she felt like the most beautiful animal in the world.

Oh you know, you know, you knowI’d never ask you to changeIf perfect’s what you’re searching forThen just stay the sameSo don’t even bother asking if you look okayYou know I’ll say,

When Johnny saw the smile returning to her face he grinned and began to sing louder and with more passion. His goal was to make her feel like nothing could touch her because in his eyes she was beyond perfect.

When I see your face There’s not a thing that I would change'Cause you’re amazingJust the way you are And when you smileThe whole world stops and stares for a while'Cause, girl, you’re amazingJust the way you are

In the crowd Ash grinned and gave Johnny a thumbs up even though he couldn’t see it. She was terrible at cheering people up but in this case she knew that she had made the right decision in getting Johnny. Those two were meant to be and she wasn’t going to let anyone mess with them.

The way you areThe way you areGirl, you’re amazing Just the way you are

As Johnny slowed down the song and Ash hoped that he was finally convincing Meena that she was beautiful because her best friends deserved to be happy.

Out of the corner of her eyes she caught sight of a flash of pink as Carol moved to the front and glared at the couple, watching with disdain as Johnny serenaded Meena.

Grinning mischievous Ash pulled a quill out of her back and snuck through the crowd until she was standing behind the gazelle, poised and ready for her attack.

When I see your faceThere’s not a thing that I would change'Cause you’re amazing Just the way you arehAnd when you smileThe whole world stops and stares for a while'Cause, girl, you’re amazingJust the way you are

As Johnny finished his song the crowd erupted into cheers and Ash jabbed the pointy end of her quill into the gazelle’s butt. She let out a shrill screech and jumped away, creating enough of a diversion for Ash to slip away. Carol screamed in frustration when no one admitted to poking her and began ranting that no one at the party was worthy of her and how she would see them all in hell. Before she could get much further two burly bears appeared and carried her out of the party.

Meena and Johnny watched the whole exchange in amusement and When she was gone Johnny leaned forward and kissed Meena, softly, slowly and passionately.

“Was tha’ enough proof for ya?” He asked teasingly and Meena giggled happily, the only evidence of her sadness was the slight redness in her eyes.

“I might need a little more.” She whispered and pulled him in for another kiss.