#I really got into this one too XD The Life Is Strange series is definitely a big inspiration btw

[you-are-forever-special]

Your OC enters a massive bookstore. It is broken into genres and other book related items. Pick a section and tell us what they will get, if anything. -Fiction -History -Art/Fashion -Biography

(She really can't just pick one, your honor.

Lol

☆♡☆

Thank you so much, again, for the prompt! I'll never get tired of these~!)

---

Taiga was feeling over the moon.

Actually, this was probably even better than space, because space didn't have any of THIS.

Lately, she'd been fortunate enough to save up enough money to travel around the west coast. She didn't go out into public too much, but if there was a chance like this, she took it.

It had been a distant dream of hers for a while, and just like with any goal she accomplished, it felt so surreal.

Magical.

But that feeling increased when she got to Portland.

Taiga had heard a lot about this city, of course.

Most people in America especially have heard at least one thing about this place. But it felt so...

Remarkable.

Special.

Well, all cities had their own draw, in Taiga's eyes.

But certain places on the map just felt like they embraced and wholly loved your soul.

Before coming out, she had already done a bit more research and came up with a list of places she'd love to make it to, and things to do while here.

It was so satisfying to check off lists. If there was a job to just check things off lists and nothing else, she'd sign up for that in a heartbeat.

Taiga giggled to herself at that before tucking her list away, looking at her surroundings once again.

A part of her almost wondered what it'd be like to live in Oregon.

Whether to meet new ones, or come to recognize the stories of old souls living here...

It all felt so... Right.

Like she could almost feel the smiles, the tears, past strife, and overall adventures that happened around here bleeding into her as she took a breath to steel herself.

She could be incorrect, but she didn't think on it too much and just let it consume her for a while.

Besides, it still felt as if she were meant to be here in this moment. And it further encouraged her to soon move forward.

And Taiga hadn't even gotten to the infamous building's entrance yet;

Powell's City of Books

There it was before her. The almost movie theater-esque outside appearance of the building had such a charm to it that immediately drew her in. And without a second thought, she hurriedly went inside.

Taiga was beside herself.

Almost buzzing with excitement, if you will.

Some things truly needed to be experienced in person over word of mouth.

Obviously they had many books, but...

It was akin to a gorgeous labyrinth of the bittersweet, yet soothing smell of bibliosmia and hopeful spirits.

There is so much potential.

Tons of stories to be discovered and dived into.

It's like she could feel the electricity in each direction dancing on her skin.

Taiga was in her element. And she wanted to be enraptured.

If possible, she'd read every single book held in here. She was always up for a challenge like that.

Last Taiga had read, there were approximately one million books in this amazing place...

And what, the average person apparently read around 14 books a year...?

Even just trying to put that into perspective floored Taiga.

She wondered exactly how much she could get through.

But unfortunately, the human body was only capable of so much.

Even if we were technically supercomputers.

There was a comforting thought that broke through her slight melancholy at not being able to properly appreciate each story, however.

And that was the fact that someone else out there may find the book that's just right for them in that moment.

Hopefully even long after she was gone, these books, and others in the world, could continue to be there for others.

Each one could possibly be an awakening, a needed friend, an escape...

Anything.

And Taiga was so grateful that we all could have this key to opening the gateways of such opportunities in life.

Not just for books alone...

But that was another story for another time.

Taiga didn't want to get so emotional just from walking into this place, but she couldn't help who she was at heart.

And as she slowly spun and gaily strolled around Powell's, she didn't feel shame whatsoever for being herself in this moment.

As Taiga browsed, the serene atmosphere surrounding her was not disturbed.

And thankfully no one questioned her appearance.

They probably assumed she was in costume, like many people seemed to these days.

And Taiga was just fine with that.

Any anxieties weren't brought to the forefront because she was just so...

Happy.

It was like a breath of fresh air being here.

And as the rain lightly rapped at the window panes, Taiga's eyes became more half-lidded, and her warm smile grew.

She was officially in love with this place.

No other person in her life currently had ever even come close to giving her such a feeling.

And maybe some others would call that sad, but she didn't care.

It was just the truth.

And it wasn't a bad thing at all. She'd die on that hill.

Taiga refocused and pulled herself out of her thoughts for a moment as she went through the aisles, as quite a few titles on the individual spines caught her eye.

The first was a True Crime History book about this very city; Portland.

'Wicked Portland: The Wild and Lusty Underworld of a Frontier Seaport Town' by Finn J. D. John

That seemed like it was right up her alley.

And Taiga snatched it up; lightly running her dainty fingers over the cover and back of the book as she inspected it all around.

It was habit for her to read each side first before cracking one open and taking a look at the insides.

Taiga softly hummed, making sure to not get too loud and disturb anyone, as she gently tucked her first prize under one of her arms as she continued. Finding similar tightly-packed titles; 'The Mystery of the Portland Vase' by Robin Brooks, 'Mysteries and Legends of Oregon: True Stories of the Unsolved and Unexplained' by James Yuskavitch, along with one that especially piqued her interest: 'Secret Portland: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure' by Jeff Brawn.

The so-called strange and what were deemed to be outcasts of the world usually drew her in, and she wanted to know more.

Everyone's story deserved to be listened to without bias.

And mysteries certainly got her brain into hyper-drive.

Unlike Sherlock Holmes, Taiga could live without having to solve every single case. Sometimes it just wasn't possible. And she knew from experience that it wasn't very helpful to drive yourself to the point of obsession, for most matters.

But she'd be lying if she said that she didn't understand that feeling and found herself pacing around at times too trying to figure it all out when there was a seemingly immovable obstacle was laid out before her or others.

Before Taiga got lost in thought once again, she then lit up even more and zoomed over in excitement as she came across the Fantasy section.

If anyone saw her, they might've laughed at how silly she looked bumbling about with these books. But Taiga was too preoccupied with being in her own little world for now to notice if there even was anyone else eyeing her.

As she looked through the titles, Taiga couldn't help but get a bit sentimental whenever seeing any stories with princesses in them, and/or superheroes...

It reminded her of her little friend Adira.

Taiga made a mental note to call her parents tonight and check in to see how they were all doing.

They loved books as well...

And Taiga also couldn't help but start thinking of getting them each a book that they might like, instead of thinking about what to get herself anymore.

For Ali she picked up a psychological thriller that had a strong lead; Cait, a gritty horror-themed manga. And for Adira, she found a new box series of another manga with magical girl elements that she knew would make the girl beam.

Looking through, it didn't seem to only be about that trope and silly escapades alone, but had a seriously gripping storyline, while still being age-appropriate for her of course.

Taiga closed the book and made her decision to get each of them, as her book stack slowly increased in size.

As she continued to move along and balance her mini tower of tomes, her little ears atop her head perked up more and her grin brightened once she noticed the section on Art/Fashion.

She wasn't extremely knowledgeable on what was fashionable or not. And she didn't exactly keep up with trends.

If Taiga liked it, she'd wear it. That was it for her.

But she did respect those who were passionate about it and who were trying to make that industry a better place as well.

It was so cool what others could come up with. And it was an art form.

Speaking of art...

This city lived and breathed it. Whether they stayed or moved... They ARE their art.

Many people were. Taiga thought every body was a stroke of genius by whichever being may be responsible, but this specific place was known for creativity in that regard.

It was so comforting seeing it all.

Art truly shall never die.

And Taiga wanted to read up on the famous artists/musicians that were born here.

After all, The Portland Art Museum was also on her list. There was no way she would miss that before going back home.

But she did have a budget, so unfortunately, she couldn't grab too many books.

There were an abundant amount of names, and pieces. Yet she was still happy for what she could grab. Taiga knew that she could revisit this section another time, or look up even more later on.

She knew that these were most likely accessible online, but for her, that couldn't beat coming to the state itself and actually physically owning the book.

She had nothing against digital literature. Taiga had some herself. But she lived for going to these book stores, libraries...

Any form of housing for these beauties.

It could not be replicated, or replaced.

You know when you come across something and immediately know deep down you'll enjoy it without a doubt?

That's how Taiga felt about her spoils.

Except Taiga wasn't a greedy pirate who stole something to claim as her own. These treasures were meant to be shared, in her opinion. And she gladly would if anyone wanted to borrow these from her.

So for the time being, she calmed herself down as much as possible and went to make her purchase.

The price of it all wasn't steep enough for her to have to shelve anything again, which she was relieved about. Her little collection was growing even more over time. It was nice to see.

And the compliment that she got from the cashier about the "costume" she had on being "rad as hell" made her lightly blush, but feel even better about herself.

As Taiga bashfully thanked them, along with trying hard to keep her ears and tail from moving too much, she grabbed ahold of her books again before she stumbled off, politely declining help from any of the staff that saw her and offered. She appreciated it though.

Taiga was clumsy, but she actually had it handled, so she kept on.

She wasn't bothered by the slight jestful bits of laughter her ears picked up. It quickly moved to the back of her mind as she thought on the largest libraries in the world; not just in America. Then Taiga laughed a bit to herself as well.

But it was for different reasons however, because as she took a seat in one of the reading corners nearby and flipped through each of the books she acquired, she semi-playfully had the thought:

'Maybe after everything, a visit to The Library of Congress could be next.'

She shook her head with a smirk as she neatly stacked and organized the rest of her books on a table beside her, before settling on one to keep in front of her and start reading.

Taiga crossed her leg and started to get comfortable. She had quite a chunk of free time and would make the most of it. But just in case she lost track of it, she set a timer on her phone and put it on vibrate before leaving it in her lap.

As she lightly turned the first page and swung her leg back and forth, it didn't take long before was sucked in and transported to another new world.

And Taiga welcomed it with open arms.

[thatscarletflycatcher]

You expressed some eagerness at hearing my thoughts when I watched Jane Eyre (1973). I just watched the first episode! The transitions were soooo weird, however beyond that the direction was rather good! Definitely better production values than 1983. Jane missed a bit of passion at first but I did end up liking her! Bit much voiceover maybe but I do like there is one. Miss Temple and Helen really were so good! Finally all the Helen scenes! And they didn't tone down the religion. Very strange for the episode to end in the middle of the meeting Rochester scene; still, I'm very excited to see Michael Jayston. I already like him as an actor.

Yes!

For a BBC 1970s-1980s production, they truly threw the house through the window, as we say in Spanish XD I think only Wuthering Heights 1978 got as much evident budget (and it has some actually artsy, inspired camera work? that one is kinda wild).

The whole tone of 73' is strangely... lighthearted? Jane goes through life like "I'M GOING ON AN ADVENTURE WEEE" which is a bit strange overall, but it pays off nicely when she gets to interact with Rochester, because he's trying all his bullshit so hard and she's like "lol, you are pathetic, I love you".

The voiceover thing is strange too, because it's hilariously overdone on episode 1 (like, the action stops so that Jane can narrate at us XD) but then it slowly goes away as the adaptation moves forward? I don't remember it ever being fully absent, but it is noticeably dropped in intensity.

I ADORE 73 Helen! I think the series does get what is The PointTM of the character and translates it well, and that's so satisfying considering how often that is not the case.

The ending of the episode is meant to be a cliffhanger, I think. If you are not familiar with the story, the mystery of the stranger would be a hook to tune in next time.

[ghost-in-the-hella]

For the artist asks: 14, 25, 29, 30

14 = Any favorite motifs

Hmmmmmm… Does “big, burly, and butch” count as a motif? XD I don’t really know that I have particular favorite motifs in my fanart. In my personal art and professional art outside of fandom, definitely: anatomical hearts, birds, cats, butterfly swarms, vines, cracks, water. Lots of recurring imagery there. If it counts, I like having little hits of bright blue in my fanart (especially Life is Strange, naturally). And plaid, I suppose, but again that’s probably more the influence of the source material (and my own lumberjack lite aesthetic).

25 = Something your art has been compared to that you were NOT inspired by

I can’t really think of anything my fanart has been compared to offhand. Let me know if you’ve got something to compare it to and I’ll let you know if I was influenced by it or not ^_^’ Grad school art critiques are basically a game of “let me name every artist whose work might be even tangentially related to yours I can think of” so I’ve definitely had my personal work compared to tons of artists I had never heard of before.

29 = Media you love, but doesn't inspire you artistically

Night in the Woods comes immediately to mind. I absolutely love the game; it’s one of my favorite video games of all time. But I just virtually never feel moved to make art or tell stories about it. I’ve drawn, like, one piece of fanart of Mae as a human just for funsies. It’s got such a distinctive art style that is so far away from my own that I feel like it would lose something in the translation into my style, if that makes sense.

30 = What piece of yours do you think is underrated

Oooh… Hm. Pricefield art definitely does the biggest numbers for me, which isn’t that surprising, and I don’t think my pricefield art is consistently my best work. But honestly, even that doesn’t do particularly big numbers. Is it too arrogant to say that I think most of my fanart is underrated? ^_^’’’’ I’ve never had anything go more than a couple hundred notes on tumblr, and most of my art is well under that (most of mine are under 100, I think), which seems tiny compared to most of the art I see on tumblr. So now comes my ask for everyone: if you see my art and you like it, please consider reblogging it as well? It would be greatly appreciated.

If nothing else, I’ve done some Camilleon (Camilla Hect/Gideon Nav from the Locked Tomb series) artwork that I really, really love that hasn’t gotten much attention, which is probably at least in part because it’s just not that popular a ship. But I will continue to draw them because I love my buff, butch sword lesbians and think that ‘butch for butch’ is tragically underrepresented in fandom.

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS Do-S Kyuuketsu VERSUS Ⅳ Vol.6 Laito VS Yuma [TRACK 4]

Original title: 相応しいのはどちらか

Source: DIABOLIK LOVERS Do-S Kyuuketsu VERSUS Ⅳ Vol.6 Laito VS Yuma [CD not owned by me]

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Hirakawa Daisuke & Tomohisa Suzuki

Translator’s note: The long-awaited double blood sucking scene~ This one wasn’t as intense as some of the other VERSUS CDs I’ve translated though. They’ve definitely toned down the characters a lot compared to the first VERSUS series. xD Personally I really liked the moral conflict between Laito & Yuma in terms of treasuring one’s own life though. I hope they touch upon that in the final track as well.

Track 1 ll Track 2 ll Track 3 ll Track 4 ll Track 5

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Track 4: Who is Suitable?

*Rattle*

Laito: So the science classroom is up next, huh? If we’re given the same assignment as before, I’ll make you feel even better, okay~?

Yuma: Oi. Keep yer distance from that disgustin’ freak. Who knows what he’ll do to ya.

Laito: That’s so mean. Iーー

The door closes.

Laito: ...Oh? Seems like the door closed by itself again.

*Bzt*

Laito: ...Hm? Heeh, seems like there’s a device on top of the teacher’s desk this time. The one which projects a message onto the screen.

Yuma: Che...The next task, huh?

Laito: I suppose so. ...Well then, let’s look what we’ve got...’Assignment 3: The Vampire most deserving of her must suck the girl’s blood’ Heeh~? Suitable, huh?

Yuma: Argh...What kind of bullshit is this!? I bet he gave us that task knowin’ very well the two of us have been sparrin’!

Laito: Nfu~ But it’s a wonderful assignment, don’t you think? We can use this to decide who actually deserves her. Let’s have the game master decide which one of us is more suitable from an outsider’s point of view. 

Yuma: Ya...You’re still havin’ fun even when that Kino dude is blatantly makin’ a joke out of us!?

Laito: Why are you getting so upset? We can’t get out without completing the task anyway, so if you don’t enjoy it, you’re just missing out, no? Ah. I suppose you’re lacking confidence? You’re scared of not being chosen, aren’t you? 

Yuma: Ya bastard...Don’t underestimate me! If ya wanna lose to me that badly, I’ll take my victory.

Laito: Nfu~ It’s settled then. ...Well then, Bitch-chan, let us decide who is the better partner for you amongst us two.

Yuma: Come on, this way!

You step back.

Yuma: Oi, why ya tryin’ to run?

Laito: Hm...~? Ah! I get it! You want to tease us and have us fight over you, don’t you? You really are such a greedy and lewd girl~ ...However~

Laito steps closer.

Laito: You can’t just back away. I caught you this easily, see? Come on, take a seat on top of the desk. ...Heavy-hoh.

*Thud*

Yuma: Oi. Why are ya makin’ her sit on the desk?

Laito: If the three of us are gonna enjoy ourselves all together, it’d be easier like this, right? Ah! I found the perfect thing laying around! Hm, hm, hm~

He picks up a cable and ties your hands together.

Laito: Like this, you can no longer use your hands~ 

*Rustle rustle*

Laito: What do you think? You like being tied up like this as well, don’t you? I tied it a little on the tighter side, so it should gradually become more painful~

Yuma: Che...Freak.

Laito: Going about this the normal route is no fun, don’t you think? If you’re like that, she’ll grow tired of you~

*Rustle rustle*

Laito: Ah, you shouldn’t try and move. I was only trying to show you that you can’t move, yet you go out of your way to make it even harder on yourself. ...Heh~ You really are so obscene.

Laito bites you.

*Gulp gulp gulp*

Yuma: Che...I’ll make ya forget ‘bout his fangs!

*Rustle*

Yuma: I’ll satisfy ya even without usin’ any props. I’ll start by suckin’ from your shoulder.

Yuma bites you as well.

*Sluuuuurp*

Yuma: Haah...Ya like it when it hurts, don’t ya? I’ll bite ya a lil’ stronger...

*Sluuuuurp*

Laito: Ah~ What lovely noises~ Personally, I very much welcome this turn of events. Hearing you cry out in agony as we both such your blood simultaneously...It’s making my head spin...Haah...Ah. Did the cable scrape your skin? Your wrist is bleeding. Guess I have no other choice but to untie you.

Laito unties the cable.

Laito: Fufu~ And then like this...

*Sluuuuurp*

Laito: Mmh...

*Smooch*

Laito: ...Fufu~ Did that sting in the wound? Does it hurt? ...Or perhaps, does it feel so good, it could become addictive?

Yuma: Oi, ignore that guy. Ya should only feel me.

Laito: Oh no~ Don’t do something so cold~ Mmh...Nn...

*Rustle*

Yuma: ...Oi!

Laito: ...Did I bite you a little too hard? My bad~ However, you’re at fault for getting distracted. Look my way.

He turns your face.

Laito: Nfu~ ...Exactly. Those fear-filled eyes are the best. The expression you make when you’re overwhelmed by fear, realizing you should try and run as soon as possible, yet you can’t help but feel good...Show me more of it...Ah-aah~ You’ve got that dreamy look in your eyes, you’ve become so very shameless.

Yuma: Che...Don’t play right into his hands. Come on, look me into the eyes and tell me where ya want my fangs. I’ll suck from yer favorite spot.

You remain quiet.

Yuma: If ya can’t come up with anythin’, I’ll suck from where I think ya’d like it. Right. ...How ‘bout right here?

*Rustle*

Yuma bites you again.

*Sluuuuurp*

Yuma: Hah...Damn...I’ve gotten dizzy ‘gain...Mmh...Nn...

Laito: Come on, focus on me as well. Haahn...Mmh...

*Sluuuuurp*

*Gulp gulp gulp*

Laito: ...Haah~ You’ve been exposed this much, I can’t get enough of it...

Laito looks over at Yuma.

Laito: Seems like I’m not the only one enjoying it though~

Yuma: ...Haah, haah...

Laito: Say, you said that I’m obsessed with her, but can’t you say that about yourself as well? 

Yuma: Heh...So what?

Laito: Heeh...You’re actually admitting it?

Yuma: Bein’ with ya today made me remember whether I liked it or not. I can’t leave her in yer care. As if I’d let her get dragged down to hell by some suicidal freak. There’s people in this world who can’t survive no matter how badly they want to live, ya know? Do ya realize that!?

Laito: ...Could you please not force your personal ‘morals’ onto me? Enjoy the moment. That is my everything. She is having fun too, so what’s the problem? ...See? Take a look at her melted expression.

Yuma: Don’t try and change the subject!

Laito: ...Oh shut up. I don’t exactly want you to understand me. If you don’t, can you just leave me alone? Ah-ah~ And here I thought I’d be able to have even more fun with an extra person added into the mix. I’ve lost interested.

Yuma: Che...You’re always so damn whimsical...Don’t ya have a thing like that? Somethin’ ya can’t give up no matter what?

*THUD*

Laito: I don’t.

Yuma: Ya bastard...

You nearly collapse.

*Rustle*

Yuma: Ah! Watch out! ...Oi!

Laito: Ah-aah~ I guess we had a little too much blood.

*Rustle*

Yuma: Oi!? Ya ‘kay!?

Laito: Nfu~ ...Are you in any position to say that after scarfing down on her blood till literally seconds ago?

Yuma: Haah!?

You try and stop them again.

Yuma: Ah...You’ve got a point. This isn’t the time to be quarrelin’...Che...My bad. 

Laito: Well, it wouldn’t be fun if we push her any further and she faints on us so I’ll call it a day as well~ However, even though we both sucked her blood, it’s kind of strange nothing has changed? Doesn’t seem like the door will open either.

*BZT*

Yuma: ...! Oi, take a look at that.

Laito: ...! The words are changing...’Incorrect. Too bad. Neither of you are suitable for her. The Vampire deserving of Eve...is me!?’

Yuma: The fuck!?

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

[kumeko]

A/N: For the Dandelion zine! I wanted to explore my favourite trio (though, Yennefer would not like being included like that XD) post series.

Summary: Jaskier’s prized possession was a crate of wine Geralt bought him as an apology. Twelve bottles that he only brought out for the most important of occasions: dates with Geralt, rants with Yennefer, picnics at Ciri’s castle, and more. A look at Jaskier over the years.

…

…

…

…

i. First bottle

There were very few things that Jaskier wouldn’t forgive. Oh, he could and would hold a grudge; he had mastered the art of pettiness by the time he’d turned ten. But that was something entirely different than carrying hate, to nurse it and feed it until it became an entity on its own. Jaskier preferred forgiveness; it was better to drink with old foes than avoid them. Besides, it never hurt to keep things friendly when he could.

He had enough enemies from past dalliances as it was.

However, forgiveness required an actual apology, which was why he wasn’t exactly excited when he found Geralt for the first time in months. It didn’t hurt that he was also sitting on his bed in the inn, expression carefully blank, as though they’d gone on another adventure together and hadn’t fought at all. It figured the Witcher would just wander in and expect everything to be fine.

“How’d you get in here?” Jaskier asked, quietly closing the door behind him. Innkeepers and maids liked to talk and this was complicated enough without bringing in half the neighbourhood to hear.

“Your door was unlocked,” Geralt answered simply, his voice low and rough as though he hadn’t spoken for days. Knowing him, that had to be the case. Despite his relaxed posture, his golden eyes remained fixed on Jaskier as though waiting for something. At his foot was a small, wooden crate and Jaskier didn’t remember seeing that before.

“You know that’s not an answer, right?” Knowing it’d take an army to pull Geralt off his bed, Jaskier settled for grumpily leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. He had forgotten how tiring it was to pry information from him.

Geralt studied him for a minute before admitting, “The cook let me in.”

Which was the answer, but that wasn’t the question Jaskier really wanted to ask. Why? After that day on the mountain, after months of utter silence, why now? With anyone else, he would have guessed loneliness or regret, but Geralt was ‘above’ that. Or rather, Geralt squashed his emotions into a pit of denial so deep it would take years to dig it out. Jaskier ran a hand through his hair. “Bribery. Of course. Next time, I’ll bribe them to keep you out.” Breathing in through his nose, he counted to ten before asking, “What are you doing here?”

This time, Geralt took even longer to respond. As a self-proclaimed ‘man with no feelings’, he didn’t really have any nervous ticks that gave away his thoughts, nothing that Jaskier could focus on and say, He’s anxious because he’s scratching his nose. “I came to meet you.”

“Again, that’s not an answer!” Jaskier growled, resisting the urge to toss his lute at him. All of this was sobering him up. “And here I was, happily inebriated,” he complained.

“I can fix that,” Geralt offered, nudging the box forward. A heavy thing, it slowly slid across the wooden floor. If it scratched the planks, he’d force Geralt to pay for damages.

“No thanks.” Jaskier wrinkled his nose, already imagining its contents. Though, with Geralt, it was probably ten times worse than what he was thinking. “What’d you put in there? A monster’s head?”

Geralt gave him a blank look, as though he were an idiot. Jaskier didn’t know why he felt a swell of fondness at seeing it again, he hated that look. “Why would I do that?”

It was a fair point. Not that he’d admit it. Jaskier looked away scornfully and scoffed, “I don’t know. Why do you do anything you do?”

There was something extremely annoyed in Geralt’s expression and privately, Jaskier was thrilled. A little frightened, but thrilled. It was getting to him. “It’s a case of wine,” he stated flatly.

“Wine?” That caught his attention. Jaskier eyed the box before resisting the urge to take one out. Knowing Geralt, the flavour would be terrible, but still. It was free wine. One should never look a gift horse in the mouth, especially one that would still get you drunk.

“Yes, for you.” He motioned for Jaskier to take the box. “Just take it.”

These were more words than Geralt used in a week. Jaskier withdrew his hand, resting it at his side. Even though he knew the answer, he asked, “And why are you giving this to me? Didn’t think you were one for presents.”

“It’s…” Geralt shifted uncomfortably, the bed creaking in response. With his hulking frame, he looked out of place in the small room, his shoulders hunching slightly so he’d take up less room. “It’s…for that time.”

“For that time?” Jaskier prodded, knowing immediately what he meant. At his core, Geralt was an awkward man. For all of his roughness and combative prowess, he was clumsy in the ways of the heart. Luckily, that’s what Jaskier excelled at. And he wasn’t going to let his friend stumble through life, unable to actually say what he meant. More importantly, he wasn’t going to let this go without a proper apology.

“On the mountain. When we…when I…” Geralt rubbed his neck, looking more and more embarrassed with each passing second.

“Ah, yes, the mountain where you declared we weren’t friends.” Faking a frown, Jaskier tapped his chin. “What was it you said, again? Something about—”

“Don’t be annoying,” Geralt grumbled. If Witchers’ could flush, he would be redder than a tomato by now.

That stopped Jaskier in his tracks. Glaring, he snapped, “Annoying? You came here to beg for my forgiveness—”

“I’m not begging.”

“—and you think you can talk like that?” Jaskier rested a hand on his hip, ignoring Geralt’s quick aside.

“You have a point.” Geralt paused, clenching his fist. He looked away. Taking a deep breath, he slowly unfurled his hand. “I was wrong then.”

“For?” Jaskier pressed, unable to stop himself.

Geralt glared at him and spit out, “Everything.”

Well, that wasn’t quite what he was looking for, but he’d take it all the same. Jaskier hummed happily as he reached for the casket. To be perfectly honest, he had forgiven Geralt the moment he’d laid eyes on him, but no one needed to know that. He had his self respect and dignity to protect, after all. Flipping open the lid, he pulled out a dark green bottle and held up to the light. “A red wine, huh? Perfect for a catching-up drinking session. I need some new songs.”

Geralt groaned.

-x-

ii. second bottle

There were many places Jaskier expected to bump into Yennefer—in a ballroom, at a court, in front of Geralt’s corpse. Ironically, she would probably be the reason his stupid friend got killed and not any of the monsters he hunted. The one place that had never crossed his mind was the broom closet of a minor noble, while he was on the run from said noble’s guards.

“Fancy seeing you here.” He smiled charmingly, or at least as charmingly as he could while still panting from exertion. Behind him, there were shouts and angry footsteps as the guards looked for him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked flatly, as though she wasn’t the one hiding in the closet. Somehow, she always appeared composed and he hated her for it. Yennefer glanced over his shoulder and smirked. “No, let me guess, another one of your affairs?”

“What gave it away?” As the sounds grew louder, he pushed her to the side and squeezed his way in. “Ugh, this is so tight.”

“What are you doing?” she hissed, stubbornly pushing back against him. “Find your own hiding spot.”

So she was hiding too. He tucked that info away for later, for when he wasn’t in life-threatening danger. Shoving, he wormed into the gap next to her. “There’s no time!”

“Oh for god’s sake,” she snapped, letting off a string of curses before grabbing his hand.

“Awfully forward of—” Before Jaskier could finish his sentence, the world turned topsy-turvy and suddenly they weren’t in the closet anymore. No, they were in his room in the inn and the world was spinning around him. Falling on all fours, he heaved as he tried to regain his bearings. “What…was…that…?”

“Teleportation.” He couldn’t see her face, but he knew she was rolling her eyes. Her heels clicked on the wooden floor as she slowly examined the room.

“Magic,” Jaskier groaned. He had always thought teleportation was useful before this—if he could just escape all of his trysts so easily. He had been utterly wrong. It was better to face the wrath of every guard than it was to go through that again. “Oh god, does it always feel like this?”

“Only if you’re not used to it,” she replied tartly, peeking out his window. Clearly she didn’t like what she saw, as she sniffed and added, “Quaint place.”

Jaskier wondered just how many times she had vomited before she’d gotten used to this feeling. It was a strange, humanizing thought, and he pushed it to the back of his head. “I’m not as rich as you.”

“No, clearly not.” The bed creaked as she sat on it. He could just see her hand pressing against the bedsheet. She clicked her tongue. “Definitely not.”

There was nothing like spite to force a man to compose himself. Jaskier forced down the bile in his throat and unsteadily rose to his feet. “Then go back to that noble, huh? Oh wait, you can’t.”

Yennefer looked at him sharply. Honestly, what did Geralt see in her? She looked like one of those governesses, never smiling, never laughing. Then again, neither did Geralt most of the time and he was still with him. “Don’t talk about matters you know nothing about.”

Jaskier waited a minute for her to elaborate. When she didn’t add anything else, he rubbed his forehead, frustrated. Of course she wouldn’t explain. Another thing she shared with Geralt. He wasn’t sure why he found one endearingly annoying and the other just plain irritating. “If you don’t say anything, obviously I’m going to know nothing about it.”

Her glare grew deeper. “I could turn you into a frog.”

“You wouldn’t,” he sneered, challenging her. At least, that was the plan, but his voice cracked half-way and he wobbled slightly as he tried to find a stable position. There was no bite to his words, he could tell it by the way she smirked. Stumbling onto the lone chair in the room, he sat on it backwards, leaning his chest against the chair back for support. At least he didn’t have to look as wobbly as he felt. Just how long was this motion sickness supposed to last, anyways?

“Hmm, don’t think I have to.” Every word from her felt like a taunt. “So what was it this time? Another fling?”

Averting his eyes, Jaskier didn’t bother to reply. Sure, he was predictable. Geralt just had to look at him to guess what he was up to, but he wasn’t sure how to feel about Yennefer of all people figuring him out. They’d barely even talked. They weren’t even allies, just people who sometimes worked together because Geralt forced them too. Maybe he really should reconsider his affairs business if even strangers knew about it.

Jaskier frowned. Or maybe Geralt had blabbed during pillow-talk. Sure, he wasn’t much of a talker, but she was a witch, after all. Maybe she’d gotten it out of him. “Did Geralt tell you?”

Immediately, Yennefer scowled. “No,” she hissed between clenched teeth, looking like a lioness ready to pounce. It reminded Jaskier of the Queen of Calanthe, and he swallowed. “Of course not.”

“Oh.” Jaskier wasn’t sure what to make of that. If Geralt had apologized to him, he must have gone to Yennefer too. He rubbed his neck. “So, uh, he didn’t try to give you an I’m sorry gift?’

Yennefer snorted, a completely un-ladylike and inelegant move. “I wouldn’t let him.”

“Oh.” Well, that explained it. Honestly, he would never understand their relationship, and he really didn’t want to. “He gave me wine.” Jaskier gestured at a box near the foot of the bed. “It’s surprisingly good, considering he picked it.”

“He must have had help.” Yennefer rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t understand himself, let alone others.”

Look who’s talking, he almost said, but he’d tested his luck once today. There was no point in trying it a second time. Jaskier had experienced enough curses to last a lifetime. “Probably. Wish I could have seen that conversation. ‘I need an apology gift for abandoning my friend on a mountain’.”

Yennefer replied scornfully, “At least he left you. He tied me to him, the bastard.”

This was the first he’d heard of it. Jaskier bit his lip. Geralt was his friend. Yennefer was a horrid woman. Geralt was his friend. This sounded really interesting. Geralt was his friend. “I don’t—”

At the same time, Yennefer looked out his window and if looks could kill, Geralt would be dead right now. “And that pig of a nobleman might have had a cure for it.”

“How’d you end up in the closet?” Jaskier asked, before he could stop himself. Internally, he sighed. Well, if he was going to do this anyways, he might as well go all the way. “This seems like a long story, want some wine?”

-x-

iii. third bottle

There were many idyllic ways Jaskier liked to while the hours away. Wooing a noble lady, practicing his songs, lazing about in the afternoon sun. Sometimes, as a treat, he liked to do all three at once. If he were entirely honest, almost anything he did was an utter waste of time and that was precisely why he liked doing them. There was no pressure, no demand, just time spent spoiling himself.

Therefore it was entirely unexpected when Geralt joined him on a grassy hill for cloud watching of all things. Sure, he had returned from yet another monster-hunting/city-saving adventure, so he was due for a little rest and relaxation. Yet he had never accepted that as a reason before. Flat on the ground, Jaskier glanced to his right, at the profile of his stoic lover. Quiet, unsmiling, it looked like Geralt.

“What is it?” Geralt asked, still staring up at the clouds. He hadn’t so much as moved and Jaskier wondered if he just had a second sense for observing things.

Well, it sounded like Geralt too. So it had to be him, as odd as it was. “You’re lying here.” Jaskier blurted, not sure what to say, how to say it aside from stating the obvious.

At this, Geralt turned his head and looked at him. “Yeah?”

“You.” Jaskier gestured at Geralt for emphasis. “Are. Relaxing.” This was the exact opposite of what Geralt did. Maybe he was sick. Or maybe he’d gotten cursed again. In Geralt’s line of work, this wasn’t exactly uncommon. A monster, a witch—Jaskier’s eyes widened as he found the perfect suspect. “Was it Yennefer?” He wouldn’t put it past her to pull some petty revenge for an inane argument

“Yenn—” Geralt cut himself off, rolling his eyes before looking up at the sky again. “She didn’t do anything,” he answered gruffly.

“But you know she would,” Jaskier muttered under his breath, a little put out. That answered his other question—Geralt had apologized and Yennefer had forgiven. Great. At least none of Jaskier’s flings had the tendency to put them into life-threatening situations. Maybe he should amend their open relationship to not include dangerous witches.

“I’m just spending time with you,” Geralt added and Jaskier felt the sigh more than heard it. Their arms bumped slightly, sending a tingle up his spine. “I can stop.”

Before Geralt could get up, Jaskier latched onto his hand. “No, it’s fine.” There was no point in ruining a day out over his suspicions; they had few enough of them as it was. Besides, with another day or two of lazing about, he’d be proven right. Curses always took forever to disappear. When Geralt gave him a dry look, he smiled. “Come on, just a little longer.”

“Fine.” Geralt lay back down, though he didn’t pull away. “A little longer.”

His eyes were soft, Jaskier noted silently. So very soft. He wondered sometimes, how long it took for Yennefer to forgive him, how long it took for them to finally talk. If they still looked at each other overwhelmed and as though they didn’t know what to do with their emotions.

If that look had ever changed to the one Geralt had now, domestic and gentle. There was such an easy thing between them now, where Geralt would scoff at Jaskier’s latest messy affair and Jaskier would bemoan his partner’s inability to be romantic. An easy thing that didn’t really need explanation or words, really. Even now, they just lay there, soaking in the sun, enjoying the breeze. Pure boredom at its best. “I wish we could just always do this.”

“Don’t you always do this?” Geralt asked, not a hint of mockery in his voice.

“I’ll have you know I do actual work.” Jaskier paused, before averting his eyes. “Sometimes.”

“Sometimes,” Geralt agreed, and this time Jaskier knew he was teasing him.

“A lot of the times,” Jaskier corrected. “As fun as it is getting chased out of every kingdom, I’m getting too old for that.”

Geralt rolled over to his side, his brow furrowed. “You’re getting old?”

That was either a compliment, or Geralt was the densest man alive. Probably the latter. Pointing at a strand of grey hair, he nodded. “Not all of us are immortal.”

“I’m not immortal.” Geralt reached and gently touched the hair. “And that’s only one.”

Jaskier snorted. Why was he stuck with immortal beauties for companions? At least Ciri would understand his plight. “One can lead to more, and I want to have something nicer than a room at an inn when that happens.” Having had enough of the topic, he gestured at the picnic at their feet, utterly forgotten. “Let’s finish that bottle. There’s no point in lazing about if we can’t get drunk while at it.”

-x-

iv. fourth bottle

“You’re going into academia?” Mystified, Yennefer glanced at her goblet, at the ruby red wine inside, and then up at Jaskier. “I’m not that drunk.”

Regrettably, they were sitting in one of Ciri’s rose gardens, and not in Jaskier’s room, so he couldn’t just toss her out. Not that it had stopped him from trying before, but the guards refused to believe that Yennefer’s tongue was a lethal weapon and should be treated as such. It didn’t hurt that Ciri was taken with the older woman and he could only blame her terrible taste on Geralt. Like godfather, like goddaughter, and he worried about Ciri’s future partner.

“What’s so funny about that?” Jaskier asked, and immediately he wanted to take his words back. They gave her too many openings.

“Seriously?” Yennefer asked. When he glared at her, she scornfully laughed. “And I thought it was a prestigious academy.”

“Yeah, well, you’re also a teacher somehow, so I guess anything’s possible,” Jaskier snarked back. Luckily for her, she was seated opposite of him on the round table, or he’d have kicked her shins. Actually, maybe he could still—

“Don’t be like that,” Geralt sighed, dropping a hand on his thigh to stop him. He and Ciri sat opposite one another, and not for the first time, Jaskier suspected this seating was on purpose, to prevent some accidental fight.

“Hey, I wasn’t the one who invited her.” Jaskier pulled his wine bottle closer. Honestly, if he’d known she’d come, he wouldn’t have used one from his secret stash. “Why is she even here?”

“Oh? I thought we were friends,” Yennefer drawled, thatching her fingers and resting her chin on them. There was something utterly evil in her smile. Magic was the only reason no one else had noticed.

“Friends don’t make fun of each other,” Jaskier retorted before gulping down his wine. He was too sober to deal with her.

“Congratulations!” Ciri piped up, smiling at him over her goblet. “I think you will be a great professor.”

“Thank you.” Jaskier beamed back at her, though he couldn’t resist throwing one more barb. “See? This is how friends treat each other.”

Ciri giggled, amused. “You two are friends, though.”

“Loosely,” Yennefer muttered. “Very loosely.”

“Ciri, are you drunk?” Jaskier asked, worried. Actually, now that he thought about it, should she even be here, drinking with them? It wasn’t like he could tell the queen to stop, but still. Someone had to keep an eye out for her, and her other two babysitters were utterly incompetent with children.

“Not in the least.” Ciri smiled sweetly, before swirling her wine. At his disbelieving look, she added, “I have had a glass a night since I was eight.”

“Eight?” Jaskier’s first taste of wine had been at 18. Noble children really were nothing at all like the commonfolk.

“I know my limits.” Ciri took another delicate sip, her expression too dignified to remind him of any of his hometown’s children. “Now, what are you teaching?”

-x-

iv. fifth bottle

Jaskier woke up to a dry mouth and the lingering taste of vomit. There was an uncomfortable turmoil in his belly, one that promised he wouldn’t leave the toilet for hours, and his head pounded like a drum. Lying on his back, he stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling, his right hand curled around a cool, glass bottle. From the corner of his eye, he could just make out that it was one of Geralt’s apology bottles, and that it was utterly empty. Actually around him were several other vintages of alcohol, and he didn’t have to guess to know where they’d gone.

He was never going to drink that much again. And this time, he meant it.

There was something heavy and warm on his waist. Jaskier looked down to find a hairy, muscular arm, and followed it up to find a sound asleep Geralt. Memories of last night, in bits and flashes, returned, and he resisted the urge to groan. No wonder he was so drunk, it was the only way he would have agreed to this. Only way Yennefer would agree to it too. He didn’t have to crane his neck to know that she was already gone. If it weren’t for Geralt’s arm, he’d be gone too.

It had been a mistake. An utter mistake. No matter what had changed in their relationship over the years, he and Yennefer were never going to be more than friendly enemies. Drunken, sloppy kisses weren’t going to change that. Jaskier breathed out his nose, glancing up at Geralt. His expression was entirely unguarded and content. Well, at least one person had enjoyed it.

When Jaskier received a raven a week later, a letter informing him that this would never be repeated, his only regret was that he hadn’t sent it first.

-x-

vi. sixth bottle

It was hard, being a teacher. Harder than any job Jaskier had done before, and he’d fought monsters with the best of them. Well, to be precise, he had watched people fight monsters, but he had been on the front lines for each encounter and that had to count for something.

Still, none of that had prepared him for standing in front of a classroom, day in and day out, and having dozens of students watch him with bored eyes. There were a few eager beavers in his class, but the vast majority came in expecting a bird course. Or were from his fan club, and Jaskier took no small amount of pride that even as his hair greyed, he still had it.

And all of that was easy compared to grading all of his students at the end of their term. His table was swamped with papers, with tests and projects and things he probably shouldn’t be marking but got foisted on him because another teacher had seniority. There was a reason that Jaskier had made his final exam a pure performance one, he hadn’t wanted to deal with any paperwork nonsense after.

Leaning forward, he delicately plucked a paper off the table, grimacing at the tiny cramped writing that filled both sides. It was even worse than he thought. Immediately, he dropped the sheet and headed to his closet, pulling out a small box of wine he stored safely beneath his many clothes.

If he was going to do this, he might as well be comfortable.

-x-

vii. seventh bottle

“Why do you look so good?” Jaskier bemoaned, kicking his legs as he sat on the edge of the rooftop. A small part of him worried that this was dangerous, to be drunk and on a rooftop with no rails. The rest of him realized that while he hated it, Yennefer did have teleportation magic and the worst he’d suffer was nausea. However begrudgingly it was, she’d save him.

Probably.

“Hard work,” Yennefer replied bluntly, sipping her wine as she stared up at the night sky. Even now, there was something elegant about her profile, about the way her hair flowed in the cool breeze.

It only made Jaskier hate her more. “You and Geralt are stupidly good looking. And immortal.” He gulped his wine, ignoring the taste as he chased a blissful buzz. “You know how old that makes me feel?”

“As old as you are?” Yennefer hazard a guess, her tone completely dry and disinterested.

“Exactly!” Jaskier picked up the bottle, refilling his glass once more. He couldn’t remember just when they’d started sitting here on the rooftop, having monthly bitching sessions as they complained about coworkers or students. It seemed being teachers had done what Ciri, Geralt, life-changing experiences, or even time couldn’t: made them actual friends.

He would also never tell her that. Biting his lip, he shoulder bumped her. “You shouldn’t get both. Either be good looking or immortal, but not both.”

“It’d be useless to be immortal if we couldn’t move,” Yennefer pointed out, rolling her eyes. “I’m not living to a thousand and using crutches.”

They had this argument every year and, as far as Jaskier was concerned, they would continue to have it till he died. “You have magic, what do you care if you can’t walk? Another stupidly unfair thing.”

“Fine, it’s unfair. Life’s unfair,” Yennefer sneered, looking down at him. “What’re you going to do about it?”

“I’ll tell Ciri to ban you,” he immediately shot back, not bothering to think about his decision for a moment.

“Oh?” Yennefer grinned and if he were just a little more sober, he’d recognize it for the trap that it was. “Go ahead.” She held out a scroll of paper and a pen. He should have wondered where she’d gotten it.

He was too drunk to care. “Fine, I will.”

Jaskier spent the next three months too embarrassed to visit Ciri.

-x-

viii. eighth to tenth bottles

If there was one thing Jaskier had learned over the years, it was that there was no point in hoarding things. Time passed, people came and went, and it was better to enjoy the moment than to regretfully look back at it.

So he drank when he wanted to, kissed who he wanted to, and loved like there was no tomorrow.

-x-

ix. eleventh bottle

There was nothing Jaskier loved more than to lie by the riverbank, tucked comfortably into Geralt’s side. His head rested on his love’s chest, his breathing soft and slow as they watched the clouds pass. Lying like this, it was easy to forget how his bones creaked and complained when he walked, how his back ached when he stood, and how Geralt’s touch had turned even gentler with the passage of time.

It was easy to forget that Jaskier was old. Not getting old, not turning old, but old. His hair was entirely silver now, his skin wrinkly and paper thin. Geralt’s muscles were just as firm as ever, his body unchanging.

No, not entirely unchanging. Jaskier sighed contentedly, listening to his lover’s heartbeat. All those years ago, it would have been impossible to imagine Geralt like this. It was harder now, to remember those early days, to remember that gruff Geralt. Harder, but not impossible, and perhaps the good thing about having immortal friends was that they never learned to let go of things. If he forgot, Yennefer was certain to remind him.

“Should we go back?” Geralt asked, his voice low and soft.

“Not yet.” Jaskier closed his eyes, content to just laze the day away here. “The bottle’s still full.”

It had been empty hours ago, but Geralt merely tightened his grip and nodded.

-x-

x. twelfth bottle

Geralt wiped the tombstone, his touch reverent as he cleaned Jaskier’s marker. Somehow, it was never as dirty or overgrown as he’d expected it to be. Maybe Ciri still had a guard come out to clean it every now and then. Crouched before it, Geralt ran his fingers along Jaskier’s name, along the numbers and words he had memorized over the year.

He had known before this, just how deep grief could be. How regrets could linger and fester until they haunted every step. What he hadn’t known was that a life lived happily, filled with memories and joy, could leave him feeling full even after loss. That death didn’t have to hurt, though it ached every now and then.

There was a soft pop behind him and he didn’t have to turn to know just who’d arrived. Leaning forward, he kissed Jaskier’s name before standing up. “I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“We were friends,” Yennefer replied, her expression soft. She’d been wearing it more often these days. “Somehow.”

“Somehow,” Geralt echoed, chuckling. Jaskier had that effect on everyone, worming his way into their hearts until it was hard to imagine lives otherwise.

“And I have the fitting marker for his anniversary.” Yennefer pulled out a bottle.

Geralt’s eyes widened and he snatched the bottle. The label had faded, worn with time, but even still, he recognized the bottle. They’d had too many of them over the years for him to forget. “There was one left?”

“Exactly one.” Yennefer gracefully knelt by Jaskier’s grave and set out three glasses. “I don’t know what he was saving it for, but maybe it was this.”

“I doubt it, he never looked that far ahead.” Still, he sat down beside her.

Taking back the bottle, she hummed her agreement. “You’re right, he was never one for thinking.” She uncorked the bottle, and carefully filled the three goblets.

“He thought sometimes,” Geralt half-heartedly defended Jaskier, unable to refute it entirely.

“Sometimes,” Yennefer agreed once more, picking up her glass. For once, she wasn’t in the mood to argue. She sniffed the wine and smiled. “Hmm, smells good. I suppose some things do get better with time.”

Geralt chuckled. “You should have told him that.”

“And let his head get any bigger?” Yennefer snorted inelegantly, before holding up her glass. “To Jaskier.”

“To Jaskier,” Geralt repeated, clinking their glasses together.

[redrosesartcabin]

Self indulgent series: Part 2.1

Life: Part 1

(Kenji x female reader, authors perspective) (the reader is a singer) (also: Some angst in here. I dunno why, but I just love writing some angst with fluff endings xD)

“So, let me get this straight”, the interviewer said, bewildered by the story the singer and songwriter Red Rose had brought up, “you met your now husband, Kenji Kon no less, on Jurassic World as one of the kids who got stranded for five months?”

“That’s correct”, she said. She had answered that very question a million times, but she couldn’t fault them for it: It was an unbelievable story (though she started to wonder how not everyone was aware by now that she was one of the teens back than).

“It was in December of 2015. I was thirteen years old and exited to be one of the first teens to visit Camp Cretaceous. I have to admit, I wasn’t and still am not, maybe even less than before, the biggest fan of dinosaurs. I’m not particularly interested in facts about them, but I definitely was interested in seeing some Dino action! So when I won first place at the talent show of my school-“

“Unsurprisingly”, the interviewer interluded at which the audience gave a collective chuckle.

“-I was still very excited about going to Jurassic World. My parents never wanted to go and in retrospect I can understand why. But you know: I was a naïve thirteen-year-old and didn’t think much about the consequences of the past. What happened at Jurassic Park you know? I was convinced Jurassic World was different and all worked out. Boy was I wrong! We all know it now! But at least I can say that I got, besides trauma, lifelong friends and my amazing husband out of it”

“That definitely can’t be disputed”, the interviewer agreed. Red Rose found him quite pleasant. Although he was a chatterbox, he was still very respectful and didn’t poke too much into the Jurassic World story: Although she was, for the most part, over the trauma, it was still a work in progress and it’s not a time she always remembers fondly. On most days she remembers the good moments she had with her newfound friends there, but sometimes she could feel the adrenaline rush through her as she thought of dinosaurs trying to eat her and her fellow campers. She saw flashes of sharp teeth and could feel hot, stinking breath and hear growls drawing shivers down her spine.  Red Rose liked to focus on the human part of the experience, so she preferred being able to tell the tale of Jurassic World the way she wanted without being asked too much…

 “So, Kon helped you reach fame if I remember correctly?”, he asked.

“Definitely! Though, I mean: I was able to do most of what I’m doing. Teaching myself how to use certain programs. I taught myself how to sing and I’ve always written my own stuff…But I certainly wasn’t good at marketing myself or making myself grow.

Kenji and I became boyfriend and girlfriend when I was sixteen and he was eighteen. That same year we went on vacations for three weeks in the Caribbean’s. And “, she let out a laugh. The camera closed up on her and caught a smile and a glance that looked so touched by love anyone could feel how much she adored her spouse, “I remember how we went on the private part of the beach Kenjis father had purchased. I sat down on a hammock and a guitar and just started improvising and singing. Little did I know my boyfriend -gosh that sounds weird to say now- was filming me. He put it up on Instagram, and he already had quite a following back then, so it gained quite some attention. Though not necessarily because it was a nice scenery or any of that: But because people genuinely liked how I sing and the melody I had come up with. And well… it got wild from there. People soon requested I make my own Instagram page for making music.

A year later I was asked if I would like to produce some music and well… then my career started”

“That’s honestly such a cool and sweet story. Though how about an even sweeter reunion? Please welcome: Kenji Kon”

Red Rose got up from her seat with a wild jump, not as the eccentric, elegant yet kind of crazy minded artist, but as y/n Kon. As the wife who hadn’t seen her husband in person for a month because of the production of yet another movie starring him as the protagonist.

The crowd clapped in awe of him, as fans. She wanted to clap because her heart was clapping too. Her heart was dancing a tango inside of chest as though she was seeing her middle school crush in the hallway. His dark eyes, ridden with depth met her y/e.c. ones and all they could read in each other’s eyes was happiness and love.

This happened within miliseconds, but it passed by in slow motion for her, so she perceived herself running towards him with calm. For the rest of the world however she was perceived as looking like a golden retriever who had missed his owner whilst they were at work and were ready to play.

It was adorable. It was downright touching how the couple met each other halfway and gave each other a long, passionate yet gentle kiss (so that it wouldn’t be too inappropriate for life TV).

“Not to be giddy, but you really are a couple to die for”, the interviewer said. The audience half chuckled half yelled in agreement. She felt her cheeks blush in a deep dark shade of red and heard her husband chuckle in embarrassment. She looked down to her and whispered “Hello love”

 Kenji had, unsurprisingly, had found joy in being actor. Being dramatic and showing his face on camera all the time? Perfect!

And he honest to god was a great actor. Though it did get annoying from time to time that he was casted as either the pretty faced villain or the charming, perfect love interest. Sometimes he was even both.

Y/n didn’t like to admit it, but she was quite jealous at the beginning when she saw him kiss other men and women on screen. It took a big fight for her to admit that.

She wasn’t proud of that fight at all. She had been, without wanting to, been very critical of her then fiancé (it was about six months before they got married). She would call him several times a day when he was on set of a particularly spicy rom com and observe his socials every couple of minutes. Y/n remembers her friends teasing her about it in the beginning and then eventually scold her. “Don’t you trust him?”, they had asked and she had answered, “I do….”, and they knew she was telling the truth, yet there was more behind it.

Kenji soon caught up and noticed her strange clinginess.

“What is up with you, Y/N? You know I have work to do! You can’t call me that often on set!”, he had yelled when the topic came up. He had been visiting for the weekend before he would go back on set.

“Why not? Can a girl not talk to her fiancé?”, she had asked with a sharp undertone

“Of course, you can darling. But twenty times a day is simply too much!”, he argued, yet he tried keeping his tone softer.

“I don’t call that often”, she pouted

“Oh YES you do!”, he put his phone out and showed her the times she had called just the other day. She counted about thirty, “I was nice with that number!”

“And? So what? You can just put your phone on silent”

“Yes, of course I can. This isn’t about solving the notification issue it’s about solving your trust issues towards me. Why don’t you trust me?”, as he asked the question his anger had subsided and genuine hurt showed in his eyes in his voice, “you monitor me like I’m an inmate”

“I…”, she was only able to say, her throat suddenly seemed dry, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… I…”, she couldn’t find the right words to explain it. It hurt too much to admit. She thought she had been over that thought pattern a long time ago, but it had returned to her.

“What? What have I done to deserve this?”, he asked, “Why are you even with me, if who I am disturbs you so much?”

And that… that sentence had hurt her more than that ugly thing inside of her she hadn’t wanted to face.

“You fool!”, she screamed in fury as the sentence he had uttered stung, her eyes filling with endless tears, “How could you ever think you disturb me? You are the most beautiful, wonderful human being I know, inside and out. And on top of that you are incredibly kindhearted. And that’s why I’m like this… I don’t want to lose you. And it’s not that I don’t trust you: I highly doubt you’d ever cheat on anyone. You are too kind for that. But I fear… I feared when you are together with all these good-looking actors you might not find me enough anymore. I know it’s stupid, but you see: The past haunted me again. When I was called fat. When I was called not-good-enough. When I read social media comments saying you’re out of my league and I don’t deserve you. Ugly words that ate me up inside when I was a child and young teen. I thought I was past that but I…I…”, now the tears were too many and her words died with hiccups. She felt his form surround her in a hug that felt so warm and yet sharp as knifes. She loved his touch but felt guilty for not opening up about this sooner. She had never wanted to be like this, but alas she had been too much of a coward to burden him or herself with this.

“Love”, he whispered after comforting her for a couple of minutes, “Look at me”

She lifted her head. Her eyes were red and puffy, her lips were dark pink, and tears had run streaks across her cheeks. It broke Kenji to have hurt her so deeply, yet he also knew that it wasn’t his fault. It was however his responsibility, to clear this up once and for all.

“Love listen”, he started, “I completely understand your jealousy. But we’ve been together for almost ten years and in all that time, I’ve never encountered a woman more incredible, deeply fascinating and intrinsically beautiful as you. No acted kiss could bring me away from you, no sexy actor could keep my mind from ever wishing for more than to be by your side. I’ve been by your side for almost six years: What should change now?

The monster from your past is, as already stated: Past. Their words were untrue. These people were in pain themselves when they caused you pain. You were a target to unleash the inner turmoil of others. It’s no excuse but it is the explanation. Those who feel they must hurt others are those who seek the most attention and power because they’d be devoid of having a self. I should know: I used to be similar to that. And I had my phase of jealousy as well, you know?”

“Really?”, y/n managed to ask

“Oh yes! I was in rage every time I heard you talk about any of your guy friends back in high school. Difference is I could hide it better because we were apart a lot of the time. I feared you would find someone who had more of a personality than me. I was no longer sure looks would cut it”

“Gosh love”, she answered, her voice love drunken, “you burst of personality. You aren’t just a pretty boy or well… pretty man. You have so much spirit and energy to give to the world. You are the definition of happiness and sunshine. And on top of that you are an incredibly talented man with so much to show. You wield the human mind and emotions so well you can convert yourself to be something other than yourself convincingly-”

“See?”, he asked, “and just like you love me like that and see all that good I sometimes don’t recognize, I see it in you… I always love you”

“I love you too. I’m sorry”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m so happy we had this talk. It was much needed”

“Yeah”, she hummed as her lips almost touched his and within seconds the couple found themselves passionately kissing

Ever since then they hadn’t had any of these kinds of self-worth problems. They’d say I love you on a daily basis and gave each other compliments whenever they could.

One thing the fans found especially cute was that, without fail, Red Rose would comment on each of Kenji’s selfies and comment “hey gorgeous, you single?” and he’d answer every single time, “Sure Sugar. Meet me at seven on your favorite street-corner”

One time they took a picture of each other on a nice-looking street corner. Kenji had called the picture “finally found the street corner. Been waiting to meet this lady for a while, apparently her name is ‘your wife’, which is peculiar but otherwise she seems nice”.

The picture even went viral and became one of the all-time favorite celebrity pictures of 2026.

  After the talk-show they flew back in his helicopter.

They were in New York city and y/n looked at the city landscape with a fascinated gaze as she observed the flickering lights of the big apple.

Kenji looked at her with eyes shining almost as bright. He loved her love for everything new she sees. He had noticed that the first time she had seen the watering hole. He wasn’t really interested in her that way yet. He was fifteen and she thirteen, that makes quite a difference at this age. But still he couldn’t but smile as she looked at the dinosaurs with big eyes. And he loved that she hadn’t lost that spark, even as she got older, even as they came together and grew and changed together.

Y/n noticed his gaze and shifted hers to look at him.

‘What a beautiful man. I’ve missed him so’ she thought to herself.

“I missed you”, he said as though he had read her mind just now. Maybe he had. They had been together for so long they were often able to read each other’s subtle shifts in expression. Quite a beautiful thing.

“I missed you too”, she simply answered, “did you plan this talk show surprise?”

“Yes and no”, he admitted, “I was meeting up with Donavan O’Connor, the director of the ‘Elaine, the one?’ series. When calling Donavan, he told me had been to talking to Ray (the interviewer) and he was casually pointing out the funny coincidence you were meeting up for and mention the funny coincidence, that you’d have an interview with him that same day I come to the city and well… needless to say I called Ray and arranged things... I just had to. Couldn’t miss the opportunity to surprise my beautiful wife”

She smiled at that. A shy and flattered smile that reminded Kenji of when they were teens.

 They landed on the roof of a nice-looking hotel. They had decided to stay the night here in New York before travelling back to Ireland… yes: Yes Ireland.

Most celebrities lived in L.A., but Kenji and y/n had preferred living a bit apart in an old mansion near the coast of south Ireland, close to the northern border. Although Kenji was a people person, he didn’t like the dishonesty and lying in the industry and wanted to get away from that with his wife who thought the same.

Besides: It was a beautiful country.

As they entered the room, they felt peace and happiness as well as a certain kind of tension arise.

Needless to say, there was another kind of reuinion going on that night...

(Sorry about that short ending, I had to heavily edit that ‘cause it originally was a... well... non Pg scene xD)

[arwenkenobi48]

I just completed the first five pages of my 30-page script! And I’ve got solid character bios!

The pilot for Adventures In Spellcraft “The Wolf and The Dragon” is looking pretty good so far! I’ve managed to set up the initial premise and introduce the main cast of characters, that’s for sure.

Obviously Achak and Fade are the main characters and they’re both sorcerers. Achak is an Elemental and, as the name implies, can control the elements. Basically he has Avatar powers. I’d describe him as a sentimental, yet ambitious individual. He’ll gladly take the chance for an adventure and cares deeply for those close to him. He has a wolf familiar named Snowdrop, who is almost like a sister to him and helps him channel his magic.

Fade is creative, philosophical and somehow ends up being both eccentric and charming at the same time. His major flaw is that he’s really impulsive. Once he’s set his mind on something, he’ll do it regardless of the consequences. Descended from Vikings, Fade was born in 1518 but became immortal after mistakenly drinking the elixir of life. His vast, albeit muffled, knowledge of the world has resulted in him becoming a sorcerer whose specialty lies in mind-reading, telekinesis, telepathy, levitation and even mind control (although he does this sparingly). He has a dragon familiar named Pomegranate, or Pom-Pom for short. Pom-Pom is a witty, if somewhat grouchy little creature who is perpetually fed up with Fade’s antics. I can’t say I blame him XD

Then there’s Sapphire and Emiko, the police detectives who accompany Fade and Achak on their adventures. Sapphire Johannson is a Goth as well as a detective and frequently enjoys people watching. She initially has a prejudice against sorcerers but still treats them with common courtesy. After finding out that a sorcerer saved her life when she was a child, she becomes much more open minded. She and Emiko are the voices of reason, the straightmen, if you will, to Achak and Fade’s crazy personalities.

Emiko is the character I’ve got to develop a bit more, but I do know that she has a degree in psychology. She also has a dark secret; her entire family is part of the Yakuza, and even she was part of it at one point. Luckily, she escaped before she could go down a dark path, but the decision to run away from her family still haunts her. The friendship she forms with the sorcerers, however, help her handle it and I’m planning for her to marry Sapphire in future episodes too.

Now for the main villain, Koschei the Deathless. He’s strongly based on his counterpart from Slavic folklore, but with a few differences. First of all, he wears a strange mask that covers the entire upper half of his face, yet he not only can see where he’s doing, but seems to have superhuman senses. He is terrified of death to the point that he flat out hid his soul in a location that technically doesn’t exist and walks the earth as a ghostly, almost vampiric figure. He is a Necromancer and his rather disgusting methods of summoning an undead army have tarnished the public’s perception of sorcerers to the point that there’s a strong anti-magic sentiment in this world. Koschei’s only companion is a short eared owl named Ania, who he frequently uses as a sort of living surveillance camera, keeping an eye on the protagonists so that he can sabotage their chances of finding his soul. Ania is a stoic owl who puts up with a lot of incredibly scary scenarios, but isn’t afraid to show her talons in combat. A running thing that will happen throughout this series is Koschei pretending to be a frail old man to get people to help him, only to drop the act once he has what he wants and basically say “sike, you’re now doomed!” I might be paraphrasing there.

So yeah, those are my main characters and their, well, characters. I’m so excited for this series to take off. Ofc I have to finish writing the pilot, but I’ve definitely made progress, that’s for sure. ❤️

[princesstadashi]

👉👈 all the barbie movie asks 🥺🥺

Ahhhh!!!!! Okay, y’all ready for this??? XD

Favorite Barbie film? Wait, I have to choose one of my babies??? Well 12 Dancing Princesses was my favorite growing up. Princess and the Pauper will always have a special place in my heart of course. I think Mermaid Tale is definitely up there, it’s really good, plus I just love mermaids! XD But recently my favorite is either Dolphin Magic or Rock n’ Royals, I keep rewatching them as comfort movies :) 

Favorite heroine/main character? More decisions?? I have anxiety, I can’t decide on things! XD But hm... I think surprisingly Alexa from Barbie and the Secret Door? I love so many of the Barbie characters but Alexa is just so relatable as an introvert who would rather just stay inside and read/write instead of dealing with being social! XD

Favorite Barbie film song? I mean, “To Be a Princess” (both from the original and from Princess and the Popstar) is always a classic--I mean, hell, all the songs from Princess and the Pauper are GOLD. “Life Is a Fairytale” from Fashion Fairytale is catchy as hell and will absolutely get stuck in my head for hours! “Gotta Get to Camp” and pretty much any song from Rock n’ Royals will always get me up and moving. Oh, and “What’s Gonna Happen” from Secret Door is probably why that movie is so high up on my list!

Favorite Barbie film dance scene? Anything from 12 Dancing Princesses but I love the fun camp aesthetic of “Got to Get to Camp”, gives me some very Camp Rock vibes which I love! :)

Favorite Barbie couple? I mean, to be fair I don’t think most of my ships are canon... ^^; Probably the closest thing I have is Ken and Barbie from the Dreamhouse Adventures series but technically they’re not a couple yet... Doesn’t mean I can’t dream! They just made Ken so damn adorable and likable--that man ain’t afraid to rock bright pink clothes and I RESPECT that! Plus he’s Barbie’s best friend first and they’re building up their relationship as solid bff’s before romance kinda starts happening which I am SOFT for. But in Dolphin Magic Barbie and Isla are clearly girlfriends by the end, so I’m down for a triad with all three of them :)

Favorite Barbie dress/outfit? ANY of the outfits from Swan Lake--regular gown and then the swan tutu, I DREAMED of having both of those outfits growing up! The peacock dress from Island Princess is a super close followup, though!

Favorite Barbie film male secondary/side character?  Ken from Dreamhouse Adventures, that boy has ALL my love! He’s also pretty great in Life in the Dreamhouse but I’m sorry, Dreamhouse Adventures made me fall in love with that boy <3

Favorite Barbie female secondary/side character? Isla from Dolphin Magic, Erika from Rock n’ Royals (c’mon, she is CLEARLY queer af, have you seen her amazing hair?!!!), and Skipper from Dreamhouse Adventures.

Favorite Barbie film villain? Oh man... I mean. Preminger from Princess and the Popstar is fantastic--other villains WISH they could be as over dramatic and unashamedly villainous as him XD And Duchess Rowena from Twelve Dancing Princesses rivals Mother Gothel, she is just so wonderfully HATEABLE, and she was straight up POISONING the king and she tried to frame his daughters, she is so EVIL and I LOVE her for that!

Favorite Barbie film animal sidekick? Unfortunately I’m not really a fan of the animals in the Barbie movies--sticking fake eyelashes and makeup on every animal just isn’t my thing :/ But probably Wolfie. I love that cat, especially because “The Cat’s Meow” is totally a trans coded song, I stan one trans cat king <3 

Favorite Barbie film non dance scene? Ahhhh!!!! So many good choices!!! I think any scene where a character gets to meet a family member they were separated from (Merlia and Ro getting to meet their moms, Annika meeting her sister, Brietta) is a really good scene :) Oh! Also Blair straight up trashing gentrification in Princess Charm School, like Barbie WENT THERE and was not having it with capitalist bullshit!)

Favorite Barbie film quote? “If what you are is a strange you doesn't mean you should change you, only means you should change your point of view.”

Favorite Barbie film friendship? Barbie and Isla! :) But also Barbie and her sisters in Dreamhouse Adventures and in Life in the Dreamhouse.

Do you have any Barbie film ships? I will almost always ship Barbie with her female counterpart and that’s just a fact XD But I think we covered most of this in favorite couples :) OH! But I almost forgot! Frigging Mr. and Mrs. Roberts in Dreamhouse Adventures are GOALS. Like seriously probably the healthiest representation of a married couple I’ve seen in anything--and they’re not perfect, they’re super quirky and they have issues, but they still LOVE each other and COMMUNICATE and genuinely care about their kids and UGH, I could go ON for HOURS if I’m not stopped XD

Saddest Barbie film scene? Dang, I’m blanking on sad scenes but probably when Liana and Alex briefly break up in Diamond Castle. (C’mon, guys. We ALL know they’re totally a couple. They didn’t even try to hide it.)

Most romantic Barbie film scene? Isla and Barbie reuniting :) But I actually really love the dancing scene with Derek and Genevieve in Twelve Dancing Princesses where they have to dance together to get out of the secret world! Oh! And (spoilers alert for anyone who hasn’t watched Princess Adventure yet!) when Ken asks Barbie to dance with him at the end--wasn’t the confession I was hoping for, but still cute!

Funniest Barbie film scene? Anytime Preminger screams is gold XD

Favorite Barbie film blooper? My favorites are TOTALLY from Princess and the Pauper :) Poor Serafina watching the dummy cat getting absolutely trashed and being terrified for her life? Julian busting a move in the middle of “To Be a Princess”? AMAZING. 

Favorite Barbie film world? Ahhhh!!!! They’re all so good!!! But any of them with canon mermaids is a world I’d be happy to visit XD 

Favorite name? Anneliese, Merliah, Odette

Favorite parents/guardians? Definitely Mr. and Mrs. Roberts from Dreamhouse Adventures :) But Break from Mermaid Tale is totally awesome too, I’d love to have him as a grandfather!

Favorite kids? All of the sisters from Twelve Dancinc Princesses :)

Favorite siblings? Skipper from Life in the Dreamhouse will always be my fave :)

Favorite Barbie film soundtrack? Everything from Princess and the Pauper is a straight up banger, but I DO love the soundtrack of Twelve Dancing Princesses as well--the soundtrack is one of the reasons I love the movie so much! :D 

Favorite Barbie film happy ending? Oof, making me choose again! XD Endings of Dolphin Magic, Mermaid Tale, and Rock n’ Royals are my top three I think :)

[mythopoeticreality]

well, I... John Uskglass?!!??!?

Well, if you insist….xD

How I feel about this character

I mean….*sweeping gesture towards blog* I suppose you could say have something of an appreciation for him?

xD Nah, But seriously, from the very moment he appeared on that snowy Yorkshire moor in front of Childermass, I’ve loved this guy. Forget the scene, he stole the whole book! I love the mystery that surrounds him, how much of an enigma he is; I love that he is this incredible force of nature, this legend, this being that seems so Fae at times and so inscrutable. I love how absolutely extra he is? This inclination for melodrama developed over years of growing up in Faerie: Why just walk into a room when you can materialize out of a chaos of ravens? Why simply refuse to learn to read when you can create your own writing system, one that more easily aligns to your own way of thinking?  Why take your vengeance for your parents deaths out on the one guy who did it, when you can conquer half an island? The man has two modes: “Cool Arrogance” and “Sinking Coastal Yorkshire Villages Into The Sea” and I kinda love it? (though, just to make things clear, I don’t actually approve of the drowning of Coastal Yorkshire Villages, no matter what allies they’ve made in their quest not to pay their taxes. In case it needs to be said)

Most of all, I love how incredibly human The Raven King can be as well. There’s compassion – offhanded, a second thought, of course, yet still there–  in the way he heals Childermass before he vanishes again. There’s humor in his parting words to Childermass, “You are wrong, he is not dead” – a dry, ironical sort of understatement, that the man can’t even hear, you can nearly picture the smirk curling at his lips as he says it! And there’s care in all that he does. He set in motion a plan three centuries in the making, manipulating who knows how many events, all for the sake of England, for his Kingdom, to bring magic back. John Uskglass is a teacher, he gave magic to England and it spread through his own students. John Uskglass is an explorer, building the King’s roads and traveling to countless realms in search of more Knowledge, more Magic.  Yes, of course all of these traits are twisted and filtered through a more Fairy lens, why wouldn’t they be? He was raised by these beings! He’s not fully human – but he’s not entirely Fae either. He’s this strange mixture of both that neither can really understand. It’s isolating, it’s lonely, and it’s fascinating. I just…love the Raven King when he’s shown as a person?

And I just…love how he’s presented in the book? We don’t see him until that scene at the end, but by that point in the book, you’ve heard so many legends and stories and Historical anecdotes about him that you just…feel his presence over the whole story? By that point, you know about his conquest of Northern England, and of his youthful Arrogance, refusing even to learn how to read, because what could he possibly gain from doing so? You’ve heard about how he gradually became less arrogant, less like a Fairy and More like a Man after ruling his Kingdom for so long and how he did eventually learn to read – how he decided that engaging with the thoughts of others was worthwhile after all! You hear about his Strange Fae nature in the Raven King Ballad, how he’ll spirit away unsuspecting people to his realm in Fairy. You’ve read about his cruelty: the incident with Henry Barbatus, the Yorkshire Village he sank into the sea. You’ve heard rumor of his multiple returns to England: Riding off of a Fairy Road and blessing the family of the Farmer at the end of it who gave him food and a horse; Guiding back home the daughter of a Newcastle Glovemaker who had wandered her way into Faerie; As an omen of ill fortune for a group of shipwrecked basque sailors. You even know the names of those close to him: Thomas of Dundale, William of Lanchester, Catherine of Winchester.

But in the end, how much do you really know at all? Do you know if any of these tales are true? If they are then they only open more questions. What are the other sides of these tales? Who were those others with the King when he departed from the Fairy Road, the one who vanished along with it with the morning mist, who the Raven King so blithly told the Farmer not to worry about? How did the Glovemaker’s daughter find her way inside the Raven King’s house? Did she just stumble upon it or did he bring her there? And why?

It’s fantastic.  You get all of these glimpses of the character, and you can’t help but build an image from them in your mind. But it’s never a complete image.  Never full, you can never really understand the Raven King any more than any of the characters in the book can.

(So um yeah…apparently I have *alot* of feelings about the Raven King. xD) 

All the people I ship romantically with this character

 Alright so my main ship for this guy is actually John Uskglass/England, take that in whichever way your imagination is inclined, because yes I probably mean it that way. Honestly, when you see how Happy all of Nature is when it thinks Stephen is the Raven King and that John Uskglass is returned? It’s just really cute?! How can you not?!

On a more Human level, as I’ve said before, I do actually picture John Uskglass as being pansexual, and as per his fairy upbringing, rather more casual about his sexual relationships. That said….I actually have very few ships…with like…named characters, for Uskers? Maybe it’s because I do see his affairs as so casual most of the time, or maybe it’s just because he’s so isolated a character. I dunno. Black Joan is the one character  that’s a definate yes. If she’s anything like her son, she’d be shrewd and cynical and the sort of person who can hold her own against the Raven King. I have to admit I definitely love that sort of fairy-tale like trope of this Great and Powerful King, and this relatively ordinary thief falling for one another as well. So yeah, definately here for Black Joan/John Uskglass. Otherwise? Hrmm… I need more Raven King Ships. Any one got any suggestions?

I will say that when John does fall in love, he falls hard. He doesn’t like it. It’s such a soft, vulnerable feeling, and placing your heart into someone else’s hands, to be broken at any moment? It’s foolish, so far as he’s concerned. He is a King in Faerie, after all, he cannot afford to be vulnerable. So he tries to deny any feelings he may develop for a person, even to himself. If you do get him to the point of  admitting it though, I will say he can be absolutely doting. 

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Okay, so I’ve talked about this before, but I do headcanon Thomas of Dundale and John Uskglass as having grown up in the brugh together, pretty much. Thomas –like the naturally born extrovert that he is ;) –  kind of attached himself to John and over the years became something like an older brother to him? I can’t help but picture him as being very protective of the young Raven King, and, having been taken at an age where he could remember things, where he had developed a more human sense of right and wrong, Thomas helped provide something of a balancing point against the Fairies as John was growing up. Thomas encouraged those more human aspects of John’s character, and he was there to talk to about these aspects of himself, these more human instincts, that John might not have understood so well growing up surrounded by Fairies – empathy, compassion, caring. And that bridge that Thomas provided was so important later in John’s life, after he returned to England. It wasn’t merely language that Thomas was translating, but culture, an entire way of thinking that John didn’t fully understand yet. I mean?! Their relationship is just so important to me and how can I not love them?!

And yet, on the other hand…There’s also William of Lanchester? I mean, he’s specifically marked out as The Raven King’s Favorite and Most Trusted servant, and I can’t help but picture this guy as the most Eternally Tired man in all of Northern England. xD  William is the sensible,trustworthy, reliable one and that’s such a beautiful contrast to John Uskglass? Part of me loves the idea that a big part of why John trusts William so much is because William will say ‘No’ to him. He won’t flatter or stay quiet if he feels he needs to speak against John (see: Henry Barbatus). Does that mean John will always listen? That he’ll always appreciate William’s input? No, of course not (also see: Henry Barbatus) But he will get the truth, and that is important too.

And again, on the third hand, I really do love the whole relationship between Catherine of Winchester and John Uskglass as well. I love the idea of the Raven King as a teacher, and Catherine herself is just really awesome? And the idea of even John Uskglass being impressed at her dedication to magic, of how much he finds himself valuing her as a pupil, and growing to care about her over the coarse of their relationship, just…as a person? I feel like John Uskglass does most easily connect to other people through magic and through teaching, and I like to think that Catherine was one of his favorites…

Ughh. I can’t choose. Let’s go with all four of them hanging out in 13th century Newcastle. Yes? Yes. Good! 8D 

My unpopular opinion about this character

I’m not sure. I don’t…think I have any unpopular opinions? What are the popular ones? Are we all in agreement that the Raven King is a Melodramatic Goth Nerd and That is Why We Love him?

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I want just…more in general? I mean, like more, like a whole series of historical novels focusing on the intrigues and plots surrounding the Raven King’s court. I want to see him interacting with all of these historical personages, reacting to like historical events happening, how magic and his presence changes that past? It would be *amazing* and I want it so badly!

…so  I’m prolly gonna have to write it myself xD

[skylights422]

@ace-and-aro-wlw-positivity created a Q&A for aspec authors/writers, and as an aspec author, I am excited to participate and answer as many of their questions as I can. Under a cut since it became really outrageously long.

1. What was your inspiration for your character(s)? Are they modeled on yourself, a person that you know, or a character that’s already been established?

Typically I’d say my characters are a mix of general inspiration from other stories/characters and then bits and pieces taken from myself. I try not to make any of them like a clone of myself or another character, try to mix it up, possibly with mixed success but that is the goal.

2. How much, if any, has your character(s) changed since they were first created? What caused this change?

Oh wow, okay I have characters I still use from grade school and middle school, and those characters have changed/grown a lot. Most notoriously (to me) though are my two fellas Euphranor and Kadri. I created them while daydreaming in middle school while watching those science videos in class about how I could make a more parody-like version of said videos, Kadri being the energetic and comically sadistic teacher and Euphranor being the constantly irritated and foul-tempered student. The core of their designs and personalities haven’t totally changed (Euph is still a hot-head and Kadri still likes to troll him), but they’ve become far more nuanced as characters as their story become more involved and serious. They’ve also become softer characters, with Euph having a Heart of Gold and Kadri being a bit morally grey but generally compassionate and friendly. I think the cause of this change and others comes from a mix of things, for one I simply got older and what I wanted out my characters changed a bit. But also I think it’s because I spent so much time with those characters in my head that I couldn’t help but develop them more fully, which in turn made me want to give them a good story. Also, everyone is definitely more queer now then how they started, largely because I became more aware and comfortable with my own queer identity and spent more time in queer spaces (though with Euph I actually just realized he had to be gay because I every het relationship I envisioned for him fell totally flat and yet imagining him as having crushes on guys just seemed to work better/make more sense, and that was an earlier decision).

4. Do you intend on publishing your story one day? Why, or why not?

I definitely do! I have many, many stories I want to publish, as books or comics or tv shows or films. I’ve always wanted to publish some of writing since it’s one of my main passions and have always taken inspiration from the stories I consumed. I just love writing and would want to be able to do it as my main career, the key will just be figuring out how to focus on one project long enough to finish it. xD

5. Surprise fact! Give a random fact about your character(s), whether it’s their favorite color, food, or even song!

Euphranor loves to sing! He hums to calm himself down and even full on sings to vent his feelings sometimes. Kadri loves literature and video games, and blackberry pie is his favorite food.

6. Admit it, you have a folder on your computer of the various types of picrews you’ve created for your character(s). Would you mind posting a few (or five)?

*VIBRATES* MY TIME HAS COME. I absolutely have way too many picrews of my fellas so I won’t post them all, just two each for the core four of my main novel project. First, Euphranor:

(yes he is a Hufflepuff)

Kadri:

(also since I dragged the Hogwarts houses into this Kadri is Ravenclaw)

Ena:

(I put her in Gryffindor)

And finally, Fiera:

(Right now I have her in Slytherin. She could also be in Ravenclaw though)

7. Time to get serious for a bit. There’s been heavy debate on having non-human characters identify as ace, aro, non-binary, etc., but never actual humans. As someone who’s aspec, how would you explain to someone who’s allo why this can be and is seen as hurtful?

I mean, as a sci-fi fan I definitely love if the non-human characters are queer coded, but it’s definitely important to include human representation as well, and I think there are a few simple reasons for that. One is that queer people are, in fact, humans, and therefore our stories deserve to be told as they are in reality as well as how they could be in fiction. The other is only writing us as inhuman implies you consider our identities as fictitious or too strange for a human to have, and queer people already have to deal with other forms of erasure and invalidation in real life. (Also, not everyone is a fan of sci-fi/fantasy, and they should still be able to read stories where they can see themselves)

8. It’s a sad reality that many stories in mainstream media don’t have characters that are aspec, not to mention without resorting to harmful stereotypes. Besides there being nothing wrong with IDing as aspec, why did you choose to have your character ID as such? What would you tell other authors who’re interested in writing characters that are aspec, but are afraid of offending the community?

I have a huge list of aspec characters, which definitely started happening more once I was aware of my own asexuality (and later, aromanticism), since I realized that I could make my own aro and ace characters and then just went wild with it lol. It’s also easier for me to write since I can actually draw from personal experience somewhat for it. Beyond representation having aro and ace characters also allows you to explore more facets of human emotions/the human experience, so that’s always fun.

As for how I would advise allies looking to write a-spec characters, my main advice would be to remember that we are an incredibly diverse group of people, and so while no one a-spec character will resonate with every a-spec reader, an a-spec character written in good faith will definitely speak to some of us. Write them as an character first, and when it comes to things like how their attraction does or doesn’t work and what they want out of relationships, figure out what works best for them. Really, if you’re concerned your character would be offensive in some way you can always make a post asking about it, many of us are happy to offer constructive advice and appreciate that someone is wanting to put in the effort to write about our experiences. Reading or listening to anecdotes from an array of a-spec people is also a good way of getting ideas of how to portray us, and there are various resources for that (the tags, AUREA collects anecdotes from arospec individuals, and probably more than I can think of offhand)

9. If you’re comfortable with sharing, what is your characters’ identity? Do they use any microlabels? Does theirs reflect your own?

Unsurprisingly I have many characters who are aroace (Fiera is one of them), and Ena is bisexual and gray-aromantic. Kadri was originally supposed to just be bi/pan but has become increasingly aspec, will they end up gray-aro as well as grey-ace? Will they end up as a pan oriented aroace? I don’t know yet, but they sure are a pan a-spec. My most recent project has exclusively aro-spec protagonists, Valentine is aroace, Cedar is demiromantic, Raelene is cupioromantic, and then Clematis and Hadyn are presently just Aro and might stay that way. My aroace characters are often styled after my own aroace experiences, while other a-spec characters aren’t as much.

11. Why do you think that not just representation is important, but GOOD representation? Can you offer any examples?

Well, I think there are a few ways to make ‘good rep’. There is the ‘this character helps bring awareness/educate about the community’ and then there’s ‘this character just resonates with certain a-spec people a lot’, and the main reason I think it’s important is because rep should be for the people they’re representing. So if rep hurts the community or totally fails to be relatable to anyone who’s actually a-spec, then it missed the whole point and is doing just as much to leave the community feeling left in the dust as no rep. Of course things do get complicated when the community is divided on whether the rep is good or not, which I imagine will be a common occurrence, and many examples of rep probably fall into the grey area between Good and Bad, but generally people should aim to tell stories that will help more than hinder the people you are telling your story about. (Although I also think that the long term end goal is to get to the point where there is enough representation that it doesn’t matter if some of it is ‘bad’ or not, since I feel like that is the true state of normalization, but that is sadly not yet the case)

12. What’s the genre of your most recent story? Do you always write in this genre? If so, what other works do you have? If not, why did you pick it?

My most recent story (with Valentine) is fantasy, inspired by shoujo style anime series like Cardcaptor Sakura, while Euph’s story is more dystopian urban fantasy? His exact genre has shifted around a lot and will probably continue to do so. In general, most of my works are fantasy in some way or another. A few are more sci-fi or horror based, but definitely the majority are fantasy whether that be magical girl type stories, urban fantasy, superheroes, or dark fantasy.

14. What’s a brief biography of your character? Is their history, personality, and/or looks similar to your own?

I’m going to go with Fiera here. The short version of her backstory is that she and her older brother were born to neglectful parents, and while their grandmother was attentive emotionally she also lived far away. Her brother discovered magic, long thought forgotten, but killed himself shortly after, leaving Fiera alone and confused. She then made a point to dedicate herself to studying the theory and history of magic in the hope that she may someday understand why her brother would take his own life so suddenly like that. She has a down to earth personality and is very observant, and has a great deal of ambition and focus for tasks. She naturally has a more lighthearted and curious personality, but has become more somber since the death of her brother. While she always struggled with sustaining personal relationships, it’s only recently she started using her power of observation to be more manipulative and always keep a cool, pleasant demeanor. She has a love for fashion and sewing, as well as an interest in chemistry.

She isn’t really based on me at all backstory or appearance wise, and only slightly takes after me personality wise. Our main similarity is that we both can be quietly observant and don’t tend to get outwardly angry very often, and that we are both aroace. But I am nowhere near as focused as her, am terrible at lies/manipulation, and have different interests. I’m also way more prone to energetic rants and blunt statements than she is.

15. What are the themes of your story? Is it a lighthearted adventure, or are we talking deep, ocean-sized levels of angst? Why, or why not, did you choose them?

The tone of Euph’s story is kind of all over the place due to how often I’ve tweaked it, but there are certainly oceans of angst for all the protagonists. There’s just also decided remnants of the wacky humor from when the story was predominantly a comedy, and a lot more scenes of the characters just relaxing or goofing off than might be typical in a high tension drama adventure. My story with Valentine is generally much more lighthearted, though there will be some deeper moments for character development (and also because I want it to have a slightly gothic vibe, just Because)

16. How long have you been writing? Has your style changed from when you first began to now? What are some tips you’d give to those who’re interested in writing a story of their own, be it professionally or as a hobby?

I’ve been writing in some capacity just about as long as I can remember, and so my style has definitely taken various shifts depending on how old I was and what I was taking as my main inspiration at the time. Sometimes I went for more sarcastic and whimsical narration regardless of the events happening of the story, sometimes I went for a more quick modern-ish style, sometimes I would focus more or less on descriptions or dialogue. I don’t really know where I’m at right now though.

What I would advise to anyone wanting to sit down and write is to be patient and kind with yourself. Nine times out of ten what sounds epic in your head will come out at first as clunky and all over the place. But that is pretty much the whole purpose of first drafts; the clunky first draft crawls so the second draft may walk so the third draft may walk a little faster so the final draft may run. The other thing I would advise is to absolutely experiment, and see what works best for you. There is every kind of writing advice out there imaginable, much of it contradictory, so really you just have to mess around with styles and perspective and dialogue and see what happens, which stuff you liked and which stuff you didn’t.

17. What’s your process for writing? Do you plan your story out first, write whatever you want then edit later, or both? How might this help others?

My writing process is pretty much a mishmash of writing whatever comes to me, then planning, then writing, then using a bunch of character building exercises to have fun but make no progress in the plot, then neglect the project for months, then write some more or maybe plan. I don’t know how much this would help others, though I have found when I set goals with deadlines and some external pressure (nanowrimo, reward system implanted by friends, etc) I am far more productive, so perhaps that is something others could try if they struggle with staying on track?

18. Your book’s become quite popular, easily reaching the New York Times Bookseller list, and now, you’ve been picked to lead a writing workshop. It goes swimmingly, and afterward, someone comes and tells you that your book not only inspired them to write a story of their own, but also helped them discover and accept their identity. What’s your reaction?

Mostly I would just be flabbergasted, but also extremely pleased and honored to have been able to provide any kind of help or assistance to my readers.And I would feel very happy for the person, since that sort of inspiration is great to come by.

19. Are there any published stories out there that feature aspec characters that you also read? Do you have any suggestions?

Unfortunately not that I can think of! I am peripherally aware of some ace characters, but they aren’t in stories I personally consume. I hope to find more though!

20. Just for fun, write down a paragraph of your most recent writing. It can be an action-packed scene, some witty dialogue, or a colorful description that you really enjoyed. (Be sure to properly tag any possible triggers!)

Well, my most recent finished work would be the clunky first draft of my novel. So, here’s a silly conversation that entertained me to write:

Once they had bought the food, they went back to the park to eat. 

“You know, Fiera, I have come to a realization.” Kadri said.

“Oh? What’s that?” Fiera asked.

“Store snacks are not as filling as restaurant food, nor as refined, but they are decidedly addictive.” he said, munching on Twizzlers.

“Yep. That’s what makes them store snacks. Plus, I couldn’t get any really nice stuff. I’m not made of money.” Fiera explained.

“Which brings me to my next question, how exactly are you financing our meals? You don’t seem to work a job of any kind.” Kadri said. Fiera was almost surprised that he knew about jobs, but decided not to ask about it. 

“You’re right, I don’t. But my parents leave me about sixty bucks a week so that they can do what they want without me starving to death in their absence. After yesterday and just now, I’m down to like eight bucks, and the next payment comes in three days, so after this stash goes it's dollar store snacks only.” Fiera explained.

“I see. Fascinating. And these drinks you bought us, why are they vitamin drinks?” Kadri said,looking over a vitamin water curiously.

“Because we definitely aren’t going to get any vitamins from chips and candy.”  Fiera said simply.

“There is logic to that, I suppose.” he said. There was silence for a few moments.

“Um… Kadri?” Fiera said after a while.

“Yes, Fiera?” Kadri said.

“You know you can’t eat a whole bag of Twizzlers in one go, right?”  Fiera said.

“I don’t see why not. If it is not going to give me the nutrients I need, it may as well provide me with the maximum level of pleasure it is capable of.” Kadri said.

“Yeah, but you’ll get sick. And we have limited supplies.” Fiera countered. Kadri looked at the bag of Twizzlers in alarm.

“These are poisonous in large doses!?” he exclaimed.

“What? No, not poisonous, they just make you sick because they’re candy. All candy does that if you keep eating it.” Fiera said.

“Commoners lead dangerous lives, it would seem. I shall never forget this betrayal.” He said to the bag of Twizzlers, putting it down and taking the vitamin water instead. 

[kanene-yaaay-o-retorno]

Intertwined - [Chapter One]

Kanene’s note:

What? I didn’t finished the fanfic Cats, Coffee, an Old Apartament and... Oh, yeah, the Apocalypse?

Well... It wouldn’t be a shame if I just...

Ya know...

Maybe...

Write another Long Fanfic for this AU?

Hahaha. What a crazy idea.

... Unless...

Warnings, fun facts, random things and stuff:

* That is a fanfic directly connected with this chapter and therefore this AU, which will be called Until The End (maybe provisonally, I’m horrible with names xD).

* This characters do not belongs to me. They all belongs to the amazing Thomas Sanders in his series of Sanders Sides.

* Warning for Anxiety Attacks and Implied Past Abuse!

* Something around 1500 words. -w-)b.

* I didn’t proof read it yet, so I am sorry for any spelling, pontuation and grammar mistakes! Any advice is very very welcome!

* Hug a Patton today. ^w^)/

* Remy is pretty sleep here, so this chapter can be a little crazy.

* Eu vou postar em português, é serio! Sdfgyhujikjuhykjh! Thankys for reading, my lollipops! Stay calm, take a time to yourself, remember to eat today, hug a hoodie (and a Patton! :D), drink water and sleep well! Byeioo!~

                             [~*~]

Chapter 01 - Am I the only one sleeping here?!

Patton woke up with an unbearable boisterous cacophony of something shattering in the middle of the night. The loud noise cut immediately all his barriers fogged by his sleep, getting into his dreams and without a second of hesitation brutally tearing him from the said. He literally woke up jumping from the comfort of his bed, wobbly legs trying to support him, heart in tachycardia and all the memories he would rather wish they were completely erased from his mind emerging again to the surface. Part of his blanket still covering him and quickly his fingers tightly squeezed it, his knuckles lightly painting themselves in pale due the strength applied in such act. His throat slightly relaxing as he recognized the fabric and softness, which surrounded him, completely different from the cold, metallic bars, were those memories were created. His eyes finally stopped running around in a desperate search for danger to focus in the fabric, the bed and, finally, the room where he was.

 His room.

 His bed. 

 He was good. He was back to his own room.

 A panicked thought took over his brain, as remembering the sound that pulled him from his sleep. 

 “They found me.”

Before he even noticed it his legs dazed and transported him to inside his closet, allowing the comforting and real touch of his clothes to embrace him as he moved and sat in the further, darkest corner of the place, the fabrics covering him up without suffocating and being the only tactile solace he had, the only thing he owned that pulled and locked his mind in the reality when the seas of faces and words passed as thunder and lighting before his pupils: The smiles which one day brought a warm feeling in his chest but now only delivered fervent tears in the corner of his eyes. Tears. Tears and shivers frosty, uncomfortable, and bad memories running, spilling, unrolling towards him and his eyes even if these were closed with all his might.

 Fast, too fast. Everything was too much fast.

 “You can be in our group. Together we are stronger.”

 Gasping breathing, fast. Too much. Fast. If it was so fast, why do he still feeling like he needed more air?

 “Sure! You will be a great importance!”

 Strange, quick heartbeats. Even quicker. That was dangerous. Too much dangerous. It felt like it would break everything around him, it seemed like it would cut his chest.

 “What did you saw?? You KNEW it was forbidden to get out of your room after this hour!!”

 “It’s alright, Pat. It’s just me, remember?”

 Speedy memories. Incomplete flashes. Voices, sounds, cold, betrayed, warm, no, fast. Spinning spinning spinning and weighting and absorbing and spinning and-

 And he opened his eyes. He saw just clothes. Nothing more. No one, anymore. Just him and his clothes.  

 “I told you that you would be essential, didn’t I? So why are you look at me like that? You wanted to help us, didn’t you?”

 “He is better quiet, anyway. Take him.”

 Patton focused in concentrate in his senses, the breathing still fragile as he shrinks further, hugging his legs and dancing his gaze through the vestments that surrounded him. He was fine. He managed to escape. Everything was fine. His tremble fingers squeezed the sleeve of a warm and soft sky-blue hoodie, holding tightly while his other hand rested on his chest, towards his beating heart. He was alive. He was here, alive.

 “T-t-this…” His tune was a weak whisper, as if he shared a secret, however this didn’t mattered. What mattered was that his voice was real. Sounded real. This hoodie was real, was good. Not one of them spun or weighted. It was good. “I-it was a birthd-day from my aunt. I-it was... a small pa-party in my… my yard. Sunny.”  He tried to remember the great feeling of the rays of Sun in his skin, pushing the other memories. “S-she knew m-my favorite co-color and-” His breathing mismatched one more time, stealing all his air and words. His grip tightened more, the man remembering to take deep sips of oxygen. Even if wobbly, it didn’t mattered. It has to be big, continuous sips. “S-she gave it to-to me. S-s-she taught me… se-sewing. I made a… a little heart. Towards my, my chest. Rainbow. A colored heart l-like a rain...bow…”

 He adjusted his sitting position just the enough amount to his arms, now tired since the adrenaline from the scare started to get out from his system and buzzing of his ears faded little by little, the memories just being a background sound. He yanked the hoodie from the hanger, reminding himself to keep his deep breaths, to wear it. The lavender aroma surrounded him completely, the comfy warm being very welcome as the one wearing glasses hugged himself again, his muscles relaxing at the same time when his index finger followed the perimeter from the small colored heart - a heart colored as a rainbow, his mind recalled, redirecting his focus. - resting on his chest, counting while outlined it again and again and again and a little more, until he felt his heartbeats stilled.

 Patton wiped some tears on his cheeks. It wasn’t the discreet vestment he owned, albeit it was soft and too much good to make him even consider in change it. He opened his closet’s door, immediately going to the wardrobe nearly and taking some supplies from the said, putting in his bag, which lazly laid next to his bed. 

 He would need to get out before That Thing arrived.

 He got some medicine, food and some things to pastime, since he would only be able to come back to his apartment after at least four days. Probably Them would disappear after They got tired and realized that there weren’t any human in the building.

 Patton recalled the sound and a shiver spread across his body, making him stop in the middle of his action. 

 Was there really no one else in the building?

 He bit his lower lip while crouched, going to the window’s apron and looking the most cautiously as possible from the same. There was something on the ground in midst of the street, a kind of misshapen object (or a group of it??) that was even more difficult to distinguish with the night darkness.

 It was, was… a wood pile? And right next to it...

 “NEIGHBOR??!” Patton almost shouted, quickly clapping his mouth with both hands, as if the resident who always walked in the hallways wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket and exhaled an aroma of coffee could hear him from the fifth floor. Patton never really talked to the man, but he always seemed someone strong and who definitely wouldn’t let himself be shaken by life. His smile was beautiful. Probably he was a good person. One day the cat lover saw him- Wait a hot minute, he was throwing flowers on the pile?

 The one wearing hoodie shook his head. He couldn’t lose himself in his thoughts right now. The sudden sound likelihood would attract The Things, therefore he would need to get out the quickest his legs and bouncing (He really wasn’t the last human in the city!) heart allowed him. Roger (That was his name, right?) was already aware of this and was in his way out and Patton didn’t wanted to get too much behind.

 Not that he would show himself to the other adult or something like that! A taste strangely bitter hit his tongue. Something in life shows you that, sometimes, is better for you to move forward, alone.

 He closed his eyes for some heartbeats, letting the new information weight in his brain.

 He carried his bag and locked his and the building's door, in case any other survivor looking for supplies or a place for night tried to get in without knowing it was a risk area. Just for further precaution Patton decided to write the day, month and current time right at the case, just to make sure that, when he came back, he (or anyone else. Maybe Roguer?) would be able to remember if enough time had passed for Them to disappear or not.

 He yawed, feeling a bit tired as his arms embraced himself in a hug to enjoy the maximum of his hoodie’s softness, his gaze wandering at the sky, from which began to emerge the first rays of sunshine. Something in his spirit warmed for knowing he wasn’t alone anymore, even if they don’t talk, that was a good sign, right?

 Yes… A ray of hope filled his heart and for a moment all the tiredness for his sudden wake up call was forgotten. A humming flied from his lips in back flips as he followed up the street. Maybe he could use the opportunity to refuel his supplies! Who know, perhaps he would even be able to find some seeds and fertilizer in his way?

[geometragic]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 & 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄;  𝘔𝘶𝘯 & 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘦 - 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘦.

Fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OCs still can make it somehow work with their own lore and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multimuses pick the muse you are the most invested  in atm.

Tagged by: The amazing @illdivine​ ! Thanks a bunch for tagging me ! ^^ Tagging: @extravachance​ @grandordergirl​ @kimintsugi​ @royaltywritten​ @daitoku​ @pragmarage​ @teniras​ @deviilscry​ @foolslaugh​ @wrathlead​ and anyone else who’d like to do this meme ! ^^

My muse is:   canon /  OC  / au / canon-divergent / fandomless /

Is your character popular in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK.

Are they underrated?  YES / NO / IDK

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO

Were they relevant for the main character?  YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG (( He was one of the poster boys for Sengoku Basara 4, so...that counts for something, right ? XD I don’t think that Sengoku Basara really has a protagonist, though. Just a bunch of different characters. ))

Are they widely known in their world?  YES / NO (( I’m putting ‘yes’ if only because Mitsunari, who never remembers anyone, remembers who Katsuie is. XD I think that, in general, some characters know Katsuie and others don’t ? ))

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL (( Bad in-universe, somewhere in between neutral and bad in the fandom. ))

How strictly do you follow ‘canon’? — I’d say that I follow canon pretty strictly ! Though I do add my own headcanons. ^^ I need to update some of my pages so that they’re more in line with canon, though. Especially Katsuie’s modern verse, now that the Basara Academy anime has been out for over a year... XD

Sell your muse! Try to list everything that makes your muse interesting (in your opinion) to make them spicy for your mutuals.  —   Katsuie comes off as really normal and very chill at first, which lets him easily have a first meeting interaction with most muses without angering them / fighting them / killing them / etc. But the more you delve into his thoughts and the things he does, you can see how warped his mindset is when it comes to certain subjects / people. ^^ And he’s a depressed emo kid, so I'd imagine that a lot of people on Tumblr would connect with him over that. XD 

Now the opposite. List every reason why your muse might not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom think?).  —   Back when SB4 first came out, Katsuie got a lot of flak for his creepy obsession with Oichi, which is admittedly pretty bad. Since she’s, you know, married, and Katsuie’s willing to go so far as to kill Nagamasa, her husband, for a chance (?) to be with her. Not to mention Katsuie’s anime route, where he gets himself kicked out of the Oda clan, destroys his own hopes and dreams in the process by killing everyone in the Azai clan (Nagamasa, Oichi, and Maria), and finally gets mercy-killed by the former shogun. Yikes. ^^; I’m honestly surprised that, in my five years roleplaying Katsuie, no one’s sent in anon hate to me because of Katsuie’s behavior. (Unfortunately, a former rp partner of mine once got anon hate years ago for shipping Katsuie and Oichi. ;u;)

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄? —  Katsuie’s actually my very first muse ! ^^ I started writing him at the end of my senior year of high school. I think I’d been into Sengoku Basara for a year or two at that point, and I’d been reading translations that people were making for SB4. I’d also been following Sengoku Basara roleplayers / ask blogs (there were several active ones around back then), and I really enjoyed reading their interactions, so I wanted to pick a Sengoku Basara character so that I could roleplay with them, too ! I tried writing for a couple of potential muses in private to test them out, but it felt most natural to write for Katsuie, so I went with him as my first muse ! I probably chose him because I’d gone through a bunch of not-so-fun stuff in high school, so I saw Katsuie going through a bunch of not-so-fun stuff in the Oda clan and sympathized with that.

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆?  —  To my knowledge, I’ve been the only one roleplaying Katsuie semi-consistently over the past five years ? He’s just such an interesting character to me —– it’d be too sad to close this blog and not see anyone’s Katsuie interact with other people’s muses anymore. ;u; It’s something I’ve been a little worried about recently because I know I’m going to be more busy in the future, since I’m (hopefully) going to finish up my research this year, get my master’s degree next year, and then go straight into a serious full-time job. I don’t want to give up rolepaying, but if I get too busy next year... >.< 

Also, playing the mobile game Sengoku Basara: Battle Party every day helps ! And my rp partners are awesome. ^^

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐍

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could help them get more comfortable with you.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO / IDK

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day?  YES / NO

Are you confident in your portrayal?   YES / NO

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO

Are you good at accepting criticism about your portrayal? —  Yeah, I’d say I’m pretty good at accepting criticism !

Do you like questions which help you explore your character? —   Yeah ! I’m happy to answer whatever questions everyone has about Katsuie ! ^^

If someone disagrees with a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why? —   Yeah, because it’s interesting to see how other people view Katsuie ! From my point of view, if someone disagrees with one of my headcanons on Katsuie, it means that they’re interested enough in him and have thought about him enough to have their own opinions on him. It’s so so so so difficult to get anyone interested in muses from a series as niche and JP-only as Sengoku Basara, so I’d honestly be happy if someone cared enough about Sengoku Basara and Katsuie to disagree with me on my headcanons for Katsuie, as strange as that sounds. XD

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it? —  I think my answer to this question would be basically the same as the last one. I probably wouldn’t change my portrayal at this point, though ? I’ve had it for a long time and I’m actually really happy with it. ^^ Probably the only reason why I’d change my portrayal is if someone found / made more translations of the games that Katsuie is in (SB4, Sumeragi, Sanada Yukimura-den, Batopa, etc.) and I found canon details in the new translations that really clashed with details in my portrayal. In that case, I’d change my portrayal to match with canon.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it? —  That’s fair, honestly, especially when it comes to things Past!Katsuie / Kaioh has said and done, and even just things Default!Katsuie has done. Katsuie’s a really messed-up dude, and his views on things can be really twisted sometimes. And hey, if someone hates Katsuie, at least that means that they care about him on some level, right ? XD Apathy is the one thing that really kills my muse.

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors? —  Sure ! If they can find them. XD I edit my drafts A LOT before I actually publish them, so usually I manage to catch all my mistakes, although the occasional mistake slips through every so often. Hemingway Editor is honestly a lifesaver when it comes to finding simple spelling errors and helping me write my sentences so that they’re a reasonable length and don’t have too many adverbs / phrases written in passive voice / etc.

Do you think you are easygoing as a mun? —  I think so ! ^^ I just want to roleplay my muses and have a good time watching them grow and form relationships with other muses, that’s all. If there’s something I don’t like, I know to mute / unfollow / block / etc. and move on. Life’s too short to get involved in drama.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵!

[gaymer-hag-stan]

My Top Five Video Game Franchises

I wasn't planning on sharing this but it turned out good so I decided I will!

5. SoulCalibur

I'm a big fighting video game fan! I'm nowhere near being a pro though I can beat most of my friends in many different fighters. SoulCalibur is one of the games I played with an old friend during summer while at the countryside when we were kids. His uncle would occasionally come over at his grandpatrents' house and bring his Dreamcast with him and he had SoulCalibur with it! I also had the PlayStation 2 demos of SoulCalibur II and III. When I still had a Wii and a PSP I got SoulCalibur Legends and Broken Destiny for each console respectively and while none were particularly spectacular games I had hours of fun playing both and I was happy knowing I finally own two SoulCalibur games! I couldn't afford a PlayStation 3 yet and by then PlayStation 2 games were really hard to find in Greece. My main character is Ivy. Ivy is infamous for being a very striking example of female video game characters who are grossly oversexualised and while it never had any effect on me whatsoever I realised while growing up why it is an issue. Despite that, I believe that you can enjoy and appreciate characters despite their portrayal but at the same time I can understand people who want a better representaion of female characters and I support them in that endeavour. I tend to always appreciate video game characters on a deeper level, or at least I try, while playing a game and I think that even fighting video game characters can have more substance than what meets the eye, and Ivy is no exception, especially considering how SoulCalibur has really deep background stories and lores for all its characters. My favourite game is SoulCalibur III. I love its character and stage design, music, everything. I really miss this game.

4. Dead or Alive

Another game I started playing as a kid during the summer at the countryside with my cousins, I think you'll come accross this concept in almost all of the games I'll be mentioning 'cause you basically can't do anything in Greece in the summer during noon because it's too hot to go outside until the sun starts to set so gaming was our favourite pasttime after returning from the beach and while waiting to go out later in the day. My cousins and a friend had DOA 2: Dead or Alive 2 for the PlayStation 2. Since me, my friend and my cousins were four people but didn't have that many controllers we each played story mode in turns trying to unlock more costumes for our favourite characters. My main is Helena Douglas. Again, the entire female cast is grossly oversexualised but a lot of them are close to my heart. The first game I owned was, for better or worse, Dead or Alive Xtreme Paradise for the PSP, one of the side games that features only the girls in a tropical island basically playing beah voleyball, and... being sexy... The game is a mess but the voleyball part is actually really fun and trying to collect all the swimsuits for all the girls was strangely addictive! The series came back from the grave back in 2012 and I finally got to play a mainline Dead or Alive game again as it had been an Xbox exclusive from 2001 to 2006 and there were no new main games after that. The second update to DOA5, Last Round in particular is really fun and I've spent hours upon hours playing. Definitely my favourite in the series and one of my favourite games overall.

3. Tekken

Again, a fighting series and yet again, one I played with my cousins and friends during summer at the countryside xD ! Tekken 5 was one of the games all of us owned and played the most so it's also my favourite and among my favourite games overall, definitely my favourite fighting game. My main is Nina Williams and along with Lara Croft I think they're my ultimate favourite female video game characters. They have a very similar demeanour and character design though Nina's costumes lean a lot more on the sexy side than Lara's ever did and she is a lot colder than Lara is but both were among the things that helped me realize how very gay I am. I think that any other fellow male Greek gamers or gamers from more conservative countries in general are very familiar with the concept that "playing with girls is gay", a sentiment I haven't really seen fly around in more open-minded societies. In any case, at some point I realised that I actually was gay all along so all these people were right and there was nothing wrong with it. So in that regard Lara and Nina are kinda my main heroines. I even got her own action-adventure spin-off game. The game itself is... mediocre, but I loved it because it was all about Nina! It kind of had a Tomb Raider meets James Bond feel to it. A friend of my dad's gave me a couple of games as a gift at some point and one of them was Tekken Tag Tournament that had all those classic characters that were either dead or a thousand years old in Tekken 5 featured while they were still in their prime so we also had a lot of fun with that game during summer. In 2009, I still couldn't afford a PS3 so I asked my mum for a PSP and Tekken 6 was included with it, spent countless hours with it and eventually got it again when I got a PS3 along with Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

2. Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy is a series I absolutely hated until I somehow didn't anymore... I tried a Final Fantasy X demo as a kid and I was extremely put off by the turn-based combat system. It was something no other games had at the time, none of the games I had played anyway, and it felt really weird and unintresting to me. so I decided that I will hate it forever and ever... Until 2015. By then I had just started university and I was kind of depressed because I really hated what I was studying and felt very trapped. For some reason that still puzzles me until today I decided that I wanted to try out Final Fantasy again. I made a little internet search and found out Final Fanatsy XIII was the most recent entry (side note: I hadn't upgraded to PS4 yet). I rented it from the video store and spent a week staying home playing it instead of going to uni... I understand now that it wasn't the most sensible option but it was honestly a break I really needed in order to truly realize that I should seek out other options if I'm not happy with my studies, and I did. After XIII I got VII for the PS3 and last March my friends got me XV for my birthday. A couple months ago I went on a "shopping spree" and got VII, VIII, IX, XII and X / X-2 for the PS4 and I am currently waiting for my copy of the FFVII Remake to arrive. Final Fantasy is probably the series that has made me cry the most and also inspired me a lot. It's also the only one that has ever come close to replacing Tomb Raider as my favourite series. Lastly, Final Fantasy XIII along with Resident Evil 6 and Tomb Raider: Legend are my "holy trinity" of video games people love to hate but I personally adore xD I'm not sure I can pick a favourite as I've enjoyed all of the ones I've played but maybe X? Though I'm feeling the VII Remake might surpass it.

1. Tomb Raider

Again, the summer story, you know the drill. I remember first playing Legend's demo and then while I was staying at my cousins' at their home in a town which is near the countryside we usually spent our summers, our uncle would have us go pick up games to rent at the video store after returning from the beach. We kept on renting Legend and trying to beat it. We only ever got up to the waterwheel puzzle in Ghana... If you have no prior experience with Tomb Raider (and you're literally nine!) Legend can actually be very challenging! Next year I got Anniversary, which was the first Tomb Raider game I ever owned and then got Legend. At some point during one of our video store raids my cousin decided to rent Angel of Darkness instead of Legend so we also got to experience that. It's probably his favourite. On my playthrough I got up to the point where you see Kurtis running off with his bike and then I think I got stuck in the sewers and didn't really know what to do next! I haven't been able to get my hands on it ever since. After the summer I converted a bunch of my classmates into Tomb Raider fans. Two of them had a good PC and that was the first time I ever got to play Chronicles. I got Underworld in 2008 but it was just the crappy PS2 version. I own all main and Lara Croft games except AoD. Lara Croft has been my favourite video game character for about as long as I've been playing video games. She is very special to me for reasons I already explained with Nina and it's very very hard to imagine how my life would be without her. I'm truly thankful for her and Tomb Raider. Legend will forever be my favourite and possibly favourite game ever.

[stellanimarum]

Get To Know The Blogger!

tagged by: I’m a thief tagging: Just take ittt

FIRST NAME Kellie/Keeks

STRANGE FACT ABOUT YOURSELF Loud music through speakers makes me uncomfortable but I am fine with headphones.

A FOOD YOU COULD EAT FOREVER AND NOT GET BORED OF Veggie Chilli, all day every day.

A FOOD YOU HATE I’m not overly fussy but I can’t stand cheese and onion crisps xD 

GUILTY PLEASURE Literally doing anything instead of what I am supposed to do. 

WHAT DO YOU SLEEP IN >_> nothing xD My fiance is a furnace. 

SERIOUS RELATIONSHIPS OR FLINGS Definitely serious. I very briefly tried flings when I was a bit younger and it is one a lot of effort to meet people and also I get attached far too easily so it became apparent I’m not built for that. 

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN THE PAST AND CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WOULD YOU AND WHAT WOULD IT BE? hmm, probably tell my ex to hit the road sooner than I did. xD 

ARE YOU AN AFFECTIONATE PERSON With close friends/partner yes. Otherwise nooo. 

A MOVIE YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN Labyrinth I love!!

FAVORITE BOOK Mistborn saga just <3 

YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP ANY ANIMAL AS A PET, WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE Right now I really want a doggo, any doggo but we’ve got to wait until we have a place with a garden. I’m also a crazy rodent lady so I’d have rats again if I could too. 

TOP FIVE FICTIONAL SHIPS [IF YOU ARE AN RP BLOG, YOU CAN USE YOUR OWN SHIPS AS WELL] Stealing most of the ships that were on Sarahs but definitely SterisxWaxillium, GeraltxAvyra and then on my other blog NemoxGanymede all the way, 

PIE OR CAKE Pie!

FAVORITE SCENT Lavender

CELEBRITY CRUSH Oh boy so many. I would be here all day. 

IF YOU COULD TRAVEL ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO I don’t know where but a decked out treehouse on a deserted island would be a dreammm. 

INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT introvert

DO YOU SCARE EASILY My imagination does the scaring quite nicely tbh, but things that generally scares people doesn’t. 

IPHONE OR ANDROID Android all the way

DO YOU PLAY ANY VIDEO GAMES Too many! But mostly Overwatch, animal crossing, pokemon sword and borderlands 3 at the moment. Oh and VR games like beatsaber when I want to get my lazy butt moving! 

DREAM JOB I’m quite happy doing what I’m doing now if I’m honest. 

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A MILLION DOLLARS Buy a house with my own library and get all brandon sanderson’s leather bound books.

FICTIONAL CHARACTER YOU HATE The Comte de Rochefort in the musketeers, the actor is great don’t get me wrong but he just makes me feel so uncomfortable because he’s such a dick! 

FANDOM THAT YOU WERE ONCE A PART OF BUT AREN’T ANY LONGER Stargate SG1 still love the series just not as into it anymore from a rp perspective. 

[heartxshaped-bruises]

four hc's - for Luce and Abel ^^

✧･ﾟ Send a character’s name to receive four different headcanons

Lucifero Mosconi

Headcanon A)  realistic:

Luce is working on a book. It contains most of his original spells and knowledge he gained by his studies of plants, wine and intoxicating substances related with magic. He’s undecided if he’d publish it or if he just keeps hit for his own advantage, though.

Headcanon B) while it may not be realistic it is hilarious:

Once when he had a really awful time of not being able to pick anyone up he got so frustrated that he summoned an incubus to help him out. But he was too quick to get the summoning done and forgot to read the fine print; now the incubus still pops up out of nothing in very inconvenient situations and follows him around. This has been going on for years and Luce has no fucking idea how to get rid of him.

Headcanon C) heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends:

He’s awfully ashamed of the scars his mom’s poison left in his mouth. It’s not like they’re visible to others, but he usually gets a friendly reminder of what she did to him because they re-open at times and bleed. This happens occasionally and without a warning and he can’t explain it to others who either find it strange, concerning or interesting. It just twists his insides and embarrassed him. He can’t have it but can’t do anything about it.

Headcanon D) unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own:

Luce was originally created for an AHS: COVEN group verse and used to attend a similar private school as the Robichaux’s Academy in New Orleans - to be more precise, a rival coven and he’s only allowed to still live there because he’s the factotum for the rookie witches. Not a voluntary position since it’s mostly due to him misbehaving on one infamous Halloween. It’s his punishment and he’s a very reluctant go-to-guy for them. So… fuck most o the AHS: COVEN verse, I mixed it up with Katie MacAlister’s Audéla-Lore from her Dragon-Series anyway xD

Abel St. John

Headcanon A)  realistic:

Abel has a fear of flying. Getting over the atlantic ocean to attend his drama school and back count to the worst experiences of his life and Henry practically had to bribe his 23 year old son with a package of xanax to get him on the plane.

Headcanon B) while it may not be realistic it is hilarious:

As we all know Abel’s a big fan of cars and even uses them as a cover for his weapon import / export business. But guess what he also was a big fan of - Scooby Doo! So you bet the Mystery Machine’s somewhere to find in his garage xD

Headcanon C) heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends:

Abel always prides himself with being untouchable for the local authorities. He’s a big fish, does have many friends and associates in powerful positions among politicians and the police department - nationally and internationally since the St. John’s are mostly involved in weapon import / export.

And while nothing goes wrong on that side, Donia being back in the city and deciding to get back in touch with her family accidentally leads to a row of unfortunate events that result in Abel being arrested by someone incorruptible, leaving Donia distressed after realizing that she got tricked by them.

Of course he does have his followers in prison who would have his back, but there are many others of rival mobs as well. It’d be a shame if he were waiting for the day of his trial, his lawyer, father, Donia and associates in court and him having come up with a bullet-proof plan to bail him out… only to receive kind regards from Billy O’Donoghue who saw his chance to strike and sent someone to stab him fatally. Dunno if Billy would do it himself because he does have some anger to manage after Brady passed away, but it would definitely be the final trigger. That’s it. That’s how my boy goes in a few years.

Headcanon D) unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own:

[kanasmusings]

[Translation] TsukiPro Yaminabe Drama Track 4 - “I’m Home”

Here’s track 4 of the “Yaminabe” drama track series~! The stories are actually all independent from each other that it doesn’t matter if Track 4 is posted before Track 3 XD I really liked Track 4 because it’s QUELL so I decided to post it first~

Track 3, by the way, is between Tsubasa, You, and Koi! It’s titled “GOOD DAY” and is just basically the three of them shopping, being fashionable, and getting along LOL

※ Please don’t re-post the English translations without permission. Please just like/reblog them instead ^^

Under the cut, enjoy~!

[TsukiPro Daily Life Small Talk – Yaminabe Drama]

Track 04: [ただいま] “I’m Home”

[0:00]

  (Ichiru is sleeping soundly)

ISSEI: (pats Ichiru) Ichiru? Ichiru.

ICHIRU: Hm…?

ICHIRU: Huh…?

ISSEI: Ichiru, are you awake?

ICHIRU: Issei…? I am… (yawns)

ICHIRU: Ow, ow… My back hurts…

ISSEI: It’s because you’re sleeping at a place like this.

ICHIRU: Like this…? Ah, I fell asleep, huh?

ISSEI: Even if you accidentally fell asleep, wouldn’t it normally be on the sofa?

ISSEI: I was surprised when I saw you sleeping on the floor. What were you doing?

ICHIRU: The floor was warm because the sun was hitting it from the window so…

ICHIRU: I kept thinking “Wow, this is amazing,” and “Oh~ This is so warm,” while lying on the floor and then…

ISSEI: You fell asleep?

ICHIRU: Exactly.

ICHIRU: (stretches) Ah, I slept so well~

ISSEI: You really did. It’s already night.

ICHIRU: Huh? Where’s Shu and Eichi?

ISSEI: Not here.

ISSEI: They weren’t here when I got home.

ISSEI: They didn’t call me or anything. Their rooms were dark and even you weren’t in your room so, I started wondering where everyone was.

ISSEI: Then, I saw you sleeping on the floor.

ICHIRU: Ah… That’s why.

ISSEI: That’s why what?

ICHIRU: That’s why you were making an upset face.

ISSEI: Hm? I’m not mad…

ICHIRU: Yeah…

ISSEI: I just thought that… there was no one home…

ICHIRU: Eichi was here before I fell asleep though.

ISSEI: Really?

ICHIRU: Yeah.

ICHIRU: He asked me what I wanted for dinner and I said “gratin” then he told me something like “That’s what you always ask for~” and then… I probably fell asleep around that time.

ICHIRU: I wonder where Eichi went.

ISSEI: … I don’t know.

ICHIRU: …

ICHIRU: Issei.

ISSEI: Yeah…

ICHIRU: Sorry for surprising you, Issei.

ICHIRU: I’m here. I’m right here.

ISSEI: Yeah…

ICHIRU: I’m sorry.

ISSEI: Yeah…

ICHIRU: (sighs)

ICHIRU: Have you calmed down?

ISSEI: Yeah…

ISSEI: I’m sorry, Ichiru. I just felt… a bit anxious for a second.

ISSEI: I just felt a bit uneasy when I didn’t see anyone home.

ISSEI: I… I may have been strange just now…

ICHIRU: I know. Only during that time, right? It’s not strange at all.

ISSEI: Ichiru…

ICHIRU: It’s okay, Issei.

ISSEI: Yeah.

[03:32]

  (door opens)

TWINS: Oh!

EICHI: Hm? Isse, Icchi? What’s wrong? Is it twin sandwich time~?

ICHIRU: What will we be sandwiching? Never mind us. Where were you anyway?

ICHIRU: Oh, you’re late.

EICHI: Eh?

ISSEI: You didn’t contact us so we got worried.

EICHI: Ah, I’m sorry! I thought of making the gratin Icchi requested but, we were out of fresh cream.

EICHI: I thought that I’d only be gone for a while and left my phone at home but, when I got there, the convenience store had no stock.

EICHI: So, in a panic, I went to the next convenience store but, they didn’t have any either.

EICHI: The next one was out, too, and before I knew it, I’d checked six stores before I got some.

EICHI: I kept thinking about who would need and buy that much fresh cream while I was at it.

EICHI: Are they making a wedding cake or something? Well, not like I care.

EICHI: But, see~? Look, look~! (Eichi shows them the plastic bags) Ta-da! Rest assured!

EICHI: I managed to get a hold of some fresh cream~

ICHIRU: That’s huge!

ISSEI: Isn’t that industrial size…?

EICHI: Probably~ Well, it’s okay~ Better big than small, as they say.

EICHI: If some are left then—Well, there definitely will be some but, we can just use the rest for pancakes tomorrow morning or something~

EICHI: Today is a party~!

ICHIRU: Eichi… Weren’t you being too desperate for some?

EICHI: No way, no way~ I wasn’t desperate or anything.

ISSEI: Well, either way goes, I think.

EICHI: Well, that’s true, I guess…

(Eichi sets the bags down and sits beside Issei and Ichiru)

EICHI: I’m home, Isse, Icchi.

ICHIRU: Welcome home, Eichi.

ISSEI: Welcome home.

  ==END==

※ Please don’t re-post the English translations without permission. Please just like/reblog them instead ^^