#I think I'm eventually going to order this mini but without the colors

[voluptuarian]

Are they really your beloved ocs if you don't pose their Hero Forge minis all cute and take a bunch of photos?

[barracuda677]

Okay so, here is the way that I hope Everbyte will eventually change Moonvale in the future.

There are some minor spoilers :)

I hope that they'll change the interface to look a little bit more like Duskwood's old one. Yes, I know Moonvale is its own separate game, but considering the Duskwood code and the fact that these stories happen in the same universe, the Mc's should be using the same messenger. I think it would look smart if the new messenger looked like it had updated to add extra features over that month Mc spent obsessing over the events at Duskwood. They can keep those like contact bubbles at the top to further separate it from Duskwood's old version of the messenger. Furthermore, they should bring back the design of the old profiles with some additional features so we can customize our profiles, with our galleries, and look at the other characters.

Now, with the mini-games right now, they don't currently hold much meaning in the scheme of this story. In Duskwood, we only really had the cloud to hack into Hannah's cloud and it was restricted to that, so it wouldn't make sense for the mini-games to be used as a hack tool again. Rather, I think it would be neat if the mini-games were a way for Mc to do 'deep dives'/research. Every once in a while, like receiving photos and documents from Hannah's cloud, Mc could have the chance to uncover relevant articles and maybe some other cryptic stuff. Logical reasoning for things in Duskwood was one of the things that I loved about it. I loved that everything had a logical explanation behind it to further immerse us in the story with how realistic It got. This is, unfortunately, not how I feel about Moonvale currently. It is seriously lacking realism.

With those new themes that Everbyte said they were going to be adding to Moonvale, I hope that they won't be using AI. I think it is one of the main things holding the game back and I believe that if they continue to use it, they will lose support and their current rating in the app stores will remain the same. This also remains true for the diamond system. Now, I think diamonds should be restricted to being used to skip mini-games while optional to use to unlock the story. People who want to pay for a multi-media pack, pay, those who want to use the diamonds, use the diamonds. Of course, everything bought in-game with the diamonds should REMAIN UNLOCKED when restarting an episode. Also, Everbyte should downsize the coins and diamonds so they're not as distracting. Maybe make them about the size the coins in Duskwood were at the corner, and maybe change the diamond's color from purple to white so they look more discreet. I don't want our game to look too much like a game. That was why Duskwood got so popular.

For the secret chats, when it comes to those using the side story, I think those can just be chalked up to still having Jake's stuff on Mc's phone, but, the secret chats should pop up through notification rather than how they do now. It's way too abrupt and unrealistic. Now, for those playing without a code, it could be that Mc in Moonvale is simply more tech-savvy than Duskwood's Mc. This is seen when Vega was brought up (which, if I'm being honest, I probably nerd out as much as Mc did about it. When Eric described what it looked like, I immediately thought that it was a tracking device, and when it was confirmed through a search, I got giddy about it when I got to explain it to Eric. :)). Either way, a smart explanation for why Mc can read those chats needs to be in order.

Anyway, that's all I can think of for now. :)

[esteemedcrackpot]

Play Report: Ocean Tides

I've played two sessions of this delightful firebrands hack now and I'm absolutely obsessed, I think every game should have a truth or dare minigame. And the whole vibe is just *chef's kiss*. Since I can't stop thinking about our blorbos, I have decided to write up a play report.

Setup:

The sea is deep, ancient, and unpredictable. The climate is tropical. Humans live on an archipelago with only a few large "mainland" islands, but countless small ones spread in between. Magic is mostly limited to that which allows mermaids and humans to pass between land and sea, but some dabble in stronger, more dangerous forces. And who knows what power may be found in the depths?

Pirates are lawless brigands who seek notoriety and fortune. The pirate code is: them that find the treasure, get the treasure; don't wake a sailor sleeping on land; and, perhaps most importantly, the rules are more of guidelines.

Naval Officers serve the Empire Republic of Many Isles, and fly flags in shades of red (it has more positive associations after all). Deeply religious. Their own code demands that the first cut go to the shore, the second to the ship, and the third to the Sea Mistress.

Merfolk are nudibranch people, with bright colors and varied forms. Most villages are in shallow waters such as atolls. When merfolk walk on land, they are usually obvious, sporting legs but retaining their colors and some of their form in fins, tentacles, or even a reduced tail.

Our cast:

B'har (it/its) a mercurial and ethereal mermaid with very pale orange and white striped markings, tentacles on its face, frills around its neck, and a long tail with many scars. New to humans and rather fascinated by them.

John Finch (he/him) the pirate. Legally distinct from Jack Sparrow, probably, maybe. Captain of the Silver Oyster, he always expects his reputation will have preceded him (it usually hasn't).

Captain Monk Ghanan Sreal (they/them) the "humble" and naive naval officer. Captains a great ship cathedral. Received orders to find a religious relic (the spear of the mother) but has abandoned the mission. Instead seeks the teeth of the abyss-walker, the devilish figure of their religion supposedly vanquished many years ago.

Session one under the cut!

As suggested, we started with Monologues. They definitely helped us find our starting point, but I have chosen to integrate the relevant info with character bios or other story beats as needed. In play, we each chose one mini game, and slowly built up some promising plot threads.

The Great Hunt:

Captain Monk Sreal heard rumors of a huge beast that damaged Sunspot Atoll, a mermaid village. They met B'har and learned of the creature's path, then tracked it into the deep, craggy canyons offshore. After a bit of cat and mouse, there was a fierce battle. Both Ghanan and the beast survived, but the scale of the beast and costs of hunting it were greater than Ghanan expected. In the following weeks, they increased frequency of deep sea excursions with the aid of a volatile potion that allows humans to stand the pressure. The mounting toll on their health is of little concern to Ghanan on their quest for the abyss-walker's teeth. Or the abyss-walker itself, as it now seems.

Truth or Dare:

Some time post-hunt, our three characters meet on a beach. They share some drinks around a fire and eventually begin the human game, truth or dare. Memories are a bit...hazy of this night. Surely there were some minor truths divulged? Perhaps some harmless dares? B'har thinks it showed off its tail scars at some point, but mostly remembers the end of the night. John wasted a dare on getting B'har to skinny dip; no matter, shedding the magic legs and plunging into the sea was a relief, and The Officer soon joined. The Officer, with their moon-touched skin webbed nearly all over with dark, intricate tattoos of great sea beasts. The Officer, floating comfortably in the water even without fins. Quickly, B'har turned and challenged John Finch-taste the lips of the one here you most desire, be they willing. John disrobed and plunged into the water himself, splashing over to the pair. And kissed B'har! Fascinating.

A Dance:

After a little time, Sunspot Atoll finished clean up efforts and held a party to celebrate. B'har invited both John and Ghanan. All attended dressed their best. Well, "dressed" in the case of B'har, merfolk aren't wild about clothing as such, but various pieces of jewelry adorned its body, including many shell chains and fine coral beads, and even one pendant clearly fashioned from an old human artifact. Ghanan wore an elaborate outfit covered in bells. John Finch was less fancy, but sported an excellent hat. He soon wandered off to the drinks and largely spent the night telling strangers his tales of adventure. Meanwhile, B'har and Ghanan danced together in the midst of a whirl of colorful merfolk. B'har gently corrected for Ghanan's missteps in the unfamiliar dances and (mostly) prevented excessive bell jingling at odd moments. The two flirted throughout, but stopped short of making any overt moves. At some point in the night, Ghanan gifted B'har with a bracelet.

That's where we called session one for time. And it's where I'm going to call this post for now! Stay tuned if you want to hear about our second session, hopefully coming soon to a reblog near you.

[ack3rlady]

The Universe Had His Back - Chapter 7

Summer

Chapters: Six | Seven

Master List

Warnings: Fluff, Fluff and more Fluff

Word Count: ~2.74k

Inspiration: Don't Go - Exo

A/N: And with this chapter, I conclude this series. Thank you for all the love you all gave my baby project!

Tags: @sooibian, @queenofcurse, @red-n-tall, @badbitxhbuckybarnes , @sweet-assh0le

‘Why am I nervous? We've done much more than just kiss. For fucks sake! I'm the mother of his child.’

You took a few deep breaths to calm yourself down before pushing the cart from behind your truck towards the large glass doors of the café. You had offered to take today’s batch of bread and pastries to Levi’s to snag a chance to see him, much to Mikasa’s annoyance.

“Oi, brat! You’re late.”, Levi remarked without looking up from his laptop when the bell above the door rang with your entrance, expecting her to have finally arrived.

“Levi, I’m so sorry! I made an impromptu decision to come here instead of Mikasa and -”, you emerged from behind the lofty stack of boxes.

Your hair was up in a messy bun, you were panting from hauling the weight and the resultant perspiration made you glow. Your continual rambling about why you were late, instantly gave him a feeling of Déjà vu, hurling him eight years back in time to the morning when he first laid his eyes on you.  Mirroring that day, he couldn’t focus on anything you were saying, gawking at you with unblinking eyes given how stupefied he was by the sight before his eyes and the sound of your voice.

“Levi? Are you listening?”, you waved your hand in front of his face, disrupting the mental movie playing in his head.

“Huh? Oh, y-yeah. Hi.” he shook his head vigorously and blinked a few times to bring himself back to the present.

Both a blushing mess, you stood by the entrance to the cafe, smiling at each other like two smitten high-schoolers.

“Are you finally back together?”, a shriek from the opposite end of the seating area made your ears ring.

The cacophony was loud enough that Erwin’s head immediately peaked out of his office; his face riddled with confusion. Both your necks snapped towards the source - Hange was running in your direction with the brightest grin on their face. Every head in the room was turned towards you. Eren and other new members of staff at the café, Armin, Jean, Sasha and Connie were slack jawed with their gaping eyes fixed on you after being subjected to this abrupt and unnecessary announcement. One look from Levi sent them scrambling back to work.

“Fucking four-eyes.” he mumbled as they came closer.

“I knew it! You lovebirds couldn’t stay apart for long!”, they squealed with joy enveloping you both in an spontaneous group hug, not giving Levi an opportunity to flinch away.

“Shhh! Calm down, Hange! We’re not back together. Yet.”, you tugged on their hands trying to free yourself from their clasp.

Levi's eyes met and stayed on yours when you uttered the last word, the way his heart fluttered at the sound of it clearly reflecting on his face.

Yet.

“But you were together last night. You have both put in way too much effort in your appearances today. And the color on Short-stack's cheeks can be spotted from Mars! What am I missing here?”, they observed, unaware of the heat rising within their two friends thinking about their final moments together at the Ackerman home yesterday.

Always the perceptive one, Hange. They weren’t entirely wrong. You did spend forty minutes in your closet hunting for the one floral lemon-yellow dress that Levi loved seeing you in; piling on deodorant while simultaneously cursing the hot summer. You picked your reflection in the mirror apart for way too long, fiddling with the necklace he bought you ages ago while rehearsing what you would say to him.

By the looks of it, he did too. He looked oh-so handsome today. Granted, he always did. But today was different. He wore your favorite navy-blue button-down shirt with slate grey slacks, sleeves folded to reveal his toned fore arms, and the top two buttons left open to aid with the sweltering heat; or was it because he knew that it made you weak in the knees when he wore his shirts that way? And his cheeks and ears were definitely a brighter shade of pink than the raspberry compote on the cheesecake you brought.

He stood pinching the bridge of his nose, his breathing starting to speed up. You figured it was his attempt at suppressing the strong urge to smack the grin right off Hange’s face.

“Hange, I promise, I’ll give you all the details later. But for now, Levi and I have things to discuss.”, you pulled him away before he could act on his impulse.

Taking a seat at the table by the large bay window, kissed by the morning sun, you watched the city slowly rise awake with your cheek resting on the palm of your hand. Levi, who was walking back from the kitchen with a cup of tea for himself and a caramel latte for you, stopped in his tracks to mentally frame this image. It was as if you were a different person than who he met over the last two days.

There were no signs of the anxious but adoring mother from yesterday nor the bewildered, pained ex-wife from the day before; you were the same clumsy, moody, garrulous, as well as kind, selfless and mesmerizing woman he fell madly in love with when you walked in through the doors of this very place eight years ago. How could one person flood his heart with a barrage of different emotions this way?

You acknowledged him with a soft ��hi’ accompanied by a smile when he sat down on the chair opposite to you, nervous about the forthcoming conversation. You stole occasional glances at each other while sipping your beverages, hesitating to be the one to say the first word.

“Do you hate me?”, he asked out of the blue, his gaze locked on his cup.

“No! Why would you think that?”

“Uh- you obviously had a chance to think about what I said to you after going home last night. Why would you possibly want to still see me?”

“Well, I’m here, aren't I? I want to work on us if you’re willing to try as well, Levi. I want to see where this takes us.”, you smiled, placing your hand on his.

"Me too."

.

.

Four months later

The day of Suki and Furlan's wedding was finally here. The venue was set, guests had arrived and you were busy helping the bride get ready for her special day, having spent all morning with her, Isabel and the other bridesmaids in the bridal suite, chatting away in excitement and anticipation for the day ahead.

“Honestly speaking, Suki, I’d have a hard time keeping my hands off you if I were Furlan”, you teased while draping the veil into her hair, causing her to bury her face into her palms.

“You’re one to talk! Levi has been looking for reasons to see you all morning. I had to turn him away thrice already. I'm pretty sure he is going to murder me after the wedding is over.”, Isabel shot back with a smirk.

The last four months had been nothing short of a whirlwind. After that morning at the cafe, having breakfast with Levi turned into a routine. He brought Luna along on most days, and the three of you spent time chatting and admiring the toddler’s antics over tea and scones while sitting at your usual table by the bay window. Sometimes you’d have her accompany you to the patisserie to give Levi a much-deserved break.

Everyone there was enamored with the little firecracker. Her Uncle Miche had always been her favorite because the gentle giant ferried her around the large kitchen on his shoulders. Bertholdt and Reiner would happily comply to all the orders their mini boss belted out. Annie, although a little awkward around her, listened intently to her endless stories; Mikasa secretly pampered her with numerous treats even after several warnings from you, and Nanaba would fuss over her all the time and try to keep the little one all to herself, earning protests from the others.

The evenings varied between taking Luna to the park or the pier, or just spending time indoors at your place or his. You even celebrated her fourth birthday two weeks ago. All your friends and family, along with some little friends the birthday girl had made at the park were invited. You spent a beautiful evening in the backyard of your house around a bonfire, with a delectable meal and wonderful company.

Levi especially made sure you knew that you were being wooed by taking you out on date nights every now-and-then to the finest of restaurants, walks on the beach, to the drive-in theater a few miles outside your town, or star gazing from your favorite spot up the nearby hill. You both were working through your differences and had barely had any disagreements during the time spent together. Things were slowly falling in place; in fact, this newly re-built relationship with him felt much stronger than ever before.

The flashback ended when the wedding planner knocked on the door indicating it was time for the ceremony to begin. You, Isabel, and the other bridesmaids ushered Suki to her designated spot, making sure her dress, hair, make up and flowers looked perfect.

.

.

Standing at the altar by Furlan’s side as his best man, Levi was relieved that he would finally be seeing you soon after being apart all morning. Lately, the two of you spent most of your time together; and this sudden separation had him feeling restless.

On cue, the two harpists seated on either side of the rows began to play heavenly tune of ‘A Thousand Years’ by Christina Perry, a prompt for the bride’s party to start making their way towards the altar. He watched patiently as bridesmaids accompanied by groomsmen walked down the aisle, waiting for you to finally appear. He almost forgot to breathe when your form eventually entered the nave, walking a short distance behind Isabel and one of Furlan’s friends.

You wore the emerald gown from your encounter with him at the store four months ago, and looked a million times more beautiful this morning. Your usually open hair was tied into an elegant loose braid with some curly strands framing your face. The sun rays falling on your silhouette from the towering stained-glass windows of the church made you look like an angel descending solely upon him. He finally began breathing again when you smiled at him and mouthed “breathe”, after taking your position at the altar.

Levi only peeled his eyes away from you when Luna’s giggles reverberated off the stone walls as she waddled down the aisle, scattering petals of baby pink roses, about the same shade has her chubby cheeks, on the ivory carpet. You wiped a stray tear rolling down your face as you both proudly watched her play the part of a flower girl with utmost perfection. Upon making it to the end, she ran to you and buried her face in your gown, suddenly feeling shy from the cheers and applause she received from the smitten guests.

You instantly scooped her up and held her close, letting her nuzzle into the crook of your neck, cooing sweet words of encouragement into her ears. Levi was so taken by this divine scene before him that he failed to notice the bride's much awaited walk down the aisle; surprised to directly find Suki standing at the altar, facing Furlan with her lips curved into the widest smile before his attention found you and Luna again.

He lost track of how long he was marveling at his two perfect girls for, until he felt an elbow harshly crash into his ribs, knocking the wind out of his lungs.

“Is this revenge for your wedding?”, Furlan frowned.

Levi blankly stared at him, having no clue what he was talking about

“Ring, Levi!”, the fuming groom growled.

Oh, right. He pursed his lips in embarrassment melting under the scrutiny of the baffled guests while he handed over the ring that was in the safety of his blazer’s pocket. His eyes darted towards an alarmed Suki and silently apologized to her. Then his gaze moved back to you, an impish smirk on your face as you stared back at him, knowing exactly what was going on in his mind.

Fuck! Furlan was not going to let this go for a long time.

Luna had lost interest in the festivities midway through the nuptials and had fallen asleep in your arms. After the ceremony, when everyone began to make their way outside the chapel, Levi swiftly moved over to walk beside you and offered to carry the snoozing toddler. You groaned after her weight left your body, stretching your sore shoulders and aching back .

“Stop that. You have no idea how hard it is to control myself from jumping your bones, especially when you look this gorgeous.”, Levi whispered in your ear, snaking an arm around your waist.

You glanced around awkwardly making sure his words did not fall on any prying ears and gave him a quick smack on the shoulder, trying to suppress the heat creeping up your neck.

.

.

Time skip – Evening

The wedding reception was underway. You sat at a table sipping lemonade, watching the newlyweds grooving to the beats of music being played by DJ Zeke. Levi swapped his usual glass of Macallan for a cup of ginger lemon tea; His reason being that his throat was sore from carrying out best man duties. But you knew he was just being supportive of your goal to stay off alcohol.

Erwin and Hange sat by the bar, socializing with Furlan’s Boss, Mr. Pyxis while Luna was busy playing duck-duck-goose with some new toddler friends she made at the venue. Levi needed to be physically restrained from ambushing Isabel who he had discovered slow dancing with the same groomsman that walked alongside her at the ceremony. Miche and Nanaba were spotted in a rare public embrace, dancing leisurely to the slow music; and your army of helpers consisting of Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Sasha, Connie, Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie took the lead on setting up tables as yours and Levi’s patisserie and café were the official caterers for the evening.

The choice of DJ Zeke's next track brought a sparkle to your eyes. Your smile spread from ear to ear when ‘Fly me to the Moon' by Frank Sinatra emanated from the speakers. You sang along and began swaying cheerfully in your seat to the melody.

“Remember, Levi? This was the song we had our first dance to at our wedding.” you reminisced; a nostalgic smile spread across your face.

“How can I forget?”, he asked.

His eyes were unfocused, lost in memories of his own. He remembered how ethereal you looked in your white wedding dress. How your diamond jewelry shimmered under the spotlight, how you whispered honeyed words into his ears when he felt exceptionally uncomfortable dancing in public, how warm your hands felt wrapped around his body, how your breath tickled his neck. He’d give anything just to go back and relive that moment.

You gaze was still lost among people enjoying themselves on the dance floor when a stretched-out hand entered your line of vision. Your eyes followed it to land on Levi’s face. A quirk in your eyebrows wordlessly asked him what this action meant.

“Let's dance.”, he said.

“You, Levi Ackerman, are willingly asking me to dance? Did someone spike your tea?” You smirked, earning an eye roll from him.

“Oi, brat! Let’s go before I change my mind.”

“Only if you ask nicely.”

“May I have this dance with you, my love?”

You accepted and the pair of you headed towards the dance floor. He gently pulled you close to him and firmly held on to your hand. His other hand wrapped firmly around your waist and you rested yours on his shoulder. You both moved to the slow rhythm in perfect harmony, as you drowned in those gorgeous blue-grey eyes. It felt like the world around you had dissolved and it was just the two of you and the music.

“You look nice today. I see you bought the same gray suit you hated with a fiery passion.”, you teased.

“How could I not after you said you liked it?”

You looked over his shoulder to Suki and Furlan flashing you a wide grin from across the dance floor. And so did Hange, Miche and Nanaba from over that the bar. Erwin gently raised his drink in your direction. The heat from the from the sudden metaphorical spot light you stood under was cooled by the kiss Levi planted on your cheek.

“Did I tell you how lucky I feel to have you?”, he whispered into your ear as while brushing strands of hair off your face.

“I could stand to hear it more often.”, You hid your blush by resting your forehead on his shoulder, feeling too shy to keep his gaze.

“It's true. You’re the most beautiful woman is this room tonight, scratch that, you’ll be the most beautiful woman anywhere, any day; and I get the honor of calling you mine.” he cooed, drawing gentle circles on your back with his fingers.

“You’re awfully talkative today!”, you lifted your head again to reveal a contagious coy smile spread across your lips.

“Don’t be stupid. I’ve always been talkative.”,

“Come with me.”, he moved you off his chest and tugged at your hand.

“Where?”, you asked in utter confusion, and a bit of annoyance at the wonderful moment being ruined, just to receive silence in response.

Levi quickly glanced over to find Luna munching on garlic bread sticks with Erwin and Hange, as he guided you away from the venue and towards the lake nearby. The ripples in the water gleamed under the moonlight, resembling liquid silver. Warm yellow light from the lamps on either side of a wooden dock dimly illuminated the path that led to a gorgeous gazebo that stood at the end, its ceiling sprinkled with fairy lights that defined the intricate floral carvings in the wood. You stood in the center of the structure and slowly spun around, marveling at the work of whose ever brilliant hands built it.

“Levi, this is stunning!”, you said gazing in all directions, running your fingers over the sophisticated engravings.

“Yes, it is.”, Levi agreed, his eyes not on the architecture, but instead on the human embodiment of radiant sunny day that stood by his side.

Not remotely expecting anything to outshine the sight before you, your vision was captured by an extravagant display of red, green, and gold against the dark blanket of the night’s sky. You jumped when the sound of the first soaring explosion caught you off guard. An arm slid across your waist and a kiss was placed on your temple. You were enamored by the shattering sparks of the fireworks, eliciting frequent oohs and aahs, until a voice snapped you out of your reverie.

“Marry me.”

It took you a few seconds to fully register what you just heard. But when you did, overwhelming feelings of joy rendered you speechless; fingers absentmindedly running over the carved railing of the gazebo, stunned orbs darting between the brilliant sky and the love of your life.

This time Levi had to remind you to breathe.

Your eyes and lips both turned into wide Os, and you slapped your hands to cover your gaping mouth when he slowly lowered himself to kneel before you, opening a little black box containing the same gorgeous ruby ring from all those years ago, which he sneaked out of your nightstand during one of his visits.

“I know that you said you wanted to take this slow. But the last four months with you have been the most precious of my life, where I got a glimpse of what having a perfect family would be like. I learnt the hard way, what I lost when I lost you and you gave me a second chance at finding happiness when you decided to come back. I promise to love and protect you every single day for the rest of my life, and even after. You complete me, love, and you complete our family. So, will you do me the honor of being Mrs. Ackerman, again?”

“Levi...”, your trembling voice was barely audible.

“Yes.”, you breathed, letting the floodgates finally open when he slid the ring on your finger.

He got back on his feet and engulfed you into the tightest embrace as you wept joyous tears into his shoulders.

“I love you so much!”

“I love you too!”, moving to look into your eyes, he cupped your face with warm hands.

And finally, his lips found yours.

It felt... like home;

Like laying in a cozy bed after a long day of work, like the warm chocolate sauce on a cold scoop of ice-cream, like wearing a fuzzy sweater on a crisp autumn evening, like walking barefoot on the beach at sunset, like taking a cool shower on a blazing summer afternoon, like everything you ever needed.

After being torn apart from the one person who made your life perfect, you were finally back in the soothing confines of his strong arms, resting against his able chest, ready to fall apart; all while the fireworks in the sky mirrored the fireworks in your hearts.

“Mama! Papa!”

You were awoken from this surreal euphoria by the most beautiful squeal you had ever heard. Both your heads turned towards the source of it – a tiny figure running towards you with all her might while all your near and dear ones including the newlyweds watched from a distance, cheering merrily.

“They knew?”, you gasped, sobbing and sniffling from the joyous tears.

“Yeah, pretty much everyone but you knew.”

Luna flew into Levi’s open arms when he bent down to receive her. The three of you merged into one blob of a positively smothering family hug, only pulling away to pepper each other with more kisses. Levi held his two girls close. His sun and moon were now back together in the sky of his life. He looked into Luna’s crescent shaped eyes and whispered,

“Moon beam, Mama’s coming home.”

[editoress]

Morbius: A Novelization: Part 2

Don't worry, I've got this on lock.

*

Morbius Jones awoke on his laboratory floor, and he was definitely a vampire.

As a doctor, he was intimately familiar with the innate weirdness of the human body and the fact that certain chemicals could make it even weirder. When one doses oneself with an experimental drug in the middle of the night, one expects a certain drama in the side effects. And if one is a scientist of any kind, one writes it down and comes to a conclusion.

Pros: Morbius no longer felt sick. This was a vast improvement on the rest of his life. He felt so healthy, in fact, that he could pinball off the walls and lift his desk one-handed, which was possibly outside the realm of a normal, healthy body. Or maybe not, as he'd never had one.

Cons: Sunlight hurt. He had no pulse. His eyes were red, and red is always a bad sign. That's basic color theory.

???: His canines had grown. That could go either way. He was very hungry. The McDonald's fries and Mountain Dew left over in the mini fridge were not doing it for him.

After some consideration, Morbius decided he had turned himself into a vampire. Occam's Razor. That was what you got for being named Morbius and playing around with DNA-altering drugs. At the bottom of his notes, he wrote the word "BLOOD?" and circled it.

He had worked a lot of overtime in the past day. He decided to shield himself with an umbrella and go home. However, as soon as he emerged onto the unnamed city streets, his senses were assaulted. His sense of smell was suddenly very sharp. Unfortunately, this meant he could smell an awful lot of engine fumes and piss. But he could also smell blood. It smelled much better than cold McDonald's fries.

Instincts are supposed to be urges one starts out with, so getting a different set all at once was very disorienting. All the confusion was almost certainly why Morbius hunted, cornered, and drank the blood of three people on the way home. It was delicious. Sobbing with disgust, he put a checkmark next to "BLOOD?" on his notes.

He barricaded himself in his room as soon as he arrived home. But his father, or perhaps an uncle, came knocking on his door. "Is something wrong, Morby?" he asked.

"Don't come near me," moaned Morbius. "I'm a monster."

There was a pause. "Metaphorically?"

"No!"

Eventually, Morbius broke down and told his uncle (or kindly mentor) everything. They sat together, Morbius deep in misery, his Obi-Wan deep in thought. The old man asked, "So you're cured, but to keep surviving, you have to kill people?"

"I think so," said Morbius mournfully. "I definitely have to take blood out of them. And people need their blood. Nobody likes giving it away."

Morbius's relative was a man of solutions. "What if you took blood from bad people?"

"What?"

"Evil people who are a menace to society. It could be like paying a fine for their crimes, only with blood. Think of all the good citizens you would be protecting."

Morbius nodded slowly. "I don't think anyone would mind if petty criminals got eaten by a monster."

"Of course not!" the dunkle agreed. "This is American City. We believe in justice." He squeezed Morbius's shoulder, and with utmost, loving sincerity, said, "You're going to be alright. We'll get through this," thus signing his own death warrant.

And so began Morbius's third career as a vampire vigilante. He found that as long as he had a burglar or two every night, then he could continue to work his shifts at the hospital without issue. A news montage about these mysterious attacks was playing in every shop and salon. Morbius looked more goth than ever, which everyone agreed suited him.

No one agreed more than the ordinary yet attractive patient from his last day as a human. One night, he stopped a mugging only to find that she was the target. He dropped his venti-sized drink, who was alive but weak with blood loss. Morbius turned away from the woman, ordering, "Don't look at me!"

She gently turned him back around. She looked distantly familiar. "That's twice you've saved me," she said. "I don't think you're evil." She was the only woman in the city. Obviously, they kissed.

His schedule was so full that he completely neglected the laboratory until an urgent text from Matt Smith reminded him about it. He reacted with a thumbs up emoji and ran to meet him at full vampire speed.

"Something," Matt Smith accused perceptively, "is going on. You look like you've joined a metal band. You haven't been doing your research. I haven't seen you in days. And that cellist is playing very ominous music."

"I turned myself into a vampire and forgot to tell you," said Morbius.

"That explains everything," Matt Smith allowed. "But why? Just because vampires are incredibly cool?"

"Vampires are not incredibly cool!" cried Morbius. "I thought it was a cure to save my life, but instead I have become death's right hand, an abomination who must feed on the living!"

"But are you a healthy abomination?" asked Matt Smith.

"I think so," Morbius admitted.

Matt Smith smiled boyishly, as he was wont to do. "Sounds good to me."

"It's not worth it," Morbius warned him. "I'm a monster who hurts people to sustain his own life."

"I think I would do lots of crimes to stop coughing and fainting," Matt Smith mused. "But since it bothers you, how have you been staying alive?"

"If I must be a monster, then I will eat bad people," Morbius explained. "Like criminals who are mean to cops."

"And I," said Matt Smith, "will eat the cops."

Even the cellist was aghast. Morbius gaped at his friend. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm going to become a vampire, too," Matt Smith said calmly. He held up the drug in question and shook it. "Maybe even double the dose to Dracula levels. And then I'll take the funding anyway and be a rich Dracula."

"No!" cried Morbius.

"Yes," said Matt Smith, and since he was holding the syringe full of vampiric concoction, he won the argument.

[ingek73]

Royals

8 Designers on What It’s Like to Dress Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex

8 Slides

By Gina Marinelli

August 2, 2019

Meghan Markle arrives at the Terrance Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair at Nottingham Contemporary on December 1...

Christopher Furlong

Everyone remembers their first time. They compare it to feeling like a kid on Christmas morning and recall their phones exploding with more notifications than humanly possible to respond to. Some need to take a step back in order to fully understand the significance of the moment—when Meghan Markle gave their fashion brand her personal stamp of approval.

Influencer marketing may be powerful, but these brands can attest: Not much compares to the Duchess of Sussex's being photographed wearing one of your pieces, triggering the Meghan Markle Effect. It can shift conversations entirely for those already established brands, and it can throw a little-known at-home operation onto the global stage in an instant.

“In terms of growing our business exponentially, Meghan has enabled us to do this in a very tangible, immediate way,” says James Bartle, founder and CEO of Outland Denim. The Australian brand is on a mission to create responsibly made denim while supporting ethical work conditions, especially in its facility in Cambodia. Markle wore the label repeatedly during her royal tour of Australia in 2018, and its sales skyrocketed, allowing the under-the-radar business to grow. “You cannot put a price on the brand recognition nor the credibility that the duchess is able to bestow on a small, socially oriented enterprise such as ours,” says Bartle.

Outland's success story isn't unique. Many other designers that the Duchess of Sussex has touched since her public persona shifted from actress to royalty, British Vogue guest editor, curator of her own fashion collection, and [pal to Beyoncé],(https://www.glamour.com/story/beyonce-meghan-markle-lion-king) can attest to her impact. In their own words, the designers ahead explain exactly what happened when Markle wore their creations.

1/8

Sentaler

Meghan Markle was initially introduced to Sentaler when she visited the flagship showroom while living in Toronto. She had been seen wearing Sentaler coats in Toronto while out and about as well as while she was filming Suits. Before her engagement to Prince Harry, it was amazing to see her continue to wear the brand. She was seen wearing the Sentaler Royal Baby Alpaca Classic Wrap in Sand Grey, which instantly spiked global demand and we now call the Meghan Wrap.

The most significant appearance—and one of the most memorable days for me as a designer—was when Meghan once again appeared in Sentaler during her first official appearance with the queen, during the Christmas service in Sandringham in 2017. She wore the Long Wide Collar Wrap Coat in Camel, a signature style that has been in my collections from the early days. She styled it impeccably, and I was so honored that she chose to wear Sentaler on such a significant day for her.

Meghan appeared in Sentaler once again in early 2019, wearing the Long Wide Collar Wrap Coat in our fall 2019 Color of the Year, Scarlet Red. This was one of Meghan’s most memorable appearances. The bold, unconventional red and purple color combination was striking and so perfectly put together.

We've experienced the Meghan Markle Effect many times. The impact of her appearances are tremendous and always cause a major spike in our e-commerce traffic and social media channels. Every coat she has worn has immediately sold out and gone on multiple back orders, while also causing similar ripple effects throughout our entire product offerings. We received media attention and awareness from all over the world. She's an incredible style icon, and her influence is simply palpable. —Bojana Sentaler, president and creative director of Sentaler

2/8

Karen Walker

Her royal highness’s style feels very authentic to me. It isn’t forced at all—it’s real and captures her personality. That’s what people love about her approach to fashion.

She first wore our designs in 2014 and many times since, but I think my favorite moment would have to be when she emerged from a plane, after touching down in New Zealand, wearing our Banks Trench. It was a thrill to have her first official appearance in my country wearing one of our pieces—and wearing it so well.

Obviously, anytime the right product is worn by the right person at the right time, there’s a commercial impact. We’ve been lucky enough to experience that on countless occasions with all sorts of people and from all areas of our work. However, with her royal highness, there was something even more: an interest, intrigue, and genuine curiosity about her that reaches past any other notable person we’ve ever had wear our pieces. She’s probably the person I get asked about most, and I think that that speaks to the real affection people have for her. —Karen Walker

3/8

Charlotte Elizabeth

On March 23, 2018, the Duchess of Sussex stepped off a plane in Belfast, where she was attending a royal engagement alongside Prince Harry. This was one of their final outings before the wedding, so the Meghan Markle Effect was in full force. At the time Charlotte Elizabeth was running from my bedroom—among bags here, there, and everywhere in my parents' house!—so it felt monumental seeing the duchess happily wearing the Chestnut Bloomsbury bag so beautifully among other well-respected designers. It was the most surreal day of my life.

Within seconds of the duchess wearing the Bloomsbury, we had orders from around the world. Our Instagram pretty much broke my phone. At that moment in time, I was a one-man band, so it was a pretty crazy experience, to say the least!

Over the weekend that followed the royal engagement, I began to realize the [impact of] the Meghan Markle Effect. Because each bag was handmade, we had to extend the wait time to eight months. We worked tirelessly to fulfill every order. It was tough to go from bedroom business to a larger one overnight and sacrifice other parts of life, but I have learned so many invaluable lessons throughout this experience, which has set me up for our future at Charlotte Elizabeth. An industry expert told me that what I experienced in a year was what most start-ups would in 10 years, so I’m grateful for every lesson and challenge I learned from.

Eventually we caught up with our wait list, which was the greatest sense of relief ever. I ordered myself a big cheesy pizza and I finally got some sleep (without dreaming of packing up bags for delivery)! I'm really excited to announce that we will be launching new Charlotte Elizabeth products later this year. It really is down to each and every individual supporting us to get us to where we are and where we are going. I'm deeply grateful to have been given such a tremendous opportunity and wish to use our success to inspire other women to go after their own dreams.

If I’m totally honest, it definitely didn’t sink in for about a year…. I have loved watching the gentle transition of Meghan’s style since announcing her pregnancy through now. As women, we all experience changes throughout our life that influence how we wish to portray ourselves in the world through fashion and beauty. It must be even tougher in the scrutiny of the public eye to go through such changes, but the duchess continues to inspire through her fashion choices and ability to create a look according to the event. Meghan gives us all a sense of realness, and ability to re-create attainable looks fit for a duchess! —Charlotte Elizabeth Jones, founder of Charlotte Elizabeth

4/8

Outland Denim

The first time the Duchess of Sussex appeared in Outland Denim was October 17, 2018, during the duke and duchess's visit to Dubbo. At the time I was in Cambodia visiting our production facility. I woke up to hundreds of notifications on my phone. Our staff couldn't quite believe a duchess was wearing our jeans! Meghan continued to wear her Harriet Black jeans several times during that visit.

Meghan's choosing to wear Outland Denim once is a reflection of alignment with our values. But the fact that she has chosen to wear the brand multiple times shows her preference for the product’s fit, comfort, and style, and perhaps a desire to help us achieve our mission as well. It's her subtle, dignified way of saying she cares about the work we are doing.

Meghan has opened doors for Outland Denim. She’s enabled us to not only create visibility for our brand globally but also to tell our story around the employment of vulnerable women and sustainability. Retailers, the media, and the public alike have been very keen to get to know Outland Denim thanks to her endorsement.

The immediate effect of the duchess's wearing the jeans was a website traffic increase of 3,000% to our home site and about 948% to our global group of sites. Sales increased 640% for the week following the first sighting of Meghan in our jeans. The black Harriet jeans she wore sold out in Australia in the first 24 hours.

Thanks to the Meghan Markle Effect, we were able to employ a further 46 seamstresses in our Cambodian production. When you think about the fact that what we try to do with Outland is imbue our staff members in Cambodia with a sense of dignity in their work and their value as human beings, a quiet, dignified royal endorsement such as this—while unofficial, in the sense that we don't have a Kensington Palace seal/badge—is incredibly helpful. —James Bartle, founder and CEO of Outland Denim

5/8

Strathberry

We were simply delighted when Meghan Markle chose to carry our Strathberry Midi Tote during her first royal engagement with Prince Harry in Nottingham in 2017. Then seeing her in our hometown of Edinburgh with our East/West Mini was an absolute honor. Her outing in Dublin was a special one for me, being from the Emerald Isle.

Immediately following her first outing in Nottingham, we saw sales increase considerably (by 200% to 300%). Visitor numbers to the website were also amazing. At one stage, they were up tenfold against our daily average. We had already started to take the brand international, but the support from Markle has definitely helped elevate Strathberry further. It has been such an exciting time of growth for the brand. We now employ over 30 people in our Edinburgh headquarters, with smaller teams working in Spain, London, and China. We have also just opened our second flagship store on London’s iconic Mount Street, following the opening of our first boutique in Burlington Arcade last November.

Meghan Markle always looks elegant and effortless. She mixes high-end designers with more affordable brands, which makes her style more relatable and approachable. It's also fantastic that she has been willing to support smaller brands, which in turn helps to promote and grow these labels. —Leeanne Hundleby, founder and co-owner of Strathberry

6/8

Nonie

Meghan Markle's style today has seen an incredible evolution as she’s embraced royal standards while still honoring her personal taste. She brings a modern, contemporary approach with regal flair. More than anything, I think she radiates her personality through her clothing. She knows who she is and isn’t afraid to be herself with her personal expression in fashion.

When Markle wore the classic Sleeveless Trench in Blush as a dress to the Nelson Mandela Centenary Exhibition in July 2018, it marked a monumental moment for both myself and the brand. Her effortless approach to style radiated impeccably through photos, and I think she styled it perfectly. I was tremendously honored to have her royal stamp of approval and see her nod to her previous home in Canada by supporting Canadian designers. Her unofficial endorsement helped change the future of the brand, something I'm forever grateful for.

I still feel the effect today—it's incredible. The moment she wore the trench, we sold out immediately and had a generous wait list. Because of the demand, we had to go to the mill and produce more fabric specifically for the trench dress. To this day, we're still producing the trench! Markle's support has aided in generating international recognition and global exposure for the brand on an expedited time frame. The global reaction was immediate. —Nina Kharey, founder and creative director of Nonie

7/8

Adina Reyter

The first time was the best. Meghan Markle wore the 3 Amigos Diamond post earrings to her first public engagement with the queen. I spotted my piece on the cover of a magazine—a profile of her face, a beautiful smile—and I felt a rush of excitement and shock. How did she get my earrings? Am I dreaming? We jumped through hoops in the office to figure out how this could have happened and figured out she had bought them on her own. Totally thrilling! Meghan has since worn two additional pieces, the Pavé Diamond Teardrop Necklace and Large Pavé Curve Wing Earrings, many times.

I loved the way she styled each piece—sometimes formal, most times casual. She seemed to have never taken them off, which is exactly how I designed them. Meghan’s style is simple, classic, chic, and most important, accessible. Fashion doesn’t have to be incredibly costly, and women are smart shoppers: They want to invest in pieces that are going to last. Meghan exemplifies the woman who trusts her own taste and doesn't chase trends. The fact that she chooses to wear us over and over is an honor and a testament to our brand identity: accessible fine jewelry that is designed for everyday wear.

Every time Meghan Markle appears in our jewelry, it immediately sells out on adinareyter.com and with our retailers. When Meghan wore our Diamond Pavé Teardrop Necklace, it sold out online within minutes and with all retailers nationwide by end of day. One of our most popular retailers reordered the necklace nine times and still can’t keep it in stock! —Adina Reyter

8/8

Theia

It was her royal highness's visit to the island nation of Tonga, where she wore a custom Theia gown to the state dinner hosted by the king and queen at Nuku'alofa. I felt like a six-year-old on Christmas morning! I was running around the house screaming with delight at 5:25 a.m.

It was a remarkable vote of confidence in Theia, to have been chosen to be included in that all-important royal tour, knowing every outfit would be scrutinized by the entire world. Her royal highness looked absolutely radiant, and the positive reviews she received the world over in our ivory gown were thrilling. She styled the gown with a black Givenchy clutch and the Aquazzura slingbacks. The icing on the cake was the fabulous aquamarine ring that once belonged to Princess Diana and was a gift to the duchess from her husband, the Duke of Sussex. I couldn’t have wished for a greater endorsement of my work and our brand.

Our brand was instantly talked about around the world. We're still trying to determine the long-term effect it had, but we saw huge spikes in our Instagram and web traffic. The day she wore it, we saw an additional 42,000 views on our Instagram profile and an additional 13,000 visits to our website.

The effect has been remarkable. The entire nation of Ireland collectively shared in my elation. "We" had dressed the Duchess of Sussex, and a wave of national pride swept across the nation. It truly was a remarkable day for me, my family, my colleagues here at Theia, and practically everyone on Ireland.

Her royal highness is chic, elegant, and modern. She’s a marvelous role model and an intelligent woman with an all-inclusive view of the world. And I love her clean, streamlined choices. —Don O'Neill, creative director of Theia

[rixxy8173571m3w1p3]

September Song (2/3)

I’m sorry @kitten-wrath that this took so long, but I do hope you like it. @hoodoo12 @xerxezra thanks for brainstorming with me. Also, Ice Cream Rick belongs @porkchop-ao3. References to the flowers can be found here (The Language Of Flowers) and pizza rolls here (Sick Day)

Also, special thanks go to @her-victori for reading a majority of my fics in a short span of time. You Rock! As well to random anons who leave me sweet words in my ask box.

If you haven't read the first part of this fic then here's the link. (Read Part1 Here)

In this fic the reader tries to be more reserved and mature for Rick, but what will he think?

______

Chapter 2: These Precious Days

The mom and pop ice cream parlor which could be found at the edge of town offered over twenty flavors and twice as many topping options. Rick thought you'd prefer this quiet atmosphere over the crowd that would've surrounded Ice Cream Ricks truck in the Citadel; he was right. Though it really was a shame since Ice Cream Rick was actually pretty nice. After ordering, you two sat by the window with the best view of a lonely backroad and a white GMC truck.

“I-I-I like that you went for the rainbow jimmies.” Rick commented as he popped a mini gummy bear into his mouth.

“Hmm? Yeah, I like the texture.”

Which was true, but it wasn't the whole truth. You loved sprinkles on just about any dessert they could be placed on. They were fun, colorful, and your dad's favorite topping. They reminded you of good times. You continued. “And they're a classic. Wouldn't you agree?”

“I-I do. Would you say that y-your favorite flavor?”

Savoring the flavor of your chocolate ice cream, you nodded. “Yeah.”

Smiling softly, he seemed to be ruminating on this information, before storing it away and eating a spoonful of his pistachio ice cream. After a little while, he managed to get a bit of it on the side of his mouth, which made you giggle. And because old habits die hard, you picked up a napkin and wiped his face clean. Under your fingertips, his skin had that masculine roughness that came from constant shaving. Of course, you were familiar with it, but these slight reminders that came about by chance never failed to amaze you.

However, you were quick to pull your hand back because he wasn't a fan of public displays of affection, though it seemed to have the opposite effect, with him reaching out and placing your hand back on his cheek, and leaning into it. “I'm glad y-you were able to come with me today.”

Seeing as the shop owner was in the back room, you relaxed a little. “I am too.”

Rick was always a little funny when he got sentimental, which was why it didn't surprise you too much when his eyes bore through you as he said. “Me encanta estar c-contigo.”

“Rick,” you began, wanting to let this facade go and declare every single word of affection your heart felt inclined to say, but just as soon as you thought you were going to crack, you restrained yourself, and simply said. “your ice cream is going to melt.”

Several beats of silence passed, and he acknowledged what you had said, but he went on. “You - I-I sometimes wish I could carry you in my pocket, and have you look after me all the time, but th-that's silly isn't it? It's not realistic, and that w-would be selfish.”

“If it's you, then I don't think it is. While it wouldn't necessarily be practical to miniaturize me and carry me around, isn't the beauty of a relationship knowing that you're always on someone's mind and that they are out there somewhere caring and thinking about you?”

“Certainly, but what I-I meant to say is that it'd be nice if this was our life. If I could keep y-you and if you and me ugh - all th-the time…we - if we….” he faltered, fixing his eyes on something else in the room.

“You don't mean eating ice cream do you?”

With a sigh, he relinquished the hold he had on your hand, “N-no.” and continued to eat his ice cream; resigned, and slightly embarrassed. You couldn't help but feel a slight disappointment. It's not like he wanted to say the magic words. Right?

________

After ice cream, you two visited the bookstore on the corner of Kinder St and Lavue Ave; which had not only a coffee shop but a toy store connected to it. As soon as one entered into it, you were met with the latest best sellers, books on travel and wellness, as well as souvenirs; it was one of few places that didn't bother you if it was cramped. To your left next to the window were those mint boxes which said Adventure Awaits, and it filled you with gladness as picked one up; thinking of little things you'd put in it after all the mints were gone. For his part, Zeta-7 seemed to know exactly what he was going for, disappearing in the back where all the used books were. Not knowing whether to follow or look around, you just did as you pleased.

Past the Keychain holder, above the box of mini hands, you found a Mister Rogers mug. You loved that wholesome old man who used to teach lessons and play with puppets on PBS; Rick reminded you of him too. On the label, it said that when you added hot water to the mug, Mister Rogers would change from a suit jacket into his cardigan. Seeing as Zeta-7 hadn't returned yet, you decided to buy it and continued to look around until he soon returned with an older book in hand. “I-I-I hope I hadn't kept you waiting long.”

Facing the bookshelf, pulling out books that you were mildly interested in, you answered. “I knew you would show up eventually.”

Noticing the stack of books you had, he asked sweetly. “M-m-mi corazón, do you want me t-to hold those books for you? They look a-a little heavy.”

You weren't sure how long you could keep up this facade of being mature and not melting into a puddle everytime he said things like that, with him being as darling as he was. Nonetheless, you nodded and he lightened the burden on your arms.

“Wow,” he brightened. “I-I didn't know you liked Alexandre Dumas.” And picking out another book, he wondered. “Have y-you ever read this?”

“The Man In the Iron Mask? No,” you admitted sadly. “but when I was in high school I did read about a third of The Count of Monte Cristo. I even have a postcard that my old English teacher sent me from Europe that had a picture of one of the buildings that was used in the movie.”

“That's s-s-so cool. Do - do you enjoy classic literature?”

Wholeheartedly, you replied. “Isn't it the best kind?”

“I-I-I don't know,” he softened. “but I don't know what I'd do without them.”

You thought of his home library then, with its eclectic mixture of languages, colors, and topics, and it made you feel warm in your soul. “If your home library tells me anything, it's that you have a healthy appetite for books.”

He glanced at your lips after you said this, but made no attempt to follow whatever thought which might've come to mind. Instead, you two carried on a lengthy discussion on books, how many were a social commentary of the time period, and how they influenced the world you lived in. For once you didn't have to pretend you knew something you didn't, cause you did know. Quite intimately in fact. And within the small spaces between shelves and bodies, where you'd normally feel claustrophobic, you were safe amongst all the friends you had yet to meet amongst the pages, and with Zeta-7 whose warm words and tall body shielded you from the curious eyes of the cashier.

_______________

A stack of books sat quietly in the back seat of his car. Crickets chirped, and there were random feral cats here and there, but there was only you and him as far as you were concerned. September Song by Willie Nelson played on the car radio as he led you into a natural waltz next to the town lake, and moonlight reflected in his eyes. If you hadn't been so afraid of drowning, maybe you would've preferred to dance on the dock, but like this, it felt right.

Oh, it's a long long while

From May to December

But the days grow short

When you reach September

When the autumn weather

Turns leaves to flame

One hasn't got time

For the waiting game

With your head resting on his chest, he hummed along to the melody. More than once you heard a sniffle but assumed it was just Zeta-7 caught up in the moment again.

Oh the days dwindle down

To a precious few. ..

September, November. ..

And these few precious days

I'll spend with you.

These precious days

I'll spend with you.

You thought every day spent with him was precious, and you had to admit that you weren't sure at the beginning of your relationship if it would've worked out, but you were glad that the both of you took a chance, and had been pleasantly surprised ever since. And after all this time, now that it was the fall again, you wondered what the next year and the year after that would be like; the possibilities are endless. However, your train of thought was broken when Zeta-7 stopped dancing and stood there; covering his face, wanting to disappear.

“Rick?”

“I'm - I'm sorry, but I-I-I-I can't do this.”

“Can't do what?”

“I-I-I can't pretend that everything's o-okay. Something's th-the matter isn't it?”

“No there isn't.” you denied.

“Then why are y-y-you so quiet? Are w-we breaking up? Are you - are you leaving me?”

You literally wanted to smack yourself for being such an idiot. “No! Why would you think that?”

Using his phone, he paused the music and passed a hand through his hair in an attempt to calm himself. “Y-y-you haven't been yourself all evening. I thought for a moment that maybe th-things were alright back in the bookstore, but you - I know y-you were holding back. I know how much you love books, and writing is y-y-y-your passion, but you were hesitant in sharing your opinions on either subject. M-mi corazón,” he pleaded, the lines about his forehead and mouth deepening. “please b-be honest with me. Is this it?”

“No, it's not.”

Your plan, which you thought has been working went horribly wrong. So much for trying to act like an adult for once. Man, you only wanted to entice him, which you somewhat succeeded, but because of your stupid games, you'd led him to believe that you were unsatisfied with your relationship. If anything, you were unsatisfied with how you handled this. “Believe me Ricky, you haven't done anything wrong. In fact,” you sighed, your chest aching from the bloom of anxiety. “you've only been sweet and charming. But I….oh, I was only trying to impress you.”

“Huh? Wh-what?”

“Exactly. Whatever I thought I'd accomplish, it…..I only managed to mess it up. Again. You probably wouldn't get it,” Or maybe he would, but you weren't feeling like yourself. “but sometimes I feel like all you did was pull me out of my little bubble so I could wreak havoc. I'm not any different from hundreds of other versions of me, am I? Cause, if I'm like them, then how did I end up with you? How did I get so lucky to be with someone so wonderful? I hope they are happy because I am with you.”

With a hand pressed over his heart, a single tear made its way down his cheek. “M-me too. I'm so happy with you.”

“Somehow, despite all my inadequacies, you want me. I mean, is it stupid to believe that I just wanted to be different from all those other copies? That I just wanted you to think I was mature?”

Zeta-7 looked at you with a wistful hope in his eyes.“No, it's - it's not stupid. You - you did that f-for me?”

“Who else dear honey man of mine? Maybe it can't be helped and I'll just be what I am,” you confessed. “but for a moment I wanted to be different. So I gave myself the look and didn't overreact. And most of all, kept my mouth shut so you wouldn't get bored of my rambling. I know I talk too much.”

“N-no, that's not - have I led you t-to believe you weren't good enough?”

“Not on purpose, but I can't help but feel that way sometimes. We both know I'm not that special. I mean, the only impressive thing I've ever done is eat 37 pizza rolls, and not kill the flowers you gave me. I'm so sorry,” you cried, “I'm sorry you got stuck with an idiot.”

He pulled you in for a tight embrace, smoothing out your hair. “D-don't ever say that.” he cooed. “You're - you're clever, lovely, and always give me something t-t-to smile about.”

“Anyone can do that.”

Pulling back a little, he gave your shoulder a squeeze and softened. “N-no, not at all. Y-you give away dreams, smiles, and kindness. You're reliable, and I-I can trust you. And there is no one in the universe th-that could compare t-to you when it comes to being the perfect woman. If anything, I'm th-the defect here.”

“No, you're perfect Ricky.”

Placing a lock of hair behind your ear, he continued. “I'm glad y-you think so, but this isn't a-about me. You - you dressed up today, in a-a elegant dress that I'd n-never seen before,” and pressing a kiss behind your ear, he whispered with a little gleam of pride in his eyes.. “wearing the perfume I-I-I made you. Smelling like a-a dream.”

Again, how anyone considered this charmer a doofus you'd never know. “I had been saving it for a special occasion.”

“Everyday with you is - is special.”

“Oh Rick. That's…thank you.”

Pointing at your feet, “And I noticed that you're closer t-t-to my height today, but your feet must be hurting by now. Would y-you like to take them off?”

Oh, your feet were screaming. And now that you weren't pretending, you slipped out of your shoes which made you lose about four inches. Picking up your shoes and shoes and dusting them off, he continued. “That must feel better. I-I-I had to wear heels for a case once. It ugh - it's not practical when y-y-you have to run.”

“Right? I don't see how other women do it, cause I can't. I'm not even sure why I own them. I should just burn those things.”

You'd say it was half relief, half joy that made him laugh wholeheartedly at this, and you didn't see how it could be so funny. You poked him and pouted, and he delighted in this. “See?” he chuckled, looking at you in that funny way he did from time to time.

“See what?”

“This. This is th-the girl I fell in love with,” he stated matter of factly. “the one who likes t-to be comfortable, speaks her mind and prefers those jeans with th-the rip on the side. Not to mention those graphic t-shirts. Or cute pj's.”

Your breath caught a little at this confession. How could the smartest man in the universe adore an impertinent person like you? Maybe the same way you could love the smartest man; you just do. In your girlish voice, you said. “I only wanted you to be proud of me.”

Holding you a fraction tighter, he pressed a light kiss to your temple and chuckled sweetly. “Y-you already do princess. Today y-you made an effort for me, and that's impressive, but honestly, I want you t-t-to be comfortable and dress up how y-you like. You as yourself is what impresses me, because you have s-s-so much spirit, and I - that's what makes y-you gorgeous.”

This time you didn't even try to hide your blush.

“Oh Rick, hearing you say that really does make me feel silly. Why did I do this to myself? What was I thinking?”

“I believe y-you're still trying to figure it all out like the rest of us, and I can't get mad at you for th-that because you're wonderfully human. You had good intentions, and th-that's what counts.”

“Can you forgive me?”

“I al-already have.”

TBC