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[zhongrin]

floaty companion

◇ characters ◇ zhongli, al haitham, childe, cyno, kaveh

◇ tags ◇ character!seelie, cuteness overload, no romantic pairing but your seelie loves you very much!!

◇ a/n ◇ this is largely inspired by @hiraya-rawr and @genshinarchives seelie!companion and seelie!reader concepts respectively. important: please don’t send in requests for seelie!reader on genshinarchives, she’s not writing for that concept anymore!

𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡

seelie!zhongli's antennae are abnormally longer than normal seelies and remind you of a dragon’s. his tail is a tad thicker than normal seelies too, and he has tiny claws on his stubby little arm. it’s just as unique as it is adorable.

pee-colored shining golden color. people have mistaken him for a huge mora coin whenever he curls into a ball and has most definitely tried to grab him.

because of this, whenever you’re traveling inside the city, he prefers to bury himself within your hair - or, if your hair is long enough and you wear them down, he would gladly use them as a curtain as he sits on your shoulder. otherwise, he’ll peek out from your coat or pocket. he’s still a curious one, after all!

when you’re out and about is when he will float alongside you, enjoying the scenery and fresh air. careful though, you might want to check on him every now and then, because sometimes he just stops to admire the view. grandpa behavior. oh and sometimes he’ll disappear and return with a pouch of mora… how did he get those? he’s just extremely lucky when it comes to mora, it seems. or maybe he has some seelie mora-seeking intuition. who knows?

always tries to sip on your cup of tea. always ends up 1) falling into the teacup or 2) poured tea all over himself. the day you got him a mini teacup he literally bounces in excitement on your palm.

seelie!al haitham is a silver colored ball (which will magically shimmer green under certain lighting) that trails after you quietly…. until he sees a bookstore that is. in which case he’ll pull on your clothes or ear so you take a detour.

people laugh at you when you tell them your seelie is literate, and they think you’re crazy when you say he’s fluent in at least twenty languages and counting. well, jokes on them, he’s helped you decipher runes and guide you to secret passages in all the ruins you’ve gone to explore.

basically, those trips almost always end up with you finding lost treasures or new valuable information, which meant more mora. which means, you’re kind of rich because of him, and so he demands payments in the form of books and cuddles.

he’s normally very docile but you had witnessed him headbutting a yellow-colored seelie with a brownish tint on its antennae that seemed to be curious of your presence and hovered a little too close for his liking. you think the poor thing is now probably stranded all the way to the sumeru desert. yeah… best not to anger him.

he’ll sometimes disappear off to archons-know-where by himself, but he always comes back within the day. and he always has a souvenir when he returns; from a torn page of a book (you think it’s poetry but you have no idea what it says because they’re written in a language you don’t know) to a freshly bloomed padisarah, it always ends up with you cradling him in your arms and him silently enjoying the extra attention.

poor seelie!kaveh fell onto your bag while you were resting up in your adventure of traveling around the sumeru desert. you take pity on his unconscious form and decide to carry him until he wakes, intending to look for his owner the soonest you return to caravan ribat….

only, what happened after that was him waking up, taking one good look at your face, and now he’s stuck onto you like glue. quite literally. you sleep that night and when you wake up the next day he has somehow sewn a little pocket on your coat for him to ride in.

he brings you flowers or shiny-looking stones at least five times every day. sulks (by burrowing into his ‘home’ on your coat and refusing to acknowledge you until you apologize) when you don’t take good care of said presents.

he seems to become very hostile whenever he sees any silver-colored seelies. they’re a rare variety, but the two times you’ve encountered them throughout your adventures, your little yellow-brown seelie had screeched so loud you think he gave you tinnitus.

whenever you stumble into buildings you haven’t seen before, he’ll dazedly float out from his pocket home and squeak happily. he’ll drag you on a little tour around the building and inside said building if you’re allowed to enter.

seelie!childe is a strange ocean-blue colored ball that seems to be able to produce water out of nowhere???

you playfully knitted him a silly little red scarf to differentiate him from the other blue-colored seelies and he’s taken a liking to it. he always gets pouty whenever you take the cloth off him so you can wash the grime off. how can you know that he’s pouting when seelies don’t have mouths? umm. let’s just say you have a special emotional connection.

super noisy, squeaks and bumps and nuzzles onto you 24/7. will not sleep if he’s not nestled onto your neck. likes to perch on your person, be it your head, your shoulder, or your pocket.

when he’s angry he turns into a purplish color and zaps anything he’s in contact with. sometimes he does this to you when you’re being neglectful of your safety. suffice to say that his shocking (pun intended) warnings have saved your life more than once.

doesn’t do too well in hot weather. he literally melts onto your shoulder and refuses to detach himself. thrives on cold weather; he seems to really love snow.

soft pastel purple color is the hue of seelie!cyno. his antennae is darker colored and shaped like jackal ears.

can summon tiny lighting strikes. you have no idea how that works. just know that your little companion will not hesitate to do it to people who make you uncomfortable.

protective. will float in front of you and survey the area first. you two probably have determined a set of signals to ‘communicate’ with each other. always waits for you to catch up when you fall behind. very rarely he hides in your pocket; even when you fight he’s there as moral support and would act as a distraction to your opponents.

has a very good sense of direction somehow. you’ll never get lost with him around. if you’re going the wrong way, he’ll smoosh your cheek to get your attention and point in the right direction.

seems to be very obsessed with this card game called tcg. whenever he sees someone selling cards on the side street stalls, he’ll bump you in a warning and lead you towards the said shop. seelies don’t have eyes but when he faces you with a rare card in hand you swear you can see him making puppy eyes at you. and he might be a seelie, but you figured with the winning streak you have with him controlling your plays, he might be well on his way to becoming the most legendary tcg player in the whole teyvat.

© zhongrin | 2023 ◆ no repost. reblogs much appreciated. feel free to reach out to submit suggestions, feedback, comments, or if you just want to talk!

◇ taglist ◇ @thestarsofenkanomiya | @genshinparty | @abyssmal-skies | @hamdehlesmis | @depressivecomforts | @sophiethewitch1 | @why-am-i-here-someone-save-me | @sunnshineflxwer | @heartonthemoon | @yuutasbabe | @percyval-archives | @carbs-need-more-love | @rebeccka | @queen-belial | @stygianoir | @silentmoths | @niktwazny303 | @dustofthedailylife | @herdrops | @diebischesther | @marina-and-the-memes | @angryhope | @mixed-kester | @shuangxo | @fiannee | @lordbugs | @anonymousficreader | @shizunxie | @ladylofspades | @sup-zfam | @ansy-tea | @irethepotato | @nachotrash

[theskit]

Stickers AU

Anyone linking here from the previous posts or wanting to use the links on this post to go back/forward to the other parts and not wanting to spoil the surprise stickers, after using the link, click on my blog name to go to the actual post, as direct linking takes away the readmore cut. I'll take this out and fix it if I can find out how. Sorry!

Part 6

《Prev Next》

Danny floated along as he caught his breath. Okay, so jump scaring the Red Hood *might* not have been the best plan he'd ever come up with, but man, was it funny!

It was getting kind of late, though. He should probably start making his way back to the hotel. Any more vigilante pranks would have to wait for another time. Good thing the conference was on a long weekend. He had one more night to try his luck before they left Monday afternoon for the drive back to Amity.

Pulling up the map on his phone, Danny started making his way back. Just over halfway there, he jolted to a stop, catching sight of a rippling back shadow. Batman's distinctive silhouette was marked briefly against a building wall before being almost lost again in the perpetual dimness of the city rooftops at night.

Well, well, well, looks like he might have the chance to bag all the bats and birds of Gotham in one night, leaving tomorrow to hunt down in Bludhaven for Nightwing.

Eeeeexcellent. Danny pulled himself straight in mid-air, steepling his fingers and druming them together in classic Evil Villian style, grinning in a manner that would have shown entirely too many teeth had he been visible.

Now, this would require *true* stealth if he wanted to both get a sticker onto Batman's utility belt, as well as help himself to a batarang or two. Because Ellie was right, there would be no greater souvenir from his time in Gotham than a batarang from *the* Batman himself.

Choosing a sticker and prepping it, Danny sidled up to where Batman was staring down at a building that was probably not as vacant as it looked if it called for that much concentration. All the better for him if Batman was distracted though.

Moving by inches, carefully controlling his breathing so as not to make a sound, Danny made it to Batman's side. Batman was... probably? right handed, most people were, so he was gunna make an educated guess that the sharp throwing objects would be on the left side of the belt.

Getting ready to make the grab and stick, Danny nearly jumped out of his skin as Batman moved his arm and draped his cape over the space where Danny was standing intangibly right next to him, in a gesture that seemed more ingrained habit than conscious thought.

O-KAY! Time to go before Batman had a chance to recognize that there was no one where he very obviously expected someone to be. Robin, maybe?

Thoughts to think another time! Moving with all the speed and precision he could muster while his heart was still attempting to leave the city without him, Danny swiped one hand through a series of belt pouches while the other oh-so-gently tapped a sticker to the front buckle.

Not even stopping to see what it was he'd swiped, Danny made a quick exit, stage left, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Batman was jolted out of his concentration when he felt a nudge at his belt as his cape settled against his side once more. Whirling to the left, he scanned the rooftop but saw no one.

Which was entirely unexpected as his instincts were *sure* a small presence had been snug up to his side, like a young Dick or Tim when they got tired or a bit overwhelmed while on patrol and wanted to hide in his cape.

But neither Dick nor Tim, or even Damian (though Damian had never actually done so) was small or young enough to have done that in *years*.

A quick inspection found his belt pouches missing a handful of batarangs, some candy he kept on hand to help soothe distressed children, and the extra just-in-case comm unit. As well as the addition of a glowing sticker, much like the one currently decorating the batmobile, somehow placed on the buckle despite him neither seeing or hearing anything.

@mygood-bitch99 @stargazer-luna @easily-broken-by-emotion @dolfay @britcision @cyber-geist @is-this-even-relatable @alcorbearson @fisticuffsatapplebees @thegatorsgoose @my-mom-calls-me-rat @some-rotten-nest @crystalqueertea @meira-3919 @wandererofthestars @seraphinedemort

[ghoulodont]

Full Sour

Mushy May 2024 — late night snacks. Dewdrop tries something new.

Relationship: Raindrop Characters: Dewdrop, Rain Words: 1045

Mushy May prompts by @forlorn-crows

Read below or on AO3

Somehow, it’s the unexpected stillness of the bus, the absence of the usual rattle of highway travel, that pulls Rain from his half-sleep in his bunk. He turns on his phone screen and peeks at it, one eye closed against the brightness — it’s past three in the morning. He has almost convinced himself to just roll over and wait for sleep to claim him fully when he hears the telltale rustling of someone else getting out of their bunk.

When he slides his privacy curtain partway open, just a few inches to one side, he makes inadvertent eye contact with Dewdrop — the source of the noise, now stood in the aisle between the rows of bunks. Dew doesn’t say anything, just tips his head to the side as if he’s asking a question. Then he turns and walks out of view, in the direction of the front lounge.

Suddenly, sleep is far away. Rain crawls out of his bunk.

Dew is waiting just outside the bus. The nighttime air is cool and scented with gasoline and exhaust. A truly formidable rest area building looms at the end of the parking lot — the kind with restaurants and shops, a glowing retail oasis. The light from it, and from the tall, spindly light poles, like metal palm trees, accentuates the structure of Dew’s face — brow, nose, cheekbones.

“Were you going to go inside?” Rain asks him.

Dew shrugs, hands in his pockets. “I don’t know, just stretching my legs, I guess.”

Rain nods. Then, after a pause, “We could go walk around in there?”

Dew shrugs again.

If Dew won’t make a decision, Rain will. He starts walking towards the building and Dew follows without missing a beat.

Inside is a dining area surrounded by fast food restaurants, all shuttered for the night, and one convenience store. Rain has found himself growing a soft spot for this kind of place — not the food court, but this particular type of store found along the highway peddling souvenir nonsense, magnets in the shape of states, shirts with local landmarks. The location changes, but the items stay the same — swap out one state for another. It’s comforting in a way, a reminder that you’re always somewhere.

Dew wanders off at some point between the novelty shot glasses and the miniature teddy bears. Once Rain has had his fill of overpriced knickknacks, he takes a detour through the candy aisle to pick up a bag of sour gummy worms — the ones Dew always says are “not even sour” — before meeting back up with him.

On the other side of the store, Dew is standing in front of an open refrigerator case, lit by its fluorescent glow. As Rain gets closer, he watches as he picks up an enormous pickle, entombed in its own brine in a clear plastic pouch, and flips it around to read the back of the package.

He looks up as Rain approaches him. “Aren’t you curious about these?”

Rain wrinkles his nose involuntarily. “No?”

“But you like pickles.”

He does like pickles, generally, yes. “Yeah, but not pickles in a… plastic bag.”

Dew frowns at him.

“I mean, I probably wouldn’t eat anything from this case.” Rain scans the shelves. His gaze lands on an unappealing plastic cup of anemic melon chunks.

“Whatever. I want to try it,” Dew says. “You getting anything else?”

Rain looks down at the bag of gummy worms in his hand. He shakes his head.

Dew leads the way to the checkout counter. Soon, their meager haul is paid for and they’re heading back to the bus.

Once they’re in the front lounge, Dew stops in his tracks and begins to tear the plastic at the top of the pickle pouch.

“You’re actually going to eat that? Or is it some kind of joke?” Rain watches as Dew finishes tearing the pouch open and pulls the pickle halfway out of its packaging. The way he holds it wrapped in its own torn skin is reminiscent of some sort of corrupted banana.

“I’m going to eat it right now.” Dew sits down on the couch, leaning back lazily. He pats the seat next to him.

Rain sits. He might as well see what’s going to happen.

Dew brings the pickle up to his face. He sniffs it. He takes a bite and chews thoughtfully.

“Could be crunchier,” is his verdict.

Rain’s face pulls into a concerned frown.

“Want some?” Dew offers. He extends the pickle out towards Rain. The inside of it is vibrantly yellow-green, the same color as the brine in the bag, the toxic pickle embalming fluid it’s been sitting in.

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not, it’s good.” Dew takes another bite, a bigger one this time, then holds the pickle out again.

Some little piece of Rain wonders if it really would taste good. Looking at Dew’s face, his very sincere expression, brows raised slightly, makes his brain short circuit.

Rain sniffs the pickle. It smells like vinegar and a hint of plastic, or something chemical. He briefly wonders what formaldehyde smells like. He takes a small bite.

Before he can process what’s going on, he suddenly is holding an unchewed bite of pickle in his cupped hand. He shivers involuntarily, his whole body unexpectedly wracked by every known flavor packed into a piece of limp cucumber.

“Why is it spicy?” is the first thing he thinks to say. It comes out a forceful, hissed whisper.

“Because— What did you think ‘hot pickle’ was going to mean?”

“I don’t know! I didn’t know pickles could be spicy!” Rain blinks hard and sniffles wetly.

Dew turns the pickle package around to look at the front of it, then flips it back around again and shows it to Rain. He points to a small decal that reads “Hot & Spicy Flavor”.

“I— Okay, well, I didn’t read that part,” Rain squeaks.

Dew shushes him, eyes flicking toward the bunk area. Then he leans back against the sofa and takes another bite from his pickle.

“Are you seriously going to eat all of that?”

“Yeah, look, zero calories.” He shows the back of the package this time, where the nutrition facts are.

“That’s not what I was worried about.”

Dew shrugs and takes another bite.

[mrs-weasley-reid]

I love 'Cases and Candie'! Could you perhaps write one about the first time the reader does this with the team all confused? If not that's cool. ❤️

STARTING A TRADITION•••

bau team x bau!reader Cases and Candies prequel

Sypnosis: you have a lot of sweets up in your sleeves. WARNING: nothing. all fluff. A/N: OMG YESSSSS! This has been sitting in my drafts for 2 months but I've been so busy to post it! Sorry for the long wait and I hope you enjoy! <3

To say that the case was tiring is an understatement. The BAU team is shattered. Dozing off. Sore necks. Two weeks of an exhausting case rendered everyone overdue for an uninterrupted forty-eight hours of slumber.

Granted, the next few days were reserved for catching up on paperwork. A little slack off the weight of the recent case. Nonetheless, it didn't make any BAU agents feel better.

Your eyes barely managed to stay open while you got off the jet, almost causing a domino effect if it wasn't for Hotch's alert reflexes. You tripped on a step and were about to lay your weight on poor lanky Spencer Reid when Hotch caught the back of your collar, choking you awake.

The drive back to Quantico wasn't any restful than you'd hoped, either. Emily drove on the verge of dozing off, freestyling on the traffic lane. You, JJ, and Spencer were bombarded with honking cars and a few patrons cursing, all while praying for your lives to be spared. Surprisingly, you all managed to get to the parking lot in one piece.

In the elevator, it felt like someone had died. The silence was deafening, yet none of you disrupted it, submerging yourselves with little peace. In fact, none of you realized that the elevator doors had slid open until it lost patience and closed the doors.

Emily exclaimed, "The doors! Push! Push!"

Spencer absentmindedly jammed the button for the doors to open.

"That's enough, Reid." Derek placed a hand on Spencer's shoulder as he exited the elevator.

Everyone emerged from the small lift, sluggishly dragging their feet on the linoleum floor.

"Good evening," Strauss greeted with an apologetic look.

Rossi was the first to express his immediate opposition to whatever the section chief was about to say. "I told you," He turned to Hotch, "We should've just gone straight home."

Strauss sighed with a tight lip, "I'm sorry, everyone, but I need your brief action reports about your recent case by tonight." She would've turned a blind eye if she could, but the higher-ups were on her neck, too. She could only offer a pitiful, awkward smile.

Simultaneously, all of you groaned like children. But something caught your attention when you hoisted your go-bag under your arm.

You felt small pebbles poke on your side the tighter you held your bag close. And soon, it clicked. You remembered the small pouch of candies you bought on your way to the airport.

You had the habit of rewarding yourself with sweets, no matter how huge or small your deed was. So, when you saw the adorable packaging at the souvenir shop in the hotel lobby, you didn't think twice.

You planned to indulge in it when you got home, but your colleagues seemed to need the tiny reward as well. And as a kind and thoughtful human being—looking over the part where Derek stole your last chocolate bar—you decided to share your little source of dopamine.

Everyone slugged to their respective cubicles or offices.

Spencer's head dove into his desk, eyes blown wide and red. He was shaking like he was about to explode. It made sense for someone who downed three mugs of coffee, and yet his body couldn't cooperate with anything he wanted to do.

Emily repeatedly smacked the thin manila folder atop her head, "Absorb it. Absorb my brain. I don't wanna write!" She whined childishly.

Derek laughed at the two of them, unaware of him writing with a pen that ran out of ink. His grin dropped as soon as his eyes looked down on his paper.

Hotch finally entered the bullpen, returning from a short conversation with Strauss. His face no longer held his stoic expression but instead masked with exhaustion and frustration.

Before Hotch retreated inside his office, he leaned against the railing, looking over the three agents and you. "Just write as much as you can in an hour, then you may go." He announced and shut his door.

You quickly stood up, catching the other three agents' attention. You held a smile on your face, which left them confused and annoyed at the same time.

"No offense, but I really want to punch that smile off your face right now," Emily grumbled, fanning the folder on her face to keep herself awake.

"Yeah, I hate it too." Spencer agreed, rubbing his eyes frustratedly.

You rolled your eyes at Spencer, "Weren't you the one to say that smiling can trick your brain into happiness?" You reasoned, taming your excitement over a small piece of candy.

Spencer blinked slowly. You didn't need 187 IQ to know that he was planning your murder in detail in his head while he glared at you in silence.

"What about sweets?" You waved your small pouch in front of them. "This one was kind of expensive. I was going to share it with everyone, but I guess everyone is too tired for a piece of candy." You shrugged, slowly putting your hand down.

"Hold on!" Emily rolled her seat to peek over your cubicle, "Are those liquor-filled candies?"

Derek's ears rang, lifting his gaze up. "A what-what candy?"

"Each candy has alcohol. Well, most of them. I bought assorted candies." You said, drawing the boy genius in.

"D-did you know that eating s-sweets quickly goes from the stomach to the bloodstream and then to the brain, where it causes a surge in dopamine?" Spencer almost drooled as he followed the sway of your pouch.

You grinned teasingly, "Is that so?"

He nodded vigorously, licking the bottom of his lip as his eyes sparkled.

"Shoot," Derek winced, clutching his leg. "Kicking doors for two weeks makes you sad. I think a piece of candy that has brandy would help."

Emily glared at Derek, "I..." She craned her neck, pointing at the to-go cup on her desk. "I think the coffee burned my tongue! I need something to test if my taste buds are ruined. Say a candy or something." She glanced at your pouch.

"Halloween is a month from now," Spencer announced as if it was enough reason for you to give him a piece of candy.

You scoffed a laugh, shaking your head. "Fine," You opened the pouch and faced it to them, "But only one for each. I'm going to share it with the others."

The three of them simultaneously grinned, racing on who gets to pick first.

"I wanted that one!" Emily hissed at Derek, who swiftly unwrapped the packaging and shoved it in his mouth.

"Hmm?" Derek jazzed his hands, smirking at Emily.

Spencer meticulously decided as if he was making a chess move. In the end, he chose a truffle.

"Ooo, what do we have here?" JJ chimed in as she walked in the bullpen, carrying a few folders.

You smiled and extended your arm towards her, "Have some sweets, Ms. Gorgeous."

JJ chuckled and raised a brow, "I am definitely taking your offer. This is rare." She quickly rummaged through the small pouch. After a few seconds, JJ grabbed another candy, a plain caramel-filled chocolate. "For Henry."

"Nah, that's for Henry's mom too," Derek interjected, pointing accusingly at JJ.

"If she's getting more, then I should too. Halloween candies are supposed to be more than one." Spencer's hand quickly dove inside your little pouch as if it was deeper than the ocean.

"Geez," You laughed after they were all satisfied to acquire another piece. "You guys can pass as scammers." You shake your head, closing the pouch in case another hand attempts to get a piece.

You then headed to Rossi's office, knocking softly. "Want some liquor-filled candy?" You peeked through the door.

Rossi lifted his gaze and was met with your wiggling pouch. He smiled and motioned for you to come in. "And when do you ever share your treasured sweets?" He said, putting his pen down to give you his full attention.

You snorted, "What do you mean? I always share." You giddily snickered, walking closer to his desk.

"I guess we don't have to talk about Spencer's one-week bruise during that one case..." Rossi shrugged and grabbed one candy from your pouch.

"He ate my last candy, Rossi! Not because it was in the jet's kitchenette doesn't mean he can eat it." You defended, grinning at his raised brow.

Rossi hummed in response, knowing not to press further.

You left his office not long after he thanked you for a nice red wine-flavored candy. So, your feet quickly brought you to Hotch's office.

"Come in." He said from behind the door. Hotch gazed at you with tired eyes, furrowing his brows when he saw your playful grin, "Can I help you with something?"

"Nope," You shook your head and softly smiled, standing before his desk. You placed a whiskey-flavored candy in front of his nameplate, "Great job on the case, boss." You put your thumbs up, then skipped out of his office like a toddler who's given permission to stay up past her bedtime.

He watched as you exited his door and almost tripped on the stairs down the bullpen. Hotch shook his head and flashed his rare smile, reaching for the candy. He popped it in his mouth, widening his grin when the bittersweet taste of whiskey spread on his palette. The next sentences on his action reports were written with less weight.

Down the bullpen, Penelope begrudgingly poured coffee in her mug, mumbling curses and how she would hack into the higher-ups' computers and spam them with ads. Action reports were not on her task, but if the team stays, she stays.

"Hey, beautiful lady," You nudged her.

"I love you with all my heart, but I am in no condition to be all happy, happy. I might choke someone who breathes next to me." Penelope sipped her coffee, tasting every single drop.

Your palm served as a platform for the little sweet, advertising the red-wrapped candy between Penelope's eyes. "I just wanted to offer the prettiest tech analyst a token of my gratitude in a form of candy. Will you accept?"

Penelope's eyes twinkled, her lips twitching into a smile. She carefully took the sweet from your hand and offered you a kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry I doubted your intentions, my liege."

"You're forgiven," You giggled and gave her a side hug.

After having a little chat with Penelope, distracting her mind off the fact that you still had to write paperwork, you went back to your cubicle.

A small sticky note on top of your pile of manila folders greeted you.

I don't mind doing extra action reports in exchange for chocolate truffles — S.R

And who were you to decline such an offer?

[pinkpoweredpunk]

———

[VIDEO: It’s Blake and N on the Ferris wheel again. It starts with Blake pulling something out of their bag to show him- a hexagonal wooden box with two black and white dragon-like figures painted on its lid, curling around one another.

“The souvenir I bought you from the museum?” N inquires, tilting his head as they place it down on their lap. Boo, who had been watching the moving world outside the window, drifts closer out of curiosity. “You still haven’t opened it?”

“I can’t figure out how,” Blake admits in an exasperated sigh, tilting the box onto its side and rotating it around in their hands. “It’s some sort of puzzle. I’ve been at it for weeks now, but nothing I try works.”

“Do you need me to help?” He snickers, and leans in closer. Blake seems a bit surprised by the sudden close proximity, until they realize he’s only trying to get a better look at it. “I’ve opened one of these before. It’s easy once you get past the first part,”

He gently takes it from them, and begins pulling at some metal switches on the side. You hear something click into place, and he hands it back to them. “Here, now try.”

“That switch wouldn’t move when I tried it,” they grumble under their breath, earning a lighthearted chuckle from the other. After a few more minutes of pushing things into place, and a bit more help from N, the lid of the box pops open.

“Finally,” Blake mutters, then reaches a hand into the box. They pull out a small, purple velvet pouch, holding it up to show it to Boo for a moment before unraveling the golden strings. After tipping it, something round drops into their hand.

“Woah…” They hold it up by the string it’s attached to, revealing an oval, intricately shaped black and white stone. It resembles a ying-yang symbol, and its smooth surface glistens faintly in the sunlight. “What is it?”

“It’s called Unovanite,” N says, pinching the stone between his fingers to tilt it towards him and get a better look at it. “Or some simply call it a ‘Unova Stone’. Thousands of years ago, after the Unova region was founded, they discovered this mineral when they started mining into the land. It was used a lot by the royals, in their jewelry and weaponry. It’s black and white colors meshing together are said to represent balance and peace.”

He lets it go, allowing them to set it down in their palm and get a better look at it for themself. They run an index finger over the intricate carvings, marveling at it. “I think I remember my grandma owning a few things made out of this stuff…”

A fond smile rises to the corners of his mouth at their amazement. It fades after a moment, though, and the atmosphere shifts into something more serious as a dour look is cast upon his features. He intwined his hands together in his lap, and gulped before speaking. "...Blake. Can I ask you something?"

They look up from the necklace, still absentmindedly rubbing their thumb on it. "Hm? Yeah, what's up?"

He pauses, for a good while, before breathing in through his nose and steadying himself in the seat. "I need to know something," he mutters. "What exactly have your experiences been with Team Plasma?"

The cabin goes dead silent, and Blake stiffens where they sit. Beside them, you see King perk up attentively, suddenly eyeing the other human cautiously. Cordelia twitches her ear, glancing anxiously between her teammate and their trainer.

"...Why do you ask?" They question.

"Just... curious," he answers, briefly glimpsing towards the window. "I've heard they have an uptake in activity lately. And you mentioned they've been giving you... trouble, as of late?"

They grimace slightly, and lean back, propping one leg over the other. "You could say that," They mumble, but there’s something somber about it. "If you really want to know... Not too long ago, in Castelia, they... tried to steal my friend's Munna."

"The one with the big green hat, right? Bianca?"

"Yeah," they nod, eyes falling back to the necklace in their palm. "I went after them with a few friends, but... nothing could've prepared us for- they- they had these darts, I don't know what they had in them, but they could knock out a giant Pokemon cold."

You see N's brow crease as they continue. "King got hit with one," They look over towards the Servine, who's hanging her head pensively as she listens on. "The stuff was so strong, it... if it hadn't been for a friend who came with medicine, I'm not sure if she would've been able to get moving again. But... her vines..."

N's mouth drops open slightly, and he looks to King, seeming to finally notice the surgery scars on the back of her neck. "I'm... so sorry," he murmurs, seeming too distraught at this news to come up with anything else to say. "I… know the Snivy line relies heavily on their vines for combat, at least in the first two stages. They tend to lessen their usage once they evolve into Serperior, but it's supposed to be a slow and gradual adjustment...."

"Yeah... She hasn't wanted to battle at all since it happened," Blake sighs, reaching over to stroke the Servine's back. She welcomes it, ever so slightly leaning into their touch. "It's part of why I'm not sure if we should continue with the gym challenge. If I'm being honest, I'm only still going so I can find Team Plasma and get justice for what they did to her. To so many others..."

N winces at that, and presses his lips into a firm line as his eyes fall to his lap. Various conflicting emotions flash across his face; anger, worry, guilt. "Blake... Again, I'm truly sorry for what happened. I can't imagine the struggles you've gone through since that incident. And… I do hope the individuals responsible will be charged for their actions. But..."

He hesitates, and the air go unsettlingly still. You get the strange, unshakable feeling that something is about to go awry. Drawing a deep breath in through his nostrils, he continues. "I... don't think it's right to assume the worst of Team Plasma because of a few individuals like that."

It takes a moment for his words to register, before Blake's brows begin to crease and they shrink a bit uncomfortably. "...N, I’ve seen it for myself. They attack people and steal their Pokémon right from their hands- they’ll even hurt the Pokémon in the process to get their way.”

He closes his eyes, hiding them beneath his bangs and brim of his cap. “It wasn’t like that before, though. They used to just hold peaceful protests and speeches... They just wanted to convince people of their outlook in a civil manner.”

“Yeah, well clearly something’s changed,” they scoff. “All that crap claiming they care about Pokémon was clearly just a ruse to-”

“You don’t know that.” he cuts them off sharply, eyes snapping back up to lock with theirs.

The younger trainer’s face twitches, growing irritated. “Yes, I do. Did you not hear everything I just said? About what they did to King?”

That makes him deflate a little, and he pinches the bridge of his nose. “Blake, I-”

“Why are you so dead set on defending them?” they ask, expression hardening. “N, whatever bullshit you heard at one of their rallies, it isn’t true. Humans and Pokémon get along perfectly fine.”

“You really think that?” he huffs, curling and uncurling his fist. “How? After everything you’ve seen?”

“What are you-”

“Chairman Rose, Lysandre,” Blake visibly recoils upon hearing those names out loud. “You’ve seen it for yourself, the ways humans will try to exploit Pokémon for their own personal gain. Those two aren’t even the only examples. There’s countless more throughout history!”

“Th-those-” They stammer, blinking a few times as they try to recollect themself. “Those are just outliers, N. Yes, they were bad, but they definitely don’t represent how all human and Pokémon relationships are!”

“Maybe not,” he concedes, relaxing his shoulders a little. “But there’s plenty of less extreme examples, too. Trainers who overwork their Pokémon, ones who only see worth in strength or looks or some other ridiculous standard. People who think certain species need to be wiped off the face of the earth. Poachers, breeding mills- need I go on?”

“O-okay, yes, there’s a lot of people who harm Pokémon out there in the world,” Blake concedes begrudgingly. “But the solution to all of that isn’t taking Pokémon away from everyone!”

“Then tell me, how would you go about fixing it?” He challenges. “What other solution could you possibly think of? We can’t just keep subjecting them to our mistakes over and over again, we can’t keep sacrificing their well-being for the sake of money, or power, or comfort. It isn’t fair!”

“I know it isn’t,” they sigh. “But the truth is- there… there really isn’t some single, absolute solution. There’s always going to be shitty people, with a million different complicated problems- that’s just the way the world is. I think all we can really do is try to improve things little by little, but-”

“That won’t work,” he growls, and Blake almost flinches at his shift of tone. “Not fast enough, anyway. I refuse to accept a reality where Pokémon have to get hurt for things to change.”

“And think about it,” he goes on before they can formulate another response. “You stopped the Darkest Day and the Ultimate Weapon, sure, but can you really ensure something like that won’t happen again? You can stop a thousand disasters in your lifetime, but you won’t be around forever, Blake. Either the responsibility falls onto some other innocent soul after you’re gone, and ends up burdened with the same things you are, or you can find a way to stop it now.”

Clearly, those words snap some kind of final straw, as Blake slams a fist down on their seat. “You can’t predict the future, N. You don’t know that’s what’s going to happen!”

“You’re right, but I can ensure it isn’t a possibility.” He says resolutely, leaning back in his seat and taking on an almost elegant posture. Resolve crackles within the stormy grey of his eyes.

“Oh yeah? How?” Blake spits, glaring at him doubtfully. “You’re just a regular person like me, N. Siding with Plasma isn’t gonna change that.”

He falls silent, and lowers his head once more. Cordelia and Boo chitter somewhat anxiously, and an almost inaudible hiss slithers from King’s throat.

Then, N chuckles. A low, somewhat foreboding sound, as he fixes the rim of his cap and sits up again, looking Blake directly in the eyes. He exudes a different energy, now- one more intimidating, no longer the friendly, awkward stranger you saw Blake mingling with before.

“That’s what you think?” He asks calmly, speaking in a steady tone. “Then it’s long overdue for me to be fully transparent with you, Blake…”

“I am Natural Harmonia Gropius, the king of Team Plasma.”

The reveal settles heavily on the inside of the cab. Cordelia twitches her ear and cocks her head to the side, the meaning of these words lost on her. Boo’s eyes glimmer with something, some kind of revelation, and it’s hard to determine what exactly he’s thinking. King is quiet, eyes slowly growing wider as she absorbs his words.

Blake’s face flicks through several emotions in the blink of an eye. Confusion. Anguish. Disbelief. By the time they finally speak again, it’s beginning to twist with slowly building anger.

“…What?”

“Ghetsis asked me to help him change the world,” He sits up gracefully, poising himself in a dignified manner in his seat. “He saw my ability to hear and understand the hearts of Pokémon, and raised me to be the next hero of Unova, the one who would bring an end to their suffering. Alongside me, he gathered six other sages to help him realize this goal, and as our numbers grew, Team Plasma was born.”

Blake doesn’t say anything, so he carries on. “Our plan is to find the legendary dragons, and earn their respect. Once we do, we’ll utilize their power to sway the hearts and minds of the people, so everyone in Unova will liberate their Pokémon once and for all.”

“That’s- that’s never going to work,” Blake shakes their head, clearly still struggling to grasp any of this. “First of all, do you even know if the dragons exist? Secondly, even if they do, how are you sure that they’ll-”

“Respond to me?” He finishes, then shrugs, flicking a piece of hair behind his shoulder. “I’m not. There’s a very good chance they’ll reject me. But I’ve come too far not to try.”

“That plan is insane,” they scowl, then jab an accusatory finger towards him. “You’re insane! You can’t honestly think people are going to listen to you! Especially after everything your fucking minions have done!”

“I’ll admit, from what you’ve told me Team Plasma has done a few things to tarnish its image,” he says, tipping his head in acknowledgment. “Things I will be addressing with my father and the sages as soon as possible. Either way, it matters little. Once we bring the dragons of truth and ideals to our side, no one will even come close to being able to challenge us. Not even the champion himself.”

Blake is trembling, with fury, with hurt, the weight of this betrayal palpable in their watering eyes. They look seconds away from lashing out, like a bottle getting ready to shatter-

N leans forward, clasping their hand in his own. "Blake," he speaks, something more earnest and pleading in his voice now. "In ancient times, there were two heroes. One who pursued ideals, and one who sought the truth. They clashed, and brought about a war that nearly ravaged Unova... but it doesn't have to be that way again."

They withdraw a little, and squint at him incredulously. "What are you saying?"

"You see it too, right? The suffering and discord in the world... Team Flare, Rose, the chaos they wrought- someone could come along and do it all again. Pokemon are incredible beings that have extraordinary power, but it’s power that humans will always feel entitled to... It's an unending cycle of pain." He sounds so certain that he can persuade them. "You didn't deserve to go through the things you went through, but the strength of the heroes can make sure it never happens again. We can make sure. In a world where Pokemon live away from us, no one will be able to exploit them like that!”

They yank their hand away, and glower at him in revolt. "So what- you're asking me to join you?"

"Yes," he persists, refusing to back away. "I know it's a lot to ask of you, after the things Team Plasma has put you through, but as their king I swear to do everything in my power to make up for it. I'll hold the ones who hurt your Pokemon and your friends accountable, just please- take a stand as a hero one last time. With me."

He purses his lips, and finally draws back with a a long exhale, managing a small yet hopeful smile. "At least... it would mean a lot to me if you thought about it."

Reaching for the void cube at his hip, he twists it a few times, thumbing over the engraved symbols and patterns that look like they're letters of some ancient language you can't decipher. "So many hurt Pokemon have been brought to me over the years... so many agonized voices, so many broken hearts... I would do anything to bring it to an end.”

"...Are you kidding me?"

That soft, optimistic expression crumbles away in an instant when he hears those words. The camera focuses on Blake, and if looks could kill, N would be a dead man. They're glaring daggers into him, and the possibility of them actually trying to smack him or something does cross your mind.

"You're out of your absolute mind if you think I would even consider joining you," they seethe. "You- you thought you could use my experiences, my pain to try and- manipulate me over to your side?"

"Manipulate?" A glimpse of panic crosses his face. "No, that wasn't what I was trying to-"

He's interrupted by the floor jostling underneath him as the ride comes to a halt, and Blake shoves off their seat to exit the cab. "I'm out of here-"

"Blake, wait!" N cries out, scrambling to follow after them. His fingers claps around their wrist. "That's not what I meant, I-"

There's a flash of green that slices through the air, and Rotom practically shrieks, zipping away in escape. You don't catch what happens, but the audio does pick up N letting out a pained shout. Once Rotom re-centers itself, you see King has inserted herself between the two trainers. Blake has fallen back down onto their seat, and N is cradling his wrist in his other hand, a oozing gash traveling down the length of his forearm. King's tail leaf pulses with a radiant, sharp green light that's taken the form of a razor sharp blade.

"Servineee!" The Grass-type snarls with the ferocity of a Pyroar at him, and continues pointing the Leaf Blade at him threateningly. "Ser! Ser ser vine!"

{ To anyone who can understand the language of Pokemon, the things she say are even more intense... "You've done enough, vile Plasma scum! Lay another hand on my trainer, and it'll be your head next!" }

The door to the cab rattles as it’s opened, and the ride operator urgently pokes her head in. "What's going on in here? Is everything alright?"

Glancing between Blake and their Pokémon, N raises his hand to the woman reassuringly. “E-everything’s fine, ma’am-”

Blake storms their way out of the cab and towards the stairs without another word, Pokémon parading out after them in a line. Boo is the last to exit, and he gives pause, looking back at N with something conflicted and remorseful in his gaze. Cordelia comes scrambling back to retrieve him, grabbing his arm and hastily pulling him along.

Rotom is about to follow, but stays for a moment to watch N climb out next. The attendant notices his injury, and presses a hand to her lips in shock. “Sir, you’re bleeding!”

“It’s fine,” he sighs impatiently, navigating around her to swiftly pace after them. He meets them at the bottom of the steps, where the rest of their party are flocking to them and chattering worriedly over their obvious distress. “Blake!”

"Blake?" He repeats when they don't acknowledge him and instinctively reaches out to tap their shoulder, but stops himself when he sees the deadly sharp glare King gives him. "Look, I'm sorry it came off that way. I just- I thought if anyone could understand the way I felt, it'd- it'd be you..."

"You wanna know something?" they sneered, barely even sparing him a glance over the shoulder. "I do think the world has gone to shit. I poured everything I had into saving it, twice, and it still went and fucked me over in the end. But at the very least I'm not going to try and make it more miserable for everyone else. Especially chasing some completely batshit goal that isn't even going to work!”

"What do you mean-?"

They swivel on their heel to face him. "You honestly, honestly think you can keep humans from being greedy, selfish fucks if you take Pokemon out of the equation? The only thing you're going to achieve by even trying to do that is getting a LOT of people pissed off at you. At BEST. You're going to get people hurt, you're going to get Pokemon hurt, and in the end all it's going to do is come crashing down on you-"

"Stop," he demands, growing frustrated himself. He tangles a hand through his hair, trying to keep himself calm. “Look, you don’t think my methods will work? Fine. Then try and come up with something better. Right now, tell me what you think needs to be done in order for things to change-”

“I don’t FUCKING know!” They shout, drawing the attention of several people walking by. “You wanna know what I think?! I think that you’re just as fucking bad as Rose and Lysandre! You’re doing the exact same thing they did, using Pokémon and hurting everyone in your wake just because it’s what YOU think is right!”

“I am not,” N scowls, fist trembling at his side. “Do not compare me to those men.”

They shove him away, harshly. “You want actual, genuine advice? Suck it the fuck up. Realize there’s things you can’t change, and deal with it. Go find some actual, meaningful ways to make the world less unbearable li-”

“Lord N!”

A pair of Plasma grunts come rushing into the scene, and stop to salute their leader.

“We didn’t realize you were here, sire!” one of them exclaims.

“Are you safe?” The other eyes Blake with contempt. “This ruffian didn’t harm you, did they-?”

“No,” he does something unexpected, and throws an arm out between the younger trainer and the knights protectively. “Report back to the sages and leave this place at once. We’re done here.”

The first one points a finger towards Blake. “But my liege, your father declared them a sworn enemy of Plasma, he ordered us to apprehend them at any-”

“This individual is none of your concern,” he declares authoritatively. “From now on no one in Plasma will pose any harm to them whatsoever, understood?”

“Y-yes, your majesty!” The grunts respond dutifully, before marching off somewhere out of sight.

“Hey!” Blake is about to chase after the pair, but N plants himself in front of them, blocking their path. They try to shove and slip past him, but he stands firm. “Out of my way, N, I mean it!”

“Those knights are under my protection,” he grunts, voice rumbling like thunder. “You’ll have to go through me first.”

Their eyes roar with a newly kindled blaze, like a match to gasoline, and they pace backwards with a scowl. “King, go after the grunts. I’ll take care of this.”

His eyes follow the Servine as she whips past his feet, and his lip twitches in annoyance. “Nox. Stop her.”

There’s a brief second of confusion on Blake’s features, before they’re almost knocked off balance by a red and black blur that comes barreling out of the bushes behind them. The creature emerges fully into the fading daylight and reveals itself- a Zoroark.

The attention of several passerby’s are drawn to the scene, and they all gasp and stumble back in horror. The dark-type shoots Blake and icy glare, before bounding off through the crowd in pursuit of King. Everyone screams and disperses, one man even shakes his fist after the fox and shouts “Somebody stop that demon!”

N just clicks his tongue disapprovingly at the overreaction, before returning to the task at hand. Bringing his thumb and index finger up to his mouth, he whistles, the sound reverberating over the area and summoning several Pokémon that come rushing to his side- a Sandile, a Darumaka, a Scraggy, and a Sigilyph.

He instructs the Sandile out onto the field first. “Don’t expect us to hold back like we did before,” he warns the trainer on the opposing side.

“Tch. About time,” they scoff. “Beau, you’re u-”

Cordelia jumps in before their trusty Swoobat can, the usually pacifist Panpour taking her trainer by surprise when she adopts a combat-ready stance. They open their mouth to question what she’s doing, but stop when she looks back at them with determination and resolve.

After a moment, they nod affirmatively, turning their eyes back to the fight at hand. “Alright. Cordelia, use Water Gun!”

End video.]

———

[optimismxmagicism]

Quan gave pause, thinking it would be such a shame to peruse the shops to his lonesome while his other teammates were within arm's range... Perhaps he ought to be the one to change that. "Well, my boy, is there anything that's caught your eye? As a sign of good will, how's about I purchase it for you?" A winning grin follows. Inflated floats, sturdy paddles, and swimsuits in every color imaginable lined the walls. He tipped a wind chime shaped out of seashells, and it clamored lightly as he patiently waited on the boy's response.

"I've always had a penchant for gift giving, so think nothing of it, ha!"

Wow, there sure were lots of shops! From snacks, to clothes, Knick Knacks and doodads… They were all pretty expensive too, no doubt the price of tropical luxury. He sighed as he peeked into his money pouch, which wasn’t as full as he would’ve liked. He already splurged a little on his new swimsuit and he really wanted to buy some souvenirs for everyone back home. Maybe if he put a little less into his snack fund….?

Before he could truly consider it though, a voice from came from behind him. Turning around he noticed it was one of his teammates, wearing a red bandana just like him!

“Oh, Mister! Hello!” He waved, trying to not let his previous fretting show. The mage’s expression turned into one of surprise when Quan gave him the kind offer. It would be the solution to all his problems! With a little help he would’ve had enough money to buy snacks and souvenirs. “Are you sure? Thank you!” He did a polite bow as a show of genuine gratitude.

“Then..” Pressing a finger against his cheek lightly, he looked at the items on sale to see what he would take. “Ah!” He noticed a “make your own bracelet” kit on one of the displays. It was a bag full of seashells, lettered stamps and string. The packaging guaranteed you could make at least 20 bracelets with it. “That one, that one! Uh, please!”

20 bracelets.. that should be enough for his friends back home, and maybe his teammates too! Maybe at the end of the month, if they all became friends he could hand them out like friendship bracelets!

[deletarius-draws]

a random OC ask for you (for solus): what is your OC's favorite memory?

also: if they were dropped in a random city for a day with a pouch full of gold/relevant currency and no obligations whatsoever, what would they be doing?

Oh! Thanks so much for the reblog and the question💙💚!! No obligations you say. Solus is pretty reserved so I can't see them doing anything too crazy unless provoked. 😅Lol I'd imagine they'd enjoy each other's company by spending some time at restaurant spots tasting foods and deserts they haven't. They'd find high points in said city and admire the various views having conversations about the city, people they've met, cuisines they've tasted and of course about each other. Further exploring, buying unique masterwork weapons and arms collecting them as souvenirs before they go off and seek out what challenges await them in the wilderness and beasts the world has to offer, testing their resolve. Then they'd end the reveling and spending more time with each other.

Ahh... as for favorite memory or memories. He has a few, its a mixed bag. Solus' favorite and fondest memories aside from many of them being of and with Lae’zel, before her, would be his time with his comrades his years as a local soldier of a small village near Baldur's Gate. Spending time with his fellow gaurdman and his mother while she was alive. Their victory over a cult horde. Of course there's the time he slayed his first beholder when he was but a young initiate.

Apologies for the hefty late response, to end it off his favorite memory overall is sitting atop the roof with Lae’zel watching the sunrise together, content and at peace with his one and only.

[lovepmd]

I’m just imagining Multi!Hero sending all the Serene Villager kids—including Budew’s friends—gifts and souvenirs from across the world.

Pancham gets a custom made punching bag tailored to handle Machamp level strength, jokingly a fake red gem, various bamboo shoot dishes, a Toxic TM to work his way up to Poison Jab, and a guide to 101 pranks that everyone can laugh at.

Shelmet receives a few flowers that bug-types love to snack on, a specially ordered whetstone for his metal bits, a specially made pouch he can store in his shell, and letters detailing how his evolution continues to be a pain in the ass.

Goomy—all kinds of leaf types from across all five continents, writing utensils made for Pokemon without traditional limbs, a Water Pulse TM, instructions on how to learn Mud Shot/Bomb, an introduction letter to Dratini and Feebas (he needs more friends), and a slime proof bag he can carry.

Deerling is gifted a Grass Knot TM, an Agility TM, a specially made brush that foor legged Pokémon can’t get enough off, lots of different veggies, different flavored salt licks.

Budew, Caterpie, Ratata, Igglybuff—are sent a variety of toys for younger Pokemon. Hero makes sure to include toys that even Pokémon without limbs can play with (Budew).

Espurr gets sent a few books of various ghost stories, true-accounts of haunted encounters, a Marowak skull (don’t ask where they got it from), interactive puzzles made specifically for psychic types, various scales from different species, effectively a cat tower, and a Swift TM.

beautiful, absolutely

[bobbiworks]

When I was, When You were

Written by: Bobbi Henderson / 10027r Genre: Fluff, Romance, High School, One-shot Characters: EUNSEOK of RIIZE, ORIGINAL CHARACTER

As summer's warmth waned, autumn gracefully swept in. The cool breeze caressed my cheeks as I opened the bus window on my way to school. With each passing moment, I couldn't help but feel that this autumn held something special—it was my final year in high school, perhaps my last chance to find love.

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of self-consciousness, knowing that most girls my age had already tasted romance. As I reviewed my class schedule, I sighed inwardly. Despite the announcement of a schedule adjustment due to a system error, nothing had changed in our class roster. Each student was still assigned based on their grades, a detail that seemed trivial amidst my swirling thoughts. Graduation loomed ahead, and amidst it all, I couldn't shake the yearning for a romantic encounter of my own.

"Bree!" I glanced up to find my friends entering the room with vibrant energy. They all appeared radiant and sun-kissed after their summer spent abroad with their families. "We missed you!" they exclaimed in unison, gathering around my desk to place a plethora of souvenirs from their trip.

"Wow, these are so thoughtful… thank you!" I said warmly, retrieving a couple of handmade pouches I crafted during my stay at my grandmother's house. "It's not much, but I made them with each of your styles in mind," I added.

One of the many reasons I cherished Gyuri and Yena was their genuine appreciation for even the smallest gestures. They had been my closest friends since freshman year, a bond that had grown stronger with each passing season.

"You're so talented, Bree. I'll treasure these!" Yena exclaimed cheerfully before heading to her seat to greet our other classmates. As they moved aside, my gaze drifted towards the entrance where Eunseok entered the room. Our eyes met instantly, and I blushed with embarrassment, quickly looking away.

Why? Why am I feeling embarrassed right now? Did something happen between us before we started our summer vacation? Of course, Eunseok and I are friends, there's no doubt, but why does it feel awkward right now?

I hadn't noticed Eunseok standing beside my desk until the familiar scent of his cologne reached me. It was a pleasant fragrance, one I always associated with him. Slowly, I looked up to find him gazing down at me. Despite his thick glasses obscuring his eyes, I felt his gaze pierce right into my soul.

"Oh, hello, Eunseok!" I greeted him with a wave, and he gently took my hand, placing a small paper bag in my palm. "For me? What's this?"

"A souvenir," he replied softly, then turned to his desk and sat down. Eunseok was seated next to me, the most enigmatic presence in our class, yet he effortlessly befriended everyone.

"Thank you, Eunseok. I—" My words halted as one of the girls approached Eunseok with exuberance, causing him to turn towards her. She slammed her hands on his desk and scrutinized his face with exaggerated squinting eyes, despite fogging up his glasses with her breath.

"Song Eunseok, were you at the fireworks festival last week?" Hayoung demanded. "I could have sworn I saw you and even said hi, but you didn't respond!"

Fireworks festival? I began to feel more anxious after hearing that. Why does it feel like I am being too anxious about almost everything?

"It was definitely you, right? Even without the glasses… You were dressed so stylishly, with a beanie and hanging out with cool friends," Hayoung persisted, recounting her sighting from a week ago. "Though honestly, the guy with you was hotter, so now I'm not so sure."

"Hey, Hayoung! Can't you give Eunseok some space?" Gyuri interjected, her irritation evident in her tone at the early morning disruption.

"Oh, Gyuri, are you curious too? Because if that was Eunseok, you guys are seriously missing out. That guy I saw was something else," Hayoung teased with a laugh.

I stood nearby, nervously playing with the gift Eunseok had given me, listening to their conversation unfold.

"Where did you see him?" Gyuri challenged, stepping in between Eunseok and Hayoung.

"In Japan," Hayoung replied defiantly. "I spent my summer overseas, why?"

"That's impossible," Gyuri countered firmly. "Eunseok had plans with Bree before the summer started, so there's no way you saw him abroad."

Gyuri's logical reasoning caught me off guard, and I turned to glance at Eunseok, who sat quietly at his desk, seemingly unaffected by the girls' escalating argument.

The bickering between Gyuri and Hayoung only ceased when the homeroom teacher finally entered the room.

Later that day, I joined Gyuri and Yena for lunch at the school cafeteria.

"How was your summer?" Yena asked casually between bites of her meal.

"What do you mean?" I replied, tucking into my breaded pork cutlet.

"Your summer with Eunseok," Yena clarified, giving me a meaningful look.

I paused, gently placing my chopsticks down. "Summer with Eunseok? What are you talking about?" I asked, confused by their serious expressions.

"You mean you didn't meet up with him?" Gyuri asked, her grip on my shoulders tightening in frustration. "Why not?"

"Wait, hold on!" I pulled away, feeling increasingly anxious. "You're scaring me. What's going on?"

Gyuri leaned back, sighing heavily. "Did you two have a falling out? Or did he stand you up? Now I'm starting to think Hayoung was right about seeing him in Japan."

"Do I… have plans with him?" I asked, bewildered.

Yena lightly tapped my head, causing me to wince. "Are you serious? Did you hit your head or something?"

"I don't know. Ever since I saw him, I've been feeling so awkward," I admitted, dropping my gaze. It was unlike me to be so uncertain around him; usually, I was the one initiating conversations.

"What happened to you this summer?" Gyuri asked gently.

"Well," I began, biting my lip as I recounted my activities. "I spent a few weeks in my grandparents' hometown, then we had a big family party for my brother's wedding. After that, I was busy with chores and then got sick."

"But do you remember anything about Eunseok before summer break?" Yena pressed, her concern evident.

"I was delirious when I got sick and ended up in the hospital for three days," I explained. "Mom said I had to rest at home for the rest of the break."

"Did he try to contact you? Send a message?" Gyuri inquired next.

"I dropped my phone in the lake while fishing with my grandpa," I admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, Bree, talk about a series of unfortunate events this summer," Yena sighed, clearly frustrated. "Since you can't remember, we'll fill you in, okay?"

The conversation continued over lunch as my friends recounted what I had apparently missed during those summer months.

After hearing everything my friends told me about Eunseok, I finally understood why my heart had felt so heavy ever since waking up in the hospital. It was like I had lost something precious. Unable to contain my emotions, I quietly cried in the restroom after lunch, not wanting anyone who knew me to see me sobbing like a child over what I had done to Eunseok.

Stepping out of the restroom, I spotted him a few meters away, walking alone down the hallway.

"S-Song Eunseok," I mumbled, my voice barely louder than a whisper. He stopped and turned to look at me. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I quickly dropped my head, hiding my tear-streaked face from him.

I hadn't expected anything from him at this moment; after all, I was the one at fault, the one who had forgotten him and what we had together. The version of me who had dreamed of romance this year seemed so foolish now.

Eunseok could have easily ignored me, but he didn't.

I felt his hand gently take mine, and before I knew it, he pulled me into an embrace, shielding my tear-stained face from anyone who might see. His other hand cupped the back of my head, gently patting it. In that moment, I could hear the thunderous beat of my own heart.

Collecting my thoughts, I looked up at him and pulled away slightly. "C-Can we talk? Privately?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Eunseok simply smiled and nodded. Together, we walked out of the school building and headed to the quiet solitude of the schoolyard, where we found a bench and sat down. I continued to sob quietly beside him, feeling like a child in need of comfort.

"Have you eaten?" Eunseok asked me, breaking the silence. It struck me that this was the first time we'd spoken since summer vacation. Using his handkerchief to wipe away my tears, I nodded in response. "Good," he said softly.

"And you?" I murmured, turning to him, only to be met with a laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," he chuckled, his hand covering his smile as he looked away. "You just look adorable." He paused, then continued, "And yes, I've already eaten. Did you happen to open the paper bag I gave you?"

I shook my head, recalling how everything had suddenly become chaotic when the homeroom teacher arrived. "Why? Did you write something inside?" I asked, curious.

"No," he replied with a shake of his head. "Just a small gift."

"Ah, I see," I nodded. There was a moment of silence between us as we both gazed up at the canopy of trees above us, sighing simultaneously. Our eyes met and we burst out laughing together. I laughed so hard that tears welled up in my eyes once again as I faced him.

"Eunseok, I'm so sorry," I finally said, my laughter subsiding. "I didn't mean to forget everything—everything Gyuri and Yena told me. I don't understand why I couldn't meet you at our usual spot that day." I paused as Eunseok removed his glasses, squinting slightly at me.

"I think I understand why," he replied gently, setting his glasses aside. It was the first time I saw him without them, and to me, he looked even more handsome without that usual accessory. "I knew, Bree," he reassured me, his hand resting on my head.

"But how? I mean…" I began, feeling a pang of anxiety, fearing he was only being kind, as he always was.

"Well, when you didn't reply, I got worried and went to your house," Eunseok explained. "I met your mom, and she told me you were in the hospital due to exhaustion and illness."

"But Hayoung mentioned seeing you in Japan. Was she right?" I asked tentatively, and Eunseok nodded. "So, it was you she saw? She described you as a cool guy."

"Am I not cool?" Eunseok raised an eyebrow playfully, giving me a teasing look. "Yes, it was me. I just didn't talk to her because my appearance in Japan was quite different."

"I'm still sorry," I sighed deeply. "I didn't realize why I've been feeling so hopelessly romantic lately. I even went to pray for love somewhere, and today I realized I missed a big opportunity…"

The air between us felt charged with unspoken words and emotions as we sat together on the bench in the schoolyard, our hearts and thoughts finally laid bare.

Eunseok turned to me slowly, his expression curious. "Hopeless romantic? What big chance are you talking about, Bree?"

I could feel my face flush hotter than a chili pepper at his question. "Uh, well…" I stammered nervously. Gyuri had mentioned that Eunseok had confessed to me and that we had some unspoken understanding. Had I misunderstood? Eunseok seemed perplexed by my hesitation.

"Oh, never mind," I hurriedly dismissed with a nervous chuckle. "I was just wondering why you wanted to see me that day."

"Hmm," Eunseok hummed softly, gazing up at the sky thoughtfully. "Taking a chance with you."

"With me?" I echoed, searching his eyes for clarity.

"Yes," he affirmed, but his answer left me wanting more. "Wait, I don't quite understand, Eunseok," I admitted, my panic rising. My heart pounded loudly in my chest, drowning out all other sounds.

I grew impatient waiting for him to continue, feeling annoyed by the delay. He chuckled at my expectant expression, and I impulsively smacked his head in frustration. "Seriously!"

"Why so aggressive all of a sudden?" he teased, catching my hand before I could smack him again.

"You're so aggravating!" I snapped, feeling flustered. "You know I hate waiting."

Eunseok continued to laugh, a hearty, infectious laugh that drew curious glances from other students nearby.

"What's so funny?" I demanded, trying to ignore how endearing his laughter sounded.

"You're adorable when you're angry," he replied, still chuckling. I noticed he was still holding his glasses, knowing he couldn't see well without them.

"Shouldn't you put it back?" I asked him, concerned, but Eunseok shook his head with a grin. "Your head might start hurting."

"Nah, it's fine. I just wanted to see you," he replied casually.

I felt my cheeks grow warm at his words, caught off guard by his straightforwardness.

"Bree, do you remember my last birthday?" he asked, and I nodded with a smile.

"How could I forget? I remember how upset I was when I ruined the cake," I chuckled softly. "What about it?"

"That was the first time my heart raced for you," he confessed, surprising me with his sincerity.

"Right, and your heart raced while I was scolding you for being annoying," I teased back.

Eunseok laughed and shook his head fondly. "Sometimes, without even realizing it, I find myself thinking about you. It's funny how we were just friends a few years ago, and now I'm telling you that you've captured my mind and heart. I didn't want to make things awkward between us, but I have to tell you—I like you more than just a friend, Bree. I want to be with you, hear your laughter, see your smiles, share your tears, and be there for you."

His words were like something out of a movie, and here I was, hearing them from him directly. I was speechless, overwhelmed by the sincerity in his eyes. There was no hint of rejection in my heart; perhaps I had harbored feelings for Eunseok for longer than I realized.

Reflecting on our shared moments, I remembered all the times he had taken care of me.

"Give me those," I said gently, reaching for his glasses from his hand. Moving closer, I delicately fixed his hair; his long bangs gently covered his forehead. "It pains me to see you squint," I sighed softly, placing his glasses back on his face and adjusting them carefully before cupping his cheeks in my hands.

"I never knew you felt this way," I confessed, a smile spreading across my face as I caressed his cheeks tenderly.

"Can I kiss you?" Eunseok asked tentatively, but I playfully covered his lips with my hand.

"No," I replied with a teasing glare, pulling back slightly. "Not right away. But you can hold my hand," I added softly.

"Okay, sweetheart," he agreed with a smile, gently taking my hand and planting a soft kiss on the back of it.

END OF STORY.

How was it?

[pesansouvenirr]

Terpercaya, 0818-0958-4233 Pesan Souvenir Pesan Suvenir Indonesia

Terpercaya, 0818-0958-4233 Pesan Souvenir Pesan Suvenir Indonesia

Konveksi Tas - Pesan tas seminar, ransel, sling bag, koper, fashion, promosi, souvenir, custom, kerja, kurir, goodie bag, kanvas, sablon, sekolah, travel bag, dompet, pouch, mika, handbag, coverbag, trolley.

PT. ARKANA PUTRA BAROKAH

Kami Melayani Order Delivery, Juragan Cukup Telpon/WA. Kami Akan Datang Ketempat Juragan Membawakan Beberapa Contoh Sampel Produksi Kami. Terimakasih

Pesan Souvenir Pesan Suvenir Indonesia

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[pabrikdompett]

Produsen, 0818-0958-4233 Pabrik Dompet Indonesia

Produsen, 0818-0958-4233 Pabrik Dompet Indonesia

Konveksi Tas - Pesan tas seminar, ransel, sling bag, koper, fashion, promosi, souvenir, custom, kerja, kurir, goodie bag, kanvas, sablon, sekolah, travel bag, dompet, pouch, mika, handbag, coverbag, trolley.

PT. ARKANA PUTRA BAROKAH

Kami Melayani Order Delivery, Juragan Cukup Telpon/WA. Kami Akan Datang Ketempat Juragan Membawakan Beberapa Contoh Sampel Produksi Kami. Terimakasih

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[grosirsouvenirr]

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Grosir Souvenir Indonesia

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[blue-hamble]

Gentle sunbeams cut through the whispering mist surrounding the Squat Frog Coffee House. It was some time after lunch and Lute had just finished tidying away dried cups and dishes. He was just full enough to start getting sleepy, and it was easy to zone out. Good time to have a nap soon. The sound of creaking cartwheels broke the spiral out of his daydream. A small covered cart rattled along the dirt and flattened grass towards the coffee house. A long-limbed skydancer wearing a sedge hat was at the reins, coaxing her rambra to a halt. She disembarked in one fluid motion, dusting herself off in a delicate manner. Her voice was warm like a bell. "Lute! I have things for you!" "Miss Nita!" (forum thread: https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/rp/3238950/1#post_54364006)

Gunita had vibrant feathered wings that fluttered with butterflies in a sort of glamor. She was seldom without her fox fur and headdress, allowing only her mouth and her warm ember eyes to identify her. A heavy paper bag was part of her collection of pouches and pockets under her cape. She tipped her hat at Lute as she walked into the coffee house. "Got your letter just before I was leaving Earthhome, so I got you souvenirs as promised. Wouldn't miss The Beast's comeback for anything. I apologize for the meltiness, it was already a bit soft when I got it for you. Got some wasteland pears for you too since I was already there." The skydancer set out her gifts from a paper bag, revealing a pennant, and hat, and a magically chilled pawpsicle. The pawpsicle was gray with blue gum drop eyes slightly askew in the likeness of Kaiju Wrestling star Caledus the Beast.

"Thank you, Miss Nita! Man, can't wait for the matches. Haven't watched good wrestling in a while and I've seen the Beast since I was a hatchie. Tell me about your journey here while I make you a cuppa! Put your feet up!" Lute eagerly ushered Gunita to a seat at the bar, grabbing his gifts in one motion. He made a mental note to keep the pawpsicle stick after eating his ice cream. He poured cups of fresh green tea for them both and sat beside the skydancer at the bar with a bowl of toasted crickets. "It was a good trip," she nodded, taking the cup into her slender hands. "Met many who were selling goods during Greenskeeper Gathering not long ago. Business with Laurelnest's trader was interesting--wanted gold in exchange for plants in the Labyrinth, of all things. The Gladekeeper surely homes all sorts. I'm afraid I can't recommend them as gold is not high on Cloud Brush's priorities." "Local business with neighbors has kept us good on produce as of late," Lute supplied through a mouthful of crickets. We recently got into contact with a roaming produce supplier, and she's been really good to have near with more mouths to feed."Clan Florabrisa grows coffee too, which was delightful. Didn't get too much time to talk, but their grower Vroman knows his stuff. I'll make sure to tell Bluebird of them though! Gold is still good to have." She nodded and took a sip of tea, savoring the flavor. "New clan members, huh? Have you opened your gates?" "I suppose so! I only recently joined Cloud Brush myself. Malta is a weaver and painter. Camarines and Carambola ran a little farm previously, so the fields and animals are theirs. And some laundry dragon named Jeith who really likes denim. He really, really likes denim. It's been lively with them around, and we're glad for it..."

Something wiggled a memory in Gunita's mind, like a loosened tooth, as the spiral eagerly chattered. It was years ago, but the snapshot appeared in a wave of calm as tea hit her tongue.

"It's beautiful, Zareen. Thank you..." Gunita traced her fingers on the simple sketch. Each stroke was calculated and controlled, but the young clan leader's approach was softening--something his father had taught him, no doubt.

"It's a memento for you on your travels. I know it's hard to stay for long. You will always be welcome here, my love. I hope one day I can make home...safe again. For everyone." And for you, the unspoken words rang in silence. The merchant nodded, heart twisting in her chest. "Thank you for understanding. I'll...I'll try my best too. Please don't feel you must wait for me to settle. Create your life here and create your joy, and I'll be happy no matter what." Zareen turned to look at her, electric eyes a glassy bright blue, and she knew he understood.

The sound of a screaming kettle broke the skydancer out of her memory. "Oh, water's done! I'll be a minute," Lute sheepishly grinned. He jumped across the counter back to the kitchen, allowing Gunita a pause to collect herself and wipe any stray tears. Things were healing here already, she thought. Her long, low exhale shook her aging bones free. Even if it did take years and years. She thumbed some treasure from her purse and rose to leave, but he waved her off. "Oh souvenirs are payment enough this time, Miss Nita! But please take your time here. Are you going to watch Kaiju Wrestling?! Oh, I bet you'd love The Empress, she's so cool. I think Mister Mac is coming by for a hot chocolate and some snacks, and I know you'd love to see him!" The spiral looked at her with comically large kicked-puppy eyes. Gunita had to laugh. The nap, and any plans of leaving, was left forgotten for at least several hours.

[norhimorovine]

Growth [Journey/Rite/Pilgrimage]

After waking up in a pile with her husband and daughter, and having breakfast with them, Norhi made her trek to Sahlia’s grove. Or rather, Zuki saddled Crystal and insisted she ride, rather than walk. She did not argue. 

Entering the glade and looking up at the massive willow tree, with it’s ritual ornaments artfully strung through it, Norhi felt a sigh of relief sweep through her. “I guess I should’ve realized I was worried this red sky would’ve harmed you. But you’re holding up,” she said, by way of greeting. 

And in spite of the peek of sickly red in the canopy above, the grove itself was virtually untouched. The hedge tree was surrounded by broken Amdapori style ruins. And a clear stream ran through and around all of it, congregating in a small pool in front of Sahlia, before trickling off further into the forest. And the marble and stone door in Sahlia’s trunk remained as tightly closed as before.

She felt the brush of emotion to her mind, warmth and welcome. Norhi smiled and slid down from Crystal’s saddle and retrieved the specimen bag. She then patted her chocobo friend’s side. “Go relax, Crystal.”

Norhi then hobbled over to Sahlia’s main trunk with the bag. “I brought you a souvenir,” she said, before carefully levering herself down onto a convenient root. 

She opened up the bag and pulled out a clay pot with a wire cage around the plant inside. She pulled off the wire house and held up the glowing flower as if showing it to Sahlia. “These are growing in Alvarium. The town I’ve been working in. There’s a girl there named N. And she has these powers that are... amazing. But these flowers are growing because of her!”

Norhi felt a push of emotion again, surprise and recognition. She blinked. “You know this flower?”

Known. [Unknown/Ancient/Lost] 

Fate Extant. [Survival/Hope/Joy]

Norhi puzzled her way through the emotions and hints of words. She looked at the flower then. “Ancient. Well, that doesn’t tell me much. But, it sounds like you aren’t interested in sharing those details either. Where would you like me to plant it?”

A root shifted slowly, next to the stream that ran around her. It left open a spot good for planting. 

Norhi smiled and scooched over there, grateful it was close. She used her hands for this, digging the dirt open and then pulling the pot free of the dirt and flower. She gets it settled, gently closing the hole in.

Norhi watched the flower change from a curious green to a lovely pink. She nodded and then looked back up to Sahlia. She ran her fingers over the bark of the root she sat on. “I’ve got so much to share with you. This might take a while.”

A brush of cold and wet is presented to her thoughts, focusing on her ankle. And Norhi laughed, reaching to tug the splint and sock off her sprained foot. “Okay, okay. I’ll soak my ankle while we do this.”

She slid off the root to a grassy spot and slipped her injured foot into the water of the stream. And at first it was cold, but a welcome clear cool, unlike the sharp frigid ice of Garlemald. But then the water warmed. And Norhi could see motes of aether flowing in the stream. She smiled softly. “Thank you, my friend.”

She then tugged a mirrored bowl and a bottle out of her belt pouch. She poured the moon-blessed water into the bowl and set it on the root. She then leaned back against the trunk and released a slow breath. She closed her eyes and opened her mind and magic.

She quietly shared moons of memories with Sahlia. The trek to Garlemald. Setting up Camp Broken Glass. Meeting N and Twelves. Meeting the Overseer. Watching Alvarium slowly build into a town. Having to return to Camp Broken Glass. Learning the cure for tempering. Healing so many people. The red sky and the blasphemies. The horror of watching people turn. Finally going back to Alvarium. Events there. The people there. The chaos, the joy, the tears, the laughter.

She shares the search for Misah’to, of finding him and of meeting the girls. And of how he might not be coming home for a long time. And how relieved she was that he was alive and okay.

Eventually, she falls asleep like this, curling against Sahlia’s trunk, with her ankle absorbing healing aether from the stream. Her dreams sort through the memories of conversations shared, adventures followed, people met. And somewhere in there, she felt a rumbling of stone, but thought it part of a memory in her dream.

It had been four bells, when that rumbling stone echoed through the grove and into the forest. Zuki quickly showed up to check on Norhi, concerned about the odd tremor. He saw the door was open and darted over to wake Norhi. He shook her shoulder. “Rhi? Rhi, wake up!”

Norhi woke groggily at Zuki’s shaking. “What? What’s... Zu? What’s wrong?”

Zuki reached and took Norhi by the shoulders, helping her sit up so she could turn and look. He pointed at Sahlia’s door. “I’m surprised the rumbling didn’t wake you! ... Or bring sylphs running to check on us.”

Norhi blinked in shock, staring at the door that she hadn’t seen open in nearly twenty years. She turned and looked at Sahlia. “But... Why? I didn’t finish the rite!”

You did. [Amusement/Maternal/Pride] [Encouragement/Joy/Pride]

Norhi frowned in confusion. “I did?” she echoes, before pushing to her feet. She idly noted her sprain hurt a great deal less now. But she doesn’t worry about it, hobbling to the open door. 

What she saw inside was enough to bring her to her knees, tears already streaming down her face. Not a hint of smoke. Not one wisp of damage. Everything was nearly pristine. Save for a strong layer of dust. The old shelf stood there, holding every single journal she remembered. “They... They weren’t harmed. You protected them this much? Even with what it cost you?”

Yes. [Responsibility/Duty/Legacy[ [Family/Kin/Mine]

Norhi covered her mouth and just sobbed. She felt Zuki wrap his arms around her and she leaned into him, crying her grief, joy, pain, and relief, into his shoulder.

And nearby, the little flower glowed a brilliant lavender and yellow.

When Norhi finally calmed, she looked back up to Sahlia. “I still don’t understand. How did I finish the rite? I never found that crystal in Grangran’s notes.”

Read. [Knowledge/Legacy/Journey] [Within/Gathered/Held]

Norhi huffed a laugh and shook her head. “Of course. Time to... read, I guess.”

Zuki just sighed in confusion and helped his wife up. “I know I’ve said it before. But this is still weirder than listening to one side of a linkpearl conversation. At least with those I can hear the buzz of the pearl.”

Norhi laughed and kissed his cheek, before she lowered herself into the chair inside the hidden room. “Oh, I’m sure it’s more than a little disconcerting. But... In short, she says I’ve finished my ritual. And to know how I did, I need to read these.”

Zuki looked at the shelf, when Norhi gestured at it. “These are all the annals of your matriarchs? The ones you told me about?”

Norhi nodded. “Hand me the last one on that lower shelf. I have Gran’s already. That one should be her mother’s.”

Zuki picked it up carefully and passed it over. “These are in amazing condition.”

Norhi turned the book in her hands. “I would not be surprised if Sahlia had some magic that preserved them,” she answered, before sighing and opening the journal, “Either way, time to read.”

Zuki smiled worriedly. “I’ll go make you some tea. And reassure Nhie’a that all is well. He got Vhene and Herah corralled so I could come check on you.”

Norhi winced and then smiled sheepishly. “Tell him thank you for me.”

Zuki chuckled finally and turned to go see to that tea. By the time he’d returned, three more journals were open and Norhi was back on her feet. And ranting at the giant sentient tree. “You’re telling me... that it wasn’t about that weird ass tea? I didn’t need some gods-bedamned rare crystal at all? I’ve been growing a bizarre thistle from Amdapor for the hells of it!? Gods above and voidsent below!”

Zuki stared owlishly and nervously cleared his throat. “My love?”

Norhi flinched and then turned to look at Zuki, her smile twitching to keep from a frown. “Zu, love... Hi.”

Zuki brought the tea over and set it down on the wooden table they’d put out here. “So... You didn’t need the thistle?”

Norhi bent and scooped up her great grandmother’s journal. “Nope. Gran’s mother journeyed to a village of the Lohengarde and learned of their magics there, bringing back a method for curing more injuries.” She set that journal aside and scooped up the next. “Her aunt was the matriarch before her. And she apparently visited Thavnair, bringing back one of our techniques for fertilizing the groves. I still use this technique!”

She gestures at the other journals. “Every single one of them did something different. And I still don’t know what I specifically did!”

Zuki smiled and shook his head. He took the journal from Norhi and set it aside, before pulling her into a hug. “Whatever it was, Sahlia deemed it worthy. Congratulations on finishing your rite, Rhi.”

Norhi sighed and hugged Zuki tightly. “Thank you. I’m... gonna clean this up and drink that tea.”

Zuki kissed her forehead before stepping back. “I’ll come back to get you for dinner.”

Norhi smiled and then turned to scoop the journals back into order. She sat down with the tea and looked up at Sahlia. “I brought no new techniques or materials. Just a plant that glows. What did I do?”

Lived. [Fire/Death/Fear] [Survived/Searched/Found]

Akizuki. [Love/Journey/Trust]

Vhene [Growth/Innocence/Nurture]

Wyda [Heart/Kin/Flock]

Brave [Leader/Conviction/Friend]

Misah’to [Blood/Lost/Return]

Overseer [New/Hope/Future]

Flower [Ancient/Unknown/Augury]

You came home. [Child/Mother/Mine]

Norhi sat there, stunned at this flood of emotion and concept trying to be understood. “I see,” she finally answered, before she started crying again. All this time, she was already doing the right thing. 

When she calmed yet again, she reached for her linkpearl. She had to share this.

[spicykaraage]

Tenipuri Complete Character Profile - Rin Hirakoba

[PROFILE]

Birthday: March 3rd (Pisces)

Blood Type: AB

Relatives: Grandmother, father, mother, older sister, tropical fish (including Umemaro the clown loach)

Father’s Occupation: Public servant

Elementary School: Ryukyu East Elementary School

Middle School: Higa Junior High School

Grade & Class: Third Year | Class 3-2 | Seat 25

Club: Tennis Club (regular)

Committee: Disciplinary Committee

Strong Subjects: Japanese, art

Weak Subjects: English

Most Visited Spot at School: The rooftop with the ocean view

Favorite Motto: “Tomorrow is another day.”

Daily Routines: Massaging his grandmother’s shoulders

Hobbies: Shopping, spearfishing, fixing his hair [TP]

Favorite Color: Turquoise

Favorite Music: Dance music, Eurobeat

Favorite Movie: The Fugitive

Favorite Book: Okinawa Walker (a travel guide for Okinawa), the folktale The Habu’s Repayment [23.5]

Favorite Food: Shaved ice (strawberry flavor), mimiga (pig ear) salad, boba milk tea [TP]

Favorite Anniversary: August 2nd

Preferred Type: A stylish and tasteful girl ➜ A girl who likes spending time with just the two of them [TP]

Ideal Date Spot: A beach ➜ An aquarium (to see a whale shark) [23.5]

His Gift for a Special Person: “A beautiful sunset from a place only I know about.”

Where He Wants to Travel: Diving in the Maldives

What He Wants Most Right Now: iPod

Dislikes: Being restricted, Japanese basil [TP], bitter melon(?)

Skills Outside of Tennis: Okinawan martial arts (bo staff [23.5]), street dancing [23.5]

Spends Allowance On: Clothes, shoes, going to the beauty salon

Routine During the World Cup: Searching for souvenirs for his grandmother, watching fashion shows at the hotel

[DATA]

Height: 172cm | 5’7”

Weight: 54kg | 119 lbs ➜ 53kg | 116 lbs [23.5]

Shoe Size: 26.5cm

Dominant Arm: Right

Vision: 2.5 Left & Right

Play Style: Aggressive Baseliner

Signature Moves: Shukuchiho, Habu, Giant Habu

Number of Visits to the Beauty Salon Per Month: 3.6

Equipment Brands:

Racket: Prince (TOUR NXGRAPHITE SP OVERSIZE MID PLUS)

Shoes: Prince (MORE LINEAR TOUR AC)

Overall Rating: Speed: 4 / Power: 3 / Stamina: 3 / Mental: 3 / Technique: 4 / Total: 17

Kurobe Memo: “It’s often thought of as a drawback to be in your own world while you’re in a match, but actually it takes focus and confidence. I think he should keep playing this style of tennis.” <Official Description>

[POSSESSIONS]

What’s in His Bag [40.5]:

An old model iPod: Full of dance music, he always has it when he’s on the move. He hopes to get the latest model soon

Spare t-shirt: Since he’ll jump into the ocean with his clothes on

Headphones: With a switch that can cancel noise, he bought them with his iPod and loves them

Magazine (Men’s Non-No): A fashion magazine for young men, he’s recently been leaning towards Urahara fashion

Cologne: BLV cologne, it’s the same fragrance a famous soccer player uses

Small pouch: A pouch his grandmother made. It’s a little dirty since it’s old, but he keeps his iPod in it and handles it with care