#amu controller

[aman2576]

AMU Controller Exam 2024: A Comprehensive Guide

The AMU Controller Exam 2024 (AMU CET) conducted by Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is a national-level entrance test that opens the doors to a plethora of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in fields ranging from medicine to engineering. As one of the esteemed public universities in India, AMU offers over 300 courses across its main campuses located in Malappuram, Krishnaganj, and Murshidabad.

Important Dates and Application Process:

Application Form Availability: 1st February 2024

Last Date for B.Sc. and BA LLB Application: 3rd Week of March 2024

Application Correction Window: 1st Week of April 2024

Exam City Selection: 3rd Week of March 2024

Exam Dates: 15th to 31st May 2024

Aspiring candidates can access the application forms on the official website of AMU Controller Exam (www.amucontrollerexams.com). The application process requires the submission of scanned documents including a colored photo, thumb impression of the left hand, signature, and details of qualifying exams. The application fees vary depending on the course applied for and must be paid online.

AMU Controller Exam Pattern and Eligibility Criteria:

Mode: Offline (Pen and Paper)

Question Types: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and OMR Filling

Duration and Questions:

B.Tech: 3 hours, 150 questions

B.A.LLB: 2 hours, 85 questions

B.A, B.Com, B.Sc: 2 hours, 100 questions

Marking Scheme: +1 for correct answers, -0.25 for incorrect answers

Eligibility criteria differ for each course, generally requiring a minimum of 50-55% in Class 12 from a recognized board, with specific subject prerequisites.

Exam Day Protocol:

Download Admit Card from the official website

Arrive at the exam center at least an hour before the scheduled time

Paste a passport-size photo on the admit card

Bring necessary stationery items

Syllabus and Result Declaration: The syllabus encompasses high school-level concepts along with curriculum recommended by NCERT and other competitive exams. Results are typically announced in June 2024 on the official website. Scores are valid for the academic year, and successful candidates proceed to the next stage, which may involve interviews, group discussions, or counseling rounds.

Merit List and Counseling: The merit list is published post-result declaration, indicating candidates eligible for counseling based on cutoff marks. In case of tied scores, ranking criteria include age, gender, AMU affiliation, and exam performance. Counseling is conducted online and includes registration, choice filling, and document verification. Candidates offered provisional admission must complete fee payment and document verification to secure their seats.

Conclusion: The AMU Controller Exam 2024 serves as a gateway to academic excellence, offering access to a diverse range of courses at one of India's premier institutions. By adhering to the prescribed eligibility criteria, understanding the exam pattern, and staying updated with important dates, candidates can embark on a successful journey towards realizing their educational aspirations at Aligarh Muslim University.

[blueberrisdove-sideblog]

Phainon brat taming chrysos heir! Reader- yum- 🤧

𝒲𝒶𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 ： fem!reader － mirror s*x, － spanking － creampie － chocking －Standing doggy style － hair pulling－ implied dubcon (dw nothing too serious).

Edit : not proof-read. Sorry not. Also if you saw the word “golden” u did not. 😪

Phanon's grip on your throat is rough, his fingers digging into your skin as he forces you to look at your own reflection. His golden eyes burn into yours through the mirror, a smirk playing on his lips as he towers over you.

"You like this, don't you?" His voice is low, taunting, his breath hot against your ear. "Acting like you're some spoiled little thing—" His other hand tightens around your waist, pulling you flush against him. "But look at you now. Drunk on me."

The mirror trembles under your weight as he keeps you pressed against it, his hold unyielding. He watches every reaction, every twitch, every desperate gasp you make, reveling in the way you shudder beneath him. His cock thrusting into your cunt, as tears began to swell in your eyes.

"Go on," he coos, tilting his head. "Say my name, pretty thing. Let them all hear who owns you."

You stayed silent, and only moaned in response. Phainon sneered in mockery, as he he continued to stare into the mirror. You looked so fucked. Your face all flushed, tongue rolled out of your mouth, tits pressed against the mirror as your eyes were half lidded.

"You wanted this." His voice turns into a low, dark chuckle, mocking. "Don't pretend you didn't. All that backtalk, all those little games—you were begging for me to put you in your place."

His hips press forward, forcing a whimper from your throat. His grip tightens, sharp, possessive, keeping you trapped between him and vour own reflection. "Say it, he commands, golden eyes gleaming with wicked amusement.

"Say who you belong to." Your breath hitches, your fingers pressing against the glass for support, but Phainon doesn't let up. He wants to hear you break. Wants to hear you surrender.

"Say. It."

Your lips part, but the words catch in your throat. Phainon watches, his smirk widening as you hesitate, as your pride claws at the last scraps of defiance you have left. He can see it-the flicker of resistance, the stubborn glint in your eyes through the mirror.

And he hates it. His grip on your throat tightens, not enough to hurt, just enough to remind you who's in control. "Still fighting me?" he muses, his voice dripping with amusement. "After everything?"

You swallow hard, feeling the heat of his body pressing into yours.

Your breath is shaky, but you manage to force out, "I don't belong to anyone."

Silence.

Then—sharp. His hand cracks down against the plush of your ass, the sound echoing in the room, making you jolt forward against the mirror. Your nails scrape against the glass as you gasp, the sting blooming into a sharp heat.

"Wrong answer."

He doesn't give you time to recover before another slap lands, harder this time, making your legs tremble.

Phainon watches you through the mirror, golden eyes burning with satisfaction as he takes in the way your body reacts, the way you bite your lip to stifle a sound.

"Say it properly," he demands, his tone darker now, more dangerous. His hand soothes over the stinging flesh, only to grip hard, pulling you back against him. "Or do you need me to teach you some more manners, brat?"

You grit your teeth, refusing to break so easily. Even as your body betrays you, as heat coils in your stomach, as your breath comes in unsteady gasps—you still fight.

Phainon chuckles, shaking his head. "Still so stubborn." His fingers slide up, twisting into your hair, yanking your head back so you're forced to meet his gaze in the mirror. "Fine. We'll do this the hard way."

His smirk turns into something sharper, something cruel. "I'm going to ruin you until you can't say anything but my name."

Phainon yanks your head back, his grip tangled in your hair, forcing your gaze onto the mirror. His blue eyes blaze, full of cruel amusement, relishing in your defiance—even as your body trembles against him.

"You don’t learn, do you?" His voice is low, dangerous, vibrating against your skin. His free hand roams over your waist, fingers digging in hard enough to leave bruises, a mark of his claim. "You act tough, but I feel you shaking, little brat." You force out a breath, your lips curling into a smirk despite the way your body betrays you force out a breath, your lips curling into a smirk despite the way your body betrays you. "I’m not shaking," you manage, voice tight but stubborn. "You’re just imagining things."

Phainon huffs a laugh, low and taunting. "Oh? Is that so?" His grip in your hair tightens, tilting your head back just a little more, forcing you to see yourself—see the flush creeping up your neck, the way your chest rises and falls in uneven breaths. His smirk deepens. "Lying doesn’t suit you."

You glare at him through the mirror, refusing to look away. "And what are you gonna do about it?" His expression shifts—something dark, something dangerous. His blue eyes glint with a quiet promise, and before you can react, another sharp slap lands on your thigh, making you jolt. You bite your lip hard to stop the sound that threatens to escape.

Phainon chuckles, leaning down so his breath ghosts against your ear. "You’re really asking for it, aren’t you?" His grip on your waist tightens as he straightens, his presence towering over you. "Fine, then. We’ll keep going until you beg me to stop." Your jaw tightens, but before you can throw another bratty remark his way, his hand grips your chin, forcing you to focus on your own reflection.

"Look at yourself," he commands, his voice rough, but there’s something else beneath it—something possessive, something hungry. "Look at how easily you bend for me, how much you want this."

Your breath stutters, fingers gripping the mirror’s surface for stability, but you still refuse to give in. "You’re full of yourself," you say, but your voice isn’t as steady as before.

Phainon just laughs, deep and knowing. "And you’re full of lies." His fingers trail up your throat, tilting your chin higher. "Go on, then. Prove me wrong. Say it—say you don’t want me."

You open your mouth. Nothing comes out.

The silence stretches, thick with tension, your pride and his dominance clashing in the space between you. Phainon smirks. "That’s what I thought."

© 2024-2025 blueberrisdove-sideblog all rights reserved. pretty please, do not steal my dividers, translate and plagiarize any of my works, or either repost my works in any other platform without asking, thank you!

[elliesbelle]

nobody compares to you

chapter 14

pairing: ellie x reader

synopsis: you're in your junior year of college and at a party, you run into the girl who broke your heart: ellie williams. despite the time it took to reset your life, will you risk a broken heart again for her?

content warnings: modern college au, cursing, angst, dealer!ellie, some setting is in a hospital, mentions of catheters and needles, descriptions and talk of anaphylaxis, mentions of financial difficulties, mentions of alcohol, mentions of toxic parents, mentions of death and suicide, minors do not interact

word count: 7.9k

chapters: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen

series masterlist

my masterlist

i have a ko-if if you like my work so much that you feel compelled to tip me ♡︎

the "nobody compares to you" spotify playlist

palestine will be free

The first thing you feel is something plastic poking the inside of your nose. It smelled of chilly, medicinal air conditioning. 

The next thing you feel is a massive, unpleasant weight on your chest. Then at the crown of your head. Then some weird pressure squeezing your calves every few seconds. Then an entirely full bladder. 

“I need to fucking pee.” You mutter, voice dry and raspy. 

“I think you can just go, dude.” A familiar voice replies. 

You fight against the crustiness of your eyes but immediately regret it. All you can see through the slits of your eyelids is a harsh, white light. 

“Am I… Am I fucking blind?” You whine. 

“I’m pretty sure that your eyeballs are still inside your head. So hopefully not.” You hear the voice chuckle. 

You fight against the unforgiving glare from above, forcing your eyes open. It takes a few moments to gain control of your body, but you’re eventually able to crane your neck towards where the voice had previously echoed from. 

“J-Jesse?” You croak. 

“Yeah. I’m here, bud.” Your raven-haired friend smiles. 

You spot him to your left, sitting in, what appears to be, an uncomfortable armchair. He wore a blue disposable mask over his nose and mouth, his hair looking unkempt and unshowered, and you notice how his clothes look wrinkled and slept in. 

“What happened? Are you alright? What’s going on?” You groggily inquire. 

“You’re the one all strapped to a hospital bed, but you’re asking me if I’m okay?” 

Jesse takes your hand and squeezes it appreciatively. He flashes you a soft, warm smile. 

“How are you feeling?” He asks. 

“I-I’m not sure…” You admit. “What… what the hell happened?” 

“Well,” Jesse starts slowly. “You went on a date with Anderson to Orchards yesterday. At the end of it, you were being a total dummy and made out with her after she ate a whole plate of shrimp.” 

“N-no, no,” You interrupt, scrunching your face up as you try to recall the previous day’s events. “She ate this whole soup thing for dinner. Some weird French dish with some weird-sounding name.” 

“Bouillabaisse,” Jesse clarifies. “It’s a fish soup. It doesn’t always have shellfish in it, but hers apparently did.” 

You groan. 

“Oh, I am such a dumbass.” 

“Please explain to me exactly how you were being a dumbass in this situation.” 

“You literally just said that I was a dummy!” 

“That was Jesse of the past. I’m a much more mature man now in my old age.” 

You attempt to smack his arm, but he’s saved by the many coils of IVs attached to you, pulling your hand back. 

As he playfully rebukes you for attempted physical abuse, another person enters the room. A kind-looking nurse walks in with a clipboard in hand. Wearing dark blue scrubs, a low ponytail, and a surgical mask, she greets you with a friendly wave. She approaches your bedside opposite Jesse, and her glasses-covered eyes indicate a friendly smile. 

“Hi there,” She nods. “My name is Yoojin. I’m your nurse today. I’m so sorry for not being here when you woke up. I had to step out for a few seconds, but your brother here assured me that you were in capable hands.” 

You turn to Jesse and mouth in amusement, “Brother?” 

He suppresses a laugh. 

“Later.” He whispers through his mask. 

You turn to Yoojin with a small grin. 

“No worries. I only just woke up now.” You assure. 

She gives you, what you assume, is another smile under her mask. 

“So how are you feeling?” 

Jesse remained by your side the entire time, only leaving briefly when he needed to use the bathroom or take a call. He sympathized with your gripes about being bedridden, making lighthearted jokes about your catheter, messing around with the IPC devices off your legs over and over until a nurse came in and kindly asked him to stop. 

The TV in your room wasn’t working, so he kept you entertained, cracking his usual dad jokes and telling some old stories of Jackson you hadn’t heard yet. You pretended not to notice that the anecdotes he’d recall always excluded an essential person in his childhood, and you tried your best not to remark on it. 

After a couple of hours, Dina finally came around to visit. She walks in as you’re berating Jesse for stealing a fruit cup you knew you weren’t going to eat. The sight of her immediately warms your heart. 

“Dina!” You exclaim. “Oh, I missed you.” 

Dina sets her bag down next to Jesse, lowers her face mask for a moment to give him a quick peck on the cheek, and pulls up a chair next to him. She takes your hand and beams at you graciously. You notice that her eyes are slightly glassy. 

“Oh, babe,” She sighs. “I missed you too. Sorry that I’m just getting here. Had to deal with a few things before I came over.” 

“Don’t apologize, D. I’m just glad to see you.” 

She squeezes your hand softly. 

“I’m so glad you’re awake,” She gulps. “You worried us so much.” 

“Sorry about that,” You grin sheepishly. “I was being a bit of a dummy.” 

Dina blinks for a moment before giving Jesse a smack on the back of his head at this. 

“Oy vey. You asshole.” She chides knowingly. 

“Hey! No need to abuse me! I’m delicate.” 

He caresses the spot where she hit him as you laugh heartily. 

The couple recounts the events of last night for you, explaining in detail as much as they know. You listen without interruption until they reach the topic of your EpiPen. 

“But how’d you guys get to my EpiPen so quickly? Did you pass by my apartment?” You ask them curiously. “I don’t mind if you guys did! It’s just not that close to the restaurant. Wouldn’t have made much sense to book it back to my apartment, honestly.” 

Dina and Jesse share a look you don’t understand. Your eyebrows furrow, confused by their hesitation. Eventually, Dina responds. 

“Uh, well…” She begins slowly. “Jesse actually happened to have a spare EpiPen at his place. Thank god, right?” 

“You did?” You turn your head towards Jesse. “I didn’t even know you had one, Jesse.” 

“Y-yeah,” Dina continues cautiously as you notice Jesse’s expression shift to a poker face. “He used to have an, uh, egg allergy growing up.” 

“What?” You ask incredulously. 

“Yup,” Jesse chimes in. “I grew out of it when I was in high school. But my mom still insists that I have an EpiPen on me. Just in case.” 

You continue to look completely discombobulated. You don’t fully buy their story, especially since neither were looking you directly in the face. But you’ve always trusted Dina as a sister and Jesse like a brother, so you half-heartedly accept the tale they’ve decided to present you with. 

“Oh, okay,” You say, slightly unconvinced. “Well, thank god for that, I guess. Is it okay that you used it on me, though? What if you suddenly need it again?” 

“No worries,” Jesse assures you. “I’ll call my mom and ask her to send me a new one.” 

His poker face improves, so you concede for now. 

The couple continue to recount the previous day’s events until they eventually catch up to the present. 

“Only family is technically allowed to visit you in the ICU,” Dina confesses at one point. “Jesse had to say he’s your brother to get past the nurses' station. The nurse manning the desk at the time could definitely tell we were lying, but she was really nice and allowed it anyway.” 

“Oh, gotcha,” You say. “Well, you’re basically my brother, anyway.” 

“You should feel so lucky to share the same genes as me.” He boasts, stealthily avoiding yet another smack from Dina. 

“What about you, D?” You ask, turning towards her. “What did you say you were? My sister?” 

“Nah, I didn’t wanna be siblings with Jesse, even just as pretend.” She grimaces. 

“Okay, yeah, didn’t think of that,” You realize, scrunching up your nose in total disgust at the thought. “Gross.” 

“Wouldn’t be able to get that image out of my head.” Dina shudders. “Anyway, I told them that I’m your life partner.” 

“My what?” You giggle. 

“Hey, it counts!” Dina defends. “Well, kind of. The nurse had to list me as your ‘spouse’ instead, which feels like a hate crime.” 

“Oh, shut up.” You laugh as Jesse chuckles. 

“What? You don’t wanna be married to me?” Dina asks in mocking shock and offense. 

“I am absolutely honoured to be married to you,” You assure her. “I’m just worried about poor Jesse. How in the world are we supposed to break it to him that we’ve actually been married for over ten years?” 

“Oh, please, Jesse’s known from the start that he’s always just been a side piece.” 

“Hey!” Jesse interjects in indignance. “I’m right here.” 

“Be quiet, side piece. The wife and I are speaking.” Dina waves him off. 

You burst out into laughter at Jesse’s playfully hurt expression. 

The three of you discuss what the doctors have told you, and you eventually bring up the conditions required of you to be discharged. 

“I know that the doctors and nurses saved my life and whatever. And of course, I’m very grateful. And I truly do not mean any disrespect,” You say. “But I want to get the fuck out of here, uhh, right fucking now.” 

Dina smiles and Jesse chuckles. 

“I know, babe.” Dina sympathizes. 

“You’ll be out sooner than you know, bud,” Jesse adds. “Don’t stress over it. We’ll get you out as soon as possible.” 

“Oh!” Dina suddenly pipes up and reaches into her bag. “I can’t believe I forgot. I brought your phone. I was able to grab your purse for you before the paramedics took you away. I turned it off and charged it at home, so it should have some juice.” 

She places your phone in your hand, and you flash her a grateful smile. 

“D, you need to be canonized for your good deeds, I swear. With a statue and everything.” 

“Oh, I know,” Dina smirks. “Brought your wallet too. Not sure if you wanna keep it here or bring it back to your apartment, though.” 

“I’ll ask them if I can keep it here with me.” 

A thought suddenly hits you. 

“I’ll… I’ll have to figure out how to pay for all this when I get out.” You sigh. 

“Oh, babe,” Dina says reassuringly. “Don’t worry about any of that right now. Just focus on resting, okay?” 

“Your insurance will hopefully take care of a huge chunk of it,” Jesse contemplates. “It’s through your dad, right?” 

“That’s what I’m worried about,” You say as your hands begin to fidget anxiously. “Something as big as this, they’ll probably contact my parents. I… I can’t let them know I’m in here. I know it’ll start shit and… I just know it won’t be good.” 

The couple give you identical, concerned looks. 

“D-do they know? Th-that I’m in here?” You ask timidly. 

“Not that we know,” Jesse replies. “Neither of them is on your emergency contact list. And you know that Dina and I would never speak to either of them. Unless it’s to tell them to shove a stick up their respective asses.” 

You and Dina giggle. 

“Speaking of which,” Dina adds. “You can ask your uncle. I called him yesterday while you were still out. I hope that’s alright.” 

“Oh, that was so thoughtful of you,” You say gratefully. “What did he say? I hope he didn’t worry too much.” 

“Honey, you almost died. Of course, he’s worried. He loves you.” She checks the time on her phone. “He should be arriving sometime later today, actually.” 

“Shit,” You groan. “He didn’t have to do that. He gets so busy with work during this time of the year. This must have been so inconvenient—” 

Jesse suddenly takes his thumb and middle finger and flicks you on the forehead. 

“What the fuck!” You exclaim in indignance, rubbing the spot you were hit, as Dina gives him another hard smack on the head. Jesse ignores you both. 

“You are more important than any goddamn job that exists in the world, in the whole motherfucking galaxy. Your uncle loves you, just as we do. So no more complaining about it, dumbass.” 

You give him a pouty look, but his words fill your heart. 

Your best friends stay the rest of the time until your uncle arrives around midday. Relief and affection overwhelm you when he enters the room. You squeeze him with the tightest embrace you can possibly give for someone essentially strapped to their hospital bed. You ignore the loud beeping resulting from the tangling of your many IV wires. 

After your friends help you unravel all the cords, they gather their things and get up from their chairs. 

“We’ll let you guys talk.” Jesse says, offering his seat to your uncle. 

“Oh, you don’t have to leave.” Your uncle graciously assures them. 

“It’s alright; have some family time,” Jesse insists kindly. “I’m pretty sure she can only have two visitors at a time, anyway.” 

The couple make their way towards the sliding glass door. 

“I cannot express how grateful I am for you two,” Your uncle says before they exit. “Thank you for saving her life. And thank you for keeping me in the loop.” 

“Please, no need to thank us, really.” Dina nods kindly. “She’s family. We would do absolutely anything for her.” 

“That means you’re both family to me too.” Your uncle concludes. “Thank you.” 

You hold back tears of vast emotion from three of the most important people in your life exchanging such caring sentiments. You’ve never felt luckier. 

“We’ll be in the waiting room,” Jesse promises. “Let us know if either of you needs anything, okay?” 

Jesse and Dina take their leave, and your uncle subsequently takes a seat next to you. 

“Oh, Uncle,” You start before he can speak. “I’m so, so sorry. You shouldn’t have flown all this way. I can’t believe I was so stupid to have—” 

“Hey, hey,” Your uncle interjects. “None of that. You have no reason to be sorry. You needed me, so I’m here. I’m not mad, and this is not your fault.” 

Tears form in the corners of your eyes. 

“I just feel like I’ve inconvenienced so many people. If I could have just paid attention…” You lament. “And now I’ve totally made you drop everything to be here. I know you’ve still got work—” 

“You are a thousand times more important than my job, sweetheart.” He shakes his head and squeezes your hand, echoing Jesse’s previous words. 

“But…” 

“You are my family. Nothing is more important than that.” 

You smile at his adamancy. 

“And especially since losing Rafael,” He continues. “I think of you as my own.” 

“I know, Uncle.” 

You squeeze his hand back in affection. 

“D-did…” You suddenly say. “Did you tell—” 

“No, your mother and father don’t know a thing about this.” He answers insightfully. 

“Thank god.” 

“Did you want me to tell them?” 

You grimace. Your uncle chuckles. 

“I figured as much.” He surmises. 

“I just don’t know how to keep this from them forever, though,” You continue. “They’ll see it through the insurance company. I…” 

“Don’t worry about that. I can talk to the nurses later today before I leave, see if I can pay it in full myself without needing to use your father’s insurance.” 

“Uncle, please. Please don’t do that. This is going to be so costly, and you’ve still got your mortgage and Raf’s leftover student debt—” 

“I just want you to focus on getting better, alright? I don’t want anything else on your plate right now.” 

“Uncle, promise me. Please. Please promise me. Do not spend a single cent on this. I want to do this on my own. I’ll figure it out. Please promise me.” 

He gives you nothing more than a smile in response. 

Your friends and uncle take turns rotating as your company for the rest of the day. They’d only leave your side when the doctors and nurses needed to conduct extensive tests to ensure that you were still stable. You were never on your own for more than a few seconds, your loved ones determined that you not feel alone. 

You’d turned your phone on almost immediately after Dina’d handed it to you. But as a small, gracious gesture of appreciation, you had set it aside to give your visitors your undivided attention for the rest of the day. 

It wasn’t until the evening, when your friends and uncle waved you goodbye as visiting hours ended, that you allowed yourself to finally glance at your notifications. 

Anxiously picking your phone up, the first thought you have is to call Abby. Jesse and Dina had mentioned she was with them in the waiting room the night before. But, like your friends, she was informed that she wasn’t permitted to see you in the ICU as she wasn’t family. Dina and Jesse sent her home with the promise to let her know as soon as possible when you finally woke up and that you were alright. 

You notice that she’d messaged you earlier in the day. But much too embarrassed to face her just yet, you decide instead to first call your old freshman roommate. 

Tara picks up after only two rings, almost as if she’d been waiting by the phone for your call. She greets you with a happy shriek of your full name, an amused giggle escaping your lips as a response to her sudden enthusiasm. 

“Thank fucking god!!! I’ve been waiting all fucking day to hear the sound of your voice!” 

“Umm, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” You reply, smirking. “This is actually Satan, here to leave a message. I’m calling to let you know that I will be collecting your mortal soul sometime during the next 24 hours.” 

“Oh nooooo,” Tara plays along. “What on earth have I done to warrant eternal damnation, Miss Satan?” 

“Not sure if you know, but homosexuality is actually a cardinal sin. And unfortunately, you seem to be a notorious, flaming homosexual. I know, I know; it’s quite disappointing. But alas, I do not make the rules.”  

“But Miss Satan, are you not a homosexual too?” 

“Well, that’s exactly how I know it’s a sin.” 

The two of you crackle at each other’s banter, and you make plans in your head to spend more time with Tara and the rest of the girls after you’re released from the hospital. 

You and Tara chat for a little while about the most mundane things, like her classes the day before and her plans for the weekend. She apologizes for not having more to say and for “being so boring,” but you’re genuinely happy to just hear her prattle off about anything. 

At some point, she hands her phone over to Astrid, who greets you with a similarly delighted shriek that her girlfriend had received you with prior. She gushes over you with love and concern, insisting that she and all the Wilson girls come to visit you as soon as you’re out and adjusted. 

“Tara just about broke down when I told her about it.” She reveals. “She was about to leave for her shift at Ruston’s when Dina called, and I’m pretty sure the whole dorm could hear her sobbing.” 

“What?! I did not!” You hear Tara shout from a short distance. 

“You had so much snot running down from your nose that I just about hosed your face down before you left!” Astrid yells back. 

“Stop telling her that! She doesn’t need to hear all that!!” 

You giggle at the couple’s repartee. 

“Anyway,” Astrid continues. “Kris, Sid, and I tried to come down for a visit, but they apparently only let family in. Jesse and Dina seemed to have monopolized the fake roles of being your family already.” 

“Yeah, sorry about that, Addy.” 

“Oh, don’t be sorry,” She brushes off. “I’m just glad that you haven’t been alone there. Those two really care about you, you know.” 

“Yeah, I know.” 

“Dina started to make a whole fuss when they wouldn’t let us past,” Astrid continues. “Threatened to sue the nurses, all the doctors, the entire hospital. The receptionist nurse didn’t even get a chance to kick her out ‘cause Jesse himself forced her to go leave and take a walk to calm down. I don’t think she came back until a couple of hours later.” 

“Yeah, that sounds like our Dina.” You snort. 

The two of you discuss what you’d like to do whenever you finally get released, Astrid swearing to get you out of your apartment nearly every day after your discharge. 

“I don’t think I have all the stamina for all that, babe.” You chuckle. 

“Then you better get yourself to the gym with Jesse, and build that stamina the fuck up! I want your sexy self at parties and clubs, living your best 20s life with us!” 

You chuckle warily at this, simultaneously pushing away the reminder of who Jesse’s daily workout partner is. 

After saying your goodbyes to Tara and Astrid, you make brief calls to the rest of the girls of the Wilson Crew. They all answer your calls with an assortment of jubilant greetings, each girl expressing their elation and gratefulness that you’re finally awake and safe. 

You send individual texts of love to Dina, Jesse, and your uncle, thanking them extensively for coming to your aid and expressing your excitement to see them again very soon. 

Having done your rounds of gratitude, you finally acknowledge that you can no longer ignore the unread texts of the blonde-braided woman you’d had your near-fatal dinner with. You open up your message thread with Abby to see that she’d sent you only three texts earlier in the day. 

You stare at her text. 

Oh. Huh. 

No part of you blamed Abby for the incident; in fact, you’d been feeling a tremendous amount of remorse for putting her through such a traumatizing and jarring ordeal. It had been plaguing you so much since you woke up that you were far too embarrassed to ask Jesse and Dina more about her. 

But something about her texts bothers you. There was very little warmth and familiarity in her messages. Her words didn’t seem that of the woman who had been walking you to your classes every day, who showed you off to her friends at the Bow and the Arrow, who treated you to a lavish restaurant on a fancy date. Who kissed you with so much passion on the sidewalk of that same restaurant the evening before. 

Is… Is she angry with me? 

You continue to stare at her strange messages for several more minutes, unable to process the situation you’re somehow in now. You can’t think of an appropriate response that would lead to something honest, so you decide to put your response off. 

A-at least until after they release me… At least until I get home… 

The doctors only began to discuss the possibility of your discharge early Sunday morning. Though it hadn’t even been a full two days since your admittance, it took everything in you not to practically beg them to let you go. You’d been insisting to anyone who’d listen that you were completely fine, that you’d walk right out yourself if you weren’t strapped to your bed with a million wires. 

It wasn’t until midday, as you were mercilessly beating Jesse’s Shy Guy as Pink Gold Peach in Mario Kart, that Yoojin walked into your room with good news. You don’t notice her at first, too busy taunting Jesse for landing in 7th place while you scored 1st. 

“You only won because I got Lakitu’d in the second lap! Fuckin’ Isabelle was sending red shells at me nonstop…” Jesse gripes. 

“Sucks. Sounds like a personal problem, man.” You shrug. 

“Alright, I want a rematch, but on the Egg course this time.” 

“You’re such a sore fucking loser!” 

“There’s a shortcut on Yoshi’s circuit close to where the finish line is, by the way,” Yoojin interjects, eyes smiling. “If you use a mushroom and drift to the hidden waterfall on the right, it’ll get you pretty far ahead.” 

You and Jesse look up, a bit sheepish at her witnessing your juvenile behaviour. The nurse looks completely unbothered by it, however, and she approaches your bed as you place your controller down. 

“Aww, come on, Yoojin,” You whine. “Don’t tell him that! I’m on a winning streak!” 

“Shh,” Jesse shushes you, attempting to cover your face with one hand. “Don’t listen to her, Yoojin. She’s delirious from all the drugs you’ve been pumping her with. I must know all your secrets, ‘cause I swear, this one is cheating.” 

“Maybe later,” Yoojin laughs as you flick Jesse’s forehead. “Because you might want to hear what your doctor just told me.” 

Your ears perk up at this. 

“I can go home?” 

“Your most recent labs just came back, and everything looks good.” Yoojin nods. “And your vitals have been stable for the last 24 hours. So unless you plan on wolfing down ten pounds of shrimp sometime before leaving, we can get started on getting you released sometime later today.” 

Your face breaks out in a huge smile, and you turn to grasp Jesse’s arm. 

“Dude! I can go home!” You exclaim. 

“Yes, I heard,” Jesse says. You can feel his smirk through his face mask. “Finally.” 

You turn back to Yoojin. 

“I can go right now?” You ask. 

“It’ll take a couple of hours to make sure everything’s set for your discharge,” Yoojin says, chuckling at your eagerness. “But just hang tight, and you’ll be out of here in no time.” 

“Why don’t you guys settle things here while I go tell your uncle?” Jesse offers. 

Your uncle had stepped out to get some lunch at the hospital’s food court not too long ago. He and Jesse had arrived on the dot when visiting hours began earlier in the day. Dina had accompanied them but left shortly after to take care of other obligations, promising to be right back the second she was done. 

“Oh, that’d be great,” You say. “Thanks, Jess.” 

“No worries, bud. I’ll be right back.” 

He gives you a pat on the head before leaving you alone with the nurse. 

“So before you leave, we’ll go over a few things to make sure you don’t suddenly relapse during the next few days,” Yoojin begins. “And we’ll make sure you go home with a couple of new, unexpired EpiPens, just in case.” 

You nod as she goes on to explain the plans for your discharge. You listen attentively, determined not to end up back in the hospital like this again. As Yoojin wraps up, you work yourself up to ask her a question that’s been at the tip of your tongue since the beginning of the conversation. 

“Hey, umm, before you go,” You mutter nervously. “I wanted to ask about how much all of this will cost me. I-I know it’ll be pricey and all, especially with two brand new EpiPens, so I just want to be prepared.” 

“That’s not really something I can help you with,” Yoojin replies apologetically. “That’s the jurisdiction of the hospital’s billing department. But I’m sure you can get it all settled with your insurance after you’ve been released. Depending on what you have, they should cover most of it.” 

You give her a tentative smile as you wring your blanket between your fingers. 

“A-alright then.” You sigh defeatedly. 

It takes about two hours for you to finally be released from all your restraints and another hour until you’re finally walking out of the hospital and into the sunny parking lot. Yoojin allowed you a quick embrace before you left, insisting that you promise to be much more careful from here on out. 

You lean against your uncle and Jesse for support as you exit the hospital’s automatic sliding doors, legs still a little shaky after being bedridden for so long. Dina pulls up next to you in her car and gets out to open the passenger door. 

“M’lady.” She says with a bow, gesturing to the seat. 

“Shut up, D.” You laugh, rolling your eyes. 

“You sure you’ve got everything?” Your uncle inquires. 

“I think so,” You reply. “Didn’t really bring anything with me.” 

“Alright, well, I’ll head to my hotel room first so I can take care of a few things. I’ll meet the three of you at your apartment sometime later today. Sound good?” 

You, Jesse, and Dina all nod in unison. Before he walks away, you wrap your arms around him in a tight hug. 

“Thank you so much, Uncle,” You murmur. “It means so much to me that you came.” 

“Anything for you, sweetheart. Anything at all.” 

He gives you a quick squeeze before releasing you, promising he won’t take very long before walking away towards his rental car. 

“So,” Dina chimes. “Wanna grab some gross, greasy non-hospital food on the way home?” 

 When you finally cross the threshold of your apartment, you’d already wolfed down the majority of your fries along with half a chocolate milkshake. You collapse onto your couch with a relieved sigh, your best friends falling next to you on either side. You lean your head onto Dina’s shoulder as you take her hand between both of yours. 

“I think I’m about to go into the world’s longest food coma.” You decree. 

“I’m right alongside you, dude.” Jesse agrees, having devoured one and a half burgers himself on the way. 

“No comas, please, or we’re gonna have to turn right back around and readmit you into that hospital.” Dina says. 

“Never again, please,” You beg. “If I have to hear the nonstop beeping of a heart monitor for one more second, I’m going into straight-up fight-or-flight mode.” 

Your friends chuckle. 

“Alright,” Jesse eventually says as he sits up straighter. “Now that you’ve been freed, what do you want to do first?” 

You hum as you ponder his question. 

“Get so blackout drunk that I totally forget this entire experience ever even happened in the first place?” You offer. 

“Right, well, perhaps we can do something that isn’t completely stupid and detrimental to your health. Especially after you were just in the hospital after almost dying.” Dina retorts. 

You boo her as Jesse chuckles. 

“Well,” You continue. “I guess I should tell the girls I’m finally out. I promised them I would. Or did you guys say anything to them already?” 

“Not yet,” Dina says. “They’ll probably want to hear it from you.” 

You groan. 

“You’re right. Ugh. I don’t think I can handle the sheer amount of screaming and excitement that’ll come with it, though. Kris sounded like she was going to smother me with so much love that I’d suffocate from it.” 

“You can always put it off, at least until tomorrow.” Jesse counters. 

“I guess so. You think they’ll be mad?” 

“Babe,” Dina says, squeezing your hands and rolling her eyes. “You almost died. I think they’ll survive a day.” 

“Alright, alright,” You giggle. “I probably should focus on getting work done before class tomorrow, anyway.” 

“Ma’am, I know you are not thinking of going to your classes right after you were just in the hospital all weekend.” Jesse scolds sternly. 

“I’m fine!” 

“Dear lord.” Jesse sighs, exasperated. 

“Like I said,” Dina repeats. “You almost died. School is not a priority right now. You need to be resting, not writing essays and doing homework.” 

“I don’t want to fall behind!” 

“Didn’t your doctor give you a school note before we left earlier? She said you can give it to your professors to excuse you from your classes this week.” 

“Yeah, but it’s not mandatory or anything. I’m fully recovered now, so it just seems totally unnecessary.” 

“Like hell it is!” Dina bellows before releasing your hands to stand up from the couch. You fall flat on your face onto her spot when her shoulder disappears from under your head, and you muffle irritated curses into the couch cushion. You look up to see she’s disappeared momentarily into your bedroom. 

“D… What are you doing?” 

Dina reemerges after a few seconds, your laptop in her hands. 

“Babe. What’d you get that for?” You ask suspiciously. 

“I’m emailing all of your professors myself to tell them that you will not be attending any of your classes this week. Especially since it seems that you want to be such a stubborn dumbass about it…” Dina says matter-of-factly, shoving your head away from her spot on the couch to sit beside you once more. 

“Never should have given you my password.” You grumble as Dina opens up your laptop and easily bypasses your lockscreen. 

“Alright, who are all your professors again?” She asks, opening up your browser to access your email. 

“I’m not telling you!” You reply stubbornly, crossing your arms. 

“Hmm… I know she’s got Olinick’s double class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Mulligan at least on Mondays—” Jesse lists, counting your professors on one hand. 

“No, no, no, I don’t!” You turn towards him, shoving your hands in his face. 

“—I think Joslin from the English department too, but I can’t remember if that was last year or this year.” 

“Jesse!” 

By the time your uncle arrives at your apartment, you’d conceded to your best friends and allowed them to draft an excuse email to all of your professors. Dina opens the door for him after he knocks while you make final edits to your letters, and he settles into the ratty, secondhand armchair right next to the couch. 

Your uncle chuckles at the scene before him: you with a focused look on your face typing rapidly on your laptop, Jesse leaning back into the couch while gently patting the top of your head as he continued to make suggestions to your email, and DIna taking her seat right back next to you before kicking her feet onto your lap as you lift and place your laptop on top of her legs. It had been a while since your uncle had seen you so relaxed around other people, the last time being right before your freshman year of college. His fondness for your best friends quickly grows by the second. 

You look up from your work for a moment to smile warmly at your uncle, and he returns it with one of his own. 

“Hi, Uncle! Sorry, I’m just finishing up this email to my professors.” 

“No need to apologize, sweetheart. You telling them you won’t be attending any classes this week?” 

“Yup,” Jesse answers for you. “Took a lot of bullying on our part to convince her not to overwork herself with school right now.” 

“This dummy wanted to go back to classes right away as if nothing happened.” Dina rolls her eyes as she extracts a foot from underneath your laptop to kick you softly, earning her a stern “Hey, hey, hey!” from you. 

“Well, thank goodness she has you two to set her straight.” Your uncle chuckles. 

“Oh, she’s absolutely lost without us.” Jesse says, continuing to pat the top of your head. 

Your uncle smiles. He can tell that Jesse’s joking around, but he knows that the couple have both been selflessly keeping you alive for the past few years. 

“So how are you feeling?” Your uncle continues with concern etched on his face. 

“Not so bad,” You admit. “Just so glad to be among civilians once again.” 

You feel Jesse rub your upper back kindly. 

“I’m sure,” Your uncle smiles kindly. “How about we talk about what you’re going to do now that you’re out?” 

The four of you discuss what the next, post-hospital visit steps would be. They remind you of the check-up appointment you have later in the week, caution you once more about what foods you need to constantly be looking out for, and double-check that you have your new EpiPens handy and within constant reach. 

“I still have my current EpiPen in the bathroom,” You say. “It hasn’t lapsed yet. So maybe I can give you each of the ones they sent me home with, if that isn’t too much of an inconvenience to either of you guys?” 

You turn towards Dina then Jesse. 

“You sure?” Jesse asks. 

“Yeah, I mean, I obviously don’t want something like this to happen again. But if, by some hideous trick of fate, I end up in a repeat situation, it might be smart to just have one in multiple places. Just to cover my bases, I guess.” 

“I don’t mind at all,” Dina nods. “As long as you have easy access to one at all times.” 

“Yeah, that was my thinking too,” You agree. “Plus, I don’t want to have to use one of yours again, Jess.” 

“Mm, I guess.” Jesse hums. 

Your eyes meet his and you once again recognize his poker face. 

“That sounds like a good plan,” Your uncle agrees. “Let’s try not to rely on just luck next time around.” 

You give him an apologetic smile. 

The sun had been set for at least an hour when Dina and Jesse finally took their leave. Both offer to stay the night, in case you suddenly need either of them, but you assure them that you’ll survive one night alone just fine. You embrace each of them tightly, putting every ounce of gratitude you have into your hugs. 

You settle back onto the couch after you see them both out the door, and you turn towards your uncle still sitting in the armchair. 

“I know I’ve said this probably a hundred times the past day or so,” You begin. “But thank you for coming, Uncle.” 

“I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I didn’t come,” He replies. “Neither would Raf if he was still around.” 

You both share a sad smile. 

“I miss him, Uncle…” You whisper suddenly. 

“I know. I do too.” 

You sigh before continuing. 

“I wish he was still here. I feel… I feel so incomplete without him around. Like this has all been an awful nightmare that I have yet to wake up from.” 

“I know just what you mean,” Your uncle laments. “But our lives still go on, sweetheart. I think it’d make him sad to see us grieving him for the rest of our lives.” 

“But… it just feels so wrong. It feels so wrong to stop grieving for him, to move on from him.” 

“It’s not exactly moving on from him,” Your uncle ponders. “It’s more like… We make a place for him in our hearts. It’s sort of like he becomes a part of us. He’ll always be in everything we do.” 

Your eyes well up as a childhood memory floods your thoughts. 

When you were eleven years old, you had your first anaphylactic experience. You and Rafael were hanging out at his house, your uncle at work all day. You were making a mess in the kitchen, developing concoctions with half the contents of the pantry. As you were dumping a bag of marshmallows into a blender full of graham crackers and banana slices, Rafael fished an old bag of chips out of one of the cabinets. 

The writing on the bag was all in a language you couldn’t understand, but the superheroes on the front seemed to be enjoying the crunchy snack. Raf was tearing the bag open before your greasy fingers started grabbing at its contents. 

It didn’t even take two minutes until Rafael realized something was wrong. You were annoyed and taken aback when he slapped the chips out of your hand. It wasn’t until he was hauling you to the garage and strapping you into the passenger seat that you began to feel dizzy. By the time Rafael had driven to the emergency room, your skin had broken out into hives and your throat felt completely swollen. The last thing that you remembered before blacking out was your faithful cousin scooping you up and sprinting to the emergency room’s entrance. 

You didn’t hear the end of it from your parents when you’d woken up from being unconscious after a couple of hours. Your mother spared no shame in relentlessly admonishing you, regardless of who was in the room, for your “stupidity.” The doctors and nurses offered you continuous looks of pity as they had to witness your many verbal lashings, though none stepped in to interfere. You were blamed for inconveniencing the family, for forgetting your EpiPen at home, for “forcing” Rafael to drive a car when he didn’t have his driver’s license yet, for obligating your parents to pay for your medical bills. 

From that day on, your fear of your parents’ wrath was far greater than the fear of possibly falling prey to your fatal allergy. 

All that gave you hope was your uncle and cousin coming to your defense. Unlike your parents, they showered you with care and love, especially Rafael who felt guilty and responsible for your admission. They nursed you back to health after you were released, Rafael promising you that he’d never let it happen to you again. 

 “Can I tell you something, Uncle?” You ask. “I didn’t even tell Jesse or Dina this. And I don’t think I ever could.”  

“You never even have to ask, sweetheart. You know you can tell me anything.” 

“I…” You gulp. “There was a point… while I was in the ICU that I was a little lucid for a few moments…” 

You wring your fingers together in uneasiness as you stare down at your lap, unable to meet your uncle’s eyes. 

“I… I didn’t know what was happening to me. I didn’t know I was going through anaphylaxis again. But I just knew… I felt that something was wrong with me.” 

Your uncle listens to you intently, his chin on his hands folded as if he were praying. 

“Something inside me… Somehow, I knew that I was dying,” You continue. “Or I knew that at that moment, I could die. I could keep going… or I could choose to let my body give out completely.” 

You finally meet your uncle’s gaze. 

“And I wanted to. I wanted to just… go,” You confess. “Not in a s-suicidal way. Not exactly, at least.” 

Your eyes fill with thick tears. 

“But… I wanted to be with him again. I knew that if I gave in, if I succumbed to whatever was killing me, I would see him again.” 

Your bottom lip shakes as you continue. 

“I miss him so f-fucking much, Uncle. I don’t know how to go on without him around. I’m so l-lost and confused, and all I want to do is talk to h-him about it. But I can’t. There’s n-nobody else in this world that I’ve ever felt as close to as him. Maybe except—” 

You break off before you can finish, shaking off the memory of ocean green eyes and a constellation of freckles. The look on your uncle’s face tells you that he already knows how your sentence was going to end, but he says nothing. 

“He told me he’d never let anything happen to me. He was always supposed to be here with me,” You sob. “I know that’s selfish. I know that his life didn’t revolve around me. But so much of mine did. I planned… I built my life to always include him. Now what the hell am I supposed to do?” 

Your uncle’s sad eyes watch as you roughly wipe your cheeks of the tears uncontrollably streaming down. 

“Sweetheart…” Your uncle begins as he stands up from the armchair to sit next to you on the couch. “You are not selfish. I know how much he meant to you. How much he still means to you.” 

He takes your hands between his. 

“I just…” You sniffle. “It’s been years. I thought I’d healed from it already. I thought I’d moved past all the pain.” 

“It’s not a continuous thing, dealing with your grief.” Your uncle smiles softly. “You’ll have moments, hard ones where it’ll all feel raw and fresh again. It doesn’t mean you’re weak or selfish. You just have your own way of handling your sadness.” 

You nod in acknowledgement of his words. 

“But I think we both owe it to Raf to live our lives, to be happy without him around,” He continues. “His gift to us was time. Time with him and great memories. Even if he’s no longer with us, we’ll continue to carry that gift with us wherever we go.” 

Your uncle smiles and you return it, though wistfully. 

“I’m very grateful that you trusted me to share this with me,” Your uncle begins. “But don’t be afraid to talk about this with your friends. Especially those two.” 

“Jesse and Dina?” 

He nods. 

“I see just how much they love you,” Your uncle says. “They seem like they would do absolutely anything for you. And I am so grateful that you have people like that in your life.” 

“Yeah, they… mean so much to me.” 

“I’m glad. So, please. If I’m not around, don’t be afraid to confide in those two. I’m sure if the roles were reversed, you’d do the same for them.” 

“I’d do absolutely anything for them.” 

“Exactly. So don’t be afraid to embrace the love in your life. You deserve that. And that’s exactly what Rafael would want for you.” 

You throw your arms around your uncle and sob into his shoulder. 

You and your uncle continue to talk for a while until you realize that it’s nearly midnight. Like your friends, he offers to stay the night in case you need him. But you know his flight home was only in a few short hours, so you insist that he go back to his hotel to get a bit of sleep before he needs to leave for the airport. 

It took everything in you not to beg him to stay, but you couldn’t bear troubling him further. And you longed to finally have some time to yourself, so you put on a brave face.  

After your many assurances that you would take care of yourself better, you walk him to your front door. When you open it up, you both notice a simple brown box with a thin bow placed on top of your doormat. You pick it up, noticing how light it feels in your hands. 

“What is this?” You mutter. 

“You got a package?” Your uncle asks, looking at the box. 

“No… I didn’t order anything.” 

“Strange. Maybe your friends Dina and Jesse left it for you.” He offers. 

“I… I guess,” You frown. “Although, I don’t really know why they wouldn’t just give it to me when they were here earlier.” 

“Hmm, that’s true,” He hums, squinting his eyes at it. “A secret admirer, perhaps?” 

“Ha ha, Uncle. Very funny.” 

You give him an amused grimace before untying the bow and removing the lid. You gasp as you recognize what it contains. 

“Oh…” 

You drop the box and embrace its previous contents. 

“My Barbie Bear…” 

author's notes:

thank y'all so much for you patience waiting for this new chapter to come out. i literally wrote like, half of this while in the psych ward, and that was all the way in decemeber sldkfjlsdk

tbh i meant this chapter to be a lot shorter than it turned out to be but lskdjfs more content for y'all ig!

reader's first words after waking up is inspired by me saying, "i need to poop so bad" when the doctors were busy working on me in the emergency room lmaoooo

silver lining of me being in the icu back in december is being able to describe it in detail in this chapter hehe. being in the icu suuuuucked but mostly cause it was boring and cold and i wasn't allowed to get up to pee!!!

the nurse yoojin is named after one of my nurses while i was in the hospital. i loveddddd her, she was such a sweetheart and it made me so happy whenever she was assigned to me. i was rewatching arcane while i was in the hospital, and she saw and asked me about it, and then we gabbed about the show and league of legends (cause she religiously plays the game but hasn't watched arcane yet), and i eventually convinced her to actually watch the show heeeheee

reader’s uncle saying he sees reader as his own is what uncle iroh says to zuko in atla, fun little easter egg heehee (you know me and my love for easter eggs)

reader greeting tara on the phone as satan was how i first greeted my best friend when i was finally able to call her through the public phone in the psych ward (hi rhi LOL)

pink gold peach is my main in mario kart lol

reader's professors mentioned are all named after old professors from my former college's theatre department (rip dennis, miss you always ❤️)

reader’s uncle telling her “we make a place for him in our hearts” in regards to rafael is what tara in buffy the vampire slayer says to dawn when their mom dies (can you tell i love btvs)

working on the next chapter asap, lmk what you think of this chapter in the meantime!

also i made an ao3, so if you wanna read on there too, check it out!

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[ani-and-the-corries-au]

There are some things that all troopers know Nat born's will never understand.

All the troopers grew up in a world where perfection was the standard and anything less resulted in death. Where individuality was a crime and being anything more than just another number was a danger, Where saying the wrong thing in front of the wrong person could get you killed.

All troopers know this, but post Kamino the Guards have had it drilled into them all over again. If they want to survive In the Senate they have to fall back on the lessons they learned on Kamino.

The Corries know that there are some things that nat born's will never understand. Things that Nat born's shouldn't understand.

So no one in the guard quite knows how to feel about the strange fallout of the Shiney squad's Jetti Cadets apparent discovery of the Guards position on Courcant.

It starts small, the guard notices that the boy stops being weird about the fact that most of the Corries don't use their names, when asked, the boys. "It's because I know that you have them now." raises more questions than answers, because apparently the boy just figured out that they used their designation numbers around the Senate because their names were a secret on his own. He also seemed to get an unreasonable amount of joy from the fact that all the clones chose their own names.

If it has stopped there then it probably wouldn't be so weird, but it didn't. From sneaking in extra medical supplies and food, (actual food, not just ration bars) when he discovered that 'depur' was cutting their budget for stuff that they needed to function, to the way he seemed to intrinsically understand their need for secrecy, and their reasoning for it. "secrets keep us safe." Without anyone seemingly telling him.

They all agreed that they weren't gonna ask about how the boy had managed to rangle several senators around to the truth of the situation and his point of view with only a few words to one of them. A point of view that not only had them working on trooper sentient rights bills, but also had them aiding in his more under the table helping.

At first it was weird and confusing, both because this kid was a nat born, and because how did a Jetti Cadet develop this kind of understanding, he was a child. It took them a while to connect the dots, Even as the boy started unconsciously dropping hints.

At first it was that weird little nickname he had for the Senate and Senators, in a language that even the most nerdy of Corries didn't seem to understand. They weren't sure what a Depur was, but apparently it applied to the Senate and was probably not a good thing.

The next clue was the stories, because as Anakin spent more time with the guard, becoming more of a Vod'ika than a Jetti Commander and subsequently beginning to learn more and more about the secrets that they kept from the rest of the Senate.

As the boy learnt about the lighter side of the inner workings of the guard, and how to speak the clones particular brand of Mando'a, the guards began to learn stories about Ekkreth, Leia and Ar Amu, stories about secret plots and tricking the The infamous Depur in ways that resulted in the freedom of those he enslaved.

About secret Languages, Tzai, Jappor snippets and secret rituals. About the ways one could steal back some control from the Masters in ways that they would never even notice. About things that the boy claimed that all Slaves should know, lessons that would help keep them safe from their Masters. A term that by now the guards suspended was not referring to the kind the Jedi had.

By the time the boy causally mentioned that he and his mother had been enslaved prior to him being taken to the temple, the Guards already had a pretty decent picture of the situation.

The fact that the boy had been adopting them into his own culture right under their noses had been vastly more surprising. He'd been a little awkward when he'd admitted it. Saying that he knew that they were sort of Mando'ade, but they could be Amavikka too if they wanted.

And sure, maybe it was a little dark that part of the reason the boy spent so much time in the barracks was because it felt familiar, but also this kid cared about every single one of them, to the point where he apparently sees them as family.

Well it really was no wonder that it was agreed that the entire guard would do just about anything for their Ad'ika. Including possibly stopping said Ad'ika from doing the same for them. (Bloody Skywalkers)

[night-dazai]

Mine

Your legs were wide open with his Cock driving you and your hole crazy with his slow but powerful thrust. "Os..amu ....plss.." you blabber with wet eyes not yet crying . Dazai had been the first ever man to touch you and God it was heaven but... you being the perv wanted it rough . Millions of books and fanfics you have read where the girl is crying and begging them to stop or slow down. You never once had such a problem with dazai well other than Cumming again and again he was never once rough with you but tonight you wanted to change that and that's why you sat in your shared house with chuuya in the hall as Dazai sat opposite to you two .

It has been 2 hours as you kept rubbing your whole self on chuuya "is he that amusing ?"Dazai wondered trying to control his rising anger . "Y/n cannot see me angry noo. I cannot let her see the monster I am she will run. "He though running his fingers thourgh his hair in frustration ."Dazai can you take the dishes to the sink " you asked in a sweet voice holding chuuyas hands .Smiling he took them to the kitchen "calm down "He kept chanting like it was the only thing he knew .

Dazai hasn't said one word other than engaging very actively in the conversation you and chuua shared "is he not mad , how can he be like this . I am doing something I hate so much whyy .....does he not like me anymore??"thoughts flooded your brain as chuuya snapped you out of it "y/n it's enough "He said scratching the back of his head . "Thanks for agreeing to my stupid request "you said sending him off . Dazai walked back in wiping his hand dry "oh red head left ?? What manners is this not saying bye to me " He ranted on chuuya as you walked past him to the bed room quite . "Y/n what happened?" He asked confused following you as you did not say a word sitting on the bed hugging your pillow "do you even like me anymore?"you blurted making the brown head look at you horrified and so did you " ah...sorry for-"you were cut short seeing your bf .His hand trembling face horrified he kept talking " Sorry I am sorry ....sorry..i am...." "dazai look at me " you said trying to make him look at you . When you noticed his wet eyes all your doubts vanished all was left was guilt for hurting the poor man . You hugged him hard "realx ..breath please.. " you said instructing and soon he calmed down asking why on earth would you ask such a question , you were his reason to live , his light his everything. Feeling embarrassed you told him you got mad at the fact he was not mad at you for what happened with chuuya . " so you are saying you wan...nah ..Bella "His fingers ran across your ears to your jaw and slowly cupped your chin " you have no idea how mad I am and how much i want to funking destroy you " He said right into your ears . His words went straight to your core making you wet as he used his other hand to pull your head back and this time it hurt . The grip on your head hurt , even though you felt scared his eyes not the usual gentle one but mysterious and dark "Bella I am not jealous and will never be cause you are mine . You are not something I envey others off you are my territory and seems like a little recalling would help " He said harshly sucking your neck whole ripping your clothes apart . His eyes and body moments were fueled not by this incident alone but all the pervious times he wanted to corrupt you rose to the surface as his animalistic desire to runin you surfaced and that's when you realised your desire is fullfiled "mine "Dazai said spreading your legs wide and he has your hands cuffed and all naked for him "all mine " He growled entering your wet core.

[paganimagevault]

Ai Khanoum 3rd C. BCE - 2nd C. CE. More images on my blog, link at bottom.

"These wise sayings of men of old, The words of famous men, are consecrated At holy Delphi, where Klearchos copied them from carefully To set them up, shining from afar, in the sanctuary of Kineas.

As a child, be well behaved; As a young man, self-controlled; In middle age, be just; As an elder, be of good counsel; And when you come to the end, be without grief.

—trans. of Ai Khanoum stele by Shane Wallace and Rachel Mairs.

Ai-Khanoum (/aɪ ˈhɑːnjuːm/, meaning Lady Moon; Uzbek Latin: Oyxonim) is the archaeological site of a Hellenistic city in Takhar Province, Afghanistan. The city, whose original name is unknown, was likely founded by an early ruler of the Seleucid Empire and served as a military and economic centre for the rulers of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom until its destruction c. 145 BC. Rediscovered in 1961, the ruins of the city were excavated by a French team of archaeologists until the outbreak of conflict in Afghanistan in the late 1970s.

The city was probably founded between 300 and 285 BC by an official acting on the orders of Seleucus I Nicator or his son Antiochus I Soter, the first two rulers of the Seleucid dynasty. There is a possibility that the site was known to the earlier Achaemenid Empire, who established a small fort nearby. Ai-Khanoum was originally thought to have been a foundation of Alexander the Great, perhaps as Alexandria Oxiana, but this theory is now considered unlikely. Located at the confluence of the Amu Darya (a.k.a. Oxus) and Kokcha rivers, surrounded by well-irrigated farmland, the city itself was divided between a lower town and a 60-metre-high (200 ft) acropolis. Although not situated on a major trade route, Ai-Khanoum controlled access to both mining in the Hindu Kush and strategically important choke points. Extensive fortifications, which were continually maintained and improved, surrounded the city.

Many of the present ruins date from the time of Eucratides I, who substantially redeveloped the city and who may have renamed it Eucratideia, after himself. Soon after his death c. 145 BC, the Greco-Bactrian kingdom collapsed—Ai-Khanoum was captured by Saka invaders and was generally abandoned, although parts of the city were sporadically occupied until the 2nd century AD. Hellenistic culture in the region would persist longer only in the Indo-Greek kingdoms.

It is likely that Ai-Khanoum was already under attack by nomadic tribes when Eucratides was assassinated in around 144 BC. This invasion was probably carried out by Saka tribes driven south by the Yuezhi peoples, who in turn formed a second wave of invaders, in around 130 BC. The treasury complex shows signs of having been plundered in two assaults, fifteen years apart.

Although the first assault led to the end of Hellenistic rule in the city, Ai-Khanoum continued to be inhabited; it remains unknown whether this reoccupation was effected by Greco-Bactrian survivors or nomadic invaders. During this time, public buildings such as the palace and sanctuary were repurposed as residential dwellings and the city maintained some semblance of normality: some sort of authority, possibly cultish in origin, encouraged the inhabitants to reuse the raw building materials now freely available in the city for their own ends, whether for construction or trade. A silver ingot engraved with runic letters and buried in a treasury room provides support for the theory that the Saka occupied the city, with tombs containing typical nomadic grave goods also being dug into the acropolis and the gymnasium. The reoccupation of the city was soon terminated by a huge fire. It is unknown when the final occupants of Ai-Khanoum abandoned the city. The final signs of any habitation date from the 2nd century AD; by this time, more than 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) of earth had accumulated in the palace.

While on a hunting trip in 1961, the King of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir Shah, rediscovered the city. An archaeological delegation, led by Paul Bernard, unearthed the remains of a huge palace in the lower town, along with a large gymnasium, a theatre capable of holding 6,000 spectators, an arsenal, and two sanctuaries. Several inscriptions were found, along with coins, artefacts, and ceramics. The onset of the Soviet-Afghan War in the late 1970s halted scholarly progress and during the following conflicts in Afghanistan, the site was extensively looted."

-taken from Wikipedia

...

"The silver ingot engraved with runic characters found during the excavations of the Treasury could suggest they were Sakā/Sai. This inscription comprises 21 characters of a script and a language that are unknown and both attributed to nomadic people of Sakā origin, by comparison with a dozen similar inscriptions coming from an area extending from Ghazni in Afghanistan to Almaty in Kazakhstan, and dated between the 5th century BC and the 8th century AD."

-taken from Ai Khanoum after 145 BC: The Post-Palatial Occupation by Laurianne Martinez-Sève, University of Lille, 2018

[dracrownian]

The Slightly Unhinged Tier List of Het Romance Options for Rei

This is fun to think about. I didn't include: - dead people (with two exceptions) - women under the age of 20 (sorry not sorry) - men (for... obvious? reasons?? but I did consider including Okiya regardless because he might as well be Rei's housewife. but by that logic, I should've included Takagi, too. anyway, no men.) - movie characters or case-of-the-week characters (mostly, but I guess it depends on how you define them)

Now slightly edited because I forgot to include Midori.

Here we go! From worst to best, in my opinion.

Group 1: Control Group (AKA "the bar is in Hell"). -100/10 This is just Az*sa. The bar for which every other listed woman is measured against. No need for further commentary; if you need to know how I feel about her, I have a salt tag for a reason.

*****

Group 2: The Moms. 0/10 Options: Miyano Elena, Sera Mary, Toyama Sakura, Hattori Shizuka, Kisaki Eri, Kudou Yukiko.

Elena: Okay look, I know what Gosho said (about her being Rei's first love), but no. I refuse to acknowledge that. I will continue to believe he saw her as a pseudo-mother figure. Also she's dead. So no. They cannot be together, I'm sorry.

Mary: I am of the belief that (in a ShuuRei setting), Mary would adore Rei. Genuinely think she'd love him. I'm not sure Rei would feel the same about her (I'm convinced of the opposite, in fact). And in a non-ShuuRei setting, I think they would clash. A lot. There would be explosions and international incidents.

Sakura: Kazuha's mom has literally appeared once and she's wacky. They've never met (which is also a different tier, but as a Certified Mom, she fits here better). They'll likely never meet. I don't want them to end up together. And that's forgetting the fact that she's married.

Shizuka: Heiji's mom. See previous, except she's appeared more than once.

Eri: Somehow still better than both Kogo/Eri and Kogo/Amu, but no thank you. I do love that she called him out as an undercover cop, though. 10/10 for that moment. Love her (sometimes). Wish she had a better husband, but Rei would not be a good one for her.

Yukiko: Somehow the best option in this group. Still not a good one. Do I care that she's married? Not really. I think Yuusaku lets her do what (and who) she wants, probably. But even if I look past my "Rei is very, very gay" blinders, I can't see Yukiko and Rei working out. She's a bit too.... Yukiko for him.

*****

Group 3: I don't think they've met. 1/10 Options: Miike Naeko, Miyamoto Yumi, Fusae Campbell.

Naeko: I don't have much to say about her. Or her with Rei. I don't mind her as a character (the skinny Chiba thing aside), but I can't imagine her and Rei working out long term. He's too cold for her personality type. (Don't get me wrong, he has a temper. He's very passionate about things. But when it comes to actual interpersonal relationships, everyone is at arm's length.)

Yumi: Good lord, no no no. She can have her dysfunctional relationship with Akai's brother, Rei has enough problems. (They should not be subjected to each other.)

Fusae: This would be the most loveless relationship in the series because Fusae is probably still in love with Agasa, and Rei 's married to his job. Disaster. Would be kinda funny though.

*****

Group 4: They've... met, I guess. 3/10 Options: Kobayashi Sumiko, Yonehara Sakurako, Kuriyama Midori, Okino Yoko.

Kobayashi: You know what? At least he doesn't look at her and see Satou. They can bond over the kids (because Rei has a soft spot for kids, too, and this is something I firmly believe). She might even be a little more understanding about his police work (if she knows about it) than most would, since she's currently dating a different police officer. I wouldn't necessarily hate this, but it just kinda falls under "bland, but inoffensive" like most DetCo pairs.

Sakurako: The maid girl who has almost as bad of luck as Shinichi. Yeah, they wouldn't work out, and frankly she'd be too traumatized by whatever Rei goes through for it to be healthy for her. But not the worst pairing out there.

Midori: Eri's assistant, not Megure's wife. Just to be clear. Anyway. I'm pretty sure Rei scared Midori away with that one time he dropped her off at the office, so that's probably not gonna work out.

Yoko: Pop Idol x Undercover Cop seems like a recipe for disaster, but the premise might be fun.

*****

Group 5: D for "At Least One Of Them Will Die". 5/10 Options: Vermouth, Chianti, Wakasa Rumi, Kir.

Vermouth: No. No. No. Nope. No. Listen, I get it. They're both hot. They're both (sort of) criminals. They work together. My answer is still No. They will kill each other within a couple of days. At best.

Chianti: I'm dying at the thought, and Rei's dying because Chianti won't even entertain the thought.

Rumi: Rei's dead within the week. She won't even feel bad about it.

Kir: The longest-lasting relationship in this tier, maybe they could even work out. But I doubt it. If they don't kill each other, they part on bad terms.

*****

Group 6: (second) Worst Case Scenario. 5.5/10 Options: Satou Miwako, Jodie Starling.

Satou: Despite the name of this group, this isn't actually the (second) worst option. Do I want Satou and Takagi to break up so that Satou can be with Rei? Absolutely not. Do I think it could work? ...also no. But do I think it would be funny and kinda hot for all of about two days before they end up hating each other? Yes. Satou needs her malewife. Satou and Takagi are the one well-written canon relationship in the entire series, and I don't want to see it ruined for the sake of giving Rei a het romance option, but it would still be better than the Control Group.

Jodie: Hear me out: it would be hilarious. They might not even kill each other. They would, however, annoy the absolute hell out of each other. This would be a terrible situation for Akai, which honestly makes me like it more. (One of my pettier reasons for not wanting these two together is that, aside from their personalities, they look a bit too similar.)

*****

Group 7: Chaos Tier. 6/10 Options: Uehara Yui, Hagiwara Chihaya.

Yui: Honestly? Probably the best living woman to both match Rei's energy and not lead to rampant property destruction at the same time. This woman married a man just to work on a case. Tell me Rei wouldn't also pull a stunt like that. Sure, she doesn't know Furuya Rei exists, but she's a cop, and she's only a couple degrees separated from the entire situation, given Koumei's connection to Rei through Hiro. So it wouldn't be the worst. She could probably handle him. It would be a shame to break her up from her boys, though.

Chihaya: Platonic soulmates who may have never met (we'll have to wait and see if Gosho has them interact, I guess). I don't know that I'd necessarily like them as a couple, though I think they could maybe work (definitely causing rampant property destruction, though), but I do want them to be BFFs. They can bond over Hagi and Matsuda. It'll be... idk if cute is the right word. It'll be something, for sure.

*****

And finally, Group 8: The Love Triangle From Hell. 7/10. Option: Miyano Akemi.

So. Listen. Hear me out. Putting aside the fact that she's dead, and that this would technically be another "childhood friend romance," I do think, if she were still alive and not eternally tied to Akai (hence the group name), she would be the best option for Rei.

They've both got experience with the BO, and trauma to work through. Akemi, if I can extrapolate from what little personality she's been given, is a bit on the mischievous side, so I think she could keep up with Rei's general chaotic nature at his worst times. They both loved Elena.

I don't think it would be easy for either of them, and I think they would probably fight a lot, but I think they could make it work, if they both wanted to.

*****

That being said, even the "best" het options only get at most a 7/10 from me because the actual best option for Rei is Akai. I don't make the rules.

[race-week]

AMuS Testing Analysis - Summarised

Red Bull

Still looking very strong, very consistent car.

Showed very little issues with tyre wear and degradation

Mercedes

Drivers can trust the car more now

Still lacking on speed and downforce

Ferrari

Improved on their tyre degradation issues

Car is much easier to drive and is more controlled

McLaren

Lost time due to technical issues

Car has made a step forward in terms of handling

Still some areas to improve like slow speed

Aston Martin

Iffy start to the test

Long run pace looks good

Alpine

Car doesn’t look great, it looks heavy and inefficient aerodynamically

They are planning on fixing it throughout the season

Williams

Points are the goal

The car is more of an all–rounder so it should be less sensitive

VCARB

Aiming for points finishes

The car looks to have good handling

Sauber

There are positives about the car but they are yet to fully understand it

Haas

They believe that they understand the root of their tyre issues and have solved them

[kaynanarie]

JourneyTober! Day 21 - Bull (Metal)

            The tree limb creaked and swayed under Monkey’s careful movements. Far below, the forest floor loomed, littered with fallen leaves and inky feathers. He watched the shadowy forms of crows swoop between trees and disappear into the hidden sky. Cautious caws echoed through the canopy; an interloper sensed in their domain.

            Monkey peered from his hiding spot, keen eyes scanning the gigantic nest just under him until…there! A glint of metal caught the dim light, flashing in the gloom. He swung down, leaping from one branch to another until he was close enough to see clearly.

            The nest was huge, taking up the entire top part of a towering pine. It was much too big for any of the ordinary birds Monkey had seen flying about; whatever creature called it home had to be equally enormous.

            And was thankfully absent for the time being.

            Slow and careful, he eased his way onto the woven branches, all senses on high alert. Sticks, feathers, and an assortment of hoarded treasures decorated the lair, but Monkey had already spotted his prize. He crept along the edge of the nest, keeping low and quiet as the flapping of wings continued around him. Finally, he was close enough to crouch down and brush away the debris.

            Nestled into the twiggy wall was a silver amulet, bright and shining even in the dark. An elegant sigil was emblazed on the metal and a woven chain trailed after it when Monkey shimmied it free. He smiled and nodded to himself, a triumphant glee warming his chest as he tucked the medallion into his robes.

            An explosion of noise startled him. Raspy cries echoed through the trees and a whirlwind kicked up in the flock’s sudden exodus. Monkey ducked down, watching the mass of crows take to the sky, leaving an ominous stillness in their wake.

            A thunderous whoosh was his only warning before something gigantic landed, shaking the nest under him. It had returned, a demonic titan of a crow, easily twice as tall as Monkey and three times as wide with its flapping wings. The red, beady eyes glared down at him, sending a shudder down his spine, bristling his fur and thrashing his tail. An outraged screech pierced his ears as the bird charged, razor talons reaching for him.

            In the split second he had, Monkey hurled himself over the edge of the nest and tumbled down. Reaching out blindly, his fingers snagged a branch, yanking his fall painfully short. He managed to scramble onto the tree limb, double checking the amulet was still safely tucked away. The relief was short lived as the crow dove after him, its hoarse voice grating and wrathful.

            Monkey dodged just under the swiping claws, swinging and leaping from tree to tree as the demon bird shredded its way through the forest, determined to steal its stolen treasure back.

…

            “Were you successful?” the Zen Master asked as Monkey stumbled in. Leaves, feathers, and broken twigs clung to his rumpled fur. He managed a nod, holding out the amulet with a shaky, weary hand. The various scrapes and bruises left him achy and exhausted; it took every stubborn fiber of his being to stay standing.

            “And my crow was unharmed?” Monkey frowned but nodded again. It had taken ages but he had slipped away from the bird, hiding himself in a hollowed tree trunk until the creature gave up its destructive search.

            “Good, you’ve exhibited restraint and self-control in the face of an enemy. For that, I uphold my end of our agreement.”

            Flicking his horsetail whisk over the amulet, the metal began to glow and grow warm in Monkey’s hand. Slowly, the light faded, leaving only an energized hum within its form.

            “There, I have activated the spell. It should serve your companion without issue. But be warned,” The Zen Master said, gesturing with his whisk. “This is only a temporary solution. The energy will fade and the amulet will become nothing more than a trinket. Use the time I have given you to seek out the Armored Scholar. His knowledge of both written and spoken word is vast. If there is a permanent spell to aid your companion, he will be the one to know.”

            Monkey nodded in understand and gave a thankful bow before turning to leave. He tucked the amulet back into his robes and hobbled away, eager for a quiet place to rest and recuperate away from feathered fiends.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Another replacement prompt, bringing back the amulet for metal. No Jen in this one but the amulet has to be for somebody. I thought about doing an entire chase scene but that will have to wait for the full story. Thanks to everyone for reading, all your kind comments mean the world to me!)

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

Journeytober Master List

[lightdancingwords]

Crossroads of the Heart - Part Twenty-Six of ?

Pairings: CJ Braxton x Y/N Female reader

Series Summary: Y/N is a psychology major assigned to shadow CJ at The Stand, unaware he's the one who basically saved her life four years before. CJ is unaware that she's the one who left a notable impact on him over the phone four years ago. As they navigate the work at The Stand, they develop a spark that demands revelation and connection.

Word Count: 4,282

Tags/Warnings: Fluff, fluff, and more fluff!

A/N: Comments, Likes, Reblogs, Kind feedback are always highly appreciated. Please let me know if you want to be added to the tag list!

Dividers: credit to @saradika-graphics

Chapter Twenty-Six: Outdated Customs, Lingering Weight

A few days later, The Stand was its usual controlled chaos—calls coming in steadily, volunteers at their stations, and the low hum of keyboards, papers, and muted voices filling the air.

CJ was in his office, halfway through drafting a grant renewal request, when the door burst open without warning.

“CJ!” Gabby practically shouted, face lit with wild glee. “Mail just came—I think one of the packages is the ring!”

CJ jolted so hard he nearly knocked over his coffee mug. “Gabby!” he hissed.

He was out of his chair in a second, crossing the room in a few long strides. With one quick motion, he slammed the door shut behind her and spun around, jaw clenched. “Keep your voice down!”

Gabby blinked, then broke into a sly grin. “Wow, I’ve never seen you look like that before. You’re practically pale.”

CJ ran a hand down his face, glaring—but more panicked than angry. “You can’t go shouting that all over the building.”

Gabby dropped her voice to an exaggerated whisper. “But it’s here, isn’t it?” She leaned in, eyes glinting with mischief. “You’ve been checking your email every five minutes waiting for tracking updates. I know your tells.”

CJ exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You are dangerously observant.”

“Thank you.” She beamed. “So? Are you gonna open it? Is it the one?”

CJ peeked through the blinds of his office window like he was afraid Y/N would materialize out of thin air. “Did she see the mail?”

Gabby snorted. “No, Romeo. She’s on a call. I made sure.” She paused. “Also, pretty sure she thinks I’m just excited over a skincare delivery.”

CJ shook his head, muttering, “You’re lucky I trust you.”

Gabby gave him an innocent look. “Please. You love me.”

CJ cracked a small, begrudging smile, but it was clear he was still rattled. “Where’s the package?”

“In the break room. I stashed it under the counter behind the cereal boxes.”

He gave her a flat look. “Of course you did.”

She shrugged. “What? No one ever eats that weird gluten-free granola. It’s basically a safe.”

CJ pressed a hand to his chest, steadying himself with a breath. “Okay. After lunch, when things quiet down, I’ll go get it. Just—please, Gabby, discretion.”

She raised two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

“You weren’t a scout.”

“No,” she said cheerfully. “But I would’ve crushed it.”

CJ ran both hands through his hair, laughing quietly despite himself. “God help me.”

Gabby winked. “Too late for that. You’re in love.”

And with that, she slipped out of the office, leaving CJ standing there, heart thudding with anticipation.

The ring was here.

And now… everything was about to get very real.

Just as CJ finally began to gather his composure, the door creaked open again—this time much quieter.

Priya stepped in with calm precision and shut it gently behind her. She didn’t speak at first, just gave him one of those looks—the kind that sliced straight through his exterior without needing words.

“You okay?” she asked, her voice quiet but direct.

CJ let out a sharp breath and shook his head. “No. No, I’m not.”

Priya raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess. Gabby?”

CJ rubbed a hand down his face, exasperated. “She just came in here like a wrecking ball. Announced to the entire office, practically, that the ring might’ve arrived.”

Priya’s lips twitched with restrained amusement. “I see. And did it?”

CJ hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. According to her, it’s hidden behind some cereal boxes in the break room.”

Priya blinked. “That tracks.”

CJ groaned, pacing a slow line in front of his desk. “I’ve been planning this in my head for weeks—slow, quiet, controlled. I didn’t expect the package to make it feel so… real.”

Priya leaned against the filing cabinet, arms folded loosely. “So it’s not just the noise that got to you.”

“No,” CJ admitted. “It’s that… it’s here. The ring. It’s not theoretical anymore. I’m actually going to ask her.”

His voice dropped, softer now. “And I want to. God, I want to. But that moment—it’s going to change everything. I’m just trying to breathe through it.”

Priya nodded, thoughtful. “You’re feeling the weight of what it means. That’s not panic, CJ. That’s love.”

He stopped pacing, glancing over at her. “It’s terrifying.”

She smiled faintly. “Of course it is. Because it’s big. But you already know she loves you. And when you ask her—whenever you decide—it’s not going to change that.”

CJ exhaled, slowly this time. “I know. I just… needed a second.”

“Take all the seconds you need,” Priya said, pushing off the cabinet. “But don’t let fear keep you from doing what your heart’s already decided.”

CJ looked down, a quiet smile forming despite the tightness in his chest. “Thanks.”

Priya smirked. “Just maybe keep Gabby out of the next phase of the operation.”

CJ let out a soft laugh. “That might be impossible.”

And with that, the door clicked quietly behind her, leaving him alone again—this time with his pulse steadying and the truth even clearer.

He was ready.

Scared or not…

He was ready.

CJ sat down at his desk again, staring blankly at the half-finished grant document on his screen. The blinking cursor taunted him.

He tried to type. Really, he did.

But his mind was a thousand miles away, caught somewhere between the break room and the moment.

The ring was here. This was happening.

He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples and staring up at the ceiling like it might drop an instruction manual down into his lap.

There were logistics to consider. Not just the where, but the how.

The Stand was always moving. People were always coming and going, phones ringing, shift rotations clicking by like clockwork.

And he needed to steal a moment from that rhythm. A quiet space—undisturbed and intimate.

Somewhere inside the place that saved her. That saved him.

CJ exhaled slowly, mentally checking off the pieces.

He needed: — a room to himself, preferably the small meeting room near the back. — candles. Music. Ambience. Something soft, something hers. — an excuse to get Y/N there, something casual but meaningful enough to draw her in without suspicion.

Then there was the schedule.

He flipped through the duty calendar on his desk and frowned. The week was packed. Volunteers were tight. Everyone was stretched thin with spring reports and incoming evaluations.

He’d have to get creative.

Maybe he could trade off some of his responsibilities with Priya or Miles, shift a few things around discreetly, and find a pocket of time when Y/N wasn’t scheduled for phones. He’d make sure Gabby was in on it too—subtle backup, if she could manage it.

CJ leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the desk. His fingers drummed against the wood as the pieces began to click together.

It wouldn’t be perfect. It wouldn’t be flashy. But it would be real.

And more than anything, it would be theirs.

He glanced toward the hallway, the faint hum of The Stand continuing just outside his office. Somewhere out there, Y/N was probably finishing a call, jotting notes, not realizing that the love of her life was sitting here planning how to ask her the biggest question of their lives.

CJ smiled to himself, heart steadying.

He had a ring. He had the place.

Now all he needed… Was the moment.

CJ was mid-email—finally making some headway on the pile of reports—when the door to his office flew open with dramatic force.

Gabby.

Of course.

She stormed in like she was on a mission, her brows drawn, voice already halfway to a full-volume declaration.

“I need to ask you something about Y/N’s dad.”

CJ shot up in his chair like someone had lit a match beneath him. “Gabby!” he hissed, scrambling to shut the door behind her as she stood there, arms crossed, completely unbothered. “Do you ever enter quietly?”

Gabby blinked, feigning innocence. “What? It’s important.”

CJ checked the hallway through the blinds, his pulse ticking up. “And it’s something you shout across the building?”

She rolled her eyes. “Relax, no one heard me. Y/N’s in the kitchen.”

He stared at her, jaw tight. “Okay. Now—what the hell are you talking about?”

Gabby plopped into the chair across from his desk, eyes sharp with curiosity and the tiniest bit of challenge. “You got his blessing, right?”

CJ froze. “Whose blessing?”

Gabby tilted her head like it was obvious. “Her father’s. Henry.”

CJ blinked. “What?”

Gabby leaned forward. “I mean, you talked to him. You roasted him after the gala. You told him what he did to her. And then you had lunch with him. You’ve got this whole redemption subplot going on that you’re conveniently not telling anyone about.”

CJ narrowed his eyes. “How do you even know about any of that?”

“Priya,” she said, without hesitation. “And don’t try to get mad about it—someone had to tell me. I’ve been very involved in this proposal operation.”

He sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “I didn’t do any of that to get his blessing.”

Gabby raised an eyebrow. “But… you have it, right?”

CJ was quiet for a moment. “I never asked for it.”

Her expression flickered, and then, unexpectedly, softened. “But you do have it?”

CJ nodded slowly. “Yeah. After everything… I think I do.” He paused, then added, “But even if I didn’t… it wouldn’t change how I feel about her. Or what I want with her.”

Gabby leaned back, eyes narrowing in thought. “Okay. Good. That’s the answer I needed.”

CJ gave her a look. “You needed to barge in here like a hurricane for that?”

She grinned. “Yes. Obviously.” Then stood up, completely satisfied.

“Gabby,” he warned as she opened the door.

“I’ll keep the volume down,” she said with a wink. “Ish.”

And with that, she disappeared back into the hall, leaving CJ with his heart racing and one more fire narrowly avoided.

Blessing or not, he thought, turning back to his desk with a quiet breath— He was going to propose.

On his terms.

With his heart.

After Gabby left—and CJ was sure the door was shut tightly behind her—he sat back down in his chair and stared blankly at his screen, her words still echoing in his mind.

"You got his blessing, right?"

He exhaled slowly, leaning forward, elbows on the desk. Blessing. It felt… old-fashioned. Outdated. Not something he cared about. Not something Y/N would even want him to consider.

And yet—he couldn’t shake it.

He hadn’t asked.

Because truthfully, he hadn’t believed Henry Y/L/N deserved that kind of inclusion. Not after what he’d put Y/N through. Not after the call nearly five years ago that brought CJ to her in the first place—because of how broken she felt from her father’s neglect.

CJ clenched his jaw, fingers steepling in front of him.

No, Henry didn’t deserve the honor of being part of the moment. He hadn’t earned it.

But CJ wasn’t thinking about Henry’s entitlement. He was thinking about Y/N.

And the life they were building.

He’d confronted Henry once, laid bare the pain he’d caused. And the man had listened. Donated. Tried, in his quiet, distant way, to make amends.

CJ didn’t owe him anything.

But maybe… maybe a conversation.

Not to ask for permission.

But to make something clear.

That he was going to love Y/N for the rest of his life.

That she would always come first.

And maybe, in some way, to give the man one last chance to be decent.

CJ stared at the screen for a long time. His cursor hovered over the email icon. He debated. Considered deleting the thought altogether.

Then he clicked.

To: henry.yln@email.com Subject: Request for a conversation Henry, I’d like to speak with you, man-to-man. Not about the past—we’ve already said what needed to be said. This is about Y/N. About her future. If you're willing, let me know when you’re available to talk. — CJ

He sat back in his chair, the message sent.

Not out of obligation.

Not out of tradition.

But because he wanted to own this step. Every part of it.

For her.

Always for her.

CJ didn’t get much work done after sending the email.

Not because of nerves. Not because he doubted himself.

But because his thoughts kept circling her.

Y/N.

If this relationship was going to be built on honesty—and it already was—then he owed her transparency. Not about the proposal, not yet. But about this.

About Henry.

It wasn’t something he could keep from her. She’d been through enough with her father. If CJ suddenly reached out behind her back and she found out later, it could stir up more pain than healing.

And CJ didn’t want her to feel blindsided. Not ever again.

So when the shift change neared and the evening crowd began rotating in, CJ stood from his desk and quietly walked toward her spot at the call desk. She was finishing up her last notes from the day, headset already off, fingers relaxed but still busy.

She glanced up, smiled at him, and tilted her head. “Hey, you.”

He returned the smile, soft and sincere. “Hey. You got a minute before we head out?”

Y/N nodded, closing her notepad. “Yeah, what’s up?”

CJ offered his hand, and she took it instinctively. He led her to the small, quiet break room just as a couple of volunteers stepped out for the evening. Alone now, he turned to face her.

She picked up on the change in his demeanor immediately. “What is it?”

He rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. “Nothing bad. I just wanted to be honest with you about something before I actually do it.”

Y/N’s brow furrowed. “Okay…”

CJ met her gaze, steady and calm. “I reached out to your father. Sent him an email a little while ago. Asked to talk to him.”

She stilled. Not angry. Just… quiet.

CJ stepped closer. “I’m not asking him for permission. And I’m not giving him a say in us. But I thought… maybe a conversation, man-to-man, would matter. Not for his sake—for you. Because you deserve someone who owns every part of this.”

Y/N studied him for a long moment, her fingers tightening slightly around the strap of her bag.

“You’re not doing it to give him anything,” she said softly. “You’re doing it so there’s nothing left unsaid.”

CJ nodded. “Exactly.”

She looked down, then back up again. Her voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you. For telling me.”

CJ reached out, cupping her cheek. “Always.”

Y/N leaned into his touch, then quietly rested her forehead against his.

She didn’t say more. She didn’t need to.

And CJ knew—he had made the right call.

Together, they’d face whatever came next.

CJ felt the tension leave Y/N’s shoulders as she leaned into him, her forehead resting against his. The moment was quiet, meaningful—one of those simple exchanges that said everything without needing the words.

But then… she stilled.

Pulled back just slightly.

Her brows furrowed, eyes searching his. “Wait,” she said softly. “You said you’re not asking him for permission.”

CJ blinked.

His heart skipped.

Shit.

Y/N tilted her head, catching the flicker of panic that flashed behind his green eyes. “Permission… for what?”

CJ opened his mouth, then closed it again.

She watched him closely, not accusing, not angry—but very aware something had slipped.

He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. “Okay. That’s… that’s on me.”

Y/N waited.

“I can’t tell you everything right now,” CJ said carefully, “but I promise—there’s a reason. And it’s not bad. It’s actually… good. The best kind of good. But I just—I’m asking you to trust me a little longer.”

She didn’t answer right away.

Her eyes searched his, quietly processing—not just the words, but his tone, the emotion behind them.

And then she nodded.

“You’re trying,” she murmured. “You’re still learning. But you want to get it right.”

CJ swallowed hard, nodding. “I do. More than anything.”

Y/N took his hand, gently wrapping her fingers around his. “Then when the time comes… will you tell me everything?”

He looked her in the eyes, solid and certain. “Yes. I swear I will.”

She smiled then—soft, understanding, but still a little curious. “Okay. I trust you.”

CJ lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, holding her gaze.

Not yet.

But soon.

And when the time came— He’d make sure it was a moment she’d never forget.

Y/N gave his hand one last squeeze, then stepped back with a small smile. “I should grab my things. I’ll meet you up front?”

CJ nodded, his voice low. “Yeah. I’ll be right there.”

She leaned up and gave him a soft kiss—brief, but tender—before turning down the hallway, her footsteps fading as she disappeared around the corner.

CJ let out a breath the moment she was out of sight. Not from relief—just the weight of the moment catching up with him.

He’d almost blown it.

Almost.

But she trusted him.

That meant everything.

Then his eyes widened a little.

The ring.

He hadn’t brought it to his office yet. It was still tucked away in the ridiculous hiding spot Gabby had created—behind a box of untouched gluten-free granola in the break room.

With a glance toward the hallway to make sure Y/N was still out of sight, CJ moved fast, slipping into the break room and crouching behind the cupboard.

He reached past the cereal, past the back row of snack bars, and found the small brown package exactly where Gabby had wedged it.

He pulled it free carefully, heart suddenly racing.

He stood, holding the box in both hands, like it was fragile. Sacred.

For a beat, he just stared at it.

Then, slowly, CJ peeled back the tape, opened the box, and folded aside the layers of protective packaging.

There it was.

The ring.

Slender white gold band, elegant and subtle, with the snowflake motif delicately cradling a brilliant diamond at its center.

It sparkled even under the dim lighting of the break room, catching the light like it belonged in a story.

CJ held it between his fingers, his breath caught somewhere in his chest.

It was beautiful.

It was her.

And soon… it would be hers.

He closed the box carefully, tucking it back into the protective wrapping and slipping it into the inner pocket of his jacket.

This was happening.

He just needed the right moment.

And when it came—

He’d be ready.

CJ slipped quietly into his office, shutting the door behind him. His hand instinctively went to the inner pocket of his jacket where the ring rested, the weight of it now familiar—real.

He walked to his desk, opened the bottom drawer, and carefully tucked the ring box inside the locked compartment. With a soft click, he secured it and exhaled.

One step closer.

He ran a hand through his hair, rolled his shoulders, and turned to power down his computer—only to pause as his inbox blinked with a new message.

From: Henry Y/L/N Subject: Lunch

CJ stared at the name for a long moment before clicking it open.

CJ, I appreciate your email. I’d be willing to meet—lunch tomorrow, if your schedule allows. Let’s talk. —Henry

CJ sat back slowly in his chair.

It was happening.

A meeting he wasn’t sure he ever wanted, now staring him in the face.

He didn’t need Henry’s blessing. That much hadn’t changed.

But maybe this lunch… maybe it could bring something closer to understanding. Closure, even.

Not for Henry.

For Y/N.

And for the life CJ wanted to build with her.

He clicked Reply and typed,

Lunch works. Let me know the time and place.

Then hit send.

As the message whooshed away, CJ leaned back in his chair, eyes on the locked drawer.

Tomorrow was going to matter.

A different kind of step. A different kind of vow.

And he was ready.

The night unfolded gently.

Dinner had been quiet and familiar—leftovers warmed and shared in the easy rhythm they’d built together. Afterward, they curled up on the couch, a movie playing softly in the background, half-watched and mostly forgotten in favor of each other’s company.

Y/N was leaned into CJ’s side, fingers lazily tracing circles along his arm, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder.

CJ couldn’t stop looking at her.

He felt it swelling again—this tenderness that never really left, just shifted and deepened with time. It filled his chest until he couldn’t hold still anymore.

He shifted beneath her, and before she could question it, he wrapped his arms around her and—grinning—scooped her right up into his arms.

Y/N let out a surprised laugh, her hands flying to his shoulders. “CJ! What—what are you doing?”

He was already carrying her down the hallway, cradling her like she weighed nothing. “What does it look like?”

“You’re being ridiculous,” she teased, but her eyes sparkled with affection. “Seriously, what’s gotten into you?”

CJ paused just outside their bedroom door and looked down at her. His voice was soft, but sure. “You. It’s you. It’s always been you.”

Y/N blinked. Her smile faltered—only because something warmer took its place. That quiet, vulnerable kind of love that stirred in her chest and made her breath catch.

He nudged open the bedroom door and brought her inside, setting her gently on the bed like she was something fragile and precious.

And then he just looked at her.

Not rushed. Not urgent.

Just full.

Of everything he felt for her.

Y/N sat up slowly, her hands reaching for him as he settled onto the bed with her. “You’re going to ruin me, you know that?” she whispered.

CJ smiled, brushing her hair back with his fingers. “That’s not the plan.”

“Then what is?” she asked, voice barely above a breath.

He leaned in, his lips brushing hers. “To love you. Every way I can.”

What followed was slow, unhurried—more about emotion than movement, more about whispers than urgency.

Clothes slipped away piece by piece, kissed off with reverence. Fingers intertwined.

Their bodies met like they had a thousand times before, and yet, it felt new—weighted with meaning neither of them put into words.

CJ held her close, pressed kisses along her collarbone, her shoulder, her temple. Y/N clung to him, soft sighs mingling with his breath, their rhythm finding something deeper than instinct—something grounded in knowing.

When they finally stilled, wrapped around each other in the quiet afterward, CJ buried his face in the curve of her neck, his voice warm and hushed.

“I love you.”

Y/N turned her head, lips brushing his temple. “I love you too.”

And in the soft hush of their shared world, nothing else existed but that truth.

The morning at The Stand began like any other—phones ringing softly, staff settling in, the air humming with quiet purpose.

CJ walked in alongside Y/N, their hands brushing, exchanging soft smiles from a night that still lingered warmly between them. Once inside, she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and peeled off toward the call floor.

CJ, however, made a beeline down the hallway. On the way to his office, he caught sight of Priya heading toward the copy room with a folder in hand.

“Hey,” he called.

She paused, eyebrows lifting at his tone.

“Come with me.”

Priya followed, curious, as CJ opened his office door and gestured for her to enter first. She did—and paused mid-step when he turned, closed the door, and quietly locked it.

She slowly turned to face him, one brow raised. “CJ… what did you do?”

He looked at her, deadpan. “Gabby.”

Priya’s face shifted immediately with understanding. “Ah. Say no more.”

CJ reached for the locked drawer in his desk, pulling out a small, sleek box and opening it.

Priya’s mouth parted slightly, eyes softening as she stepped closer to get a better look.

The snowflake motif glimmered delicately in the morning light. Understated. Elegant. Y/N.

“Wow,” Priya murmured. “That’s… stunning.”

CJ’s voice was low, steady, but full of weight. “I want to ask her soon. Just trying to figure out the exact timing. And how not to have Gabby derail it with confetti and champagne at ten in the morning.”

Priya gave him a dry look. “If she gets wind of it before it happens, you better believe she’ll be planning a flash mob by lunchtime.”

CJ chuckled, but the moment quickly sobered again. He closed the box and returned it to the drawer, locking it once more.

“I also… reached out to Y/N’s father.”

Priya stilled. “You what?”

CJ nodded slowly, his jaw tight. “I emailed him. Not for permission. But… for a conversation. Something man-to-man. Out of respect for Y/N. I told her I was doing it. Just didn’t say why.”

Priya’s expression shifted from surprise to quiet thoughtfulness. “That’s… complicated.”

“Yeah.”

“When’s the meeting?”

“Today. Lunch.”

Priya studied him for a long moment, then nodded once. “You sure you want to do this?”

CJ exhaled. “No. But I need to. For her.”

And that was the only reason that mattered.

Priya gave a small smile. “Well… go easy on the guy. But not too easy.”

CJ smirked. “No promises.”

And somewhere deep in his chest, the moment began to feel very, very real.

Tag List: @kmc1989, @ozwriterchick, @star-yawnznn, @hobby27, @hellsbratonthet

Want to be a part of this tag list or others? Message me here! And check out the other story I’m writing!

[ilikekidsshows]

I saw many people comparing miraculous with shugo chara, including one of my friends, so I decided to see how much similarity these two series have by reading the comics (since the anime has many episodes).

the first is the protagonist Amu and Marinette, they have magical items that can transform them into magical girls (miraculous and humpty lock)

Amu and Marinette also have a crush on their classmate who has the impression of a prince (Adrien and Tadase). besides that later these two girls are also the ones who give their friends the ability to transform (Marinette shares miraculous and humpty lock gives its power so that everyone who has shugo chara to be able to do chara transformation).

then the cat boy of the series, Adrien and Ikuto. they have a very strong bond with the main villain, which they are the children of the villain himself (step son for Ikuto) you could say they are the "connector" and key characters in their respective series because of their connection with the villain.

like ladybug and black cat miraculous which are a pair, Ikuto also has a pair for the humpty lock that Amu has called the dumpty key.

like miraculous ladybug, humpty key also has the ability to purify negative energy.

villains target magical artifacts (miraculous and humpty-dumpty key/lock) to ask for a wish.

the similarities between the two series are even greater because the protagonist ends up with the cat boys (at first Amu didn't like Ikuto because he was an antagonist, but over time Amu realized that Ikuto was only used by his stepfather).

the striking difference between the two series is, although Ikuto's role here is quite flip flop between antagonist-anti hero, and in the climax Ikuto who was brainwashed was forced to fight against Amu, the power of love is win. Amu managed to free Ikuto from the brainwash and finally they both fought together at the end. Ikuto who was also finally able to solve his family problems was finally free from his stepfather's clutches. unlike Adrien who was not even given a chance in the final battle or even knew who the biggest villain who had terrorized Paris all this time was.

and that was the strangest thing about miraculous. theme song says "the power of love is so strong" but many times the power of love fails them, chat Blanc and ephemeral for example. Marinette's love for Adrien can't save Adrien at all like Amu's for Ikuto and Adrien doesn't even want to transform in fear that he'll destroyed everything, isn't that weird? for a show that emphasizes love and friendship, I can't see either of those things in miraculous at all. love and friendship fail Adrien, big time.

honestly after watching shugo chara, I feel very very disappointed with the ending of s5, because shugo chara gave what I've always expected from miraculous, for ladybug and cat noir to fight together in the final battle and also prove that the slogan "the power of love is so strong" and "you and me against the world" are true. I feel very disappointed, for years I spent time hoping for a happy ending for Adrien and Marinette, but it wasn't like this.

I will console myself by reading and maybe watching the whole season of shugo chara, at least the power of love save my traumatic cat boy there.

---

I used to think the SentiAdrien plot concluding with: "Gabriel will control Adrien with the ring and Marinette will free him and kick Gabriel's butt, with Adrien's help if we're lucky" was the worst way the SentiAdrien plot could go, since it would have made Adrien being a Sentimonster just a reason for other people to fight over him instead of the story focusing on him. Then the showrunners had to prove me wrong by going beyond the pale on how badly they cloud handle a story about a character who's been created to be controlled by others.

However, how Shugo Chara really differs from Miraculous is with its treatment of Ikuto's character in that his story is actually his story and revolves around his desire to break free from his abusive stepfather. His wish is to find freedom, and the Tuning Fork Tsukumo uses to control him isn't tied to him, but is a separate creation the villain makes for this purpose in an unquestionably evil act. And the main reason the Tuning Fork is a separate, evil artefact is because Ikuto is actually a real person and not a remote control robot with a kill switch.

Yeah, Shugo Chara is another one for the recommendation pile for people breaking up with Miraculous and its nonsense.

[aman2576]

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[lonestarflight]

"Mock-up of the adapter equipment section to be used on the Gemini-9 spaceflight. This section provides volume and attach points for several system modules, including Orbit Attitude Maneuver System, Environmental Control System primary oxygen supply, batteries, coolant, and electrical and electric components. This section will also hold the Astronaut Maneuvering Unit (AMU) backpack (center)."

Date: March 1966

NASA ID: S66-22686

[himshoo]

watched the first ep with non-fans and it was so embarrassing defending the more weirder parts of it. It ended with them were saying that haru’s ahoge was sentient and it controls the rest of the body like a parasite.

Anyway my personal opinion is that pacing is a bit too fast. Like I understood combining chap 2 and 3 but it felt too much having 3 whole chapters. Considering the 1st chapter I feel is more suitable for a single ep with some padding. Hopefully they slow down with the later chapters.

Honestly the only major positive for me is that there’s more background scenes with Satsuki. Also Hijita uniform in the op looks like Amu from Shugo Chara so im tempted to draw some art based on that.

[nugulover69]

*I’m Gonna Be a Star by Twice blaring at unlistenable volumes*

Zyuohger oc I drew back in April. Dearest Noma is charitably described as “the worst to ever do it” by his fellow zyuman. A pompous equine who claims to be the greatest singer in all of Zyuland, even if his tone deaf whinnying suggests otherwise. Fed up with other zyuman "not understanding his genius artistry", he fled to Earth in the hopes of achieving his musical dreams elsewhere. It hasn't exactly worked out; he's viewed as an annoying weirdo in a horse costume wherever he goes. But if there's one thing the oh-so talented Noma doesn't know, it's when to quit, much to the chagrin of his newfound teammates (or odd delight of Misao, who has taken to his forcibly-assigned-by-Noma role as "personal assistant/man slave" weirdly well. much to the extra chagrin of Tusk and Yamato)

(imagine there's a 7th Link Cube canonically for any of this to work)

Inspo and design notes under the cut

Shoutout to Kazuta from n.SSign for being the main inspiration behind this beast. I saw him with this award (pictured below) and thought "hah it kinda looks like a Link Cube" and my brain just went off from there. I don't control the whims they control me

"Noma" comes from the Noma horse breed, one of the few horse breeds native to Japan and the smallest! (don't tell him that)

He's pink and purple bc I say so. Also zyuman don't have to be regular animal colors, just look at Amu and her purple stripes

[isawthesainz]

Race Recap 10: Spain

Sunday 23rd June 2024

Build-Up:

On 10th June, Sergio Perez receives a 3-place grid penalty for Barcelona and Red Bull are fined €25,000 for continuing the race in Canada with a damaged rear wing to avoid bringing out the Safety Car

Also on 10th June, Visa CashApp RB are fined €10,000 due to Yuki Tsunoda’s late arrival at the National Anthem ceremony at the Canadian Grand Prix

On 13th June, AMuS reports that Carlos Sainz has been offered a 4 year contract at Williams with an exit clause at the end of 2026 in case Williams fails to achieve the targets set by James Vowles

On 20th June, Carlos Sainz says that he has not yet made a decision regarding who he will be racing for next year, but is planning to make a decision soon

On 22nd June, Logan Sargeant is given a 3 place grid penalty for impeding Lance Stroll during Qualifying, dropping him from P20 to P20

Race Highlights:

Lando Norris starts on pole for only the second time in his career, but suffers a slow start and is overtaken by Max Verstappen. Verstappen reports that Norris pushed him off the track, but race control decides no further investigation is required

George Russell makes a great start and manages to overtake his teammate Lewis Hamilton before going round the outside of both Verstappen and Norris into the first corner and takes the lead

Verstappen overtakes Russell on Lap 3

Magnussen receives a 5-second penalty for a false start

Russell and Verstappen pit, leaving Norris in P1. Verstappen rejoins the race in P4, but quickly moves up to P3

Norris pits late on Lap 23, rejoining in P6

After the second round of pit stops, Verstappen leads the race by 7 seconds with Norris chasing him down in P2 with 18 laps to go

Norris manages to close the gap to Verstappen to just 2.5 seconds, but ultimately could not catch him

Hamilton finishes in P3 for a record-breaking 198th podium

Race Results:

1st Place: Max Verstappen

2nd Place: Lando Norris

3rd Place: Lewis Hamilton