#and for simplicitys sake they decided to work in the same room

[creakysocks]

And they were labmates

[dracarialove]

📄 F it, I'm posting my finished fics here, too 📄

*Check the 'rouge's heart' tag if you haven't read previous chapters

[Chapter 6: Freedom]

The elegant bat romanticized the upcoming dinner date with Shadow in her head while she got dressed. She'd chosen something special, but not too formal – it was only the first date, after all. Her dress was black, transitioning to white as the bottom fanned out to hang around her calves.

Thin straps rested on her tan shoulders, and a white bow accented her back as it tied around her middle. She slipped black gloves up her arms, the simple white cuffs hugging the center of her biceps. Her legs were covered by dark pantyhose that disappeared underneath shiny black pumps.

For makeup, Rouge decided to keep it simple with her typical blue eyeshadow and a subtle layer of red lip gloss. She rejected the idea of wearing jewelry, deeming it too flashy as she glanced at the wall clock in her bedroom. Reading 7:42pm, she turned and left the room, her heels soon clicking down the stairs; she grabbed her handbag from the living room end table and headed out the front door.

As she locked it behind her, the bat's phone buzzed in her purse. Shadow's name lit up the screen while she walked to her car, the hedgehog asking if they were still on for the night. She replied, 'On my way now,' and hurried into the Corvette.

When she arrived at her favorite restaurant, Rouge chose a spot closer to the door, hoping that her date would recognize the car and park nearby. She gave herself one last look-over to make sure her curled locks were perfectly centered and her makeup was still clean. With no stray hairs and no gloss on her teeth, the dreamy-eyed woman climbed out and waited near the front door.

Only a few minutes passed before she spotted a black Viper with a single crimson stripe down the hood; she could faintly see Shadow through the windshield as he parked directly next to her vehicle. Her heart beat quickened, watching with a smile as he opened the door and stepped out.

Dark sunglasses first covered his ruby irises, but slid down his nose when he lowered his head to avoid the car roof. Peeking over the black plastic rims, his eyes instantly darted towards her. Rouge raised one hand to wave, and a smile began to show at the corners of his lips.

The hedgehog was dressed semi formally in a dark maroon button-down shirt, the top two buttons undone to let his chest hair show. Black and red spines glimmered faintly, the moisture of a fresh shower still drying from his hair.

The bat noticed the same gloves and skates he'd worn before, but had to give his simplicity credit – it worked well for the mysterious man. With the way his gaze was making her feel, he didn't need fancy dressings.

Shadow pulled his sunglasses back up to hide his eyes – Rouge wondered if it was his way of controlling the first-date nerves, considering the sun had vanished from the sky – and stopped in front of her. If he was nervous, he hid it well, his smooth voice rolling forth. "You look very nice."

"Thank you," she responded, lowering her eyelids a bit as she primped one of her curls with a gloved palm. "So do you. I like your style."

His smile widened slightly, the hedgehog then being thrown off a bit when her fingers slipped around his arm. He held his composure, leading the way into the restaurant, but hadn't expected her to show physical affection yet; unsure if he should hook his elbow in a gentlemanly gesture, Shadow's eyes subtly shifted to gauge Rouge's expression.

She didn't show any signs of expectation towards him, so he continued with his arm at his side and simply held the door open for her. They approached the podium where a dark red fox stood with the reservation book open.

He gave Rouge a smile, but when his lime green eyes switched to Shadow, the host's face dropped to a stony expression. The hedgehog noticed – and recognized the fox – but tried to ignore it for Rouge's sake.

He said, "Table for two: Shadow the Hedgehog."

The host looked down at the book, running his finger along the names; he went down to the bottom of the page, then flipped it and looked at the other side.

"Hmm... it seems you're not on the list, sir," he responded unapologetically.

Rouge looked at Shadow, confused, her date's eyes narrowing while he addressed the fox. "I booked a reservation yesterday."

The host put his hand on the book, leaning forward. "Regardless, I can't show you to a table if you're not on the list."

Shadow's eyebrows furrowed and his mouth raised in an unpleasant expression; he lowered his sunglasses and peered up at the fox. "It's clear you recognize me. You're the guy we had to ban from the coffee shop I work at."

The host's eyes shifted a bit as the hedgehog continued, "You were yelling over the price of our baked goods, I remember – tried to provoke me into a fight and the manager had to throw you out. Maybe I should speak with your superior and let them know what kind of person is representing their establishment."

Flipping the book's page back to its original position, the fox timorously looked down and pointed at Shadow's name printed with the rest of the reservations. He cleared his throat and stated, "Here it is – I must have simply missed it."

"Must have," Shadow replied, taking off his sunglasses and slipping them into his breast pocket.

The host led them to a solitary table sitting underneath a small black chandelier. Without a word, he handed them their menus and briskly left, Rouge impressed with Shadow's calmness during the uncomfortable encounter.

"I have to admire how you handled that," she spoke, eyeing him from over the menu. "Does it happen often?"

"No," replied the hedgehog, his gaze skimming over the food options. "I just think it's best to handle tough situations with a clear head."

"Right, too much anger can really get you in trouble."

Shadow looked up from the menu, then opened his mouth to shift the topic towards what'd happened the day before; but before he could speak, a waiter walked up to their table and asked for their orders. He decided on steak while Rouge requested stew with a side of fruit salad.

When the waiter walked away, the bat's date entwined his fingers and rested both hands on the table. He'd lost the nerve to ask about Knuckles, and so couldn't hold eye contact very well as he attempted to compliment her.

"You dress yourself well," came the awkward admiration, which garnered a flattered smile from Rouge.

"It's a talent. Being beautiful has its advantages when you're in my line of work."

"Hm." His thumbs bumped together a few times as he managed to look up at her. "I don't think I've ever had the time to think about my appearance – until tonight, that is."

"You should do it more," she commented, planting one elbow on the table and laying her cheek in her hand. "You have the looks already, and fashion isn't far behind that."

He didn't know how to take her compliment, simply letting a half-smile form once more. His heart was beating faster again, the hedgehog figuring that it would only get worse the longer he put off bringing up his run-in with the echidna. So, he raised one fist near his mouth and cleared his throat, then led into the crucial question.

"There's something I have to get out of the way before anything else," he started, watching her expression change into curiosity. "Do you know a red echidna?"

Rouge's face dropped instantly; her heart skipped a beat and she felt a ball of anxiety form in her stomach. Shadow didn't like the reaction. It told him that not only was the answer 'Yes,' but there was even more to it. He wondered if what Knuckles had said was true – about the bat being his woman – but waited for her to respond.

"Yes..." spilled from her glossy lips, her eyes turning downward as her arms folded insecurely. "He's... someone I used to date."

"Used to?" Shadow asked, relief creeping into his tense posture.

"Yeah... well, it's a little more than that. He's actually my ex-fiancé."

The hedgehog's eyes widened a bit, mulling over the information in his mind. 'Fiancé? No wonder he was so angry. What have I gotten myself into?'

Rouge looked back up at him, his silence making her nervous. "Did you... meet him?"

Shadow crossed his arms as well, leaning forward on the table. "'Met' would be an understatement. He came into the shop yesterday – he started shouting about you, told me to back off... then he tried to attack me."

The jewel hunter's expression turned to shock. "Tried? What happened?"

"I defended myself," he told her bluntly. "Unfortunately, that didn't mean much to my manager. He saw the security footage, and I guess that plus my tendency to be less than enthusiastic on the job was enough to justify firing me."

Rouge put a hand to her chest, her brows turning upward in concern. "Oh my god, Shadow – I'm so sorry."

He shook his head. "Don't be. It's the echidna who chose to attack me. I just needed to know that you weren't involved with him, because he claimed you were his girlfriend."

"Ugh," she scoffed, crinkling her nose. "What an unbelievable jerk! Rest assured, I am not his girlfriend. I had to dump him after he broke my heart!"

There was a pause, Shadow taken a bit aback at the passion in her words. "If you don't mind my asking... how long ago did you leave him?"

Another pause, Rouge's face softening again. "Less than a week. That's why he came around – he's still angry."

She shrugged, avoiding eye contact, and her date could see the pain in her expression. "It's his own fault..."

Shadow sighed, soaking in her emotions. "That's... not a lot of time to get over someone."

Her eyes ran up to his, and the bat could tell he was feeling down as well. She didn't know what to say – she wanted to reassure him that she didn't have love for Knuckles anymore, but that wasn't entirely true. The hurt she felt just thinking about the echidna was still there, still strong, but she desired so badly to forget about him and move on to something better.

He stayed quiet for the moment, soon spotting the waiter approaching with their meals and changing his expression to its neutral state. They thanked the employee and stared down at their plates as he left, the pair both hesitating to take a bite.

Then Shadow looked at her earnestly. "Rouge..."

She returned his gaze and was struck again by the intensity of a deeper emotion hiding behind his crimson irises.

"I enjoy your company, and I don't want you to think this will push me away; to be honest, I've never been able to have a decent conversation with anyone before. Whether or not you would end up wanting a relationship, I don't think it's a good idea to get ahead of ourselves. I'm still dealing with some of my own demons, so I know how much time it can take..."

It was the most she had heard him speak at once, the hedgehog's deep voice rumbling through her ears and every word seeping into her mind with meaningful purpose. When he trailed off, she nodded her head and spoke up to complete his thought.

"You're right. I should get over my ex before trying for something new." She gave him a little smile. "At least we can still hang out – as friends, until then?"

His eyes brightened a bit. "Yeah, I would like that."

Feeling more at ease, they were able to start eating and talked a bit about Rouge's dinner with Blaze and Silver. Shadow let off some steam about the more unpleasant aspects of his time at the coffee shop, accepting that there were ultimately better job prospects to seek out.

Towards the end of the dinner, they were both sharing lighthearted experiences and putting each other in better moods to close out the night on a positive note. Full from their respective meals, the two rejected the idea of ordering dessert and paid their bills before leaving.

Rouge instinctively wrapped her hand around Shadow's arm again, the hedgehog choosing not to pull away – although he wanted things to develop slowly, he couldn't deny her some form of affection, as the reserved man was already fond of her touch.

Reaching the gap between their vehicles, the bat's hand left him as they turned to each other. There was a thick air of hesitation between them, Rouge fighting the desire to kiss him and Shadow unsure of how to say goodbye. He took her gloved palms in his as the bat's teal eyes stared patiently below thick eyelashes.

"I had a good time," he finally said, giving her hands a squeeze. "Drive safe..."

She nodded, smiling in a way that made him want to kiss her, as well. "You, too. Don't be afraid to call if you're bored or lonely."

A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he lowered her hands, slowly pulling away. "Good night, Rouge."

"Good night," she responded, waving as she opened her driver's side door.

They both made sure that the other got out of the parking lot safely, then drove down different streets; Rouge heading home while Shadow left the city to wind up the nearby mountainous area. He parked near a cliff overlooking the bright lights of downtown and sat on the hood of his car, staring over the town and up at the sky. He stayed there for the night, getting lost in his thoughts and falling asleep to the sound of crickets singing nearby.

[ablizmal]

I JUST CAME UP WITH THIS THING ABOUT LAWLIZ, and i CAN’T believe i didn’t come up with it before 🫢

it’s dangerous for anyone to get close to L, right? because he’s the world greatest detective, so an endless list of people want to put an end to his life.

watari knows how to protect himself, of course. despite being old, he is not frail. did you see that old fuck snipe like a pro from a helicopter? as much as i hate him, i can’t deny his skills 😔

ANYWAYS, L never had much to think about in regards to safety since watari can defend himself, they have several backup plans depending on the case they’re working on, and L’s already worked out his own safety measures.

but then L meets juliette.

and then L gets attached to juliette.

and then L starts to study juliette in regards to their love for him, and by extension, their mind and how it works. it’s very vulnerable of her to do when he thinks about it.

but juliette is a normal person. sure, she can learn self defense, but she’s not a criminal, they can’t garner what she should do in scenario xyz.

so L, for simplicity’s sake, decides to not let juliette out of his sight.

she’s always in the same vicinity as him. this works for juliette, since she’s a bit clingy by nature. if they want to go to the store or go out to eat, L comes with her, and if he can’t, then watari accompanies them. (notably, juliette doesn’t like to go with watari beyond just dropping by to get take out or something small at the store. she even goes as far as to not go at ALL if L informs her that she’ll have to go with watari 🫢👀👀)

and if they’re both inside, but she’s in another room?? L has the surveillance cameras of their room on speed dial. they’ve consented to the surveillance. in fact, she quite likes it. it makes juliette feel.. special. when L watches them, whenever L watches them, they feel so safe, and it’s not because L’s protecting her from potential danger.

L keeps thinking to himself that he’s only doing this for their safety, that’s all this is. he doesn’t derive any joy from watching them when the kira case gets slow, no, no, that’s simply relief. (right? this is what relief feels like?) relief to L, he supposes nowadays, feels like the world softens all at once. everything falls silent, and all he can focus on is juliette…

and the fact that she’s safe, of course!

…hm…how odd. blushing can come with the feeling of relief… (LMAO, SUUUUUUUURE that’s relief, L, suuuuure it is ahskahdjsjdksjs)

[madd-nix]

I'm fully blaming my sister @soulguana for planting this seed in my brain yesterday. But consider: Ingo x Johanna (protag's mom in Diamond/Pearl)

My basic thought process for this is long, so below the cut it goes!

We'll say Dawn is the protag here for the sake of simplicity. When Dawn finishes her quest and finds all Pokemon in Hisui, she goes to Arceus and asks them to send her home. But! She asks if she can bring Ingo with her since she's certain that they're from the same time period. Arceus agrees and after saying goodbye to everyone, she and Ingo leave to return home.

They get to modern day Sinnoh and of course Dawn has a very sweet reunion with her mom. Tears, hugging, it's very emotional. Once they're calmed down, Dawn points out that Ingo still doesn't have his memories back and asks if he can stay with them for a little while until he can figure out where he needs to go. Johanna, being the kind and welcoming woman she is, agrees and even though she doesn't have a guest room, Ingo can have the futon/couch in the living room.

Ingo's stay with them goes on for a few days, then a week, then two weeks, and so on. He talks with Johanna and she helps repair his coat and hat, and offers as much help as she can while he slowly gets his memories back. They slowly start to fall for each other, but Ingo is too nervous and polite to say anything since this is Dawn's mom after all, and Johanna doesn't want to potentially make things weird between Ingo and Dawn. However, they both eventually end up talking about their feelings late one night, and they agree to talk with Dawn the next morning. Dawn is a little surprised, but she's overall very happy to see her mom happy, and she's always really liked Ingo and saw him as family anyway. So it all works out.

They go on like this for a few months as Ingo continues to get his memories back. Since he's not actively searching out clues to his memories, they come back fairly slow. But once he remembers Emmet, a lot comes flooding back to him and he realizes he has to get to Unova. He's at first worried for a second about how this could affect his and Johanna's relationship, but Johanna insists he go to Unova. She won't keep him from his brother. So, Ingo, Johanna, and Dawn take a flight as soon as possible over to Unova to get to Emmet.

Once there, Ingo decides to head to the subway first. Johanna and Dawn agree to give him some time alone with his brother, so they go sightseeing. Ingo makes his way to the subway and realizes that Emmet is on the Doubles line. He challenges the Doubles line and hides part of his face somehow (scarf? hat? high collar? idk) since he's not yet ready to make his reappearance known to everyone there just yet. Emmet is more important.

He quickly makes his way through the Battle Subway until he reaches Emmet. Cue brotherly reunion with tears and hugs and apologies and reassurances. Ingo explains what happened as best he can and Emmet listens and tries not to ask too many questions even though it's all verrry confusing. By the end of his explanation, Ingo then comes to the part where he has been living in Sinnoh for the past few months while his memories slowly returned. He then awkwardly explains that he now has a girlfriend. Emmet is at first verrry shocked about this, but then he adds that he's dating Piers from Galar (cuz this is my story, shut up, I'll ship Emmet and Piers all I want). Anyway, both brothers are very happy for each other and Emmet calls off for the rest of the day as they track down Johanna and Dawn so that Ingo can introduce them to Emmet.

Also, at some point when Johanna and Dawn are not around, Emmet teasingly says, "So my brother likes milfs, huh?" Much to Ingo's embarrassment.

But anyway, I just think this is a cute ship cuz it's Ingo getting to love this wonderfully supportive and kind woman, and Johanna gets this very caring and polite man, and Dawn gets to have Ingo as her stepdad! Johanna learns to love again after whatever happened to Dawn's father (died, or he left, or who knows?) and Ingo gets this wonderful family and it's just all sorts of fluff. Also Emmet gets to make milf jokes.

[mostly-mundane-atla]

Okay, you guys were excited about this so here's how I would have written the Water Tribe characters as an Inupiaq

Note: this is entirely for fun and is based on my cultural experiences as well as my personal taste in media. There's no way I actually expect Nickelodean would let any of the darker content fly, nor am I trying to play script doctor or say any of this should have been canon. I have my own writings for that. I'm also not bothering to assign them Inupiaq names for the sake of simplicity and ease of communication.

Sokka

Sokka would be named after Bato's father who was killed in one of the Fire Nation raids. He would have dismissed the idea he was Bato's reincarnated dad whenever it was used to embarass him (usually courtesy of Katara calling him a grumpy old man) but go along with it when it was a positive thing like Bato calling him "little dad" or people saying he was brave like the one he was named after. He would probably use more Inupiat language than Katara, because he was less interested in works of fiction and poetry that were available from the rest of the world. He reads weather conditions, the process of learning that from his father was his first introduction to science, and respects the animals he hunts.

Katara

Named after her mother's uncle, who showed signs of waterbending skill but kept it hidden so he wouldn't be taken away. A bunch of her and Sokka's little cousins call her Grandpa and she later jokes to Aang they should have called him that because he's the one who's technically over 100 years old. More likely to explain cultural things than Sokka, who prefers to let them observe and figure it out, but knows more of the traditional stories. Even Sokka will admit she's a better storyteller than him. Eventually everyone who travels with them asks her for a story and she gives her best every time

Kanna

Still dumped Pakku for his suffocating ideas of a woman's place but also over some family drama he wouldn't let go of. Her grandchildren make a point that she has sworn to never drum, dance, or sing, and won't even be in the same room as it until the War ends

Bato, Kya, and Hakoda

Bato and Hakoda have labrets now. Hakoda is not just a prankster, but also a skilled dancer. Bato and Kya were both known for the beautul masks they made

Yue

I've already said she's the closest to perfect rep the series has, so all I'd add was scenes of her alone with Sokka's carving. She'd try to find ways to explain to him, holding the carving and talking to it as if it was him, that it wouldn't work out between them, as much as she'd want it too. Stuff like "You've had great adventures and that's exciting, but I don't want that for myself" and "You don't understand, I have a life here and I can't go galavanting off and leave it all behind" and ultimately deciding it would just hurt him more.

Arnook

We'd get to see more of his governing, specifically in the form of figuring out what to do with Fire Nation soldiers taken prisoner. When the Fire Nation says that a few foot soldiers aren't worth calling off the seige, Arnook gives them the choice to live among them and try to assimilate, or take their chances on the tundra. Terrified and abandoned in a strange, dangerous land, two of them agree to stay. The other one decides to take the banishment because he will not live under another nation's rule. Later, when Aang says they can't just leave Zuko behind, we see ravens picking at shreds of a Fire Nation soldier's uniform. This underlines the nature of Arnook's decision to give the soldiers options and shows that he hates senselessly throwing away people's lives.

Pakku

Still unwilling to teach Katara and firmly held to the belief that women shouldn't fight, but specifically as a result of his sister dying after defending against an animal that would have killed her and an unconscious friend. Some bitter part of him thinks the (male) friend should have died instead, even though said friend was Kanna's favorite cousin. Less smug and convinced he's always in the right, more sad and prone to anger, still as unpleasant to be around.

Hahn

His mother was a shaman, or something close to it, with a special connection to the spirit world, who asked the moon to breathe life into Yue. The youngest of three brothers, Hahn was the only one not to go missing on a hunt. Rather than believe they're dead like everyone else, he insists that he will find them someday. He's happened upon various animal spirits before and can painlessly finish off large game with his bare hands. Knowing the spirits are on his side as well as the attention his skills as a hunter have gotten him have made him arrogant. He has the dream of Yue sacrificing herself instead of Arnook, but he mistakes it for Yue sacrificing herself for Sokka, starting the animosity between them.

Hama

Taken from the Southern Water Tribe but after being kept prisoner, a man of minor Fire Nation nobility decides to keep her as a maid, mistreating her and eventually forcing her to marry him. They have a son, who ends up being the first person Hama bloodbends into the underground cave. She accuses the woman on a nearby property of bewitching her son and making him disappear, and the next full moon she bloodbends the unwanted husband into that cave. The people are convinced and the woman is driven away. More people disappear, regardless of class but nevertheless people around her. She plays up the grieving just enough that no one could ever suspect it's her. She's assumed to be cursed and lonely, and so when she leaves this house where her family was taken from her, people understand. When she weeps that the curse must have followed her after the first full moon she lived in that town, the people show her pity. A few suspect her, but they are shut down as being cold and heartless.

[doctorstethoscope]

The Whole Time || A. Hotchner x Fem!Reader

It’s @ssahotchswife ‘s soft hotch saturday again bitches. u know the drill. 

Summary: Aaron decides to make some happier memories in New York

Contains: fluff, alcohol consumption, law-breaking but not the kind anyone cares about, canon-typical descriptions of kidnapping, author taking creative liberties with the geography of New York City

word count: 1.7k

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding when you watch the child you’d saved from an attempted kidnapping rush into his mother’s waiting arms. The most recent case had brought the team to New York City, for a kidnapping that was ultimately linked to a trafficking ring. You’d recovered a dozen kids of all ages, but Charlotte, the child you’d been called on the case for originally, was finally with her parents again, and you could rest, and rest easy, knowing that you’d saved them.

Spencer and JJ were already taking apart the team’s whiteboard in the conference room. Aaron was off making a call, and you spotted Derek and Emily fussing with the coffee pot in the NYPD’s break room. You started clearing off the table, preparing for your swift exit, and hopefully a night at home with Aaron and Jack. 

“Jet leaves tomorrow at 8AM.” Aaron announces when he enters the conference room. 

“We’re not leaving this afternoon?” JJ asked. 

“We had to shut the airports down to stop the unsubs. LaGuardia is a mess trying to get all of today’s rescheduled flights out, and it seemed better to give you all a day in the city than to sit on the tarmac for eight hours. But if you want me to call them back--” 

“Ah, ah, I think what JJ meant to say is first round on her tonight.” Morgan corrected and the team let out a laugh.

“Well, I for one, am overdue for some self care in the form of a little blue box.” Emily said, already pulling up walking directions to Tiffany’s. 

“Oh, can we go to Saks, too!” JJ asked, peering over Emily’s shoulder. 

You crossed the room to slide beside Aaron. The team knew that you were together, but for professionalism’s sake, you tried to make sure any local teams you worked with couldn’t tell, which meant you had to be very careful about your PDA.

“So… a day in New York, huh?” You looked up at him, and he smiled at you. 

“I think I’m just gonna take some time and work on my report so it’s done when we get in tomorrow. You should go shopping with the girls.” He tells you, and you squint up at him.

“You okay?” You asked. 

“Yeah,” he assures you with a little nod and a quirk of his brow that doesn’t leave you feeling very assured at all. 

“I know New York isn’t your favorite place. You don’t have a lot of happy memories here,” you understated. 

“Well, today’s not all that bad.” He winks at you. “Go shop. Don’t think I didn’t notice that you used the money your parents sent you for your birthday on Jack.” He narrows his eyes at you. 

“It’s all the same money once it gets into the account, babe. I don’t feel deprived of anything. Don’t think I didn’t notice that you went way overboard with my presents this year.” You remind him with a smirk. 

“No such thing,” he said, taking a risk and pressing a quick kiss to the top of your head. The case was done now, anyways. “Have fun with the girls. I’ll be waiting for you when you get back. You’d better have more bags than you can carry.” 

“You’re ridiculous.” You rolled your eyes at him playfully as he gave you a gentle shove towards JJ and Emily. You took a couple steps over to where they were planning the rest of their afternoon. “Mind if I crash?” You asked. 

“We were planning on stealing you away from Hotch regardless of whether or not you asked, so this seems easier,” Emily tells you and you laugh. 

“I need coffee before we do anything. Real, not-police-station coffee.” JJ moans out, and you drag her out the door in the direction of the nearest Starbucks.

You’re headed back to the hotel after some shopping when Emily mentions a detour through Central Park. The air is warm, and contrary to Aaron’s orders, your bags aren’t all that heavy, so you’re happy to oblige her. You’re distracted, following JJ’s lead as you breathe in the smell of the flowers and appreciate the life of the city, the simplicity of all these people who have no clue about the international kidnapping scheme you and your team had taken down not even four hours ago. Emily and JJ come to a stop and you look between them. They gesture to a tree not far off from your path. Aaron’s underneath it, a blanket beneath him and a picnic basket on the ground beside him. He stands up and makes his way towards you.

“Did you two know about this?’ You ask, looking back and forth between Emily and JJ, betrayed but not at all angry. 

“He texted us and asked if we could covertly get you here, but other than that we knew nothing.” JJ assured you. You’re about to pressure Emily for more answers, but Aaron makes his way to you. 

“Hi angel,” He tells you, leaning in to kiss your cheek. 

“Hi.” You smile at him. “When did you have time to do all of this? You said you were working on your report.” 

He shrugged. “I lied. If you want to yell at me, I’ll allow it, but let’s not make Emily and JJ watch.” He teases.

You’d forgotten that they were even there. They both gave you hugs goodbye before taking off, and Aaron took your hand in his to lead you back to the blanket he’d set up on a slight hill, overlooking a bit of the park. 

“I figured it was time to make some happy memories in the city.” He tells you, beckoning you to sit. You do, scooting your way next to him so that your thighs were touching. He leans forward for the basket and procures a chilled bottle of white wine and a small package of red solo cups. 

“Aaron Hotchner, are you drinking in public?” You asked incredulously. 

“I figure the NYPD’ll give us a pass, just this once.” He says, uncorking the bottle and pouring modest glasses into two cups for you both.

You raised your glass to his. “To happier memories.” 

He connected his cup to your own but leaned in to kiss you before you could take a sip. “I love you,” he reminds you between kisses, and you smile. To anyone else in the park, especially from a distance, you two must have looked like crazy twenty-somethings freshly in love. Sometimes you felt like that, too. 

He pulls away from you, after a moment. “I love you.” You say, taking your free hand and wrapping it around Aaron’s arm, pulling him in and resting your head on his shoulder. 

He places a hand on your thigh and turns his head to leave a kiss on top of yours. “We don’t do this enough.” 

“No amount of time with you could ever be enough,” you concur. “But we get out as often as we can. We’re busy, Aaron, and we have a son.” 

His heart warmed when you referred to Jack as your own-- it wasn’t the first time you’d done it, not by a long shot, and he’d known even before you started calling him yours that you’d risk life and limb for him. So why hadn’t he asked you yet? Why hadn’t he pulled the ring out of his sock drawer and made it official?

“A son who I see you’ve spoiled, when I specifically told you to go shopping for yourself.” He teased you, changing the subject in his own brain and gesturing to the FAO Schwarz bag in your collection. 

“It’s just a couple comic books, Aaron. It’s reading material, it hardly counts as a gift.” You defended, knowing there was no need.

“Sure,” He chuckles at you, concealing his grin with a sip of wine. 

He pulls a small plate of cut fruit out of the basket, and you talk and eat and giggle and settle in to each other to watch the sunset. He’s leaning back against the tree, his legs spread so you can lean against his chest and sit between them, his arms wrapped around you from behind. The setting sun has allowed a slight chill to settle into the air, but the weight of his body wrapped around yours keeps you warm. 

“Aaron?” You ask, not daring to tear your eyes away from the cascading pinks and purples of the sky in front of you. 

“Hm?” He asks. 

“Do you think you’d want more?” You ask, internally cringing at your own vulnerability, hoping you hadn’t ruined an otherwise perfect evening.

“More wine?” He asked, unwrapping a hand from you to look for his cup. 

You let out a nervous little laugh. “No, hon. I, uh. I meant more kids. Sorry, didn’t mean to spring that on you, it was just on my mind. You don’t have to answer.” 

“Only if they’re yours,” he replies, and you’re confused. 

“Huh?” You ask. 

“I only want more kids if they’re yours.” He reiterates, craning to look at you a little. “Isn’t it obvious?” He asked. 

“Well, you know, it doesn’t hurt to hear, regardless.” You responded, a little breathless. You turned to face him. 

“Silly girl,” He smiled at you. “I only want you. I want you and our future together, and our babies, if we are to have any, and I want to keep making you smile for the rest of my life. And if I have that, I’ll be happy.” He states simply, as if it were the easiest thing in the world, as if he’d known it all along. He suspects that deep down, he has. 

“Sounds like a pretty good life you’ve dreamed up for yourself, there.” You smile at him, just happy to be included. 

“Yeah, I think so.” He agrees, giving you a squeeze. 

“You know, you’re gonna have to marry me before I let you knock me up,” you inform him with a laugh. 

“Working on it,” He tells you, and you roll your eyes. 

“Sure you are,” you counter, and he kisses your temple. 

“It’s coming when you least expect it. Like an action movie. You’d better watch out.” He whispers against you, and you laugh, the sound vibrating through your chest and warming him from the inside out. 

“You’re missing the sunset, silly boy.” You reminded him. 

He’d been looking at you the whole time, anyways. 

[wlw-lovestruck-fiction]

Hey vobali, I love your QoT fic with Stella. Might I request for continuation fic where Stella meets the rest of the Poppy. MC convince everyone to let her to stay with them. Stella ended up growing on the Poppy that they decide to teach her and also very protective of her.

Part 1

Written by @vobali

"Wait! Waaaiiit! I want to come with you!"

I freeze. She... what? A look to Vivienne tells me she's at a loss for words as well. We've had this discussion before - whether we'd want kids or not - and we ended up with wanting none. But I just can't destroy the hope in Yvonne's eyes. Vivienne, as always, senses that I have trouble to form a response and jumps in.

"I doubt that it's safe for you to come with us."

"Pleeeeaaaase.... I'll... I'll be good! I've been alone for as long as I remember and I don't want to be alone..."

She lets go off me and pulls my wife's hips into a tight hug.

"I... I want to learn! Please..."

Viv goes stiff. I know how she responds to touch, so I prepare myself to intervene. But surprisingly it turns out to be unnecessary because she relaxes a little and puts a gentle hand onto the girl's head.

"Listen... Besides the danger you would get into we can't decide alone. We are a group of seven."

"That's amazing! I always wanted a family!"

Yvonne is excited beyond measure. Her face lights up with the biggest smile I've ever seen as she spins around and looks at us. Her eyes are big, hopeful, shining with pure joy. I melt. This girl was cute before but now... she's just adorable. A look to my wife confirms that she also fell for Yvonne. It's true that I warned Vivienne up, that she opens up more easily now, but it's still hard for anyone else to get to her heart. How this little girl broke through her walls so easily? I can see it's frightening her but she's not making the same mistake that she did with me. She's not pushing her away. Adoration shines in her eyes when Yvonne takes both of our hands, swinging them. With a small smile I speak out her thoughts.

"Alright... Let's ask the others."

...

"No. This is no life for a child."

Vivienne and Yvonne went up to the roof to pay Jett a visit so I have to face the arguments from the rest.

"She already has a life similar to ours, Niko! She has nowhere to go and could end up in the system, given from one family to another until she 'can take care of herself'. Or worse... without moral guidance, which we can provide, she could end up like Nadia and I won't let  THAT happen!"

"You have a point there, chérie, but our lifestyle IS dangerous. Jett is working with explosives..."

"Not only explosives, Remy!"

"Also... we've found ourselves on more than one occasion in a really close situation - Céline, Nadia, Bernicio... just to name a few."

"For god's sake, Zoe! Do you really think I'd put a seven-year-old girl up front?"

"It's not just that, MC. Zoe's examples came directly for us. Others might come for her instead to hurt us. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, remember?"

I close my eyes with a sigh.

"I understand your concerns, Leon, all of your concerns. I really do. But Yvonne has a talent... she just needs training, guidance. All I ask of you is your trust, one week and-!"

We get interrupted by loud laughter as Jett enters the room with Yvonne on his shoulders followed by Vivienne.

"Hey, folks. Have you met this little thing yet? She's incredible! She almost got me... luckily, I turned around at the right time otherwise I would've lost my wallet without even noticing! Can we keep her?"

"Wait... what?"

I throw an amused look at Yvonne while the others check their pockets, realizing that all of them got pickpocketed by a seven-year-old.

"My... my phone!"

"My wallet!"

"MY wallet!"

"My keys!"

Jett laughs so hard that the girl shakes with his laughter, grinning proudly. Vivienne can't help but chuckle as well while she comes to my side.

"Believe me... I know exactly how you feel. Though, if I'm being honest, I'm not surprised you didn't find out sooner. She got a lot better since she stole MY wallet almost two weeks ago."

Yvonne gets back on the ground, returns the stolen items, settles in front of Vivienne and me with a small smile and all eyes are on us. It's Nikolai who speaks first after a few minutes of silence.

"Fine. One week."

But despite his earnest tone he can't hide this small, slightly impressed smirk that pulls on his lips.

...

The Poppy adapts quite quickly to the idea of having a child around. Yvonne is good at practically everything! Jett loved her from the start but he really enjoys to co-teach her how to paint, Remy likes his role as language tutor alongside Vivienne, Zoe adores Yvonne's enthusiasm to learn new things in general, Nikolai is impressed of her eye for strategy and Leon, our sweet and gentle giant, is more than happy to take care of the simple playtime and cuddle parties. And even Elisabeth is around Yvonne as often as possible.

It's the evening before the week is over and a final decision has to be made. Vivienne and I have talked about this multiple times within the last few days - we want to keep her. Although we agreed on not wanting children, we can't picture our lives without Yvonne anymore. I know it deep inside my heart that this is the girl I'd call "daughter" and I know Vivienne feels the same way.

I take my time putting Yvonne to bed. She asked me not to leave so I stayed, humming a lullaby, stroking her hair until she fell asleep. I stand up as careful and as quiet as I can and place a soft kiss onto her forehead.

"Good night, little one."

I whisper before I leave the room. Outside, the others are already waiting for me.

"I'm sorry. It took longer than I expected..."

"Don't be, darling! We can wait. I suppose she's asleep now?"

I nod, give Vivienne a quick kiss and listen to the conversation, mostly fun or cute stories with Yvonne.

"I found a solution to our problem with the next heist."

"You did? Tell us, Niko!"

"Well... to be honest... it was Yvonne's idea. I would never have thought of it that way. The simplicity of a child's point of view really is astonishing! Oh! By the way... I got there something..."

He rises and places a small box in front of me. I open it carefully. My breath hitches as I reveal the earring inside.

"A... a little poppy!"

"I think I speak for all of us when I say 'we all want Yvonne to stay'."

Nikolai says with a smile.

"Woohoo! Hell yes, Niko! You're goddamn right! And anyone who dares to TRY harming her..."

"... will regret that they even THOUGHT of it in the first place!"

[bootleg-sara]

Mmmm been thinking about basement stuff again.

Specifically the view of it from the outside though, like the in-canon “lore” of it.

Cause while it really doesn’t play a big part in any of the main works I want to do, it’s something I have put thought into and I find it interesting.

((Long post undercut))

So, the basement’s been around for a while. A really really long time. I haven’t decided on quite how far back, but it was around the time of 1 AD. Much like the creatures inside, the basement was never called the basement until the kids came along. It had gone through multiple names throughout time. Some lasting longer than others. (I’ll continue to call it the basement for now for simplicity’s sake)

No one really knows why it started or how. It’s still pretty heavily debated if the basement was a result of Holy intervention or through other means. And that’s assuming they’d know and believe of the place, as it’s very existence is heavily questioned in modern times. There are many records of people’s accounts of arriving from all across time and location, which is the only real reason it’s not immediately assumed to be a fairytale. Of course given today’s climate it has gained less notoriety.

Which, fun fact, is the main reason why most of the current cast ended up there! It’s a long story but in short terms: basically because people stopped trying to willingly seek out entering the basement, it had to use up precious energy to drag someone down instead. It was either that or it would shrivel up and starve.

Anyhow back on topic. It’s public fame was never that of a large scale. It was known of by only a small selection of people, usually seen as crazy fanatics. They had all admittedly believed that this mythical place was something akin to a purgatory, the closest a living man will ever get to God.

It was a place where miracles could happen. A purging of sin, a granter of untold power and riches, a way to bring loved ones back from the dead, and so much more. A place of impossibilities, a new garden of Eden. Obviously if such a place really existed, people wanted to go there and exploit it for all its worth.

There was this old, shallow cave that was said to act as a portal to this world of God. People would go inside, only to end up missing for weeks, even months on end before reappearing once again. Often times as a completely new person. Rarely, some never made it out at all. Very few of these people write about their experiences after returning. They’d come back home with nothing to show for their time. Maybe a few new scars or a handful of coins, but never much more. Though thankfully a few did feel the need to preach to the world about what they had seen. However, they were never what one could call a description of paradise.

Many of the first recallings of the basement all shared the same story. A small, crapped space with no more than 2 floors to traverse. The first few days were always a splendor. Rooms filled with enough treasures that would make a Pope jealous. Sure each room came with a small blood fee, but it was not nearly enough of a deterrent to stop anyone. One would grab as much as they could and climb back out to exit. Only to find it gone. The second floor offered much of the same, blood fees for endless riches. Though the second floor held a new danger. A large, chapel door which lead into a large room. The only thing that sat there being a three-horned; three-eyed beast. The creature would beckon them to fight, to prove their worth for the gold they had procured. Time and time again, people would lose these battles, ending up back where they started. And if they never engaged the beast, they would simply die of starvation, if by some miracle the dehydration didn’t get to you first.

People laid in wait, stuck and unable to do anything to cure such unfathomable boredom. You would be quick to start to lose yourself. The others who had joined in with you where often never seen except for in brief moments. The ones who had been there for longer started growing violent. They had given up hope, or had believed that maybe “proving their worth” was to eliminate the competition. These people, along with those defending themselves, had found a new strength they had never had before. Being able to achieve impossible feats of strength. Though when fighting other people of the same caliber, it never made much of a difference.

Hung out for long enough, and old memories would start to resurface. Taking twisted forms of what they once were. Given the poor condition of the people inside, most of these memories where of the person’s worst moments. You where trapped with what you hated most, and came back with nothing to your name.

Such stories deterred further exploration from most people. A few still choose to go in, believe the hardships the basement brought was God’s trial, and that by passing you will achieve an enteral blessing from the Lord Himself. The once small cave that held the gateway was built upon, going deeper into the underground labyrinth. It became an underground trading ring. A safe meet up place for the worst people around to make whatever shady practices they pleased. (In the modern day the cave has been shut down completely for fret of people getting lost and the constant cave ins)

As time goes on it’s presence grew less and less. It never truly died, as records continued to show up. While the place drastically changed between each recounting. The place got larger, multiple different entrance locations around the world showed up, new constant figures like “Mother”, monsters appear from the deaths of the souls inside. Many visits of which weren’t connected or driven by Christianity at all. There were always a few notable connections. That being of blood sacrifices, a dependence on death, and a three-horned; three-eyes beast that lays at the bottom.

All of which leads to the present. An unfortunate kid named Isaac ends up dragged down into the basement along with an unknown figure with pure white hair. The basement in its current form being the result of thousands of people before them. Without any of this old knowledge, they fights forward in hopes of returning home. Unbeknownst to them, they are about to change the basement’s very foundation for the worst.

[vvanite]

Art Deco and TAZ Graduation

- Episode 30 "Take your Firbolg to Work Day

I know Travis probably made his choice to have the H.O.G. headquarters be designed with Art Deco for aesthetic purposes and didn't think of its function to the world of Nua BUT his choice is a really great accidental component that adds onto the world building in Nua and to one of the core problems that Graduation addresses involving the systemic nature of Nua. In this essay, I-

(And then I proceed to actually write the essay hidden below. FAIR WARNING: This is extremely long. If you want to learn about Modern Art History and how it ties into Graduation, this is your lucky day.)

This analysis/essay is going to be meta in terms of using evidence from real world events but it is needed to explain the history behind Art Deco and help us relate to the themes of Graduation. I think it’s clear to see how the systems and people in power in Graduation are influenced from the way our governments are now so I don’t think these connections are distant, rather closer together than we think.

Also, before we continue, I want to direct you to this lovely post made by a dear user and friend, Michelle/ fitzroythecreator, LINK HERE

She explains what she believes to be a core theme of graduation that I agree with and have integrated into this essay. Check it out <3

Before I can explain how Art Deco is tied into Graduation's core theme, I need to lay out definitions and context to art movements in the early 20th century. Along the way, I will make connections to the world of Nua and how real-life events in the early 20th century actually can relate to Graduation and its worldbuilding.

Let’s address what is Art Deco. Art Deco started as an art and architecture movement during the early 20th century (1900s). Most people are familiar with its aesthetics of geometric designs and influence of industrialization because of the roaring 20s era and many media influenced by it. Do you wonder why it was popularized in the US? It’s because during the great depression in the US, public buildings, more importantly federal government buildings, were commissioned to have this aesthetic thus it would have more publicity and access to the public. The H.O.G. headquarters could easily be compared to this event because it shares similar attributes of being a public government building.

With this information, it would be really interesting to imagine the timing of Graduation being set around the early 20th century. Art Deco gives us a time period to compare what kind of social events Nua could have faced similar to the real world. The modern period of the 1850s-1950s was a time when people were disinterested and scared of the changes that industrialism made in their daily lives. People were frustrated with the changes made in their lives and sought out ways to cope with the changes through escapism. In Graduation, I would argue that we see this skepticism and wariness in the characters about the changes Nua’s Socioeconomic systems made in their lives and society in general. A good example would be the student NPCs and their insistence that their hero and villain titles are just labels since they have been stripped from their original meanings. They still somewhat criticize the structure while upholding it. As the campaign progresses, we meet various characters who are very critical to Nua’s current orderly system such as Order and Gordie. In fact, despite their roles in society being vastly different, they both share the same opinions that the system is unjust as it hurts people thus there needs to be a push for change. I am not trying to label the time of Graduation to be around the 1900s, rather whatever year Graduation happens is in parallel to the events of the 1900s.

When I first heard Travis say, Art Deco, I was interested but disappointed it wasn’t Art Nouveau. My original thinking was because of Art Nouveau’s elitism of making the architecture more artistic and complex that only educated rich people can understand and less functional for the average citizen. A lot of the art displays during the art movement were held in house museums that were limited to rich eyes. I thought this reasoning made sense in terms of the H.O.G. headquarters being this elite building common people can’t comprehend. However, with continuous thought, it clicked. Art Deco fits so well.

Art Deco was meant to be a direct response to Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movement. (And many more but for the sake of simplicity, sticking to these two major ones) Both movements share similarities of the desire to make total works of art.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For art Nouveau in architecture, that is more on its aesthetics of stylized curving forms, thus it creates uniqueness with the architecture. For the Arts and Crafts movement in Europe, they focused on the importance of the craftsmanship and quality. The thing about the movement is that it’s heavily influenced by socialist values and the distaste for industrialism. Both art movements were diverse in style and locations globally. Because both took place internationally, there was no determined manifesto or structures for artists to adhere to. Another thing is both movements had lots of ornamentation which takes great skill and time to put into the works. By doing this, it would make the works more unique aspects to its character, however more time consuming and difficult to replicate.

Art Deco takes response to this because critics felt like these movements were outdated for the growing industrialism happening during the early 20th century. Art Deco focuses on sleek geometric design meant to be reproduced easily thanks to industries and have more emphasis on its function rather than aesthetics. It’s meant to be functional to accommodate for the new technologies of the 20th century.

So, let’s recap, in the late 19th century, two movements, focused on the style which had no concrete structures to adhere to and had the goal to make total works of art that is reliant on itself, are then replaced by Art Deco, a movement focused on its aesthetic to be mass produced easily and have a stronger focus on the form of the architecture to serve its functions. Does Art Deco sound similar to a number of Socioeconomic systems placed in Nua?

One of the key ideals of Art Deco is Functionalism. Art Deco is one of the many architectural movements in the early 20th century that decided to focus on function rather than aesthetics. What is functionalism? It is the idea that everything works as an integrated whole and that all the different components of a larger system are designed to work together. It is orderly. Architecture in the early 20th century was designed to suit the needs of the space. For example, each element of an office buildings would be designed and organized to suit that place. This ideal is more emphasized after the Great Depression in America where architects shifted their focus on the Streamline Moderne, where they aimed to make structures practical to the demands of real life and remove the emotional aspects of expressionist art.

Travis’s little choice to pick Art Deco is tied to a core theme of Graduation of dismantling the standards and structures set in Nua. It’s so brilliant yet unintentional. I know Travis hasn’t read up on modern art history. I hope by reading through, you can spot Art Deco’s need for creating limitation to focus on the functions and how it benefits the whole system. It doesn’t allow for the emotional aspects that Art Nouveau and the Art and Crafts movements held. Nua’s system follow the same thing. Everyone has a function in the socioeconomic system that has limitations meant to exploit the work labor and functions of the individual. The system leaves no room for indivduals to have growth to create real change. That’s not a flaw of the system. The system is literally designed to be that way with its many rules and standards. It's impossible to break away from it without being punished by the system itself. You need to function within its rules and have practical skills to contribute to the system. Your independent nature is stripped away. By having Art Deco be a core aesthetic design for the H.O.G. Headquarters, Art Deco ITSELF is just another element in the architecture meant to serve its function of upholding the ideology of order that H.O.G. and the world of Nua has. This orderly system has replaced the wild world that Higglemas in episode 12 remembers.

“I remember... the world when it was wild. Not sophisticated and ordered and... bureaucratic, like it is now.”

[flickeringart]

Short Composite Chart Analysis

Analysis of a relationship between two people expressed as a unit, in other words, the nature of a relationship as a third entity. Signs are not really relevant, the angles and houses are, but I decided to include them in the interpretation.

(Chart calculated at astrotheme.com)

Ascendant in Aries – How the relationship is presented

There’s great passion and power to this unit, great outward expression of confidence and initiative ability. There’s competitiveness and an outward display of potency. Jupiter, the planet of abundance and freedom conjuncts the Ascendant, is indicating that the relationship is presenting as optimistic, faithful and adventurous. The relationship is heading into life with the outlook of expectancy, of a promising future. This unit harbors big and “larger than life” sized dreams of redemption seeing as Jupiter trines Neptune in the 9th. It’s through the exploration of the world, the universal meaning behind experience and the optimism of the relationship itself that the spark of divinity is discovered. Overall, this relationship rides on the principals of assertion, of generosity of higher learning, and openness to life.

Descendant in Libra – How the relationship interacts with that which is “other”

There’s diplomacy and an attitude of general civility when relating to others. There’s an understanding of differences and a need to find a common playing field, a baseline consensus in order to be able to cooperate effectively. There’s a pressing need to get down to the core of people’s motives, even if they may be dark. In order to find true cooperation and interactions with other people, some digging has to be done. No one ever reveals their true selves completely at first encounter which is why other people has to be gradually smoked out. There’s a suspiciousness and apprehension relative to others. The optimism that is presented by Jupiter in the 1st is pitted against the sharp and penetrative Pluto in the 7th. It could be that the relationship might be up against real power hungry energies and emotionally volatile interactions with people who seek to dominate.

Sun in Taurus, Moon in Scorpio – The conscious goals and the instinctual nature of the relationship

Stability and physical/material pleasantness is what is sought primarily. The goal for this relationship would be to become capable in terms of acquiring the things that are needed to live a comfortable life. This is especially emphasized since the Sun in not only in Taurus, the most material earth sign, but in the 2nd house of money and possessions as well. This relationship has the potential to generate wealth, to become solid financially. What is owned in terms of material value is a big focus. Physical means are standing out as the goal for this unit. Fortunately, the Mars drive of the relationship supports this, forming a trine to the Sun from the analytical and practical sign of Virgo in the 6th house of work. Saturn, the agent of time and discipline supports this goal as well, forming a sextile from the 12th house of the collective unconscious. However, the Sun is pitted against a Moon-Uranus conjunction in Scorpio in the 8th house. The unpredictable and intense emotional nature of the relationship doesn’t go well together with the ideal of stability and simplicity dictated by the Sun. Emotionally, the relationship is vulnerable to influences that lie beyond what can be controlled. Other people’s decisions, values and subconscious emotional attachments will greatly affect the emotional integrity and freedom of the relational unit. Although the identity of the relationship is derived from self-acquired resources, the emotional-physical sensitivities are squarely in the hands of “other people” and what they decide to support and not support. This is likely to be highly ambivalent since Uranus, the planet of change and revolution, is part of the mix. Unlike the solar goal, the emotions of this unit are extremely rebellious and intense. The polarization will give the relationship a double-sided nature, which might be disturbing and unsettling.

Mercury and Venus in Gemini – The interactive and social nature of the relationship

The relationship unit would be quite chatty and eager to communicate with the outside world, as is typical of a Gemini Mercury, talking is done for the sake of remaining stimulated and in constant mental movement. There would be a tendency to talk around thinks than getting down to the gist immediately, but it certainly covers more versatile and varied ground. To have a Gemini Mercury is like flipping a coin in the mind all the time, not only siding with one but with all perspectives in order to get a full picture. It goes without saying that this could make for confusion and non-cohesive patterns of thought. The unit might be perceived as highly communicative but relatively scattered and less condensed in thinking. Thought might fly all over the place at first but could become more and more organized after a while. It would take some time for the relationship to sort out all the facts of a situation or a topic because Gemini always starts with the multitude and then proceeds to put all the puzzle pieces in the right place. Since Mercury is placed in the 2nd house, the mental faculties of the relationship could be a source of money. Mercury is known as the god of luck, trades, travel and financial gain and undoubtedly the unit’s mobility and resourcefulness would facilitate their physical stability. The couple’s innate generosity and optimism would greatly benefit the Mercurial endeavors and vice versa, seeing as Jupiter sextiles Mercury from the 1st house. The couple has potential to find a sense of meaning in daily interactions and work. Mercury also forms a trine with Pluto, pointing to a capacity for focused and serious efforts of transforming the way thinking and talking is conducted. The couple would find that what is said and done has the capacity to change other people on a deep level, potentially even for generating money in the process. The same goes for the reverse scenario, that other people’s depth, power and penetrative insight might benefit the relationship unit on a mental and financial level. Mercury sits opposite Neptune, which generally means that there’s a polarization of the affective ideal of blissful refinement and the everyday movement of thinking and communication. There’s essentially a split between the yearning for experiential and existential redemption and the ordinary run-of-the-mill interactions. The relationship would be likely to pendulum swing between the higher and the lower, exploring philosophical, religious and theoretic visions that could possibly point to the love and the height of existence versus simply earning a living in a more ordinary and practical sense.

Creativity, openness, movement and quickness sit at the core of the relationship values. Nothing is more admired than intelligence and the ability to think. Excitement and activity may win over refinement because it’s in variety that beauty is found. The couple could get along, or at least interact with anyone, and would put high value on keeping the channel of communication open at all times. It would be considered a simple rule of conduct to always stay responsive and available. Overwhelm and fatigue could be an unfortunate consequence of this mode of being, but it would make the couple quite popular socially. To come off as interesting is of utmost importance. Since Venus sits in the 2nd house, there’s an emphasis on using the intellect to acquire possessions. The unit would probably find that material value is very important to an overall sense of harmony and balance. There’s a need to own aesthetic things, to be able to generate the means to have physical beauty in keepsake. A few special things won’t do, there has to be a variety and multitude of precious things lying around. Seeing as Venus is pitted against the volatile and intense Moon, the relationship might have trouble reconciling the mental values with the more primal and raw emotional needs. The airy, conceptual simplicity doesn’t go well together with the uprooting, instinctual intensity of the relationship. There’s a lot of emotion and disruption that seems to be caused by subconscious factors. The relationship is not safe emotionally for whatever reason but it doesn’t show on the surface. The values and preferences are carefully lived out separately from the lurking threats of the undercurrents of the relational unit. More than likely, everything is fine in terms of material welfare and comfort, but there are intense subconscious bounds on the psychic level.

Mars in Virgo – The drive and force of the relationship

Since the relationship has an Aries Ascendant the chart ruler is Mars. Taking initiative and facing obstacles comes naturally for this couple; it’s how they lead together. Since Mars falls in the sign of Virgo there’s a certain methodical and systematic approach to how things are done. There’s no room for making mistakes, things has to be done correctly, otherwise there’s no point. An analytical approach is what this couple prefer to use, which might make them less impulsive and forceful but more efficient and productive. Health is something that is advocated for, potentially with great passion. The couple could be quite nitpicky and fussy about staying on top of their daily lives, working like little worker bees to further their will to make everything as good as it can be. As a relationship, strength stems from following carefully designed processes for reaching defined goals.

Mars makes a few harmonious aspects to the Sun, Moon-Uranus, indicating that the driving force of the relationship is supporting the goals and needs of the unit, as well as fueling the motivation for change and improvement. However, there’s insecurity present whether it’s right to assert a separate will because it appears to conflict with the all-abiding unconditional realm of non-separateness. There might be quite a disturbing conflict between selfhood and oneness, seeing as Mars forms a square to Neptune. The relationship might find that it’s impossible to reconcile these two distinct principals. Everything that is done out of purely selfish motives contradicts universal love, but at the same time universal love seems to contradict selfhood. There’s a constant frustration present within the unit and probably a lot of insecurities and martyrdom connected to actions taken. Since Neptune is in the 9th, the couple likely has a lot of philosophical convictions that doesn’t translate to actions taken in daily life, seeing has Mars is in the “mundane” 6th house. Besides being on bad terms with Neptune, Mars also finds himself in opposition to Saturn. Saturn sits in the 12th house, indicating that the principals of discipline and concentration cancels the Mars drive out every now and then. The relationship would often end up in a locked, inhibited state, unable to access any confidence or motivation to move forward. The 12th house is the deep collective unconscious and it’s likely that the couple feels as if they’re existentially restricted and limited in some way, having to pay off some heavy karmic debt or just be haunted by chronic doubt that disables the unit with varying degrees of severity.

Summary:

This relationship is the kind that looks strong, inspired and capable on the surface while having a lot of things going on in the realm of emotion and forces beyond immediate control. There’s friction between higher ideals and ordinary daily activity that causes stress. There are also hidden pockets of rebelliousness and rage that stems from being forced to yield to other people’s values. Physical life seems to stand in direct contrast to more diffuse and elusive realms and there’s a tendency to swing back and forth between extremes. There’s value placed on stability, control and behaving in a civilized way, but it’s done in order to avoid other polarities of a more uncompromising nature. The more intense aspects of life are experienced as something not belonging to the unit itself. They are disowned and projected onto others and pushed into the hidden corners of the psyche.

[gossipgirls]

can’t wait for your to make more taylor gif sets! i love your dorothea one so so much. i was wondering if you had to assign every song on red (tv) to a ship/character who would it be?

aw, thank you so much! i loved making the dorothea set and was proud of the outcome. i have a few chair ones already all planned out and just have to decide which one to actually make first lol. as for red tv songs and ships/chars, click below!

state of grace: CHAIR! chair, chair, chair! this is one of my all-time favourite songs for them and has been for years. i also think it could be a lovely song for dair, but it's too CHAIR for me to go there. "you were never a saint and i've loved in shades of wrong, we learn to live with the pain, mosaic broken hearts, but this love is brave and wild."

red: i honestly don't totally feel this is a big chair song, but it suits them more than it does any other ship, so for the sake of my assignment here, i'll settle for chair lmao. "regretting him was like wishing you never found out that love could be that strong."

treacherous: oh, guess who? chair. "nothing safe is worth the drive."

i knew you were trouble: i'm gonna say this is a song for like... all of serena's random relationships. she sees all the red flags and ignores them. "flew me to places i'd never been, now i'm lying on the cold hard ground."

all too well: so like i said in the last ask, i'm a pretty firm believer that the original all too well could be applied to any ship ever that has broken up at any point. i don't know HOW, but it almost always works. the gg ship that fits this song best is, imo, rufly. "there we are again when i loved you so, back before you lost the one real thing you've ever known."

22: this feels like the type of vibes that serena would bring to blair's sleepovers, if that makes sense. so, generally a serena song, but specifically in relation to blair! "we're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time, it's miserable and magical."

i almost do: chair in season 5 i guess, or rufly. "i can't say hello to you and risk another goodbye."

we are never ever getting back together: i don't think this fits anyone, so can i just say that this is what i wish derena had said to each other in season 4? "like... EVER."

stay stay stay: RUFLY! :) "i've been loving you for quite some time, time, time."

the last time: hm, similar to red the song, i don't really think this is much of a chair song, but it suits them more than it does anyone else, so let's just go with them. "i imagine you are home, in your room, all alone, and you open your eyes into mine, and everything is better."

holy ground: serenate!! "took off faster than a green light go, you skip the conversation when you already know."

sad beautiful tragic: s5 chair? or i could see this as a dair song, dan looking back. "we had a beautiful, magic love there."

the lucky one: SERENA. :( this has been in my serena playlist for ages. "they tell you that you're lucky, but you're so confused, cause you don't feel pretty, you just feel used."

everything has changed: s1 derena? but love for serenate too. could be dair, depending on how one views them, or even s1 nate/jenny. "all i know is a newfound grace, all my days i'll know your face."

starlight: very loosely, serenate. but serena is bobby and nate is ethel LMFAO. "don't you see the starlight? don't you dream impossible things?"

begin again: this could also be a season 1 derena song, but less someone coming out of a bad relationship and more "you can't be worse than the guys i do know," as in serena being so enamoured by dan's simplicity and sweetness versus everyone else she knows. i also think it's nice for blair coming out of her marriage and turning to dan, almost a fresh start, blank slate type of thing. "for the first time, what's past is past."

the moment i knew: blair and nate because he actually, literally did ditch her on her birthday lol. "it would've felt like a million little shining stars had just aligned and i would've been so happy."

come back...be here: i don't think i can even reach to come up with an answer for this one because i don't recall any actual long distance relationships in gg.

girl at home: a reach, but season 1 nate/jenny? she likes him but doesn't wanna do anything to cross blair. or s1 serenate, as she tries to stay away from him. "don't look at me, you got a girl at home and everybody knows that."

better man: as an anon said yesterday, chair, late s2, and then late s3 to early s4. "i know why we had to say goodbye like the back of my hand, but i just miss you and i just wish you were a better man."

nothing new: serena and blair, in different ways, but way more serena. i've said a lot before about this exact topic in regards to serena's arc, the whole beautiful and damned thing, and how it's the basis of so much of her behaviour, specifically in s5 when lola comes around. for blair, i think certain lines really highlight the difficulties she faced after high school graduation. "are we only biding time til i lose your attention and someone else lights up the room? people love an ingenue."

babe: blair and nate lmfaooo. "since you admitted it, i keep picturing it, her lips on your neck, i can't unsee it."

message in a bottle: honestly, this is super cute to me as s4 and early s5 dair, from dan's perspective. "you could be the one that i love and now i'm standing here hoping this gets to you."

i bet you think about me: DERENA DIVORCE ERA! some lines sound like something serena would feel and others feel like something dan would feel, which makes it such an interesting song for them. also, rufly. "i tried to fit in with your upper-crust circles, they let me sit in back when we were in love."

forever winter: blair and serena... 💕 "i'd say, i love you even at your darkest and please don't go."

run: VAN DER BAIZENNNNN "so you laugh like a child, and i'll sing like no one cares, no one to be, no one to tell."

the very first night: derena, because their best days were their early ones and the rest of their relationship is them trying to feel that again. "we broke the status quo, then we broke each other's hearts."

all too well (10 minute version): generally, some chair lines here ("you kept me like a secret, but i kept you like an oath."), some derena lines ("the idea you had of me, who was she?")

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Meeting and Dating Adam Maitland

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous) 

(I would most definitely write about your meeting story and him having a crush on you in more detail, if anyone's interested.)

- You met Adam while applying for a job at his shop. He was delightfully surprised when a pretty little thing like you walked in and inquired about the help wanted sign out front. His face immediately brightened and he ushered you into the back for an impromptu interview. 

- There weren’t many applicants to begin with and after seeing you, he just couldn’t get you out of his head so he decided that he had no choice but to hire you; and boy was he glad he did. 

- The two of you act more like friends or flirty coworkers than a boss and his employee. Adam is a fun guy to be around, he doesn’t usually take things to seriously, and the shop is never very busy so you have a lot of time to goof off with each other.

- Since you’re the only two people working there, you spend a lot of time together and become close fairly quickly. By the end of your first month on the job, you consider him a friend and he considers you his dream woman. 

- He asks you out about three or four months after he hires you. He doesn’t want you to think that you only got the job because he’s interested in you and he wants to make sure that he really does like you, the whole you, before he jumps to any decision.

- But anyways~ The two of you were closing up shop when he asked if you’d like to have dinner with him. Adam’s a handsome man, a sweet handsome man who treats you better than anyone you’ve ever met, so; even though dating your boss may not be the best idea you’ve ever had, you take the plunge and agree. 

- He comes to pick you up at around six and, in no time at all, the two of you are sat at his dining room table, eating a delicious home cooked meal.

- In the middle of dinner, his models come up in conversation and he shyly asks if you’d like to see them after you express interest in his work. Soon enough, you’re traveling up his stairs and entering the attic where he’s got the whole city display. He loves the way your eyes light up upon seeing it, especially after he turns on all of the lights. 

- He laughs quietly and shrugs when you call it amazing, modestly downplaying how talented he is. But you won’t allow that, insisting that “No, really. It’s wonderful” and quietly adding that he’s really wonderful.

- When you turn to look him, he’s gazing at you with a much more serious expression on his face; serious but soft at the same time. Your eyes meet his and you stand still as he slowly closes the distance between the two of you.

- His face nears yours until his lips are only inches away from yours. He hesitates for a lingering moment before he finally leans forward and kisses you. It’s gentle at first but it soon turns into something much more passionate, your arms wrapping around his neck as his hands splay themselves across your back.

- When you pull away, you’re both near breathless and aren’t sure of what to say. He breaks the silence by cracking a small smile and suggesting that maybe the two of you should keep the shop closed tomorrow. All you can do is smile, shake your head, and pull him into another kiss.

- Formal and sweet Pda. Adam likes showing people that you’re together; and just giving you affection in general, but he doesn’t like getting too intimate when you’re in public. 

- When Pda is happening, it’s that juvenile, puppy-love type of pda where you’re just always smiling at each other, exchanging quick kisses and lovingly touching each other. 

- He has a slightly strange fondness for being able to fix things on you for you, like if you have something on your face or your hairs getting in the way; things like that. He’ll gently sort it out, a small smile tugging at his lips the entire time. 

- He likes keeping his arm around your waist. He’s practically always glued to your side because of it. 

- Handholding. He has a habit of reaching out and grabbing for you whenever he can. 

- Neck kisses, he adores hearing you giggle as his lips tickle your skin. He knows all of your sensitive spots and uses them against you; he’s evil. 

- Piggyback rides. 

- He likes to lift you up in his hugs. A lot of the time, he’ll pull you up so that you can wrap your legs around his waist and he can plop you down on something beneath him and kiss the hell out of you.

- The two of you like to goof of with each other, always teasing and messing around. He’s pretty fond of playing little tricks/jokes on you and/or fake wrestling, though he makes sure to be gentle with you. 

- Getting pulled into kisses. He likes pulling you down into his lap or back against the couch and caging you in so he can get a proper smooch. 

- Once you get one kiss, you can’t get enough. He won’t let you go until he’s had at least three. 

- He enjoys nights in with you over any other kind of date. He likes simplicity and is a bit of an introvert at heart so being able to just have some relaxing alone time with you is a dream come true. 

- Pulling off his glasses so you can kiss him better. He always smiles against your lips whenever you do, he thinks it’s the greatest. 

- Getting called things like honey, hon, and sweetheart. He talks to you like he’s your1950s husband, and you know what? You can’t complain. 

- Sitting with your legs in his lap whenever you’re talking or watching television on the couch. 

- Sitting and watching him work on his models. Sometimes he’ll ask you to help him or to fetch him something that he needs from the other side of the room. You always get a kiss in return. 

- Cute comments. He always says the sweetest things to you. 

- He’s sorta clingy. It doesn’t matter what either of you are doing, he just likes having you around him at all times. He can never get enough of your company. 

- He’s a blanket hog and; oftentimes, tosses and turns in his sleep so the two of you don’t really stay cuddled for long. But when you fall asleep, you’re either cradled in each others arms or being the little spoon to his big spoon. 

- Playful massages when you’re stressed. He’ll place a kiss on your shoulder while making a joke, moving his strong hands across your shoulders and trying to ease the tension that resides there. 

- He’s always making sure you’re alright and comforting you when you’ve had a rotten day. He hates seeing you upset and always tries his best to cheer you up. 

- You never have to feel insecure about something when you’re around him. He loves you; every messed up and flawed part of you. 

- Lets hear it for all you tall girls who are reading this~ Adam loves you. He’s six foot himself so it isn’t an issue for him; not that it would bother him if he was shorter. 

- Chasing each other around the house. 

- Getting each other gifts for random occasions. 

- Sitting by the fire together. 

- Dancing; albeit clumsily, with each other.

- Stealing his flannels. His frustration upon finding them missing immediately disappears when he walks in on you wearing them. 

- Taking walks around town. He has a lot of friends in the town and always says hello to them whenever he’s out with you so people are usually very kind to you, even if you haven’t ever really spoken to them before. 

- Drive-in movies. He’s very fond of them, especially when they play oldies. 

- Going out and getting milkshakes; there’s an old diner in town that he loves bringing you to. I don’t know, something about him just screams adorably old fashioned, at least when it comes to dating.

- You’ll never have to worry about dealing with spiders on your own again. He genuinely likes them and not the small, baby one’s either, we’re talking the huge, hairy ones that could make a person pass out from fear. 

- He owns a hardware store so you know he knows how to fix whatever's wrong with your house. Picture this~ Adam in a tank top and jeans, hair a mess, and a light sheen of sweat covering his forehead and arms. …What more could a woman ask for? 

- He isn’t the most fond of driving so you’re probably the one who takes the keys when the two of you go somewhere. He likes taking the time to watch you, the way your face changes, the shape of your hands wrapped around the steering wheel. How did he manage to get the most beautiful girl on the planet? 

- Soft, sweet kisses. He’s usually pretty gentle with you but he can definitely get a little rougher when things get heated. 

- Teasing each other. He likes saying jokingly hypocritical things and covering your mouth or insisting that “it’s different” when you try to correct him, all the while failing to hold back his laughter.

- Talking about conspiracy theories and cryptids. He believes in bigfoot, we all know that, but what else does he believe in? What do you believe in? He wants to know. 

- Little drives around town. He likes going out and getting some fresh air with you, sometimes running errands or just wandering for the sake of wandering.  

- He’s a pushover for you. Anything you want will; most likely, be given to you just because he can’t look you in your beautiful eyes and say no. 

- You don't really expect it from him but Adam can get surprisingly jealous when it comes to you though you live in a somewhat small town so there isn’t too many people to be jealous of. Regardless, when he’s jealous, he’ll interrupt and drag you away from the person or snap at them, especially if they don’t get the hint. 

- He’s when it comes to you, always butting in when he see’s someone or something is bothering you and taking matters into his own hands. He’ll bluntly tell them to buzz off, leaving no room for negotiation as he steers you away from them or blocks their access to you. 

- He’s your rock. Whenever you’re scared, all you’ll have to do is grab hold of him and he’ll take the lead, acting tough so that you feel a little reassurance, even if he’s just as scared as you are.

- You and Adam don’t really fight all too often, he’s completely smitten with you so everything you do is wonderful to him. Plus, you just get along really well so there really isn’t anything to argue about.

- If you ever did have a fight, you’d probably just bicker, maybe raise your voices a little; mainly out of frustration or stress from outside forces. After a little bit of arguing, he’d snap his mouth shut and just go “this is stupid” before calmly trying to explain himself. 

- As I said before, Adam usually realizes that the fights you have are sort of pointless and shuts them down fairly quickly. He’ll apologize for whatever it is he did to upset you and then try to reason with you like “two adults”. It doesn't take long before the issue is resolved. 

- The two of you always seem to be in that puppy love/honeymoon stage no matter how long you’ve been together so saying “I love you” is very commonplace in your relationship. He’s constantly saying it and so are you; its just how the two of you are with each other. 

- I have to say this~ he would be the best dad in the universe and that’s a fact. You saw the way he was with Lydia, he’s the adorable, push-over, goofy dad that you can always trust to help you.

- He’s already planning your future together. He loves you with all his heart and probably bought a ring a month into your relationship, already convinced that you were the one. 

[lulzyrobot]

Pokemon Dynamorph AU Masterpost

Based on THIS POST 

The short of this AU is that the climax of the Eternatus fight had an even more profound effect on the Galar region and its people. The excess energy made people fuse with their pokemon! Oh boy! So below the cut I’m going to outline all the ideas behind this AU thanks to everyone’s asks showing an increasing curiosity about all this! I’m used to writing original content, nothing based on an existing property so bare with me…

Events Leading Up to The Dynamorph Event

So for this AU, the events of the game leading up to the Eternatus conflict are the SAME except for some details. 

Gloria/Victor and Hop never encounter Zacian or Zamazenta. The Rusty Sword and Shield were lost to time.

When Leon goes to confront Eternatus, he is joined by everyone up on the roof. The Gloria/ Victor, Hop, Bede, Marnie, the Gym Leaders (minus Opal because she’s back in Ballonlea enjoying retirement.) 

This confrontation happens AFTER Gloria/ Victor beats Leon, for simplicity’s sake.

So when everyone confronts Eternatus, thanks to Rose’s eager impatience to do good for the Galar region, they are unable to stop it properly since Zacian and Zamazenta are nowhere to be found. Instead, the combined efforts of everyone force Eternatus to flee.

But not without releasing an overwhelming blast of Dynamax energy.

The blast rippled throughout a portion of Galar, and had a chain reaction with power spots and the dens of the Wild Area. When the dust settled, the pokemon everyone had out that they were using in the big fight were...gone. Not in their pokeball, just..gone. Naturally, people assume the worst but they have a lingering feeling that the Pokemon are still...here somehow. But they don’t know why. So when everyone’s calmed down, and clean up begins, they all go their separate ways.

About a day passes, and then it starts to happen. From the time of the blast and when the changes start to happen externally, everyone experiences some oddities superficially (better hearing, acute sensitivity to stuff etc.)

 Leon was in his newly acquired office and the just obtained Battle Tower. He had the blind closed, sat in the darkened room thinking over everything that happened, and his loss of the Champion title. When the changes started happening, he nearly burned the office, leaving claw marks in his desk, the floor, and the walls. The noise attracted someone from the Battle Tower staff and he yelled at them in panic to call Sonia. His own phone started ringing. It was Hop.

Gloria/ Victor (I separate them cuz it's more of a ‘who you imagine in this role.’ Can only have one Champion) were being briefed on Champion duties and what that entails. It’s a boring meeting, but they excuse themself to go to the bathroom. In reality they duck away outside to just get a breather. They suddenly feel a sharp pain and start to change, probably biting into their arm to muffle any scream to prevent causing a scene.

Bede headed back to Ballonlea, distraught that Hatterine was nowhere to be found. He wanted to distract himself by continuing his gym leader training, but Opal sat him down for some tea to talk about grief and loss. She’s way older and definitely has experience in that field. What she doesn’t have experience in, is what to do when your protege starts growing traits of a pokemon…

Hop, after that whole ordeal, missing Dubwool, and having lost the gym challenge just had so many feelings to vent out, he wanted to just scream. So he heads deep into the Slumbering Weald to just scream out his frustrations. When he sits down after tiring himself out, his changes start happening. In pain, scared, and alone, he calls Leon.

Marnie went back to Spikemuth with Piers. Team Yell welcomed them with open arms and gave them the idea to have a tribute concert for the pokemon they believe they lost. Marnie declined, electing to stay at home and be alone for a while. She didn’t want to be around people right now. Then her changes started happening, and she uncontrollably let out a burst of electricity, causing an outage in Spikemuth. 

Piers, meanwhile, was setting up for an impromptu concert. He dealt with his feelings by doing literally anything to distract him from them so yelling into a microphone for a couple hours seemed like a good idea. Just as he was about to test the mic, a huge power surge came from his place and shut down all of Spikemuth’s power. Concerned for his sister he runs off stage, taking alleys as a shortcut. In his adrenaline he doesn’t even realize his changes started until he tripped over his own new claws and writhes just outside their place.

Raihan, being in Hammerlocke, wastes no time in helping with the clean up. While at the highest point in the city, he and his gym trainers were hard at work. Until Raihan collapsed, trying to hold himself up with his broom. His trainers looked on in concern and horror as he began changing, even starting up a sandstorm in the process. As a result, one trainer almost gets pushed off the roof but, bearing through the pain, Raihan leaps in and grabs them in time.

Gordie and Melony head back to Circhester. On the way, they had talked a lot about their issues and gripes that had torn a rift in their family, in earnest. The assumed loss of their pokemon worked as good common ground to remind them about the importance of family. They were both at Melony’s home when it happened. The heat and cold put a completely new kind of barrier between the two.

Bea wanted to get her mind off everything that happened by training in the outskirts of Stow-on-Side. She pushed herself too far, and her pokemon urged her to stop. But she fought them off. At first with difficulty, but then as her changes happened, more easily. Her pokemon backed off and started looking for help.

Alister, figuring that his Gengar maybe wandered off on its own again, headed to the graveyard during the night. One of Gengar’s favourite spots. For a moment, Alister thought he heard Gengar’s chuckle and it’s cry but turned to see nothing. Something compelled him to look down at himself and he could see himself becoming translucent and a suspicious shade of purple. He had always had an affinity with ghosts but becoming one was something else entirely. Ensue panic attack.

Kabu returned home to quietly meditate and think rationally about everything that happened. In a trance-like state, he could feel Centiskorch right there next to him. He felt at peace. The smell of burning snapped him out of it, however when he realized he, as well as a good part of the room, was on fire. He quickly escaped, realizing the fire didn’t hurt him. 

Nessa just wanted to be alone, so back at Hulberry, she walked along the docks, shrouded in early morning fog. Her changes started happening, but she really only felt itchy as the scales came in. Upon checking her phone, did she herself in the screen’s reflection and freak out.

Life moves on and Milo had a farm to tend to. His family urged him to take a break but he smiled back at them and assured them he was okay. He wasn’t. While working was when his changes happened. His whole family rushed to his aid. And again, through a smile, he insisted he was okay.

Oleana was working feverishly on getting money together for lawyers and bail money to get Rose out of his self-imposed jail sentence. She knew all he wanted was good for the region, but he was just too blind to see the potential damage he was causing. She wanted him to have a second chance. But her changes slowed her down. 

Rose, in a cell, reflected on his actions. How rash he was that he didn’t see the big picture. He should’ve listened. When his changes happened in his cell, he was horrified. Not at what happened to him, but what was no doubt, happening to the others. And probably more. What had he done? He needed to fix his mistake. 

The ones present at the event were not the only ones to change, however. This was happening all over the region, closer to power spots (which includes the towns, but the morphs aren’t all as drastic) and the wild area (trainers fused with wild pokemon and went hostile. This is covered in depth in another section). After one of the quickest trials, Rose had offered to the court that instead of a full prison sentence, he spent his entire resources and wealth into funding on solving this new, now coined ‘Dynamorph Crisis.’ They agreed and the Macro Cosmos got to work.

How the Dynamorph Actually Works

Bare with me because this is where I kind of bend canon and make assumptions about things for the sake of explaining how this AU even works. So. Eternatus caused all this by basically converting things into energy. On humans, it would just tear them apart. On pokemon it would just turn them into dynamax energy temporarily. The normal situation is that dynamaxing makes the pokemon grow and change form, yeah? Well for this AU, the pokemon, seeing that their trainers are potentially going to die, decide to fuse with them to ‘fill in the gaps.’ Saving them. At first, it appears like they were able to change into the parts missing, but after a while, the pokemon traits start showing, which is my excuse for why the actual changes were delayed. 

The severity of the dynamorph is dependent on proximity to the blast/ powerspot. And just personal preference if you wanted to make your own trainersona dynamorphed (which I totally encourage! It’s fun and I like seeing what you all come up with!!). 

Dynamorphed trainers gain the physical traits, special abilities, movesets and odd quirks that come with the pokemon they are dynamorphed with. (Bonding with Morpeko makes you hungry, bonding with a Xatu lets you see the future, etc) Though, since the humanity is still there, they are able to curb some of the more aggressive quirks with diligence.

If the pokemon bonded is not fully evolved, applying the correct evolutionary method will evolve and change the outward appearance of the dynamorphed trainer. Normal level up are accomplished by fighting, not by age. 

Since being part pokemon, the trainer is a lot more resilient and could, if they REALLY wanted to, fight other morphed trainers. Trainers feel the type weakness and resistances. They would faint just like a pokemon fight. Potions and pokemon centres would help them recover. Though death is still something that can happen. 

Trainers fused with food-like pokemon are not edible please don't eat them, there's a place where the food stops and the flesh starts and we don’t need to find out where that is ok??

Normal pokemon that are caught and trained will REFUSE to attack a dynamorphed trainer unless absolutely provoked. So you can’t really have a pokemon battle where a dynamoprhed trainer is beating up a pokemon or vice versa. That’s messed up.

Dynamorphed trainers cannot be caught in any kind of pokeballs. That’s also messed up.

They cannot breed to make a weird hybrid plz stop asking.

Dynamorphed Trainers can NOT be Dynamaxed. Too much energy, man.

Trainers CAN bond with more than one pokemon, but that's where complications start to occur. The more pokemon bonded to the trainer, the harder it is form them to hold on to their humanity. 

1 Pokemon = Okay

2 Pokemon = A struggle to keep humanity, but it’s possible.

3+ Pokemon = This is not a person. It is a hostile beast.

There are no legendary pokemon/ ultra beasts dynamorphed. They’re all in other regions and wouldn’t be in the Galar region when it happened so there just wouldn’t be. But if ya’ll make one with one anyway, I won’t stop you but the legendary pokemon may be too strong for a trainer to handle.

If the pokemon’s nature is different than the trainer’s than it might affect their personality. The extent of this is varied.

**No two dynamorphs look the same! If you have two trainers bonded with like...a Pikachu for example. One might get yellow fur, ears, and a tail while the other only gets a tail and the cheeks. Go nuts.

If the pokemon dynamorphed with the trainer is the opposite gender, the result is whatever you want. 

Speaking of complications, that brings us to the next part…

The Wild Area Trainers

During this whole event, I previously mentioned that the Wild Area was significantly affected. Those unfortunate enough to be out camping during the blast had the chance of 1 of 3 things happening:

They dynamorphed with one of their pokemon. 

They dynamorphed with with more than one of their pokemon

They dynamorphed with one or more wild pokemon Examples found HERE.

In the case of being bonded to a wild pokemon, this takes a heavy toll on the trainer’s mind as its constantly fighting with a wild pokemon. This causes them to lose their minds and become hostile, just like a wild pokemon. Unfortunately a large number of “Wild Trainers” roam the Wild Area. Their previously caught pokemon usually try to flee or stick around to protect their trainer out of sheer devotion. As mentioned before, they cannot be caught with a pokeball. But the region is working on a program to deal with this. …

How the Galar Region is dealing with the Dynamorph Crisis

Professors Sonia and Magnolia are appointed the top researchers, being granted the resources of the Macro Cosmos thanks to Oleana and Rose, wanting to atone for his mistakes. However the government, doubting Rose’s competence, sends out their own officials to oversee and make decisions. (I have no idea how the government of this region works. Is there a parliament? Is the gym league the authority? I’ll say for this AU there is actually a system of government…). 

They have labs and rehabilitation centres set up to be able to study and help help dynamorphed trainers cope and eventually go back home. They are not kept there against their will. Most, anyway. The main cast were quarantined in a lab/ facility for the early stages of the crisis so they could learn/ test their capabilities in a safe environment. Shenanigans ensue. Because of this, the crisis put a hold on the gym challenge league entirely. 

At first, the authorities wanted to keep this under wraps in case their morphs were an isolated incident but quickly realized that was going to be impossible. Travel to and from the Galar region became incredibly restricted. Dynamorphed trainers are not allowed to leave the region, for everyone’s safety (don’t want to risk an outburst that could harm anyone :c ), but unchanged people were free to travel once they were confirmed as ‘human’ by a mandatory test. 

The Wild Area became a huge problem, what with Wild Trainers running about. Defenses were set up just in case to prevent Wild Trainers from wandering into populated areas and causing havoc, though a few occurrences still happen, what with flying pokemon and all. Eventually, a special force was assembled that consisted of consenting dynamorphed trainers that were tasked with going into the Wild Area and subduing and retrieving Wild Trainers to bring them to a more secured location to help study them and to try and find a cure. And to confirm to families the fate of their missing family member(s). The attempt is to be as humane as possible. 

The special force (Do I really wanna call it Dynaforce? I feel like I’m abusing the prefix if I do), consists of all the current gym leaders, Piers, Leon, Victor/ Gloria and a bunch of other trainers who signed up who are 18+. (you don't want to send kids out doing this kind of dangerous work, I know pokemon is all about children taming powerful animals but you gotta draw the line in the sand somewhere. Gym leaders are exempt because they why not. They insisted and already proved their strength to the region. It’s an AU based off a fuckin game/ anime.) This force has two jobs:

Go into the Wild Area to subdue Wild Trainers and bring them home

Protect the towns in case any wild trainers get in. 

So what happened to Eternatus if it just escaped? Theories indicate it might be living in a massive den in the heart of the Wild Area, waiting to strike again. There are a lot more Wild Trainers near this area, so excursions here are difficult.

Is a cure eventually found? Honestly this is just an AU so that's up to you. My personal answer is no. Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. //Bear Grylls voice

So….this is a lot. This is just some silly AU that inspired me to expand on it for fun since you guys showed a lot of interest! I’ll edit this as I get more asks about things I may have missed, but I will be going in and deleting a lot of previous asks so I can clean up my blog a bit. I had WANTED to keep a lot of this ‘secret’ cuz I wanted to draw stuff for it. I STILL WILL DRAW for it, but realistically I don’t have the time or energy ahah. Especially for an AU of a published franchise aha. 

If you want to make a dynamorph trainersona, totally go for it! Just tag me when its done! I love seeing what people do!

[theelvenhaven]

The order of which the Gondolin and Feanorian elves would allow/enjoy make up being put on them. Pleeeeaaase!!!!

Of course I can!!! ☺️ Elves usually aren’t very big on make up as far as we know BUT if the circumstances were right or if it was widely available like it for us I’m sure they’d indulge! Let it be noted that this whole answer took on a life of its own lol

Fëanorians

Fëanor -  Fëanor, being who he is, is extremely confident in his appearance and his beauty and feels that it needs no enhancing what so ever. I think he would’ve absolutely experimented with it first though before deciding he didn’t need to wear it. Content with you applying a couple of different things, like eyeliner and mascara and even some highlighter. He understands the appeal but again he is confident he doesn’t need it. In turn Fëanor would absolutely apply make up to you instead, expect for subtle feature enhancing application until it comes to lipstick. Expect bold and rich colors as well as shiny and glossy gloss, he loves to smear your lipstick at the end of the day with a heated and passionate kiss.

Maedhros - Maedhros especially pre Angband wouldn’t bother with any, if you wore any of course he wouldn’t say anything. In fact he’d like the way mascara makes your lashes longer and giving the illusion your eyes are bigger. Post Angband that would change specifically in the name of concealer and foundation. Wanting to hide any scars that he could, he wouldn’t allow for anyone but himself to apply it. And he’d have no interest in anything else but concealer in foundation when the times could allow for it in the midst of his oath and war.

Maglor - Pre flight, Maglor would love highlighter and possibly even mascara! He’s a preformer, so anything that would enhance his beauty subtly would be accepted. Though he’d be averse to lipsticks and eyeliner and bright blushes. Concealer and foundation wouldn’t be necessary considering his skin is flawless. He loved it when you’d put highlighter on him and how gentle you worked with him. Post flight he wouldn’t worry about it, there’s too much happening and not enough time to indulge in such luxuries.

Celegorm - Celegorm’s version of make up would be extremely different as opposed to more classic wear and use. I think for him it would be more like face paint for the sake of hunting and blending in more effectively with the terrain. He’s completely opposed to wearing any make up other than that, and will allow you to apply his face paint. You wearing make up on the other hand is completely okay and encouraged, especially encouraging you to wear bright red lipstick.

Caranthir - Caranthir I feel like would possibly like eyeliner, not anything heavy of course. Just a subtle line around his lash lines, and he’s an expert at keeping it from running and smudging. Caranthir isn’t big on letting you apply it onto him considering it’s his eyes and is mildly fearful you’ll stab him on accident. He hates concealers and foundations and especially blushes. If you’re in a relationship and wear blush he’d find it somewhat endearing that you’d want your face to look similar to his. But if you’re big on wearing foundation and concealer anticipate him to be cold about you wearing it. Especially if you are constantly telling him how much you love his rosy face as is, he finds it completely and totally hypocritical that you tell him not to alter his complexion while you do it in turn.

Curufin - Curufin, like Caranthir, would like wearing eyeliner! Rather than wearing around his whole eye like Cara would, he’d wear it just on his bottom lashline. He’d not be up for you putting it on him at all, not so much because you might stab him, it’s just because he’s stubborn. I feel like Curufin would also get creative with his liner, wanting to possibly make his appearance look more regal and intimidating. Like Celegorm and Caranthir, he’d be opposed to anything else. As opposed to you putting any make up on him, Curufin I think would enjoy dolling you up instead. 

Amrod & Amras - Amrod and Amras are still considerably much younger than their brothers and I think they would be experimental in what make up they’d wear. Even allowing you to experiment on their faces, and taking your suggestions to heart. They’d also certainly follow Celegroms lead on the face paint, considering they are hunters as well. Some days they might be more partial to eyeliner, another day blush or highlighter, or just mascara.

Celebrimbor - I think he’d take after his grandfather on this one, while he sees the appeal to wearing make up he just isn’t big on it. He appreciates the art to it and how beautiful it is, but it’s just not for him. He spends too much time in the forges anyways, sweating it all off to worry about keeping it on. He does like when you wear minimal make up as well, preferring a more natural look. Though even if you prefer a less natural look, Celebrimbor will think you are gorgeous either way. He loves you regardless of what you wear and what you do. 

Gondolin

Turgon - I feel like Turgon would have mixed feelings about make up, he’d appreciate what it can do but he’d be a sucker for staying more natural. In the privacy of your chambers when it is just you two, he’d allow for subtle looks to be applied. No eyeliner or lipsticks though, and he wouldn’t wear it outside of your chambers. I think he’d have an affinity for the highlighter and heavily consider wearing it to court or doing his daily duties, but would be a little nervous about doing so. Keeping him to stay natural.

Glorfindel - He loves highlighter and blushes and maybe even some lip balm. Nothing too over the top of course, being an elf again that natural look is going to take priority. But he loves the extra sparkle it adds to his natural glow already, and he is absolutely content and relaxed to you applying the make up to him. He also loves to see you wearing make up as well, again more partial to natural looks. But he is content if you wear a little more heavier highlighter than he does. 

Salgant - I don’t think Salgant would be partial to any make up at all, not wanting to stray at all from his natural look. Unlike Turgon, he would be completely adverse to you applying anything on him at all, even just to experiment and for fun. I also think Salgant would be adverse to you wearing any make up as well, wanting you to be completely natural. 

Rog - Rog is very go with the flow and extremely laid back, but when it comes to make up it’s not something he will wear especially in public. It doesn’t help that he does spend copious amounts of time sweaty in the forges, and all of your hard work would wash away from the sweat. On nights when you both are goofing around, and if you ask Rog will let you apply make up to him. Even if you make it utterly ridiculous he will only laugh, but expect for the same to happen to you. The more outrageous you make him look, he will be sure to do the same to you in turn.

Ecthelion - He’s not very big on make up, preferring none at all for himself. Ecthelion feels that he doesn’t need to wear anything to enhance his features. Feeling that his features are beautiful enough, and he is adverse to experimentation to it because he knows he doesn’t need it. As for you, even if Ecthelion prefers no make up, he isn’t going to go out of his way to tell you that how he feels. If you like wearing make up and the extra confidence it gives you, he is content with that. 

Penlod - Penlod feels no particular way about make up at all, I think he’d try and experiment with a little bit of everything. From more subtle looks, to a little more bold (nothing ever over the top.). He’d happily let you apply anything that you wanted to his face, wanting to see what all the looks you could come up with. Depending on how bold you go he’d wear it for the day, and absolutely would he experiment make up looks on you constantly if you allow for it. 

Maeglin - Expect absolutely no room for experimentation or application on Maeglin by your own two hands for a considerable amount of time. Considering that require a great deal of trust and comfort that he would have to share with you before even letting you touch his face like that. Maeglin would probably be more partial to eyeliner and concealer. He’d like how black liner could make his eyes pop and be even brighter than they already are, probably wearing a thicker line as opposed to a thin one. He’d certainly use the concealer to hide the purple bags under his eyes from all of his lack of sleep. Maeglin would admire and enjoy when you wear make up, liking the way it makes your eyes look brighter, and the way your skin would sparkle and the way your lips would be tinted. 

Galdor - Galdor prefers the simplicity of lip balm and nothing else, in fact he produces it himself! He’s not big on anything other than that for himself, being so laid back he doesn’t mind what else you like to wear. Other than that he won’t really allow you to apply much of anything to his face, save the lipbalm. He’s a simple ellon with simple tastes!

Duílin - Duilin I think would be like Celegorm and Ambarussa in the name of face paint for hunting before Gondolin was completed. I’m sure he loved the thrill of the hunt and all that entailed with it. As for make up outside of his face paint, he prefers nothing. He does however have a preference for when you wear mascara and blush, he loves the rosy color added to your face. Thinking you’re even more beautiful with it on. 

Egalmoth - Egalmoth loves highlighter, and light tinted lip balm for himself. He loves the sparkle in highlighter and likes to look even more radiant especially when he is decked out in all of his jewelry. Egalmoth prefers pale pink lip balms to add a little more color to his face, and he prefers applying it himself. Though he will relinquish his control to let you do it if you asked. In turn Egalmoth also loves to apply make up to you as well. Adding extra highlighter and bolder colors of lip balm or lipstick to your face.

* * *

tags:

@lilmelily @dicksoutformtl @fandom-hoe101 @icarus-fell-in-spring

[valfeathers]

You mentioned a rewrite in the tags, yes? If so, what's some of the chief changes in it concerning DRT? Any shakeups for whose in the main cast? Or character deaths?

Well... First off, forgive me for the unholy wall of text! This is a long post and i go into some writer speak so be warned ig!

I kind of want to clear up any real vagueness and let the story speak for itself, which means removing some of the unnecessary twists (like asa not being a real person in the flashbacks only to actually end up being a real person after all) and giving the plot beats more breathing room so that they can really have an impact. The illustrations would be heavy with symbolism and i'm definitely keeping imagery from the more abstract parts of the books but as a whole i want to tone down the story and focus on the characters and their motivations, that isn't to say that I'm going to neglect the plot, timeline or worldbuilding though! I just want to form a real connection here and really explore this unique situation/setting.

And I do want to mention that this project is entirely for fun and an exercise of my abilities as a writer/artist/character designer, which means I'll be taking several creative liberties. Which means you could call it an AU? Technically.

I want to go into this and leave no stone unturned! Recently I've been working on environment design as well as actually nailing down settings and even writing little drabbles from the perspectives of lesser known characters. Really exploring it, this is a good way to make something productive of my hyperfixation rather than leaving this untouched forever!

And now for some of the key changes that are definitely set in stone:

-For starters, and this may be controversial, but I'm removing the Kudan entirely. To deliver the short and sweet of it, Blue Ink is no longer secretly a prophetic god. I, however, will still be including cow imagery every chance i get, rest assured.

-I'm also scrapping nearly every cameo from other ingame characters, the only exceptions being Junko and the ultimate impostor. the reason that i decided to cut this is because i want it to feel more like a standalone series, and while the cameos from sakura, celeste, hifumi and the remnants were fun, i want to take the time to develop the antagonists that were introduced in the books ie (suzuhiko, kazuya, and the Hardly Mentioned At All assassins who were gunning for byakuya.)

-And this is technically me undoing a character death but whatever, Shinobu ends up surviving the events of the competition flashbacks. I'm giving her a few more years and Then killing her.

-Speaking of shinobu, I'm taking a slightly different approach to the k2k system and its effects. whilst yes, this is still a plot point its function is different. rather than fabricate false memories, it now, because of a malfunction, ends up erasing a portion of her memory for reasons that will be explained later, nerfing her memories of the majority of her time as a student as well as any real close relationships she had. this is a the main point of tension for her character as well as one of the (hopefully) most impactful twists of the AU.

-which means that the names of the main cast will stay the same, ie. Hiroyuki and Yuika Ketouin, potential heirs to the ketouin conglomerate will remain Hiroyuki and Yuika ketouin (i'm aware that they are characters from another series making a cameo but for AU purposes i'll be taking those aforementioned creative liberties). other than the ultimate impostor, you can assume that any name given to a character is the correct one. again, not only did i make this choice for simplicity's sake, but also as an opportunity to connect to these characters and make them feel more tangible and solid.

-this means that the events of the flashbacks happen just as they're shown as well! all of the siblings, their names, talents and the events of the competition are shown as they happened with no interference whatsoever.

-speaking of the siblings, i would also be extending the flashbacks in order to really get to know them as well, like i've mentioned in previous posts i've designed each of them and am working on getting designs for their parents finalised as well, although it's taking a while.

this post is getting long but this is just a fraction of what i have planned! i'll leave off for now

i'll be willing to answer any questions but it may take me a minute to respond!

[kacychase]

After the reawakening [EzarelxMC]

[Commentary: Please understand that all of this has my heart inserted into this after paying too much for a game dear to me, yet disappointing. Beemov, I hate to bother you as it seems to be a waste of time, but please… Listen to your readers, at least to the demographic you aim for and their constructive criticism. Your game has so much potential, it could be so much more, and it breaks my heart that it’s not. Please, for our sake… We have been loyal to you for so long. This fanfic is here because I loved the original story and characters – with its flaws all included, and ultimately, we love your characters (at least the original), and just want a game that gives them justice, that doesn’t make us feel used more so than enjoying a story]

 Warnings: cheesy, so damn cheesy, level of extra layers of cheese, ALSO CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BOTH ORIGINS AND NEW ERA SEASONS

Works: Ezarel (this one) | Nevra | Valkyon | Leiftan (Valkyon and Leiftan in the works)

 When I chose you

It felt right.

The way you held me tight,

The way you would brighten

Up my day would

Bring sparkles in your eyes

That I wouldn’t be able to forget.

 When things went south,

When people silenced my mouth,

When you let me down,

It took my time to count on you again.

 Yet, here I stand, in your arms,

In your scent and your comfort,

In your loving embrace, forever.

Crystal or not, you were an ever-lasting

believer in me when I was in need.

 Who could blame you for leaving,

for your sacrifice or getting

Over me?

In the end, I love you, still,

And whether you come back or not,

All of the memories, the emotions

Will never escape them,

Even if Mnemosyne’s spell

Would compel me to do so.

 Nothing would make me get over you.

Nothing would make me want to lose you again.

My sacrifice should not be in vain,

And your happiness is what I need to

See as best for you.

Yet… Just so you know,

I love you still, and have not forgotten.

 [Ezarel]

It has been… A while, apparently. The war has worn all of us down, and I can’t imagine that Ezarel wasn’t caught with it’s consequences either. I wouldn’t have wanted for Valkyon to die, for Ezarel to lose me, for Ykhar to die, for Leiftan and me to sacrifice ourselves, or just all of this death to happen around me. But, here I am, selfish enough to hope, and to dream of a future with the man I grew to love 7 years ago.

I have travelled on a Chau’Kobow for seemingly weeks. Huang Hua has granted me the wish to travel to him after a letter has forewarned him. It took a lot, and I repeat, a lot of convincing to ask that of her. Why would Ezarel want to retreat with Twylda and Marie-Anne in a completely different place? I don’t know, and frankly, I don’t care. The crystal seems to need me less and less, and Mathieu will have to suffice to explain the whole ordeal with the human world molding with ours.

Hoping that his reaction won’t be as cold as Nevra’s, I ask myself more often than not if I am desperate with what I am doing, and try to avoid the obvious.

When I arrive at the destination, in the far horizon of this clear grass, I can see it – a house, far away from all the trouble. It feels like yesterday when he asked me if we could just ditch the guard once the whole war would be over.

I still wouldn’t hesitate to take the offer… But would he?

Only one way to find out. With a deep, shaky breath, I approach the far house with an increasing pulse. My whole body practically aches to hug him again.

As I come closer, I realize that the whole village seems to be part of a more peaceful and modest community. Having got to know Ezarel, I bet it would be a change of heart to his former life – a complete new beginning. It must be just what he wanted.

Slowly, I get down from the Shau’kobow, taking the last steps to the house. I can’t help but take deep breaths again and again, but it wouldn’t work on slowing my heartbeat.

The door is nice and wooden, just as modest as the town and it’s surroundings. I even see my own hand shiver when I try to knock on the door when suddenly, I a loud noise of heavy weights falling on the ground from behind me alerts me.

Turning around, I instinctively lay a hand on my weapon.

And there he stands. His mouth and eyes are wide open as he watches me, apparently, the sound came from him dropping a few wood logs. Hopefully, none hit him!

But even when I want to ask if he’s okay, if he wasn’t hurt, it’s as if his eyes held me in place. My body begins to shake even more brutally, and I can see how his wide-eyed expression doesn’t change. Please, don’t let this be a mistake. I wouldn’t be able to bear it…

“Gardienne,” he practically breathes out, as if it stole air from his lungs.

It feels like hours that we look at each other like this. His now wilder, untied blue hair and his ears of course are some of the first indicators of my Ezarel. But his outfit, his demeanor seems much less elegant, witty and intricate. He is wearing a simple top, pants, a belt and boots, seemingly uncaring of his poise. While he (luckily) hasn’t grown the moustache that he has once pranked me with, I can see that he seems more muscular, and that this life has changed him.

And I wasn’t there to see him.

But now I’m here.

Without wanting to, my vision blurs from all the tears that roll down my cheeks, and I can just see that he is going through the same thing.

“How are you doing?” I ask him with a crack in my voice. Seriously, Gardy, can’t you ask for a better thing? He hasn’t seen you for seven years and might have moved on from you, and this is what you ask first?

“I-“

All of a sudden, he approaches me, his eyes still focused on nothing else but my frame. Again, it feels like we are in a bubble again that we have had when we were still in a relationship… It feels like yesterday for me.

Not daring to move until he would be okay with embracing me, he, agonizingly slowly, reaches out a hand to my face. Overall, his shaky hand seems to be moving in slow-motion as he wipes a tear away. Understanding that he might not understand what I might talk about, he finally, finally opens his mouth to speak.

“You’re back? This is not a dream?”

In his voice, I can sense so much pain… Should I have not come? Should I have stayed away after all? The sudden thought ties up my thought, but feeling his hand resting on my cheek is so unbelievably calming. Hesitantly, I lay my hand on his.

“No. Should I pinch you to prove it?” I ask back with a small smile, seeing him smirk back.

“Please do,” he whispers, his voice sore.

Shortly after, I pinch him. His little smirk suddenly disappears as his body crashes against mine and he hugs me all of a sudden. the way he holds me incredibly tight, as if I could vanish any moment. As if time was ticking.

“I’m so sorry, Ezarel. I came back as soon as I could,” I whisper. This time, unlike the times before, he seems to have openly welcomed me, and again, I can see how much the elf has grown ever since the encounter.

I see how his simplicity and aura has toned down a little in its absolutely brash energy, and how much he has missed me. Uncaring of the danger of possibly choking, I tighten my grip around him.

We are shivering in place, and neither of us can say a word.

It feels as if an old system in body has awoken, and finally, it has clicked as to where I belong. Silently, I hear him laugh while his tears drop onto my clothes. This moment I do cherish.

His usual humor seems to have been swallowed in this moment, as he suddenly holds me back by an arm length, and orders me to please go inside and sit – he will just pick up the logs. Of course, I wouldn’t without helping him out, so I grin at him with a telling look.

An exhausted smile is plastered on his face. I can’t help but stare at him a bit before I bend down to pick up the rather heavy logs. After that has been done, both of us give us a look to ensure the other is fine. It must be strange for him to suddenly see me after 7 years.

Soon after, he hurries to the door to open the door. “Why, aren’t you a forthcoming gentleman today?” I smile at him, but his facial expression doesn’t seem as responsive. His smile is weaker as he says: “You learn a lot with two women around you.”

Right. Twylda and Marie-Anne must have made an impression on him. I can’t help but smirk at the image of them reprimanding him for his manners. “Why, if such a chivalrous gentleman appeared in front of me, I would have considered coming sooner,” I try to lighten up the mood, but I might have been too early.

Staring at me, he just drops the log into the corner of the room, and I decide to just do the same. While I see some elegant pieces of vials, and a little bit of a laboratory. I recognize quite a bit from his room and remember what I have seen in his vision. It’s funny how colorful his interior is in comparison to the modest wooden house. Maybe he hasn’t changed that much after all?

Standing at the side of the couch where he has sat himself down, I ask him: “May I sit?” He looks up at me, heightening his brows. He nods, following my movements with his piercing green eyes. With a hand gesture and a nod, he tells me to sit on the sofa next to him.I do so, but with well-kept space as to not overwhelm. For a while, there’s nothing but silence. This time, it’s me who initiates the conversation. “How are Marie-Anne and Twylda?” As he looks back at me with a lopsided smile, he tells me about their state. How they have helped each other to rebuild a new life, a new identity. Marie-Anne, the now healed young woman – who has grown to pass my age – has come back to the state of a helpful human being, with the help of him and Twylda. As well, the two women were able to come to a better path. Honestly, as he tells these things, they seem so incredibly unreal. When I remember Twylda screaming at us to let her to Marie-Anne as she was transported into the H.Q., she wanted nothing but to harm her. She had a lot to go through during those times, and I try to avoid thinking of the events in detail. But as I have heard in the past, I have seen videos on Youtube with a reported case in which the mother would forgive the murderer of their son, even raise them as one of their own. While it appears as a mystery to me, I am neither supposed to judge, nor do I have to understand. If both are happy, that’s all I care about.Well, that, and of course the elf who is telling me about them.“I’m sorry that I left, Gardienne.”Those words suddenly suck all of the established ease out of this room. For the first time since I have arrived, he averts his gaze. “I couldn’t stand the guard anymore. All the pressure, the tasks, all the memories to this place, and… you,” he takes a deep breath to continue. I just shake my head, knowing that he must have had a terribly hard time processing everything.Wouldn’t I also be overwhelmed if he has sacrificed himself for a cause, having me wait for months back then? And with all that happened… The war, the murders, the deaths, betrayals and other dangerous situations, who would I be to blame him?“It’s okay. I heard what you said as goodbye, and I understood. I still do, Ezarel,” I murmur, looking at him and putting my hand on his cheek. His eyes seem to become glassy again.“We’re here now,” I whisper with a smile, “And I am glad that you were doing okay after all. I’ve had a very strong boyfriend.”Swallowing hard, I realize that I don’t know about that aspect yet, and as his eyes shine with so much emotion and compassion, he just mumbles: “I don’t have anyone as of yet. I wasn’t interested, and something told me to wait.” His little smile shocks me in combination with his words. “I guess my instincts were right to do so.”Seven years.It’s been seven years, and he has waited for me. His eyes seem like a confirmation for me to go on, and I immediately lean into him to kiss him with all the passion that I have feared of losing inside the crystal. I was ready to give up on that to save him. And here we are…Did fate finally give me a happy ending?Once we separate to breathe in fresh air, his hands hugging me loosen up to look at me.His eyes shine with love that warm my whole body, and I can’t believe that this is going so fluently. “So, I hope you don’t mind accompanying this chivalrous gentleman in the future?” His eyebrow raises, but I can see that he is happy about me coming.The way I respond might be one of the most typical aspects of our relationship. Tipping with my index finger on my chin, I act pensive saying: “Hmmm… If there was payment involved, maybe I’d consider it? I’m hotly desired, you know?”His smile brightens, and it’s as if our compatibility would never be questioned.We would spend this night together, and the one after, and the days after that to slowly get back to each other.When him and I would strengthen each other in his alchemy business, I realize that he was right with running off all along. He’s all I need after all.

~~> Very cheesy fin