#and made so many new friends and had lots of (mis)adventures this was so so special

[thetrunkofmymind]

i have seen fall out boy three times in two weeks, in two different countries… i have ascended to previously undiscovered levels of not being normal about them <3

[calxwallace]

THE FOOL

The Fool tarot card is the number 0 of the Major Arcana, which stands for unlimited potential. To see the Fool card generally indicates that you’re on the verge of an unexpected and exciting new adventure in your daily life. This may require you to take a blind leap of faith.There will be a rewarding experience that will contribute to your growth as a human being. The new adventure could be literal and may involve traveling to a new land or territories you’ve never visited.

STATISTICS

FULL NAME : Calliope Edith Wallace ALIAS : Cal, Cali AGE : 32 DATE  OF  BIRTH : March 25th, 1992 HOMETOWN : Detroit, MI, USA TIME IN EAST HAVEN : Since august 2010 RESIDENCE : Cresthill Meadows FACECLAIM : Elizabeth Lail

trigger warning: kidnapping, death by suicide, abandonment, abuse

EDUCATION : Medicine at Chapman University in Kismet Harbor OCCUPATION : Forensic Pathologist at KH Police Department. GENDER : Cis-Female PRONOUNS : She/her SEXUALITY : Pansexual. HAIR COLOUR : Blonde/Light brown EYE  COLOUR : Green HEIGHT : 5'8" BUILD : Slim. ACCENT : American. LANGUAGES : English, Latin (medical terms) TATTOOS : Butterfly tattoo on her neck SCENT: Dior ZODIAC : Aries LOVE LANGUAGE : Words of affirmation, physical touch. CLOTHING: High fitted jeans and shirts, mostly with text or logo's

CONDITIONS : None ALLERGIES : None EATING HABITS : Loves cooking so she takes her time to meal prep whenever she doesn't work. Always has a snack handy. EXERCISE HABITS : Pilates SLEEPING HABITS : Fast sleeper, snores a little, Likes sleeping on her back. Always cold. ADDICTIONS : None DRUG  USE : None. ALCOHOL USE : Yes

POSITIVE  TRAITS : Intelligent, adaptable, strongwilled. NEGATIVE TRAITS : resentful, stubborn, demanding PHOBIAS : Claustrophobic FEARS : Ending up alone. HOBBIES : clubbing, puzzles, cleaning HABITS : tapping her foot on the ground, biting her nails, picking on her clothes. USUAL DEMEANOUR: Happy

FATHER : Thomas Wallace MOTHER : Marilyn Wallace SIBLINGS : Giovanna Wallace, TBD Wallace RELATIONSHIPS: Molly Zhuang (2013-2016), Levi Steele-Hutchinson(2018-2020), Josiah Huddington (2020-2021) CHILDREN : None PETS : None

BIOGRAPHY

Calliope was born third into the Wallace household of what would eventually make the family be graced by three children, two girls and one boy. The family was existent of nothing but love and respect, creating a safe and warm household. Calliope could bury herself in the many books that the household contained, even if Calliope only liked the pictures at such a young age. She would make a pillow fortress under her father's desk or read in her big sister's bed.

Calliope was always a studious child. An inquisitive nature as soon as she was able to crawl around, much to the terror of her parents. She was friendly to whomever would come across her path, making a lot of friends from a very young age, despite the warnings of her parents about stranger danger. Yet if there is anything Calliope's life would prove to her, it's that it's the ones closest to you that betray you and let you down.

At the mere age of five, the Wallace household collapsed. Giovanna's kidnapping was followed by grim atmospheres. Calliope barely saw her parents smile anymore, instead crying as they kept giving interviews and statements about wanting their daughter back. Within a year, Calliope hadn't just lost her sister, but she had to watch how two coffins were lowered into the ground, as the guilt and remorse had been too much too handle for her parents to handle, leaving behind their other two children.

Calliope and her brother ended up with their aunt and uncle, who from the get go made it clear to the two that they weren't happy with their presence, as they wouldn't be able to live their life of traveling anymore and instead taking care of two brats they never even wanted to have. Their abuse was manageable at first, since Calliope had her brother. The shouting, the evenings without dinner, the smack on the heads and backs. Never the legs and arms. The two siblings held their heads down, focusing on school work playing with dolls with each other.

Calliope was too young at that time, unaware that her sister had escaped and that her aunt and uncle had refused to take her in and was instead cast away to a godmother of theirs. This was only relied to her later on by her brother when she was older. Calliope never really had an opinion. It had been her and her brother for so long, for the most of her recollection that she had her most important person with her. That all changed when her brother decided to run away from home when she was eleven, leaving her alone with her abusers. The punishment got worse. Involuntary haircuts, locking her up in the broom closet and being terrorised during the night so that she wouldn't get any sleep.

Her anger got her through it. The anger and hatred towards her 'caretakers' for how they treated her. Towards her brother for abandoning her, towards her parents for choosing the easy way out and leave behind their son and daughter to fend for themselves and to her sister, who was the cause for all of this. She endured, trying her best not to show her aunt and uncle that they were winning, that she was terrified of confined spaces, even trying as much as to appease her uncle who was the less terrible of the two, but this only angered her aunt, who at one point even shaved off the girl's head. Luckily for Calliope, this was prior to the summer break, so she wouldn't have to face the bullying of her classmates. At the end of the summer break, Calliope made a run for it. She grabbed whatever little she had and ran from the home she had grown up in for more years than she had spent in her parental home, fleeing to the house of her best friend.

Her best friend was raised by a single teen mother, who understood the reality of an abusive home and the knowledge that should it be reported, Calliope would be put in child protective services. The woman had threatened her aunt and uncle to receive the child support payments or else she would report them, but they had laughed in her face, knowing that she wouldn't pull through on her threat. The woman didn't have enough funds to spend extra's on her daughter's friend, which Calliope didn't expect. she would focus on her school, be given clothes to wear from her friend so she wouldn't have old rags to wear, walk paper rounds until she was old enough to have actual sidejobs, earning more money for her savings account. She focused on her studies, wanting to do what her father did, forensic pathology and honour him in that way. She was fierce on the soccer field, even earning her a scholarship come graduation. It was both her will and her rage that got her where she was. Persevering against a traumatic childhood that left its traces here and there.

Moving to Kismet Harbor for college was exciting. It was a new start for the woman, far away from her abusers and a chance for a clean slate. She felt whole among her peers, thriving in her soccer team where she functioned as the keeper. With the inheritance she received upon reaching the adult age, she was able to pay off some of her student loans, managing the rest with part time jobs cleaning at people's homes. It wasn't enough to pay it all off, but at least enough to let her live a life where she didn't have to live dime after dime.

Graduating out of college, Calliope was excited by the prospect of getting a job at the coroner's office straight out of school, moving into an apartment with her college best friend. Her personal life was good, so was her work life, Calliope was the life at parties and her love life was picking up as well. She had her heart broken, which added to her trust issues that made it harder for her to let someone in. She hadn't expected to find it in Josiah Huddington however. A police officer she often worked with and was friends with. Somehow the man had sneaked his way into her life, sending her heart all aflutter at the sight of him.

It was when Calliope learned her sister had come into town in 2021 that she was frightened of the prospect of him learning about her past, which she had kept close to her chest, aside from Riley, her college best friend. So she had broken up with him, breaking both their hearts in the process. Calliope managed to keep a distance to her sister in the meanwhile, not having run into her and create awkward moments. she's not ready to face her sister and dig up the hatred she had pushed down upon leaving Detroit, afraid that that would be the end of her bright personality that she had slowly rediscovered upon her freedom rediscovered at eighteen. That's a process she doesn't want to lose.

[queitghoulwhispering]

Rue

It's a nickname of my username, she was orignally an animal crossing ver. of me made up by a friend inspired by my vibe/personality

Minks existing makes the transition easier than you think. Her overall attitude is more suited to that than animal crossing anyway XD.

So many, but if i had to pick one: Demon Kitty Rag by Katzenjammer

Devil's Carnival. Loves Arthouse and musicals.

Her personality is a very "love it or hate it" so she's accidentally made some social mistakes and lost a few friends.

First opening night of the Cerberus concert hall.

Spiced roast beef

Bartolomeo or Law

Literally any marine, she's a smuggler. The fact that ppl have to have essentially medication and shit shipped via smuggling bc of embargos or just the official channels being too damn expensive pisses her off.

Singing and dancing.

Cooking and cleaning. She tries T-T

Her paw coloration were orignally lovely maryjanes and socks but le-poofe made her barefoot and i love her interpretation of her lil feets so i kept it that way. dress shoes are often unnecessary uncomfortable. normalize barefoot in a sundress.

Rue once had a marine show up for a "surprise" inspection while they were unloading cargo. the fucking mission impossible stealth shenanigans her crew and herself had to pull to complete the deal XD. Now they do it during concert hours/when advertising so no one notices.

If she's not currently seeing anyone, yes!

Sugar

It's a pun that came up when making her, someone commented that she's "sweet as sugar" in opposite to my personality lmao. And I love a good roast.

Love fire elementals, will find a way to include in any universe. So i just made it that devil fruit users have a teeny tiny chance to inherit some of their ancestors abilities. tada!

When the Day met the Night by panic! at the disco

Anastasia, loves the music

That her cousins and siblings all went out adventuring. She hasn't heard from them since. She blames herself for not convincing them to stay and run the family tavern.

Finally establishing total neutrality in her establishment, it took a lot of work, but if people have beef, they take it outside.

Cupcakes!!!!

I think she's focused a bit on the business, but I head-canon Crocodile meeting up and discovering you're never too old for a crush XD. He wins her over eventually.

Blackbeard, he's always starting shit.

Coming up with different mixed drinks/dishes to satisfy a variety of customers. If they don't mind the time it takes to make something "off the menu" she'll try to accommodate.

Fighting. Not that she's not powerful, she is, but she's very... imprecise. She'll set your ship on fire without meaning to if they get her angry enough.

Her flames are malleable, her hair can be literally sculpted into a variety of forms and styles.

She tried to throw someone out of her bar and chucked them into the sea from where her bar was. Like I said, she's very strong, but very imprecise. Luckily a few incidents like that (coupled with the fact that it was always the marines that started the fights, up until Blackbeard suddenly grew balls, but that was a while after) that they declared her bar and island neutral territory for the most part.

Absolutely, Crocodile takes forever to win her over.

Wren

She's based off the bird, and that bird is adorable with an adorable name. Also, she was originally going to be nonbinary, and wren is such a enby name, don't you think? So cute!

Tori tori no mis exist, and with bird devil fruits and shandians being a thing, I came up with a fun race similar to minks that view shandians like minks view humans. They think they're the same species ^w^

House Wren by Owl City

You'd think it'd be Kiki's Delivery Service, but it's actually Spirited Away.

Not leaving her island sooner, it took so long for her to work up the courage to chase her dreams.

Being hired by Big News Morgan, someone who works outside of the all the different complicated political systems of the world. Huge relief.

Anything new! She loves sampling local cuisine. Even if the taste or texture doesn't agree with her, she still values the experience.

I ship her with Jinbei, he's not likely to suggest they settle down, they both like to wander, and he probably has fantastic stories for her to document. Since his canonically preferred devil fruit is a tori tori no mi, he'd probably be fascinated by her wings. Two very different people loving their differences and similarities equally.

Enel and Blackbeard. Hears about Enel from Shandian cousins and is very very enraged. Blackbeard because she was picked up by the Whitebeard Pirates early on in her adventure when she got caught in a storm.

They are a extremely fast flyer, faster than any ship. She has a side hustle delivering packages and letters along the grand line.

Swimming, her wings are not waterproof, if they get too waterlogged they hurt she has a specific way of bathing, and communal baths were common on her island.

The way she fights, she can separate feathers from her wings and duplicate them and then shoot them at enemies. There's a limit on how many times she can do this, feathers take a while to regrow, but they are deadly when shot at the incredible high speeds she does. And she's very precise. Flying around at high speeds on the regular means she has very good vision.

Not learning proper navigation i.e. weather forecasting before starting out made her get caught in a hell of a storm. She got rescued by the Whitebeard Pirates after a "chase" which was really a misunderstanding on her part over their intentions. She was a very soggy miserable little thing that night. Her wings took ages to get dry and the feathers set straight enough to fly again.

She'd be very blushy, but yes!

REBLOG THIS AND TELL ME ABOUT YOUR OC(s) IN THE TAGS

TELL ME IN THE COMMENTS

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR OC(s)

If you don't know what to start with:

why that name?

why that universe?

what's the song that speaks to you about them?

What's their favorite movie?

What's their biggest regret?

What's their HAPPIEST moment?

What's their favorite food?

Who do they love?

Who do they hate?

What are they good at?

What are they bad at?

TELL ME THE COOLEST THING ABOUT THEM THAT NO ONE EVER ASKS ABOUT

Tell me the dumbest fucking shit they've messed up, or aren't good at

Can I smooch them?

[zentloper-xmas]

Christmas 2017

Hello all from the “Zentloper” abode,

I’ve always wanted to do an annual Christmas letter. It was a tradition in my family growing up; Dad would round up all our input about what significant events that had happened over the year to include and then he’d type it up and we’d all gather around the table putting our signatures on the cards as we readied them for the mail. In my first marriage, I didn’t have too many friends and family to differentiate myself from the old “Zentler Xmas Letter” and could not justify partaking. But things have changed considerably, choices made, lives rehashed, and this year I find myself in the circumstance where it makes sense to gather a list of people to whom extending a seasonal greeting seems appropriate. Congrats, you made the list. ;)

So where to begin? 2017 has been a rather blessed year for Neil and I, most things considered. We still reside in our little studio apartment on the second floor of a complex in the middle of San Jose, but that may be changing next year. Ultimately, we both want a house somewhat secluded from the grid while remaining in Silicon Valley, but there’s a lot of saving left to do to make that dream a reality. Somehow, I’m confident, we’ll make it work. Until then, our heads are filled with daydreams of home ownership and little do-it- yourself projects– I guess that’s fairly normal for two people embarking on life together.

Of course, it would also be preferable if said domicile had a multi-car garage... Our “fleet” as Neil calls it, has expanded from two vehicles to four over the course of this calendar year. His most recent acquisition– a 1983 Chevrolet Camaro Z28– has been a source of entertaining joy-rides and mechanical (mis)adventures, with the promise of “many more to come.” Early this year, back in February, he also purchased a new motorcycle; namely, a 2017 Indian Springfield, and his old bike, a 2013 Yahama V-Star became my baby. I’ve had my fun decking it out, adding a windshield, repainting the saddlebags, giving it a tank bib, and more. But more importantly, the purchase enabled us to take many wonderful weekend rides together, exploring destinations throughout California: taking in the gorgeous views, reveling in the sensation of freedom as we glide down the road through twists and turns, and enjoying one another’s company. We hit up lots of National Parks and beaches or just cruised unfamiliar stretches of pavement for the heck of it. On our way to Reno in June, we unexpectedly hit snow– very glad we avoided frostbite on our toes. Our year’s capstone ride was Las Vegas in August, crossing the desert in the scorching summer heat. I decided to assemble a quilt of California such that we could document our journeys with patches and pins from each location.

We do wish we had more free time to take advantage of together. Neil has been working with Schwan’s Home Food Service for almost a year now, which has a good salary and benefits but incredibly long hours. Of course Neil, overachiever that he is, has excelled in the role; he’s the second highest Sales Rep in the region or something like that, which is most of the West coast. I’m immeasurably proud of him.

Meanwhile, I’ve been on the path of pursuing my Masters in Business Administration at San Jose State University. Having graduated back in 2010, I was a little nervous about returning to school, but I studied hard and took the GRE sometime in March and got excellent marks and was thus conditionally accepted, pending some required courses, which I completed online. I began my coursework in September and have already learned so much. I find that my brain is much more suited to comprehension and application of concepts than it was when I was an undergrad. Too weird. But then, my background in English and Visual

Arts and profession in the theme park industry has certainly made me stand out from the rest of the business crowd, and it’s fun being a little unique.

I also underwent what should be my last SRS procedure: a hysterectomy in September. Neil took time off work to care for me while I recovered, which was swift; in three weeks I was back to 100%. Transitioning has been more than a six-year process at this point, but I can safely say I’ve never felt more comfortable than I am now, both physically in this body, and emotionally. Neil’s unwavering acknowledgement of and participation in my gender identity, and his love for me for who I am, is truly something I never thought I’d have in a partner.

I hope this message reaches all of you at a happy point in your lives as well. We think of you and the ways you’ve touched our lives often, even if we don’t express it.

Best Wishes, Rick and Neil

[tohruhondaismydaughter]

Just had some headcanons about Machi pop into my head that I wanted to share with yall. So we know this poor girl struggles with "perfect"/neat things right? Well I was thinking about some healthy coping mechanisms she could develop to replace the whole 'breaking property/living in a dump' thing & here's what I got so far -

1. She always tries to wear odd socks (unless she's invited somewhere nice)

2. Ayame & Mine help her find cool asymmetrical stuff to wear, how to make clashing colours/patterns work for her & teach her how to sew up her old clothes in a more "punk rock" way (after Yuki & Kakeru explain some of her issues with perfection)

3. Tohru gently points out that she dosn't have to tie her laces the same way on both shoes if she dosn't want to

4. Haru & Rin (awkwardly on her part) teach her the power of acessorising (ie. wearing only one earing, putting on an uneven amount of bracelets/rings/necklaces, adding paper clips of different sizes & colours to your clothing & Machi later ends up adding stuff like buttons to her outfits/belongings as well which Haru & Rin are tottally surppotive of despite thier difference in style) & hair/makeup which (thanks to Yuki's advice) they make sure to keep slightly messy (Kimi laughed at it at first until Momiji made her feel bad after he told her that Machi had gone to the bathroon & wiped off all the make up & undid the hair style so Kimi bought her some limited edition Mogeta merch, after asking for Yuki's advice, in apolgey & started referring to Machi's new hair/makeup style as "punk chic" whenever anyone tried to mock Machi about her new look)

5. her & Momiji go on a crazy tie dying adventure (much to Hatori's grumbling & Mayu's amusement)

6. Kormaki gets her into collecting second hand fridge magnets which she then later uses in her work (my version of post-serise Machi is an artist) once the magnetism finally wears off

7. Kagura teaches her how to fix up old plushies (Machi likes creating Mogeta inspired characters) & gives Machi all her old cat ones to work on (Machi descides not to ask why Yuki's cousin was seemingly once obssesd with orange cats because she looks rather embrassed & a little sad when she hands over her collection)

8. Kyo reluctantly teaches her how to cook a few simple dishes (Tohru comes over as well & Yuki insists her food is better but Machi prefers Kyo's simple style of presentation so it's eventually descided that Kyo & her will do the cooking & Tohru & Yuki will deal with the cleaning which Yuki agrees to becuse cleaning is still difficult for Machi but Kyo says it's actually because no matter how much Tohru tried to train him rat boy knows he would never be able to do anything in the kitchen but burn water)

9. Kakeru teaches her the skills of 'excessive badge & sticker decorating' as well as giving eachother fake tattoos (Kisa congratulates Hiro on not saying anything rude to Yuki's girlfriend about her appreance after they first meet her)

10. Cuts her hair short (she delibretly makes it very choppy) once she enters university, where the rules are less strict about your apprence (at least it is if your at art college), & she also regulary wears diffrent coloured wigs (her favourites being a dark red one & a rainbow one) whenever she wants to temporarily change her appearance (beacuse she didn't want to commit to just one look, still wanted to have the ability to quickly "become invisable" again & she heard from Kimi that exsseive hair die-ing could permantly destroy her hair & scalp) it takes her until she's 30 to try out shaving all her hair off (she worried she'd look sick/crazy or not feminine enough) & everyone's really surppotive (though Kimi dose cry a bit, Rin & Haru aren't there when her hair is being shaved & Kyo is a slightly confused as he'd always thought women liked having longer hair then guys) especially Ritsu (who's growing out thier hair again) & they all throw her a big party (Haru & Rin are there for the party bit just not the hair removal bit because it brought up some bad memories) where Kakeru films it & posts it (with Machi's permission) & they give her cut off hair to a charity chosen by all thier followers (despite her disbelief Machi has manged to gain a small group of loyal fans from all her art stuff & her apprences on her loved ones social media), Kakeru also later uploads a video where they help Machi rainbow dye her buzz cut, (she later explores many diffrent types of buzz cut patterns such as flowers & geometric shapes but, at Kimi's insistence, gets them done by a professional)

11. She recycles & D.Y.I's like crazy (Momiji started singing Do Re Mi from The Sound Of Music after she told him that her new dress was actually made from curtains & Yuki cried when she gave him a little rat plushie made from felt, after he came clean to her about the curse)

12. She almost never wears an apron while working on her art because she likes getting messy

13. When her & Yuki go out to eat she loves things like fondoe (both the chocolate & cheese kind), eat N mess & is genreually just a fan of finger food & it becomes a tradition between her & Yuki (& later Mutsuki) to go on a stroll through the park after thier meal & (if it's autumn) look for piles of leaves to jump in (Machi & Yuki also like playing a game where they try to look for the weirdest looking leaf to give eachother & whoever wins gets to pick what they'll eat for dinner that evening & the looser has to cook it, Mutsuki is the "impartial" judge)

14. Machi is amazing at scrapbooking & collarge making (Tohru is more of a dream journal kind of girl)

15. When it's Summer her, Yuki & Mutsuki go down to the beach to see who can find the weirdest looking rocks (the less impressive ones often get used in Machi's art work, the coolest ones Mutsuki gets to keep & any that are too perfect get tossed back in the ocean & Mutsuki likes to score the splashes they make on how big/loud they are)

16. She loves helping Yuki out with gardening for lots of reasons (it's therapeutic & she loves seeing Yuki happy) but she can't deny it's also just fun getting muddy

17. Machi, thanks to Kakeru, devolpes a love of paint ball (but instead of using guns they just throw the paint at eachother like in 10 Things I Hate About You because apparently the gun pellets actually hurt) & will bring it up as an activity idea to her loved ones any chanse she gets

18. Decorates as much of her flat (& later her home with Yuki & Mutsuki) with Mogeta merchandise, random things she collects & her own art work as a big fuck you to her bitch "you have 0 personality/hobbies or talents" of a mother

19. Kisa (happily) & Hiro (reluctantly) introduce Machi to the magic of glitter

20. Machi & Rin eventually become proper friends due to bonding over being abounded by their asshole parents & one of the things they like to do together is work on thier seprete art peices while listening to music (Machi dosn't do any of her "aggressive" art, like plate smashing, around Rin though thanks to Yuki & Haru warnings)

21. When stuff gets to be too much & none of thier other coping strategies are working (like watching Mogeta stoned- which Kisa, Tohru & Momiji do not partake in) Machi & Haru bond by going to rage rooms together to destroy shit & scream (Haru obviously dosn't want Rin around for any of that though so Momiji, Tohru, Kagura or Hana will often take the opportunity to hang out with her, one time Yuki offered & it wasn't bad but it was definitely awkward as they had never really hung out without Haru before & Haru teases her for ages afterwards about her ending up liking Yuki once she actually spent some time with him which, like the precious tsundere she is, Rin will forever deny)

22. (I actually made a whole seprete post about this ages ago but now it seems to have vanished so in case other Machi fans are unable to find it l'll add it here) on the days that it's supposed to snow but dosn't Yuki takes her (& later Mutsuki) skating so she can enjoy scratching up the perfectly smooth ice (they would have gone on double dates with Tohru & Kyo if Tohru wasn't freaked out at the idea of having blades on her shoes & Kyo hadn't claimed to "not trust" ice, he's dislike comes from all the times Kagura had forced him to ice skate with her on the lake near Kazuma's place in the winter when they were kids, so they would instead go with Haru & Momiji - they had thought about going with Haru x Rin & Kakeru x Kormaki once but he proudly revealed that he'd been banned from thier local ice rink years ago for trying "perfectly safe" Olympic level stunts in he's attempt to recreate one of he's favriote episodes of Power Rangers, much to he's fiancee's anger, & Machi reminded Yuki that though Haru & Kakeru were fine with eachother Rin isn't reall able to stand Kakeru for longer than 5 minuites)

[opashoo]

Oh I have SO many questions about Amelie, feel free to answer any or none of these:

- What music does she like? What's her favourite song?

- I'd like to learn about her backstory in general but how did she become a were-hare?

- Also how/when did she realize she was trans?

- Any memorable reactions from her revealing her hare form to people? (Good or bad)

- Amelie's favorite music is probably in line with the Tooth & Tail soundtrack if you've ever heard it, which would probably be the kind of music she grew up with. Her favorite songs would probably be The Siege of Ragfall Road, and an unrelated song, A Ghaoil Leig Dhachaidh Gum Mhathair Mi (Lover Let Me Home to My Mother) which is a song in Scottish Gaelic about a woman who fell in love with and married a kelpie, but is forbidden by the kelpie from returning home. The song's lyrics are her pleading and bargaining to be allowed to return home.

- So Amelie's transness and werehare-ness are actually sort of related and both have to do with her meddling in fey affairs. If you want her backstory in written form, I have it posted above. Aside from that, she was not aware that she was trans before adulthood, or if she had some kind of inkling she didn't have the vocabulary or understanding to really put words to it or concretely pin down the feelings. It was when the fey that she'd been doing favors for offered to let her change her body and name that something clicked and she knew exactly what she wanted and got it immediately. (Bear in mind that at this time, she was still human)

Her werehare-ness was actually a curse bestowed on her by a powerful fey lord who had become jealous and resentful of Amelie's meddling. As a storyteller who learned to deal with fey through legends and fairy tales, a lot of magical creatures she worked for found it flattering, how well she knew their stories and by extension how well she knew their needs and desires. This did not please the lord, who decided to curse Amelie with her werehare form and instincts because when hares appear as the main characters of fables or lessons, they tend to be witless or arrogant, and usually end up losing. Even now after learning to control her form and reign in her hare instincts (most of which are anxieties and fears) she still has to deal with some powerful phobias rearing their heads (like her devastating fear of birds of prey).

- One of the first things Amelie does when she hits the road with someone new is reveal her hare form because that's the form she spends her time travelling and fighting in. This reveal is important because it vets the people she's travelling with; she can't stay in her human form and risk provoking a violent reaction from her travelling partners if they get attacked and she's forced to take on her hare form. However, she can risk revealing it immediately upon leaving town because she trusts in her ability to run very fast and very far should her partners get aggressive or otherwise.

The worst reaction she ever had to deal with was when she was enlisted alongside several other monster hunters of varying experience for a job hunting a pack of werewolves that had been predating and terrorizing merchant caravans in the area. Upon revealing her hare form, she was immediately met with unease, but one of the less experienced hunters convinced the others that Amelie must have been put up to the task by the werewolves to lure the other hunters into a trap. They successfully restrained her, but later that night, when they meant to interrogate her, she managed to just barely escape under cover of darkness. She hasn't been back to that city since.

Her favorite reaction is probably the time she and her adventurering party at the time were helping to usher a group of refugees to safety. There was a kind of trust and wonder that they looked at her with as she recounted her most hopeful fairy tales on the walk. It felt like the best possible time to be something otherworldly, to help these people feel like something mystical was on their side.

The most baffling reaction is probably the time she was hired to escort a caravan of magical researchers between cities. Upon revealing her hare form to them, rather than being met by judgement or fear, she was immediately assailed with all sorts of questions (some more invasive than others) about her her habits, anatomy, medical and magical history, and other things. She got to spend most of the trip riding the carriage in her underwear while one researcher took detailed drawings and another occasionally asked her questions. She just considers it a blessing that they weren't attacked while she was naked.

Links to the songs, also (I just didn't want to fuck with mobile's formatting, I already had to retype a chunk because the formatting ate it)

[callmeruffie]

freshman blues

in my early teenage days, when i pictured being a college freshman, i painted a very idealistic and exciting picture for myself. people i knew - and even those i only knew through social media - always made college seem like such an exciting point to be in one's life; yes, the horror stories of theses, recitations, and terror professors were still there, but to me, i saw the glitz and glamor and (mis)adventures; i saw the parties, the drinking, the shenanigans with friends. no adult supervision and people on the cusp of adulthood. as a kid who grew up with strict parents, all that seemed like the forbidden fruit in the garden of eden - something within my grasp that i so desperately wanted to taste. 

when the pandemic hit, everything i hoped for and craved changed. i spent my last year of high school online. in retrospect, the experience wasn't all bad. in fact, looking back on it now, i think i was genuinely happen during certain periods of that school year. i attribute that happiness mainly to my friends. i had a good number of them in senior high - a grand majority within my own block, and many more in other blocks. all of us were under the same strand. in senior high, everything felt small and intimate (at least for me). we were a community - shared trauma, shared joys. i was comfortable in senior high. it felt like the place for me. 

in the weeks before going into college, i felt this lingering anxiety and dread. some of my peers probably share my sentiments; it's a new environment with completely new people, and with a heavier academic burden. it's completely normal to feel that way. my anxiousness started when i started joining group chats. there are so many, i'm still overwhelmed - a groupchat for the block, for the freshmen, for all the freshmen with upperclassmen. so many spaces where people were socializing and getting to know each other. so many spaces where my anxiety grew with each person who spouted about their political ideologies. so many times where i felt inadequate and out of place, and classes hadn't even officially started yet. 

in high school, things seemed so small in retrospect, even if they probably weren't physically. in junior high, seniors didn't seem so far above us; some of them were just as immature and chidlish as the freshmen. in senior high, our upperclassmen were only a year older than us; some of them didn't like being called kuya or ate. now, in college, the seniors seem so intimidating. they've been through a lot. they've seen some shit. they're a year away from being thrown into the world of taxes and bills and actual financial responsibilities. when i introduced myself to them in a google meet, i stuttered and paused and didn't say anything cohesive. as someone who's usually calm and composed and sure of what she wants to say, the experience felt so foreign and strange. i honestly wanted to throw up. 

i know college is supposed to be scary. that's a concept that isn’t new to me. i know it can be depressing. i know people will feel like they've been through hell. i know of the concept. i know how it's supposed to feel. but god, feeling the pain and the fear and the anxiety is so different. for the first time in my life, i feel out of my depth; unconfident; i'd go as far as to say that i'm probably feeling depressed. the concept of the "freshman blues" is not new or unfamiliar, but feeling this way is such a terrifying, unforgiving thing.

[phoenix-downer]

See You Soon

~2500 words. Post-Melody of Memory. Contains spoilers. Riku POV, Kairi POV. Introspection and reflection. Implied SoKai. Mostly canon compliant. 

As the wind whistled past Riku’s ears and his Station of Awakening came into view, one thought tumbled over and over through his mind: 

Am I doing the right thing?

He wasn’t sure where that had come from. Saving Sora was the right thing to do, no doubt about it. They’d searched an entire year and finally had a clue. Of course jumping through the portal was the right thing to do. He had to bring Sora back; he owed it to everyone. To Sora himself, of course, but to all their friends as well. Especially Kairi—

Kairi. Try as he might, he couldn’t get her face out of his head. The disappointment in her eyes when he’d told her she should stay behind. 

He touched down on the platform that had his likeness etched in stained glass. Not as he was now, but as he was when he began his journey. The moment his heart awakened to the true nature of reality and of the Keyblade. Purple glass surrounded him, and next to him were the faces of friends and important people he’d met on his journeys. 

Had Kairi gotten to have her awakening yet? Or was she—

“I did the right thing,” he said as he paused to get a feel for his surroundings. “This is what Sora would want. Kairi, safe and sound in the Realm of Light. What would he say if I let anything happen to her, after everything he’s sacrificed for her?” He balled his hand into a fist. “He trusted me to look out for her, after all. And he’d want me to bring him back to her. Right?”

No one answered him; it was dark and silent here in his heart. Not even Ansem Seeker of Darkness lurked around anymore. His image had melted away from the Station after that final battle in the Keyblade Graveyard.

And yet, a small, nagging voice at the back of his mind wouldn’t leave him alone. It pointed out that missing from his reasoning was Kairi herself. What did Kairi want?

“She’s fine with this,” he said as he paced back and forth. “She needs more training, she doesn’t want to be a burden—”

He stopped. His feet were near the image of Mickey’s head, and he sighed deeply.

“I know, I know,” he said, speaking as if his friend was actually here. “It wasn’t my call to make.”

Kairi had quickly masked her true feelings with her usual cheerfulness, but she wasn’t fooling anyone. Being left behind again was hardly what she’d wanted. And yet he’d agreed to leaving her behind because he was in such a rush to save Sora. 

He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s a little too late to go back now, huh?” 

The Power of Waking was not something he could use lightly. Sora’s disappearance had really driven that lesson home. Doubling back halfway through a dive could be risky. Best to continue on to his destination.

He summoned his Keyblade. It appeared with its usual burst of light, and its steady weight in his grip helped him focus.

“Kairi, I’m sorry for leaving you behind again. I promise it won’t happen next time.” He glanced up at the endless sea of black above him. “Besides, something tells me your heart might be the key. You brought Sora and I back from the Realm of Darkness. Depending on how this goes, we might need another miracle.” 

While Riku hadn’t hesitated to dive in after Sora, he knew there was no guarantee he’d make it back. This portal probably only went one way, knowing his luck. But if anyone could light the way home, it was Kairi. 

He pointed his Keyblade at his Station of Awakening and unlocked it. As his surroundings faded away and a new path appeared before him, he had one last message for Kairi.

“See you soon. And the next time I do, I swear, Sora will be with me.”

Despite all the odds, he wanted to give her this reassurance at least. He wanted to make up for all the tears and pain, the year of her life she spent sleeping away in the hope she might find a clue about Sora. A clue they needed because he’d failed to keep her and Sora safe. This was all his fault. If he’d protected Kairi from Xehanort—if he’d offered to go after her instead of letting Sora go it alone—then maybe, just maybe, Sora would still be here.  

This was his penance; his way of making it up to them both. The debt would only be repaid when the two of them were reunited. And this time, he’d make sure he was there too. No slinking off into the darkness alone. If his journeys had taught him anything, it was that there was nothing more important than being with his friends.

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Kairi rested her chin on her hand and gazed out the window of the Gummi Ship. She’d seen this view several times now, but she still found herself staring at the sea of stars twinkling like diamonds in the sky. Wherever Sora was, could he see these stars? Did unreality have stars the way reality did?

“Kairi? Whatcha thinkin’ about?”

“Mmmm?” She broke out of her reverie and turned to her companion. Goofy was craning his neck to look at her, a concerned expression on his face.

“Do you think there are stars where Sora is?” she asked him.

He scratched his chin. “Gawrsh, that’s a good question. I’d think so, but who knows what that fiction-place is like.” He turned to Donald, who was currently driving their vessel. “Donald? Whaddya think?”

Donald carefully guided them past a lumpy asteroid before responding. “Who knows. Maybe it has stars, maybe it doesn’t. Probably depends on if the unreality has multiple worlds.” 

Kairi fiddled with her necklace. “I suppose it’s a silly question. I just… I wish I knew he was okay. I don’t want him to be somewhere strange and scary that doesn’t even have stars.”

She hadn’t imagined he’d come to her aid in that dream she’d had of Xehanort, right? One moment, she’d been sprawled on the ground, disarmed, as Xehanort prepared to strike her down again, and then the next—Sora’s Keyblade had appeared in her hand, and she’d felt his presence. He’d fought for her, too. But it was just like Xehanort said—he couldn’t speak. Not a single word to her or to anyone.

Why was he without a voice? Who had taken his voice away? And where was his heart? Why would a vanquished Xehanort who had moved on to the afterlife even care about where his heart was? Unless the person she’d met in her dream wasn’t actually Xehanort—

“Kairi?” Goofy said, breaking her out of her thoughts again.

“Sorry, I just… I dreamed about Sora, but he couldn’t speak to me. I wish I knew what he wanted to tell me—if there was anything he wanted to tell me, that is.”

It was a little presumptuous of her to assume so. He’d said what he’d needed to say before he’d disappeared. Wanting anything else—after everything he’d already done—when so many other people missed him and wanted to talk to him too—

Goofy clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Gawrsh, I’m sure he’s got lots he’d like to tell ya.”

“You really think so?” 

Donald cackled as he dodged around a meteor. “Oh, we know so. And boy do we have the stories to back it up.” 

She tilted her head. “Stories?” What did Donald mean? Stories about Sora, or—

“Gawrsh, Donald, maybe we shouldn’t tell Kairi everything, I think Sora would be kinda embarrassed—”

“You shoulda seen his face any time he saw a happy couple! He’d get all blushy and flustered and giggly because he was thinking of a certain special someone.”

Goofy clasped his hands over his mouth and giggled. His eyes were dancing, and Kairi put two and two together.

“Me? He kept thinking of me?”

Donald and Goofy both nodded, like they were two bobbleheads controlled by the same spring.

She leaned against the window and smiled. “If it’s not too much to ask… Could you tell me more? Stories about Sora, I mean. And your journeys as well. I got to talk to him about his journeys before he disappeared, but I’d like to hear your thoughts and experiences, too.”

Ever since Sora and Riku had come home from their first adventure, she’d gathered stories. Losing her memories once was awful, and she never wanted it to happen again. Chronicling her friend’s memories like this reassured her there was some record out there that didn’t rely solely on something as malleable as memory, and she now had pages and pages of notes.

“Sure thing,” Goofy said, so she dug around in her bag for her notebook and favorite gel pen. Once she was settled in, she took notes as Goofy spoke and Donald chimed in. Hearing stories about Sora helped her feel closer to him. Stories of his (mis)adventures and daring deeds, his moments of vulnerability and happiest memories, his corny jokes and hopeless romantic tendencies. And since she couldn’t go after him herself right now, this was the closest she could get to being close to him. 

Later that evening, as she was poring over her notes and reliving Donald and Goofy’s memories in the privacy of her quarters, she chewed on the end of her pen. Was it wrong to be a little upset at Riku? Upset at herself, too, for caving so easily, for not even fighting for the chance to go with him? For giving up so easily on an opportunity to save Sora? Hearing stories about him just made her want to be with him that much more. Waiting wasn’t good enough. Training wasn’t good enough. How could she even stay behind, safe and sound, while Riku was risking his life to save Sora? And after Sora had sacrificed himself for her. It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. 

Sora, forgive me, she thought sadly. I wanted to go after you, but after facing off against Xehanort in my dream… Not even being able to handle a dream version of him without your help… I’m scared I’d just let you down again. Or worse, get you hurt or killed for real. And I can’t… I can’t bear to lose you again. So for now, I’ll train with Aqua, okay? That… feels like the right thing to do. I think.

She sighed deeply. No matter how much she tried to convince herself, she was still disappointed she wasn’t searching for Sora with Riku right now. She should be with him. Why did she have to train and train and train when Sora and Riku got to learn by experience? It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair, and she was sick of being shunted to the sidelines. 

“It’s because you’re weak,” she said with a frown as she drew an angry face in the margins of her notes. “You hold everyone else back. And Sora had to pay the price for your weakness. It’s your fault he’s gone.” 

No.

She gasped and dropped the pen. Scrawled on the page in purple ink next to her angry face was the message. N-o. Short, simple, to the point. 

The handwriting was not her own. 

“Sora?” she asked, resting a hand over her heart. But she heard nothing; felt nothing. “Oh, right. Xehanort, or whoever that really was, said you’re without a voice. I wonder what he meant by that.” 

She fumbled around for her pen, then put it to the paper. “Sora? I don’t know how this is possible, but if there’s anything you really want to tell me, um, I don’t mind if you… take over for a little while?”

That was what had happened, right? He’d taken control of her body to fight for her, and his heart had manifested. Somehow. Was a part of his heart inside her? Or had the paopu fruit really bound them together like the stories said it would? 

“Any time now, I promise I don’t mind,” she said, feeling a little silly for talking out loud like this. But if Sora really could hear her, maybe it wasn’t so silly after all.  

She waited, and waited, and waited. The little cuckoo clock in the corner went off, the little cuckoo bird popping out to announce it was past her bedtime, past her bedtime, past her bedtime. She sighed and started doodling again. Little drawings of Sora’s smile because she missed seeing the real thing. But nothing else happened; if he really was the one who’d left her that message earlier, he was either gone or unavailable now. Or maybe… maybe the connection wasn’t strong enough right now. Maybe it went in and out like her Gummiphone��s reception did when Donald drove through a particularly thick asteroid field. 

Was there a way to strengthen the connection so Sora could communicate with her more easily? She combed her brain for answers. He’d manifested the first time to protect her because she was in danger. Then that message had shown up on her notes when she’d been down on herself. 

She tapped her pen on the paper. “The common connection… The common connection… The first time, I needed help, and the second time, I was being down on myself. Maybe it’s linked to my feelings somehow? My heart?”

She flipped to a new page and jotted her thoughts down. Maybe Aqua could help her sort all of this out. Sure, a part of her still wanted to search for Sora with Riku right now, but maybe Sora wasn’t as far away as they’d thought. 

Maybe the key to finding him rested in her heart. Or at least one of the keys. That was what she and Riku and the star-girl they’d met in the Final World were, right? The girl’s key led to the unreality, Quadratum. Riku was following that clue because his key had been those dreams about Quadratum. But the other key… 

She rested her hand over her heart and smiled. For the first time since suggesting she train with Aqua, she had a clear sense of what to do next. She would train with Aqua all right, but not just in fighting and wielding a Keyblade. Aqua was a skilled mage, and if anyone could help Kairi figure this all out, she could. 

Closing the notebook, Kairi lay back on the bed and smiled. “Hang in there, Sora. Riku’s coming for you, and I’ll make my connection to you stronger, I swear.” 

The Gummi Ship would be arriving on the Land of Departure tomorrow, and then her training would begin in earnest. Someday soon Sora would come home to them, of that she was certain. Then they could finally be together like they’d promised. 

She rolled over and stared up at the stars. Whether the unreality had stars or not, she knew all worlds, all realities, shared the same sky.

“See you soon.”

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A/N: I finished Melody of Memory yesterday, and the plot bunnies soon took hold 😂I wanted to explore Riku and Kairi’s mental states after the events of the game, plus a few plot speculation/headcanon things that popped into my mind, and this was the result. I have some general thoughts on the game overall that I might put together in a separate post, but for now, this is my initial reaction. Thank you for reading! 

[disneydeb1928]

One Piece Theory: The SWORD Initiative

The SWORD Initiative 

SWORD first appeared in Chapter 956 when it was discovered that X Drake, a member of the 11 Supernovas was, in fact, an undercover Marine. Not much is known regarding this organization other then Drake is the Captain and Koby is also a member.

Storytelling: Oda is not a newbie when it comes to storytelling. I’ve said it a million times, but I will say it again: Oda has mastered a very unique type of storytelling. Many others will tell you the same thing. He is a man who values how you feel about characters above how you may feel about his organizations overall. This is why, he always introduces characters, allowing you to make your own judgements before revealing more information on them. With that being said, some people may believe that since this is a recent addition to the plot that this organization must not have been around long. However, that just isn’t true. Oda would never create something this relevant to the story that isn’t routed deep in the past. He loves to make his reveals and have us gasp because suddenly something that happened 200 chapters ago now makes sense. With that being said, I think it is safe to say that there is more to this organization that meets the eye. Therefore, let’s first establish their existence within the established timeline.

Timeline:

X Drake was born on October 24, 1491. We know that he was taken in by the marines when he was 20 years old (in 1511) after the incident of Rosinante stealing the Ope Ope no Mi from his father’s pirate crew. The wiki says that “He [would] eventually enlist as a Marine himself” indicating that he didn’t join right away.

Drake doesn’t appear in the story until chapter 498 (in the year 1522). That means that there are 11 years unaccounted for. In that time, we know he apparently rose to the rank of rear admiral before defecting (Ch. 509)  – again no timeline specifics have been give (but I don’t doubt we will get them in the future).

However, me may be able to speculate based on other Marines.

·         Tashigi was able to go from Master Chief Petty Officer to Ensign (skipping Warrant Officer) in the couple of months that took place between the Loguetown Arc and the Post-Enies Lobby Arc. After the timeskip, Tashigi was a Captain (skipping 4 positions). Therefore, overall, for her to go from Master Chief Petty Officer to Captain, it took roughly 2 years and a couple of months.

·         Similarly, Smoker was able to from a Captain to a Commodore and then to Vice Admiral in the same time period (2 years and a couple of months).

·         Therefore, one could speculate that to go from Master Chief Petty Officer to Vice Admiral it would take around 4 years and 6 months. Since Rear Admiral is only one rank below Vice Admiral I’m going to say that the times are probably similar. [Disclaimer 1: I say this recognizing that there are probably 1000 different things that go into promotions within the Marines (such as accomplishments, age, etc) and that not every person is going to advance at the same pace. With that being said, I do think that we can still learn a lot from it – He’s not a background character after all]. In conclusion, I think 4 years and 6 months is a decent ballpark to aim for and I am willing to speculate that it would have taken Drake at least 4 and a half years to reach the rank of Rear Admiral, putting his age at around 24 (placing this in the year 1515) [Disclaimer 2: This age is completely based off the possibility that Drake joined the marines during the first year he was with them]. All this means, is that at the earliest Drake was a Rear Admiral by 1515.

We are led to believe that his defection has always been staged, and that from the beginning, everything he did was towards advancing SWORD’s goal. So that means SWORD has existed since before the beginning of the series.

We do not know how long he was a pirate before he made his appearance, however, by the time he did, he already had a full crew and a bounty of 222,000,000. We know that Cavendish became a Supernova in 1521, so I think we can make that the latest that Drake could have possibly left the Marines.  

Flashing forward, I think we can pretty much conclude that Koby joined SWORD at some point during the 2-year timeskip.

The Creation of SWORD

If that is the case, that we can conclude one of two things. Either:

1.      Drake created the SWORD organization and began his own mission alone

2.      SWORD already existed before that point and someone approached him to join and start his mission

There isn’t enough information available at this point to really say either way. However, I would speculate that SWORD wasn’t Drake’s idea.

Possible SWORD Members

1.) Issho / Fujitora & Ryokugyu

Issho and Ryokugyu are both new Admirals to replace the positions that Kuzan and Akainu left open during the 2-year timeskip. From what we’ve seen of Issho’s personality, I think he is probably one of the more likely options for SWORD members. He intentionally blinded himself when he became disgusted with all the evil and corruption he had seen in the world (Ch. 799). Some might say that he joined the Marines to fight that evil but perhaps the Marines are the evil he wanted to fight? We’ve seen multiple instances where he put the good of the people above capturing Luffy and the Straw Hats. So much so, Akainu and him got into a heated debate that ended with Issho being band from any Marine base until Luffy was captured (Ch. 801).

Outside of personality wise and evidence of him going outside of Marine orders, there is another reason he is on this list, as well as why I grouped him with Ryokugyu, who we know almost nothing about. And the answer to that is: The Folklore of Momotaro.

An excerpt of the Folklore of Momotaro:

“When he matured into adolescence, Momotarō left his parents to fight a band of Oni (demons or ogres) who marauded over their land, by seeking them out in the distant island where they dwelled (a place called Onigashima or "Demon Island"). En route, Momotarō met and befriended a talking dog, monkey and pheasant, who agreed to help him in his quest in exchange for a portion of his rations (kibi dango or "millet dumplings"). At the island, Momotarō and his animal friends penetrated the demons' fort and beat the band of demons into surrendering. Momotarō and his new friends returned home with the demons' plundered treasure and the demon chief as a captive.”

It has been said before that Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru’s Admirals alias are based on the three animals that helped Momotaro (pheasant, dog, and monkey). A fan wrote to Oda in the recent SBS (Vol. 76) and theorized that Fujitora and Ryokugyu (The tiger and ox) are based on the oni (demons) that Momotaro had to face during his adventure, which would imply that they could be against the World Government. Oda jokingly responded, “I’m not saying a single thing about whether this theory is correct or incorrect, okay? (cold sweat)”. If this is true, I think this could serve as proof that they are either members of SWORD or even the Revolutionary Army.

2.) Kuzan / Aokiji

Kuzan, very similar to Issho, has had multiple instances where he has deviated from what Akainu refers to as “absolute justice”. For starters, he was the once responsible for allowing Nico Robin to escape from the Buster Call on Ohara by providing a small boat while also a trail of ice for her to leave safely. Another example is when he (similar to Issho) didn’t arrest Luffy because he defeated Crocodile, saving Alabasta.

However, I think a big reason why many people speculate that he may be a part of SWORD are the parallels between him and X Drake. After the timeskip, we discover that after losing the Fleet Admiral fight between him and Akainu, Kuzan resigned from the Marines. Afterwards, he became affiliated with the Blackbeard Pirates, just like how Drake resigned and created the Drake Pirates. I will say, that these similarities give just as many reasons as why he would be a SWORD member as for why he isn’t. It’s possible these stories are too alike for Oda to tie them to the same cause. However, it is possible that the SWORD initiative is all about going undercover as pirates. But if that was true, then why is Koby not undercover? Just food for thought.

3.) Smoker & Tashigi

If we were to make a list of likeable Marines, Smoker would probably slotted right behind Koby. From the moment he comforted that crying little girl in Loguetown, he gained a lot of fan-fare. I think a lot of people hope that Smoker is a member of SWORD. Like the previous two Admirals above, he has had his fair share of compromising the Marines’ belief in “absolute justice” in order to do the right thing. In fact, out of all of the Marines mentioned on this list, he has done this the most. All of those moments have served as an example of his character. Outside of that, I think it is interesting that Smoker decided to request transfer to G-5 at the beginning of the timeskip, a place known for having difficulties. I think it is definitely possible Smoker is a member.

4.) Rosinante

Very similar to Kuzan and Drake, Rosinante placed himself undercover in order to stop his brother, Doflamingo. It is very possible that this was a very early SWORD mission. Or it could have what led to the creation of SWORD.

6.) Sengoku & 7.) Monkey D. Garp

Like Smoker and Tashigi, these last two are an example of ‘we like them, so we want them to be a part of this good organization’.

Honestly, I have tried to wrap my mind around why the heck Garp is even still involved with the Marines. The only other ‘D.’-bearer we know that was in the Marines, was Jaguar D. Saul, who ended up defecting in order to save Nico Robin during the Ohara Incident. If Garp is not a member of this shadow organization, then there is a deeper reason for why he joined the Marines and stayed.

[butterfly-winx]

I'm not sure if you've already answered this but could u talk about everyone's first experiences with magic?

No I haven’t and I can’t claim I have thought about it long enough to have rock hard hc, but it’s a fun prompt anon, so here we go:

Bloom:

Aside from being protected from the flames of the house burning around her as a baby, Bloom’s first conscious brush with magic was actually using her innate aspect. She has always been a sensitive kid and everybody assumed it was just some form of hyperempathy when she talked about other people’s feelings with high accuracy. But when she categorised people into colours depending on their auras, she meant it. Then as sensitive weird kids be, Bloom was picked on a lot in late primary and middle school and that’s when her temper started to show. Bloom got angry easily and it only riled up the other children more to get her to show a reaction. Before that it was mostly tears, but one memorable occasion Bloom’s control over temperature manifested with her burst of anger and she made everyone and herself develop a sudden high fever. She fainted from it unfortunately and spent the next two years transfixed by all sources of fire and flames eventually circling back on her obsession with fairies and all things magic. The older she got the less she paid attention to the colourful auras until they completely faded from her everyday sight and only cropped up when she herself felt her emotion in a disarray. As Bloom got older, other magic effects started to crop up with higher frequency, like her “magically” avoiding injuries or recovering from them super fast, or never getting burned on hot pots as the Dragonflame started to feel cramped unused in her body. When Stella was being threatened by the goblins and the ogre, Bloom’s fight or flight instincts automatically allowed the Dragonflame an outlet. (She then of course followed Stella down a rabbit hole of an adventure and got a place in Alfea due to her new friend’s quick thinking and forgery)

Stella:

With two proficient magic users as parents Stella was practically hounded over as adults in her life anxiously waited for her to show signs of magic. She went through magic prep courses trying her hardest to please everyone who was so important to her. She wanted to be magic so bad, always afraid of that infinitesimal chance that she didn’t get all the right genes from her parents. At age seven she was kind of a late bloomer for fully magic children to yet show any sign of magic sensitivity, and she spent another short holiday with her mother’s family up north. it was Stella’s favourite pastime to wander as close to the edge of the estate as she dared to alone in the constant twilight of the Solarian pole. Her favourite spot was a little cropping of shrubs populated by lighting bugs that always flocked to her when she came by. The loved collecting the shiny rocks as well that lit up at her touch and create her own little sun filled garden in the back where no one would bother her for hours. In retrospect Stella can tell exactly why she hasn’t come forward with all of these light related oddities, wanting to keep her island of peace to herself, but back then baby Stella really just didn’t clock that this could be related to her magic aspect. Her grandma eventually noticed and eased her into the thought that yes, she was definitely magic. After that the expectations were laid on even thicker instead of getting easier to bear as Stella got instructions at school and from both of her parents after school. Luna was very helpful with first developing Stella’s magic, so Stella actually started off with a stronger focus on her moon based powers. Radius with his control over bright skies was not very useful and Stella soon started feeling guilty over that and took up sun focused spells and fey magic explicitly to please her father. Radius would have loved her no matter what, but Stella’s insecurities were early risers and she felt the need to please others, so she was more than happy to follow his footsteps and enrol off planet in Alfea, his alma mater.

Musa:

She was equally under observation, only because she is mixed (human-elven) and it was unclear which type her magic would manifest as. Maylin herself a magic using elf would have loved to teach her daughter all she knew, but there was of course always room for her to chose a human stream, should she take after her human father more. That Musa was magic sensitive was a well known fact ever since she was a baby and was able to produce... quite a cry. Maylin was lovingly warned that her daughter was likely to be a musical type along with a gift of full sound-blocking earbuds. At age six Musa could remember the melodies of over 300 pieces of music of ranging complexity, regularly got birds to sing for her and had impeccable hearing - all in all she showed signs of having a promising future as a magic user. For her to be gifted with skills in music that brought Maylin and HaoBai together was a blessing from the Heavens. Then Maylin died and Musa and her father’s world shattered with her. Grief can have complicated effects on one’s magic, and Musa age 9, appeared with dried up magic meridians like she was a l 90 year old. It took a lot of family counselling and well timed teenage rebellion for her to pick up music and with that magic again. And it was hard work, let her tell you that. Both letting magic inot her and developing a feeling for it and doing it all while hiding from her father, afraid he’d want to ban her music and snap instruments again (it happened once, and HaoBai isn’t proud of how much the pain of loss had consimed him at that moment). At fifteen she finally had enough and decided to go head first for it, insisting her half-orphan “recompensation fund” to be used as tuition at Alfea College for fairies, despite never having received any magic prep education. Through brute force, luck and insane talent Musa aced all entrance examinations and made it despite it all.

Techna:

As childbirth on Zenith is, it was completely up in the air whether Techna would be magic or not.  All the early childhood signs Techna showed for their aspect were at first more or less mis-categorised as autism (which they absolutely have, but them going through technical books detailing the technological systems of ancient civilisations daily wasn’t just that). The first one suspecting they have magic was actually Techna’s elder sister, Electra. Electra five years older than Techna was very into the idea of a baby sister and loved smushing and cuddling Techna, which Techan absolutely hated and kept giving Electra static shocks out of nowhere. Once Electra understood where static came from and identified that there was absolutely nothing charged around Techna when they did that, she became suspicions. The whole family found out when during dinner, Techna announced in the calmest voice possible that they have heard the car talk and it told Techna exactly what was wrong with it setting an end to their parents tense discussion about the car having issues. The car was sent for repairs, confirming what Techna had  said and Techna was taken for a magic sensitivity test having that confirmed. (Baby Techna like: oh yeah I could always hear machines they just usually don’t have anything worthwhile to say). She wasn’t quite five at this point. Magic isn’t as widely practiced on Zenith and it took Techna’s ranerts a while to find a magic prep school for them to attend after school, which ended up being outside the borders of Transjordan actually. The daily drive was very long and exhausting both for teen Techna and the parent of the day who had to drive them, so they started talking about sending Techna to a boarding school once they were old enough. Techha was left to do their own research and they realised they had quite many options, even with just narrowing it down to fey magic that were closer to home than Magics, but they all advertised themselves as “girls’ colleges” and even pre-gender realisation that just irked Techan for an inexplicable reason. They much preferred going to a coed school, so Alfea ended up as their first choice on the application form.

Layla:

In Layla’s case, detecting her magic sensitivity was incredibly difficult, seeing as she grew up practically constantly submerged in water playing with her cousins by the shore. Androsi people naturally have a large lung capacity and are able to dive long. That Layla dried super fast afterwards and never got salt rashes was also brushed under the rug ascribed to good royal hygiene and skin care. When she started being schooled in the castle Layla was colossally bored. She received basic magic training just because, no one actually expected her to be magic since they believed she didn’t show any sensitivity for it, and kind of for shits and giggles Layla took it and ran with it. Layla discovered privately in tidal caves just what a mistake that was able to make the water be kind to her and mold and move just so she could always get out unharmed. She surprised everyone at age eleven when during a banquet the visiting princeling was annoying her just so much, she used her water magic to turn his strictly pomaded hair into a bird’s nest, overshooting and drenching the next three dignitaries around him as well. The party stopped. At first Layla though she was going to get into so much trouble, caught under the strict eyes of her father, but as it turns out, he was overjoyed. Layla was put on a fast track for learning magic and surprised people once again choosing fey magic and being able to transform at the tender age of 13. She was never sent to Alfea, but received the offer from Faragonda after the Darkar incident thinking Layla could easily make it to Enchantix (which she did, this girl is talented).

Flora:

Both of Flora’s parents are untrained magic users, so her being somewhat sensitive at least was also expected. Flora loved sitting to the side watching her father run the potion shop when she wasn’t chasing all her other parental figures and watching what they were doing with curious eyes. She loved it when her aunti Nimali gave her bumps and scrapes a little kiss so she started doing that to all sorts of things including her father’s ingredient plants. He was indulging her harmless kid fantasy, knowing full well that most of his magic plants responded to emotions like they had a soul and was more than surprised when he found these plants not only healed but sprouting wildly whenever Flora gave them a small “get well smooch”. The village talked it all over and Flora was given over to the local magic users to train with and shadow what they were doing. Her interest in potion making however prevailed and by the time she emerged from Nature’s Teaching Path having singlehandedly ran the little children’s colony it was very clear that Flora would need to receive proper training from a proper institution. She was just too good at magic for her family to fail her not being able to offer her more knowledge. Flora wanted magic with frankly for her startling greed and ambition, but she hated the idea of moving away. She could have just gone to Woodland College like most other magic users, but even there the entrance exam examiner was suggesting the school was too small for her. (And Flora kind of felt that - she overthought the whole exam because it was just so simple, she just had to touch the plant, and will the box to float. Her aspect of plant growth might not have given her complete control over the environment, but she was still a lot better than her peers.) The teacher spoke to the Council about the potential of sending Flora off planet and now that had her attention and full investment in doing everything the Council demanded to get her a visa to study in Magics.

Out of the six Layla and Techna were able to transform already before they came to Alfea, Flora and Stella had unstable first attempts (Stella during her own first year that is, not her re-run), while Bloom and Musa were the only ones who fully had to learn it from scratch during their first year.

Stella and Layla pay their tuition from royal funds, Flora is Lynphean Council sponsored and Bloom after the first year paid from Callisto’s royal fund (oops) is on a Magics scholarship for minority cultures as a surviving Dominian. Techna benefits from Transjordan’s education scheme which gives students a basic income, their parents supplement the small remainder, while Musa is 100% self sponsored from aforementioned widower’s trust fund they got after Maylin’s passing.

[fanficfeeling]

Lovely - Jaskier x Reader

A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first attempt at a fanfic in quite a few years, because for whatever reason, 2020 has brought with it a whole lot of inspiration, and I’m so excited to write again! I also recently binged The Witcher, and I’m crushing big time on Jaskier, so that felt like a good place to start! I’m very rusty, so I would appreciate feedback, but please be gentle on this returning writer. I’m so proud of how this piece went after not writing for about three years, I may even make a part 2 to this, so I hope you enjoy it!

Y/N is finally beginning to make a good living doing odd jobs in her hometown when she meets Geralt of Rivia. He shows up to deal with some odd beast in the woods nearby, and Y/N is happy to offer her assisting services to the Witcher, who eventually can't ignore her offer anymore when he realizes he needs the assistance of someone who knows the area better than he does. Y/N assists him with little fuss, because it's what she does, and maybe, just maybe, the townspeople will toss her a coin too for helping him when all is done (turns out, they never do). When it seems that he actually doesn't mind her presence or her help, she asks to come with him when he leaves her small corner of the world, because maybe she can make an even better living going where he goes, since it seems all he does is follow trouble. Oddly enough, he agrees to the arrangement.

They quickly became an excellent silent tag team of sorts. He goes to the newest monster, and Y/N follows him to wherever they reign devastation, to offer any help she can to those in need, temporarily. He gets the coin for his end, she gets the coin for hers,  and they pool it, making more than enough coin for them both, and somehow helping people along the way.

Y/N's new life is good, at the end of the day, with good money, fulfilling work, and decent company to fill her days, and this peace goes undisturbed for quite a good while. That is, until Jaskier catches up with Geralt.

The pair stopped at an inn after moving on from their last area in need, and, as per usual, they ordered their drinks and sat in a corner in near total silence, enjoying some peace and quiet after witnessing a whole lot of suffering.

"Geralt! So wonderful to see you, I've really been looking for you everywhere, I have a request to make of my dear friend." The brunette bard slides onto the seat next to Geralt, and the Witcher grunts in protest.

"Jaskier."

The bard appears to mock offense, "How lovely to see you too, Geralt! And here I was hoping you'd been missing me-" He trails off as he lays his eyes on the lady sitting across from him, and his mouth drops open in awe quickly. The lady shifts uncomfortably as he stares, and her eyes quickly shift to her travelling companion.

"Geralt, do you... know this man?"

The Witcher grunts once again uncomfortably, "Unfortunately."

Jaskier speaks once again, never able to keep his mouth shut for long, "C'mon, Geralt aren't you going to introduce us? Me, your best friend in the world and this stunning woman who I can only hope is also just your friend and also not insane like your taste in women usually implies?"

Geralt stares at him blankly, hoping on everything holy the bard would move on and not try to "woo" his new partner in crime, but he knew that was highly unlikely, so he settled on giving him this; "Y/N, this is Jaskier, not my friend. Jaskier, Y/N, my travelling companion."

Jaskier decided quickly enough that that mediocre introduction would suffice, and took it from there.

"Hello, fair Y/N, Geralt does me no service. I'm Jaskier, a bard some would say of exceptional talent, I wrote 'Toss a Coin to Your Witcher', ever heard of it? I'm sure you have, it's about him!" He breaks briefly to jam his thumb in Geralt's direction, "And may I just say, you are very lovely and I hope that when he says that you're his 'travelling companion', he doesn't mean you're sleeping with him, because I would love to buy you a drink this evening."

Y/N is caught off guard by Jaskier's quick mouth and forward language, but she has to admit, the man is not unappealing. Despite his initial, uncomfortable staring, his eyes are soft as he looks at her, not menacing, and his words don't seem disingenuous; she could bet money on the fact that he really does think she's lovely. As much as she enjoys Geralt's company, she could of course do with some company that wasn't miserable or silent, and Jaskier brought a smile to her face in a way no one had for a while. Besides everything else, he's attractive, and the first man in a long time, if ever, to show genuine interest in her like this.

Once over her shock, she smiles at him. "Alright, Jaskier, I'm almost at my limit for tonight, but I suppose one more drink really couldn't hurt, if you must insist." Feeling bold with his genuine flirtations, she takes a chance and throws a wink his way, punctuating her sentence with it.

The change in atmosphere is sharp as a grin lights up Jaskier's entire face, one that makes Y/N's heart have palpitations as her stomach flops, and for the first time since Y/N met him, Geralt is stunned, and nearly drops his drink. Jaskier, lighting up the whole room with his smile, doesn't take his opportunity for granted.

"Right! Excellent! So glad you feel that way! I will order you a drink, and in return I want to know more about you, deal?"

Y/N can't help but feel lightheaded at the idea of this man really wanting to get to know her. "Deal."

Without questioning his luck, Jaskier quickly runs off to fulfill his end of the deal, leaving Y/N and Geralt in silence once more.

"Not to pry, for fear of damaging our professional relationship, but... really?" Geralt says, breaking the silence once more.

Y/N laughs. "He seems a decent enough man, and it's hard to find someone that earnest nowadays. Unless you have any cautionary tales, about your 'best friend in the world'?"

Geralt rolls his eyes at her comment, but says nothing. For everything annoying he sees in Jaskier, and as much as he pushed him away, it was rare that he found someone who was actually willing to entertain him. Despite how many people Jaskier goes to bed with, Geralt knows just as well that the bard's intentions were pure enough; he just needed someone to get on the same page as him.

"He's not totally incompetent, I'll give him that, and he's not harmful. Do what you will." Geralt mutters, then stands. "I'll get out of your way. I've seen enough of that boy's flirting to not want to watch his attempts at you."

Y/N laughs again. "Well, I thank you for the privacy, and by your standards, that seems a glowing recommendation for him, so I'll give him an honest shot. I value your opinion."

Geralt freezes. So that's what it feels like: mutual respect. He could get used to that. "We head out tomorrow morning." Y/N nods at him as he walks away.

She's not alone for long as Jaskier returns quickly, two drinks in hand, sliding into the spot across from her once more. He doesn't question where Geralt went, but he's relieved by the privacy.

"Now, your turn. Tell me about you. How does a lovely creature such as you end up travelling with Geralt of Rivia?"

She tells him. She recaps her life as it lead up to her career, and tells him of how she met Geralt, and tells him about her travels with the near infamous WItcher.  And hanging on the edge of his seat every moment, Jaskier listens.

As Y/N brings him up to date on her best stories, Jaskier sighs almost wistfully, "You're so interesting. Your life would make for amazing songs."

Y/N's laugh graces his ears. "Would it now? I never figured odd jobs would make entertaining musical material."

Jaskier sits up straight from where his head had lain in his hand, staring at Y/N as she spoke. "You do good things, and you're so... interesting. You've come so far in your life, you travel with one of the most interesting men in the world, all to do some good, even when it's hard. You're incredible."

Y/N feels her cheeks begin to glow a bright red at his praise. Her job was often thankless, so to hear someone say she did good, and that her good was fascinating enough to be acknowledged, felt like a warm hug after getting caught in a rainstorm.

"Thank you, Jaskier, I... don't get compliments like that often. I was under the impression that I'm pretty boring."

Jaskier feigned alarm, "You? I can't see anyone ever finding you boring, how could anyone with a goal and a story to tell be boring? And frankly, I quite think you deserve all the compliments, my lady."

When she began to think that she'd found the perfect man after only knowing him for one night, Y/N decides that she may have had just a tad too much to drink, and decides to call it a night. She coughs nervously.

"Well, I, uh- thank you, Jaskier. That's very kind of you. YOU are very kind. I've never had someone call me interesting, or listen to me so intently for so long, and it's a testament to your good character. This has been wonderful, and I thank you for the drink, but I'm quite tired and we ride out early tomorrow, so I'd best be headed to bed. Thank you for the drink, Jaskier." She pauses as she stands. "And your company."

As she walks away, Jaskier feels his heart beating through his chest, and the harsh thumping of it has him reeling. She enjoyed his company. She thought he was nice. She was willing to give him a chance. And she was... lovely. He got so swept up in her that he forgot he even had something to ask Geralt.

The next morning, after Jaskier had barely slept, he made sure to meet the adventuring pair as they head out once more. He fully intended on asking his favor of Geralt and going on his merry way.

Until Y/N stepped out that door, all misty-eyed and looking like a goddess, and when Geralt asked him what the fuck he wanted, all Jaskier could think to ask was, "Will you please take me with you?" She was too beautiful to let slip out of his hands, not when he was in like this, and she made his mind so blank and dizzy, but so ripe with inspiration at the same time. Being near her seemed a drug he would happily indulge in.

She offered him a ride on her horse, Cinnamon, when Geralt very reluctantly agreed to let him tag along. With his arms wrapped around her waist, he panicked that she could feel the intense beating in his chest. So he reverted to his best coping mechanism, and he sang; a song he had written the night before, about a very pretty woman who had traveled so far from home to spread good throughout the world. She grinned the entire time he sang.

[imnotwolverine]

The marriage pact - A new pact

Henry Cavill x OC Alice - multi-chapter

< Part 3 | Part 4 A new pact | Part 5 >

Disclaimer: some strong language

Author’s note: Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me? Enjoy another tooth achingly sweet fluff chapter my dear readers ❤️

Word count: 1.557

(Link to my Masterlist)

[ Alice.in.writing.land ]

Dear readers,

I’m pleased to inform you that I have passed the princess approval test. Teeth were brushed, laughter was about and she even made friends with a furry companion the size of an adult bear. All and all it was a lovely, sunny Sunday and I can’t wait to bring her along on my adventures of today, which will include.. sheep herding!

Now you may wonder why a news reporter would go sheep herding, but did you know that Jersey used to have its own, very unique Jersey sheep? Through some unfortunate neglect and misunderstanding these sheep went extinct and now their four or six-horned heads no longer graze about. But! As per usual, we humans found out a century or so later, that these sheep and their many horns were a blessing to keep the nature on the island healthy, and thus they were re-introduced. Albeit this time in the shape of a fewer horned, more human friendly Manx Loaghtan herd, whom we’ll be meeting today.

I cannot wait to see if my fellow Alice has a knack for befriending other furry creatures as well, so keep your horns and fingers crossed - we’re going on an adventure!

Ali

The jeep tumbled and shook as it drove over the bumpy country road, the habited world slowly coming back into view. A welcome view too, because we had a fun, but also truly exhausting day. Little Alice had drifted into a slumber, her small body leaning heavily into my chest as she clambered onto a pair of fresh wool socks she had received as her gift.

I could only imagine what she’d be dreaming of right now. Probably, it involved lots of chasing of and cuddling with sheep. I yawned and watched with blinking eyes as Maddie and Frank’s house finally came into view, the afternoon late when we finally arrived.

‘Thanks Jonny.’ I smiled at the friendly bearded man behind the steering wheel.

‘Sure thing Ali. It was fun having you two…’ He hesitated, seeing the toddler as she was still far away in dreamland. ‘..You know what. Let me help you out with that.’ He winked, quickly swinging open his door and moving to the other side of the jeep. I sighed a quiet thanks as he pulled open the door, effortlessly scooping up the small girl from my arms.

‘Up you go! Hello little Alice. Looks like you’re home!’ He cheered, putting the sleep muddled toddler on her legs. I slipped out of my seat and thanked him again, my arms swiftly lifting Alice back on my hip before she’d fall right asleep on the sidewalk.

‘Well have a good one! Looking forward to the article.’ Jonny said, brushing some of the toddler’s hair out of her face. A sweet gesture.

‘I’ll make sure to send you a copy. Good night Jonny.’ I waved him off and turned around, my eyes catching some movement a little distance away, at the opposite side of the street.

And not just any movement. It was a dumbstruck, frozen-in-place, Henry, his large blue eyes blinking at me. He was clearly confused, his eyes briefly slipping away from me to look at the truck as it drove off into the distance.

‘Hey!’ I waved, a bit unsure of what to do. I could only figure what he was thinking right now; a man, a kid?! That’s not really quite the image you had sketched the other day. Biting my bottom lip I quickly crossed the street, walking up to him, tired toddler snugly held onto my chest.

Henry remained quiet as his eyes now moved to the girl in my arms, her bright blue eyes giving him a studious glare.

‘Hey..’ I repeated, trying to grasp his attention, my smile a tad awkward as I pulled up the toddler a bit higher on my hip - she sure was getting heavy!

‘Hi.’ He swallowed, quickly hiding something behind his back.

‘You probably wonder what the heck is going on.’ I bit my lip, looking down at Alice, his response a mere nod of the head. ‘..Maddie, my friend, had to rush to the mainland to help out her mom, so I offered to help out and watch over her little princess.’

Alice looked up at me, her eyes sparkling with passion. ‘I’m no princess!’ She muttered. ‘I’m a sheep herder!’

Henry’s pensive face broke into a tender smile, watching the little girl as she snuggled back into my chest. ‘I see.’ He let out a quiet sigh. ‘Sorry..I didn’t mean to..bother you..I was just..-’

‘In the neighbourhood?’ I laughed, nodding at the house. ‘Come inside. I need to put this sheep herder down before I break my back.’

—

‘Alright. The sheep herding princess is..asleep!’ I cheered, plopping down on the couch next to Henry, our bellies filled with food and the evening young.

‘Good. I eh..wanted to show you something by the way...Here.’ Henry said, offering me a piece of paper, our fingertips touching as I took it from him, my nose immediately scrunching up when I noticed what it was.

The pact.

‘Oh. My. Word.’ I started laughing aloud, studying the hand drafted “contract”, both our names and signatures neatly placed at the bottom. ‘How old is this even?’ I gasped. ‘Pff..well..we were what..thirteen? Something like that? I just started senior school.’ ‘Dearness me. Oh, I actually saw your mom yesterday and she was being particularly vague; “You would never guess what Henry asked of me yesterday” she said, and then she added that you’d probably wish to show it yourself… Very..very mysterious.’

‘Well, I’m a mysterious man.’ Henry winked at me, reaching out for his glass of red wine and finishing the last sip.  

‘Hardly.’ I retorted, smiling. I watched him for a moment as he sat back in the soft couch, his large frame sporting a tight and comfy cable knit sweater. He looked so huggable. Ugh! What a teddybear of a man he was.

He raised a careful eyebrow, testing me. ‘Well, dear Ali, do indulge me.’  

‘You work crazy hard and live a crazy A-lister lifestyle. But all you really want..’ I pointed at the contract. ‘..is rainbow coloured dreams. And..’ I pointed at his finished glass of red wine, shrugging.  ‘..perhaps another glass of red wine.’

Our eyes met, our lips curled into masks of friendshiply banter, but the underlying tone clear. We had been sweethearts before. Many times actually, our paths having crossed in every stage throughout our lives. Sometimes just being tight knit friends. Sometimes more. Could we do it again?

‘I didn’t bring a rainbow coloured pen this time, though.’ Henry said, gesturing me to look at a paper that was hidden beneath the initial contract. I furrowed my brow and turned over the paper, finding a new contract.

A..a real marriage contract.

I blinked, studying the document, then looked over at Henry, my face stricken with confusion.

He smiled sweetly, reaching out his fingertips to caress my hand, the pads of his fingers callus and warm. ‘I know your previous lovers had some..commitment issues. So.’ He shrugged casually. ‘I just thought it better to show you I’m not one of them.’

‘Wh..’ My voice croaked, my throat suddenly very dry and my heart buzzing like a humming bird. ‘W-what?’

HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT!!

‘Well, we pinky swore, remember?’ He chuckled. ‘And..of course I’ll let you off if you do not want to give me a shot. But..’ He sighed, smiling. ‘..it sure is funny how we keep running back into one another, right?’

I finally managed to get some of my breath back, the contracts now lowered on my lap, my eyes studying him, face serious.

‘Really? Is this a joke Henry? Tell me this is a joke.’

‘Do I look like I’m joking?’ He asked, looking indeed quite..serious. I swallowed and put the papers on the table, right in between our wine glasses, the air so very thick in my lungs.

‘Hmm..’ I licked my lips, curious and slightly unsure eyes looking back at Henry. ‘I don’t really believe in fairytales Hen.’ I shook my head, my mind reeling. 

‘You don’t have to. I’m being real Ali. I am.’

‘A contract doesn’t suddenly make a relationship work, Hen. You should know that better than anyone.’ I shook my head, wanting all of this to make sense. Why me? Why now? Why here? Why, why, why?!

‘I’m not asking you to sign it. I’m just showing you the commitment you seek. I want it Ali, I do.’

My heart was near jumping out of my chest as his words floated through the quiet living room, an open fire crackling somewhere in the background. I blinked again, still quite dumbstruck.

This was going way too fast. When I had said that the clock was ticking I didn’t mean; come make babies with me right this instant. Right? Right?! The past few years our only contact had been through over seas phone calls and Whatsapp messages. Heck. We hadn’t even kissed since we reacquainted two days ago and sleeping together? I think we hadn’t done that in..what? Ten years? 

My eyes moved over him, his body folded into the corner of the couch, large chest leaning forward, eyes hopeful. He was obviously trying to keep a friendly distance, though the wish to move closer was clear. Move closer to..to…You sighed, eyes now moving towards his lips. Those sweet, full cupid bowed lips.

‘You better kiss me real good, Cavill.’ You whispered, looking back up into his eyes.

It was an invitation he didn’t need to be given twice.

--

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[marmolady]

Livita: Part Two

Book/Series: Endless Summer

Main Pairings: Estela x MC/Taylor (f)

Summary: Post-ending. Freed from Vaanu, Taylor has been building a life with her soulmate… but their family remains not quite complete. Read PART ONE and PART THREE.

Word Count: 3545

Reviews and reblogs are hugely appreciated!

Tagging: @sceptilemasterr​ @saivilo​ @greengroove 

San Trobida, March 2023

 The months initially dragged by; the nervous wait for those vital early milestones agonising. Life had taught Estela that nothing good ever came easily; at any moment this could all turn to tragedy-- she woke up each morning with no expectation that she wouldn’t have lost the baby by the next. Taylor was far more secure in her optimism, though at times it did threaten to crumble. Some five weeks in, the pair were married, officially, in the grounds of Catalyst International’s new San Trobidan resort, surrounded, of course, by their extended family. At the end of the night, Estela had said ‘screw you’ to fate, and confided her condition to her tio, who had wept with joy. His belief in her, the support unyielding as always, did wonders to help her through those most vulnerable days.

After the twelve week scan, there was a joint exhale of relief, and the reality that this was happening at last began to set in. Through those early months, home was San Trobida with Tio Nicolas. In time, Estela and Taylor would return to La Huerta, where they had always planned to raise their child, close to Aleister and Grace’s own little family, and to Diego and Varyyn. Estela would not be fit to travel for a whole lot longer, though, so the time spent with her uncle was precious.  While in San Trobida, Taylor was faced with a rush to establish her youth programmes during the brief window in which she’d be available with her full attention. The country was in the midst of a great rebirth, its people boldly stepping out from the shadows left by the cruel dictatorship that the revolutionaries had brought to its knees. To be able to play her own part in that story was, to Taylor, an immense honour, and a responsibility she took very seriously. Those fleeting months were intense, with meetings on top of meetings and enough networking to test even her people skills. Once the baby arrived, everything else would take a back seat, and her role would be as a part-time counsellor specialising in LGBTQ+ youth, and a mentor to students-- all of which she could carry out from their La Huerta home.

Estela had slowly dialed back her role with Catalyst International-- with both herself and Aleister on parental duties, delegation had become increasingly necessary. She kept up with the few bits and pieces that interested her, primarily assistance and scholarships for San Trobidan students, which allowed her to work nicely in tandem with Taylor, but anything else could be someone else’s problem. Staying with her uncle, a sense of peace had descended upon Estela. Her body gradually changed-- and morning sickness had plagued her-- but she took it in her stride.

The front door creaked as Taylor strode through. “Honey, I’m home!” She found Estela sitting cross-legged on the couch, leafing through a collection of baby sewing patterns. “Hey, are you feeling better?”

“Better. You didn’t have to come home….”

“As if I need an excuse to be with you.” Taylor crossed the room, and sat herself beside her wife. “I finished what I needed to get done. So, I got myself back to where I needed to be.”

Estela huffed happily. “I won’t complain. Maybe we could work on that blanket some more. You know how much of a kick Tio gets out of the sight of me knitting.”

“Yeah,” Taylor giggled. “He laughs, but I’m pretty sure he knows you are more than capable of disemboweling someone with those needles if a threat came up.”

“Of course. A spear could never be so subtle.”

They laughed together, then Estela took Taylor’s hands. “Actually, I wanted to share something with you, in my room. We can knit at the same time.”

Estela’s old room had changed little since she was a teenager; it was a cramped but cosy space, decked out with just a few shelves of childhood possessions and faded photographs upon a narrow dresser. Nowadays, alongside the charred-edged photo of a young Estela on the beach with her mother and uncle, was another of Estela-- now older, far more battle-scarred and world-weary-- on the very same beach, her arms around a smiling Taylor. Sat on that worn single bed, Estela could enjoy the comfort of familiarity as she carried on her journey toward a great unknown… and with her wife beside her, she found the courage to face the shadows that crept in along with those memories.

“Gordita, I made you up some of your horrible patacones,” Nicolas announced, pushing open the bedroom door with a shoulder as he presented a large plate. Since the pregnancy had been announced, Estela had been his gorda, with no care paid to how small her bump might actually be. At six months along, though, the belly was living up to that new nickname. “I despair. You get rid of one dictator, and suddenly we have jumped-up young people thinking they can eat peanut butter and jelly with their patacones. Is this the terrible price of freedom? Have I made a grave error?”

Estela snorted with laughter, taking the plate as her uncle kissed her forehead. “And yet you made these up for me; I must be very loved.”

“Always, mija. But you should notice there are some with mango salsa for your poor wife. I won’t have her suffer for your insanity.”

Taylor smiled, gratefully taking a patacone.Nicolas has been doting on the both of them relentlessly since the news had been broken-- Taylor didn’t think she’d ever seen him quite so happy. When the time finally came for them to leave for La Huerta, it would be a great wrench. “Cheers! You’re the best.”

“I’ll have that in writing, Taylita.” Nicolas’ eyes twinkled as he looked over his nieces. The time was fast approaching that they would be on their way again, ready to start the greatest of adventures. He would miss them so. La Huerta had never been a draw to him-- he’d not visited once-- but there was no doubt in his mind that even his stubbornness would have to concede once Estela had that baby in her arms. There was not a force on heaven or earth that could keep him away. “Okay, gorda. I will leave you to it. I’m sure you’ll let me know if you have any other culinary abominations you want me to whip up.”

“Thanks, Tio.”

Alone together in their small sanctuary, Estela and Taylor cuddled close. Taylor braved a nibble of one of Estela’s controversial patacones and admitted that Nicolas had a point. Those things just weren’t right.

“I’m with Tio,” she said. “Our little nene has played havoc on your taste buds.”

Estela chuckled, more forced than she’d have liked. There was something else on her mind. And it hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Hey. Are you okay? You had something you wanted to show me?”

For a moment, Estela considered changing her mind. It had been over a decade that she’d avoided this, what was to say that now was suddenly the right time? The bump of a little foot up against her ribs gave her clarity. She wanted to show this to her baby someday; that meant she had to brave it. She pulled up her laptop and placed it on the bedside table, then rummaged in a drawer, taking out a disc.

“It’s… it’s our old home videos.” She took a deep breath. “Tio put it on a DVD ages back to make sure we didn’t lose it, and he had an extra copy made for me. You know, just in case I ever….” Her cheeks became pink. “I… I haven’t watched this for a long time.” How long, she didn’t say, but she didn’t doubt that Taylor would know, understand.

Taylor squeezed her wife, her own pulse quickening. She knew this was huge. “I would love to watch with you. So much. But only if you’re really ready.”

“I think sometimes, the closest thing you’re ever going to get to being ready is wanting to be.” Estela offered a wobbly smile as she picked up on Taylor’s concern. “Mi amor, I’m okay. I’m doing this with you.”

She leaned into Taylor as the DVD began to play. Then came a voice that made her heartbeat quicken.

“Hola Nicolas!” Olivia said, waving with one hand, while she supported the small infant Estela with the other. “Here she is! This is your niece. This is Estela.”

Taylor felt Estela’s hand clench around the bottom of her shirt, clinging on for comfort. She placed her own hand on top and gently squeezed. I’m here.

They watched as Olivia placed the infant in a bassinet, then picked up the camera to give a tour of her home.

“So, this is the first place I lived; my mom’s apartment in Colombia,” Estela explained, her voice shaking at first, then steadying. This… didn’t hurt as much as she’d anticipated. If anything, it was a comfort. The last pieces of film she’d seen of her mother had been that horrifying footage in the Elysian, and the VR warning message from Olivia’s office in the MASADA complex. This was Estela’s mother as she knew her, the person she’d been missing so painfully. There was the inevitable pang of longing as she looked at that face, but the wash of memories made her seem closer than she’d been for so many years. “It was a few months before she had everything sorted so we could move to Tio Nicolas’ place, so Mom made a videotape to send him. A friend at the lab she worked at gave her the camera; it was so Tio could see the new baby, but we used it a long time after that.”

With the apartment tour complete, the camera was placed down on some unseen table or stand, and Olivia came back into the frame, picking up baby Estela and cradling her in her arms.

“If you’re lucky, you might get a smile out of her,” Olivia said, grinning as she gently tickled Estela under her chin. “The twentieth of July was her first real smile. You’re going to laugh at me, but I cried. Maybe you’ll get it when you meet her. She’s just so, so beautiful. I swear I’m addicted to this girl.”

Taylor snuggled under Estela’s arm, and watched, entranced, as the baby on the screen grew and changed under the loving care of her mother, and then uncle as well.

“Wow, Tio Nicolas looks different!” she commented, to Estela’s chuckle. Time, unimaginable stress, and facial hair could do that to a person. It was impossible not to smile as she watched the young Nicolas bouncing his little niece on his foot. That he’d be utterly, totally smitten with Estela’s own child had to be the surest thing in the world. Taylor saw on that screen an image of a dream come true, a future that now lay before her and Estela. God, could I be any more clucky right now?

“That’s going to be us, Taylor. Our own little family.”

Instinctively, Taylor put her hand to Estela’s bump, stroking it. Her family with her soulmate; it wasn’t what she’d been made for, but she was certain it was what she was meant for.

“I’m going to be someone’s mom. When I think about it, it’s just… incredible.” She cuddled in close, and gently kissed Estela’s cheek and forehead. “It means so much that you shared this with me.” She gestured to the screen. That had taken a whole lot of bravery. “Watching this… I see so much of you when I see your mom.”

“She would have been an amazing abuelita,” Estela said softly. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply. Her mother’s sacrifice had brought her to Taylor. This new family would carry a great deal of Olivia Montoya’s influence, though she’d never know. “Thank you. I know it’s silly for me to say this, but I really appreciate you saying that. I’m gonna do her proud.”

The child on the screen was older now, toddling around the so-familiar house on stumpy legs. She held in her arms a soft doll.

“Oh-- that’s Babydoll. I was… creative at naming things when I was two. Mami gave him to me on my birthday, and I just took him everywhere. It always made sense to me; there was no way in hell Mami would ever leave me it home, so how could I ever leave my baby?”

“So, when you say you always wanted to be a mom?”

“Yeah, it goes back a long way.” Estela stroked her belly, meeting Taylor’s hand there. “I’m glad I had no idea just how rough the path would be… how that dream just burned and died. But we’re going to get there.”

She could see it. A lot of what had made her childhood had been lost in a wash of pain and trauma, but it couldn’t be taken away completely. Those memories, there before her, they were still a part of her. Those warm family moments were hers to pass on to her own child.

“Actually, I think Mom kept Babydoll. Maybe as a souvenir of my brief period of childhood innocence. I should dig him out--” She faltered, and her cheeks flushed. This shouldn’t still be a problem….

Catching on in an instant, Taylor squeezed Estela’s knee, and met her eye with a warm and loving gaze. “We have time. And if we need to enlist Tio Nicolas to do most of the necessary rummaging, that’s fine too. It would be really nice for nene to have something of yours.” Memories were powerful. They made up so much of who each person was. Lacking her own childhood, Taylor had found herself gain a great deal from Estela’s, something that had always been generously shared with no hesitation, in spite of the pain that came with those memories. That family history was important, and it bonded them together.

With a small, appreciative smile, Estela nodded. “Yes… we have time.”

  La Huerta, May 2023

 “Right; tell me. Which end am I kissing?” Taylor scooched forward in the sand, reveling in the gentle heat of the lowering sun upon her back and shoulders.

“That’ll be nene’s back.” Estela gestured to her lower belly, then the top. “Head. Butt. Right where they should be.”

Taylor smiled warmly, and went back to lay another kiss against her wife’s swollen abdomen. “Bub’s got it all worked out. Ready to high-tail it outta there and start lapping up the cuddles.”

“It’s come around fast,” Estela stated. It had. Almost too fast. Pregnancy had been an adjustment for sure, but she’d become comfortable with sharing her body with the small passenger. She could take care of herself, and that meant that baby’s needs were met too. What came next was a great unknown. Estela knew better than most how good intentions of keeping a beloved child out of harm’s way could go up in flames. What her life had been… grateful though she was for the person it had made her, she didn’t want a life like that for her baby. She could tell herself that it would be different, that the fight was over, but she’d seen too much to not be protective. The person she might have gone to for reassurance, the person who’d truly have understood, was long lost to her. Rarely had Estela missed her own mother more than in these days leading up to the big event. It made her all the more grateful for Taylor; already completely besotted with the tiny person they were waiting to meet. In Taylor, her loving hero, she had all the faith in the world.

“Yeah...” Taylor put on a forlorn gaze as she looked up into Estela’s shining eyes. “Just a few more days, and I won’t be able to outrun you anymore. I’m pretty devastated.”

“You’re a beautiful dork, Taylor. But don’t worry. You’ll be able to keep ahead of nene for a few years, if you’re lucky.”

Taylor snuggled into Estela’s lap, and together, they watched the sun journey towards the horizon. The rising tide licked at their bodies. All was peaceful, tranquil; the only sounds were the rolling of the waves, the calls of tropical birds, and the distant laughter of children in Elyys’tel, voices carried upon the wind. Taylor quietly studied Estela from head to toes, taking in everything. The pregnancy had added further lines to Estela’s scar-painted body; marks of something happy at last. Her carriage gave off a quiet confidence; the baby was safe in its strong, resilient vessel. And in Estela’s face, once the vision of heavy burdens, so great that it might might have been those of the whole world… quiet, happy serenity. Taylor felt a wave of affection wash over her. It happened to her a lot. Goodness knew how she’d ever get anything done when she had Estela and the baby to love on all day.

“Estela?”

“Mi amor?”

“You know, I think a part of me is going to miss this. Being able to put my arms around you and hold the two people I love most in the world at the same time.”

Estela’s lips quirked into a smile. “You’ll still be able to do that. Soon enough, baby will be hugging you back.”

“It’s… got to be normal to be a little scared, right? I’ve got nothing, nothing at all to look back and remember as a reference for how the hell to raise a kid. What if I--”

“Taylor.” Estela took Taylor’s face in her hands; gentle but firm. God, Taylor… no one could ask for more than to be loved by you. “I’m scared too. But I’d be a hundred times more scared if I wasn’t doing this with you. It’s a whole actual person depending on us. A whole person we could screw up in a million different ways. But we won’t. Taylor, look at me. You won’t. Just… be scared with me. And all of us… we’ll be okay.”

Taylor pulled herself up and put both arms around Estela. Holding the two people she loved most at the same time. To be scared with Estela was almost to not be afraid at all. “You’re right. Wise Mama Estela.”

“Because of you. Don’t forget that.” And Estela kissed the tip of her beloved’s nose, growing cold with the retreat of the sun. She gave a little wink. “Mama Taylor.”

Her eyes glazing dreamily as she stared out to the sunset over the sparkling sea, Taylor felt a little kick against the arm that she had around Estela’s middle. She didn’t even need to look to know that there would be the most beautiful of smiles across her wife’s face. Pure elation. Mama Taylor? She could get used to that.

[thelivebookproject]

10 Questions Tag (2)

[Similar tags] [Another 10 Questions Tag]

Tagged by @storytime-reviews, thank you!

1. What is your favourite genre and why?

It's probably fantasy. I read very widely, accross (almost) all genres, and even though I'm very fond of feel-good contemporary fiction too, I started reading thanks to fantasy books and I always come back to it.

2. How did you get into booklr?

I don't really remember? I had a blog, once upon a time, but I decided I wanted something different. I'd been seeing posts about tumblr for a long time, so I was kind of familiar with it, and after debating opening a tumblr versus a wordpress, I decided to make a tumblr because it seemed way more interactive and interesting.

3. Can you remember the first novel you read, and what you loved about it?

I've always been a reader, but, if we ignore abridged versions of classics novels, one the first novels I remember reading is actually from a series by Lisbeth Werner about a girl called Puck and her group of friends having adventures in Denmark. I don't know who they belonged to, but in my grandmother's home there are like six or seven novels of this series, very old and quite unkempt, and I read them so many times I can even remember some of the adventures.

Other than that, I also remember The Famous Five, also courtesy of my grandmother's house (summer holidays are always, always spent there, even today, so I always read quite a lot hahaha), and Harry Potter. 

4. Who are some of your favourite children's authors?

The aforementioned ones, plus Roald Dahl, and Spanish Ana Bermejo (though she writes more for tweens). I'm sure there are a lot more I like, but I can't remember any right now.

5. What are some classics you love and ones you hate?

I absolutely love Pride and Prejudice. It's my favourite ever. Other than that, I also really like Emma, A Tale of Two Cities, every Agatha Christie ever written, and Frankenstein. Pygmalion and The Three Musketeers were also fun, and Les Mis was fantastic. 

Hate is a strong word, but I disliked Jane Eyre, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hide, and The Portrait of Dorian Grey. I'm sure there are more that I really hated, but I can't remember any! 

And, as a personal note, I can't deal with Don Quixote. My primary school was called Cervantes, so the star theme was this book, and during the years I've had to read so many adaptations of it (once we even watched a children's TV series of it!) I came to dislike everything about it. If I ever have to read it again, I'll scream. 

6. What is your favourite read of the year so far?

Mmmmm. I've read some super good books this year, but the best so far have been Becoming, by Michelle Obama, and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language, by Amanda Montell. Curiously, both are non-fiction!

7. Do you read/write fanfiction?

I read a lot of fanfiction!!

8. What are your reading goals for the rest of the year? And next year?

To tackle my 20 in 20 list, I need to read 85 books (I've read 68 so far), 2 more non-fiction books, 3 more classics, and 6 more books in French. I also need to read North and South (by Elizabeth Gaskell), and finish my Reading Ibero-America challenge.

And for next year, who knows? We'll see.

9. What are some book to film/tv adaptations you love? And why?

My favourite film adaptations are Pride and Prejudice 2005, the Harry Potter films, and The Lord of the Rings films. I think that they are adaptations made with love and with respect, and it shows: they truly recreate the characters, the scenes, the feelings, and the plot of the book, even when they are not 100% accurate. 

Another adaptation I absolutely love is The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. So fun!

10. Is there a book that lots of people rec that you just instinctively know you would hate to read?

The Throne of Glass series, for sure.

Because I've been asking so many questions lately for my interviews and I can't think of new ones, I'm going to repeat the questions from the last time I did this:

How has your quarantine been?

Biggest pet peeves (in general)?

What book(s) are you reading right now?

What’s your favourite thing about bookblr?

How are your yearly goals looking?

What’s a curious thing about you/your personality/your life?

If you could be an animal, which one would you choose?

Rec me a book!

How many languages do you speak?

Tell me a childhood memory.

I leave this open! Please tag me so I can see your answers, and yes, I mean you.

[yawnjunie]

extra long tag game (seriously, it’s very long)

tagged by: @soobindipity​ (ty eri!)

tagging: @acethetiques​, @bloomingjun​, @txtdream​, @bulgo-gyu...(i’m honestly so lazy so if you want to do this, go ahead! feel free to ignore if you were tagged)

ONE

tell me the first song that made you stan your current fave group and why did your faves attract you so much?

side effects! (oops this is a txt blog) but i’m pretty sure this is what made me want to stan skz! the song is very experimental, as it’s psychedelic edm (i believe), but i liked it a lot after a few listens. i was totally obsessed with the choreography as well, because the whole thing is just...art. they attracted me because their style of music was different than what i had seen before, and on top of being extremely talented and creative people, they were also super funny and caring.

another group that comes really close to being my favs is day6 (and i cannot even begin to describe my infatuation with this group). i listened to “shoot me” and “sweet chaos” and BAM that’s all it took to drag me into stanning this group. i’m not familiar with the inside jokes and all that, but i just love listening to their music! there is not a single bad song in their entire discography! i also have the largest heart eyes for young k’s “young one” project covers and eaJ’s original songs.

—

TWO

rule: answer the ten questions and write your own!

what’s your unrealistic goal for life?

going to an ivy league or just any amazing school in general (lol is this really gonna happen tho 🤪)

if you had known that we would be in a global pandemic, what’s one thing that you would’ve done before things shut down (if they have for you)?

gone out with my friends, probably (going for a boba run, going to the mall, etc.)

what’s an unconventional thing that you carry around with you when you go out?

a tiny book called “be active” by charles m. schulz, filled with motivation quotes. i also bring around a book, in case i get bored.

favourite type of plushies and why?

the extra fluffy kind that i can hug or use as a pillow, but i like the bear plushies a lot too (from daiso/miniso).

favourite song right now?

darn i don’t have one 😳 but i like listening to “ribs” by lorde

something that you’ve always wanted to learn?

how to make macarons, how to make/compose music, the korean language

tell a funny story about yourself (or just something that you’ve witnessed)

i can’t think of something off the top of my head :( (i promise my life isn’t that boring but my brain isn’t conjuring up anything helpful)

headphones or speakers? why?

headphones when i want to listen to music by myself/with a friend, speakers when i want to share music openly

craving any food right now? what are you craving?

banh mi and 🍅 (even though i just had a bowl of them...sorry beomgyu)

+ also this coconut that i’m trying to open? but it’s not cooperating with me 😔

which music streaming platform do you prefer? why?

spotify, it’s unproblematic for the most part

ten questions (by eri, answered)

1. what’s the best trip/vacation you’ve ever had?

when i went on a tour of china (i went to a bunch of places, from the city to the mountains). it was fun exploring places i’ve never been to!

2. do you have any random fears/phobias? if yes, what are they?

spiders and bugs :(

3. weirdest food you’ve ever eaten?

either mangostine (i hated it, sorry soobin) or frog legs

4. do you have any hidden talents? what can you do?

uhhhhhhhhhhh i can memorize things quickly? i mean i don’t think it’s that big of a talent but i can remember trivial history facts really well

5. what is an activity you’d like to try out someday?

swimming underneath a waterfall or just living in the wilderness

6. when did you get your first phone and what type of phone was it?

a very long time ago when i was in 2nd grade, when i first got an ancient flip-phone...i pretty much never touched it because i never really needed to use it

7. what is a movie you never get tired of watching?

kimi no nawa! i’ve watched that movie 3 times already and it’s a great movie so i wouldn’t mind watching it again :)

8. biggest pet peeve?

dirt encrusted fingernails >:(

9. earliest childhood memory?

i’m not sure :( my memory is just a jumble of things from my childhood

10. as a child, what did you want to be? what about now?

i wanted to be anything and everything...one day i would be like “i’m going to be a doctor” and the next i would be like “nvm i want to be a magician” and as for now, i’m actually not sure because i’m interesting in many fields, including areas in both sciences and humanities.

—

THREE

rule: bold the statements that apply to you, italicize your aspirations, then tag nine people.

AIR ༉⋆͙̈

i have small hands / i love the night sky / i watch animals and birds when i pass them by / i drink herbal tea / i wake to see the dawn / the smell of dust is comforting / i’m valued for being wise / i prefer books to music / i meditate / i find joy in learning new truths from the world around me

FIRE ༉⋆͙̈

i don’t have straight hair / i like to wear ripped jeans and overalls / i play an organized sport / i love dogs / i am not afraid of adventure / i love to talk to strangers / i always try new foods / i enjoy road trips / summer is my favorite season / my radio is always playing

WATER ༉⋆͙̈

i wear bracelets on my wrists / i love the bustle of the city / i have more than one set of piercings / i read poetry / i love the sound of a thunderstorm / i want to travel the world / i sleep past midday most days / i love simply lit dinners and fluorescent signs / i rewatch kids shows out of nostalgia / i see emotions in colors not words

EARTH ༉⋆͙̈

i wear glasses or contacts / i enjoy doing the laundry / i am a vegetarian or vegan / i have an excellent sense of time / my humor is very cheerful / i am a valued advisor to my friends / i believe in true love / i love this chill of mountain air / i’m always listening to music / i am highly trusted by the people in my life

AETHER ༉⋆͙̈

i go without makeup in my daily life / i make my own artwork / i keep on track of my tasks and time / i always know true north / i see beauty in everything / i can always smell flowers / i smile at everyone i pass by / i always fear history repeating itself / i have recovered from a mental disorder / i can love unconditionally

—

FOUR

PERSONAL

name: blu

nickname: blu

birthday: sometime when the flowers bloom

zodiac: aries

nationality: american

languages: english, chinese, spanish, (a bit of) japanese

gender: female

sexuality: straight

height: [redacted]

BLOG STUFF

inspiration for muse: txt and other groups i stan! i also like to take inspiration from my life experiences, books i’ve read, songs, movies. shows, and so on.

meaning behind my url: there weren’t any canon urls for yeonjun so my brain somehow went hmm? yawnjunie? sounds good (i’ve been asked this before and honestly there isn’t much logic behind my url lol)

blog established: June 5th, 2020

followers: 153 (it’s a small-ish community but thank you all for the support!)

FAVORITES

favourite animals: dogs, cats, wolves, foxes (i just love animals in general)

favourite books: asoue, the miraculous journey of edward tulane, the joy luck club, the giver series (there are more but i can’t think of them)

favourite colour: blue (i love all the colors)

favourite fictional characters: alyssa and james (teotfw), the baudelaires (asoue), and other people i can’t think of atm

favourite flower: i don’t think i have a specific favorite flower, but i like orchids!

favourite scent: the scent of pu’er tea (or the scent of dried flowers)

favourite season: i don’t have one, but i’m leaning towards autumn

RANDOM

average hours of sleep: 6-9

cats or dogs: dogs (i’m serious)

coffee, tea or hot chocolate: tea all the way

current time: 01:05

dream trip: south america, europe, japan

dream job: tbd :’) (but i want to be in a profession in which i’m helping people)

hobbies: eating, playing piano, being a tubbs™

hogwarts house: ravenclaw (i think)

last movie watched: can’t remember, but it was probably a film about a mermaid who tried to find true love on land but ended up dying

last song listened to: i’m in love with you by kina

no. of blankets you sleep with: 1-2

random fact(s): i love mint chocolate ice cream, i like my milk tea with a bunch of toppings (pudding, aloe vera, boba pearls, etc.)

—

FIVE

10 things I can’t stop listening to

if i could ride a bike - chevy

pinocchio - eaJ

fly me to the moon - young k

holo - lee hi

lmm - hwasa

man in a movie - day6

laughing on the outside - bernadette carroll

remember (from natsume’s book of friends) - uru

sparkle - radwimps

i loved you - day6

[ella-se-vuelve-loca]

Chapter 9

Grand Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Previous Chapter

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“Can you guys hear me?” I heard Chris ask the cncowners on his live stream he’s doing with Zabdiel. They waited a few moments as comments started pouring in greeting them. “Aye! Hahaha how is everyone? Good?” Chris asked as Zabdiel was reading some of the comments.

Ring

I looked down and saw that (Y/N) was calling my phone. A smile immediately came onto my face as I answered her call.

“Hello?”

“Hey!” It’s like I could feel her smiling on the other line.

“What’s up?” I asked and I could hear some shuffling in the background. “Well, I finally checked out that Netflix Series you were telling me about.”

“Oh, really?” I chuckled. “And?..”

“You were right.. It’s so addicting!” I laughed and played with some of the rings on my fingers. “Right? I told you. I have good taste.”

“I can’t believe I’ve been putting it off for this long. I’m such an idiot.” She laughed as I leaned my head back on the chair I’m sitting on. “I meaannn… you’re not wrong. You can be a dork sometimes.”

“Speak for yourself. You can be a dork as well.” She immediately fired back at me. “Yeah, but I’m your dork.” I mumbled and made sure no one else could that but her. I looked back over to where Chris and Zabdiel are siting and I realized that they were both looking at me... I guess I might’ve been laughing too much? I shrugged my shoulders at them as they got back to talking to the cncowners.

I stood up from my seat and started walking towards the door to go into the hallway. “A dónde vas?” Zabdiel asked as I opened the door, holding the phone close to my ear. “I’ll be right back..” I said and made my way out of the room. “Hey uh now that I have you on the line with me, can I ask you a quick question?” I asked.

“Sure! What’s up?”

“Are you free tomorrow evening?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Mhmm there’s a place I would like to take you and I think you’ll really enjoy it.”

“Where would we be going if I say ‘yes’ to this little adventure of yours?”

“It’s a surprise. All I ask is that you might wanna wear something comfortable and to bring a sweater.. so, what do you say? Will you go out with me tomorrow?”

“I’d have to say that you are something else, Joel.” She laughed. “But sure, I’m free tomorrow. Is there anything else I should bring, Pimentel?” She joked. “Only your cute self.” I smiled as I could picture her blushing at my comment. “Where are we going?” She tried once again to figure out my plans.

“Ah-ah-ah I see what you’re trying to do there. Nice try, but like I told you, it’s a surprise.” I looked back at the door where Chris and Zabdiel sat inside. “Darn it. I thought you wouldn’t catch it and tell me without even realizing.”

“I’m just that good.” I chuckled. “Anyways, I’ll pick you up at 8?”

“It’s a date.”

“I’ll see you then, princesa.”

“I’ll see you then.”  I smiled and hung up the phone after we said our goodbyes and walked back into the room occupied by two of my friends. “Hey, guys.” I spoke as I walked towards them both. “What are you guys doing?” I asked.

“Estamos haciendo un Q&A.” Chris said as he looked back to the screen and picked out a question to answer. “Who were you talking to just now?” Zabdiel asked as I looked down at Chris. “I think it was just a friend of his.” Chris spoke for me and brushed it off as Zabdiel slowly nodded and got back to answering questions. I patted Christopher’s shoulder as if saying “thank you” that he covered for me.

That was way too close.

I forgot for a second that they were doing a live and I could’ve blown this whole thing up within seconds. She has to stay a secret. When I break this off with her and get Emilia, then it’ll just be between us and the public wouldn’t know about this. I know this is still very douchebag of me doing this, but I can feel it. I can feel this going my way soon and I’ll get what I want in the end.

I can feel something is about to change or like something is about to happen. I just don’t really know what yet…

~~

“So you’re really not gonna tell me where we are headed?” She asked me as she strapped her seatbelt on and looked over at me. I shook my head and started driving away, heading over to our destination. “I thought you said ‘patience is a virtue’?” I smiled. “Besides, it’s not that far from here anyways.”

We continued to talk as soft jazz music played in the background until we finally made it to where I had planned our date. “We’re here.” I said as I unstrapped my seatbelt.

“The beach?” I nodded and opened my car door before running over to her side and opening her side of the car. “Thank you.” She smiled and at me and got out as I stood behind her. “The water is gonna be cold if we get in.”

“True, but we’re not here to swim..” I slowly turned her chin towards where we were going to be seated at and leaned down close to her ear and spoke. “We’re just gonna have a little picnic.” I chuckled and took her hand in mine, pulling her towards me as we walked on the cold sand. “It’s simple, but sometimes simple is the best way to go.”

She looked at the picnic I had set for the both of us and smiled. “It’s perfect. I love it..” We got ourselves settled on top of the blanket as I had a spare one next to me. Instead of sitting down, we ended up lying down on our sides, hoisting our bodies up by our elbows. “Uh.. champagne?” I asked as I held up the bottle from the basket next to us as she held up the two glasses. “Of course.”

We both clinked our glasses together as she took a sip. I couldn’t help but notice how.. beautiful she looked tonight. I don’t know if it’s the sunset beaming on her skin or how little makeup she wore, but something about her was just drawing me in. I took a sip from my drink and placed it on top of the blanket.

“This definitely is a nice surprise.” She spoke. “I’m glad you like it..” We both looked at the waves in front of us and could hear the water crashing together. “You said you thinking spot and one of your favorite places to be was underneath a.. willow tree? That’s what they’re called, right?” I asked as she nodded.

“Well, my thinking spot is when I’m around water. Whether I’m at the beach, or I’m on a bridge that’s over some water, a swimming pool or even in the shower.” I chuckled. “Something about it is just so relaxing to me and I feel like I can breathe.. be lost in my own thoughts.”

I’ve never really confessed this to anyone, now that I think about it.

Her thinking spot is under a tree and mine is by an ocean of some kind. What goes better than land and water?

I looked up at her and saw her glancing over at the small waves as she let out a sigh. “It’s a good place to think. It sure is beautiful..”

“Yeah.. very beautiful..” She glanced back at me and noticed how I was looking at her and not the view in front of us. A blush spread across her cheeks as she played with the glass of champagne in her hands. I reached over to the basket and pulled out two sandwiches and handed her one.

“Would you care for a sandwich, m’lady?” I asked as she laughed. “Don’t mind if I do, good sir.” She took it out of my hands and took a bite. “Mmm.. avocado?” I laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I like to add it to my sandwiches. It gives it a whole new taste and takes it to the next level. If you don’t like it, I have a few ones that don’t have any.”

“Are you kidding? This is so good! Kind of reminds me of a torta, I’m not gonna lie.” She laughed and took another bite. “A lot of people don’t like them and I’m always like how can you not? It’s delicious.” I took a bite of my own and smiled. “It’s a good fat.” She laughed.

We continued to chat and eat while it got darker and darker.

“Okay okay uh if you were in a TV show or movie, would you rather be the hero or the villain?” I asked her as we looked up at the stars above us from were we lied down. “I think I’d like to play the villain just because I feel like you get to have more fun. I mean don’t get me wrong, It’d be cool to play the hero but… the costumes and the dialogue of the villains always look so much cooler, in my opinion.”

“Really?” She nodded and asked a question of her own. “If a genie granted you 3 wishes right now, what would you wish for?” I thought for a moment as I absentmindedly played with a strand of her hair. “Uhh.. pfft.. to eat anything and never get sick or fat, to get mi caballito azul back and..  for this moment right here, right now, to never end..” I looked down at her and I swear the stars didn’t compare to how pretty her eyes looked in the moonlight.

“… Wait.. what’s your caballito azul?” She asked and I laughed. “Long story short, when I was little, I l grew up with my grandparents and I used to have this blue toy horse and I would always play with it. One day, I lost it and I would cry out ‘Caballito azul! Caballito azul!’ and I never saw it again.”

“Wow, must have been so traumatic for you.” She laughed. “Hey! I’ll have you know it was haha!” I looked back up at the sky and sighed. “Okay, my turn… what’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done in public?” She immediately covered her face and groaned. “There’s so many things, oh my God! I was dreading this question!”

“C’mon! Tell me one!”

“Uh.. okay, I can tell you one thing I did when I was younger.”

“I’m all ears.” She chuckled, cleared her throat and began telling her story. “So, I’m a pretty clumsy person by default, okay?” She laughed. “One time, I was trying to get the attention of this one guy I liked when I was younger and for so long, he just didn’t seem to notice me. The one time he decides to look over my way, I’m going up the stairs and.. haha I fucking trip and my body just slid when I got to the top. I was mortified!”

I burst out laughing as her face turned completely red. “I was like ‘Oh! Well, he notices me now when I’m doing some stupid shit. That’s just great.’ I couldn’t believe it.” She chuckled. “How do you fall going up?”

“I don’t know! I just did!”

“But that’s – ”

“I know!”

“So did he – “

“Nope.”

“Damn.”

Our laughter died down as I found myself looking into her eyes once again. Why are they so captivating? Why can’t I look at anything else but her? A slight breeze hit our skins as I saw her shiver a little besides me. “You cold?” I asked. “Just a little..” I sat up as she followed my movements while I grabbed the extra blanket I had brought just in case it got a bit chillier. “Here..” I placed the blanket onto her and she held it close to her body. “Thank you.. aren’t you cold too?”

“Nah, I can handle it.” I brushed it off and looked back at the waves. “I don’t want you to be cold, and it’s not fair that I’m the only one with a blanket, that you brought by the way. Plus, I have extra room so..” She came closer, her body next to mine, and shared the covers with me. “There, now we can both be warm.” She smiled at me as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Thank you..”

Silence…

I hoped she couldn’t hear the sound of my heart thumping rapidly inside my chest. I’ve never held someone like this so close to me and feel so.. comfortable. It just feels so right. I looked down at her and slowly lifted her chin up so she can face me properly. My eyes drifted from her own to her mouth. I parted her lips open slightly with my thumb as my hand went to cup her face and glance back up into her eyes.

They look so soft. I wonder what they would feel like.. against mine.

I slowly leaned down and hovered mine over hers, testing to see if this is okay. She didn’t pull away as I stayed there for a moment, hesitating if I should do this.

I want to.

I really, really want to.

“… Are you.. gonna kiss me or not?” Her voice was so soft that I almost didn’t catch it. It was almost so hard to believe.

I slowly pushed my lips against hers and it felt as if time had stopped and nothing else mattered but her. I moved strands of hair away from her face while she played with my curls. This feels.. good.. too good. It was like a fire ignited inside my bones and I became addicted to how soft they felt against mine.

We pulled away and it was as if I came back to reality and remembered where we were. I looked back up at her and smiled. “.. Come back here..” I pulled her in for another kiss and held her body close to mine, smiling against her lips.

~~

“I had a really great time tonight, Joel..” She spoke as I had walked to her to doorstep. “I did too..” It was as if we were both thinking the exact same thing because the next thing I knew, I had her pinned against her front door while locking lips with her.

I don’t want to stop, but I have to…

One of my hands were on her hips while the other was pinned over her head. We pulled away and I could feel her breath against my own as I gave her one last sweet short kiss. I slowly pushed myself away from her and started walking backwards.

“Goodnight, (Y/N)…”

“Goodnight, Joel…”

I smiled at her and made my way back towards my car. I got inside and waited for her to go in her house before I started driving away.

Only one word came into my mind at this moment.

Woah…

Next Chapter

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