#arc: before the storm

[ffxiv-f13ndish]

To Paint a Picture

Collab. drabble w/ @sorrel-haven [Kore] and @ro-valerius [Tofu].

Kore attempts to paint a portrait of Miyu. Hijinks ensue. Tofu brings a gift.

After Kore had offered to paint their portrait, Miyu eagerly awaited the day she was open to do so. Kore, needing to unwind, decided today was that day. Miyu had propped themself up with extra pillows and a nearby snack, prepared to sit for as long as needed. They were going to have to be still for this, after all.

And they were – for the most part. 

Some time had passed before a flicker of mischief lit up in Miyu. They turned their gaze away from the wall, instead choosing to meet Kore’s eyes with an unwavering stare. Kore looked up from her easel and noticed Miyu’s stare. She raised an eyebrow and smiled at them.

“What are you doing?” she said with a giggle.

Miyu’s expression was wide eyed and innocent, as if they couldn’t possibly be up to any sort of no good. 

“Why, me? Just sitting pretty, as usual,” they responded with a coquettish bat of their lashes. “Why do you ask?”

Kore shook her head with a chuckle and went back to painting. She didn’t need to look over to know they were still staring right at her. She could feel their eyes on her. She tried to suppress the bubbling giggle, which only served to make it worse. 

Seeing as Kore fell victim to the giggles, a sly grin crossed Miyu’s features. They attempted to keep blinking to a minimum. She spared a glance at Miyu when she needed to check the shape of their brow. That was a mistake - they cheekily winked when Kore had to meet their gaze. She couldn’t hold back the giggles any longer!

“Y- you’re ridiculous!” she managed to get out through the bubbly laughter.

“I’m only admiring the art,” the Miqo’te playfully purred back.

“What are you talking about? You can’t see it from there!” she laughed, confused.

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about the painting, lovely.”

Kore blinked, what was that supposed to mea- The realization hit her and her cheeks flushed immediately. She tried to hide her face with one hand as she looked away from Miyu. 

The impish grin on Miyu’s face only grew. 

“You know, I don’t think it will be easy to paint me if you aren’t looking at me,” Miyu further teased.

She looked at them through her fingers. “I can paint you easily!” she said with a huff before reaching over and dabbing a splotch of blue on the miqo’te’s cheek.

An incredulous gasp sounded from Miyu after Kore’s paint attack. A devious look flashed across their features before they lunged forward towards Kore’s paint palette. They swiped their fingers across it before aiming to mark her forehead with the painted digits.

She grabbed their hand saving her forehead, but the paint caused her grip to slip and they got paint all down her arm. She let out a high pitched scoff and smeared a glob of paint on their shoulder.

Miyu very nearly apologized, upon seeing the paint that stained Kore's arm. However, the urge to apologize was quickly withdrawn when Kore retaliated further. This was war. And fighting fair wasn’t essentially Miyu’s style. They turned their head toward their shoulder, to get a bit of paint on their own nose. 

The Miqo’te placed both hands on either side of Kore’s face and leaned in, lips pressing to Kore’s as the tip of their paint smeared nose butted against her own. Kore made a small noise in surprise, but leaned into the kiss.

When they pulled away, Miyu flashed a wicked grin. “What’s wrong? Do I have something on my face?”

“Hmm yes let me get it.” Kore laughed and smeared some more paint on their cheek. “There. I think I got it.” 

Miyu’s relentless stare finally broke as they averted their eyes to the floor, their paint covered face touched by strokes of warm red. 

“You know, this isn’t quite what I meant when I asked to get my face painted,” they said, wiping the paint off their shoulder with the palm of the hand. They then proceeded to press their hand against Kore’s cheek, leaving a palm print in the wake of their painted destruction.

Kore laughed and brushed some hair out of Miyu’s face. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead to theirs. Giggles were still subsiding as she let out a content sigh. She took Miyu’s hand and rubbed her thumb on the back of it. A small knock at the door caused her to jump and bonk her head on Miyu’s. Miyu blinked and rubbed their forehead with their hand — inadvertently smearing the paint further.

Kore rubbed her head as she called, “Come in?”

Tofu poked his head in and paused at the sight of…paint everywhere. Just. So much paint. A neutral expression turned deadpan as he examined the two of them. Miyu beamed, wiggling their fingers as they greeted Tofu. With a sigh, he stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind him, keeping a hand behind his back so they couldn’t see what he had just yet; he wanted to explain himself before they laughed. Miyu’s fingers stilled when they picked up on the curious sight of Tofu hiding something behind his back, the Miqo’te leaning to one side in an attempt to catch a glimpse.

“I see you two are having fun,” he said, his tone not giving any indication of his mood. He cleared his throat and averted his gaze. “I uh…made some good luck charms for everyone…” 

He mentally smacked himself. Good job explaining first, bozo. Still not looking at either of them, he held out two hand sewn charms, one in a dark pinkish red, much like Kore wore, and one with a light purple and seafoam green coloured pattern. Miyu's eyes gleamed with Tofu’s presentation, and they darted forward to check out the good luck charms. Kore smiled as she remembered Tofu mentioning good luck charms before.

“Awe… thank you! This is lovely,” Miyu cooed, beginning to reach for the good luck charm. With the sharp points of their nails, they carefully picked up theirs. In thanks, Miyu snuck in a hasty peck on the cheek. A blush crept across Tofu’s cheeks as he stubbornly kept his gaze averted.

Kore wiped her hands on a paint rag before going up to take her charm. “This is lovely Tofu, thank you!” She held it closer to her face to look at the detailing.

Tofu saw Kore from the corner of his eye as she held the charm very close to her face to see and gave her a look before going over to the shelf where she’d placed her glasses ages ago and forgot about. Still giving her that look, he grabbed the glasses from the shelf and walked back over to her, pushing them gently onto her face. 

“Dork.” 

Kore blinked as she was suddenly gifted vision. She adjusted her glasses and stuck her tongue out at him. He returned the favour.

Miyu emitted a faint ‘oh’ in surprise when a pair of glasses were placed on Kore’s face.

“Maybe. But a pretty dork,” they hummed in approval. “How come you never wear them? Do you just call me ‘rainbow’ because I look like an obscure blob of colors to you?” Miyu giggled.

“...” Kore blushed and deliberately looked at the ceiling. “Maybe…”

Tofu cleared his throat and brushed his hair into his face more, as if to hide a little. “W-Well, it seemed like I interrupted something, so I’ll let you both get back to it,” he mumbled, turning towards the door. 

Kore grabbed his hand before he could leave, with Miyu simultaneously making a grab for the other. Tofu felt the paint from Miyu’s hand transfer to his own and gave them a brief look.

“You don’t have to go,” the two said in unison. Their pleading looks almost mirrored each other.

In the face of their expressions, he couldn’t say no to either of them. 

“R-right…” he mumbled. 

Kore smiled as she walked over to her paint case, and pulled out two more paint rags to hand to the other two. She sat back at her easel and checked it over to see if the paint fight affected it. Luckily, it was unscathed.

Once Miyu’s hands were cleaned up with the rags, they got to examining their new charm with ease. Miyu grinned and gave the little charm a peck before they tucked it away into a sewn pocket in their dress.

“I was trying to paint Miyu’s portrait, however they decided to get cheeky,” she explained. “So I had to punish them, you see. And well… We got a bit carried away.”

“Punish?” Miyu gasped in disbelief. “If I remember correctly, it was you who attacked first! All I was doing was sitting, swear it!”

“Sitting and making comments!” she said in a lighthearted protest.

“Well… am I ever wrong?” Miyu quipped, the deceitful veil of innocence falling from their expression with a roguish smirk. “Besides, it’s just about lunch time. Perfect distraction for a break.” 

Tofu watched the exchange as he wiped the paint off of his hand, hoping that Miyu hadn't gotten any paint elsewhere else on his person. As he checked over to ensure that he had gotten all of the paint off of his hand, he remembered that he had been out of practice sewing, and while the pinpricks weren't super noticeable, he was quick to close his hand and keep it at his side sheepishly. 

"Did you…want to keep painting or did you prefer to get lunch and come back…?" he asked softly.

“I think we should take a break,” Kore said, putting her paints away. “Have you eaten yet?”

Tofu caught sight of a disgruntled Chauncey and gave a small wave in greeting before turning his attention back to Kore. "...I haven't," he said, having forgotten the whole day to stop working on the charms to do anything to sustain himself. 

“Easy fix. Let's all go to lunch,” Miyu enthusiastically proposed, hopping over to Tofu’s side to hook an arm around his. They started to reach for his hand with their other hand, only to pause. 

“Ouch. How long have you been working on those charms, dear?” they remarked, lifting up his hand to inspect it. He shrugged, as best he could with their arm around his.

"I think I woke up a couple hours before the sun came up because I had that dream again. Worked on those to have something else to think about," he murmured.

“Ah, I’m sorry,” Kore said with a small frown. “You can always come sit with one of us if that happens. You don’t have to talk about it either, we don’t mind being a distraction.”

“The door is always open for you,” Miyu agreed with a nod. 

“A-ah, right…” Tofu muttered as he averted his gaze. 

Kore sighed softly with a fond exasperation. He’ll get there, someday- hopefully. Today they were getting lunch. She walked over and took Tofu’s other hand and guided them both out the door.

[thegracefulknight]

Weston College, June 4, 1889 — The party after the second Sapphire Miracle.

These frames added ten years to my life omgg. (which will prolly be taken away again once the current manga chapters get animated, but that's a worry for another time lol)

I love how we got to see Phipps' chimkeen but how come the chapter 66 where it came from wasn't though?! Still hope they animate it as a flashback or even as OVA. 😭🥹

Also, Paula and Edward dancingg! They're so cute 🤭

[lynn-tged-posting]

tged webtoon ep 179 spoilers and thoughts that are like okay i can see where this is going and more below the cut

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i'll get the first thought out of the way rn. i think i do see what they were trying to do now! this ep feels better than the last one!! i'll talk more about that below

right now though i am mostly entertained by HOW MUCH LLOYD LOOKS LIKE A SALESMAN IN THIS EP IN SO MANY PANELS HAHAHAHA

he looks like the

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

the panels in this ep genuinely are really great they're not terribly over the top besides a few and i think thats a good balance,,, i especially like the focus on the chief's reaction to all the changes that are going on in his life now that they have the choice of an alternative method (well,,, choice is said loosely LMFAO)

coming from last episode of lloyd going "oh yeah i love peace im a pacifist :)" to telling the demon kids "hey sometimes. theres people u need to beat up a bit. and people u need to beat up a LOT" and IT MAKES ME SMILE THAT THE KIDS TOOK THAT TO HEART HAHAHA

powerful ass kids. lloyd is teaching the younger generation to Take No Shit and i really like that,,, esp considering all the shit suho had to take in korea asldkjflajskdf

AND THEN WHEN THE VENETOS TRIED TO RAID THE CARRIAGE. HELP

obsessed w the composition of this panel. its nothing like new or clever per se i just really like how it looks , the light that pulls down from lloyd, to javier, to demon guy (I DONT KNOW IF HE HAS A NAME) i just,,, really like. they look like thugs. like bosses u have to fight in a row. ITS FUNNY I LIKE IT. this sequence as a whole was really fun,,,

javier and demon guy explaining that they either piss off or fight, AND THEN LLOYD GOING FROM THE MOST OMINOUS THING YOUVE EVER SEEN TO THE FRIENDLIEST LITTLE SMILE IN THE WORLD. AND OOOH,,, IT'S THE ROUTINE AGAIN,,, HAHAHAHA

like seriously he looks like a fucking car salesman. he's basically selling this whole financing thing he's got planned w the venetos,,,

like when he did the money exchange for goods thing i was like oh,,, he's scheming something with like finances and banking or something like that isn't he,,,,,,, salesman looking ass

ALSO THE NUH UH PANEL FUCKING SENT ME I HAD TO INCLUDE IT HERE

AND WHEN PPODONG KICKS THEM ABOUT AND HE JUST WALKS ON SCREEN AND STANDS THERE IM. the POSE HAHAHAHA you know i had to do it to em lookin ass. GOOFY

genuinely his poses in this ep are so stupid funny i love them sm . recently we've been seeing a lot of his face being Totally Evil Exaggeration or Seriously Going Through It but these goofy ass salesman poses and expressions are SOMETHING ELSE HAHA GOOD CHANGE OF PACE

and it's not like he's forcing their hand he's just stopping their usual avenues, bc he juuust so happens to be working in the area now for magentano,,,, honestly i think he would have put the chief into a corner at some point eventually, but it also seems like lloyd's efforts had also affected other aspects of the chief's life, like his relationship w his family and the other veneto hunters,,, which may have put the chief in the corner early,,, a matter of time, i suppose,,,?

like the chief had a lot of very like remorseful / realization type expressions in this ep, i really liked this one in particular,

and (okay i guess we're diving into the main thoughts now) i think now that i have the context of this ep for the previous week's ep, it kind of paints a picture of what exactly it was the adaptation team was going for. the venetos are prideful and rooted in inconvenient traditional ways, and lloyd's plan is a type of interference that twists that pride one way or another (though i dont think the chief feeling remorse after seeing his wife and child finally being okay with him was a part of lloyds plans LOL)

it,,, makes sense! and while yes it's due to lloyd's interference, it also feels like the chief is making a decision himself here, (in,,, in a way?) (not sure how to explain what i mean by that) like the chief absolutely sees how bad things had gotten under his original policies and outlook, and then saw the immediate change from just... changing the way they acquire goods. i really liked watching that happen, and it helps characterize him as someone who is so incredibly stubborn but really wants the best for his people, and the best he had known at that point was what they had done all this time.

this does makes me wish that ep 178 was handled with a lot more tact and awareness of what they are setting up for. i think if ep 178 had a similar tone as ep 179, it would have been received a bit better, maybe,,, of course i wouldn't know for sure, and i'm not sure how i'd rewrite it myself, but i think 179 handles the line between moments of thought and moments of gags a lot better than 178 (if that makes any sense). because of this, the chief in 179 feels different than the chief in 178,,, i would feel better about 179 showing his redemption process if 178 had been handled with just a bit more care. i don't think we needed to see a man bully/verbally abuse his family to show that the venetos are traditional in a detrimental way,,, while also nearly presenting everyone as a gag at that? man idk,,,

i'm not entirely sure still, maybe i'm just being sensitive or something, but regardless (and again), 179 feels a lot better than 178 so i'm really hoping this arc finishes strong,,,

anyway serious thoughts aside! WHEN LLOYD PULLED OUT THE CONTRACT I KNEW IT WAS OVER LLOYD HAD WON ALDKFJSDFHHAHAAAAA

ohhhh the signing,,, it's binding~ you're stuck now!! HAHA

AND THE REVEAL OF IT BEING LIKE. A FINANCING BANKING THING AFTER ALL I AM BOTH APALLED IN A /LH WAY AND HAPPY BC I FIGURED IT OUT BASED ON WHAT LLOYD WAS DOING HAHAHAHA

like wow. lloyd u r about to toss these people into the throes of capitalism . good job, i think,,,??? honestly it makes sense that lloyd would know how this works or how to do this considering all the financial trouble he faced in korea

NO WONDER HE LOOKED LIKE A SALESMAN IN ALL THESE PANELS TOO. HE'S A BANKER GUY IN THIS EP LAKDJFLSKJDFH god i hate him /aff wonder what his next step in the plan is,,, cause. how will this possibly get the venetos to do the job of keeping charge of the mountain railroad stuff??? like will they be more inclined to work to like pay off the bank stuff? <- does not know how banks and loans work

that's all for now,,, i am excited and hoping the next ep will keep going back up!!!

[the-city-kitty]

Kinda thought Sonic would be able to keep a lid on the whole phantom rider thing for more than one issue but alright I guess

[deafknell]

This is still my fave coloured illustration from arc 8 it has 0 reason to be this funny. She looks like she's dropping in from the fortnite battle bus

[yami268]

One thing I realized that makes me more miffed about "Origins" is that they made Junko part of the Talons once (Cyclonian Youth Brigade) and they never really utilize that plot point throughout the entire series.

[oliversgarden]

Having friends at different points of their first listen throughs of rqg is great, like I’ve got one friend sobbing about Sasha’s letter and the other one is laughing about is Bertie guy pretending to be a statue! Ohhh good times

[b1gwings]

a little something i made for my dnd group back in september ^_^

[sorrel-haven]

What if I Named the Stars with You?

Kore was made to actually wear her glasses! so now she can see the stars.

Tofu belongs to @ro-valerius

Kore never spent much time up on the roof before. She didn’t think falling off sounded fun, and she didn’t care to find her glasses just to go up. With the new pair she decided to see what it was like up there. She knew a few Flowers and friends spent a fair amount of time up there and was curious.

She walked up the stairs and hopped over the railing onto the roof, walking over to the front side of the house. She sat on the edge, checking out the view. The sun setting behind her let her see the early stars starting to freckle the darkening sky. For the first time in 6 years she looked up and really saw them. Glittering gems on a dark fabric, and as the sky got darker even more emerged.

It was breathtaking.

Tofu also had a mind to sit on the roof to clear away some persistent thoughts. Once he crested over the rounded bit that bridged the front and the back of the roof, he caught sight of familiar light pink ears. He stopped short, tilting his head as he considered if he should announce his presence or not. Better to not surprise her.

“Seeing you up here is new,” he stated simply.

Kore didn’t look at him, “I had forgotten…” she trailed off. It was a half formed thought, almost like she didn’t realize she had said it.

“What the stars looked like?” he completed softly, seeing that she was actually wearing glasses for once. 

He finally decided to make his way over, settling on the roof beside her. While she was looking up at the stars, he was trying to read her expression. There was something wistful and awestruck in her features that made a small smile make its way across his face. She met his gaze and smiled back. He blushed and looked away.

“It’s been… a while since I’ve had new glasses, not that I’ve worn them… But yes, I forgot how many stars there are. I’m surprised I was able to make out the constellations during my astrology lessons.” she said with an embarrassed chuckle.

Tofu looked out into the stars, eyes darting as if to note each of the brightest stars out. He recognized repeating patterns from his many nights on the roof, but wouldn’t be able to name them. 

“Teach them to me,” he said suddenly. 

She looked at him, a bit surprised, but then quickly recovered, smiling. She scooched closer while still looking at the sky. After locating one of them, she guided his face with one hand and pressed her cheek to his to check the angle. She used her other hand to point it out. He glanced down at her as she pressed her cheek to his, then to where she was indicating, listening attentively.

“That one there, the pinkish-purple stars? That’s the spire.” She traced a picture around the stars. “There’s the tower, built by Byregot, and that’s the lightning striking the tower from Rhalgr.”

“The Spire…” he murmured, noting the shapes for later. He looked over and pointed at, from what he could see, a trail leading to four in a diamond shape nearby, just off of the Byregot star. “And that one?”

“Oh! That’s the Ewer." She traced a new picture around this set of stars. “You can see a jug, it belongs to Thaliak, it’s filled with knowledge that flows forth from it and its waters are used to shape fate by Nymeia.”

He repeated the name of the constellation once more under his breath, scanning the shape of it. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Do you have a favourite?”

“No…” she looked up at the stars. “They’re all pretty, and they all have stories to them. But…” she points to a group of stars and traces a picture. “That group there, two rabbits and a cat. That might be a favorite.” 

Tofu looked where she was pointing and tilted his head. "...I don't see it." He began to wonder if that was an actual constellation at all. 

Kore grabbed his face and leaned in to press her cheek against his to guide his gaze once more. She traced the picture she made up again a few more times.

“They’re in a cuddle pile. One, and two and the cat makes three.”

“I don’t think that’s a real- oh. You’re being cute. I get it,” he said, pulling away from her just enough to tilt her face towards him and bump her forehead with his.

Kore giggled and closed her eyes as their foreheads touched. She lingered like that for as long as he let her. He really did wish moments like this could last forever. He wanted to stop time right there and enjoy the calm for a while. Instead, he took that moment to really take in her features. From the curve of her lips to the rhythm of her breathing, he took it all in.

After a moment, it occurred to him that he was staring, and while she had her eyes closed and wouldn’t have noticed, his socially awkward nature got the better of him and he sat up straight, looking out at the stars and hoping the dark of night could hide the tint of his cheeks. Kore’s eyes fluttered open as he sat up. She had noticed, but simply smiled at him.  

“We’ll have to remember where that one is,” she said while looking back at the made up constellation. “Maybe give it a name too. I’ll chart it at the  Athenaeum Astrologicum for good measure.”

Tofu smiled softly, though he still didn’t look over at her.

 “It’s alright, I’ve already got it memorized.” 

[ffxiv-f13ndish]

What Happened that Night

collab. drabble w/ @ro-valerius (Tofu), w/ mention of Kore (@sorrel-haven)

Miyu is in better health, but guilt plagues their mind. Miyu reflects on what Tofu had said about them hiding things from him, too. They decide to tell him about what had happened that night where they went to pursue the informant... and Tofu opens up about Tuturoko's plans.

Following a few days of rest and care, Miyu was no longer ill. And they felt compelled to keep their hands busy, but they didn’t feel energetic enough to practice combat. They just needed something to keep their mind occupied.

They sat on the lawn for a while, practicing with the violin — though practicing was a very loose term to use for what they were doing. No real melody or pattern, but a distracted pressing of their fingers against the strings. They held the instrument lazily, bow just barely playing against the strings.  Miyu’s mind kept wandering back to what Tofu had said a few days back. 

What had he meant when he told them they hadn’t been up front with him? They had spent much of their time recuperating in bed just searching for an answer to what Tofu was talking about. 

The Miqo’te’s ears twitched as they heard a familiar set of footsteps. Miyu perked up, lifting their head to look at Tofu. 

“Hello, dear. Got some time to help me out?” they greeted the viera with a gentle smile.

Tofu glanced over at them, noting the violin with them. With a brief nod, he walked over to join them, plopping heavily on the lawn beside them; he had intended to be a bit more graceful, but he felt so drained. He gave them a look that implored them to go on.

Miyu’s gaze lingered on his tired features. Would now really be a good time to talk? In their hesitation, their eyes fell down to the violin in their lap, and the sheet music nearby. 

“Can you… help me with this section? Can’t figure out exactly how my fingers are supposed to work here,” Miyu inquired, pointing down to a random section of the sheet music – which they have not looked at once since coming out here to practice.  

Tofu leaned over and scanned the section of the sheet music, his fingers on his left hand mimicking the placement as he sight read through it. Miyu glanced down, watching as his fingers moved as he read along to the music. They smiled fondly.  He scooted closer, positioning himself in front of them and reaching out.

“It starts here, then moves into…this,” he murmured, placing their fingers on the strings for each note before moving to the next until he got through the section. “Try it for me? You’re capable, so don’t stress too much, you’ll get it.”

They adjusted their fingers as Tofu placed them on the strings, though their gaze seemed to study him more so than the sheet music. Without much trouble, they played as instructed. Yes, they certainly needed help on that section. Tofu gave them a soft smile and reached over, ruffling their hair slightly before smoothing it back down for them. 

“See? Not so bad. You’ve been learning well, so don’t get caught in your own head so much, alright?” he said comfortingly. 

“Not so bad, hm? Not exemplar?” Miyu cheekily responded with a wink. 

“I-I meant learning it, not how well you did!” he stammered.

They chuckled lightly, setting the violin and bow down. Despite the playfulness of their remark, there was an edge of uncertainty in their expression. They looked down as they fiddled with a tassel of their dress.

“There’s… another thing. Something else I want help with. Can we… talk about what you meant that night?”

Tofu sighed. “I really shouldn’t have said anything. I had a rough day that day, and was more upset in general. I lashed out, and I shouldn’t have.”

“That's fine, Tofu. Look – I want you to be able to talk about these things with me. I know these hard conversations feel wrong and… uncomfortable. But I’d like for you to be honest with me, and I appreciate that you can be,” Miyu gently insisted, reaching out to tenderly place a hand over Tofu’s. 

“Please… talk to me. What was it that made you say it like that?”

Tofu was quiet for a long moment. He didn’t really want to get into it with them, because he didn’t want to hurt them. But they were already hurt because of what he couldn’t stop himself from saying before. The least he could do is explain why, and perhaps assure them that it doesn’t upset him- usually. He looked away, nonetheless, unwilling to let them see into his soul in this particular moment. 

“...It was a long time ago. It doesn’t matter anymore, but… at the time, it felt like I was expected to be forthcoming, and I was making the effort to be, I still am. But you and Kore went to Coerthas and dismissed it as a game; I’m not a fool, Kore would not spend more time there than she had to. But…as long as you came back safe, I wasn’t going to say anything. You…still haven’t told me what happened after you went to talk to that informant. I don’t expect you to, it just… Nevermind.”

Ah. So that is what Tofu meant. They have been hiding things. 

Miyu lowered their gaze, but they didn’t draw their hand away from Tofu’s. Instead, they wrapped their hand around his own, especially holding on after Tofu’s dismissal of his own words at the end. 

“Back in Coerthas… I guess I just didn’t want to recognize how serious the situation was. Of what I had to do. Kore happened to be there when I spoke about going out to get rid of some Basilisks who were going to take the same airship as me. She offered to come along and help me get rid of them. Things… uh… didn’t go as planned. And we ended up having to throw a few other folks overboard. I guess after it happened, I just tried to play it off as a game,” they began to explain. They reached out with their other hand, completely encircling Tofu’s hand with both hands. 

“I’m sorry I left you out. I should be more open with you too, if you’re going to be open with me. I want to be. I want you in my life.” Gently, they squeezed his hand. “I’ll tell you what happened with the informant. I just… I can’t have anyone else knowing.” They glanced back over their shoulder to the window, though it seemed like nobody was there. 

“It’s…fine. Really. You’re allowed to have your secrets, everyone has their own, I shouldn’t have lashed out like that,” Tofu murmured, his hand tensing under theirs. 

Miyu scowled. Gently, they thumped the back of his hand with the ends of their fingers. 

“I know. But I want you to know what’s going on in my life, too. And I’d rather that you be honest with me.” They chuckled, somewhat tensely. “Anyways. With the type of lashing out I’ve heard? No, you weren’t lashing out.”

Miyu cleared their throat, needing a second before they could continue. 

“That night I went out to meet the informant, he did get to telling me a bit about M’ezzo and Magnus before the agreed transaction – as planned…” Miyu paused, once more clearing their throat. “I remember stepping away… to grab something or clean-up? I don’t know. But he got to putting something into my flask and I… woke up at Virgil’s.”

“What of that would be so bad for anyone else to know…?” he asked gently, not quite understanding.

Miyu’s expression became hard to read. They turned their head in another direction, staring off to burn a hole into nowhere with their gaze. In their tension, their hands shook as they resisted the urge to fidget. 

“I don’t know how long I was unconscious there. Or what the informant did.” They cleared their throat again. “Or maybe I just… didn’t want an answer of what he did. Or maybe I thought pretending to have someone take advantage like that never happened.”

They shifted where they sat. Tofu stiffened at the revelation. “Anyways… as you’ve said. This was all a long time ago. I just… figured these things that’ve happened in my past just didn’t matter anymore.”  

Dangerous thoughts danced through Tofu’s mind that he had to actively discard- he’d just have to figure out if that informant still lived before he could think about vengeance. He took a deep breath in and closed his eyes. As he let his breath out, he turned to face them, noticing that they, too, had looked away. He reached out gently, turning their face towards him. 

“If those things hurt you, they matter. I apologize for reminding you of what happened, however. I-I didn’t even consider-” He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

Miyu turned their head towards him. For a second, their expression was distant. They gave a gentle smile, and lowered their head slightly to give his palm a kiss in thanks.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m dealing, and I’m alright. I guess… it also helps a bit to talk about these things. And I’m glad it's you I can talk to.” Finally, they looked up to meet his gaze. 

“As I’ve said. I want you in my life, and I want to be in yours. Both the good and the bad, in both parts.” 

Tofu let the silence hang for a moment. He knew he owed them an explanation for how he’s been acting, but he also knew that they would be upset that he wanted to keep it from them. Because he should have trusted them from the start, them and Kore both. He let his hands drop to his sides as he looked away, his fingers curling around the grass. His words came out abruptly and tensely. 

“The mage I went to fight, she mentioned in her attempt to bring me out that Tuturoko brought you and Kore into it- by name. He knows who you both are, and what you mean to me.”

Miyu stared a long while. 

“Oh… oh.” Miyu sighed. They went quiet a moment as they thought of what to say. 

They placed both hands on Tofu’s face, carefully guiding him to look at them. 

“All that means is that he’s going to know a few extra names of the people who helped bring him to his end. It won’t change anything, dear.” They leaned in, pressing their lips to his forehead. 

Tofu closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, and when he opened them, there was a steely determination to them. 

“Of course, he was always going to die by my hands.”

Miyu gave a wry grin. Their eyes flickered over his expression, and their thumb gently brushed over his lower lip. 

“Whenever you get that look in your eyes… I admire it. You look so cute it makes me think of kissing you again.”

[aueternus]

Calloused  fingers  trace  the  ink  over  brutalised  skin   ———   allegorical  bloodstained  flesh  smearing  across  the  scars  which  the  breathing  wildfire  bore.       Rowan  is  tentative  with  every  stroke  of  his  touch,  not  that  it  was  needed.       “  Your  breathing  gives  you  away,  you  know.  ”       his  words  are  soft  and  playful;       a  part  solely  reserved  for  Aelin.       “  I  half  expected  a  scolding  reprimand  by  now  for  disturbing  your  so  called  beauty  sleep.  ”

♱   @f1ameheir  gets  a  smol  starter!

[symbologic]

I think it's very interesting that Zoro lost:

One parent to illness (like Usopp and Sanji)

The other parent to pirates (like Nami)

One of his best friends to a confusing, senseless death he had to hear about secondhand (like Luffy)

And yet, he is the only member of Luffy's core crew from East Blue who doesn't let personal problems push him away. He is also the only one of the original five who never doubts his place in the crew or Luffy's abilities

Obviously each character has their reasons for their own crises. But Zoro is so much more well-adjusted and centered than people give him credit for

[the-fluffiest-trainer]

[Another video is attached, picking up shortly after the previous one. Fluttershy follows Olympia into a pokecenter, and the pair go together to the shop counter in the back.]

[Olympia looks to make sure Fluttershy is still with her – she is, but has to hover in the air a little to comfortably see over the high counter – and then the gym leader speaks to the pokecenter employee.]

All of your revives. All of your hyper potions. All that you can spare.

[The employee hesitates, unsure, but one look at Olympia's serious stare settles the matter. They scramble to pull out cases from the bottom shelves behind them, and pile up what must be dozens of revives and high-strength potions on the counter.]

Will... that be all for you, ma'am? That will be, uh... oh Arceus, math is not my strong suit...

[Olympia merely takes a step back from the counter and looks to Fluttershy.]

You will need many. My sight says that you can pay? Not with normal cash.

Um. That's a lot. I'm not sure I can – oh. Oh wait, I can afford that!

[Fluttershy opens one of her saddlebags and retrieves a small pouch, which she upends on the counter to reveal a sizable pile of sparkling gemstones.]

I forgot I had these. It was just another anonymous delivery a little while back. Will this cover it?

Yes, er, that should do it. Many times over, probably.

Keep the change. We're kind of in a hurry here. Olympia, is there any other advice you can give me while I'm here?

[Olympia takes a moment to think while Fluttershy is frantically rearranging her packs to fit all the new supplies. As the pair turn away from the store counter, she seems to come up with something.]

Beware pelippers. They may give you zucchini. Bake it into bread.

Sounds like that's coming from experience. Not just me who gets the weird deliveries, huh?

I liked Gwyndolin. Maybe she'll return someday. But not for a while.

[Olympia and Fluttershy pause once outside in the street, and Olympia kneels to get more at eye level with Fluttershy.]

I can do no more. You have all you need, now fly – at the speed of mail.

[Olympia offers a hand for Fluttershy to shake, and gives a respectful nod as she stands again.]

[Video ends.]

[eartheats]

phew! hiya guys! hopefully y'all haven't missed me too much!

...

given that i've been home for a week now and i kinda forgot rotomblr was a thing from bein' on the grindstone, though, i can't say i'd blame y'all if ya did. ^^;; oopsies! only one i've really been talkin' to as of late is family and miss amarys, outside'a workin' stuff

but i wanted to let y'all know i got home nice and safe!!! if i didn't, i'm pretty sure my friends would'a seen to it for sure!!!

but wow. i gotta admit, after not bein' home for so long, i really have missed it here! blueberry and hoenn have been nice, but y'all gotta see the work that mads and jacques did while i was gone!!!

[pictures: there are a few of them so let's go one by one!

first: a picture of the interior of ren's house, which is pretty small, all things considered. there seems to be a place for bouton and coriander to root themselves in and it's well maintained, and it looks like it got a little touch up with some decorative flourishes.

second: a picture of ren's TV, sitting atop a dresser. a playstation one can be seen on the floor, and there's a small bit of shelving showing a few different games. eagle eyed viewers can see atelier marie: the alchemist of salburg, barbie: race and ride, and every need for speed game released on the console pretty close up, and they're well worn like they've been played often.

third: what seems to be a brand new couch and chair. the chair sits normally, but the couch sits rather low to the floor; lulu can be seen placing half of himself onto it, eyes closed in what seems to be bliss. the chair appears to have a pillow on it with an arbok pattern, along with a pastel pink orthworm plush draped over it.

fourth...strangely enough looks like a bedroom, but it seems to have been stripped of any personal belongings. there seem to be a few boxes to the side of a surprisingly large bed, where it seems that a recognizable metagross, linux, has taken over rather gladly. the bed frame itself seems to have, uh, not been ready for this, but if the metagross cares (if they didn't do it themself), it's not apparent, at least. if one looks closely, they can see some patched up holes in the walls...]

haaaaaa...i won't lie, steppin' into my old parents room was. kinda panic inducin' at first. it still feels like a space that ain't ever gonna be mine, and...i think i'm makin' my peace with this becomin' a guest room instead'a ever gettin' one of my own. but as ya can see, i'm treatin' the first guest like a king!!! 😌 the bed was gonna need to be replaced anyway, but i guess i see where mom was funnellin' money into. that bed's apparently some bougie ass shit, but i'm gonna replace it once i go back to blueberry for sure.

[picture: a young man with an impressively custom tailored pink suit has a florges beside him, who seems to giggle at the camera. to his side, a pink haired woman with her hair tied up in standard paldean pokemon nurse style in what can only be described as a grandma dress with a cardigan over the top of it, with a Flareon nestled by her legs.]

also!!! jacques and mads went off to sinnoh just a few days ago for the start of contest season!!! i heard he won the jubilife ribbon with ease, and he and mads are makin' their way to floaroma right now to take part in the next qualifier. they're keepin' me updated and it seems like they're takin' the world by storm! apparently he stopped off along the way and picked up an old partner of his from his parents too, so minerva ain't a one woman show!

but yeah! uh. between work and stuff i'll still be a lil busy, but i wanted to let y'all know i'm okay! and to expect some nice pictures soon, heehee!

[junglefurytrash]

Welcome to Chapter 21 of TPSC!

And welcome to the beginning of the Electric Storm Arc. 🌩️

[ro-valerius]

Cheese Trap

A joke, escalated to a panda-napping ! A collab drabble between myself and the player for Veo !

Veo huffed, pinching at the bridge of his nose as he tried to compose himself before even attempting to knock on the door in front of him. He couldn’t believe the audacity of his baby sister and one of her partners, truly believing they had been kidding when they made those numerous jabs about kidnapping his beloved pet. 

Just as Ro had promised, she notified him the very moment she had seen the orange and brown fluff-ball of a panda in the home. He breathed heavily with a grunt before rapping the gloved, metal knuckles hard against the wood.

The door opened to a small frame with pink hair and big, clouded eyes- one yellow and one green. Those big eyes blinked and flickered up and down the person at the door. Something was familiar about the aether, she knew she had met him before, but where… She leaned forward and sniffed, her face lighting up in recognition at the familiar undertones of nature; a smile bright enough to rival the sun.

“Pretty Man!” she exclaimed, having not been formally introduced to him yet. All she knew was that he shared olfactory similarities with Kore and Lament and that, based on how Ro and Blomma had seen him, he was very pretty. 

She opened the door wider and gestured for him to come in. “Nana’s not home right now, neither are Kore or Blomma, but come in! I’ll have Tofu make- no. No, Tofu can’t be trusted with the stove for tea… Tio? Maybe Fiora… I’ll find someone to make tea!” She was rambling, mostly to herself, in the way an excited child would, not really expecting any kind of response from him.

Veo blinked, a little taken aback at the level of excitement exuding from her but a smile slowly broke on his face somewhere in the middle of her ramblings. He was still tense from the situation, but the heat radiating through him started to ease. He gave a small bow and let out a soft chuckle before finally speaking up, “Good afternoon to you too, tea sounds lovely.”

He waited on the porch until the way was opened enough for him to step inside without pushing past the small girl, stopping momentarily to take off his shoes and leave them at the door before following her in. “So why can’t Tofu be trusted for tea..?”

Hana hid a giggle behind her hand. “He would burn it! Or burn down the kitchen…” 

As she let him settle into the main room, she darted up the stairs with heavy footsteps, calling out “Tioooo~!” as she went. With a nod, his gaze followed her movements up the stairs until she disappeared from sight, only then settling into his seat.  Her “I need you to make tea!” could be clearly heard just before more thudding footsteps as she came back down the stairs. A softer pair of footsteps followed her down as a sleepy looking viera came down after her.

“Hana why are you yelling,” Tofu grumbled, swooping under her and lifting her up across his shoulders. Hana giggled and kicked her feet playfully. 

“We have a guest~!” 

“Ah, hello, sorry she’s so energetic, feel free to get comfy, Tio will be down in a moment to make tea,” the orange haired viera said, raising an eyebrow at Veo. Not the guest he was expecting. “What brings you here…?”

Veo’s smile illuminated his eyes as he watched Tofu scoop up Hana, evoking a familiar joy and a comforting warmth in his chest as memories of playing with Kore and Lament when they were much smaller flooded his mind. It took a moment for him to realize that someone was addressing him, his ear twitching as he readjusted himself in his seat.

“Apologies for dropping in uninvited,” Veo started, his tone calm and his expression returning to its usual pleasant demeanor, a little taken aback at the idea that he needed a reason to be here. “I seem to have lost something of mine-” he paused to gesture toward his empty shoulder, “and I was told I could find her here. Have you seen her?”  

“Oh, no need for apologies, it’s just that Kore isn’t here so I wasn’t sure what else would bring you here. I’ll go check Miyu’s room for your panda, I’m sure Hana can entertain you- and Tio,” Tofu said as Tio came down the stairs finally, squinting at a paper in his hand. 

Veo gently clasped his hands together in his lap, absentmindedly toying with the worn leather. Tofu spoke, and Veo listened attentively, his gaze fixed on his lap as he responded “Ah, I see… Yes, I’d appreciate it if you could go take a look.” However, his words faded into the background as the miqo'te entered the room. Hana clamoured off of Tofu’s shoulders and settled onto the couch, knees drawn up.

“God I hope she can read my handwriting…” Tio grumbled, because he could barely read his own handwriting. He tossed the paper down on the table and offered a smile to their guest. Tofu reached out and gave Tio a singular pat on the head as he went upstairs to locate the wayward panda. “Oh! Veo, right? What kind of tea do you like?” A warm smile illuminated Veo's face as he extended a cordial greeting to Tio. 

"It's delightful to see that you remember me," he remarked, his tone filled with genuine appreciation. "I’d hate to impose on you in any way, as I'm not particularly demanding. What options do you have?" 

As Veo spoke, his inquisitive eyes glanced down at the paper resting on the table, and he squinted slightly. His mechanical eyes whirred softly as they adjusted, attempting to decipher the content of the documents.

“Nah, you’re not an imposition, buddy! We have some floral stuff, woodsy stuff, I think Blomma said this one was a spiced chai of some kind…” Tio called over his shoulder as he rifled through a cabinet, pulling out tins as he spoke. While he gave Veo time to consider, he pulled out a kettle from another cabinet and set out a dainty, porcelain cup; a lot of their tableware choices were made by Blomma, so this one was a clean white tea cup with a reddish-pink floral design on it.

“Do you do milk in your tea?” He was trying so very hard to hide his Lominsan accent and speak like a proper man, Twelve knows he’s rubbed off on Naria a bit too heavily.

Veo's ear twitched as he attentively listened, his focus now directed towards Tio and the peculiar manner in which he chose his words. Veo decided to keep this observation to himself, not wanting to offend. He shifted in his seat to face Tio before continuing to speak, maintaining his manners. "The spiced chai with milk sounds absolutely delightful."

Despite his best efforts to be a proper guest, a subtle restlessness began to bubble within Veo during the brief moment of stillness. He stood up and, despite feeling a tad, he gracefully made his way over to the kitchen. He crossed his legs, one in front of the other, and casually leaned back on his heels, finding a comfortable posture. With genuine sincerity, he offered. "Is there anything I can do to lend a hand?"

“Tea brewing is a simple enough endeavor,” Tio said, flashing a smile as he picked up the chai tin and set it to the side, returning the other tins to the cabinet. He set the kettle with the tea leaves and prepared a tray with a milk reservoir, the tea cup, and a small sugar bowl with small tongs with which to lift the sugar cubes with. “Really, just a matter of waiting, innit?” He mentally smacked himself as he let a bit of his accent slip through. 

Hana withheld a huff- seemed their guest and Tio were perfectly capable of entertaining themselves. Her pout gave way to a gentle smile as she watched her brother act with the sort of care that only a few were privy to. He might have been a former pirate, but he still had a heart of gold. Not that he remembered his piracy days, but she had Seen them. 

"I suppose you have a point." Veo chuckled softly, his voice carrying a light and pleasant tone. Although his nerves were causing some tension in his posture, he tried his best to appear at ease. Veo's gaze shifted to the tray where Tio was diligently arranging everything. Suddenly, a thought struck him, prompting him to take a step forward and gently pick up one of the beautiful porcelain cups.

"Tio," Veo began, a hint of curiosity in his voice, "Have you ever heard about the fascinating history of adding milk to tea? It's actually quite intriguing. It was believed that adding milk helped prevent the delicate porcelain from cracking due to the high temperatures of the tea."

Tio tilted his head softly as the kettle went off, a gentle “Oh?” given as he strained the leaves. He stepped over, pouring a bit of tea into the tea cup with care; he was quite glad for Ro and Blomma teaching him how to do small things in the kitchen like this, especially after the numerous failures with Tofu…

“I do suppose that would make a fair bit o’ sense, wouldn’ it?” he said with a smile, though it quickly dropped as he caught himself on his accent again. He cleared his throat, looking away awkwardly. “I-I mean, right, yes, fascinating.”

Veo's eyebrow arched in confusion as he noticed the sudden change in the miqo'te's smile. Concerned, he gently placed the tea cup back on the tray and placed a comforting hand on Tio's shoulder. Leaning down slightly, he spoke in a soft voice just for Tio to hear, "You know, I actually find your accent quite charming. I don't think you need to correct it..."

Luckily for Tio, a set of footsteps on the stairs was enough to get his attention, at least. He looked over and scoffed at the sight of Tofu coming down the stairs, one Cheese trying to cuddle up to his face as he tried to pull her away meekly. Tofu met Tio’s eyes and silently begged for help. 

“F-found her,” Tofu said with uncertainty.

Veo glanced over his shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted his panda, playfully sniffing and pawing at Tofu's shirt as he descended the stairs. Giving Tio one more warm look and a subtle smile, Veo swiftly made his way over to the viera and took Cheese from his grasp. 

"Oh, thank goodness," he exclaimed gratefully.

Veo’s words confused Tio, but it was all too brief before he moved on. Tofu gave Veo a quick, slight, grateful smile as the other viera reclaimed his beloved panda. Tio approached Tofu, giving him a soft playful punch to the shoulder, earning him a raised eyebrow in response.

“What’s that you say about small critters not likin’ you?” Tio teased, a touch of his accent remaining. 

“Th-they didn’t! Kuro, then Daen Lad…” Tofu grumbled.

“But I would qualify Hana as a ‘small critter’, and then there are Chauncy and M’alia…” Tio pointed out with a wry smile, letting his voice trail off. 

“Sh-shut it…”

Amidst their exchange, Cheese's vibrant chirrup filled the air as she playfully wriggled out of Veo's arms. With a touch of reluctance, he tenderly released her to the ground. Her dainty claws tapped against the floor as she gracefully trotted over to Hana, effortlessly leaping up to her side. Emitting another cheerful chirp, the panda sought Hana's attention, gently nudging her head against her side. Hana beamed with delight and lifted Cheese into her lap, giving her plenty of pets and tummy rubs. Veo let out a subtle sigh before gracefully rejoining the trio.

“I like to believe that she’s a good judge of character,” he interjected with a thoughtful tone.

“Well, she likes Hana, so that’s probably likely,” Tio said, a fond smile on his face as he looked over at his sister. Tofu affixed Veo with a firm look; not challenging, just serious.

“It has come to my attention that you may not be aware of the extent of my relationship with your sister. As an older brother myself, I would want to know if my younger sisters were involved with someone and what kind of person they are. I uh…just thought you should know,” he said simply as he averted his gaze awkwardly.

Veo halted, left ear twitching a bit before his once soft and playful expression morphed, mirroring Tofu’s. “Thank you, I hope you’re aware that I have no ill will toward you or Miyu...” he turned his head to glance over his shoulder at Hana just as Cheese had stood up on her back two legs to her full height, sniffing into Hana’s hair. “I just want my baby sister to be... safe.”

He cleared his throat and, as he turned to face the two once again, his robotic gaze flickered from Tofu to Tio. “I might not understand what it’s like to have and display romance with another, but I will be respectful.”

A brief, rare smile crossed Tofu’s features. “On that, we are similar. I’m at a loss, myself…” He buried his face in one hand as a rather humourless laugh escaped him. His voice softened with uncertainty. “I don’t know if I’m doing anything right…” He cleared his throat and straightened, his expression once more a neutral slate. 

“I will do anything to protect your sister,” he said evenly. Tio furrowed his brow at Tofu.

“...Nothing reckless like before, got it?” the miqo’te grumbled. 

Clasping a firm hand on Tofu’s shoulder before giving a nod devoid of expression other than ‘serious’, Veo responded. 

“I expect nothing less.”