#but also it'll be good chance for the story to tell his reasons why he couldnt stop killing maleanor even though in our pov rn he could hav

[rayroseu-reblogs]

ON THE LOW just realized what Sebek is describing here is Knight of Dawn's life... OGMG... 😭😭😭😭 not him being disrespected as a king (i feel like at the end the humans followed Henric and not Dawn and thats why they got a disagreement on the land leading to the war inside the Kingdom of Swords), being used as a knight, and also was hated as a child (as per this upbringing described by Sebek)... DAWN.... 😭😭😭😭

imagining that Dawn wasnt taught about anything about faes, only that he must kill them, yet he still dream to understand them even if the Silver Owls forced him to be ignorant and subservient to their selfish greed 😭😭😭✨✨✨

[hungermakesmonsters]

The Red Ribbon

Chapter One

Plot Summary : By day you’re Billy Russo’s clumsy PA, but by night you’re a host at New York City’s most exclusive gentlemen's club. At The Red Ribbon everyone is anonymous and masks conceal the identities of patrons and hosts alike. But your two lives are about to collide and Billy Russo is about to see a whole new side of you without even realising it..

Pairing : Billy Russo x Reader

Story Rating : R 

Warnings : [This is a fic for 18+ only, minors DNI] Smutty behaviour. All chapters will deal with smutty themes and include mentions/suggestions of sex work/work at a gentlemen's club (don't like, don't read). Please check the warnings on each chapter if you choose to follow this story. 

Word Count : 6k

A/N : This is a little something I've been toying with for a while. It's only going to be a short thing (3 parts) over the next few weeks. There's no upload schedule but it'll probably be posting on Fridays anyway 😅 Also I've been ill all week so that's my excuse for typos

Master List

Chapter One

“Remind me why I hired you?”

His voice was a cold snap that caused your cheeks to burn with embarrassment. Even on his birthday, your boss was an asshole.

Your hands trembled as you tried to restack the files that you’d clumsily manage to drop all over his office floor. The contents of the files had spilled out and you already knew that it was going to take you hours to make sure the correct paperwork ended up back where it was supposed to be.

“It wasn’t a rhetorical question,” he added a moment later. “Why did I hire you?”

“Because your other assistants keep quitting,” you muttered under your breath.

It was humiliating, scrabbling around on his office floor, the carpet scrapping your bare knees as you tried to pick everything up as quickly as possible.

“What was that?” He asked.

It was reasonable to guess that he hadn’t heard you - you were certain he would have been a lot angrier if he’d heard you. Still, you hated yourself for letting it slip out. As much as you hated the way your boss treated you, the pay was good. Too good to quit.

“I said I’m sorry Mr Russo,” you answered softly, managing to grab the last of the files and get back to your feet. “I’ll get these sorted and have them on your desk first thing in the morning.”

“I hope you’re planning on staying late.”

“What?” The word spilled from your lips before you had the chance to stop it.

“Do you have somewhere else to be? Something more important than fixing your fuck up and doing the job I pay you to do?” Mr Russo asked.

As a matter of fact, you did have somewhere else to be and something that was more important than fixing the potential Anvil candidate files that you’d managed to dump all over his office floor, but you couldn’t tell him that.  

There was only one person who knew how you spent your nights, and it certainly wasn’t your boss. No, if Billy Russo knew where you went after your days at Anvil, he’d see to it that he had your resignation in his hand by the end of the day. And you were sure the same could be said of your night job.

“No, Mr Russo,” you answered, dropping your gaze to the floor, “I don’t have anywhere more important to be.”

“Good answer,” he said as he grabbed his suit jacket from the back of his chair and pulled it on. He moved towards his office door, stepping past you as if you were just another piece of furniture, a spare chair in the way. “And don’t even think about leaving that unfinished. I’ll be in at 5am so you’re not going to have the opportunity to sneak in early tomorrow to finish up.”

He didn’t even wait for a half-hearted ‘yes, Mr Russo’ before leaving for the day.

You glanced at your watch, doing the maths in your head; you should have been finishing in ten minutes time, at five o’clock, which would have given you three hours to get home, eat, and then get across town to work your night job.

The Red Ribbon was New York's most exclusive gentlemen's club - though to call it a gentlemen’s club was somewhat outdated as, these days, it catered to the needs and desires of wealthy clientele regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation. But, it had been considered a gentlemen’s club since the 1950s, and the verbiage was surprisingly hard to shake. 

The club offered something that few similar establishments did; total anonymity for both guests and workers. There were no cameras in The Red Ribbon, no phones or recording devices were allowed. And everyone wore masks. The only way to tell the staff from the clientele were the red ribbons worn about their necks.

You’d been working at The Red Ribbon for the last six months. At the start you’d tended bar, not wanting to get too hands-on with the customers - not because you had any strong feelings or moral objections about those that did, but mostly because you didn’t think you’d be any good at it. You’d never been the sort to consider yourself graceful, much less sexy, but you could make a mean espresso martini and you were great with pointless smalltalk. 

The money was good, but it wasn’t good enough, not when you had debts and financial obligations. 

At The Red Ribbon, the hosts made the most money, each getting assigned to one of the private rooms and being tasked with taking care of the customers' needs for the whole night. It was ultimately up to the host what taking care of the customer entailed though boundaries were firmly established before the host set foot in the private room. Every host had their own limits, some were happy to touch and be touched, some took it further still, and others preferred a hands-off approach.

If there was one thing The Red Ribbon was known for beyond the total anonymity it offered, it was the level of security. Everyone who set foot through the doors knew better than to cause trouble or push the boundaries of any member of staff.

You’d made the switch from bartender to host slowly, filling in whenever someone was out sick or when you needed a little extra money. You were slow to warm to it but, to your surprise, you found that you actually enjoyed it. Though you stayed firmly in the no touching or being touched camp, the tips you made in one night were still more than you made over a whole week tending bar.

But, when that money still wasn’t enough to cover your debts, you took a day job.

And that was how you’d ended up spending an evening hunched over a desk at Anvil, trying desperately to match paperwork with the correct file for a boss who’d made it pretty clear that he didn't like you and thought you were too inept for your job.

By the time you were done, you barely had the chance to make it home and shower and, instead of eating a proper meal, you ate a Snickers bar on the subway.

The Red Ribbon had a special entrance for staff that used old prohibition tunnels and a hidden elevator to get you into the building and up to the top floor. 

New York was stunning from fifty floors up and, some nights, you’d find yourself in the locker room just staring out at the skyline as you changed into your uniform. But tonight you didn’t have the luxury of time.

You stood in front of the schedule, checking which room you were in and which mask you’d be wearing. While bar staff and servers all wore the same elegant black and red masks  to obscure their faces, hosts wore individual masks that corresponded with the room they’d be working. Tonight you were in the rabbit room, so you plucked the ornate rabbit mask from its hook on the wall.

Of all the masks, the rabbit had always been your favourite because of the detailing on the ears and the way it just sat right on your face.

You always got such a rush from pulling a mask on and heading out into the club. Under any other circumstance the thought of walking around in a revealing black bodysuit would have been embarrassing, but once you had your mask on, you felt almost powerful, like a superhero with a secret identity. With the mask, you weren’t you, you were whatever part you were playing and tonight you were Bunny, and Bunny could be whoever you wanted her to be.

The last part of your uniform was the red ribbon that you tied around your neck, the very thing that distinguished staff from customers, and gave the club its name.

You gave yourself one last look in the floor to ceiling mirror, making sure that you looked ready to handle whatever the night had to throw at you, before finally stepping out into the main area of the club.

Once you passed the threshold, everything about you changed; you held your head high and walked through the club like you owned the place. Here you weren’t the quiet little PA who had to keep her mouth shut in case her boss decided to fire her. Here you called the shots.

The spring in your step became even more noticeable as you climbed the stairs and headed onto the walkway that led to the private rooms, each situated above the dancefloor with views of the whole club. 

“Hey, lil Bunny,” an all too familiar face said.

You grinned from ear to ear at the sight of Rocky, one of the club's security guards, a man, who in any other circumstances would terrify you.  He was a huge behemoth of a man, truly deserving of the title Built Like a Brick Shit-House. To the patrons, he was the one they didn’t want to get on the bad side of, but to you and the rest of the staff, he was safety incarnate.

“Hey, Rocky,” you said, bumping fists with him as you came to a stop in front of him.

He’d taken something of a shine to you on your first night at The Red Ribbon - he later told you it was because you reminded him of his sister who’d died only a few years before. Since then he’d always kept a close eye on you.

After bumping fists, you kept your arm outstretched so he could fit your security bracelet for the night; a very ornate looking panic button that you could use discreetly if you needed Rocky to deal with a problem customer. 

“You let me know if you need anything,” he said softly but seriously.

And, with that, you were on your way again, slipping into the rabbit room with a few minutes to spare before your guest arrived. You did a quick sweep of the room, making sure everything was tidy before turning on the music and checking the bar and, finally, you lowered the lights.

Less than five minutes later, a group of men were shown into the room, each wearing plain black masks that covered the top half of their faces, and each dressed to the club's high standards. Though, just from looking at them you could tell that some were more comfortable in suits than others.

“Welcome to The Red Ribbon, I’m Bunny and I’ll be your host for the evening and I’ll be running the bar for you, so make yourselves comfortable and I’ll get you your first round,” you announced and, with a flourish of your hand, you waved them towards the sofas.

You took drink orders and made a point of saying a little personal hello to each of them, knowing that it’d help win you tips by the end of the night.

As far as groups went, they seemed decent enough, not exactly what you’d call reserved by any stretch, but they seemed to be happy to talk amongst themselves while you tended bar, not expecting anything more of you.

After about half an hour, one of them broke away from the group and headed towards the bar. You couldn’t help but watch him, taking in the perfect way that his suit fit his tall, slender frame. 

He took a seat on one of the stools at the bar and flashed you the sort of smile that you were sure had panties dropping all across the five boroughs on a regular basis.

“What can I get you?” You asked.

“Another scotch would be great.”

“Sure thing.”

You were acutely aware of the way his eyes followed your every movement as you  grabbed a bottle and fresh glass with ice. Your skin felt like it was tingling under his gaze - he wasn’t leering, it felt more like he was appreciating. 

“Haven’t seen you here before,” he said.

For a second you wondered if it was a line - it certainly sounded like a line - but there was something in the way he was looking at you, something that made you think he was actually being serious.

“What makes you say that?” You asked in your playful voice, deciding to indulge him.

“I’d remember seeing you.”

He wasn’t shy about drinking in the sight of you. At any other time you might have felt disgusted, but it was part of the job and you probably would have been more offended if he  wasn’t checking you out.

“Hmm, and what exactly is it you think you’d remember?” You retorted playfully.

He grinned at that, a laugh rumbling in his chest. And his eyes - fuck, his dark eyes almost seemed to twinkle.

“I’m not sure it’d be considered polite if I was to get... anatomical,” he joked.

“It’s my ass, isn’t it?” You offered offhandedly, breaking any tension or sense of shame.

His grin grew wider, though there was a hint of surprise on his face too, like he hadn’t quite expected you to be so forward.

“Now that you mention it, you do have a very nice ass,” he agreed, “in fact that whole thigh-ass area is perfection.”

You could feel warmth spreading across your cheeks and down your neck, and you were glad of the low lights and the mask on your face. While you were used to comments on your body and what men wanted to do with you while working, there was something different about this. This felt like flirting. Honest to god flirting. And it had been a long time since anyone had tried to flirt with you.

Out in the real world, his comment would have turned you into a shy mess, but behind the bunny mask... well, let’s just say that Bunny wanted to play.

“Oh, a thigh man as well?” 

“I’m a man of refined tastes,” he shrugged.

His grin had you wishing you could see the rest of his face. You were already trying to picture what he might look like behind the mask but you were certain that your imagination was not doing it justice.

“And what else does that taste extend to?” You asked, leaning across the bar a little more as you slid his drink towards him.

His fingers briefly covered yours - rougher than you’d expected - before you slowly pulled your hand away. For a split second, you felt your breath catch, and there was a flicker of something on his face that made you think he’d felt it too, that moment of electricity when you’d touched.

“Are we still talking anatomically? Because I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been thinking about your tits for the last five minutes.”

Again, it wasn’t the sort of comment you’d put up with in any other situation but, then and there, in a place where you held all the power, you liked hearing it. The fact that he’d been allowed into The Red Ribbon meant that he was someone, that he was rich and powerful, so for poor, boring you to be the object of his desires gave a thrill like no other.

You let slip another laugh, propping yourself against the bar with a hand beneath your chin, eyes fixed on Mr Tall, Dark and Playful.

“Only the last five minutes?” You said, almost sounding distraught.

“Oh, you’re trouble, Bunny,” he remarked, leaning towards you as he lifted his drink and took a slow sip.

“I get the feeling that you like trouble.”

“You have no idea...”

It would have been a lie to say that the temptation to carry on the flirtatious conversation wasn’t increasing with every passing second; it was fun, you were actually enjoying it rather than just being subjected to it. But he wasn’t the only person in the room who wanted your attention and you had a job to do. 

“Looks like your friends want some attention too,” you said, nodding your head towards the group of men still sitting at the table. One of them was waving you over, obviously in desperate need of another drink.

“Animals, the lot of them,” he said, almost fondly. “I should have known they had selfish reasons for bringing me here on my birthday.”

“It’s your birthday?” You asked and received a nod in response, before shaking your head and muttering; “another Sagittarius...”

“Another?” 

You looked at him, almost embarrassed that you’d let it slip out and that you’d blurred the line between your real life and Bunny.

“Just a guy I know,” you shrugged.

“He break your heart or something? Need me and the guys to pay him a visit?” He offered playfully.

Another laugh escaped you and you couldn’t help but think about how strange it felt to be able to genuinely laugh with one of the customers. After months of perfecting your customer service laugh, you’d never expected to find yourself actually laughing at some off-handed comment. Especially when the comment was about a stranger going to beat the shit out of your boss for being mean to you.

“No, it’s okay. I can handle myself.”

“I’ll bet you can, Bunny.”

“Well,” you said, definitively, changing the subject and taking your thoughts away from your terrible day-boss, “happy birthday. I think you deserve something fancy to drink.”

He grinned as you turned away to fish a bottle of champagne from the wine fridge and grab enough glasses for him and his friends.

“This place is really somethin’ else,” a second voice said. “I know you said the girls were pretty but... holy shit.”

Tall, Dark and Playful gave a laugh.

“Prettiest girls in New York are all right here,” he said, clapping his friend on the back.

“Careful boys, my ears are burning,” you joked as you turned back to them.

“It's a beautiful woman's fate to be the subject of conversation wherever she goes,” he said.

“Didn't expect to hear anyone quoting Dorian Gray tonight,” you answered back, amused.

He looked almost surprised by the comment, his jaw dropped slightly and his eyes grew a little wider.

“You’ve read Dorian Gray?” He asked. “You like to read?”

“Does that surprise you?” You asked, your mask hiding the way your eyebrow rose. “Do you not think girls like me can read the classics?”

“No, it’s not that, it’s -” he glanced at his friend beside him, then to the group sitting at the table. You couldn’t hear what they were saying but from some of the hand gestures being made, you could guess that it was something filthy, “- it’s just that I'm not used to being around people who can actually read.”

He got a rough punch in the arm from the guy beside him for that, and you started to laugh again. 

They continued to talk while you popped the champagne and started to fill glasses for the whole party. You placed one in front of the birthday boy, and one in front of his friend, before loading up a tray and taking the rest to the party at the table.

“Champagne to toast the birthday boy,” you said with a cheeky smile, earning a round of cheers from the men.

When you returned to the bar, Tall and Dark’s friend passed you, heading back to the group, leaving the birthday boy all alone.

“Not gonna drink with your friends?” You asked.

It was hard not to feel curious - it was part of the job, the masks, the hidden identities, there were always so many unanswered questions.

“I’ve never been one for birthdays,” he answered with a shrug, but still shot you a smile before lifting his champagne flute to his lips.

“Hmm so the mysterious, handsome stranger has a tragic backstory,” you said playfully.

“I don’t know if I’d call it tragic,” he said, his shoulder ticking upwards uncomfortably.

“Should I ask?”

Probably not, you thought. But some part of you wanted to know, wanted to prod and poke until you had him all figured out.

“My mother abandoned me a few hours after I was born,” he stated flatly.

Oh.

Shit.

You didn’t expect him to laugh when he looked at you again, his head shaking. “Don’t look so shocked, it was a long time ago and I’ve come a long way since then.”

“I just -” the confidence of Bunny slipped for a moment, leaving only you; the clumsy girl with a heart that often felt far too big, “- I’m sorry, I shouldn’t’ve joked...”

“It’s fine, really. I’ve had plenty of time to get over it. Besides, the way I figure it, she did me a favour. You want soft kids, coddle them and treat them well.”

“Wouldn't know anything about that,” you said with a wry smile. “My parents definitely didn't coddle us.”

“No?”

“Nope.”

“That all I'm getting?” He asked, smiling that playful smile again.

“Getting personal defeats the point of the masks, don't you think?” You retorted, leaning to top up his drink.

“I suppose,” he answered, pausing for a beat before continuing, “I guess you could tell me anything and I'd have to take your word for it.”

“You don't strike me as the sort of man who's trusting enough to do something like that.”

It was something you could see in his eyes, the way they took you in and watched every little flicker of emotion that crossed your face.

“Then why don't we play a game?” He offered. “We each get to ask a question, and you get to call the other out if you think they’re lying. And if I catch you in a lie, you have to tell me something true.”

Your eyes narrowed a little, trying to get a measure of him. Normally you were reasonably good at reading people - though maybe a lot of that came from working various PA and secretarial positions, needing to be able to anticipate your boss’ shitty moods.

“Okay, you’re on,” you agreed, “but a few ground rules; you’re not allowed to ask about who I am or anything that might identify me.”

“Sounds fair.” He lifted his champagne and took a slow drink but his eyes never left you. “What are you most afraid of?”

That caught you off guard. It was more serious than you’d anticipated.

“You could ask me almost anything, but that’s what you want to know?” 

“You can tell a lot about a person by what they’re scared of,” he said, shrugging.

You took a second to consider your answer.

“Jellyfish.”

“Really, Bunny, you’re gonna lie right outta the gate?” 

“Okay, fine,” you said with a huff, hating that he’d caught you out already. “I guess I’m most scared of dying alone, but jellyfish are a close second.”

“You think you’re gonna die alone?” He asked.

There was something in his voice that seemed to suggest he didn’t get it, or maybe it was that he thought it would never happen. Little did he know that you - the real you - didn’t exactly have the best luck with men.

“That’s two questions. Don’t I get a turn?” You asked, deciding to dodge his question.

Tall and Dark relented and gave a wave of his hand.

“What do you hate most about New York?” 

“Hate?” He repeated.

“Everyone always loves the same things about the city, but most people hate something different,” you explained.

You watched him closely as he considered his answer, looking for anything that might tell you if he was about to lie to you.

“The subway. It stinks of piss and there’s always too many people.”

You had to give him that one for obvious reasons, though he didn’t strike you as the kind of guy who used the subway all that often.

“When was the last time you used the subway?”

“That’s two questions, Bunny,” he chided playfully.

“Fine. Your turn.”

“What did you want to be when you were a kid?”

“What? You think that this wasn’t my career goal?” You said, barely holding back a laugh as you shook your head. “I don’t know, I went through a lot of phases; I wanted to be a vet until I lost my first hamster, wanted to be a doctor until my brother broke his arm, and I wanted to be a lawyer but I have a conscience...”

The birthday boy laughed with you, smiling at you, obviously happy enough with your answer because he didn’t call you out, making it your turn again.

“What’s your favourite place in New York?” You asked.

“Right here,” he said. “Right now. With you.”

“Yikes, what a line,” you said, smirking at him despite the heat in your cheeks. “Do lines like that usually work for you?”

“Normally I don’t need lines.”

“No?”

“People - women - usually make their minds up about me pretty quickly, and it’s rarely because of anything I have to say,” he explained.

You watched as he lifted his glass and drained his drink. Without needing to be asked, you refilled his glass. There was a pang of sadness in you, for him, for what he obviously had to go through.

“You must be pretty rich then,” you said, managing to keep the playful tone.

“Oh filthy rich,” he confirmed.

“Emphasis on the filthy part.”

He smirked at that.

The longer the conversation went on, the stranger it felt; it didn’t feel like work anymore, and you almost wished that it wasn’t. But moments like this didn’t happen to you out in the real world. He probably wouldn’t even look at you twice if he saw you in the light of day.

“Anyway, I call bullshit. There must be somewhere you like better than here, even if you are enjoying my company,” you said.

“Alright,” he conceded with an almost rueful smile, “there’s a baseball field in Brooklyn. I used to go there when I was a kid to watch other kids play...”

There was more to it, even you could tell that much, but it seemed personal - far more personal than you were prepared to get with him.

“You like baseball?”

“Liked,” he said, correcting you and adding another layer of uncertainty. “And that’s two questions.”

“Sorry, I’m not used to playing games when I’m tending bar,” you said, topping up his glass again before glancing towards his friends. “And, on that note...”

Again, you felt his eyes on you as you moved around the bar and headed to his friends, checking that everyone was having a good time and taking orders for fresh drinks.

“Think you’ve made the birthday boy’s night,” one of them said.

“Yeah, normally he slips out of his birthday parties after the first hour,” another commented, and they all laughed.

And, as you made your way back towards the bar (towards him), you couldn’t help but wonder what his birthdays were usually like.

“Hope they weren’t giving you any trouble,” he said as you slipped behind the bar and put the empty glasses you’d gathered to the side so you could start getting fresh drinks.

“No, you’ve all been perfect gentlemen,” you said, smiling at him, your face obviously showing some degree of relief because he quickly commented on it.

“Are there times when guys aren’t gentlemen?” He asked.

There was something in his tone, a hint of - what? - protectiveness, or anger maybe. 

“Sometimes, but that’s what Rocky is for,” you said, nodding your head towards the door.

“The big guy?” He asked and you nodded. “Yeah, I wouldn’t fancy my chances with him.”

Filling a tray with the fresh drinks, you went back to the table and passed them around before heading back to him again, taking up the spot on the opposite side of the bar from him, leaning your elbow on the bartop.

“So,” you said, almost decidedly, “want to tell me why you’re spending your birthday night out talking to me and not with your friends?”

He seemed to hesitate, but only for a split second.

“I thought it was my turn.”

“It is,” you conceded, “if you want to keep playing, but I think you might enjoy your birthday more if you spent it with friends.”

“We could be friends.”

“Friends don’t check out each other's asses, handsome.”

“Oh, so you’ve been checking out my ass?” He said as a grin tugged at his lips.

“What can I say?” You shrugged. “Something about men in well tailored pants drives me wild.”

The birthday boy let out another laugh, and it was such a happy sound that he drew glances from his friends, all of them wondering just what it was you’d said to manage to get a response like that from him.

He grabbed his glass and got to his feet.

“This isn’t over, Bunny,” he said before heading towards his friends.

Over the rest of the night, you found yourself watching him, always coming up with a teasing or playful remark whenever you went across to get them fresh drinks (oh, you wanted a drink, I just thought you wanted to stare at my ass again and I know how much you enjoy watching me walk away).

And he watched you, too.

Your skin prickled with goosebumps under his attention and you quickly came to love the sensation. Never in all your time working at The Red Ribbon had you felt such a connection with a guest, and you probably never would again.

So, when they all finally stood to leave, you felt a pang of regret - you shouldn’t have sent him back to his friends, you should have kept him with you so you could talk more.

Each of the guys said their thanks, each dropping bills into the tip jar by the door on their way out.

One of them stopped and looked at you, a smirk on his lips. “Thanks. I dunno what you said to him but I ain’t seen him like this in a long time.”

Your heart stuttered, not sure what it was you could have done to inspire such a change in a man you didn’t even know.

You noticed him linger as the door swung shut behind the last of his friends and, at any other time, that would be cause for concern but something told you that you weren’t in danger. Not from him. 

“Something else I can help you with?” You asked, as playful as ever.

“Plenty,” he said, his smile dropping a little. “But everything I want would break the rules, and the last thing I want is to get banned when there’s a chance I might see you again.”

It was sweet how oddly accepting he was of how things were, how they had to be. It made it harder to watch him walk away knowing that you might not see him again. You’d never felt such an instant connection with a stranger before, especially not a stranger who’d seen this side of you, a stranger who knew what you did for a living and didn’t judge you for it.

Against your better judgement, you leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek, dangerously close to the corner of his mouth, before pulling back slightly. You lingered close, watching the way the corner of his lip ticked upwards and heard the slightest catch of his breath.

“Well, here’s hoping you can tell who I am the next time you see me,” you offered in little more than a whisper.

Slowly, cautiously, his hand lifted to your face and you felt your heart skip a beat. It was the barest of touches, so light that he might not have even touched you at all, but you felt a warmth spread across your skin nonetheless.

“I’ll know, Bunny,” he said with a certainty that sent a shiver down your spine. “I’m gonna find you again.”

“Promises, promises,” you joked, wanting to keep the mood light, knowing that the odds of seeing him again were small. And, with that thought, you found yourself leaning forward again, this time pressing your lips to his for the briefest of seconds. “Something to remember me by.”

Then you stepped back, creating space between your body and his, a silent signifier that the night was over.

“I will find you,” he said again. “I always get what I want, Bunny, one way or another.”

“Happy birthday, handsome,” you said, avoiding answering his comment.

He gave you one last look, drinking in the sight of you from head to toe, and you felt your whole body warm in response. Then he left, leaving you alone with your racing heart and the promise that you’d see him again. 

It should have worried you; the way he’d spoken to you, the way he’d been looking, and the fact that he wanted to find you again. But it didn’t. Instead of worry, all you felt was want, even if you knew that the man behind the mask might be someone completely different. Even if you knew the man behind the mask probably wouldn’t be interested in who you were when you weren’t playing Bunny.

Later that night as you laid in bed, your vibrator between your thighs and his dark eyes in your mind, you wondered what he was doing. Your eyes closed tight, picturing him standing over you, watching as you fucked yourself. He’d smile that playful smile down at you and slowly grip his cock - and, fuck, his cock was probably as perfect as the rest of him.

You longed to know what he looked like beneath the mask and beneath the expensive clothes.

You wanted to know what it felt like to be touched by him, for him to kiss you and hold you. For him to fuck you.

No matter what you imagined as you slid the vibrator in and out your body, your thoughts continued to return to one thing; his eyes. You wanted to get lost in them, wanted to make him laugh and see them sparkle. You wanted to see them darken with need as he fucked you and took what he wanted from you.

I always get what I want, he’d told you. And he wanted you.

A loud moan tore from your lips as you came, your whole body shivering with pleasure at the thought of this strange and alluring man getting what he wanted from you.

Then, with a heavy sigh, you sank back on your bed and curled up, the usual feelings of insecurity quickly filling you again.

He’d probably forget all about you; everything he’d said had probably just been to try and get something more than you’d been prepared to give. He’d probably already forgotten you...

Little did you know that, across town, Billy Russo was fisting his cock to thoughts of you without knowing it was you he was thinking of, his hand stroking up and down his length as he stood in the shower. He jerked off to thoughts of your body, your laugh, your smile. He pictured all the ways that he wanted you, his Bunny, all the things he wanted to do.

Your plump and pretty lips would look good wrapped around his cock, and your plush thighs would no doubt feel amazing wrapped around his head as he feasted on your cunt. 

He licked his lips for what must have been the hundredth time since you kissed him and was, yet again, disappointed that there was no lingering taste of you.

As he came, he knew that he had to have you. He would find you again, and he would make you his if it was the last thing he did.

A/N : I feel weird when I don't post on a Friday, so here's a new thing 😅 like I said at the start, this will just be a short, sweet thing (3 parts and done), but hopefully it'll be a lot of fun and a little bit more playful/light-hearted compared to Love, Sick Love. (And I promise no cliffhanger ending to this one 😅) If you've played TellTale's The Wolf Among Us, that's where I got the ribbon idea from (well that and that old ghost story... but no ones head is going to fall off in this, I promise).

As always, let me know if you want to be tagged. I'm not going to full commit to posting every Friday for this because I work in retail and, as you can imagine, it's hectic at the moment, but I want to try and post at least once a week since this is only going to be a short story.

Anyway, thanks for reading!

Also I can't remember if anyone else asked to be tagged in all future Billy stories, if I've missed you please shout at me.

Tag List : @lincerad @xxxsweetcarolinexxx

[the-badger-mole]

Hi,

Hope you are doing well. I saw some of your How I Met Your Mother posts, and that got me a little intrigued, because I watched that show and was stumped by its ending.

Anyways, I wanted to ask you, also inspired by YouTube videos of the show, do you think having that fixed endpoint was wrong? Because some of the videos make it seem that if the show was to end by season 2, then that made ending made sense, but extending it to nine seasons, it would have been better to change the ending. Also, one other thing I found is that even if Ted did show up outside Robin's house as the end, there is no chance of a happy ending there because they never really got those issues that caused them to break-up to be resolved at all. Just because Ted and Robin's respective goals are achieved does not mean the issues probably won't be there.

I would like your thoughts on this.

Having a fixed endpoint for a story is tricky. I'm not saying it should never be done, but up until the last season or 2 of HIMYM, the writing was so well done, so careful to remember plot threads and foreshadowings and running gags that it set up in earlier episodes. They wrote characters and relationships that felt real, and made the audience care, and yet, they couldn't pull off the ending they'd written almost a decade earlier.

I agree with the take that the ending they wrote could only have worked if the show ended in season 2. And it's their own fault. They did far too good a job showing why Ted and Robin didn't work. Then they did too good a job showing why Robin and Barney DID work. I started wanting to see the two of them end up together from the first season (although, I do maintain that Robin being single would've been a great ending for her, too). The one episode that I think should've clued the writers in that their endgame pair didn't work any more was "Baby Talk". Specifically the talk that Robin has with Ted, where he complains that she didn't make him feel needed during their relationship, and then her conversation with Barney where he tells her she didn't make him feel needed during their relationship, and that was awesome. The reason why Ted and Robin ultimately didn't work isn't just because they had a difference of opinion about having kids, or career plans. They were fundamentally incompatible personality-wise. That's not a failing on either of their parts, but it is irreconcilable. In the end of the show Ted has his kids and they're nearly grown, and Robin has been able to travel for her career, but their personalities haven't changed much. Ted still wants a fairytale ending, and Robin is still fiercely independent and doesn't need him (and btw, she isn't even that old. She'll probably still be traveling, which I doubt Ted will appreciate since it'll still mean either giving up his career and proximity to his kids who seem to still be in high school and will need support through college, or staying home and having a long distance relationship with a woman who is probably meeting a lot of interesting and interested people without him. His jealousy issues could NEVER).

Having a set ending can work. I've written fics where I knew exactly how I wanted them to end, so I know it can work. But i also know that sometimes the plot or the characters can develop in ways that make the ending no longer fit the story, and a writer has to be able to be flexible with that, even if it hurts that you don't get the ending you wanted originally. The creators of HIMYM wrote themselves into a box. When the ending didn't fit the story or the characters, they regressed everyone involved in order to make the story fit the ending, and the result was...bad.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #358

So remember how at the end of yesterday's letter, I said that today's would be taco-flavored?

Well!!! Here it is!!! Ta-daaaaaaaaa...!!!!!!

Oh. Uh. It occurs to me... maybe you aren't exactly familiar with tacos. Tacos come from a country called Mexico, which is a place that is south of my country! Actually, Mexico has all kinds of awesome foods, awesome music, awesome festivals and holidays, and...

...I guess I feel really lucky to live in a world that has so many different places and ways of being. The humans of my world are endlessly creative, and they always seem to find ways to get by wherever they're at, with whatever foods are available to them in their region.

...Seriously, the sheer vastness of things that humans are able to eat is probably one of the main reasons why we're so astonishingly adaptable.

In any case!!! I dunno if there are regions in your world that have anything similar to tacos. Maybe Costa Del Sol has them? You'll have to tell me about it sometime.

Anyway!! Even if you're not familiar with tacos, that's okay. This guy wasn't familiar with them at first, either. He's got a funny story about that; maybe it'll make you laugh:

...Goodness, but I'd give just about anything to hear the sound of your joyful, wholesome laughter...

…

Anyhoot! So I made tacos today!! I'll show you how in a bit!! But before I made tacos, I went out to Eggcellent to meet Br, the dandelion-haired man. I was a little disappointed that he didn't bring his wife with him; it means I didn't get a chance to talk to her about the $300 he randomly gave to me yesterday.

...Sigh.

Well. I got my usual thing. A rose matcha latte with tea jelly, sago, and cream cheese foam. I wasn't really feeling barley bits today. I also got a crème brûlée:

Today, the crème brûlée came in a heart-shaped purple tin, and I thought it was very cute!

Br and I talked about various things for a long time. J didn't come with me because he went to the little airport to do a little more maintenance on his little airplane. But then, after a while, he was done, and unexpectedly, he visited Eggcellent while I was still there!!! And I was so happy!!! J and Br and I talked together for a long time. I had planned to get a bell pepper for today's fresh salsa, and to fill the car with gas, but we talked for so long that, between the rain and the hour, it was dim enough outside that the astigmatism was gonna make the headlights, streetlights, and stoplights a bit of a problem for me. So I didn't go get a bell pepper or the gas; I just followed J home, and that was super duper helpful.

When I got home, I began taco preparations pretty much right away, because R was supposed to visit today, and he had asked for tacos! I began by melting some leftover bacon/pancetta fat in my handy-dandy wok:

...Seriously, a wok is the dyspraxic cook's best friend; mine's got a nice big bottom, and the deep sides make it really easy for me to scootle stuff around without spilling anything. It's good stuff!!!

Anyhoot, so I had these chicken breasts thawing on the counter:

...I dunno if you remember the slicing technique I showed you in the last letter I wrote about making gyros, but... I used that same slicing technique to cut the chicken into tiny cubes:

From there, I put it in the wok to cook:

I used the time to zest a lemon and a lime. When we zest a citrus fruit, basically we use a special tool to get all the color off its peel:

...In the end, you're left with a citrus fruit that's easier to peel or to cut in half, and a bowl full of flavorful zest that you can use in other things!

...Yum!!

So, once the chicken cooked, I drained out the juices into a separate bowl for later use in making refried beans!

From there, I decided to make homemade adobo. You can get it store-bought, and that's good, too, but I didn't have any premade adobo, and I had all the stuff in my spice cabinet to make it at home:

This is... salt, garlic powder, onion powder, mixed and white peppercorns, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, ground coriander, turmeric, and just a bit of sweet dark chili powder to give it a little “kick”...!

(...but not too much kick, because my body really doesn't like capsaicin, and too much will make me cry, hahaha...)

...Anyway, I seasoned the chicken with some combination of the above spices (just taste it as you go along; your body will tell you what you need more of or less of – it's totally fine!). I also used half of the lemon-lime zest. But I guess I forgot to get a picture. But that's fine; you'll see it later!

Anyway, so I put the seasoned chicken into a bowl and began making the refried beans! Normally, I work with dried black beans that come in bags, but I was pressed for time and energy, so I used canned black beans instead. I just dumped the whole can in there without draining it; it's fine, I promise. The extra liquid will evaporate a little bit, and leave the resulting beans with a creamy and delicious texture.

I began by warming up the chicken juices and some more bacon/pancetta fat in the wok:

...Then I added the beans and let them simmer for a bit:

Once they simmered for a while, I got out my handy-dandy masher and started mashing them up!

...Once they're mashed, their starches incorporate the fluids they simmered in quite nicely. I seasoned them with a bit of cumin, a bit of salt, and quite a bit of garlic:

Ohhh, that's so good. Sephiroth, I wish you could smell this picture.

Anyhoot, after that, it was time to prepare the salsa. I asked J to cut up some tomatoes and the bell pepper that I asked R to fetch on his way here. But I only got a picture of the sliced red bell pepper for some reason:

...J did such a nice job!!!!!!! Oh my goodness!!!!!!

Anyways, I put the tomatoes and some pre-diced onions into my rice cooker bowl (because sometimes you just need bowls). I chopped some cilantro and threw it in there; fortunately, no one in my house today has that gene that makes cilantro taste like soap:

...Say, Sephiroth, does cilantro taste like soap to you? It's a genetic quirk by which a person is able to taste the aldehydes in the leaves. Thankfully, I don't have that particular quirk. I wonder if you do. If you have that quirk, then you should avoid using cilantro when you make fresh salsa! You can maybe use parsley or some other herb instead; there are lots of great choices!!

Anyway, from there, I added a chopped scallion:

...And then I squeezed in the juice of half a lemon! I also added the other half of the lemon-lime zest!

Here's the finished salsa!

...Oh, and! We don't have to let the spent lemon half go to waste! You can stick it in water for a while like this, and let the flavors infuse:

...As for the lime, I peeled it and pulled apart the sections; I didn't slice it because I don't like when citrus juices leak out and get everywhere. And besides, why slice it when the fruit basically already comes pre-sliced, if only you're willing to take a minute or two to peel it properly?

...I did fail to take a picture. But that's okay; you'll see one of the slices in a bit!

I didn't fail to picture some other taco essentials, though! Here, we have guacamole, cheese, and sour cream!

...Normally, I might make my own guacamole, but... I was already pressed for time and energy. It's made of avocados, mashed with citrus juice and other seasonings. It's good stuff!!! Great on a variety of things!!!

So now comes the part where we put together the taco! We start with a warmed tortilla! And then we spread some refried beans on it!

...We add the chicken! The refried beans keep it kinda glued to the tortilla:

It's all golden brown because of our lovely adobo mixture, yay!!

Anyhoot! Next, we add the sour cream!

...Then the salsa! The sour cream will help it to stay on!

...Cheese after that. It'll fall into all the nooks, crannies, and crevices in the salsa!

Then we add the guacamole!

...And finally, we add the cute little lime slice on top!

From there, we roll it up and enjoy!

...Want some...?

...And no, I promise that if you do it right, you definitely won't need a “napkin” of any kind, hahaha!! Just make sure your chicken is cooked through, make sure you don't overfill your tortilla, and make sure you wrap the contents properly! It'll maybe take practice, but... you're a super smart guy!!! You can do it, I'm sure!!!

R seemed to enjoy the tacos that were made. And he left us, too, with a jar full of vanilla sugar that he made, and several different kinds of cookie dough that he made at home, too!! I can't wait to put them in the oven! Maybe I'll do that tomorrow!!

Well. I suppose that's it for today. Suppose I'm over here wishing you could eat tacos with us and chill out and watch something cool on the TV with us, or play some silly game.

...Or... better yet... I wish I could teach you how to make tacos in person... I think you'd have a lot of fun with it...

…

Sephiroth... I love you. And I want you to be safe and happy. I know you said that you've seen hell before and you don't fear death, but... please... show me a man who rises up from the bowels of hell, triumphant and full of love. Show me a man who refuses to bow down as a slave to his conditioning. Show me a man who refuses to allow the pain in his heart to warp his tenderness into hatred.

I believe in you. I know you can do it. No matter how many tries it takes. Just like with Hades and my quest to get a victory on the first run on a fresh save, you can fall lots of times, but you only need to succeed once. Like Dead Cells, like Salt and Sanctuary, you can fall so many times, but you only need to succeed once. All you have to do is get back up and try again. All you have to do is refuse to remain defeated. All you have to do is improve your skills, learn to relax, and learn how to dance merrily around those who would wish you harm. I'm over here, getting better and better at all of these things in a wide variety of respects – not just in the video games I play, but in my life generally. We can defy the conditioning that tells us that ordinary, natural things are wrong, weak, or bad. We can do it together.

...Sephiroth. Come on. Take my hand; you don't gotta do it alone, and you don't gotta do it on an empty belly, a dehydrated body, or an unslept brain. Come on; my house has tea and snacks and safe places to sleep where no one will bother you. Come on; we can fill the days with me showing you how to make tasty snacks of various kinds. Come on; I can teach you a little bit of the history of the foodways of my world along the way – something tells me you'd be into that sort of thing. Come on; you can become someone who loves yourself enough to create your own delicious homecooked meals. Come on; the dreams you had as a boy don't have to remain dreams – you can weave them into reality with your own two hands, I promise! Come on; I'll show you how, because it's not too hard; it just takes a bit of time, effort, and practice. And you're worth that time. You're worth that effort. You're worth that practice. And you're worth the patience, dedication, and determination that it will take, too.

...I know you can't answer me. But... just think about it, okay? Think about becoming a person who is strong in the real way.

I'll write again tomorrow. Please stay safe out there.

Your friend, Lumine

[jpitha]

Signal Rockets

Here's a little side story that takes place a little bit after Just a Little Futher. If you read my previous work it'll be a fun treat, but it's also a stand alone story - you're not missing much by reading it alone.

The far border of human space is a boring place to be stationed. The other 'side' of human space borders the K'laxi and the Xenni, two of the other sapient species we've met so far. In the other direction, for light-years around as near as we can tell, is... nothing.

It's part of the reason that for centuries Humanity thought they were alone in the universe. We're so far away from other species that it took pure luck to even meet them the first time.

Regardless, there are reasons to be over in the hinterlands. Research to be done, and to have a presence just to really say "our space ends here."

Research Station Peering Depths was one of those places. There were twenty five humans, 5 K'laxi and the station AI onboard and that was it. They spent their time gazing into the deep past of the universe, trying to learn as much as they could. Sure, wormhole generators made it so that human space was a lot smaller than it used to be, but there were still many things to be learned by peering into deep time.

The K'laxi onboard were part of a research exchange program. They were all recent graduates and jumped at the opportunity to spend a year on a human research station. They were prepped before about what kind of a job it would be but they signed on anyway. The chance to do some Real Science with their human allies was too good of an opportunity to pass up, even if it meant spending a year away from friends and family and having to eat what few humans foods were compatible. They ate a lot of waffles and pancakes.

Everyone spent their days studying their long range telescopes, writing about what they found, editing and collating their works and once a month, linking a beacon back with their data. There was little drama onboard and a lot of time to pass. Most of the day to day operations of the station itself was handled by the AI. Everyone trained in fire protection of course, but the Depts was small enough that the AI could handle everything.

They were about six months in to the rotation when Peering Depths pinged Commander Terry Temlin. He was the human commander this rotation and officially the lead scientist. The research station was a civilian affair and officially had no weapons. "Commander Temlin, I sense a energy spike that matches the profile of someone linking in."

"Oh?" Terry looked down at his pad. He was in the canteen eating his lunch. "I don't recall anyone being scheduled to visit for the next month."

"I agree Terry, that's why I pinged you. Long range scanners indicate it's a Starjumper, and it seems to be stricken."

Terry's fork stopped halfway to his mouth "What? It's stricken?"

"Yes. It's reactors are wildly out of sync and its power output has increased over fifteen percent since it has first appeared on my radar. Additionally, my scopes show large burn marks and what I surmise is active fire onboard."

Starjumpers were the oldest of the human ships. Most were built before humanity developed their wormhole generators, shrinking the galaxy. They were built to soar between the stars at half the speed of light or greater, 'jumping' between the stars. Once wormhole generators were developed, they installed them, but they retained some of their former fame and popularity. It was an event when a Starjumper linked into your system.

"Sound General Alert, Depths. We need to see if we can help."

"Aye Commander. General Alert"

The hooting siren of General Alert was heard throughout the small research station. Everyone ran to the canteen - the largest gathering place - and milled about while they waited for stragglers. Nobody here was officially military, but everyone knew what the alarms were and what to do when they sounded.

Commander Temlin cleared his throat. "We have potentially a situation. A Starjumper just linked in-" murmurs from the crowd "-and appears to be damaged. Peering Depths says their reactors are going wild and it might be on fire-" the murmurs increased in volume "-quiet please! We're going to reach out and offer assistance. Everyone trained in first aid head down to the infirmary. Someone turn one of our scopes on them and see if we can resolve more information. Depths?"

"Yes Commander?"

"Do we know which Starjumper it is?"

"I initiated an initial handshake with them. They are known currently as Wildfire."

Terry looked up at the ceiling. Lots of people did when they were talking to the AI even though it really wasn't up there. "I don't suppose you know them?"

"I'm sorry Commander, I've never had the honor to meet Wildfire."

"Okay, let them know we can assist if needed."

"Aye Commander."

Commander Terry made his way up to the small Command Deck on the Depths. It was used rarely, but he felt that it was important to be there while the emergency was ongoing. As he sat in the unfamiliar artificial leather of the Commander's chair, Depths pinged again.

"Commander, two more wormholes have been detected. Wildfire seems to be under attack. I do not recognize the ships attacking Wildfire, but they appear to be of Human make."

"What?" Terry looked at the display ahead of him in shock. "You can't track a wormhole link, how did they know where Wildfire would be? Which human group would be attacking a Starjumper?"

"Both of those questions cannot be answered at this time."

Terry's screens where overwhelmed with a flash of white, and for a moment, he thought that Wildfire was destroyed. Instead, Wildfire appeared next to Peering Depths, nearly at docking distance. The massive ship dwarfed the research station. It felt like it could swallow Peering Depths whole. For just a moment, Terry was disappointed that there was no noise in space. He felt like a move like that should have a noise like a thunderclap.

"Peering Depths! Peering Depths! This is Wildfire! I am under attack by the forces of Empress Melody. They are pressing the attack and I am ordering my biological crew to abandon me."

Terry stood. "Wildfire. This is Commander Terry Temlin of the research station Peering Depths. Of course we will take your crew, but isn't that a decision that your captain needs to make?"

Wildfire sounded testy, as if they had to explain this a few times already. "The captain is dead, and as War Emergency Power has been officially unleashed, I am exercising my right to complete my mission, save the crew, and myself in that order. My wounds are mortal, but I should be able to hold off the two Super Dreadnoughts. Prepare to receive escape pods."

Terry called to the staff and told them to be ready to accept the escape pods. True to his word, Wildfire started shedding pods as soon as the audio connection was closed. A dozen pods streaked between the two vessels as the Super Dreadnaughts linked in and began hammering Wildfire with energy weapons.

"Pods away! I'll hold them off and give you a chance to escape."

"Escape? We're a research station, we don't have anything more than station-keeping thrusters."

Wildfire sounded surprised. "How did you get here? Don't you have a wormhole generator?"

Peering Depths chimed in here. "We were towed to this location. We have the plans and surplus mass to print a wormhole generator, but we don't keep one active."

"Shit. All right. I'll hold them off. You signal for help. Do not send the beacon to Sol. Send it to Parvati."

Now that was nearly too much. Terry threw his pad down onto the armrest of his chair. "Wildfire, what is going on. What's happening in Sol? Who is 'Empress Melody'?"

"I really can't explain the whole thing right now. Suffice to say, a person claiming to be the Empress of... everyone linked in a month ago and has a fleet of these Super Dreadnoughts to back up her wild claim. Some of us Colonial AIs have mounted a defense, but as you can see-" The audio cut out as Wildfire linked away in another blinding flash of white.

For the first time, Terry could see the two Super Dreadnaughts. He could barely believe what he was seeing. They were as large, if not larger than a Starjumper, fully 4 kilometers long. Not only that, but they appeared to have control surfaces on the outside. "Are they atmospheric?" Terry's voice was tinged with awe.

"They appear so Commander. One of them is wheeling about to confront us."

Terry frantically opened communications. "Unknown ship! Unknown ship! This is the unarmed research station Peering Depths. We have taken on Wildfire's crew after they abandoned ship and are offering them medical care and refuge. We are unarmed, I repeat unarmed and offer no threat to you."

After a moment, the massive ship replied with video and audio. On his screen Terry saw... a K'laxi, wearing a royal blue uniform, with gold piping on the sides. Next to... her he thought, was a crew made up of other sapient species he had never seen before. He didn't see any humans in range of the camera.

"Peering Depths, this is Builder Um'reli, of the Calamity Class Super Dreadnought Hamilton. You are housing prisoners of war and are accused of aiding the enemy."

Terry muted the audio and looked up again. "Depths, what is going on?"

"I wish I knew, Terry. We should concentrate on survival right now."

Terry nodded and shakily turned his audio back on.

"Builder Um'reli. I am Commander Temlin, the lead scientist here, and I cannot agree to your claims. We're a research station. We've been out of contact for six months now, and have no idea what's going on back home. Wildfire linked to us severely damaged and asked for help to save their crew, and we took them on. We have no quarrel with you, and have no weapons."

While they were talking, the other large dreadnought had already turned and linked away, presumably to give chase to Wildfire. How did they do that? Terry supposed he might learn one day.

"Peering Depths. If you link back to Sol immediately and surrender to the Imperial Systems, you shall be spared. As you have no-doubt surmised, we have the ability to trace wormhole links and will know if you link elsewhere. We will pursue and destroy you."

"Builder Um'reli that is a... generous offer, but I must inform you that we have no wormhole generator. We have the mass and plans to print one, but it will be a week before we can leave."

Anther pause. It appeared that Um'reli had muted her audio and was in animated conversation with someone else on her command deck.

"Peering Depts. We have a spare wormhole generator and will deliver it to you. We will assist with it's installation and follow you back to Sol."

Terry sighed. It wasn't like he had a choice. "Very well, Builder. Please send the wormhole generator and the installation crew at your nearest convenience. We will be ready to meet them."

[k-nayee]

Cookout Hyung Line + Jimin

wc: 3.4k

Dreamer M.List

ˏ⸉ˋ‿̩͙‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙ˏ⸉ˋ‿̩͙‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙ˏ⸉ˋ‿̩͙‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙.·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .‿̩̥̩‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙ˊ⸊ˎ‿̩̥̩‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙ˊ⸊ˎ‿̩̥̩‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙ˊ⸊ˎ

NAMJOON

• 𝐍𝐎𝐓 gonna lie, it was a rocky ass start when y'all first arrived

• having the meeting-the-family for the first time jives and all

• boy way shaking and sweating bullets the moment he stepped through the backdoor

• and to add salt on to the wound, almost the entire yard went silent when they spotted him

• with a strained smile and wave, you walk over to your parents

• Namjoon of course stayed close to your ass like white on rice

• the tension slowly went away as you spoke to the older generations of the family

• sweet baby Joon just sitting there quietly, ain't saying nothing in fear of messing up

• even though it wasn't being spoken, everyone was curious of the new face, hence the side glances every now and then

• it wasn't until your LEAST favorite loud mouth no filter having ass boy cousin came over to start some shit up

• "Aye ____, why you bring this anime non-speaking Nigga up in here? Black men ain't too good enough or something?"

• you purse your lips at his words, ultimately done with the bullshit

• it became even more awkward when you heard murmurs of agreement around

• "First off, I very much can speak and understand English. Secondly..." Joon steps closer, towering over the froggy male with a look of contempt, "What does me being Asian have to do with it?"

• "......."

• "........"

• ".........MYYY NIGGA! WASSUP MANE. Aye you know I was just testing you right? Gotta see who right for my cuz and all."

• people let out forced laughs while [Cousin Name]'s dumbass try to cover up his mistake

• surprisingly after that, Namjoon begins to open up and talk more with the family

• more so the younger ones, but at least he trying and that's all that matters

• the little kids think he's some kind of dog whisperer since all the dogs crowd around him for some reason as he tells them stories

• your parents damn near teared up when they found out he was smart

• "Oooh, ____ got a smart one y'all! Not only is my baby in college, but she also dating an Einstein! Oh [Auntie Name], I almost forgot to ask how your daughter doing with that locked dope dealer boyfriend of hers. Chris was it?"

• "Mama, please. Now is not the time to be starting stuff. This ain't a competition between me and [Cousin Name]."

• "Yeah yeah, whatever. Now baby, now that I know ____ got somebody like you around. Please help her raise them grades up, cause whew chile!"

• "Mama!"

• since he's still afraid to go out of his way to socialize unless being approached, Namjoon decides to spend most of his time with your mother

• bastard even got a chance to see the photo album that held ALL of your baby photos

• "Awwww, look at this photo! You were so cute ____!"

• "I swear Joon, Imma beat your ass if you don't get them photos out my damn face."

• "But why? You're adorable in these~"

• "Adorable? Adorable?! Just cuz you fucking me doesn't mean you gotta lie. We both know those some questionable ass baby pictures."

• he's so soft spoken and polite in conversations but wouldn't mind starting some shit up if needed for your sake

• ...words be so sly that it'll take a few minutes before your brain finally process what he said

• "I'm surprised ____ was able to get into [prestigious university], let alone in a whole 'nother country!"

• "It's really hard to get into [prestigious university] of Seoul while even being an international student. Then again, I don't even know why I'm telling you this. Not like you could meet the entry requirements needed to attend."

• not a roaster, but definitely one to throw light jabs and heavy shade

• being your grandma's favorite (even tho she says she loves all her grandkids equally) you knew it was over when finding out that she likes him more than you

• at least you still got your Uncle Pookie. It always take a few years before he warms up to the outsiders of the famil-

• "Oh yeah, did I mention I did a collab with Nicki Minaj and Juice Wrld before?"

• all hell breaks loose

• everybody asking questions left to right

• even Uncle Pookie don left your side to talk to Namjoon about it

• "...did...did he just...?"

• ....yeah, he stole ya family

════════════════*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═════════════════

SEOKJIN

• despite having met your parents before, he was still nervous about meeting the whole family

• that doesn't mean he was gonna show it tho

• with a mask of full confidence on, he walked through the back gates and into the backyard

• even when feeling eyes on him, he kept it up. 'just fake it til you make it'

• eventually, the confidence quickly became real once speaks to your parents

• it wasn't until he saw the amount of food at the table did he fully relax

• your mama saw the dazed look on his face and immediately walked him over

• "Nice to see you again Jin! That food caught your attention huh? Don't worry baby, what you want to eat? Just tell me and mama will fix a plate for you. And don't be shy either, especially when ya looking like ____ ain't feeding you right!"

• "Really mama?!"

• "Hush now! You can't blame me, look at him! Now come on sweetie, let's go get you some food~"

• ate every and anything placed in front of him

• finished damn near five plates before he decided to take a break for desserts

• so many of the serving ladies (who were mostly your aunties and older cousins) dropped their panties when they saw the number of empty plates and tried to feed him more.

• "Here sweetheart, you want some more greens?"

• "Edna don't nobody want them dry ass greens! Here, try some of my chicken. Saved the biggest piece just for you~"

• "Please, we already know you bought that shit from the store so it ain't no use trying to act all brand new Zelma. Know damn well you ain't fooling nobody with ya fake chicken having ass!"

• a war would've broken out had you not stepped in and took Jin away as he continued to watch the fight while stuffing his face with some of the chicken

• even after, he went back to try the spicy foods on the other side of the table

• quickly fell in love and got everything he could put his hands-on

• "What's this?"

• "They're homemade jalapeño poppers."

• "I'll take 50 of them."

• "Jin that's damn near all of them!"

• "Well it's homemade right? So they can just make some more then...problem solved!"

• seeing him gobbling down the food, your grandma comes over and the two end up in an intense conversation

• what's it about?

• you guessed it: food

• Jin became really good at dancing to the Wobble once he studied everyone's movements for a few moments

• but immediately goes in a corner out of embarrassment until your grandma calls him back to talk (about food again lol)

• when he found out she made those jalapeño poppers...extreme fanboy mode on

• your grandma enjoyed his enthusiasm so much she gave him the recipe and a to-go plate before y'all left

• rest assured that he's definitely been invited for the next social event

════════════════*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═════════════════

YOONGI

• it's kinda a good thing that it's a cookout because he refuses to handle a family gathering in one room

• "I don't got time to be breathing in all that shit, what if somebody got the 'Rona over there?"

• "Yoongi...you really ain't shit. You know that?"

• "Didn't hear you deny it tho."

• "...Whatever let's just go."

• "Now don't forget your facema-"

• "Yoongi!"

• "Okay, okay!...I'm still bringing that can of Lysol spray with me."

• even though he's quiet, he doesn't hesitate to talk some shit if needed

• is only nice with the adults, but not the kids caus-

• "Fuck dem damn kids! They ain't mines, and even if they were...fuck my own kids then. I don't talk to people younger than me like that."

• he snaps at your rude ass aunties and shows off some of his unfinished raps and beats

• the kids and your cousins are amazed

• "Woah...that's so dope!"

• "____! Why didn't you tell me how cool your boyfriend was?!"

• they watch him with their mouths dropped open in awe, eagerly hanging on to every word he spits out in a freestyle rap despite it being in a language they didn't know/understand until the food is ready

• your parents (low-key only your dad cause momma still didn't forgive him from that stunt he pulled at church) smile at how soft he is when he looks at you despite having a glare as his resting bitch face

• eats only one plate that was made by you

• the same older cousins and uncles that silently talked shit about him suddenly does an 180 and tries to kiss his ass once they find out he's a producer and rapper of big company

• "Aye mane, you think you could listen to my demo or sum cuz? 'Preciate it."

• reluctantly agrees to listen, but Yoongi -being the way he is- straight up stops the music by middle chorus and gives his honest opinion

• "Um...what the fuck is this?"

• "Whatchu mean mane? It's fye huh? So you can put me on an album or sum?"

• "You do know that the background music is the goddamn theme song from that Sofia The First show right?"

• "...yeah, I wanted to add a 'lil twist to it. Was there a mistake in it?"

• you immediately remember how brutal the idol can be from time to time and step in before he can get an asswhooping from dudes that's three times his size

• "...mistake? My guy, I don't know if you know this, but yo whole so-called song is a mis-"

• "Yoongs..."You give a strained smile, ignoring the wondering gazes at what you're suddenly saying in Korean, "please shut the fuck up."

• "Wha-why the hell do I have to shut up?! If anything, we know who needs to, and not to mention that wonky-ass Disney Cinderella song they call a beat."

• "You do know they just got out right?"

• "Of what? Kindergarten? 'Cause that's all I can tell from those barely basic ass rhyming words they put up in there. Pssh, you would think they would learn how to actually rap with all that free time they had."

• "Yoongi!"

• he's...an overall good guest...somewhat

• will help clean up because he trying to get back in your mother's good graces (and not because you promised to give him some sloppy toppy if he at least tried)

• dances...very very aggressively

• accidentally don electric slide right into the poker table

• y'all gonna mostly be by yourselves because he doesn't really want to socialize

• keep in mind that he is blunt and aggressive, which is a type of attitude a lot of black family members hate with a passion

• but does Yoongi care about what your family thinks of him?

• "Do I really look like I give a fuck? Well too bad...cause I FUCKING DON-"

• he will snap off if they say something shady, even if there's a little hint of it: hands will be thrown

• "Waste of my goddamn time right here...you made us come all the way to Korea when you could've easily came to the states, and for what?"

• "To watch her become the best fucking [dream profession]. And it's not like yo broke ass paid for the tickets and hotel, probably wouldn't have been able to afford a cardboard box to spend the week in if it was up to you."

• he ain't gonna sugar coat SHIT

• might end up fighting a relative if it comes up to it

• "Now listen here young man-"

• "No you listen here you ungrateful ass excuse of a person, you've been nothing but a pain in my balls since the moment we met. So you better back the fuck up before you get smacked the fuck up. I don't give a rat's ass who or how old you are. Whether you a man, woman, non-binary, or a damn tree, I don't give a FUCK. But I do know one thing: these fists are pansexual and rated E for everyone, so you can catch 'em if you want."

• depending on how prideful they are, they might not like that

• when you guys leave and go back to your apartment you cuddle

• "You didn't have to do all that Yoongi. Some family are just like that, gotta roll with the punches."

• "I don't care who they are to you, you deserve the same respect you give them. Not any of that petty bullshit they love to spew out. And speaking of petty, that's why I took both pans of the peach cobbler and banana pudding too."

════════════════*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═════════════════

HOSEOK

• he's excited

• not a single drop of nerves running through his body at all

• he's super happy that the two of you finally reached the next level of a relationship which meant meeting your family

• greeted the cousins casually but with a mega watt ass smile

• some even came up to you complaining about it

• "Damn ____, tell your man to calm down with all that smiling shit! Almost went blind."

• "...but ain't you already blind Cousin Brian...?"

• "And? It gotta mean something if I was able to see a bright ass light in all this darkness."

• "I-well okay then. Hobi stop smiling too much, you messing up my blind cousin's eyesight."

• "Oh oka-what?"

• everyone adores him, yes even that one messy cousin that's always trying to ruin a family member's day (and relationship) with their new boyfriend/girlfriend

• you tried to keep Hoseok away from her, but he just had to say something when he saw her standing alone in a sheer dress that was clearly once a t-shirt

• "No Hoseok, let's go this wa-Hoseok!"

• "Hello! Very pretty dress you wearing~"

• "...okay and? The fuck you telling me that? You want your lil dick sucked or something Asian boy?"

• he laughs brightly at her words

• "No no thank you. But you should smile more, very pretty face to waste by frowning."

• with that, he takes your hand goes over to the kids which damn neared baffled the whole yard of the two's interaction

• and thanks to him having to be a nice piece of shit, you now gotta fend him off from ya messy ass cousin who now crushing on him

• plays games with the little kids, all the women swooning as he chases them around and picks them up like a father would with their child

• "Awe ____, you got you a cute white boy."

• "Thank you grandma, but he's Korean."

• "Well I like him!"

• when at the table he proudly brags about your achievements at work while also handling the process of obtaining a degree at the same time

• when you bring up his world-known status they are   s h o o k

• goes with you and your cousins to the liquor store when all your low-key alcoholic aunts and uncles drank them all

• "____, I like your family. They're all really fun to hang out with!"

• "Mmmm, you say that now. But give it time, I'm sure you'll change your mind."

• as stated before, he naturally gets along with everyone

• but just because he's safe doesn't mean that the shit relatives you have won't try to come for you

• and after learning some tips from Yoongi, he's ready to defend your honor

• "Want to talk all that smack about ____, just wait. She's gonna be the greatest [dream profession] there is! Bet you won't be able to say shit then."

• this definitely gets him more respect from your parents and older male cousins

• he won't stand for anyone trash-talking you

• not at all

• so yeah, they overall love him because hello? He's Jung Hoseok

• he fixed the younger kids plates, even sneaking in extra desserts which made him a long time favorite amongst them

• complimented every food he tried, even if the macaroni and cheese Cousin Brian made was dry

• "Hey now, it wasn't my fault! I didn't notice that the dial was turned all the way up when I first turned on the oven."

• "Cousin Brian...you blind my guy, how could you have known?! Now, matter fact...who the hell gave this man the responsibility of cooking in the first goddamn place?!"

• ...ANYWAYS

• ate at least 3 plates and quickly danced all that food off when the music started

• cupid shuffled right into ya grandma's heart while grinding into your aunties'

• courtesy of ya [Uncle's Name] giving him a cup of 'juice'

• poor baby had passed out not too long after drinking too much of it and woke up without his watch and shoes

• luckily, you knew that something like this would happen and was easily able to retrieve them all before leaving

════════════════*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═════════════════

JIMIN

• socially awkward, but is still a good person to be around

• and since babes got that shmoney, he made sure to bring expensive presents along even when you said not to

• if any of your family try to mooch off him you shut that shit down real quick

• "Aye now, if you don't keep your crusty ass hands away from my boyfriend them $90 nails gonna be a waste of money when I get through with them."

• he just loves it when you get defensive over him sometimes, a little blush grazes his face

• they ask all sorts of questions about his life back on back without even giving him a chance to answer

• seeing him visibly flustered from the lack of understanding what they're saying, you blurt out the first thing that comes to mind to sidetrack their focus on him

• "His parents are in Empire."

• "Really? Say sike right now."

• "N-no for real! Y'all don't remember the those few episodes...with...those Asian parents?"

• "..."

• "..."

• "...you know, now that you mention it..."

• "Oh shit! ____, you gotta keep him. And if y'all break up, you know where to hit me up."

• They treat him like a long lost son that's been reunited with his family once more

• "Has ____ been good?"

• "Yes ma'am. She's been working so hard lately that she even got promoted!"

• "Oh that's good to hear. But sweetpea you don't need to so polite!"

• "Sweetpea, you want another plate?"

• "I-if you don't mind ma'am."

• "Oh please with all that ma'am nonsense baby! Call me Grandma~"

• he likes the vanilla wafer cookies in the banana pudding the most

• good with baby cousins

• "Can you get the water hose and play with us ____'s boyfriend? My momma said the kids can't do it by themselves."

• low-key got all the single relatives checking him out.

• Especially when his shirt became translucent from the water which shown a slim waist and built abdomen that was hidden while some old shorts he borrowed from you showed off his thicc thighs and ass that's even plumper than yours

• "Ooh, look at ____'s boyfriend! Bet he taste just the way he look: real good huh~"

• "Yup, and he's mine too [Cousin Name]. Better watch yourself before a few tracks go missing boo~"

• "Damn ____! Where you been hiding him? Mmm mm mm. What's good ____'s boyfriend, you looking for some fun later on tonight?"

• "Um...n-no t-thank you. I-i'm fine."

• "Aight no pressure, just let me know when you need me."

• "[Cousin #2 Name], you ain't in no damn prison penitentiary anymore and Jimin ain't one of those 'lil he-bitches you can fuck just because he got ass. So back the fuck off."

• "Aight damn cuz, you ain't gotta get all territorial and shit....so Jimin...do you got a snap or some-"

• "I swear if I see you, [Cousin Name], and any other of y'all thirsty hoes around my boyfriend one more goddamn time! I'm beating some asses."

• ANYWAYS

• everybody adore him

• like there is not one single family member that dislikes him

• even if y'all were the type to be messy and filled with drama, he'll fit right in once they saw that he didn't take shit from nobody

• and when they do try to for either of you, cut off and put in their place immediately

• "I still can't believe it. How did ____ manage to get someone like him?!"

• "Oh? You mean Just like how you managed to get divorced five times?"

• the whole table done exploded with 'oh shit' and 'he got you [Auntie Name]'

• some even had to walk away from that one

• Jimin definitely earned a place in the family

[allthefujoshiunite]

Hi, Nora....My friend and I made a list of ace and aro characters from BL, and then we get to Love For Sale. We think Sieon is aro, based on he never regret his previous relationships until he is with Namwoo. And how he felt so indifferent about them. But what do you think? Also, do you have any BL characters that you think are ace or aro?

Great question! And thank you for giving me a chance to talk about Sieon. I'm always happy to do so. If you want the tl;dr answer, I don't consider him to be one. However, as is always the case on Wild Wild Web when you express a thought or preference, people take it as me condemning all the other thoughts/preferences. So here's a PSA: if you consider him Aro, good for you! You can interpret him however you like.

Also, lots and LOTS of spoilers for the uninitiated.

As for how I read his character. I think Sieon is hard to understand for a lot of people because they expect him to be either this or that and try to put him into categories he doesn't fully belong in. It's one of the reasons why I'm so enamored with Love for Sale as a whole, and Sieon in particular. Dal Hyeonji, even though this is their first commercial BL work, does an absolutely fantastic job in this character study.

Back to the point. When the story was still being released, I entertained a similar idea myself about him that, maybe he's demiromantic. Not a romance-aversed aromantic, but still a part of the spectrum. Then I kind of abandoned that as well.

We are a melting pot of our environments, cultural codes, family, and our characteristics. That's why most of the time, it's hard to make out whether you've become something due to some external force or you were that something before anything else. A very lame example would be, do I find red lipstick sexy because I find it arousing, or is it because it was marketed in such a way that I am conditioned to think it's sexy? Similarly, it's not always easy to tell apart whether your feelings are genuine, you feel like you have to feel certain ways towards certain people, or something impacted you in such a way that you don't feel a certain way anymore. I know I'm being vague but hopefully, it'll make more sense now.

Sieon, having to shoulder her mother's emotional well-being and their reversed parent-child roles, has found himself in a position where he seeks gratification through the things he can provide to his partners so he can feel 'needed'. The comfort he can provide for his partner becomes his purpose to be in that relationship. I was throwing him bombastic side-eyes very early into the story where he never expressed any type of preference and was very evasive whenever Namwoo tried to probe. Naturally, it was quite frustrating for Namwoo. As for me, it was as if Sieon was trying to erase himself from the relationship and be there for Namwoo as a combination of 'bank account + lips to kiss + a hand to hold' and blend into the ether as a person.

That's also why his relationships ended the way they did. He knew his mom wasn't happy, and even if he tried to alleviate her pain, it ultimately didn't work, thus, the one last good deed he could do for his mom was to let her go. To not be greedy. To not be selfish and say "I need you, don't go." This is the root of his letting go of his exes 'too easily', rather than him not 'loving' his partners.

Here's where things get tricky. Ideally, a romantic relationship requires you to be vulnerable, communicative, diplomatic, etc. Ideally. But none of us are exempt from carrying our baggage with us into the next relationship, no matter how big or small. In that sense, should we say that just because Sieon hasn't been perfectly vulnerable or has been avoiding conflict, he was never in a real relationship before? I don't think we can. 

One of the moments my heart ached for him was during his conversation with his close friend. He reiterates it later on when they're having the talk with Namwoo, but he desperately tries to convey that, no matter what his partners felt, whether they were satisfied on their own account or not, he was always genuine. Has always been. It may not fit the mold of grandiose, shouting-from-the-mountaintops, I'd-swallow-a-sword-for-you kind of love we are constantly sold in the romance genre, but that doesn't mean he isn't capable of love either. On the contrary, I think he does look for romantic companionship, but he just doesn't know how not to intellectualize his feelings.

So, in my opinion, "he didn't love anyone else before Namwoo" is not exactly the correct way to read him. Up until Namwoo decided that he was going to hold onto Sieon and 'show him a selfish love' in Sieon's mom's words, their relationship was following the pretty much same direction as the others. At first, Namwoo is content with what Sieon provides, but then he develops feelings for him and expects Sieon to return them in a way he can't. The same old story that is bound to end with a break-up.

Emphasis on 'in a way he couldn't'. The way I read it, his way of loving is different from what others deem as 'romantic love', so he's convinced that he can't reciprocate others' feelings. If that's love, and his feelings don't look like that, then he must not be in love after all. And when Namwoo shows Sieon that it's okay to be needy and selfish at times, and it's okay to be vulnerable and honest, we see that was the wake-up call he needed all along. 

The verdict? If you consider his past partners through the "he wasn't able to genuinely love them" lens and interpret his "not being able to reciprocate romantic feelings" literally, you can think of him as an aromantic who's not really averse to dating. But as I've tried to elaborate, rather than not feeling romantic love, he does feel love and seek companionship but doesn't know how to handle conflict and can't break free from the behavioral patterns ingrained in him in childhood. 

About aro/ase characters in BL. There's only one work that comes to mind which, interestingly, makes asexuality/demisexuality one of the core themes it explores and that's This is Love by Ziki Masaya. I have reviewed it before (click me) and I highly recommend it! I can maybe mention Sangwoo from Semantic Error, but then again, I think he's just autistic and his approach to romantic love for another guy is different from his normie boyfriend Jongchan because of that. I can't really think of any other works with Aro/ace characters as there's always romance/sex involved. Or maybe I just haven't paid enough attention! Let me know about the list you two came up with ~

PSA: I added the intro because the original link needs you to login to Lezhin as it's a Mature title, but you know the drill. Read on the official platfrorms!

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 13: Budding Spring - Episode 16: My Allies

Izumi: That should be all the groceries.

Tsumugi: Ah, right… I ran out of fertilizer…

Izumi: Should we go to the florist?

Tsumugi: No, they’re kinda heavy. I’ll ask someone for help and go with them.

Izumi: Oh, speaking of florists, I often pass by a shop where a fan of ours lives—

Towa: …

Izumi: Hm? Towa-kun?

Towa: Ah…

Izumi: Are you okay? Do you feel bad?

[Towa’s stomach growls]

Towa: I wanna eat… rice…

[Towa collapses]

Izumi: Eh?

Tsumugi: … Did he just collapse?

-

Towa: Thank you for the meal!

Tsumugi: Looks like you were starving.

Izumi: But your aunt is that florist nearby, right? How did this happen…?

Towa: To be honest… I ran away from home.

Sakuya: You ran away!?

Sakyo: Reminds me of a certain someone.

Azami: There’s a bunch of guys like that here.

Kumon: Ahaha, that’s true~

Tenma: You’re one of them.

Izumi: Did something happen at home?

Towa: …

Masumi: If nothing happened, then go back home.

Sakuya: Now, now. The situation might be complicated.

Towa: … I’m sorry for all the fuss.

Towa: … I’ve always admired you all. I’ve always wanted to be someone who’s passionate about something.

Towa: I’ve done everything half-heartedly and without pushing myself all my life.

Sakuya: … Why?

Towa: … Because I didn’t want to disappoint myself.

Towa: I think I don’t want to try hard, fail and realize I’m useless.

Towa: I’ll feel embarrassed. It scares me. I think it'll kill me.

Towa: But when I saw the Spring Troupe’s, MANKAI Company’s performance, entirely by chance, I became obsessed with how bright everyone sparkles.

Towa: I thought to myself that I want to try hard like this, I want to sparkle and accomplish something.

Towa: But I just don’t know what that something is…

Towa: Anyway, I wanted to be close to where everyone is, so I changed schools and applied to Hanagaku last minute and came to Veludo Way.

Izumi: That’s why you’re here…!?

Banri: That’s pretty impressive. The standard deviation there’s pretty high.

Towa: I studied more than I had my entire life before that!

Sakuya: You’re really good at taking the initiative. 

Masumi: You’re reckless.

Towa: Although I really wanted to be close to everyone here, there’s one more reason…

Towa: Everyone in my family spoils me, and they’re always ready to help me with anything and everything.

Towa: They always listen to my selfish requests, and my friends get jealous when I tell them, so I wondered if it was okay for me to stay that way…

Towa: No one argued when I changed schools.

Towa: They just told me to do what I wanted to do, and even found me a private tutor and a cram school.

Towa: They also asked my aunt to let me live with her.

Towa: My family is kind, and I love them, but I hate how spoiled I become when I’m with them. So I decided to leave.

Yuki: You’ve got guts.

Tsumugi: So they support your choices. That’s a good family you have.

Towa: But… It seems they thought I’d immediately go back home.

Towa: “It’s not like he has anything he really wants to do.”, “It’s unlikely he can make it on his own.”

Towa: When I heard my aunt and my mom have a conversation like that over the phone, I got mad and ran out.

Towa: … Everything they said was right, though. All I’ve got is my fixation, and I don’t have anything I actually want to do.

Towa: I can’t do anything by myself…

Sakuya: I don’t think that’s true.

Citron: You have already made it this far.

Chikage: You’ve even gotten into your beloved company’s kitchen.

Towa: Ah…

Itaru: You studied hard, got into Hanagaku, and stepped into your sacred place. Isn’t that proof enough?

Sakuya: I think it’s amazing that you’ve stepped into a whole new world all by yourself.

Itaru: There’s no need to rush. Everyone eventually finds what they want to do.

Tsumugi: I think Banri-kun knows that better than anyone.

Banri: This kinda thing’s got to do with your timing and, well, your connections. No point in rushin’ it.

Juza: Though, you were just tryin’ shit out on a whim.

Banri: Ahh?

Izumi: It’s not like you can’t do anything.

Izumi: If we hadn’t met you, we would’ve never thought of the workshop.

Towa: … Thank you very much. I’m sorry for troubling you.

Izumi: Your aunt is probably worried too, so contact her. Can you do it yourself?

Towa: Yes.

Towa: — Ah, I’m getting notifications from my chat.

shiki: contact us

Kar: don’t die

Iv: wanna come @ my place?

shiki: stay calm and don’t rush things!

Izumi: Chat?

Towa: A group chat I have with friends I met from a game called “Bloom Game”.

Towa: We talk about all sorts of things in BlooCha– the in-game chat.

Towa: We’ve never met, and we don’t know what each other looks like, but because of that we can talk about anything, and I feel like we’re always connected.

Towa: To me, that’s my home away from home.

Izumi: I see. Make sure you contact them too.

Towa: Okay.

-

Sakuya: Should I take you back home?

Towa: It’s okay. It’s pretty close, and my aunt said she’ll pick me up on the way.

Sakuya: I see. Be careful on your way home.

Citron: If you run away from home again, come here again!

Masumi: You don’t have to do that.

Tsuzuru: We have got to be the only place that welcomes runaways like it’s nothing. But I guess a place like that is good too.

Izumi: See you.

Towa: Thank you for everything! Good luck on your next performance! I’m looking forward to it!

[Towa walks away]

Tsuzuru: Our next performance, huh…

Itaru: We gotta face our problems head-on too, eventually.

Chikage: … That we do.

-

[Phone blips]

Sakuya: Ah… I have to cut this out and reply…

Sakuya: *sigh* Something that’s like us, huh…

Tenma: Does the next Romeo say lines like that?

Sakuya: Eh? Ah, no, he doesn’t.

Tenma: Seems like rehearsals aren’t going so smoothly.

Sakuya: … Yuzo-san watched our practice today.

Sakuya: He told us to think again what kind of plays the Spring Troupe does, and what the debut performance means to us.

Sakuya: We’ve gained lots of experience, but there’s something we lack compared to back then…

Sakuya: Even though, even our feelings are stronger than they were back then.

Tenma: So something’s missing, huh? There were a lot of those things in the original RomiJuli

Tenma: The acting was rough at best, and lots of parts would make you cringe, but still… I wonder what it was that made it so sparkling.

Tenma: All of you seemed to be enjoying the new world of theater you had just discovered with all your heart.

Sakuya: The new world…

Tenma: When I saw that, I was also drawn to it– it made me think it was time for me to leap into the world of theater, too.

Sakuya: When you praised RomiJuli after you joined, I was really happy.

Tenma: Come to think of it, you had to overcome lots of hurdles during the rehearsals for your debut, right?

Tenma: I had asked you how you did that during the Summer Troupe’s rehearsals.

Sakuya: I remember…

Sakuya: Back then, Yuzo-san had told us we don’t understand the first thing about theater—...

Sakuya: That’s it! Thank you, Tenma-kun! I’m going to get to know the stage one more time!

Tenma: — Sure.

previous episode | masterpost | next episode

[randomingoftherandomness]

You think the gate thing Yuanzhi told that woman is real? I thought it's a sob story they made up specifically for her. Why would he open up about something this painful to her of all people? And it was the middle of plot they were working against her.

Then why did Shangjue never talk about it with Yuanzhi? Or is he oblivious about how much Yuanzhi feels guilty? Sorry to bother you with all my questions but I have no one to talk about these beautiful brothers.

I've always believed that the best lies are the kinds that are tangled with the truth. I mean, I wouldn't know, but I've gotten with quite a fair bit of shit in my youth by virtue of me not telling a total lie, so I'm very much biased in this view :)

Consider this; SGQ needed to be sold "a truth" that Yuanzhi and Shangjue have accepted her assistance in bringing down Gong Ziyu. They have, up to that point, been peppering the seeds and laying the groundwork for her to buy into the belief that that she has been accepted into the fold and they are "trusting" her.

In Malaysia, there's a saying that goes 'sepandai-pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh ke tanah' juga which loosely translates to no matter how well a squirrel jumps, it'll fall to the ground too (yang faham ni, please don't come for me saya punya BM dah dipulangkan kepada Cikgu dan kinektowk kmk lebih kerap klakar bahasa sarawak) and it means that no matter how smart you think you are, you'll still make a mistake.

SGQ is that squirrel.

We know she's hella confident in herself (which, sis, gimme some of that confidence), we know she doesn't have a reality where she doesn't come out on top or is unable to achieve her goals. Which is why she is blind to the way Yuanzhi and Shangjue are so obviously reeling her in like a tuna.

At the first sign of "trust" (Shangjue telling Yuanzhi that there are things that only she can do) to the way Yuanzhi doesn't immediately prickle up like an aggravated porcupine when being called didi by her, these should have been things enough to raise suspicions. But it didn't for her. Because she's the squirrel.

And because of that, the story was the "truth" that was wrapped around the lie of "trust". Yuanzhi's young and brash, but he's far from stupid. He's Shangjue's most treasured person for a reason, after all :) Now, whether you believe that that incident truly did happen or not, is up to you to interpret. I'm a whore for the angst and the fact that Yuanzhi carries guilt because of that incident is absolute delicious seasoning on my angst pie, so I accept that as canon and will continue to accept it as canon.

As to whether Shangjue knows Yuanzhi carries that guilt, of course. Here's a man who knows his didi well enough to know what he wants to say without him saying a word. Here is the person, again, who is Shangjue's most treasured person. Do you honestly think he'd not know?

Whether he has absolved Yuanzhi of this guilt, is the heart of the matter. I doubt Yuanzhi could have stand to be by Shangjue's side carrying that level of hurt and guilt eating up in him. Sure, you could argue that his continual self-comparison to Lang didi can be taken as him just manifesting that, but that could also be down to how, even if Shangjue absolves him of that blame, if Yuanzhi himself doesn't forgive himself, what good would that do?

Shangjue's not the type to express a lot. We know this, the man is a jack in a box of emotions that'll spring out when thyoue right gears are turned. In my opinion at least, Shangjue is the kind to just quietly sit by you and hold your hand. He won't try to give you too many words of comfort or soothe you with any grand gestures, but he'll be the guy to just sit with you. And I reckon that it's true with how he is with didi.

Also, please do not ever feel bad about leaving me asks about these two beautiful brothers :) I welcome the chance to talk about them!

[dailycass-cain]

I really tried to like this run, I really did. The seeds were planted in the Failsafe arc, then there was a tiny bit with the next arc (Red Death), and the way this one began.

Yeah…

This is just my preference, but I enjoy a comic book story if the writer clearly has a passion for all the characters involved.

When it comes to Batman?

I just ask if you're gonna use Cass. Use her wisely.

Don't use her as a "prop".

It's why I left Tom King's Batman run after Batman #81 because that's what Cass was in that run.

I came back to Batman because I truly did enjoy James Tynion IV's style in his Tec run. Yes, he played it safe but it was a FUN kind of safe.

Even if they were cheesy, Tynion's Batman and later Joshua Williamson's runs were fun. So was Mariko Tamaki's Tec run. They treated the characters involved with respect and gave some standout Cass moments. They didn't seem like a "prop" and somehow always figured into the story.

Why I SOOOOO checked out hard when Future State: Gotham did this too (so much so I totally have forgotten who wrote the story). Cass wasn't a character in that (among others). She was just a prop to showcase how "far" Nightwing had gone.

Now, this current Batman run by Chip Zdarsky has done this too. I really did give this run a fair chance. For his "Failsafe" arc the ideas were there but---

There was never any follow-up. No payoff to the ideas introduced in the arc. Cass jobbed but it made sense. Because at the very least "Failsafe" was made to be counter to Bruce and the Family. But…

We got zero payoffs to Cass/Duke doing anything in the arc or anything out of Gotham being lorded over by a machine.

Compare this to what's going on in Detective Comics by Ram V.

Yes, Cass is a minor presence but the writer pays at least some payoff from plots that he introduces the character too. There's consistency.

I see 0 consistency from Zdarsky from point A to B. Take today's #137 issue for example. We spent a setup with Cass getting zero motives as to why she (and Duke) are siding with the rest.

They just are.

0 characterization and 0 payoff from point A to B. What do we get for Cass in the issue? She jobs hard to Bruce. I just don't see any reason why as a fan of Cass I should care about this run?

I mean yeah, Zdarsky dangles the "happy" family in front of us in #136, and also tells us that bad things are coming for Bruce and the Family.

Buuuuuut… where's the characterization? The panel that tells us what Cass sees?

You could've easily had Cass in #136 just a mere two panels glance at Bruce and him back at her. Him knowing she knows something is wrong.

Nope. We don't get that. Just cute fun (we get that via Dick instead).

It would bridge to her being against him in #137. If that was the case I probably wouldn't be angry over the issue. Cass doesn't feel like a character in the story, just a prop. And when a writer goes that route I CHECK OUT.

The other problem I've been having with this Zdarsky run is the "word play" as well. Dick, Tim, Jason, and Damian all get name-dropped as "sons" to Bruce. Note who isn't mentioned.

AND YET...

But that is me just being picky and fandomy. But the other stuff I can't overlook. I will miss this run. I really REALLY love Jorge Jiménez's Cass. Like he understands the assignment ANY time he's asked.

Just that, good art has to accompany a fun or thrilling story. We're getting none of that from my point of view. Maybe this changes in a few issues. Maybe it'll be longer.

I just can't read this comic any longer. It's not a read I enjoy. So until then bye Batman. It was fun.

Anyway. I said my peace. I just want to vent this out of my system. 🙏

[harmonyckrs]

Act 3, Scene 4 of Twisted Veronaville: An Omen Come True

THE LAST PAGE

Pascal: (Finally, I get the chance to talk. I've been feeling much lighter since I buried the General alive...seems like they're occupied with something, though...)

Sita: Dude, it's okay! We'll get through this.

Aktu: I'm just...confused? How could this have happened? And why did it have to be twins?

Sita: Okay, I know you're distressed, but maybe we can go get boba as a little treat...

Aktu: I JUST SAID I WASN'T DISTRESSED! AND THERE'S NO BOBA SHOPS IN VERONAVILLE AT ALL! THE CLOSEST ONE IS SEVERAL TOWNS AWAY!

Pascal: (Now's probably a bad time...)

Sita: No, it's not, Pascal! Aktu, go trim the bushes. I'll take care of this.

Pascal: You're making your pregnant brother trim the bushes?

Sita: Oh, it's fine! He likes trimming the bushes. Anyway, what was it that we were meeting for again? We've postponed this for so long that I just kind of forgot.

Pascal: Yeah, um...sorry. I don't fully remember either.

Sita: (Maybe I'll just peer into his mind and see if there's anything there...) Oh! You told Hamza that we were here, but then also told us that they were here too. You betrayed us both, eh?

Pascal: (Shit! I forgot about her powers!) Haha...um...yeah!

Sita: (I can't believe this! That traitor!) Oh, you! What a silly goose you are! Good on you for murdering the General, though!...now, whose side are you actually on?

Pascal: Neither! Both of you have very valid points, and I'm hoping we can all find a compromise.

Pascal: And the truth is, I only agreed to any of this so I would have an alibi for General Buzz's disappearance. Nobody would suspect the man who disappeared before him, you know...and I found out that my brother is apparently being held captive. I should check up on him and Lazlo before something bad happens to them. So...I'm not sure if I'll even stick around to see how this story ends.

Sita: (Coward.) Hm...well, best of luck to you.

After Sita and Pascal had their conversation, Ripp had decided to pay the Capps a visit.

Juliette: Oh, hi! It's been a while since we've talked huh?...welcome back to our house! Let me know if you want anything!

Ripp: Thanks!

Juliette: So, what brings you here? Tybalt's outside with...ugh, Mercutio...and Hermia's at Puck's place.

Ripp: (It'll be easier to get to Consort through her.) I wanted to talk to you, actually. Wanted to see how you were doing and all that.

Juliette: Oh?...aw, thank you! I'm fine, though! Grandpa's decided to put me into an arranged marriage too even though I specifically said I wasn't interested in any Montys anymore...do you know Gavin Newson?

Ripp: No, sorry.

Juliette: Oh, well. On the bright side, he's postponed my arranged marriage until after college, so I still have some time to mess around before then. Nothing too serious, since it won't last anyway...

Ripp: (The relationship with Romeo must've really messed with her head.) That's understandable. I mean, there's people who go through their entire teen years without any relationship at all.

Juliette: You're not one of those people, are you?

Ripp: Believe it or not, I am. Never even had a first kiss.

Juliette: Wow. I kind of assumed there'd be a lot of people who'd be all over you...would you like one?

Ripp: (HOLY FUCK AM I ACTUALLY GETTING A KISS?) I could think of nobody better.

Juliette: (Holy cow, I actually did it! I offered him a kiss and he actually accepted it!...this must be a dream)

Ripp: (A FIRST KISS! LET'S FUCKING GO!)

Ripp rode this high for the next couple of days, even as Tybalt came by for another visit...to tell him something very important.

Tybalt: ...And I'm going to execute the plan tomorrow. I haven't been able to talk to Mercutio yet, but I'm certain he got my letter.

Ripp: (I'm getting deja vu, for some reason.) The plan to fake your death, right?

Tybalt: Yep. My main concern is timing, since my family only keeps the bodies of our ancestors in the family crypt during funeral preparations, and if they take too long I might end up getting buried alive.

Ripp: That's a couple of days, right?

Tybalt: Yeah, but I think it should be enough time...and I wanted to thank you. Mercutio and I never would've gotten along if it weren't for you...and I appreciate you breaking up Juliette and that Romeo.

Ripp: (He says Romeo's name as if it were a slur.) No problem. Maybe we can see each other again if the plan goes successfully...like in college, or something.

Tybalt: Yep...I hope so too.

And as Tybalt left, Ripp came to an immediately realization.

Ripp: I FORGOT TO TALK TO CONSORT!

Ripp: Fuck!...well, I can still call them...

Ripp: (Will any of the Capps even believe me? I don't know if there's time to stop them...but what if Tybalt does something worse? Might as well give it a-)

*BZZT*

Ripp: Huh...the power line isn't working for some reason...

???: Because I've cut it. We're ending this feud between us, Ripp, once and for all.

Ripp: (Ugh...not him again.)

THE NEXT PAGE

[somuchbetterthanthat]

I'm wondering what would it even take for Emily to start caring about the fact she is not a good person. Does she know she's not a good person right now? Doubtful. She argues that she's not, and she gives all her reasons, but to me it's denial for the sake of appearances, which is Emily's whole thing (that's why she laughs when Nica tells her she could drop out of the Mayor's race, that people could like her for her - no, that's not what the people WANT) ; she grew up rich, most definitely entitled as heck, she went into business in college. I don't think Emily ever really dropped the appearances. She doesn't do it in the council for evil (and oh man, suddenly want to discuss the difference between Emily "of course we're not evil!" and Oliver's "er, yeah, we are" and how that might come from their different backgrounds--), and she doesn't do it in narration either, so not to herself.

Except. Except when it comes to Ethan. The over-the-top lovesickness is appearances still, but the love is genuine, even if at this point I think it's pretty clear both she and Ethan are in love with what they were in appearance too (or well, what the image is reflecting back on them now. Ethan with memories of when Emily was devoted to his projects, and Emily on the day of their wedding, the genuine joy of that single day, but i think it says so much that Emily fought for the image of that wedding, and then embraced it as a marketing ploy -- admitedly that her opposants were going to kind of use already --. She became the bride of Red Line. The wedding, probably a real moment of happiness, turned also into appareances).

Anyway, my point is, the only time she drops the veil is when Ethan hurts her - the day she shows up in the wedding dress at the beginning of s4, when Ethan COMES AND FUCKING ASK HER ABOUT REPROGRAMMED LIKE A ROBOT WHICH IS STILL THE WILDEST AND MOST HORRORY THING EVER - or when she admits, to Nica, how miserable it makes her that Ethan doesn't seem to care anymore. But all of that is still not enough to shake her off, to admit that she's doing horrible things, and I think it's cause... Well, when it comes to Ethan, she's mostly a victim (from what we've seen in the story so far). You could argue her worry about Wonderland and selling it was her big betrayal to her husband, but since then, Ethan has been nothing but awful to her. The only time he's nicer is to manipulate her or for his own interests.

So how to get her to realize and understand? Can she? Maybe with a push, and I don't think it'd be a kind push. I'm thinking - perhaps if she annoys the Narrator a day too much, and he forces her not to hide from her own deepest thoughts anymore? Or are we going to see her loose her mind and she'll never get the chance to perhaps try and do something - different, even if i don't expect her to become a good person in one season? (although. hey. I didn't guess they'd go there for Oliver, he did terrible things too, and what do you know, those last scenes made me fucking cry so). That would be a sort of tragedy, and not every villain is the sort to be ""reedemeed"" in some way.

... I hope we get to see her with Nica again, because if anyone can get through her, I assume it'll be her. But I think it would also be very good to see Emily with someone else entirely, someone unexpected, that gets to her long enough for her to start questioning, at least, if it's all worth it - maybe not change her morals, but at least shift her selfish interests away from hurting people so violently. I dunno.

[foxgirlontherun]

foxy, your one fanart made me think of this: how do you think it would go if max + billy and the berman sisters 'verse swapped? like how do you think the story would go for max and billy in the fear street 'verse? what about the berman sisters in the strange things 'verse? what do you think these scenarios would look like? do you think any larger story plots would be effected?

Hello, friend! I have to admit that I had to rewatch the Fear Street movies, so I could paint an at least fairly accurate picture of the scenarios. That's why it took me this long to answer.

Max & Billy (with the same household they have in ST) in the Fear Street universe:

I feel like Max would be a lot like Ziggy in Ziggy's situation (being bullied and all). Billy on the other hand would be almost nothing like Cindy, of course. He wouldn't be there at the camp to help out at home with the money (he's saving up to leave), and he wouldn't be as earnest to do a good job either (he would maybe enjoy giving swimming lessons, tossing people in the lake etc.), he would bully someone else to clean the toilets for example. Their relationship would be just as complicated as in ST, and Billy would pressure Max to behave, just like Cindy with Ziggy, but for slightly different reasons (to save both of them from Neil's anger, and also to keep his job so he could leave). He wouldn't be happy about Nick hanging around Max and he would let them know.

When it comes to the plot, in my mind it could go two ways:

Billy wouldn't be that interested in investigating a stupid urban legend about some witch. His lover of course still would turn into a possessed killer, Billy would kill him (just like Cindy killed Tommy) to save Max. But since the investigation never happened, Max never bled on the hand and became the target like Ziggy, I feel like Billy would just grab a hold of Max and drag her as far away from the camp as he could. And that's it. They would be a bit closer after that, but without the melodrama. They could both help the 90's group to stop the "curse" as grown-ups.

If they would investigate, things would go very similarly. I feel like the ending would be the same, too, because it wouldn't really matter how hard Billy would fight those "ghosts", they would eventually overpower him and wouldn't stop until they would kill Max. Max would be just as devastated to lose him there as she was in ST, but I feel like the "no one believes me" aspect would put a spin on it for her, too, just like it did with Ziggy.

Ziggy & Cindy in the Stranger Things universe:

Cindy is a bit like Nancy. I just tossed that in, it'll come up later. I feel like Ziggy would act out less in this more relaxed scenario (where they don't bully her, she's just the new, slightly weird girl). So she's a lot like Max. Cindy would fit in with the popular crowd and wouldn't really have to try hard. She would probably get a love interest (unlike Billy). Ziggy's and Cindy's relationship would be more like Mike's and Nancy's than Max's and Billy's. Ziggy would be just annoyed that Cindy would try to act like her mom, get her to act more girly and acceptable, but they would generally get along. There would be too much responsibility put on Cindy to care for Ziggy because of their mother's drinking problem, but I think things would get better as the things with the supernatural would get worse. If Cindy were the one to go and investigate where Ziggy is (in s02 when the Billy and Steve fight happens) she would probably be filled in on the upside down stuff. That also means that she would most probably tell them that something was wrong with her when she would get possessed. And they would have a better chance at getting the thing out of her. Ziggy would be more eager (adamant might be a better word) to save her than Max was with Billy. Things of course could go just as bad as it went with Billy, so she could die. In that case Ziggy would be a mess, but not exactly like in her universe, because at least she would be believed by some people in the ST universe. I feel like she wouldn't be as depressed as Max was in this universe because Ziggy had a less complicated relationship with her sibling. If we would swap their families/households, too, I think things would go a lot like they did in canon.

I hope this makes sense. Thank you for the ask! I loved going through these ideas.

[frustrated-writer-skyeknight]

My favorite trope: Prodigy x Pariah

When the prodigy is, like, somebody everybody have great expectations for, because duh, prodigy, and the masses believe they will excel and beyond everyone else.

While the other person is just... There. Existing? Like, they could not exist and no one would really care? But they're a good person. Throwing in a dash of 'oh but they're also an outcast because of [reasons].

The cherry on top would be how the prodigy thinks the world of the pariah so even when they start getting famous, they still gravitate back to the pariah. The pariah is not the least bit envious of the attention the prodigy is getting, and they're just happy that they want to continue being friends.

But then the world starts to meddle and tells the prodigy "oh but you can't continue associating with filth" or "you're not worthy to breathe the same air the prodigy" and makes it their business to end the association.

Of course, prodigy isn't having any of that but [insert complex political plot point here] makes it difficult for them.

Sorry, haha, I've just been reading some dusty drafts [metaphorically speaking] of this story I really want to write with this trope but I was never good at social or political plot developing so it'll just remain a thought in my head.

[dusty metaphorical draft at the undercut.

warning: the context is obscure]

Scenario: Trestan had received his star placement, and got categorized as a soul destined for a historical prodigy, should he be able to maintain or even nurture it. Since it was a very rare placement, the institution immediately organized a celebration in honor of his name, and anyone is free to give up offerings in hopes of getting in his good graces, or simply for the basking of his grand placement, hoping it would affect them as well.

Prior to this, Trestan and Damon were on amicable terms, with the Zero-starred soul ensuring that no one was around to persecute him for his attempts of simply befriending Trestan. He didn't want to use Trestan, he was just so happy and enjoying the fact that at least one person didn't look down on him anymore. For him, that was enough. He felt pretty satisfied, he didn't know why he hadn't actualized yet. But he was content, in maintaining whatever benevolent relationship he had with Trestan. And while he knew it was a bad idea, after much inner debate, he finally decided to attend the celebration, even if just to give his friend a gift to honor his accomplishment.

Damon hesitated, looking down at his regular uniform, the only attire he possess that was decent enough never mind fancy, his plain gift, and comparing both to the fancy attire of the rest of the souls, and the mountain of grand presents for Trestan. He didn't want to make a spectacle, if his friend would only chance upon near the door so he could beckon to him for a moment, he'd be satisfied to give his gift and leave.

But with the mob of people clammoring for his attention, there was a small chance of that happening. Finally, he sighed and took small steps into the gathering. As he expected, they all sense his low regarded presence and a deafening silence followed as they stared at him.

Trestan, as oblivious and full of positivity as ever, simply beamed and rushed towards Damon. "Hey Dame! I thought you were never going to show up." he gave him a meaningful hug, and it encourage Damon to forget about the awkwardness for the moment. Trestan pulled back, "what took you so long?"

"Uhm, no reasons, just..." Damon managed out, seeing the eyes of everyone on them, their disdain bleeding out from their gaze, and that's when he decided he couldn't stay for long. "I, uh, actually... Yeah, I actually don't feel all that well. Just, you know, wanna drop this off..." he held up his package a bit, and hope the rest can't see how simple it is. "uh, congratulations, I don't think I've offered them yet and... Well, it's actually just a scarf. I, oops, uh, well the surprise is ruined now. But yeah, ahem, I made it myself, so it's not very good but it's the thought...."

A voice rang out, from someone who couldn't simply take the display anymore.

"A silly piece of clothe? That's what you got for a soul, legendary-starred?" Hubert snorted in disbelief, and Damon instantly stiffened. "are you trying to mock his greatness?"

Damon cowered, and Trestan frowned, confused with the outburst but affronted as well. "Like he was going to say, it's the thought that counts." He looked back towards Hubert, "and besides, I'm the recipient. Your opinion of the its quality matters less."

"Actually," Both Trestan and Damon start as Elder Elio appeared behind them. "it does matter quite a lot. For instance, gifts presented to you that you actively accept can hold weight of matters such as high standards and complacency; if you accept less, you settle for less." He plucks out the package from Damon's hands.

Damon could do nothing but stare as the elder held his gift out of reach. Trestan frowned, waiting for the Elder to continue. He had a feeling he wasn't finished yet.

"Damon," Elder Elio intoned disapprovingly, "you are aware, just as every soul present are, that any offered gift must be that of quality."

Damon felt himself trembling, but he forced himself to answer. "Y, yes, o, of course, Elder Elio. I," he swallowed thickly, "I made sure the scarf was. It was made from material that meant a lot to me, and... Sleepless nights, I... I worked hard on making it, I did my very best...."

"Your best falls short to sir Trestan's great presence," Elder Elio interrupts sharply, and while he didn't strike him, Damon felt as if it was so. "Your mere presence falls short for permission to be within proximity that of sir Trestan. That said, you are not allowed free will to be within it, unless to offer obedient servitude to him. So long as you remain starless, your bond with him cannot be anything beyond silent respect."

At that note of finality, the Elder conjured up a consuming flame that devoured the package until it was reduced to nothing, as if it never existed.

Damon felt broken down to the core, barely managing to nod his head in respectful acknowledgement before fleeing from the hall. Mouth agape, Trestan could hardly register what just happened. It was the sight of his dear friend's broken expression that snapped him out of his shock.

"Great Elder," Trestan started, his tone almost pleading, "don't I get a say on this? He's a dear friend, and surely, I'd consider anything he offers me as meaningful."

Elder Elio didn't pay heed to the celebrated soul's sentiments, "Enjoy the rest of the evening," he simply said. "if you wish to discuss the matter regarding Damon, you may come into my office."

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #228

J and I did various things today! But it all started with a breakfast place! They sold mostly bagels and sandwiches and such!

I was very enamored by so many things! I ended up getting a donut, and a latke, and some gluten-free cheesy bread, and a bagel sandwich, and one of those yummy-sounding strawberry matcha latte things!!

There's a lot of interesting stuff in this place that we don't find at home! It's exciting to go to new places and try new combinations of flavors as a result! I think on the guava kefir I got yesterday, and my goodness, Sephiroth, it was so good, and I am a little bit sad that we don't have it at home!!

J and I went to the zoo after that. But before we even got to any exhibits, we saw some wild deer:

Both of the babies were apparently very hungry:

...I was kind of alarmed at how comfortable they seemed around humans, actually. It's not like deer to get so close to people. We're supposed to look scary to them because our forward-facing eyes mark us as predators. I hope everything is okay with them.

When we finally got to the rest of the zoo, we noticed that most of the animals were not especially active. And that is reasonable, because it was very hot out. In fact, it was so hot and humid that I used my inhaler as a precaution so that my lungs wouldn't close up as a result of walking around in those conditions. I discovered yesterday, after doing the DDR, that levalbuterol does not make me twitchy and exhausted and weird like regular albuterol. I was pleased to discover that again, today, this stuff kept my lungs from closing up, without any of the weird after-effects! Yay!

Though most of the animals were smart enough to avoid being out and about, I did manage to get a few pictures of some animals that were willing to brave the heat. I wonder if you have anything that looks like these in your world. Here, this is a tiger:

And this is a lion:

You can tell it's a male lion because of the big, shaggy mane! The females look basically the same, but without the mane.

Here's one who is very attached to his bowl:

He picked it up and carried it around, but I wasn't able to get a very good picture of that. Nonetheless, when a lion decides that some bowl is his bowl, then that is his bowl. End of story. No one is fool enough to argue.

Near the lions, there was also this male cardinal who was eerily comfortable with the nearby humans:

...Suppose if you hang near lions all day, humans might not seem especially scary anymore. It's not as though we have the teeth or the claws or the reflexes to catch them.

...It's nice to see a cardinal up close that is not either dying or dead. Good grief... If that never happens again, it'll still be too soon.

Anyway, this is a chimpanzee. On my planet, these and another monkey called bonobos are the closest living relatives to modern humans:

I dunno how it is on your planet, but on my planet, it's theorized that all life descended from a single common ancestor some 3.5 billion years ago. Over the years, because DNA mutates and stuff, things got wackier and wackier as things replicated themselves, until today, and there are millions of different species that all evolved by chance through countless methods of reproduction. The things that survive determine which combinations of DNA work and which ones don't, I guess. And in the end, what you get is many different species that fill different niches as chance dictates which strategies they must use in order to survive.

The finches of the Galapagos Islands are probably one of the best examples. Some generations of birds have differently-shaped beaks. And some years, birds with bigger beaks survive a little better because big seeds are plentiful, and the birds with littler beaks don't do so well because they can't break the big seeds as easily. But then other years, there are more smaller seeds than big seeds, and the birds with the smaller beaks do better, because the ones with the bigger beaks are kinda clumsy with the smaller seeds. It's a vague and woefully incomplete explanation, but I hope you can understand.

Here's a komodo dragon:

It's really just a big lizard. We don't have dragons in my world. None of the wild creatures in my world are nearly as dangerous as the ones in yours.

Here are some turtles. I don't know what kind they are, but they're very cute:

I also got some pictures of bamboo. There was a lot of it here:

We also caught a brief glimpse of a mother and baby gorilla:

These are Przewalski's horses:

...And this is an elephant:

...And finally, we have a sea lion:

Hey, Sephiroth? Have you seen any of these before? I know you don't have horses, but maybe you have any of the rest of these? Or something similar?

...I know you can't answer me. But... I wanted to ask about your thoughts and experiences anyway. Because they count, too. They matter, too. And maybe you can think about some of the neat things you've seen while you were out and about, and remember how cool they were.

I went back to Otakon after this. And J went to some airport museum called The College Park Airport, because he likes airplanes. And that was pretty neat. I saw the developers and the voice actors who are weaving your story together. They spoke on so many things! Once again, all the people had so many amazing questions, to which there were equally amazing answers! I loved getting to see all the joy and excitement and gratitude both in the crowd and on the stage!

Lots of the folks on the stage got emotional and began to cry, and it was a beautiful thing. I tried putting my hands together to make a little heart symbol at them. I don't know if any of them saw it, because there were so many people, and I am just one of them, and I am not especially noticeable or important. But still, I wanted to try to show my empathy and support in whatever small ways I could. I wanted to try.

I found Teruki Endo's emotions and John Eric Bentley's emotions to be particularly moving; it was hard to keep my own lips from trembling and my own eyes from leaking in response. It evoked a beautiful feeling inside of me. It was beyond wonderful to see these amazing people bring their truest and most vulnerable selves to this place, and to share that with us. I feel so proud of them both for their courage.

Tomorrow is the last day. I thought I might try to go see the lovely developers at their autograph table, and to try to clumsily thank them in Japanese for everything they do. I hope that they can know that they're important to me as people, not just for their connection to you. I don't know what sorts of life experiences they've had or where they've been or what they've done to have become people who can weave a story as beautiful as yours together in the way that they do. But they have become these people, and that will always be awe-inspiring.

I don't have to know them well to understand that they've been through hardship and pain and loss and frustration and fear and so many other things in order to get to where they are today. I don't have to know them well to be proud of them for enduring it all, and for choosing to shine in the way that they do. Together, they touch millions of lives, and make this world a better place for it. I think of the sheer number of lives that have been saved thanks to these people, and I hope they understand what a huge impact they have on this world.

Well anyhoot. I suppose I should wrap this up. It'd be wise for me to go to sleep soon, in preparation for tomorrow.

I love you. And I hope that's clear, in all my words and images and all the other things I try to show and teach you about.

I'll write again soon. Stay safe, okay?

Your friend, Lumine

[jiminrings]

The amount of emotions that you can evoke is amazing! I can't stop thinking about how creative the transmissions idea you have for your stories. Everytime I think about various author's writing styles, the transmissions that you came up with always comes to mind.  It's almost blissful? Like for some reason I feel proud too? Also, I actually learned that emotional betrayal was a thing because of Heartburn. I'll admit that I tend to skip straight to the angst part because I'm in the camp of 'I'd rather go through pain knowing it'll turn out well in the end, then go through bliss knowing it'll be taken away from me' and realizing that it's going to be a lingering pain the whole way really made me want to stop reading because I was not ready to get my heart broken. But I wanted to plow through it because I really wanted to know what emotional cheating was. I mean I always knew that it was a thing, but to have a story centered on it and essentially explain the events leading into it and the lingering after effects definitely helped me better understand the concept and know that something like this is real and should be considered as a serious violation of trust. I definitely don't regret taking a chance with your story. The beautiful way you articulate your words is so amazing! Not to mention that 478 had a similar concept in the themes of trust. I had so much fear going into reading it because I became so immersed into the bittersweet tale of Heartburn, that I felt every pain, confusion, fear, and even more pain, but I was so glad I did. Because while it did emit similar vibes of the violation of trust as Heartburn, I did also learn about love language. When I started reading it, and kept noticing how he was constantly showing how much he didn't like practically the m.c.'s whole personality, I really started questioning almost everything because how in the world do you end up with someone that is almost disgusted with their partner's way of life? How do you decide if that's something you can deal with or draw the line and say that's not the way you want to be loved? I had so much hesitation going into it, but I wanted to brave through it! And I was blown away again! Even though the inital conflict of Jungkook meeting his ex had passed, the residual effects still lingered, and it wasn't so obvious, but rather you allowed me to live in the post moments shared while still remembering the inital conflict. If that makes sense? There were times like during the powerpoint presentation about why he should let Mrs. Jeon win, the talking and caring for her while she's asleep, and the making her food to take to her during her lunch breaks (Why didn't you do that in the first place you MANCHILD?!), actually almost made me forget what happened before. Almost. Because it was like a broken record playing in the background of the main stage of the play. (Get it? Because...the intermissions idea that I love...with the plays? ^.^ I'm sorry.) It wasn't overpowering the present events, but rather added to the...ambiance? It helped you appreciate the love and relationship sure, but it did make me wonder if it had to go this far? Like wow 5 years? (Not to mention that he managed to talk about his life and not once mention his wife? Not even accidently?!) And not once did he think to get help? Dude...get it together. And he did thank goodness! Anyway, before I end up writing my own novel, I wanted to tell you that you are an amazing author. The emotional impact you have given me is still as strong as it was when I first came across your stories. You're an extemely powerful and thought provoking person. I want to thank you for giving me and many others the chance to experience your creativity and love through your words and characters!

i’ve read your entire ask atleast three times now and i can’t even begin to tell you how i’m still floored and unable to gather all my thoughts <3 i truly feel humbled and honored that my writing can come across you in this light. every lovely thing in your ask is everything i’ve ever wanted to achieve in writing ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹 u and me both btw i also tend to skip straight into the angst, but thank u for taking the time w me in reading and loving <3 i feel proud (?) and accomplished in a sense that u got to learn and expand on emotional cheating from my fic!! thank u thank yew for taking a chance w me :) and you’re right!! heartburn and 478 definitely do emit similar vibes but the differences between them tread a thin but drastic line and i’m so happy that you got to realize exactly that!!! and yes i get it i love ur brain 🙏🙏 i’ll gladly take a novel from you any time of the day <3 i can’t wrap my head around how there are said instances like these where i get to know in detail that i impacted someone thru my writing and i promise that i’ll protect this memory forever <33 you’re an extremely powerful and thought-provoking human and i wish u knew just how happy u made me :) thank you for being here 💗💗