#but i don't think more than like 27% of the sun was covered here so no great loss. still would've liked to see it but eh

[thestarmaker]

Slightly bummed it's been raining all day so I couldn't see the (partial) eclipse, but I'm hoping that means that it'll be sunny for the april one

[linagram]

[meet the guard!] guard 003: kuroki hinode

(this was supposed to be posted yesterday but.. i forgor...)

HE'S FINALLY HERE!!! THE THIRD GUARD!!! AND ALSO RIKU'S BIG BROTHER!! LET'S GO!!!

he gets not one but two drawings bc he's a very special little boy (and also bc i feel bad for him since he got introduced late for obvious story purposes but like.. i really need to make more content for him..)

(also fun fact: the first drawing actually was done in july and the second one just a few days ago.. i can actually see some differences in my art style hehe..)

another note is that when i started to work on hinode's character, my first thought was that i kinda wanted to create another physically disabled guard character (since i think eiji can count as the first one because kei's treatment of him had not the best impact on his body), it just sounded like a neat concept! but i also didn't want to make him.. how do i explain.. too sympathetic, maybe? too squishy? what really annoys me as someone who is physically disabled is that characters like that are often used to make people feel bad for them and don't really have any personality OR they turn out to be the bad guys who only pretended to be disabled for pity points. so instead i've tried to make hinode's problems realistic and a lot of it comes from my own experiences, but i still wanted to make him morally gray and kinda.. you know.. kinda suspicious. (you're more than allowed to joke about punching him or putting him in a blender and all that)

General info.

Name: Kuroki Hinode (黒木日出) (his last name means "black" and "tree" and his first name means "sun, day" and "exit, leave". yes, hinode's name has kanji for "day" and riku's name has kanji for "evening".. the parallels <3...)

Age: 22 y/o

Gender: Male

Status: Guard 003

Birthday: January 28 (Aquarius)

Blood type: AB

Height: 179 cm

Occupation: Unemployed

Personality: Hinode isn't as outgoing as his brother, but he still enjoys talking to others, learning more about them and just spending time with other people. However, he's used to being alone, so he won't complain if it's not possible for him to talk to anyone at the moment. It actually might be better for him, since he gets tired quite easily because of his poor health and can't be active for too long. He feels sleepy most of the time, so please don't judge him for suddenly dozing off in the middle of the conversation, even if it's very important. He's not as passionate about justice as the other guards and mostly just wants to do his own thing, not caring about morals too much, but still having enough common sense to punish those who deserve it (in his opinion). He dislikes the physical kind of punishments because he believes that they're too "basic", since pain can easily scare anyone and there's nothing special about it. It's also possible that he doesn't like them because of his own experience with chronic pain, but to be honest, Hinode is lying when he says that he doesn't like to see people in pain. Yes, he believes that pain is the worst thing that could happen to anyone, even worse than death. But also, as someone who has no choice but to spend most of his days in pain.. Maybe he does want to see the prisoners feel the same way as he does. Maybe just a little bit. He still prefers the psychological punishments, finding them more "effective" and "suitable".. mostly because he's too weak to punish anyone physically.

MV info.

His Milgram cover: Him and T1 Naomi are twinning and he'd cover Weakness! The lyrics remind me a lot of him and I think with an instrumental like that it'd be appropriate for Riku's brother to cover it.

His DECO*27 cover: Harinezumi. The lyrics remind me a lot of him in general, him trying to keep up with everyone even though his condition doesn't allow him and him feeling like a burden to others, especially his family, but also being jealous of Riku for being so popular, talented and living his best life (at least it seems so on the outside) ("I can still keep going! Jealousy, what a trifling thing", "Don't you sometimes feel a little dizzy? I'm sighing because I'm tired of my heart pounding", "People know their true forms after being broken and crushed") and also the song describes his dysfunctional relationship with Riku really well as two brothers who are both jealous of each other and who both want something the other has (Riku has friends, popularity, the time and energy to make music, meanwhile Hinode has the family's attention, others helping him and people not judging him for spending the whole day in bed) but who also still love each other and genuinely wish their life could go differently ("I'll embrace you, we won't be parted", "Don't be prickly with me, each time we touch, I throb. If I prick you, you might hate me, well, there's no way that will happen!.. At least, I think", "I'm an attention seeker! I want to be spoiled! I want to melt even more for you!") And also considering that one of them is extremely suicidal and the other one is afraid that his life won't be that long.. ("In the blink of an eye, which of us will die?")

His Non-DECO*27 cover: Waltz by Nashimoto-P. I imagine Hinode having this very soft and quiet voice that almost sounds like a whisper and I feel like it would fit the way Miku is tuned very well! Also the lyrics sound so much like him trying to cope with his condition, his relationship with Riku, other problems and slowly going insane in the process. ("Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, I ask what day is it today, regrettably thinking today will be a good time", "I don't know what's fun, but as I run out of things to do, I will accompany you", "My EKG is a straight line, I wonder how many decades ago") Some lyrics, especially the chorus remind me of the way he acts as a guard too. ("Stop trying to give up, the world is connected. Dance, smile, while you're being controlled. In the beginning, in the end, the details are non-existent. Don't resist, accept it, everything is connected") Also, Riku's T3 song is supposed to be by Nashimoto-P too, so :} They're matching!

His T3 Voice Trailer Voicelines:

"Ah, greetings, prisoners. Um, I apologize for such a late introduction, haha.. My name is Kuroki Hinode and I am the third guard of this prison. Nice to meet you. Starting from today, I'll be replacing Sanada Eiji-san as he's recovering. I hope we all get along. I'm really not the best person for this job, so I apologize if I end up falling asleep in the middle of the interrogation, haha.."

".. What was I supposed to do? I can't even get out of bed right now. If he wants to be saved, then I'm not the one who he should ask for help."

Trivia:

His eyes may not look like it because of the lighting on the first picture, but his eye color is supposed to be gray, meanwhile Riku's eye color is more of a mix of light green and gray.

Hinode's natural hair color is light brown, but a few days before Riku committed his crime, Riku suggested that he dyes Hinode's hair, hoping to make him feel at least a little better. They went with the brightest colors Riku had just for fun and it really did make Hinode smile and he was happy to spend time with his brother like that. In season 2, Riku dyed his hair the same way and noticed the colors only when it was too late, so it's possible that he missed his brother and did that subconsciously. It should be noted, however, that Riku's T2 hair is light green on the left and red on the right, meanwhile Hinode's hair is light green on the right and his hair is more pink rather than red on the left. Hinode also has a double ahoge just like his little brother and same goes for their little sisters. It's something they all share :)

He started putting his hair in a bun since he arrived because he found working with his hair down uncomfortable. Miki helps him with it now.

Hinode's illnesses aren't deadly, but a lot of them are chronic and dealing with them made Hinode a little bit paranoid and he has a lot of health-related anxiety. His condition is supposed to be mostly up to interpretation, but I can say for sure that he has anemia, narcolepsy and fibromyalgia.

He's the tallest out of all the guards (and that also makes Eiji the shortest). He's also the oldest one.

It's hard for him to walk because of how tired he feels most of the time, so he asked Miki if it's okay to hold her hand when they walk together. After a lot of internal screaming because of Hinode being so cute, Miki agreed. 

His room has everything he needs and he can see the whole prison on multiple screens, watch the interrogation recordings, adjust the brightness of the screens and the room temperature and whoever kidnapped him also somehow learned about all the medications he has to take. He was creeped out by first, but then went "Oh, it's kinda nice actually :)"

Speaking of him arriving to Milgram, he was kidnapped while he was asleep. So before Jackalope brought him his guard uniform, Hinode spent all his time wearing pajamas. He still thinks they're more comfortable than his uniform. (another fun fact is that the first "concept art" of him had him in his pajamas sjskkssl)

He's probably the best character to ask for medical help at the moment, since he does know a lot about things like that, but whether he's able to actually help someone depends on how he's feeling at the moment and what his relationship with that person is like. 

Hinode actually used to play the guitar before his health started to get worse and after he realized he doesn't have the energy to play anymore, he gave it to Riku. Riku still uses his brother's guitar and not counting the ones he got in Milgram, he refuses to get a new one. It also has a bunch of silly drawings on it made by Riku himself, Hinode and their little sisters. 

[viveltres]

( AMITA SUMAN.  CIS WOMAN.  SHE/HER )  - the new york city resident, kaneila  acharya,  was  seen  sporting  a  lewd  tramp  stamp  and  rejected  back  dermals  above  her  low-rise  jeans  on  park  avenue  today.  the  twenty-seven  year  old  is  a  flight  attendant  in  the  city  &  has  been  here  for  three  years  on  and  off.  since  being  here,  she has  been  told  to  be  detached  from  the  outside  world,  but  also  a  trendsetter,  but who  really  knows!  according  to  nycslam,   she  has  homewrecked  multiple  families.  anyways,  guess  we'll  find  out  for  ourselves!

WHO ARE YOU?

full name:  kaneila acharya. nicknames:  canelé, neila, nellie, kiki. will respond to anything, but goes by kaneila herself. gender:  cis woman. pronouns: she/her. sexuality:  complicated, but identifies as bisexual for now. aesthetics:  mall rat couture, spiked detox smoothies, uneven and purposeful tan lines, paparazzi plaything, confessions of a teenage drama queen, bedazzled vape bars, bottomless mimosas to cure last night's hangover, every PR team's nightmare, tacky tattoos to cover up her exes' names. age:  twenty seven (27). date of birth:  28th of july. zodiac sign:  leo sun, pisces moon, scorpio rising. place of birth: miami, florida. residence:  a penthouse in the heart of new york city. she lives alone, however, a few of her friends crash there so often they might as well have moved in (wanted connection). occupation:  flight attendant + face of her father's airline VELOURAIR.

INTROSPECTION

(excerpts of an interview pulled from the archives of COSMOPOLITAN, the issue of 2020)

For those unfamiliar with you, tell us a little bit about your background.

Have you guys ever watched that MTV show “My Super Sweet 16”? I've been told I'm, like, a carbon copy of those girls on the show, which is, honestly, not as big of an insult as they think. Like, yeah? I'm a spoiled little brat and my daddy's little girl, sue me, bitches! Last time I checked, being rich isn't a crime (shrugs). But anyway... My dad's, like, a billionaire because his parents are crazy rich too, but he started off as a pilot and then ended up founding his own airline, which is super exclusive. He doesn't like it when I brag about him like that, but who else will if not me? I mean, it's not like we're seeing pilots on TV. I'm the face of the VELOURAIR for a reason.

What about your mother?

You know, I'm not so sure. We weren't that close growing up, but not in a depressing way; she didn't abandon me as a child or anything, she's just super hot for her age and using that to her advantage! I flew out to South America last year to see one of her bellydancing shows and then I went with her to her Botox appointment. She's probably doing something else now because she doesn't know how to stick to one thing. Like mother, like daughter! (checks instagram) OMG, that's so funny. Do you guys see that? She's posting dressed up chihuahuas and stuff. Aw, that's so cute! Wow, that's so many followers. Should I be doing this too?

Your job title is ‘flight attendant,’ but we know your role involves much more than that. How would you describe what you do to someone unfamiliar with this world?

TBH, it's not even that much. I've heard so many flight attendants be like, this job is a lot harder than you think, blah blah blah. That's just soooo dramatic. It's really not. I get to travel a lot, wear cute fits, and have sex with A-listers in the bathroom. What more could you ask for? I guess I also promote brands that sponsor us, but let's be real. All I need to do is smile, flash a little bit of thong, and suddenly, they're all wrapped around my finger (shimmies and winks).

Can you walk us through your typical day when you’re off-duty? How do you spend your free time?

Oh my God, okay, if there's one thing I hate about my job is that most of the time, I don't get to sleep in. No one should have to wake up before 3 PM, that's just torture. But if you entice me with a bit of lazy morning sex... (moans) Suddenly I'm the earliest bird, pecking every worm in sight. After that, I'm out having brunch with my girls or shopping, or at the beach, or slashing tires of an ex-boyfriend's car, or all of the above. Just, you know, the usual. Days are so boring to me. Everything comes alive at night! Before then, I'm just passing time.

What are some passions or hobbies that you’ve developed over the years? Are you doing any other side gigs apart from working at your father's airline?

I'm actually currently in the process of getting a license to be a nail technician. No one else gets my vision like I do, so I was like, why not do it myself? But I do a bunch of other things, too. A bit of modelling here and there, I do some personal shopping and styling for those who are completely tone-deaf when it comes to fashion. I can do anything once I put my mind to it, I think. It's just sooo much effort... I'd rather stay in bed and watch Sex and the City.

What's next for you after this?

A dick appointment (giggles). Oh, you mean, like, in life? Eugh, I don't know. Just hoping I'm not dead in the next few years. That's all I can ask for. But if I am, then I hope someone makes a biopic about me. I already have a journal stashed for this and it's full of juicy dirty secrets. I won't care about them once I'm dead; I just want the audience and my fans to be entertained.

[ask-de-writer]

WIND MEETS THE ROM : Part 5 of 27 :

MLP Fan Fiction

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WIND MEETS THE ROM

Part 5 of 27

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

Cover art by @wind-the-mama-cat

54212 words

© 2023 by Glen Ten-Eyck

Writing begun 06/01/18

All rights reserved. This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author.

//////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

New to the story? Read from Part 1, here!

///////////////////////

She led the way sedately back and casually opened a door. Wind made careful note of the exact pattern of the words marking it.

Now she was SURE that she wanted to learn this language. From the adventuring that she had done, she was pretty sure that these Rom were a unique culture. And what she had seen of it so far, a happy one. And far tougher and more ready to defend themselves if necessary than showed on the surface. Maybe there was an advantage to being led by an 800 year old ghost whose assistance in demon stomping was able to earn “little” rewards like 30 meter long ironclad river monitors.

Wind stepped through the door and got another shock. Having adventured on several worlds, she was used to the idea that other world's gravity felt slightly different. She noticed the change as she crossed the threshold. That was not all. The floor underfoot was STONE. So were the walls. Three tall windows let in the light of the SUNS! There were TWO of them. The land was pretty barren outside of the windows but she could see some sort of trees a short distance away.

Tearing her eyes from the outside scene, she noticed that the decoration of the stone and woodwork of the room was unlike anything in her experience. Curiously she inquired, “Won't the people who built this place want it back?”

Black Lotus replied quietly, “I don't think so. Dad says that we missed meeting them by a few years. They had some form of magic that I do not understand and don't want to. They had a war that nobody won. There were no survivors. Their towns and cities are still there, just empty. Not even bodies or bones were left.”

Brightening, she pointed out, “I keep my fabrics and leathers over here in these racks. Leather working is on that bench with the marble top. Leather tools and dyes are next to it. Over there are the sewing and cutting tables. Scissors, pins, needles and threads are in drawers under the sewing tables. Trims are on that rack of rolls and winders. The small forge is for making any buckles, rings or other fittings that you might want. I have bronze, steel, silver and gold to make up fittings and such.”

Wind spotted some of the racked fabrics that looked a lot like her cloak. She ventured, “Is that more of Shansa Na Kili's weaving?”

Black Lotus brightened up as she exclaimed, “You have a really good eye, Wind! She did all three of those bolts! She made those wonderful laces on the rolls over there too.”

Smiling, Wind offered, “I would like to thank her for this cloak. It feels so luxurious.”

As she led Wind out of her sewing room, Black Lotus replied happily, “That is a wonderful idea, Wind! We should keep an eye out for a pretty rock or stone along the road. We will pass her lake tomorrow and you can Lay the Stone for her and thank her in person. I will too. I have a question to ask her about how she made lace trims like those.”

Wind paused and sat at the table in the caravan and thought carefully. Brow furrowed in puzzlement, she asked, “Lay stones for her? I don't quite understand what you are saying. Part of what you said sounds like she is dead and part of it sounds like she is alive.”

Hoof Dancer looked up from some delightful smelling cooking that she was doing to say softly, “The loved dead are always with us. Shansa's body died about three years ago. We should pass her Lake tomorrow. When we do, we will Lay the Stones for her. You can thank her for her weaving and my many talented daughter can ask her about lace making.”

Wind blinked a few times. “You mean that she will be a ghost like Marchhare?”

Smiling serenely, she replied, “Not exactly, no. My husband turned his back on the Lake of Paradise and returned to be completely here with us. He makes light of it but I am sure that it was not so easy as he makes it to be. Still, our loved dead are always with us and we often sense that they are close and give us encouragement, advice or just return our love.”

Wind digested that thoughtfully for a while. Nodding acceptance, she agreed, “That sounds really sensible, especially when you have Marchhare there to sort of prove it. Whether I hear her reply or not, I would like to lay a stone for her and thank her.”

A voice that Wind had not heard before entered the conversation, followed by hoof steps on the caravan stairs, “I am so happy to hear that. Shansa is one of my best friends. I found a lovely fortification pattern sard for her. I am Rose, by the way. Rose Na Shara.”

Wind introduced herself, “I am Wind, Rose. Wind Whisper. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine, Wind. I have never met a being from another world before. I know that Marchhare and De Writer go to other worlds sometimes, but they have never brought any being back with them that I know of.”

Wind nodded. “I understand that pretty well. I have adventured on several worlds and some of them have things and, well, people that you really would not want romping about here.”

That was met by laughter from all present.

Wind added, “I saw your children's sky dance this morning. It was lovely. You must be very proud of them.”

Rose visibly swelled with pride. “They are very accomplished. I admit that I am nervous about them performing at the Haymarket fair. There will be unicorn ponies there and some of them drink more fermented locoweed than is wise.

“That is what happened to their birth parents. A drunken unicorn clamped their wings with his magic while they were a hundred feet up. They were both killed by the fall. Of course our loved dead are always with us but we do miss being able to hold them close.”

Wind nodded. “I understand. If you wish, I can help to watch the crowd to keep them safe.”

Rose agreed at once, “Extra eyes would be appreciated. Will you be healed enough to do that?”

Black Lotus chimed in, “Wind is mostly healed now, really. She will be able to move about freely in only two more days. It is three pulls to the Haymarket fair. All that she will need is to learn what to look for.”

Rose quietly accepted that, instead questioning, “Does Wind have some sort of magic that does not show? I mean, we all know that she has a missing forelimb.”

Silently, Hoof Dancer offered Wind a used sheet of parchment. “Show Rose what does not show, Wind.”

Grinning, she took the parchment and flipped it up into the air. She struck at it as it fluttered down. Two pieces of parchment fell to the floor. Picking up one, Wind flipped it up and slashed again. Four pieces, one only partly severed fluttered to the floor.

Rose, eyebrows raised, used her magic to pick up the pieces and examine them. “That is amazing, Wind. I did not see how you did that at all. It could be the foundation of a wonderful act. May I see how you did this?”

Wind, all smiles under that praise, rolled her right hand palm up, fingers extended. With the slightest of flexes, her five half inch long razor sharp claws extended.

Rose blinked about twice and said in awe, “You are an amazingly dangerous being, Wind.”

Old Marchhare, still working with his silver wire and pretty gem stones, looked up long enough to point out, “So are the Rom. We keep that pretty much under our headstalls, though. We don't want ponies to be afraid of us. They might not come to the fairs that we go to, if they were.”

Changing the topic, Wind asked, “Rose, I saw you teaching foals to read and write your beautiful language. I learn languages really fast. It is part of being an adventurer. Would you be willing to teach me your language?”

Rose looked over to Marchhare, who nodded.

She replied, “I would be happy to, Wind. We really do not share our Gyptian language with many others. Marchhare says that I should make an exception for you and really, I do like you. If you wish, we have an hour before dinner. We could start right away.”

Wind not only studied until dinner, she continued, fascinated by the way that the Gyptian words almost seemed to dance, whether in her mouth or on the page.

Failing daylight finally made her close the book that she was studying from.

As she was tucking herself into the sleeping stall, Wind felt the familiar gentle touch of blue magic snugging her blankets around her.

She said in her newly learned words, “Thank you, Black Lotus.”

Black Lotus replied quietly in her native language, “Sleep well, Wind Whisper Soulblade. Tomorrow will be a day spent on the Road.”

Wind snuggled down and muttered back, “Sounds like fun.”

Feeling completely safe, she drifted off to sleep.

Wind dreamed.

There were trees all about, evergreens mostly. Just ahead of her was a small cabin. Though moss grown, it was in surprisingly good repair. Inside, there was little enough. There was some furniture that looked as if it was damaged by a fight before time finished its work of destruction.

Something caught her eye. She looked about carefully before picking up a large feather of an almost opaline whiteness. Thoughtfully, Wind put the feather into her bag of holding.

Not far from it there was another feather similar in form but of a blue so dark that it resembled a night sky. It went into her bag of holding as well.

Deeply puzzled, Wind stepped out of the house that she knew, with dream knowledge, had been the home of her small childhood, before flight from a monster had cost her an arm and brought her to Mama Dragon.

Not far from the door she spied two markers, side by side. One read “Donovan, Loving husband and father.” The other, like the first, read, “Shiva, Loving wife and mother.” Wind fell to her knees, examining the graves in wonder. Each one was covered with brightly sparkling stones of little value, but pretty.

Wind awoke from her dream reliving of her first adventure to the happy sound of clattering cookware! Judging by the scents, among which Wind could spot the lovely aroma of cooking Ka'chek flour, work was well underway. Dressing quickly and draping her new cloak about her shoulders, Wind stepped out to greet the day.

Black Lotus saw her and called out in Gyptian, “A good day, Wind! Would you rather eat first and wash up dishes after or serve now and eat later?”

Wind unsnarled the words almost effortlessly. Being gifted with languages was a basic adventurer's skill. She returned, “Serve first, then eat. You have all made me so welcome that I would do something for you, too.”

Black Lotus responded, “Grab that ladle and start serving tea. You can have some too, between serving!”

As Wind began filling mugs, she noticed the approving expressions on the faces of the horses that she served. Soon the line ended. Black Lotus pointed with a hoof. “We made you pasties cooked with eggs and fish for this morning. Do you want help with your plate? WE get to sit back in padded ease and nibble while the others wash up and stow the cook ware!”

<== PREVIOUS ~ NEXT==>

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[justmybookthots]

My Top 30 Books of 2023

30. An Ember in the Ashes (#1) by Sabaa Tahir

Such a terrific debut!!!! I loved it. From the moment Laia signed on to spy on the military academy, I was hooked. Premise was intriguing as heck, and Elias' mother was fascinating to me. Some small things I didn't love, however—I wished Laia had been more involved in the trials. Elias, the MMC, felt a bit weak of a character to me, and I wasn't a fan of Helene (I like her so much more in the sequel, though). The ending left the story at such an exciting place, and I was hankering for the next book. 

29. Red Winter (#1) by Annette Marie

We're at the midway point of my ranking, and from here on out it's books I mostly really enjoyed. Red Winter!! The first book!! When I read it, my mind was kinda blown because it felt like I was reading a very well-written novel spinoff of Kamisama Kiss/Inuyasha, and I loved both series as a child. Also, the illustrations in the novel are soooo good, and Shiro the MMC/fox is cute. ( ��͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡) It was a solid book, and I had a blast, BUT— this is not the best Annette Marie has to offer. Nope. I will get to her magnum opus (for me)... eventually. 

28. Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

I shouldn't have spoken so soon about the midway point. This book… was very hard to rank. The beginning had me deliciously invested (and is what establishes such a high rank) but my interest languished the more the book progressed. I actually think people who like SJM may like this one because it's pretty much a power fantasy, but make it contemporary. Regardless, I did have a good time if I ignored the power fantasy elements. Sawyer was a great hero, and Mallory was nicely tortured, which is just how I like my heroines. :)

27. The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid #2) by Freida McFadden

Ah, the sequel to the Housemaid! Not as good as the prequel, but still pretty good!!! I think the themes it covered didn't hit me as hard as the Housemaid did, but the story stayed with me longer than some of Freida's other works. Overall a solid sequel, but I don't think it could have really lived up to what the Housemaid did for me.

26. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

I'm not a huge fan of Jackson's writing style or the characterisation of Ravi and his brother, but the mystery was so good! I loved the themes it covered and the psyche of the victim. 

This mystery is quite fleshed out and goes in depth about abuse, sexism, etc. I disliked the main leads, but enjoyed the case and the reveal. I was much more invested in the victim than I was in the person who was wrongly accused of murdering her, even though I think we were supposed to care for both? 

Anyway, it's definitely a much more memorable thriller than the ones below the ranking of this list so far. 

25. A Kiss of Iron by Clare Sager

Another book that's kind of hard to rank for me. The romance was reaaaally good at the start, and then somewhere it kind of lost me?? But the story was interesting and I LOVED the plot twist (!!!!!) at the end, and the smut was one of my favourites. Also, the hero did something so sweet in the second half of the book. ♡ That aside, while this may be a fae book, I just don't think this is anything like how fae should be in my head. It doesn't feel like I'm reading fae at all.

24. If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

AH, Henry, my beloved!!!!!! My first book of Ann Liang's, and it was so cute and Henry was just!!! Almost!!! Everything!! The Chinese rep also made me so happy!!! It depresses me that I couldn't love it as much as I wanted to because the story was riddled with issues towards the end but I loved the rest of it. This book walked so that the other book of Ann's could run! (We will see that other book along the list soon.)

23. Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

If my friend saw this list, she'd go: "SoC, in 23rd place? DISOWNED". To that, I say…

Sowwieee.  

I LOVE the Crows, but it's not this book that definitively sealed the deal about them to me. This is 100% my personal gripe because my brain hates setting-centric books and it was so hard for me to figure out the logistics behind the heist. But I loved the banter in this book, Kaz's brains, Inej’s badassery, and the revelation about Jesper being Grisha. Also Wylan, my baby. My love. 

Ahhhhh, can't talk about the Crows or I'll start to melt. Make a TV show that ADAPTS THE ICE HEIST ALREADY.

22. City of Bones (Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare

OMG, it just occurred to me that if the same friend saw this being ranked above SoC, she's really going to have an aneurysm. 🤣 

I'm not going to elaborate other than the fact that I had a fun and easy time with this book, even if it was far from perfect. It actually exceeded my (admittedly) very low expectations, lol. In any case, I've already written a more in-depth review of it. 

21. One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

A really, really solid book. I loved the concept of magical cards in the worldbuilding. While it doesn't do anything groundbreaking, nor was I extremely invested in the leads, I consider this very well-done. I loved Elm, lol. However, I've yet to read the second book and I hope to get on it soon.

20. The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden

I loved this thriller!!! But this is mostly because I am VERY partial to psychopathic boys written in the way Liam was—and at the same time, you realise: are real psychopaths that easy to spot? Is he really a psychopath, or is it someone else? This is probably one of my favourites from Freida, and the ending… made me so nervous, lol. 

19. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black 

A short novella written by Holly Black, with vignettes set in Cardan's POV as he grew up over the years. I fucking loved it to pieces, but that's just because I love Cardan 😛 I loved how the stories the hag told Cardan kept changing to fit his narrative, I loved seeing his perspective when Nicasa cheated on him with Locke, I loved hearing about how he felt towards Jude. Also: the last chapter, set after Queen of Nothing!! Him and Jude!!!!!! My heart!!!!!!! I will not elaborate except that it was fucking amazing. The only downside was that it was too short, and I could have done with MORE scenes. 

18. Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim

It's a novel that does very little wrong. Its only sin is that it's predictable and formulaic, but it was such a wholesome and at times swoony story because Rui (the goblin emperor) was lovely. While I didn't love Lina, the heroine, I thought the book was still fun, and THAT scene by the river was ( ◡‿◡ *). I'll be reading the sequel once it's out.

17. The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

I have so many conflicting feelings about this book. See, this is the book that got me into reading fantasy this year. For so long, I'd avoided fantasy, but after I finished this, I decided I'd give the rest of the genre a try. It literally rearranged my entire brain and opened something in me—it was sooooo good. The slow burn, the trials, the eventual consummation, the ending… I can't fault it. Almost every other fantasy book I've read has this one to thank (and Kingdom of the Wicked to blame because it almost made me boycott the genre, lol). However—the problem is that I've read it so long ago (at the start of the year) that I can't remember much, and also that the sequel bored me to tears and I still haven't finished that. If I ranked this earlier in the year, it might be much higher in the ranks.

16. Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

This book!!!!!! It was so unexpected how much I enjoyed it. A lot of reviews were complaining about the verbiage and how nothing was really happening and I… went into it thinking I wouldn't like it, if I'm being honest. But I did!!!!!!!!!!! It portrayed fae similarly to the Folk of the Air series (The Cruel Prince), and instead of boring me like the Enchantment of Ravens did, I was HOOKED. I loved how it kept me on my toes, I loved how creepy some things were… and I thought Wendell was insane and so much fun (insane he might be, but you cannot deny his untouchable EQ). Also, Emily is such a dear. I must add that Reverse grumpy/sunshine is my FAVOURITE.  I could go on and on about this book. It's marvellous and I'm so desperate for the sequel. In fact, I think I'm going to do a reread of this book before the sequel comes out. 🙂

15. Delivering Evil for Experts (Guild Codex: Demonized #4) by Annette Marie

OMG, OMG… We have finally reached the Guild Codex: Demonized series. 

(*ﾉдﾉ)

Now THIS series is, as far as I'm concerned, Annette's magnum opus. Not Red Winter. THIS. Don't mock the goofy-ass cover—it's a GEM UNDERNEATH! IT'S AMONG MY FAVOURITE BOOKS OF ALL TIME. It's one of the holy trinity series (yes, that's what I'm dubbing those three series) that broke my brain this year. This action series is about a girl (Robin) who makes a contract with a demon, Zylas, where he has to protect her in exchange for... her baking cookies for him. 🤣 It sounds ridiculous, but I promise it all makes sense when you read it. Unfortunately, this is the last book, which was my least favourite of the series because the tension had started to ebb for me. BUT. It's still so, so good. The ending was initially gearing up to be a tragedy but ahhh!! I am content with how it ended. 

14. City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare

Never would I have thought this book would be higher than one of the books from Guild Codex: Demonized but I really, unexpectedly enjoyed City of Ashes. It was better than the first; I thought it was a solid and frankly speaking great book. I did hear, however, that the first 3 books in this series are actually decent before the rest nose-dives in quality, which explains why I enjoyed the first 2 so much. (I've already written a full review on this book.) 

13. The Queen of Nothing (Folk of the Air #3) by Holly Black

We have finally reached the Cruel Prince series. *hyperventilates* 

Okay. Okay. 

So. 

The last book is my least favourite of the trilogy, but… it is also the culmination of Jude and Cardan's relationship. We have "By you, I am forever undone" here. (There's even more quotes, technically, but I'm trying to keep this succinct.) It is legendary. It is magnificent. It is immaculate. Overall, the plot in this book may be my least favourite, but the payoff after two books of scheming and constant push and pull? Fucking chef's kiss. 

12. The Only One Left by Riley Sager

One of the best thrillers of 2023 for me. It is so, so, so good. I don't think I can stress how brilliant this book is. Story revolves around a mute, sick old lady wheelchair-bound inside a gothic manor on a cliff. The main character is sent to be her caretaker. And the old lady has a story to tell—she was accused of murdering her entire family in her youth. Very atmospheric and chilling read.

See, I expected the first plot twist but the SECOND? Wowza. Magnifique. Also such a sad, tragic tale. It felt me reeling for a good bit after I was done. It deserved to win the 2023 GR awards and NOT Housemaid's Secret. It's not even close to me. 

11. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

This book. This fucking book. 

It broke me out of a reading slump at the start of the year but that's not why it's left such an indelible mark on my brain. The way this story covers infidelity and abuse… Wow. Exquisite. And the way the tables turn at the end is so good it's ILLEGAL. 

In fact, I think the theme here just hit closer to home for me than The Only One Left, even though the writing of the latter is definitely superior. This is my first book of Freida's and is, to me, her best work. 

10. The Maid's Diary by Loreth Anne White

[Takes deep breath] This story was so unexpected for me. I wasn't expecting to like it. At all. It was supposed to be a palate cleanser.

A palate cleanser, I thought! HA! 

This wasn't perfect. There were plot holes. Some things weren't wrapped up. BUT. BUT. BUT. It is the best thriller I read this year and I stand by that. I have never, ever felt more vindicated by a book than I did this one. It is a work of art. 

One line to sum this story up? I SUPPORT WOMEN'S WRONGS. That’s it. That's all you need to know. (That said: Full review has been written)

9. Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped (Guild Codex: Demonized #3) by Annette Marie

We are in the top ten now. Gird your loins! 

This book!!!!!! Ahhhh. I can't even write this coherently, and I'm only at the ninth. But this was the book where the relationship between Zylas and Robin finally began to change!!!!!!! It was so divine, it was near perfect, it made me scream and want to tear my hair out—I can't. This was a slow-burn done right. It was just a little hint of what was to come, and yet… yet it short-circuited my brain. Also, I do not APPRECIATE the emotional turmoil Annette put me through with this one.

8. This Time It's Real by Ann Liang

🥺 At this point, my writing is going to be incoherent. Because these are my absolute favourites. I'm crying. I'm seriously crying. This book was everything to me (even though a friend read it and she said the guy was too perfect for her liking and I get it. I really do. I agree. But... I loved it). 

(;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)

I have nothing coherent to say except I loved it. And that, much as I didn't want to admit it, this stupid book put me in a reading slump for 2 months. I found myself constantly trying to find books with similar tropes as this: celebrity/non-celebrity, Asian rep, cute swoony contemporary romance. I couldn't find anything that hit the same way.

7. The Cruel Prince (Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black

Do I need to say more? DO I????????? 

I took a gamble buying the whole boxset before reading it and I thought I was fucked because usually that means I'm going to hate it. Fate isn't normally this kind to me. But my gamble paid off. It fucking paid off!

The prose, the political intrigue, my first venture into fae… Also, Jude's spite is low-key TOO relatable: “If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.”

Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it—

6. Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

This, above Cruel Prince? Yes, it feels illegal, but here's why: Cruel Prince is only the first book. We don't get the payoff yet. In Love Theoretically, you get everything from start to finish. It's like a whole ass trilogy in one book. 

And the slow-burn in the first half of this book is LEGENDARY. I was actually kicking my feet like a teenager. That in itself is monumental, because I'd stopped enjoying/reading contemporary romance for at least a year before this book came. I'd actually given up on the genre/demographic at some point… until this.

Jack is one of my favourite male leads to ever exist. And the themes the book covers with Elsie hits so close to home for me. It's not perfect, but belong to my top ten it does. 

5. Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (Guild Codex: Demonized #2) by Annette Marie

The top five books are really, really cutting it close, because this book is, in my opinion, near perfection. It's INSANE how Annette could carry the momentum from a perfect first book and make it just as exciting as the predecessor. The action scenes were phenomenal, and I loved the makeshift family between the three leads and the cat. Also Zylas' characterisation and the exploration of his psychopathy was so INCREDIBLE. I can go and on about this book forever. I still remember reading this on the toilet and going: "HOW IS THIS SO GOOD?"

IT'S A WORK OF ART. 

4. The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2) by Holly Black

The best book in the Cruel Prince series to me. The mind games, the scheming, Jude's machinations, the twists, the ENDING, I could scream. Jude is a force to be reckoned with. And the tension between her and Cardan? Sublime. Throughout the whole book, Jude has him under her control, but she knows time is ticking and he'll break free of the magic soon. The suspense and the push and pull is… 

ლಠ益ಠლ)

Another work of fucking art. I only have so many adjectives to praise this bona fide masterpiece. But wait! I still have three more books. 

3. The Stolen Heir by Holly Black

So many people would stare me down for this. The Stolen Heir (the spin-off sequel) above Cruel Prince? YES. OKAY? YES. 

I prefer Jude to Wren (who is arguably a bigger force to be reckoned with in her own right), but. OAK. Almost nobody liked him, but I did. I DID. It's fine; I will be his only fan. No biggie.

Oak was everything that I felt Cardan—whom I already loved—lacked in. Oak… Ah, Oak. I just have a soft spot for sweet sunshine characters who are also secret badasses. It's like Holly plucked out the archetype I like in men and created Oak (okay, I don't love the hooves but that's beside the point). I adored this book with my beating heart and I just don't think the sequel can live up to it.

 (I just read the first chapter of the sequel and I'm already shaking. Please don't let me down. I've been burned by too many sequels at this point.)

2. Taming Demons for Beginners (Guild Codex: Demonized #1) by Annette Marie

A masterpiece. That's what this first book is. Even the Stolen Heir and Wicked King had parts I didn't love, but this? It's *chef's kiss* from start to finish.

Every scene and exchange built towards a fantastic crescendo near the end when THAT contract was made. Gah. The delicate balance of comedy, tension and suspense was immaculate. And the magic in those scenes when Robin first stumbles upon Zylas inside the summoning circle is…

( ˘ ³˘)♥

I'm not going to pretend this book is a literary tour de force that's going to be analysed like Hunger Games is, or anywhere close to that. All I will say is that this was the first book that blew my socks off after my Cruel Prince-induced slump, and that says enough about it. 

1. Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo 

Remember when I said the last book was easy to place? The first book was also easy to place. This took almost NO contemplation at all. 

Here we have the final one of my holy trinity series, alongside Folk of the Air and Demonized.

Since it wasn't so setting-centric like the first book, this sequel shone for me. I don't… I can't… There are no words. Kaz is a male Jude, but even smarter and more traumatised. Every Crow is majorly fleshed out, and they all get some kind of closure at the end. (One also… ends, but never mind that one.) It's so cathartic I could fucking cry; I nearly did. Kaz and Inej are forever etched in a special corner of my heart. This is not a book that I can give justice to by writing one or two paragraphs about, so I won't. I've already written all my thoughts in my review. All I will say is that it deserves all the hype it gets. 

In fact, it deserves more.

SoC #3? 👉👈

[writingtomyfutureself]

Dear Diary,

Tuesday, 25th June 2024

2:17 AM

27°C

_____________________________________________________________

Today I feel like ending everything. I don't think anyone would miss me either way.

Mom will be more worried about what the society thinks and my sister hates me anyway.

I'm losing my job. My last day is on 26th June 2024. I spent 500 to go see a room that I liked and I got a text saying the room is taken. I fainted in church yesterday and felt dependent on my mom. She probably felt a refreshed sense of control over me.

I decativated my account on instagram and Sid probably thinks I blocked him and he hasn't tried reaching out to me anywhere else and here I am tavelling 3 hours across the city in the hot sun in 4 layers of clothing only so I can meet him, talk to him secretively in the hall and write him letters all while I getting slapped and screamed at by my controlling mother. Sometimes I think I put in more effort than needed and what do I get? Nothing. Zero effort. He probably doesn't care enough. We never talk these days at night. He's busy apparently. I don't say anything. I don't want to. Why must I? ask for attendtion. I won't. Nobody ever puts in any effort for me. I am No.1 In nobodies list. I am just there, existing.

My birthday is in 5 days and I am unemployeed, upset and suicidal. I keep applying and never hearing back from anyone. Namrata got promoted and I am happy for her but life just has ways to rub it in your face. They were talking about going on a trip. Obviously they will, they're earning 1 Lakh per month. I don't even make a quater of what they do.

I found out that my co-worker who joined 2 years before me gets paid 80k for doing the exact same thing as me. wow. Fun times.

I want to move out, have a job that can cover my expenses, not get beaten or yelled at, have a peaceful life. Is that too much to ask for?

what a miserable life.

Your friend,

Crit.

[sunaraw]

all odd

1. Are you an albums person or a singles person? UMMMM albums

3. Do you listen to more oldies or more current stuff? oldies for sure

5. Is there a song you don't like but like its music video? see if i dont like a song i wont watch the music video. so i wouldnt know

7. Would you wear a t-shirt of a band you're not into? yea if it looks cool

9. Do you have a favorite band? yeas, the death set :)

11. Favorite songwriter? two feet

13. Who’s the most popular/mainstream artist you listen to? either lady gaga or gorillaz

15. A song or album from the 60s: house of the rising sun by the animals

17. A song or album from the 80s: once in a lifetime by talking heads

19. A song or album from the 2000s: repetition kills you by the black ghosts

21. A song or album from this year or last year: rush by troye sivan

23. Do you and your partner/best friend share a special song? One you’d call “our song”? i dont think so

25. Is there a song you used to like but can’t listen to anymore because you associate it with someone you don’t like? plenty.

27. Do you enjoy making playlists? If so, are there any you’re proud of and would like to share? YES i love making playlists. im too shy to post them tho

29. Songs you love to dance to: vitality by mittsies, here comes the hotstepper by ini kamoze, new face by psy, and enjoy the silence by depeche mode

31. Who’s your favorite fictional band or artist? i have to say wrath of the gods from saw just bc i do have merch.

33. Your favorite artist from your city/state/country? outkast

35. A song you like in a language you don’t speak: if you come into my heart by jo duck bai

37. If you could travel in time and go to a concert of an artist who’s no longer alive or a band that’s no longer together, who would you choose? queen 100%

39. Which was the last concert you went to? erm. the only concert ive ever been to was a christian rock concert that i was dragged to see when i was like 10

41. Have you ever been to a music festival? If not, would you like to go? id like to :)

43. Do you enjoy musicals? If so, what’s your favorite? not necessarily, no

45. A non-musical movie or show with a soundtrack you love: mr robot

47. Is there an artist you used to dislike but learned to like because of a friend’s influence? UMMM. i cant think of any but im sure someone will remind me if i forgot

49. Is there a cover you like more than the original version? noooo im an original only guy

51. Is there an artist you used to love as a child/teenager and still likes, even if you don’t listen to them as much? linkin park

53. Is there a song you hated the first time you listened to but then loved after listening to it more times? run by iamthekidyouknowwhatimean

55. An album you learned to love after listening to it again and again: torches by foster the people

59. Do you listen to music when it's raining or do you stop to hear the sound of the rain? mmmm rain

63. Do you prefer live recordings or studio recordings? studio for sure

65. Are there any songs you know the entire lyrics by heart? like a million lol

[pey-up]

I posted 349 times in 2022

That's 349 more posts than 2021!

21 posts created (6%)

328 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@spaciebabie

@beans-and-rice101

@pixlokita

@paper-lilypie

@bamsara

I tagged 161 of my posts in 2022

#fnaf - 27 posts

#batdr - 14 posts

#the owl house - 13 posts

#batim - 11 posts

#sundrop - 7 posts

#art - 7 posts

#michael afton - 7 posts

#daycare attendant - 6 posts

#toh - 6 posts

#bendy - 6 posts

Longest Tag: 117 characters

#unfollow now because this is all im gonna talk about until november 15th this is all ive wanted in life what the f♡ck

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

My main idea for a Golden Guard/Grimwalkers au is that all of the golden guards are dead (besides hunter), and they have their own little world. It's a forest almost and a house (it's comedicly big to fit all of the grimwalkers) All of them are just chilling in their huge house and maybe one day hunter 'dies' or has a near death experience and finds it

And then one day Philip/Belos dies. He finds it and all of the previous grimwalkers+wittebro+wittewife are all traumatized and ready to fight

44 notes - Posted May 25, 2022

#4

MY MOM HAD A GENIUS IDEA

I WAS TALKING ABOUT FLAPJACK (because hes wonderful) AND SHE ASKED "Do you think its because hes a bird? And he flaps?" AND NOW IM RETHINKING EVERYTHING

47 notes - Posted May 17, 2022

#3

EXCUSE ME JUST BEING A FAN-KID SORRY

THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZE LUZ AND HUNTER SWAPPED BODYS SO LUZ TOOK HUNTERS PLACE WHEN HE WAS CAPTURED AND WHEN HUNTER REALIZED HE WAS SWAPPED (no one told him about this plan??? Like duh he wouldn't let her sacrifice herself but still) HE L O O K S AT HIS HANDS, FREAKS OUT WHEN HE SEES THERES NO GLOVES COVERING THEM AND SEES NO SCARS, DIFFRENT SKIN TONE, AND I QJDBEBSFJEJ

49 notes - Posted May 21, 2022

#2

Welcome to my slightly crack theory, i dont really believe this but i still thought it was cool

Remember this guy? Looks like the collector (we kinda established that a while ago) but it doesn't look quite like ours, you know the eclipse sun/moon chaotic child. This one seemed more... mature? If that makes sense? Nothing about being bored, wanting games, or anything (if he did and I didn't catch it let me know!) Also, he's so tall??? For being a child (in kings tide he was about luz's height or shorter in the top photo he's super tall. So what am I getting at here? I think I have an answer to the question everyone's been wondering. Does the collector have parents? I think it's a Ranboo situation. A sun-themed god and a moon-themed god had a chaotic child and possibly couldn't take care of it, or something happened and the Collector was alone.

52 notes - Posted May 30, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Luz:Why do you hate titans?

Collector:I don't???

Luz:Really? Because your cult hated them

Collector:

3,777 notes - Posted May 22, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

Neato!!!!!!!

I also started on tumblr this yeah but oh wellll

[adam-raki]

An unessecarily in-depth guide to the solar system by an amateur space nerd 🪐

hey! so, I've been wanting to make this post for a while so i can just info dump a bunch of stuff when my brain gets overloaded... so here we are! i'll hope to go a little more in detail (probably more than you'll ever need to know) but also keeping it simple :)

1. BASIC LAYOUT

As we all know, our solar system is centred around the sun, with each planet orbiting at different times and distances, almost in rings around it. I'll draw out a very basic idea of what it would look like simplified.

This layout includes the sun in the centre and 8 main planets orbiting; 4 rocky, solid planets and 4 gaseous planets, separated by an asteroid belt. Some may consider there to be a 9th planet, Pluto, but it has been classified as a dwarf planet since 2006.

And that's all well and dandy but what are the planets actually like?

2. SUN, PLANETS, MOONS

Now, when we think of stars, we think of domething like this: ⭐. Although being adorable, they're far from what stars are actually like.

Our star, also known as "the sun" or it's official name as "Sol", is essentially the basis of our solar system. If we didn't have one, of persay it exploded, the entirety of earth and all the other planets would be wiped out in a heartbeat- but don't worry, we have about another 5.3 billions years before that happens!

Here's a brief diagram to show about where we're at and what would be to come (if a star were bigger than the sun, it would have a different cycle after it's main sequence).

At the moment, our sun is a main sequence yellow dwarf so it's basically just a big mass of heating hydrogen nuclei which fuses to make helium. This means that the sun is constantly making reactions at the moment.

All of our planets rotate, usually on an axis around the sun, and each planet's full rotation is different- for example, earth's 'year' is ~365.25 days, since we have leap years.

The closest planets to the sun are: mercury, venus, earth and mars. After mars is as asteroid belt, which separates the gas giants: jupiter, saturn, uranus and neptune.

Mercury

solid 85% iron core

crust is covered in craters, often referred to as the most cratered planet in our solar system

0 moons

Venus

"volcano planet", about 80% of its surface is covered in volcano plains

incredibly bright

just a little smaller than earth in diameter, but almost the same size

0 moons

Earth

most dense planet in solar system

lots of artificial satellites in orbit, but one natural satellite (moon)

lots of natural observable features like mountains, oceans, rivers, canyons, etc

man-made buildings and architecture

human, animal, bacterial, etc life

1 moon (Luna) that was first

Mars

similar size to earth in diameter

surface covered in rust dust

H20 and C02 ice caps on south and north poles

2 moons (Phobos and Deimos)

Jupiter

1st of the gas giant planets

the biggest planet in the solar system

80 known moons (including Europa and Io, some of the largest)

atmosphere mostly includes hydrogen, helium and methane

it's known to have no solid surface

Saturn

similar atmosphere to Jupiter

saturn's rings are composed of lots of orbiting matter, moons, moonlets, gaps and arcs

83 known moons (including Titan and Dione)

Uranus

one of the ice giants

actually has 13 faint rings orbiting it, though they're harder to see than saturn

27 known moons (including Titania)

also has no observable solid surface but includes its outer atmosphere, ionic water-ammonia oceans and a superionic hot ice mantle

Neptune

five faint dusty rings that orbit the planet

14 known moons (including Despina and Galatea)

Triton, one it its moons, is technically a dwarf planet that was just pulled into neptune's gravity

Including the 8 main planets, there are a lot of dwarf planets (about 19). This includes the previous 'planet' status Pluto, Makemake and Ceres. There are many dwarf planets in the Kuiper asteroid belt just past Neptune.

3. OTHER OBSERVABLE FEATURES

Some of the other things that you will find in the solar system are asteroids, comets and meteors- which are often confused with eachother (something that I fell victim too as well).

Sooooooo what's the difference?

ASTEROIDS- small pieces of rocky body, usually leftover material from the building of the solar system. Asteroids sort of act like minor planets.

Some examples of asteroids include Pallas, Vesta and Eros.

COMETS- at it's core, comets are small celestial bodies made of ice, rock and dust. When they enter an atmosphere near the sun, they produce a trail of dust and gas particles (a process known as outgassing).

Examples of comets include Halley's comet, Forbes and Mry. Most comets are just named after the person who identifies and observes it.

METEOROIDS, METEORS AND METEORITES- meteroroids are originally made from dust grains from asteroids, like little space rocks. When these enter earth's atmosphere (or another planet), they burn up into fireballs, these are meteros (also known as shooting stars!). If that meteor survives it and hits the ground, it's known as a meteorite.

There are other occurrences in the atmosphere including solar events, but those only happen at set times and under certain conditions.

And uhhh this is all I can think to put, so... I hope you enjoyed!

[ If anyone has any extra notes on this or corrections, just let me know! Maybe I'll make more posts like this ]

[mimisempai]

What makes Croki a beloved alligator?

Summary:

The daily life of Mobius and Loki seen by Croki...

Notes:

27th day of my 30 Days of Domestic Fluff. - 27: Pets

List here : X

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33884170

Croki woke up to the familiar sound of the kitchen cupboard doors opening and closing. He turned around a bit in his terrarium before heading to the kitchen to let the one of the two men who would be up, know that it was time to fill his bowl.

He arrived in the kitchen and made a few turns around Mobius' legs.

« Haha!  There you are, you little rascal."

Mobius bent down to him and scratched Croki's head.

He whispered, "Let's not make any noise okay, Loki is tired so let's let him sleep a little longer okay?"

Croki let out a small grunt, as quietly as possible.

Mobius straightened up while talking, he was talking to himself or talking to Croki who liked the sound of his voice.

He liked the sound of it because it was different now from anything he had known before. Loki and Mobius had welcomed him into their home, had given him a space of his own, and he was free to move around as he pleased. The surface of their habitat was not large, but he felt freer than in the great spaces of the Void.

The horror of the Void was far behind them now.

But above all, in this house, there was love.

First of all love for him, Croki. Was it because the two men considered him a variant of Loki? Maybe, but Croki didn't mind, after all, nothing forced them to see him like that.

Croki was an animal, he didn't speak and his way of communicating was grunting and fighting, so people often thought that he didn't see or understand anything about two-legged beings and their emotions.

But people were wrong.

He had immediately been able to see the strong bond that existed between the two men at that time and now he even witnessed their love every day.

The horror of The Void was far behind now.

He spun once more around Mobius' feet, to remind him why he was there.

"Wait a little while little devil, okay? I'll make breakfast for Loki and then I'll give you your fish ration."

Another thing he liked was that Mobius was always smiling.

But the smile he had right now was special, it was the smile he had whenever Loki walked into the room, or whenever he thought about him.

Croki could move around as he wanted, Mobius had even built a special little door on the door of their house for that.

At first the people of the TVA were afraid of him, but now it was only the new ones who were afraid of him at first.

There was always someone to give him a pat or to address him gently.

Then there were the people who didn't know that Croki understood what they were saying and who talked about Mobius and Loki as he passed. He had been able to see how much his two companions were loved.

"Oh that's Croki, that's Mobius and Loki's crocodile."

Alligator! A-lli-ga-tor not crocodile!

"Awww, he's adorable. You know you're lucky Croki. Loki and Mobius are the best masters you could have had."

They are not my masters, they are my companions, but yes, they are the best.

"Apparently, they went and got him from the Void and took him to Mobius."

"Hihihi you mean when Loki moved in with Mobius? They are so cute those two. Mobius who has hearts in his eyes whenever we talk about Loki, Loki who can't stop touching him when they are in the same place."

"You're right, I'm sure the entire TVA knew they were together long before it was official."

Of course, Croki had a front row seat to know that the two were not hiding their relationship.

"Anyway I'm glad Loki has someone to lean on. They're both good guys."

Of course they are, but Mobius also had someone to lean on.

So yes, he knew that his two companions were good people.

Mobius had just put down his plate of fish and some fresh water.

"There you go, good appetite little guy. Now I'll take Loki his breakfast."

Croki quietly enjoyed his own breakfast.

Something he also liked about his new home was the light. He went to stand right where the sun was shining on the floor. He enjoyed the warmth and took a nap.

When he woke up a little later, seeing that his companions were still not up, he went to their room. As he approached, he heard voices that became more and more distinct.

It was Loki's voice, "Mobius, you always get up to make me breakfast when we're off, but you know you don't have to."

"I know that sweetheart, but let me take care of you a little. Besides, I like it. You wouldn't want to deprive me of my little pleasure would you?"

"Who would have thought that I would be lucky enough to have such a caring and loving future husband."

"What?"

Mobius' shout made Croki stop in the doorway of the two men's room.

He heard it again, "Loki, don't joke about this."

"You think I'm joking?"

Croki moved forward a little and growled to make his presence known.

Loki made a small sign towards him, "Croki, just in time you are going to be my witness."

Croki did not understand the meaning of these words, but he approached the side of the bed where Loki was. Loki bent down, took him in his arms and put him between Mobius and himself on the bed. Then Croki, curious, saw Loki turn and rummage in his bedside table and take out a small red box that he opened and raised in front of Mobius who looked baffled.

"Will you marry me?"

The little box fell on Croki's nose, and a small, shiny, golden ring fell out of it as Mobius framed Loki's face with his hands and covered him with kisses interspersed with "Yes, yes, I love you, yes!"

If Croki was like humans, he would have blushed. He ejected the little box and pushed the ring to Loki with his muzzle. Then he growled to make himself noticed.

"Oh Croki. You're so sweet."

Loki took the ring and put it on Mobius' finger. Then stroked Croki's head a few times before putting his head on Mobius’ shoulder. Mobius watched them with a soft smile.

Croki slipped in and settled comfortably under both of their joined hands.

The happy smile of his companions was the last thing he saw before he fell asleep.

________

30 Days of Domestic Fluff - Lokius

Next day : 28- Vacation

As always, bear with me as it is not beta'd and english is not my native language I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless🥰

[loth-wolffe]

(not me making this awful cover but i wanted this to have one lmao. i do not own the picture i used, so credits to whomever made this lovely pic)

So first of all, I just wanted to say thank you so much for the 100 followers LIKE?????? where did thAT come from I just- you guys are sO AMAZING !!! I am beyond grateful for all of your support and your kindness and I'm so happy interact with you pretty people.

I really don't have any rules, nor characters I don't wanna write of that I can think of as in right now. (please if state if u want it to be nsfw bc my first instinct is write sfw stuff)

ANd, as a thank you, I made this super duper fantastic song lyric prompt list that you can choose from (you can absolutely send in a lyric that isn't in the list if you want) and just send me a sw character and we'll see how that goes!

SO HERE IT IS:

Song lyric prompt list

• already requested, but you can ask for them again!

1. I don't need anything fancy, I just need me and you slow dancing. - Slow dancing by Aly and AJ.

2. I've been trying hard not to talk to you/act a fool. - Sunflower vol. 6 by Harry Styles

3. Say it's been long six months, and you were too afraid to tell her what you want. - How you get the girl by Taylor Swift

4. And if you have a minute, why don't we go? Talk about it, somewhere only we know. - Somewhere only we know by Keane

5. To the strand, a picnic planned, for you and me. - From Eden by Hozier

6. Why she had to go? I don't know, she wouldn't say. - Yesterday by The Beatles

7. I think I'm falling, I'm falling for you. - Fallingforyou by the 1975

8. Take on me, take me on, I'll be gone, in a day or two. - Take on me by a-ha

9. Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips, we should just kiss like real people do. - Like real people do by Hozier

10. You wanna say no, no, it ain't gonna work, but then you fumble your words, oh you're running out of reasons. - Running out of reasons by The Wanted

11. You love me, but you don't know it yet. - Happy accidents by Saint Motel

12. I don't really care what they would say, I'm asking you to stay. - Level of concern by twenty one pilots

13. You know I talk too much, honey come put your lips on mine and shut me up. - Talk too much by COIN.

14. I know that you're scared because hearts get broken. - Golden by Harry Styles

15. I try and try to erase you, but you won't disappear - Everywhere by Niall Horan

16. I heard you ask about me through a friend, my adrenaline kicked in, because I've been asking 'bout you too - Nervous by Shawn Mendes

17. Every time I'm leavin' you, you don't make it easy. - Sunflower by Post Malone and Swae Lee.

18. I wish that I could believe, that there's a day you'll come back to me, but still have to say, I'd do it all again. - Just want you to know by Backstreet Boys

19. Well, tell me do you hate me or do you wanna date me? - Van Horn by Saint Motel

20. Can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain. - Hey Stephen by Taylor Swift

21. I know I would rather be together alone, in a big top circle and a world we can call our own. - All our own by Radio Company

22. Every time I find the words to end it, something in your eyes won't let it. - Shandi by KISS

23. Just dance in my living room, love with an attitude, drunk to an 80's groove - Only human by Jonas Brothers

24. I spend all my time, waiting all night for you. - No going back by Yuno

25. I need to know, if this is mutual, before I go. - Mutual by Shawn Mendes

26. I will sing to your every day, if it will take away your pain - Miss missing you by Fall out Boy

27. If I could fly, I'd be coming right back home to you. - If I could fly by One Direction

28. When you rise in the morning sun, I feel your touch in the pouring rain, and the moment that you wander far from me, I wanna feel you in my arms again. - How deep is your love by Bee Gees

29. If I wake, I'll move closer without waking you, sleeper, sleeper, what's been tiring you. - Rise by Helena Deland

30. All we do is think about the feelings that we hide, all we do is sit in silence waiting for a sign. - Drive by Halsey

31. I never sat by the shore, under the sun with my feet in the sand, but you brought me here. - Malibu by Miley Cyrus

32. With a sunset and a moonrise not so far behind, to give us enough light, to lay down underneath the stars. - Constellations by Jack Johnson

33. Dancing through our house with the ghost of you. - Ghost of you by 5sos

34. And we all sit around the fire, we feel a little warmer now. - Woods by Hollow Coves

35. Won't you kiss me once, baby? Just a kiss goodnight, maybe. - Put your head on my shoulder by Paul Anka

36. If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?- Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd

37. Baby just came back around, said she needs time to explore, said I can’t love her no more - Baby came home by The Neighborhood

38. When I kissed you I meant it. / I wanna be more than a friend. - Do it again by Pia Mia

39. I thought that I was dreaming when you said you loved me. - Ivy by Frank Ocean

40. If you're awake then I am too. If you're lost then I'll find you. If you're hurt then I'll fix you. - It's U by Cavetown

41. They don't know about the things we do, they don't know about the I love you's. - They don't know about us by One Direction

42. Can I kiss you or not? / Are you still mad at me? I'm hoping not. - Like to be you by Shawn Mendes and Julia Michaels

43. Kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again, it's been a long, long time. - It's been a long, long time by Harry James

44. Kiss me hard before you go. - Summertime sadness by Lana del Rey

45. You said you'd meet me out there tomorrow, but tomorrow never came. - Tomorrow never came by Lana del Rey ft. Sean Ono Lennon

46. How can I miss you so much when you're right here? - Miss you so much by Miley Cyrus

47. The way she tells me I'm hers and she's mine. - Cherry wine by Hozier

48. No need to say goodbye, you'll come back, when it's over. - The Call by Regina Spektor.

49. Common sense tells me kiss the girl goodbye / I think I love you - Common sense by Joshua Bassett

50. If I could tell her how she's everything to me, but we are a million worlds apart and I don't know how I would even start - If I could tell her by Ben Platt ft Laura Dreyfruss

51. I'm giving you a night call to tell you how I feel - Nightcall by Kavinsky

52. We went for a drive, at 2:30 in the morning. I kissed you, it was pouring. - Remember that night? by Sara Kays

53. Don't wanna hand you all my trouble, don't wanna give you all my demons, you'll have to watch me struggle from several rooms away, but tonight I'll need you to stay - The run and go by twenty one pilots

[augment-techs]

I DON'T KNOW HOW THE WRITING PROMPT MEME WORKS REALLY

but it's WAYYYY too CUTE to not do. Sooooo how about I toss ya some numbers! ^^

Hand holding: 12 and 10! 33,

Hugs: 2, 18, 27

Hope it isn't too much!!! ^^

Kim was emotionally fluctuating between feeling sorry for Tommy, and trying not to go into shock whenever she walked into a room and found her older, alternate universe, badass-self kissing an older, Coinless General Bulk. Watching them seemed more perfect than she might have dared hope for whatever fate was allotted to the Ranger Slayer. When they'd first dropped into their Command Center and explanations had been given, Alpha had allowed Bulk to lead his Kimberly to the medical bay, and Kim had followed after them in case they got lost. Bulk was incredibly good with the damaged woman that could probably beat him into the ground at any moment. Kimberly hadn't even huffed when he'd offered her a piggy-back ride and then insisted on bandaging up her hand that'd been cut open when she'd gone after Tommy and he'd had to defend himself with Saba. He'd sterilized the wound, wrapped it tight but not without sympathy and hadn't bothered untangling their fingers or letting go when they'd wandered back into the room Zordon occupied so they could all talk and argue and occupy themselves with searching the data banks for ways out and locating their other friends for hours. The kissing was on the extreme end of their affections, though. In the days that followed, Kim didn't see them lock lips as often, as they usually found themselves training or cooking or reading with just one hand, as the other one was invariably found more often holding onto the other; like two magnets that would always find themselves connected if given enough time.  It was, admittedly, adorable as anything she could have imagined, but still a surprise she couldn't help but balk at. Tommy underwent the same amount of shock with the random displays of affection that he often stumbled into with Kim, but he had more pressing issues: when he left to walk into a room with one of the Coinless universe alters, he always had to keep his movements to a minimum, hands far away from his pockets, and eyes to the ground. With the older Trini, Zack, and Bulk, it wasn't so bad; with the Omega Rangers out in space and their history with this smaller Tommy helping them before Drakkon shattered the Morphin Grid, they were more willing to acknowledge that the evil despot and the teen weren't the same. With those Coinless who had never been Rangers--Rocky and Aisha in leather and combat armor with battle scars, had looked very shocked when they'd met their younger selves in Ranger gear, Adam being given the oddest looks from the elders--it was much harder, because they hadn't even spoken to Tommy. And they'd all been dumped through a hole in space and time that the Eltarians and Zedd had caused when Zelya had gotten away from the moon, so everyone was still reeling--especially with them being separated into three groups around Angel Grove. Perhaps they'd make up their minds when the stragglers from Drakkon's universe arrived at the Command Center... * * "He's very strong, and very sure, but he's no Drakkon." "No offense, Skull, but how--" "Could I know that?" The spy--spy, spy, actual double agent who had to relay messages and blend into the background and not die a horrible painful death at the slightest misstep, how the fucking hell--smiled with benevolent pragmatism. Rocky nodded, mouth tightening into a line as Aisha stood her own ground in their questioning. They would have loved not to have come to such an awkward position with having to use Skull to calm down their worries, put them to bed, and smother them to death, but they couldn't find solace and reassurance in Zack and Trini's words and it didn't seem fair to keep putting the kids in defense positions just because they could calm the fuck down. Skull flicked his hand open and made a motion for Tommy to come closer to him, which he did with only a slight hesitation. He wasn't wearing his suit, but Skull had been the only person so far from the other dimension who hadn't looked at him and gone fully rigid, so he had a good sporting chance of not being injured here. When he was only a

step or two from walking directly into Skull, the man offered up his open palm, harmless and dangerous at the same time, and Tommy blinked, unsure and afraid, before deciding it was better to get everything that was going to happen one way or another out of the way. He lifted up his own hand and laid it flat in Skull's. There was dirt under his pointer finger and he only had a single twitch of a moment to be embarrassed before the much bigger fingers circled his wrist and wound around his knuckles, brought his hand upwards, as if he was little more than an infant fresh from a tub, or a sun warmed kitten.  Tommy felt a coil behind his belly bunch up all of his nerves at once when Skull's fingers slotted between his own in a possessive kind of way that sparked familiar-unfamiliar thoughts--those all fading away when the man kept their palms together and brought his head down, breathing out like a gust of a train through a mountain pass, and inhaling at Tommy's wrist. Nose tip to his skin raising all the goosebumps Tommy thought he even had. He's pretty sure his ponytail sparked at the end when he jerked a little back. Which swiftly brought him to absolute internal humiliation that showed across his face like a goddamn Muppet. Just because he'd seen that Skull let the Coinless drink his blood right from his finger and they all ate it in bread and stuff after he'd let a tube from his arm pour into the batter of whatever he made them, didn't necessarily mean the man would bite him. ...He hoped. Then, as if that hadn't been the weirdest thing, Skull lifted his head to grin at him, but didn't let go of his hand as the man addressed Rocky, Aisha, and all the other adults--and Tommy was too confused to ask him to let go, so... there was that, "He doesn't smell like he's rotting from the inside; like he needs to be wearing five layers of Axe Body Spray. And he isn't getting all put-upon and squirrely with me holding onto him. And, if you'll humor me a moment?" He was looking at Tommy directly at the last bit, but didn't let the teen answer before he found himself being wrapped in arms that had way more muscle than Skull had any right to have in any universe holy hell--and Tommy was suddenly in a bear hug, feet off the ground and spun around twice as much as he had ever been even at five years old; three times around and around, before he was planted on the couch like a sack of flour right next to Kim (his Kim, who looked utterly stunned and far too amused). The giggle that left his mouth when he smiled at her smiling at him should not have come into existence, and if he hadn't been red before, he was practically blazing as he brought his hands up to cover his mouth.  Skull's hand patted him on the head as he ducked his head as much as possible at the sounds of snickering and the other adults choking on their own reactions. He definitely felt like a kitten. "See? Totally harmless to us. Now let them take us to the Juice Bar and feed us; I'm hungry and Ernie's alive here to make me that banana-marshmallow smoothie I haven't had in over a decade." * "I...played the right politics." It would have been so fucking nice if Billy would stop asking Skull questions about the past and present the Coinless had to live through. He didn't mean to make the adults with faces he knew and worried over angry or tired, but Adam was getting very, very annoyed with how he always seemed to find the core root of things that made Skull look... All the emotion left Skull's face at that word, every single time. Politics, like a euphemism for something else entirely.  (And it was.) Adam remembered, because he was there when Zack and Trini, Aisha and Bulk, Rocky and the others weren't; inside the fortress Drakkon ran and imbibed in terrorizing whenever he got especially bored. The monster loved to play games with his sentries, with his prisoners, but rarely with his staff, because it took time and effort to train up new ones. But the sentries were his favorite, because they had to prove their loyalty each and every day. Some in

little ways, some in big ways. And Drakkon remembered Skull. Zack and Trini hoped he wouldn't, and Skull, when he was giving help and clues and time that he could to them, made it seem as if he never even crossed Drakkon's mind from being a punk that wore a spiked collar back in high school to becoming one of the higher-functioning members of the red sentries. Oh, being a spy made him so good at pretending nothing was wrong, how to be cool under pressure, how to avoid danger on all sides with one way out or none at all; how to think ahead, think like his opponent, pull facts and plans out of instinct and thin air (because what other choice was there, after all). That was why he was the best; probably why, too, he was revived from death by the universe and multiverse reshaping itself with the Grid's renewal. Politics translated so well to Games in Drakkon's palace. (It was amazing how often the horrible bastard made the sentries fight or fuck each other in his presence; the threat of his being displeased getting them through most of the time, and out the door when he was finished with himself to go vomit or find a shower or smoke so many cigarettes. As far as Adam knew, Skull was one of the very rare few who were made to fight or pleasure Drakkon himself. Skull and Adam and one yellow sentry that died before Kim returned to their world. If Kim was ever made to do as they were, she didn't tell or didn't remember, and Adam was thankful for that. And thankful for Skull. When he fought other sentries, he injured with care to avoid it being permanent or knocked out the other in a show of force that Drakkon appreciated that didn't lead to brain damage but made a good show. When he was made to fuck the others, he carried necessary aids to protect them from hating themselves or leaving much of a trace behind--condoms made from animal skin by Finster-5 he bribed out of the little freak; lubricant so there wouldn't be blood or bruising; an aptitude for pleasing other people as thoroughly and as quickly as he could while being on top and leading them through it with hands calloused but still soft. When he had to use his mouth on Drakkon or submit to the tyrant--often in front of others and while being degraded with his real name being used like words from a djinn or an immortal snake--he did so efficiently and made it seem as though he wasn't being forced at all.  Adam hated Drakkon more than anyone those times he had to be there and watched Skull pull his armor back on and resume his place in line among the other sentries like nothing had happened. He hadn't known him before the world came crashing down, but before he'd traded his loyalty for the hope that his family might survive--what a stupid hope that had been--he'd heard that the man had cried over Billy Cranston's gave for a week after his death and been good.) But this small, wide-eyed Billy Crantson, alive and well and looking at Skull with so much awe and respect that Adam could spot it from a mile away if he was goddamn blind, didn't need to hear that. Did not need the thought in his head like a rotting wound festering with so many white little maggots. So Adam continued sipping his coffee (pumpkin spice; which was so fucking good after years of straight, bitter instant black) and remained in his usual place beside Skull in the daytime, watching him go through the motions in this time out of joint from their own. Gladder still to be in the Juice Bar, watching the teens enjoy themselves, play at their video games, ramble on about tests they had to take in school; watch the Coinless eat their food and drink their smoothies, enjoy watching their young reflections practice gymnastics or martial arts. When Billy excused himself to talk to the Stone Canyon Trio about some notes they'd asked for from Ms. Appleby's class, eyes still sparkling with information given and listening to Skull like he would have listened to him even if he knew everything out of his mouth could have been a lie; nobody saw Adam wrap an arm around Skull's waist and squeeze

him from the side. It was just as well.

[nurseofren]

Keeping Your Promise - Chapter 27 (NSFW)

Read on AO3 | Read on Wattpad

Read Chapter twenty-six

Title: There is No Redemption

Words: 7.4K

Summary: Happy trail worship? Happy trail worship. 

ST Rambles: Hello readers, I hope you enjoy this part. I am in my final semester for my ADN and cannot promise even monthly updates at this time. Please, please, please comment your thoughts because I don't want to produce content that is not enjoyable. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

[MASTERLIST] || BANNER / @elmidol

Stress enveloped your skull in throbbing pain, Karmen’s six-hour rundown stinging your senses and drawing you inward.  Halfway through, you had already begun to feel the excess of information take its toll; Zag’s voice – unpleasant in small doses – grated into you, each word coming too fast and leaving too soon.  Thankfully, no doubt to cover herself, she had left you with a thumb drive; it summarized everything she’d mentioned.

After the ordeal, when she left by the sharp click of her heels, you understood why it was recommended to arrive two days prior to the initial hearing: you were utterly and dreadfully exhausted.  After unpacking – ensuring easy access to your favorite socks and keeping Snoke’s letter tucked into the back drawer of a desk – you had sat in bed for an hour trying to refresh with the thumb drive’s contents; you’d were determined to be prepared for tomorrow’s shift at Canto Bight’s recovery wing.  If nothing else, you would not make a fool of yourself during your practice here.  This you swore to yourself.

At some point you had drifted to sleep, waking to find your cheek stuck to the datapad that’d been propped up before you.  The sunset woke you with a searing ray of light, screaming fuchsias and hazy purples warming your outstretched arm as they cast through open curtains.  The breeze rolled off of the bay and tickled loose hair over your nape, a deep breath stretching your lungs awake before you unfurled from yourself. 

The radar at your wrist indicated Kylo Ren was near but not in his quarters, probably not inside the building.  It was a confusing feeling – the unsteadiness you felt when revisiting your earlier interaction, the vagueness of his words contradicted by the certainty in which they’d been delivered, but simultaneously this calm in your chest since you had left him.  Although you had no idea what he’d gone on about, or what in time meant, his mere presence – the fact that he was near and would continue to be – allowed you these glimmers of peace.

Not since Starkiller.  Not since Snoke.  Not Mason and his baseless confidence, no matter how much you wished to latch onto it; not Talia, who had helped you back from your darkest moment.  The only things that stilled you were the known proximity of your master, and the nature of the words he’d earlier spoken.  You’d felt it that recent night on the Finalizer, how it lingered in your muscles just before you’d dozed off, how it seemed his presence had scared your nightmares away.

However ridiculous and backwards, Kylo Ren – the one whose pain is printed on your skin, who led a slaughter just strides away from you – had become a constant.  It was never what you had expected, but when you thought of the trial now, what eased your nerves was nothing less than the raven-haired warrior whose face was slashed with midnight hues of pain. 

Much like you, you’d come to realize, he had survived Starkiller, and the event changed him.  Though you could not know for sure, you began to wonder if what had gone on had not only left him with the wounds that’d wet your skin, but perhaps ones that were deeper – ones that were not so visible.  Something happened before that explosion, something more than whatever fight had earned him that scar.

You shook your head; this was too much to think on right now.  With a throw draped over your back, you trudged through the room and out into the chill of your side-balcony.  This sky held more beauty than any you’d ever seen; you watched the sun descend, spying a domed, octagonal pavilion at the far left of the side gardens.  It dripped with violet-petaled ropes and emerald ivies, was supported by scalloped columns entwined with twinkling blooms welded from gold, the whole stage centered around a sunken fire pit. 

Considering for a moment, you saw it would have a better view of the sunset, and you’d been cooped up since arriving.  It was a quick decision, catching view of a spiral of stairs that led to the grounds, but only after noting the pair of doors a few paces left of your room’s.  They were closed, and the inner curtains seemed to be shut, the room behind them dark.  Empty.

No, Kylo Ren was not here, but – a thumb over your radar – he was not far.  Somewhere off on his own business.  Training, maybe.  At least, that’s what you supposed kept you from traveling with him, the thought frustrating.  Maybe – no, undoubtedly – he would never admit to it, never show it, but he was still recovering. 

Ten days ago he was in a medically induced coma talking about someone named Ben and how he’s dead.  Bacta works wonders, but it means nothing if a patient is noncompliant with post-operative restrictions, like swinging around a plasma sword for hours on end, or doing trial runs with the Force – which, although you knew little about, one could easily assume it put strain on the body. 

Maybe you were wrong and your master was completely fine, maybe the Force aided in healing.  No matter, you worried; for him, mostly, never forgetting how he appeared in that medbay, but also for yourself.  It was clear that you cared for him – for fuck’s sake, when you thought you’d never see him again you wanted to tell him you loved him – and you knew his pursuits could very likely be the death of him.  Stubborn as you might be to acknowledge it, so long as he was okay and not recklessly shredding through healed wounds, so long as he returned to you, you could rest somewhat soundly.

Hugging your blanket, tighter when the wind blew, you wandered down to the courtyard’s trim lawn, along the overflowing flowerbeds that brimmed with brilliant colors, until you met the few steps that led to the pavilion’s stage.  Flames shocked you when you stepped onto the eight-sided base, your presence triggering a hidden system.  The rectangular pit exploded into a rainbow of fire, thin veils of flames ascending elegantly into an ordered myriad.  The pit was massive, consuming the base but for a few paces from each support.

Much like everything else, the pavilion was grand in size and decoration; the hearth’s hues danced along the draped flora, at least ten paces separating each gold-threaded pillar.  Everything here was explicitly luxurious, so big and gorgeous.  You wanted to settle into it, but it was temporary, and you would not know how fatal that fact was until it was too late.

Farther out, flames rippled over the bay; the sinking heat of the sun endeared your skin, the warmth at your back growing in distance as you gave in to the silent call of the scorching sky.  First tracing the tip of one of the gold leaves woven to a pillar, admiring the detailed stems and ridges, you curled up against the column’s wide base.  Head caressed by the smooth, cool stone, knees curled close to your chest, you were glamored by the water’s rhythmic sway, wondering if you would ever have the chance to feel it on your skin.

It took little effort to keep Karmen’s lecture from your thoughts, too lost to the burgundy of dusk that bloomed as the sun wilted toward the bay.  A stillness surrounded you, and then you tuned into the chirping whispers of bugs that remained hidden with the fall of night.  It did not bother you in the slightest, their distant songs a reminder of your life before the academy.  A passing thought, fond amusement lazily humming in your chest – there are no crickets in space. 

You remained folded against the pillar for some time, watching night creep over the city, more grateful for the heat on your back as warmth waned, the moon climbing higher with each lulling minute.  The stone iced into your cheek.  You went to leave, but your commlink buzzed at your waist, and you knew it would be wiser to keep this particular conversation outside. 

Elbows to your knees, you ruffled a hand through your hair, closed your eyes, and answered Mason’s call.  “How’s your day, McCarty?” There was no use in starting an argument if he had moved on from earlier.

“Probably better than yours, if I had to guess.” He sounded chipper.  It was a relief.

“Well, what went on? Where’d you go? Who’d you see? What’d you eat?”

“I’ve really just been hanging out at the house since getting here.  Caught a nap, which was nice.  Soto sent me a transmission detailing updates on a few patients.”

He wasn’t hostile at all.  Hopefully it meant he was done being weird.  “I also got a nap.  Which, agreed, is definitely nice.  Especially after being kept in a room with Zag for six hours and trying to keep my head from exploding.”

“Six hours? With Zag? Are they trying to get you convicted of murder?”

You shared a laugh, scooting along the stone floor and peering up to the ceiling.  It was tiled with mosaics, the fire’s vibrant colors reflecting off of it and shifting along the intricate designs.  The view of the city was wider from this position, distant lights shimmering in windows that peered into whatever parties were undoubtedly happening. 

“She isn’t that bad.  It’s just her voice.  And I barely have a handle on anything other than the fact that I have my first shift tomorrow, and then two days after that is the initial hearing.  And I don’t even want to think about that to begin with, so…”

“Well,” he sighed your name, “I’ll be there.  Bright and early, just like you.  Wearing my second-best attire, saving the very best for the official trial, of course.”

“Jeez, that’s another thing, right? They fly us out here, put me up in some military-grade villa, but they give me nothing to wear, are aware that my residence just exploded on Starkiller, and then still say I can’t wear my uniform.  I just find that a bit unfair.  But that’s what I think, which we both know has not mattered since the very beginning of all this.  I don’t even know why I expected anything different.  I’ll just have to request transport to the shops or something.  And then make credits appear out of thin air to pay for it.”

With notably increased enthusiasm Mason said, “Actually, I, uh, I was going through the house earlier and there’s actually a lot left over from my family’s recent trip.  You’re free to come over and take some stuff back to your embassy if you want.”

“Alright, first – not my embassy, and if we’re calling it anything, I vote palace.  Seriously—” you stared at a trellis that overflowed with wild blooms of every shade of red, the dead, fallen petals mocking you in the familiar way they pooled beneath.  “—this place is too beautiful for any of the old businessmen who stay here.  It’s actually ridiculous.”

“So it’s not homey, after all?”

A bellowing laugh came from the center of your chest, echoing up to the domed roof and into the growing dark.  “No.  No.  Not homey.  Not quaint.  None of that.  Just giant and spectacular.”

“Well, whatever it is, do you want to come over and grab some clothes?”

“Oh! Oh, yeah.  That’s a lot better than spending credits I don’t have.  Although maybe I’m worrying for nothing? Don’t they forgive your debt when you die, anyway?”

Mason did not laugh, did not even speak, and your amusement fell into alarm.  An edge menaced along each pointed word when he spoke; “Maybe they’ll forgive your debt, but I won’t forgive you for dying.” He grunted in rejection.  “You’re not dying, so I don’t know why we’re discussing this.”

Silence swallowed you both, and for a moment you could hear him trembling, hear the shakiness of his breath.  A sharp exhale startled your hand from your ear.  And then it was quiet again.  He cleared his throat, and you noticed how thick it had become.  Was he crying?

“Mason, you need to tell me what’s going on.  And don’t say-,”

“Nothing is going on.  It’s fine.  We’re fine.”

“Funny, because when you say that, when you tell me we’re fine when I didn’t ask, it makes me think the exact opposite.”

He sighed, but at this point there was a good chance it was more exasperation or fuming than anything else.  “I’m not having this conversation when I can’t see you.”

“Well, I’ll just turn my transmission on and we can-,”

“No.” Clipped, barked.  Final.

It concaved your chest.  Mason had never spoken to you like this.  Your teeth scraped at your bottom lip.  “Should I be worried?”

He paused.  “No,” as it gritted through his teeth, your name was contoured with wisps of ire.  An ounce less of restraint and whatever he was holding back would crack this hardened, taut façade.

The worst came to mind.  All you could manage was a terrified whisper, “Are you revoking your seat to testify? Is that what this is about? Am I about – fuck – am I about to- I can’t lose you.  I can’t-,”

“I told you.  I told you I will be there.” Frosted fury swept through his following pause.  His flat tone was laced with quiet hurt when he next said, “Do you really think I could do that to you? Leave you in the dust like that?”

“No.  I guess not.”

“You guess not,” he thought aloud, a long drag of breath crackling into your ear.  “I’m glad that you’re settled in, and… good luck during your shift tomorrow.  You don’t need it, I know, but nonetheless.”

He was dismissing you.  You hated it.  “I’m not hanging up until I know we’re okay.”

“We’re okay,” he said simply, too fast.  Mason cleared his throat.  “Request transport for the morning after your shift.  You can shop around the closets and after, we can order lunch and… and we can talk.  About things.  Everything.”

It was apparent he would not give anything more away, but you knew from his flat tone that whatever it was, was detrimental to him.  Or you.  Or both.

“Yeah.  I’ll put in the request after shift tomorrow.”

Another long, aching silence.  You listened to his breath, trying and failing at ignoring the knives in it.  The line remained silent, the hanging static a backdrop to the hidden, harmless creatures humming in the night. 

“I love you, Mason,” you prompted, teeth catching your trembling lips, time choking you with every halved second that trudged along.

It killed you, every inhale adding to the weight in your chest, every empty, wordless moment he spent cutting into you with a silent blade.

Another second and you turned back to the heightening tide of the bay, the clear night sky dying it a deep navy.  Even as you tried to focus on the waves that foamed along the distant shore, there was no sound louder than Mason’s nonresponse.

“Goodnight,” Mason said, small, far enough away that it splintered through your heart like ice wedged through rock.

“Good-,” the line went dead, the static dying, a night-kissed wave crashing in your periphery, “-night.”

The iridescent veils of hearth rippled before you now, turning away from the seemingly infinite expanse of water.  Even so, you shivered, and you were sure it had nothing to do with the weather.  Tucking your commlink into your waist pocket, loosing a long-kept breath, you stood from the stone and clasped your blanket over your shoulders.  With a final glance, chin to your shoulder, you appreciated the beauty of your first night here. 

Whatever awaited you tomorrow, the next day, and in the weeks to come? It would remain.  For now, just this one moment alone, you could pretend that everything was okay.  Just for a moment.

A soft touch brushed your shoulder, but when you turned to meet whoever it belonged to, you found there was no one around.  But a light caught your eye, one that had not been there before.  Maybe that interruption to the dark captured your attention, but not at all was it what kept your gaze above the gardens.

Through the clear night, a breeze danced through the flora, glittering scarlet petals into the shadows.  Above those dwindling rubies, leaning over the balcony’s curve, was Kylo Ren.  Behind him, the golden light of his quarters caressed his back, small fragments draping over the sharp, toned muscles of his shoulders.  He was staring down to you, his gaze laving along your figure, eyes those of a predator aware their prey was no match for them.  The ever-heightening moon was all that lit his front, but it was enough.  No, so much more than enough.  Entrancing.  Captivating.  Beguiling.

Light cascaded along the taut strength of Kylo’s abdomen, his broad, thick chest emanating with the smooth white of the dusk’s sun.  Once more, like it always did, the scar skating through his features kept your attention.  From a distance it was less intrusive, but its presence sank your heart like the sun had wandered into the sea.

A whip of night air pushed his hair back to tease his ears, his head slightly cocking to the side when you found his eyes again.  There was no color to them, none that you could see so far away, but you felt their heat slink along your lips, then your neck, over your chest, and lower still.  When they claimed yours once more, they were sculpted with steadfast steel, strong and slithering, ordering your compliance to the smoking promises beyond.

Without noticing, that chill from earlier had left you, and you gathered the blanket so it hung from your forearm.  Kylo held you with his eyes, the fire’s warmth falling away when you stepped off the platform and wandered, in leisure, down the steps and into the plush lawn.  A dew was readying to form on the grass beneath your bare feet, the coolness welcome under his blazing attention.  One step, two, another, and a final; small, shuffling, like you were hypnotized – truthfully, you could have been, but there was none but your own intent in the steps that carried you closer to him.

Only when he straightened to his full height, standing away from the balcony’s edge, did you halt your advance.  He paused there, watching you, so gracefully still you were unsure of his breathing.  From his new position you could no longer see his hands, but – you could feel them.  A pressure along your cheek, your heart stammering at how its span so completely matched his own, and then around your throat, dizzying when it teased your carotids.  Breath shivered from your slack mouth, catching when that – his – ghosted touch skimmed down your sternum and pushed into your rib cage. 

Kylo made no sound, but when the night’s quiet scattered around your faint, gasped moan – feeling the whispered hands smooth over your hips, around the front of your thighs – you saw his jaw flutter, darkness and moonlight tangling when he gave you one final glance.  The phantom touch left, a feline smirk flickered along his lips, and when his brows descended and veiled those deep, deep eyes, Kylo turned and sauntered out of sight.

But you understood his message, the silent one that only his body spoke, and you knew that his leaving was not goodnight, but an invitation.  One you fully intended on accepting. 

The trees swayed above you, the beds of perfectly spaced flowers blowing with the gentle breeze and combining with the sea behind to fill your head with the salty, fresh aroma of a Canto Bight night.  Each step you took along the patterned grass shimmered anticipation through your veins, heady, wanton thoughts brimming in your mind.

The cold stone that marked the ground level’s patio shocked through you, wet crimson petals that had pooled below the trellis now clinging to the soles of your feet.  You did not have time, or at least were desperate to not waste any, to pluck them off, allowing them to travel with you as you led them up the curved staircase.  As you climbed the steps, you stole a fleeting glimpse of the bay; from this height the city’s nightlife sheened along the shore, a few private ships zooming above the skyline and carrying their passengers to events unknown to you. 

Events that you could not have cared less about, not when you arrived to the second-level balcony, not when you saw the swaying curtain beyond Kylo Ren’s open, waiting door.  No, those events meant nil, exceedingly so when you found the beginnings of a trail leading into his room, the first crumb that of pooled, discarded athletic pants. 

Instant, overwhelming chills clamored about your skull, the blanket draped over your arm joining the black bottoms when your limbs went wobbly.  Through the wind-swept gossamer you spied the second addition – one long, impossibly large, black sock – and when you came closer, the cool of night waning as you met the threshold, your heart thrummed louder at the nearing shaft of light that fled the refresher’s entrance. 

Heated tiles warmed your first steps into Kylo’s room, the coquettish curtain kissing the tip of your nose before the door at your back locked shut in near silence.  You brushed past the veil of fabric and took in your surroundings, quite different from what they were earlier.  The golden rays of morning had since been overridden by soft panes of night, only the moon reflecting onto the light tile, not a single star to join it.  The bed’s canopy remained shut, its thin sheets cascading around the bed so there was ample space to walk within its soft confines.  And from that canopy, from the circular track above, bloomed delicate, mild light; it melted midway down the canopy, fading to nothing before it breeched the polished ivory below.

Another step and you noticed the trail of scarlet, dew-drop-covered petals you were leaving in your wake.  On the step up from the bed’s level lay a second sock, so you padded to it, and tuned into the sound of heavy, rushing water that became louder as you delved further into the dimly lit room.  This level was dark save for the glow of the open refresher; you followed that light like a lost vessel in space, hands trembling as you passed through the sitting area with soundless strides.  Finally, as you’d calculated at the earlier bareness of his chest, you found the piece of clothing that signaled your final destination lying at your feet.

Atop the refresher’s threshold lay a pair of black boxer-briefs – unfolded, just as they’d appear fresh off the heated, muscled body from which they’d come.  A smile played at your lips, remembering how the pair he’d so generously provided you the morning after you’d first slept next to him had hugged your hips with subtle compression.  Those, unfortunately, were undoubtedly obliterated with everything else that had exploded with Starkiller. 

Kylo Ren was nowhere within view, but running water tucked behind a corner to your left, and when steam swirled around an inlet that bordered a sleek, unbroken wall of ash-grey tile, your lungs lit with need, with want, your thoughts only focused on the body and man that waited for you just beyond view, just out of reach.  Suddenly you became aware of how overdressed you were, so you turned to your right and found a mirror that ruled its own wall and plucked open the top button of your uniform.

The fogged silver expanse provided a blurred, softened outline of your near-bare body, scalding goosebumps scraping up your neck at the thought of Kylo’s slicked, dripping body.  Hands hooked behind your back, you loosed your bra and smoothed the straps down the sides of your arms.  And then all that covered you were the lack-luster panties the Finalizer had provided all those months ago, but they soon joined the small pile at your feet, leaving you naked and anticipatory and adamant.

Plopping your watch onto your clothes, you squared your shoulders, fixed your posture, and approached the heat of the hidden shower.  Its warm embrace evoked such a calm through you, first loosening your shoulders, then steadying your breath.

Beyond the smoke hued barrier was a chamber of luxury, the water cascading from above like it came from an invisible storm cloud; its volume suggested a harsh pressure, but, stepping beneath the jets that seemed to span the entire stall, your skin was graced with the pleasant fall of a spring shower.  Looking up, blinking through the misted warmth, you found the navy night sky peering down at you through the clear glass ceiling.

All light but that of the moon left the stall, and when your attention shifted down, you saw him through the sheets of water that kept you apart.  The air was thick with fog and mist and night, but he remained the most devastatingly gorgeous person you’d ever seen, ever known.  You needed him to be closer, you needed to be closer to him.  No matter if you’d been with him those few nights ago, and though you’d spoken just hours ago, there was a tautness that tightened as your steps brought you to him. 

Arms at his sides, stance strong and confident, Kylo Ren was a stride away from you, and you stopped.  Inky black hair dripped down his neck, and his mouth was set in a flat, unreadable line, but all you could think of was how it felt you were seeing him for the first time all over again.  He was different now, body scarred and worn from the passing of time.  You did not stare at the red and black that had only been there for such a short time now.  You appreciated it.

Kylo observed you, and a measure after your gaze followed the ebony ribbon rested in his countenance, you lifted a hand to it.  He tensed and you caught his eyes, giving him a small nod before the very tip of your fourth finger kissed the start of his scar.  You watched him, vaguely aware of your hand slipping along the marked path through his brow and down his cheek.  Breath pushed from him in eased waves, his eyes danced between yours, and when you reached the line of his jaw and tapped your finger to the raised, pinking skin there, you closed your eyes and leaned up on your toes so you could press an aching kiss to it. 

That tenseness that’d clanged into him at your touch was instantly gone, the heated streams above not a match to the stifling relief that fogged from his nares.  So near to him, a second hand pushing through wetted, onyx locks, you remembered how he’d stared up at you on the Command Shuttle, how unreadable his expression was when his new scars had still been fresh wounds.

Your touch found the tail end of his healing flesh, and you swallowed down a thick, betraying sob.  “Why did you believe me?” you whispered, not looking up to him.  “When I told you I hated you and I wanted to quit.  When I said,” you winced, “when I called you a bastard and said I wished I could forget you.  Why didn’t you fight it longer?”

Kylo was quiet for a moment, body still but not reluctant to the steady meandering of your fingers.  Something haunted him when he said, “Irredeemable bastard, if you’ve forgotten.”

“No,” your throat bobbed, “I haven’t.  I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day.  Any, any part of it.” Looking up at him, you smoothed your hand over the scar settled into his shoulder.  “After that morning, after everything, why did you believe me?”

“You were saying goodbye,” he murmured, like he’d mulled over that day time and time again and never considered the possibility.  “Before Takodana.  You knew.  He’d gotten to you by then.” A note of betrayal sharpened his tongue, a snarl lighting when he referred to Snoke.

The hand that wasn’t tracing circles along his scarred muscles now toyed with his ear, the tip of your index finger molding to the curved pinnae.  “Kylo,” just a breath, nearly drowned by the water ricocheting at your feet, “answer me.  Please.”

Smooth, low, he began, “Because who could-,” he swallowed, considering you before starting over, “Because I’ve never known anyone who didn’t hate me.  And I’ve always been a bastard.  So when you said those things, after that morning, after you’d ran through Starkiller to tell me and kept saying them…”

Memories fluttered behind his eyes, and as their burning brown centered glittered against the navy night, you lifted your hand so you could hold his face, hold it like a parent would caress their child’s tear-sodden cheek.  Kylo blinked back to you and you comforted the purpled skin beneath his eye. 

He did not want to voice the answers you sought, but you watched as, piece by piece, you dented one of those walls he’d erected in that time-stained interrogation room.  Perhaps it was a hopeful thought, but you swore you felt him ease into your hand.

“I stopped fighting because only a fool counters the truth of his life.” Kylo’s throat bobbed, his deep, shadowed gaze swallowing you whole.  He caught your hand and led it flat along his broad chest, and then to the panes of his abdomen, placing it over the bruised, raised flesh of the scar you’d yet to explore.  “I believed you because there was no reason to doubt you.”

The showering heat from above shielded that which was blurring your vision.  He believed you because he believed those things of himself.  After seeing him wear so many masks, physical or phantom, you saw it in his eyes that he still thought those things and had for his entire life.

And then it made sense, and the realization dragged jagged, thorn-wrapped talons through your heart.  You whispered through the water, wondering if you were speaking only for yourself when you said, “That’s why you didn’t look inside my head.  You didn’t think it would show you anything different.  You didn’t think I could ever feel differently.”

You ran your thumb along the uneven ridge of the scar forming over his side and tucked your other arm around his waist.  With the force that kept moons anchored to their planets, you pulled him in and nestled into the notch of his breastbone.

Through your teeth, “You are not a bastard.  Or irredeemable,” your fingers dipped to the center of the healing tissue, “I’ve learned that we make the choices we think are best, and if that’s true, if I believe it? What do either of us have to be redeemed for?”

Kylo said your name, clear as the night that loomed overhead, and a patient finger tipped your chin up.  “Nothing.  Because there is no redemption for those who do not want it.”

Intensity hardened his face, and once more you felt that sense of equality between him and you.  Long fingers smoothed into your drenched hair, and you found a prompt in his brow.  Sighing, lungs stuttering, you asked, “What, then, if not redemption?”

The hand that he’d set over yours shifted to your hip, thick fingers prodding at your flesh.  Kylo’s touch left your chin and the pad of his thumb rolled over the faint scar that cut into your hairline, a twinge of pain lighting at the memory of its origin; it had healed days ago, but you would never forget the sound of it cracking open when Robbie knocked your skull against the durasteel door. 

Kylo stopped musing when he heard you wince, his eyes meeting yours in a stark, unwavering gaze.  He smoothed over the blight a final time and proceeded to skate his fingers along your jaw, his thumb coming to rest over your bottom lip.  Similar to this morning, yet colder and with a quiet fury breathing beyond his eyes, he looked at you with solidarity.

Calm, sure, adamant, Kylo said, “Retribution.”

A moment to process was spent in his gaze, studying how unbreakable it was, swimming in the shadowed hazel that poured into you.  Kylo’s eyes flicked to your lips, and before he could look away, you leaned up so you could reach his own.  The swirled hair at his nape slithered through your fingers when you swept you hand from his abdomen and up his torso.  Massive, enveloping hands trailed praise along your body until they were mirrored under your breasts.

Exploring his skin, your fingers took residence over the small of his back, digging red trails along the slick surface.  You moaned into Kylo’s mouth when a capable hand claimed your supple chest and kneaded into you.  He growled in response, a predatory sound that rippled through your nerves and tightened deep, deep in your belly.  The pliant pads of his thumbs circled your nipples, the very tips of his nails flicking upward before he added his forefingers and pinched the sensitive peaks to his will. 

Kylo mouthed the hinge of your jaw, the bridge of his nose slipping along the bone until you surrendered your neck to him.  He hummed against your artery, sucking away the beaded moisture that’d collected for the past few minutes – or had it been hours? Time evaded you further when the schemes of his tongue at your throat delved deeper, revealed themselves further when he laved at your clavicle, shifting between kissing and biting and marking as he made his way to your breastbone. 

His muscled back flexed as your fingers routed to his front, dipping low until you found the haze of soft, wet hair that grew from his pelvis.  Kylo continued his endeavors and pulled you in by the curve of your back so he could bare your chest to him and run his nose under the base of your breast.  His need for your body was evident in the way he bent you to his will, cradling your back so he could have you, but also permitting a sense of safety in the relentless strength that flowed from his forearms through to your marrow. 

Near limp in his hold, you tread your fingers down his pelvis and savored the feel of that patch of hair, feeling his pulse beat beneath it, reveling how water collected and fled in such a slow, teasing manner.  His chest was to yours, so you felt, rather than heard, the pleasure vibrate from him, deepening when you grazed the very foundations of his hardening shaft.  He breathed into your skin, mouthing at your breast and sucking painful paths as he went.  The heat of his mouth melded around your nipple, and he bit, and even when you winced and writhed with satisfied hurt, Kylo kept on; not until you were sure he’d drawn blood did his teeth – their unique ridges now throbbing into your breast – leave you, replaced by the salve of his plush, scorching lips.  The body of his tongue was structured with adamant, laving over your pebbled peak until poems of pleasure groaned from the depths of your chest. 

He leaned you back up and shifted his attention to the remaining half of your body, but you needed him just as much, and you wanted to litter his body with the same pleasure he’d given yours.  So, snaking your hands to his jaw, you kissed the hinge opposite to his scar and pecked harder and longer, sucking at his skin like the blood that bruised would grant you eternal life.  Falling to your knees in a steady, unrushed descent, you kissed every inch of his abdomen, every bump and ripple of skin that was present around the mending injury.  With eyes peering up, hands cherishing the fronts of his thighs, you tongued the scarred tissue and watched him shutter with ecstasy, eyes half-lolling, mouth slackening for a second before he swallowed down whatever satisfaction would have left him.

You teethed at the soft, raised skin, watching him, content when a guiding hand pet down your slick hair.  Shifting to his middle, you hummed from one hip bone to the next, feeling the tickle of hair that fled from his naval and dispersed in an even, thick layer of black atop his pubis.  Hunger ravaged your throat and you nuzzled into the soft bed of obsidian hair.  A kiss to it, then a nip, and then the tip of your nose swirled around the dark patch, his cock twitching at the side of your face.

Anchoring your eyes to his yet again, you dragged the flat of your tongue through the maintained, drenched hair and pushed both your hands along his inner thighs.  The muscles beneath your touch sang, streamed just as fluidly as the droplets that were trickling down your spine.  Pulling away from him, you faced his cock and observed how it bobbed with your eyes on it, watched it strain for friction when your hands teased both sides of his base, sifting through the dark curls beneath. 

The moonlight painted his shaft with subtle, breathtaking contours – a shadow cast under the spongey ridge of his head, light glinting off the misted moisture that’d caught on his flushed shaft.  Each prominent vein cast a winding whisper of darkness just a measure from the next.  It hypnotized you, the way they overlapped and crossed at points, bulging out from his cock and shifting with each throbbing pulse of blood that clamored through him. 

Curious fingers flitted along the heavy, hot column of flesh, tapping it and listening to the thickening breath from the man watching you through ravenous eyes.  A smirk curved your mouth, and you peppered a light, whispered kiss to his slit, pushing his cockhead just so it met your teeth, and leading your lips away so the teasing burned through him.  You pulled a hand away from his leg and sat back on your calves, taking a breast into it and kneading as he had before, plucking your nipple through each space between your fingers. 

“A teasing little whore tonight,” he purred, voice thick.

You hummed, pleased you were getting to him.  “I’m your little nurse, remember?” The tip of your tongue teased circles into his frenulum.  “And you are my master.  Isn’t that right? Master Ren?” Fuck, the title even got to you, cunt fluttering with the hope to be overflowing with him.

“Good girl, teasing whore, nasty slut? Little nurse? You have so many names now.”

“And all of them belong to you.”

You teased his tip and finally laved a flat tongue on the underside of his shaft, flicking it side to side and gripping into his structured, rippling thighs.  Something animal, completely primal, roared in his throat, and sooner than you knew, Kylo Ren had joined you on your knees, the weight of his cock slicking down your middle and slapping up to your slit when inertia bounced through it. 

A masterful tongue slipped into your mouth and licked your hard pallet, next dropping down and pushing against the side of your own tongue.  A muffled moan – one that you were unsure was his or yours or both – clouded through the shower’s downfall.  But then a throat-thick huff, aggressive and impatient, gnarled through the air and you were spun on your knees so your back was flush with his chest.

“Yes,” he rumbled, “they do all belong to me.” A possessive hand pushed you into him with might, taking residence in the valley of your breasts.  “Your names, your body.  Everything.” His hips canted, and the tip of his cock knocked against your clit, fire billowing in your belly, quicker and deeper now. 

“Everything,” you echoed, finding his free hand and guiding it so it lay over the permanence etched into your thigh.  “I’m- everything.  It’s yours.  I am yours.”

Unrelenting digits bruised more marks around the one he’d made prior, and when you felt his cock fall in line with your entrance, you thrust into him as he did the same, and you took all of him, at once, in one, fluid, aching motion.  An unabashed cry echoed euphoria throughout the moonlit stall.  Before you could fully recover from the first thrust, his hand – the free hand that didn’t remain under your own, clutched to your thigh – dipped into your folds and that blooming fire from earlier mushroomed at the graze of his thick digits against the buzzing nerves. 

Thrust after thrust after thrust, fucking into you and filling you to the brim and then some each time, knocking the air from your lungs and burgeoning those sweet spots within with each paced, violent pass.  All of that pressure combined with the winding circles and strokes he racked your clit with, you felt the breath of climax rise first in your chest, and then upward into your throat. 

Kylo was panting by your ear, sucking the skin behind, clutching you to him so it became uncertain where his body ended and yours began.  You hooked your arm above your head and clutched at his drenched tresses, flailing for a better grip and settling on clasping your hand onto the back of his neck.

“I feel you,” he groaned.

“Feel me,” you huffed.

“I know you.”

“know me.”

“You’re mine,” your name was laden with yearning claim, lilting from his tongue so it caressed your mind, body, and soul all in one fell swoop. 

“Yours,” you heaved, “all, yours.”

You came.  Simple.  Body swimming in the schemes his fingers and cock and tongue and voice forced into you until it became too much.  A few thrusts more and his pace faltered, cum spurting against your walls and dripping out of you as more and more left him.  Full lips pressed fleeting, lulling praise into your nape, your shoulder, until he angled your head to his and branded his lips to yours. 

Spent, emotionally and physically, you fell into him and enjoyed the image of his legs framing your own.  But then your eyes lolled shut and you simply breathed, settling into this moment as best you could, and tried to memorize the tide of his chest slicking against your back.

Barely aware in the vague, misty stall, you only realized that Kylo had begun cleaning you when he guided you back to your feet to rinse you free of soap.  Even then you just leaned into his chest and let the jets spray silken streams down your skin.  And then you were wrapped in a heated towel and cradled in his arms, leaving the steamy refresher and coming into the gentle atmosphere within the golden gossamer canopy.

With less than a word, maybe a breath, the light from above waned to nothingness, and the room was black save for the glinting eyes that studied your own.  The towel discarded to the floor, you now lay beneath the thick comforter and linen sheets of Kylo Ren’s bed.  Both naked, you huddled together in the center of the expansive mattress, legs wrapped together in an impossible knot, each breathing in the other’s warmth. 

Ease trickled into your muscles, and you shifted so your forehead could rest in the heat of his chest.  

“What changed? From the other night?” you yawned.  “What convinced you? About Snoke.”

He was tired, too, you knew, the hand tucking you into him tracing lazy, distracting circles into your back to keep him from sleep.  “Perspective, really.  Seeing things clearly for the first time in… Seeing things clearly.”

For now, fatigue caressing you, that was an answer you could accept.  He’d given you more of his mind tonight than ever before, and you did not care to mar that fact with a half-wit interrogation.  Perhaps you would listen to him this time, given how little you potentially had left, and do as he’d said this morning.

Trust me first.

It was sound advice, and not worth questioning on the eve of your first shift on Canto Bight.  So you nuzzled into him and giggled when the tip of your nose nudged that black healing ribbon over his collar bone.

“I like your scars,” you hummed.

You could not be certain, sleep plunging you into its riptide, but just before it pulled you under, you swore you heard the fatigued rumble of Kylo Ren’s voice whisper, “I like yours too.”

[thekwanderer]

November 27 2019

The ride to Agra was 3 hours. It was a little unclear though because google maps was giving estimates of 4 hours. It was a bit of a tight fit as a lot of cars are used to piling in tons of people with little space unlike us Americans who like spacious cars with big comfy seats. It was an uneventful ride and we went out into the countryside. There it consisted of big open plains with some short trees. The sun rose a blood red as most of the light was blotted out by the thick pollution. Along the way, we saw some tall towers with billowing black smoke. These were brick kilns as many of the people living outside of Delhi are brick makers. We stopped at a small rest stop and wandered a little to stretch our legs. There we ran into Anna's family! Anna stayed back because she had seen the Taj before, but her dad, cousins, and sisters were there. We keep seeing them everywhere so Bobby and I think it was fortuitous to see them outside of Delhi as well.

We pile back into the van, and it's another 45 minutes to the Taj. Mercifully Richard agreed to switch with me and sit in the last row with Debbie because I was sitting at an angle due to the slope in the seat. Driving through Agra feels very different from Delhi. It is a lot more rural with short houses with thick clay walls. There was also a lot more cows! I knew that cows were sacred in India, but I had yet to see any. Here the cows wreaked havoc just walking wherever they pleased with cars, motorcycles, and bikes maneuvering around them. There was also a thick dust that coated the ground as the sides of the road were unpaved dirt.

Dev is helpful since Ishan's dad knows him and I'm glad for a longer lasting relationship rather than a one off transaction if we had found a driver through other means. He drops us off by the parking lot and we are able to jump on a large golf cart with 5 rows. We had many people approach us trying to give us tours, but we were very wary since we read on the internet that many folks want to scam you since there are very few official government guides. The ride on the golf carts to the ticket counter is only 1 kilometer and it takes just a few minutes to pull up. Interestingly it was cheaper to buy our tickets via credit card than pay cash. Our foreigner tickets come with the entry fee, shoe covers to go into the mausoleum, and a bottle of water.

After we get through security, we walk down a tree lined corridor to a little red gate. When we walk through, we get our first glimpse of the Taj. It's a bit hazy, but it still is exciting to see the famous site through the doorway of this gate. I'm impressed that there aren't too many folks there. I was expecting throngs of people, but I am told that this is the off season for visitors and that it will pick up in a few months. This site is a famous destination not just for foreigners but also for locals. We see many women in beautiful bright saris because it looks especially stunning against the white background. We make it out of the gateway and slowly walk towards the Taj. We are lucky that we can see the building. Patrick said that one of his friends came a couple of weeks before and couldn't even see the building from the entranceway. The water is pretty mostly because the pools themselves have blue tile. It is amazing having a crew of 6. It made me feel safer that we had other trusted friends watching our backs and we got some great couple pictures and we took turns holding each other's stuff and took pictures of each other.

We bought tickets for the mausoleum and that allowed us to go into the building itself. That is where the shoe covers came in so we could walk around the white tiled floor with less impact. Inside the building its dark and a man gestures us forward. There was no photography allowed inside, so unfortunately we don't have photos. In the center was almost a screen made out of carved marble. Inside this octagon were two graves. The smaller one was in the center, and was for the queen, and then the larger one was off to the side for the king. The king originally built this building as a monument to his favorite wife and ended up being buried there as well. The carvings are so beautiful from Indian marble and the shapes were basically hearts. Also, there was inlaid flowers with 4 different types of flowers made from gemstones. When the guide placed his small flashlight against this flower, the whole stone glowed. It was quite beautiful and intricate.

I didn't realize that this king was Muslim and there was scripture from the Koran on the walls and the whole place had moorish architecture with archways and geometric patterns. Overall we spent 3 hours wandering the complex which was more than enough. We had our fill of touring and headed back to to the car. We headed back to Delhi without incident and even ran into some other guests from the wedding at our rest stop who had left Delhi at 3 am! We were happy with our choice of a later start.

When we got back from the hotel we were really tied. Debbie, Richard and Stephanie got coffee from the cafe, but they didn't have any gluten free options so we dragged them to eat food with us at the more casual cafe where Bobby had butter chicken and I got chicken biriyani. After we were fed, we were ready for bed and hit the pillow around 8 pm.

[still-we-go-pumpkins]

An amazing fan tribute to Weiki. Unique facts compilation 👌🎃

I've just found the post on DeviantArt. As great Weiki fan also, I can confirm that he's really that marvelous just as the author describes him. This will make you feel warm and will set smile on your face as well as you will check Helloween vids/lives while exploring this facts. So, here we go.

Further credits : SamWeiki

100 Reasons I love Michael Weikath

Possible – scratch that, definite – Fangirling ahead (I tried to keep it to a minimum and I probably failed)

1. He has the most gorgeous blue eyes. [right off, I told you – Fangirling]

2. The songs he writes are so unique and AMAZING. Most of them mean quite a lot to me, as well. I’ve always been drawn to them. They just have a certain special quality to them that I love.

3. He wrote “Keeper of the Seven Keys” for cryin’ out loud!

4. His “thanks” section in the Unarmed booklet.

5. He’d pick Judas Priest over Iron Maiden in an instant.

6. The way he sometimes answers questions. For instance, he was asked about what fans could expect from The Dark Ride and his response was: “Well....hmmmm you can expect that it will be standing in stores and it’s very likely you can buy it when you find it there! hahahahahaha apart from that I don’t know if it’s going to say anything but you can go there and buy it, listen to it, and use it, because it’s a CD and it usually makes a lot of sound if you put it into a CD player......but probably doesn't work if you put it into a toaster.....hahahahahaha.”

7. If he wasn’t a musician, he says his life would be dedicated to cartoons.

8. He dedicated the Hammond version of “Burning Sun” to the great Jon Lord.

9. He’s an artist. His little skull and pumpkin drawing is beautiful.

10. He makes the best faces in concerts.

11. I love watching him in the High Live video, especially during “Steel Tormentor”. [I did not just say that]

12. He made the frog noises at the end of “Nothing to Say”.

13. So many people have blamed him for things over the years, when he did nothing wrong, just because they feel it's easier to blame him. I experience that quite a lot and have for several years, so I understand what it's like but he seems a lot stronger than me about it, as it's very hard for me to get over a lot of that stuff. He's sort of my hero about that because it seems like he hasn't let that really stop him.

14. How he totally told off that Phantom guy. His responses were awesome.

15. A part of “Do You Know What You Are Fighting For” is Deep Purple’s “Stormbringer” backwards. There’s actually a lot of Deep Purple in that song. Makes me love it even more – both songs.

16. He played on Uli Kusch’s cover of “Eyes of the World” from the Rainbow tribute album and he played all the guitar on that song. “Yeah I played on Eyes Of The World. So I did all of the guitar work on it. Uli told me that he did not expect me to have the guitar work as close to the original song as I had it.”

17. The seven pronged star on the cover of 7 Sinners was his idea. And what a damn fine idea it was because it makes a freaking sweet album cover! It was a lot of fun for me to draw, as well.

18. When writing “LAVDATE DOMINVM”, he called upon his old Latin lessons from school and actually got to work with his old Latin teacher on the lyrics. Weiki hadn’t worked with Latin for a bit, so he had to relearn a few things and he even managed to correct something his teacher had written.

19. His response to what animal he would be: “A lion, 'cause I could be lyin' round lazy and have my food brought to me by other people.”

20. Helloween would not be Helloween without him, plus Markus and Andi wouldn’t let him quit in 2000/2001.

21. He drew the logo and original pumpkin.

22. How beautiful the lyrics to “Windmill” are. Example:

"Don't feel alone and depressed

Someone will come, at last

To soothe your storming mind

To keep it away from the evil storms."

23. You can clearly hear the man singing in “White Christmas” and he’s the most fun to listen to.

24. “Introduction” never fails to make me laugh very loudly, especially the lyrics to “Rock n’ Roll All Day”.

25. He likes Spinal Tap.

26. The way he sang “Gorgar will eat you” in the Keeper Legacy interviews.

27. He was asked what his motto in life was and his response was: Be as friendly as it comes; have fun, make money and spend it on charity to help people. ~Sei so freundlich wie es geht; Spaß haben, viel Geld verdienen und es für wohltätige Zwecke ausgeben, um Leuten zu helfen~ (it was originally in German)

28. His black and white outfits in the ‘80s and ‘90s, especially those awesome star-printed pants.

29. The entire story of the Keeper of the Seven Keys and Master of the Rings.

30. The Jacuzzi scene in the Keeper Legacy Road movie.

31. He likes Aphrodite’s Child, Nektar, and Camel. He’s cool.

32. I really don’t think I’ve heard him say anything bad about anyone.

33. The moment when he switched his guitar off and “played” a solo after he was introduced in The Legacy concert.

34. “All right… That’s enough! Now, I want to hear Dani’s drum solo!” *rapid fire – BLAMBLAMBLAM!* The first time I watched the “Smoke On the Water” bit from Hellish Rock, I nearly fell to the floor laughing.

35. About the time Pink Bubbles Go Ape came out, in an interview, Michael Kiske said something about they weren’t Metal, they didn’t do that “Heavy Metal” thing and Weiki says, “I thought we were Heavy Metal”. And Michi completely just stopped talking for a second.

36. The way Weiki messed around with Michi and Roland during the interview mentioned above.

37. How much fun he looked like he was having in the “Kids of the Century” video.

38. Every time he dances around on stage.

39. His love for Gibson Les Pauls.

40. He was reading “A Hat Full of Sky” and even recommended it.

41. He says that his writing “Keeper of the Seven Keys” kept him alive and he considers it a major turning point in his life to have come up with the idea for it.

42. The hairspray scene in the Hellish Rock road movie.

43. He actually got involved with the DJ game when they were in Japan (Keeper Legacy road movie) – the whole arcade scene was great.

44. The way he just looks at a camera sometimes and doesn’t say a word – he just starts making faces and looking off in different directions. He can be funny without saying a single word.

45. His guitar solo in “Back On the Ground”.

46. He played most of the guitar on the Better Than Raw album.

47. Weikath Syndrome is the coolest thing to catch.

48. During the German Top 6 video (1993), he was drinking a Capri Sun. I think it may have even been Wild Cherry.

49. A Gibson Les Paul looks absolutely perfect on him. I also love the way he holds the guitar.

50. How his hair has always been shoulder length (at least) since the late ‘80s (and beautiful).

51. He thinks of the younger viewers/fans.

52. All the love for him in the Hellbook.

53. I don’t how much of the lyrics to “Dreambound” he wrote, but he has a credit on that song and OH MY GOD, is it flipping incredible! I must make special mention to how amazing “the Saints” is, too.

54. He wanted to talk to Michael Kiske when they met at a festival in 2012/2013, so they could try and work things out a little.

55. He wanted “Livin’ Ain’t No Crime” to be a single.

56. His song “Number One” and how uplifting and positive the lyrics are, especially the chorus.

57. When they were on the Ferris wheel, they didn’t start REALLY laughing until Weiki did.

58. How he introduces himself as “de Michael Weikath of Helloween” and he even got Dani to do it with him.

59. He contributed a guitar solo to the German Rock Project’s “Let Love Conquer the World” (the long Metal version) but went all incognito with it and is credited as “a member of the Seventh Key”.

60. The fact that he wanted a flute in “Raise the Noise” and it sounds totally awesome!

61. The sexy witch on the cover of Better Than Raw was Weiki’s idea.

62. His makeshift rocking chair.

63. His spoken part of the Dezperadoz song “First Blood” (and “Echoes of Eternity”, too).

64. How funny was in the two Nuremberg interviews from the ‘80s that are on YouTube.

1987 – He lights a cigarette, he passes it Ingo, Ingo passes it back, and Weiki passes it back to him. Ingo then proceeds to throw it on the ground and Weiki attempts to lightly hit him but only manages to hit his hair. xD

1988 – The FUNNY one! He was so frickin’ funny in that one. I won’t give away the end of it if you’ve never seen it, but it involves a balloon and a cigarette. (by the way, Michael Weikath takes his sunglasses off and puts them back on 13 times, 10 of which are in the first three minutes).

65. After an interviewer thanks him for being there, “Ja, that’s not so much I can do about it, because somebody put me on this Earth and I went out of my mother and suddenly I was there and now I have to deal with this crap.”

66. During the Indianapolis Hell On Wheels concert, during “Halloween”, Michi passes the mic over to Weiki and Weiki does the “I’ll show you power and glory” part. Michi then makes a disgruntled face at him and rubs the mic with his shirt, causing Weiki to make a face back at him!

67. Also from the same Hell On Wheels concert, during “A Tale That Wasn’t Right”, he was stepping on the skeleton and making Ingo laugh.

68. Speaking of “A Tale That Wasn’t Right”, that song is incredible and very powerful.

69. He let the other members of the band help out on “Mission Motherland”. That song is very quickly becoming my favorite song of theirs.

70. His backing vocals in the “Sea of Fears” demo.

71. All of his little pins that he wears: the pumpkin, the W, the stars…

72. This comment he made about the Hellbook: “With the hardcover you can better smash your naughty brother... and you can with the regular as well, just maybe not as effective.” I have actually made that joke to my brother before. xD

73. Someone at a meet-n-greet in 2008 showed the band an old picture of the guys, which they all signed. It was an old picture. Kai was stunned, Markus laughed his ass off, and Michael actually said he remembered where it was taken and when. The picture was taken in 1986, so that is kind of impressive.

74. He helped me become a big fan of Deep Purple. Yes, I will admit to only becoming a major Deep Purple fan after becoming a Helloween fan - and it was all because of Weiki. And now I'm really happy because I never realized how awesome Deep Purple is. Same thing with Wishbone Ash.

75. He’s given me several phrases to use whenever applicable.

- “Impressive, isn’t it?”

- “You have to listen with your ears.”

- “It’s nice, cold, windy, sunny weather.” (which pretty much describes Florida in the winter sometimes)

76. He can still sing with a cigarette in his mouth and not drop the cigarette.

77. The intro to “Halloween”. I’m not sure if he played it on the original recording, but when he plays it live… OH MY GOD.

78. His guitar solo in “First Time”.

79. He’s fun to watch in the “When the Sinner” video when he’s shown, especially when he’s playing those power chords in the beginning (even though he played no guitar on the song) and the part in the saloon.

80. How amazing “Les Hambourgeois Walkways” is.

81. He’s written a couple songs that he has dedicated to groups of fans ~ “LAVDATE DOMINVM” for the Latin speaking fans, and “Born on Judgment Day” for the people of Brazil.

82. How he’s so easily able to make Sascha laugh behind the camera.

More here 💜

[lightsorigins]

Fluctuations

 When he opened his eyes, Malden remained as straight as a board. He stared at the bedroom ceiling for a few seconds before turning his head to the window. The shutters were wide open. Yet he remembered that Kieran had closed them the night before. It didn't matter. He stood up slowly and felt the icy cold of the systemic dawn make him shiver. It was around nine o'clock, the sun was rising. Even slower than he was, he thought. Malden knew that it was not easy to be more phlegmatic than he was.

      - Except you, Mr. Sun," he murmured, still leaning out the window.

      He lost himself in his thoughts for a few minutes. Now that he'd had a good time with his friend, he'd have to think about going home and face his mother's wrath for allowing himself to leave the day before. What an idea to get up so early! He remembered very well that sleep had come late, and fatigue would quickly overcome him during the day. Malden turned and saw Kieran lying on his back, his blanket over part of his body diagonally. He was sleeping with his mouth open and snoring so loudly he could have woken a dragon. The sight made him chuckle.

      Discreetly, he collected his things, put on his shoes, and left the apartment without waking anyone. He put on his headphones and played "How Long Can I Go" by "Sam Celentano". Once outside, several options came to mind. There was a park north of Lausya, where he often went to play sports. He also had a painting he had started and wanted to finish. However, the longer he stayed outside, the more problems he would have to deal with when he returned.

      - It's up to me. I can go to the park and do push-ups. Take up my painting, knowing that I might run into mom. Maybe I can give Sylva a call and see if I can't come over early. I could have stayed at Kieran's, but now that I'm out, I'm not going to wake him up to come back... And seeing as he's asleep, he won't wake up, that's for sure, he concluded by putting his hand on his face.

      Malden suddenly noticed that he had a few unread messages. Naturally, these were from his mother. The most important one was this:

"I don't appreciate your attitude lately. We'll have a discussion as soon as you get home. You know there are rules to follow in this house, and they apply to everyone, even you! »

      The first response that came to mind was "You never liked my attitude, and you never understood me. "But he found it too tiring to get into a conflict with her. It was better not to escalate the situation. Akane, his mother, had been an adventurer during her youth. During certain periods, it happened that she went on adventures for a few weeks with her old group of friends. She is a Gial (Earth) atmologist, focused on the Veltôs (Control) path, and her atmology is an ochre red. At a very young age, Akane received a strict and hard education, and also underwent many hazing which forged her character for sure. She has never been an example of softness. This hard and uncompromising character made communication with Malden particularly complicated over the years.

      It didn't matter in the end. Malden decided to get on his way and go home. He might as well face Mother Dragon as quickly as possible to put out the flames. Unfortunately, it didn't take much for his mood to be affected. These expressions from his mother reminded him how lonely he felt in his family, despite the good relationship he had with his sister Sawako, and his brother Hayate. He always ended up being seen as too intense, too whiny or touchy and moody. When he thought about it, however, Malden knew that factually he lacked nothing. He was a healthy, rather good-looking young man, good at a few subjects, athletic, with a group of sympathetic and understanding friends, a certain amount of freedom in his personal life, and so on. However, it seemed that something was missing.

      It was as if there was a void somewhere. A fear of not living up to his own image, or of failing at what he could do. He was so special that he could be admired for the strangeness of his thoughts and artistic productions, but also stigmatized, and found "weird", or "unapproachable", to use terms he had heard about himself. Yet he longed to be accepted for who he was, without becoming like everyone else.

    When he opened the door to the apartment, he expected to find his mother getting ready for work. Instead, he found Sawako sitting in the kitchen. She was having breakfast: a glass of hot delicatessen milk with a little pethmergale sugar. The whole thing made the milk look dark and creamy. She was reading a manga while smoking a cigarette.

      - Hi! he said. I didn't think you'd be here at this hour. I thought I'd find Mom instead.

 -      Nah, she left pretty early this morning to buy some stuff. I don't think she's gonna be back for a while. Where did you go anyway? Kieran's?

      - Yeah. We wanted to watch "Alvist Wars" quietly, but Isaac had come into my room yesterday to snoop on something. I yelled at her, she got involved and... well, you know mom.

      - Yeah, I know what you mean. Well, she wasn't too happy about it. In fact, she was angry that you broke like that. I understand, but you could have avoided it, or told me about it. I would have tempered the situation a bit, you know how I usually do.

      - I know, but Kieran kind of rushed me, I didn't have much time to make my decision. I've done this plenty of times before, but it seems like yesterday was worse than usual. Why is that?

      - Didn't Mom tell you what we have to do tonight?

      - No?

      - Okay, too weird. Well, actually we're supposed to go to Welliyo with Dad, Mom and Helen to see Melva. Maybe there's some news about her memory, but nothing transcendent you know.

      Malden hiccupped in surprise and recoiled slightly. He felt stupid, but also excluded for not having been kept in the loop.

      - Is she serious? Why didn't she tell me?

      - I think she was going to propose to you yesterday.

      - Suggesting me the day before for the day after? What if I had something to do? Yes, I would have canceled. I would cancel anything to go see Melva, but still.

      - Anyway, chances are that's why she's so upset about your escapade yesterday. You should just apologize and tell her you'll be there tonight, if you want to be safe. I'll cover for you, but do what I say. I mean, I'll figure out how to fix it, I'll improvise.

      - And you think you can get Isaac to stop making my life miserable?

      - Don't worry, I'll work it out by ruining his. There are a few things he and I need to discuss. He's still asleep, but I'm setting him up for a real wake-up call.

      - You're handling it, thanks. I have to go see Sylvania this afternoon. Do you think you can handle that too?

      - Consider it done," Sawako replied, winking at him. 

 Malden knew he could always count on her in many circumstances. At 27 years old, she was the oldest of her siblings, and therefore the one with the authority right after her parents. And fortunately, Sawako had a lot in common with Malden. Both of them were very sensitive and attached to their deepest values, but Sawako tended to be more withdrawn and passive than her brother. She was a specialist in the art of running away and saying nothing, letting go, sleeping and lazing around. Beyond her studies in water atmology, she loved to write poetry, fiction, and play video games with horror, romance, and role-playing themes. At least that's what her mother told her. Malden, on the other hand, was much more active and enjoyed going out, shopping and discovering more about the world around him. With his pocket money, he bought a lot of things like incense, posters and an infinite amount of clothes that he could wear according to his moods. Besides,

    since he would have to go back to Sylvania in the afternoon, he started looking for different clothes to change into after his shower. Leaving his hair down, Malden put a diamond-shaped earring in his left ear, as well as a golden pendant with a small sphere. He put on a gray sweater with "N.O.T.H.I.N.G." in bright green letters. Further down, in small print, it read "Nobody On This Healthiest Irrelevant Narrow-minded Globality. ». Malden liked to wear this sweater when he wasn't sure how he felt. He often hoped that those closest to him would be able to decode this information and understand how he was feeling by carefully observing how he dressed. But it never worked.He went to his room to finish getting ready. After putting on his black shorts and sneakers, the same green as his sweater's typography, he heard his mother coming back to the apartment. Sawako immediately struck up a conversation with her. Malden reached out to listen.

      - Malden is back to the point.

      - Is he in his room?

      - Yeah, but I think it's best to leave it alone for a bit today.

      - Oh no! Have you seen how he's acting right now? I have to talk to him, this is too much. And he doesn't answer the messages I leave! That's not an attitude!

      - I know, I know mom. But he's a teenager, so you have to imagine that he's going to do a few more silly things like that.

      - Sawako, do you defend your brother when he takes the wrong path? Do you think you're helping him to act that way?

      Akane spoke loudly and raised her voice with every sentence. She was panting, exhausted from bringing all the groceries alone from the store. Despite her intensive training as a fighter, she was much less active since she had built her family life, and was therefore much more quickly tired for actions that, in her youth, were just a walk in the park for her.

 -      Plus no one helped me with the groceries today! I have to do everything alone in this house, it's not possible! Call your father for me, so he can come and help me clean up instead of sleeping again!

      - Mom, I'm not defending Malden, but I think you're overreacting a bit. He just went to Kieran's. He wanted to watch "Alvist Wars" and he came home early. He's doing well in school and he doesn't have bad company. Don't you think you should leave him alone for a while and deal with Suzanne and Hayate, who are always provoking him?

      - Yes, yes it's good. Okay, I'll leave it. Let him do. Call your father now. Is Malden coming tonight so we can go visit Melva, yes or no?

      - It will be there.

      Malden smiled broadly and clenched his fist in victory. What could he do without Sawako? He felt himself growing wings. The weekend would probably be much more enjoyable than he had imagined. Grabbing his cell phone, he decided to send a message to Sylvania.

      "Hi Sylva 😊! Do you think we could eat together this lunch? Like, at a snack bar not too far from your place, and then we spend the afternoon together like we said? »

      Every time he took the time to send her a message, Malden's hands were shaking and sweaty. Would he choose the right words? Was he being pushy? Or too weird? Did she realize how he felt about her? And even worse: did he really feel something for her? And this something, was it love? It was so complex for him to understand, so difficult to be totally sure, considering the particular situation. Didn't she just remind him of his sister, who is now in the hospital and he misses her so much? Malden didn't know. He always came to the conclusion that it was probably best to let it go and see where it would take him.

      His phone vibrated. It was her. She had just answered! He hurried to open the message.

      "Hi Malden! That's a really cool proposal. Where do you want to eat? And what do you want to eat? Something usual and not too far away, just to do it quietly? »

      "Noon, at the pizza place across the street from you? »

 "Perfect! See you later! »

      Since everything was already planned, all he had to do was spend the time he had left doing something he liked. So he threw himself into the painting he had started a few days ago. Malden was fond of searching for photographs of various places in the Mysticiën, and recently his attention had been drawn to pictures of the Omaltäb Forests in Almarosa territory to the south. He was busy redrawing the trees with pink, dark blue, green or even black foliage that could be found there. The simple fact of smelling the paint in the room made him feel a certain fullness that nothing else could give him. After taking care to lock the door of his room so as not to be disturbed, he painted for a long time and moved forward on his canvas. If for some reason he couldn't become an alvist or a martial artist, Malden knew he would become a painter and would do everything he could to fulfill that dream. And even if he did become an alvist and a martial artist, he would be a painter too! With his savings, he vowed to buy a high performance camera and take photographs from original angles and then redesign and paint unusual places in the country, giving them a special interpretation with special color schemes. This was how he would communicate to the world the way he perceived and felt the universe. This idea excited him.

      Shortly before the appointment time, Malden rushed to the front door to get going. When he opened it, he passed the kitchen, where he saw his parents preparing dinner. While he was already on the landing, he heard his mother's authoritative voice.

      - Be back by five o'clock, we'll go see Melva. We won't wait for you forever.

      - Uh, yes, Mom. See you tonight!

      - That's it," she said dismissively.

      The sun was shining on Lausya, accompanied by a rather strong wind. A gust of wind blew straight towards Malden, removing his hood and messing up his hair. He who wanted to be elegant for Sylvania, it was from now on lost pain. He sighed discreetly while putting back his hood. That was not going to dry his good mood found. He was now listening to "Apricot" by "Sam Celentano". Malden could already imagine himself with Sylvania teaching him some scales and making him listen to her melodies. Her calmness, her kindness and her rigor were for him like nectar and ambrosia. He admired her terribly, and these sentimental questions about her were very recent. But he had known her for a few years already.

      After a few minutes, Malden reached the main square where Sylvania and her mother lived. There was a fountain in the center, and some stone slabs decorated with flowers tended by the city's gardeners. A few people were there, including groups of children who had come to buy pancakes or ice cream, despite the cold season. Sitting under a white umbrella at one of the many tables of the local pizzeria, Sylvania was waiting patiently, her phone in hand. She had let her long red hair down, was wearing a white dress with blue polka dots and a small silver necklace and a pair of simple earrings of the same complexion. When she saw Malden, she waved at him.

      - Hi! How are you? I'm so hungry! I've already reserved a table for the two of us, so what should we order? Asked she, cheerful.

      - I'll probably have a salad with a slice of pizza. I'm not very hungry, but it'll do for me!

      - Are you sure you'll have enough energy to listen to my news and convince me to join your group if you don't eat enough? She joked.

      - Don't worry about it. I want you to join us enough, I don't need a pizza to help me!

      After they had actually placed their order, the two young people ate together and talked about the rain and the weather. Malden admired the way Sylvania spoke about her extracurricular activities, but also her involvement in various social struggles. She was already very active on Signold - a well-known social network on Elzetarân - and shared many videos about animal causes and ecology. Sylvania already seemed to be a big shot and followed very closely the actions of the Renovators' Guild. It was a group of atmologists and adventurers of all kinds, formed several decades ago. They were in charge of monitoring the development of the ecosystems and biomes of Elzetari after certain confrontations, whose damage could have seriously damaged various places and destroyed the fauna, as well as the flora.

      Time passed without them noticing. Soon enough, they finished their meal and went to Sylvania. Coming from a well-to-do family, they lived in a large residence where the richest inhabitants of Lausanne were to be found. The mayor, Oscar Fanghël, lived nearby with his wife and son. Malden was always impressed when he set foot in Sylvania's house: everything was always so clean! The living room seemed huge and everything he saw seemed to be priceless. The marble walls of a very light and sober

grey were decorated with paintings showing fantastic scenes. One could see atmological warriors fighting carniocs and wild creatures in the skies, unleashing various elemental forces.

      - Every time you come over, you can't help but leave your eyes glued to the picture in the living room. You know I'm going to end up asking my mom if I can give it to you, right?

      Malden flinched and blushed. He had never realized how much these paintings could absorb him. The idea that he might be seen to be lusting after them embarrassed him.

      - Oh no, not at all! It's just... I really wish I had a talent like that. You know, I see how well the color scheme is mastered, it drives me crazy! There is the light, so well reflected, and the contrast between the atmos used by the fighters on the painting, the expression of pain on the creatures, and even the effects of the wind that blows even though we don't see it. It's beautiful. Every time I see it, I feel like it's the first one.

      - I think it was Cleora Stolteïska who made this painting. I would have to see it again with my mother. And it seems to me that she is still alive. Maybe one day, if you meet her, you can ask her how she did it?

 Malden's eyes seemed to light up. He began to do some research on his cell phone and found more of the painter's work.

 -      Wow, she's so good... If I met her, I wouldn't even know how to ask her questions. Well, anyway, I'll deal with that when I get home. For now, I have someone else talented to admire on her compositions, right?

      - Don't overdo it! I'm just getting by on my mom's classes when it comes to reproducing classics. For my creations, it remains to be seen... I'm not very comfortable with the idea of doing new things, that go out of the box, I'm afraid it won't be very pleasant to the ear, also because...

      - Hey, Sylva! he interrupted her. It's not serious, you have to try in life. Let me listen!

      - But if you think it's ugly, you probably won't want me in your group.

      - Does this mean that you want to join our group so badly that I don't actually need to convince you?

      She hiccupped with surprise and put her hands in front of her mouth. Sylvania had tricked herself. She was more interested in the idea of being part of this music group that was forming than anything else, but she didn't want it to be so obvious. She would still be seen as the girl with no friends, who craved acceptance from others.

      - It's true," she sighed. Well, enough wasted time. Sit down on the couch. I'll play you this little piece. I was inspired by "rocking horse" by "Etolica. ».

      Without adding a word, Malden settled comfortably on the black velvet sofa. Sylvania took her turn on the small purple seat where she sat to play the piano. She had her back to him, slowly positioning her fingers on the keys. The girl took a deep breath before starting to play the first notes of her composition. The start was awkward but soon she gained confidence and began to play with more assurance. The notes flowed together with a certain smoothness.

      To Malden, it was as if a beautiful story was being told. He was so impressed by her dexterity that he wanted to get closer to her to better admire her performance. However, for fear of distracting her, he preferred to stay behind and come without making any noise. She was in front of the large window, giving on a great part of the city. He admired the view as he listened to the soft melody played by his friend, while he imagined how these notes would blend with Teano's expertise on the guitar, Kieran's voice and his drumming.

      The listening went on for almost three minutes, during which time Malden was totally transported. He found himself re-admiring the painting by Cleora Stolteïska that hung on the living room wall. This creation and Sylvania's composition went so well together that he imagined one day he would be a painter of masterpieces and she a professional pianist, creating melodies around his world-renowned paintings. An exciting future, from which he exited as soon as Sylvania gave the last note of her essay. A few seconds were necessary for her to come back to reality. She took again a big inspiration, then she got up and turned slowly towards her friend. The window was left open, and a cold breeze crossed the room and shook her long dress as well as her hair. An image that stuck in Malden's mind and he swore to himself that he would paint this scene.

      - There, now you know my little music. I know it's probably too soft for what you're doing, but it's the best I have in stock right now.

 -      Sylvania, it's really beautiful. It's probably silly and simple as an opinion, but I don't know what else to add... Then, I don't play the piano, so I imagine that there are things to be revised, it's possible. But anyway, I really liked it. You know Kieran, he likes it when it moves a little bit more, but then Teano will be over the moon, you can believe me!

      - Do you think so? She asked hesitantly, as she nervously played with her fingers.

      - I don't think so: I know so! Will you show me some other things? Songs you learned with your mother for example, maybe we could rework some of them and see how to create other songs together from that!

      - It's a good idea. So, let's see...

      All afternoon long, Sylvania and Malden discussed and studied in detail different compositions, some of which they took care to select to present to Malden and Teano. Gradually, more than his ambiguous attraction to Sylvania, it was his passion for art and music that took over. He was very curious and concentrated in these tasks, as she was too.

      Since the time for him to be reunited with his family was fast approaching, Malden prepared to leave to avoid being late. But just before he left, Sylvania received a phone call that seemed to puzzle her.

      - An unexpected call? he asked.

      - Well... It's Annabelle. You know, the girl in Sara's class.

      He looked at her with a puzzled look.

      - Maybe it's her mother calling? I think she works with yours, right?

      - Not anymore. They kept in touch but... Well, wait. "Hello?" She says.

      "Yes, Sylvania? It's Annabelle. Sorry, we haven't talked in a while, but I've been trying to reach Sara and even her brother but no one answers! »

      "No worries Anna. But do you need anything? »

      "This will probably sound weird to you, but my grandfather came back from a long trip a few days ago. And you'll never guess: he brought back with him a Phelidus Tenebris! »

      As Sylvania turned on the speaker phone, Malden also heard the news. He struggled to keep his astonishment from being heard. The Pelidus, whatever their nature, were extremely powerful creatures and known to be dangerous.

      "A Phelidus? " Sylvania repeated, worried. "It's still very dangerous! Do the authorities know that this creature is here, in Lausya? What do you want us to do for you? »

      "She's dying and has little ones... six to be exact. That's a bit long, and I don't have much time. Listen, I wish you could come to my house together as soon as possible, you and Sara and the others. Grandpa will be there, he'll be able to explain. »

      "I... well, okay Annabelle. I hope it's nothing serious anyway. I'll see what I can do to keep them updated and get back to you! »

      "Thank you Sylva! »

      She hung up her phone and looked at Malden, stunned.

      - A Pelidus with babies... How often do you hear such stories?

 -      Even the participants of "War of the Alvists" don't have Pelidus! Malden added. The thing I remember is that his grandfather must be really good. Renyu says you can only find them at Failghost Manor. And do you know what they say about that manor?

      - Yeah, that it's haunted or something... We'll talk about it again, I should let you go before your mom gives you a hard time for being late. It's already a miracle my mom wasn't there today and we got to see each other, might as well not ruin the end of the day!

      - You're right, I'm leaving. I forgot one thing! I think you're meeting Teano later on, right?

      - Yes, and he has to spend the night at Renyu's house right after.

      - You can tell him that I did some research the other day, and I found a luthier that might be of interest to him, since he wanted to try his hand at the electric guitar.

      With that, Malden and Sylvania parted ways. He walked through the spacious corridors of the building before finding himself outside, taken by the temperature which seemed to have dropped a few degrees compared to the early afternoon. Happy with this exciting afternoon, he then thought about what he would learn when he arrived at the hospital with his family. If Melva remembered him, at least for a few seconds during the visit, nothing could make him happier. But Malden refused to deny it. With his headphones in, he shuffled along, his imagination conjuring up the worst scenarios about his sister's shattered memory. His mood wavered again.

      When he arrived home, his parents were getting ready to leave. Sawako was already ready, a long dark blue leather coat on her back and her black hair done up in a neat bun. Aware of her brother's difficulty in dealing with this situation, she simply patted him on the shoulder and gave him a hug.

      - Don't worry Maldou, she'll remember us one day. The more we go to see her, the more it will help her.